Unlocking Mystery Babylon The Mother Of Harlots – editorial

Feb 07/2013

 

The Harlot’s Connection To Arabia

For many years, the teaching that the Harlot of Revelation is Rome or the Catholic Church has reigned within many Protestant circles. Today, most Western Analysts have diverged from this theory, and rightly so. Yet the problem of searching for alternatives leaves many in the dark – most Western Analysts are looking for a global Harlot that combines all religious systems and is political in nature, like Rome was. Yet neither Rome nor this “combination universal religion” Harlot conforms to many of the basic Scriptural descriptions of the Harlot. I have compiled seven reasons to prove this point. The Harlot described in the Bible must be in Arabia.

ISAIAH’S ORACLE AGAINST BABYLON

The Harlot must be connected to Arabia, not Rome or New York or any other nation or city. In Isaiah 21:9, Isaiah levels a prophetic oracle against Babylon: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” is the same announcement used in Revelation 18:1-2. Yet this prophecy is not ultimately about ancient Babylon (Iraq), but the Mystery Babylon of Revelation. Ancient Babylon was simply a type of the Last-Days Babylon. The names in this prophecy are all areas in Arabia:

  • “The burden against Dumah” (v. 11)

  • “The burden against Arabia” (v. 13)

  • “All the glory of Kedar will fail” (v. 16)

Dumah and Kedar are in Arabia as the text shows: “All the glory of Kedar will fail” (v. 16). All of the locations mentioned in Isaiah 21 are in the desert of Arabia, the region of Revelation 17 which is surrounded by many waters (seas)! Arabia in fact, is referred to by all Muslims as Al-Jazeere Al-Arabia, literally the Arab Island or the Arab Peninsula or “Desert of the Sea” (v. 1). {Even National Geographic and Bernard Lewis recognize it as such}.

Isaiah 21 also agrees with several passages in Jeremiah and Revelation that refer to Babylon. Contenders to this interpretation would have a difficult time refuting the very direct Biblical references. The names used in these passages make it clear that the reference is not to Rome or literal Babylon on the Euphrates river. Not once do they speak of Rome, Nineveh, Ur, Babel, Erech, Accad, Sumer, Assur, Calneh, Mari, Karana, Ellpi, Eridu, Kish, or Tikrit. All of these literal locations are in Arabia, which was part of the ancient Babylonian Empire.

There are many conjectures concerning Mystery Babylon. Some say that Babylon is the United States of America or the Vatican. However, none of these theories are supported by the text. Either students of the Bible build a mold from Scripture or they make the Scriptures fit their theories. There all really only these two choices. Once we read the text of Isaiah 21, it becomes quite clear: “An oracle concerning the Desert by the Sea“ (Isaiah 21:1). This is not the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq, but on a literal sea surrounding by the mass of waters in the Persian-Arab sea, Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. It is also thought that “the sea” may be a reference to the Nufud desert, a virtual ocean of enormous sand dunes. The camel was called the ship of the desert, the only formidable vehicle to transport through the sea of sand.

ISAIAH 21

  • ‘The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the South pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travails: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. Prepare the table, wath in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you. The burden of Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come. The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye traveling companies of Dedanim. The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty; they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the LORD said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail: And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.’

Some might argue that the context of Isaiah 21 is only historical. But it is difficult to ignore the multiple references throughout the Book of Isaiah to Kedar, Tema, Dedan and Dumah. Dumah is in Saudi Arabia near Yathrib (Medina), and today is known as “Dumat el-Jandal.” Dumah, one of the sons of Ishmael, is also associated with Edom and Seir in Isaiah 21:11. It is believed by many that Kedar, another of Ishmael’s sons, is the line from which Muhammad descended. It is likely that Mecca is the “glory of Kedar” mentioned in verse 16. Historians generally identify Dumah with the Addyrian Adummatu people. By these and other references, we can conclude that Dumah stands for Arabia.

We will also examine the crucial text of Isaiah 34 with the destruction of Edom, including its oil. It would be impossible to allude to Isaiah 34 as a historic reference because the purpose of the destruction against Edom there is over the final Battle of Jerusalem, in which the Lord Himself will be present and fighting. In Habakuk 3 this takes place in “Median” which is in Arabia. The Psalms even give us a literal reference to Edom being the daughter of Babylon (born of Babylon): “Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation! O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed'” (Psalm 137:7-8).

Arabia is definitely the daughter of Babylon since it was made so by Nabonidus, who extended Babylon to Yathrib (Medina). This is a well-documented historic fact in which the Babylonian worship of the Moon-god was introduced to Arabia by Nabonidus.

In all of these Old Testament prophecies concerning the utter destruction of Babylon, they cannot be speaking of the ancient city of Babylon because it was inhabited for roughly five hundred years after these prophecies were given until around 141 B.C. when the Parthian Empire took over the region and the city was emptied of inhabitants. After this, the city slowly decayed. But it never suffered a fate anywhere near the utter destruction that was suffered by Sodom and Gomorrah – with fire raining down from heaven as many of these prophecies describe.

THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATOR

Speaking of the destruction of Mystery Babylon, we read: “No Arab will pitch this tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there” (Isaiah 13:20). This cannot be attributed to Rome as some teach. Arabs never pitch their tents there. The ultimate fulfillment of this verse is the destruction of the Last-Days Babylon. We know this because the passage speaks about: “the day of the Lord” (v. 9) with the “heavens not giving light” (v. 10). This is not historical, but End-Times related.

When the Harlot is destroyed, the smoke from her judgment will be seen from afar. One is immediately reminded of the scene from Manhattan on 9/11 when news cameras relayed images of the World Trade Center from across the harbor. One could see smoke and debris from the decimation of the Towers trailing off into the sky and over the ocean. Likewise, based on all that we read about the Harlot, she will also possess a long and visible shoreline that may be observed from opposing lands and by ships at sea. Where are these sea captains when they hear and view this destruction? Jeremiah tells us they will be in the Red Sea: “The earth is moved at the noise of their fall, at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red sea” (Jeremiah 49:21).

Is Rome, literal Babylon, or America situated on the Red Sea? The Red Sea is geographic indicator as to where the Last-Days Babylon will be located. Look at Mecca on any map and you will see that it sits near the Red Sea. Some may object that Jeremiah 49 is speaking about Edom, which was primarily located in modern day Jordan. Yet in Ezekiel 25 “Edom”, stretches from Teman (Yemen) to Dedan (Saudi Arabia)” (v. 13). Greater Edom included all of the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula.

Notice the description of her destruction: “‘As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns,’ says the LORD, ‘so no one will live there; no man will dwell in it,'” (Jeremiah 49:18). How was Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed? Was it not fire that rained down from heaven? Was ancient Edom ever completely destroyed like this in history? Jeremiah 49 is ultimately speaking of the Last-Day’s judgment of Mystery Babylon that is associated with Edom. Throughout the Bible, only Mystery Babylon is also described as being completely and utterly destroyed in this same way. Beyond this, the passage specifies that the region we are dealing with contains the cities of Teman an Dedan which are nowhere near Iraq, or ancient Babylon.

The Bible also tells us that the Kurds (Medes) will be against Babylon. This is likely a dual fulfillment since today, the Kurds are hated by all of their neighbors: “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver; and as for gold, they will not delight in it; Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare children” (Isaiah 13:17-18).

The Harlot’s Connection To A Desert

The Harlot of Babylon is described as being in a literal desert location: “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman (a prostitute) sitting on a scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:3). It then should be of no surprise that Jesus warned us that before He comes, religious imposters will come out of the desert: “So if anyone tells you, There he is, ‘out in the desert,’ do not go out” (Matthew 24:26). Many commentators overlook this literal description of the Harlot.

It is largely agreed to by most that the Beast is the governmental aspect of the Antichrist empire, and that the Harlot woman city is the spiritual driver of the Beast mechanism. So the angel takes John into a desert to observe the Harlot. There, in the desert, she is also seen “sitting on many waters (peoples).” She is the spiritual source that influences these different ethnic peoples. However, later in verse 17, the angel explains to John that “the waters” which the Harlot sits upon should be understood allegorically as representing “peoples, multitudes, nations and language”. The woman exerts a strong measure of spiritual influence over a great mixture of multitudes of different ethnicities and languages.

The combination of these three descriptions (city, desert, sitting on many waters) also matches Isaiah 21, where Babylon is described as “the Desert by the Sea.”

While some insist that some of the Biblical description of the Last-Days Harlot may bear some similarities to Rome, New York, or America when read by Western minds, the point is that all of the Biblical descriptions must be met, not just a few. Whatever solution to this puzzle one ultimately accepts, it must be both reasonable, and it must conform to all the relevant Scriptures. Does Rome, The United States, or New York City sit in a literal desert? If not, then these entities cannot be the fulfillment of these Biblical prophecies. Yet Saudi Arabia fulfills this description exactly.

The Harlot’s Connection To Oil

Once we have established the connection of Mystery Babylon to Arabia and the desert, we can apply our literal findings to the allegoric references. The Bible gives us some allegoric clues about this Harlot as a provider of wine that intoxicates the nations (Revelation 17:2). Many Western Bible teachers associated the wine held in a chalice by the prostitute with the Catholic Church and the golden chalice used during communion. This conclusion is hardly hermeneutically responsible or Berean. While many of the Old Testament prophets spoke regarding Mystery Babylon, no passage in the Bible directly addresses the Harlot as does Revelation 17 and 18. As Revelation 17 begins, the Apostle John is introduced to the Harlot.

  • “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with the abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: ‘Mystery Babylon The Great – The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the earth.’ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus … The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:1-6, 18).

There are two very important descriptions of the Harlot that stands out: First, she exists geographically in a desert region. And secondly, we see that the “kings of the earth” figuratively commit adultery with her in order to obtain her “wine” in exchange for betraying God’s people. What desert “wine” intoxicates the earth, and causes this desert region to grow rich? What false religion teaches that the blood of Christians and Jews should be shed? What desert nation today is the geographical womb from which this false harlot religion was birthed?

THE WINE IN JOEL 3

Amazingly, in Joel 3, the Bible talks about both this wine as well as the harlot, including the reason for God’s judgment against the nations:

  • “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then will I enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; And they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” (Joel 3:1-3).

It is sad that most claiming Christians do not know that the division of Israel and the treatment of the Jews is the main basis by which Jesus will judge the nations. Yet, many will bare the shame of ignoring one of the most important texts in Scripture. It is both fascinating and frightening to see such familiar elements of modern-day Middle Eastern politics portrayed in this ancient End-Time prophecy. Among the various crimes that the nations commit against God and His people, they are guilty of “dividing up My (God’s) land.” This is exactly what we see today as Israel is continually pressured to carve out Judea, the very heart of Israel, in order to create a Palestinian state and ultimately attempt to destroy Israel.

In typical Hebrew prose, we see the price paid for this sale of Israel whom God calls “My people”: “They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” (Joel 3:3). We see that the nations will sell out Israel in order to coddle the Harlot and obtain her wine. The timing context of this passage is the End-Times: “at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem” (Joel 3:1).

I propose to you that the Harlot uses both Islam and oil as her “wine,” through which she seduces the nations of the world into committing spiritual adultery with her and compromising Israel. Of course, this is probably quite a new paradigm for many Western students of the Bible, but in the East, the new converts from Islam get it – quickly. This wine cannot be a simple issue, “For all the nations have drunk the maddening wines of her adulteries” (Revelation 18:3).

Babylon is judged because of her “maddening” influence that has used oil to turn many nations against Israel. By “maddening”, the text means an irrational hatred that fills the hearts of those who partake of her idolatrous doctrines. Even as the spirit of Islam today causes men to become mad with hate and rage, so also we see that the religion of the Harlot has the same effect. In the New Testament, when one becomes a follower of Jesus, they are filled with the Holy Spirit and bear the corresponding fruit in their lives: love, joy, patience, kindness and peace, etc. Islam produces the opposite.

Besides the spiritual aspect of the Harlot’s influence (Islam), we also see a financial dimension: The oil is used as a means to pressure and even blackmail nations. Today we live in a world that is addicted to oil. In the days to come, we will see the truly maddening effects of the Harlot’s influence when her “wine” is held as a carrot at the end of a stick from her oil-addicted clients. OPEC very recently announced that it has decided not to increase oil production in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this is clearly to hurt the United States. In the 1970s, we saw the effects of the OPEC embargo when Saudi Arabia first woke up to her power. Should we be surprised that immediately after the formation of OPEC, the next organization to be formed was OAPEC (the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries), whose purpose was to exert pressure on the West specifically over its support of Israel?

In the years to come, we will see how desperate the addicts can become when Saudi once again uses her “wine” to affect the policies of foreign nations. In summary, one needs to ask, what Arab, Islamic, desert nation today both ideologically and financially supports the export of Fundamental Islam (the Antichrist religion) to the world? What Arab nation is the most likely to use oil-influence to affect the policies of foreign nations? What Arab nation’s oil net exports and production are more than three times higher then any other Arab member of OPEC?

Remember, the Bible says that, “… the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:3). The merchants of the earth have grown rich due to the abundance of this delicacy she offers: “O you who dwell by many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come” (Jeremiah 51:13).

LITERAL OIL – ISAIAH 34

Many may still argue that the oil in Revelation 17 is an allegory of something spiritual. Once we study Isaiah 34, however, you will no longer have any doubts. In nearly identical language to what we have already read concerning Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17, 18, we read:

  • “For it is the day of Jehovah’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. Its streams shall be turned into pitch and its dust into brimstone; its land shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever” (Isaiah 34:8-10).

Incredibly, almost three millennia before the discovery of fuel oil, Isaiah predicted the burning of the very thing that was used in Babel to build a name for the rebellious ones – the pitch. Pitch is bitumen and tar, which technically is simply crude oil. Have you ever wondered why God calls the Antichrist “Nimrod” in Micha 5? His roots go back to Babel.

Notice that the land shall not be “like” burning pitch but shall actually become burning pitch – there is no simile here. This prophecy could only be fulfilled in an oil rich land. The words for “streams” (nachal) is not water streams but “torrent”, “torrent-valley”, “wadi/valley,” “mine,” or “tunnels,” and thus need not be understood strictly as streams of water. Obviously water could never burn like pitch as the verse mandates. The picture painted is literally of a land that turns into a river of burning wells (tunnels) of petroleum. This is also confirmed in Revelation 18 regarding the harlot city:

  • “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning” (Revelation 18:9). “And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What [city is] like unto this great city!” (Revelation 18:18).

Remember the oil fields during Gulf War I, when Saddam Hussein set the oil wells on fire? Even during the day, the skies were black with smoke. This is precisely how Isaiah the prophet portrays Babylon’s End-Time judgment. In Revelation, we read that God will, “Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself” (Revelation 18:4-7). This chalice of Mystery Babylon is the same as in Jeremiah 51: “He shall recompense her. Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand that made all the earth drunk. The nations drunk her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged” (Jeremiah 51:7) When God issues a judgment, he hands over this cup to the Harlot and makes her drink. From the very cup that she used to establish her influence, from the abundance of her oil wealth, she will be fed a double portion of punishment by the very product that she used to establish herself and her power by her own burning with it. Though she has funded the export of this Abaddon destroyer called by the West “radical Islam” and the terrorists who have turned the world upside down, so also will the radical Islamists eventually turn on Saudi Arabia and give her something twice as bad as anything that any other nation has seen. She will be burned – in one hour, she will fall. Therefore the kings of the earth shall weep and mourn for their oil, but their oil will go up in flames. All this is what the Bible declares to be, “Jehovah’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the [legal] controversy of Zion.” This cannot be the ancient Babylon. God Himself finally executes judgment on Israel’s behalf with a great destruction. The same rendering is in Jeremiah 51:11 “the vengeance for His Temple.” Again, this judgment against “Edom” extends from Teman to Dedan:

  • “Thus Says the Lord GOD; ‘Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them. ‘Therefore thus Says the Lord GOD; ‘I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword'” (Ezekiel 25:12-13).

Teman is a place name meaning “right side” that is “southern.” The Edomites were a clan descended from Esau (Genesis 36:11, Genesis 36:15; 1 Chronicles 1:36). Teman was a city that was associated with the Edomites (Jeremiah 49:7, Jeremiah 49:20; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12; Obadiah 1:9; Habakkuk 3:3). Teman has often been identified with Tawilan, fifty miles south of the Dead Sea, just east of Petra, though archaeological evidence does not confirm the site as the principal city of southern Edom. Others understand Teman to designate southern Edom in general. To others still, the link with Dedan (Jeremiah 49:7; Ezekiel 25:13) suggests Teman on the Arabian Peninsula. Because the Bible chose to identify Teman with Dedan, we need to accept that Teman is in South Central Arabia in Yemen. Dedan is well defined and was an ancient city in central Saudi Arabia that is known as Al-Ula. The Lord made the geographical location of Mystery Babylon quite clear for anyone who would seek it out.

THE EXTENT OF ARABIA’S DESTRUCTION

This destruction of Arabia is complete and fits the description made by several prophets whose prophecies correlate with Isaiah 34:

  • Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! … Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?'” (Revelation 18:8-10, 17-18).

Ships on the Red Sea easily see Arabia’s destruction. The Harlot will be destroyed violently and swiftly “and in one day,” “with such violence,” she will be “consumed with fire.” The judgment on the Harlot is permanent. There will never be heard in this city the sound of music or musicians. Workers will never rebuild the city. The sound of tradesman will never be heard or seen in her again. All agriculture will cease. There will be no weddings. All signs of human habitation will be permanently eliminated. Apart from Sodom and Gomorrah, this type of utter destruction has never been seen in any other city, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “After her destruction, Babylon will merely be a home for demons, evil spirits, and scavenging desert creatures” (Revelation 18:1-2).

This is in line with the ancient Eastern perception that desolate desert wastelands were the dwelling place of demons and unclean spirits. The point being emphasized is that after Babylon is destroyed, there will be absolutely no human life ever found there again. Jeremiah agrees; he describes this: “So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation” (Jeremiah 50:39). Isaiah confirms a similar fate: “It shall be a habitation of jackals” (Isaiah 34:14). And again later, the destruction of Babylon is described as being absolute. Isaiah speaks of this event: “For I will rise  up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and cut off from Babylon its name and remnant, and offspring and prosperity, says the Lord … I will sweep it with the broom of destruction” (Isaiah 12:15). The broom of destruction? Anyone who has seen footage of a nuclear explosion has seen the fury and the power of the ominous cloud that sweeps up everything in its path. Could this verse be describing a nuclear explosion? “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; Blood and fire and pillars of smoke” (Joel 2:30). Could the pillars of smoke be the scene of mushroom clouds from a nuclear explosion?

HOW COULD THE BEAST DESTROY THE HARLOT

Revelation 17 tells us that the Beast hates the Harlot. He will ultimately turn on her, killing her, devouring her, and burning her body with fire:

  • ‘The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s word are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth’ (Revelation 17:16-18).

How can this be? Some may argue that Muslims would never attack such Islamic “holy” sites as Mecca and Medina. If we take the Western view of Rome being the Harlot, one could argue the same, how could Europe burn and destroy Rome?

Yet when it comes to Mecca, plenty of Muslims have attacked the city before. In the late 7th Century, Al-Hajjaj bin Yousef Al-Thaqafi (a Muslim) laid siege to Mecca and destroyed much of the Ka’ba with stones launched from catapults. During the First World War, Saudi Arabia was actually occupied by the Turkish Ottomans. The Turks deeply resented Arab imperialism that had spread through the vast Islamic empire and made strong attempts to restrict Arab culture and language throughout their empire. This enmity and resistance was so severe that the Arabs were persuaded by the British through their envoy, T.E. Lawrence (also known as “Lawrence of Arabia”), to revolt against the Ottoman occupation and help the allies. The Turks bombarded the mosque of the Ka’ba, the most sacred shrine of all Islam. One shell actually hit the Ka’ba, burning a hole in the “holy carpet” and killing nine Arabs who were kneeling in prayer. In modern times, the same disregard for Mecca by Muslims has been seen. On November 20, 1979, over 500 militants and their leader attacked the false Islamic Mahdi, Jumaiman ibn Muhammad ibn Saif al Utaiba. In the 1980s, on several occasions, followers of Ayatollah Khomeini disrupted the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of this was quelled by heavy security controls, but in July 1987, over 400 people died as a result of a serious riot instigated by thousands of Iranian pilgrims. Three year later, during the Gulf War I, Saddam Hussein sent numerous scuds flying over Saudi Arabia, disregarding the high risk they would pose to the Islamic “holy land.”

There were no protests from Muslim nations. And as recent as 2003, three al-Qaeda militants blew themselves up during an attack in Mecca. The idea of Muslims attacking Mecca or Saudi Arabia is far from impossible. The day is drawing near when the emerging Beast Empire led by Turkey and Iran will attack Mecca and destroy the Arabian Harlot.

THE DESTRUCTION OF MECCA AND MEDINA IN ISLAMIC PROPHECY

Confirming what the Bible which predicts as the destruction of this Harlot by the Beast that she rides is an Islamic prophecy that predicts the destruction of it’s bride Mecca by Muslims nations: “The final battle will be waged by Muslim faithful coming on the backs of horses … carrying black banners. They will stand on the east side of the Jordan river and will wage war that the earth never seen before. The true Messiah who is the Islamic Mahdi … will defeat Europe … will lead this army of Seljuk's.  He will preside over the world from Jerusalem because Mecca would have been destroyed …” (Yawn Al-Ghadab, Safar Alhwaly).

Medina is not immune of this destruction: “The flourishing state of Jerusalem will be when Yathrib (Medina) is in ruins, the ruined state of Yathrib will be when the Great War comes, and the outbreak of the Great War will be at the conquest of Constantinople and the conquest of Constantinople when the Dajjal (the Antichrist) comes forth. He (the Prophet) struck his thigh or his shoulder with his hand and said: This is as true as you are here or as you are sitting.” Yathrib is another name for Medina, the city of the Prophet Muhammad, the second holiest city to Islam. Constantinople is Istanbul in Turkey. Many radical Muslims perceive that Istanbul has been under the control of secular hypocritical Muslims until its recent restoration to the Islamists. So according to this prophesy, after the fall of Istanbul to the true Muslims, (which, through recent elections 2007, has just occurred) Medina will be destroyed.

In the Last-Days, a coalition of radical Islamic nations will turn on and destroy Saudi Arabia. The prophecies by which radical Muslims live dictate just such an event. Thus, if the day comes that radical Muslims actually destroy Saudi Arabia, it is also very likely that this prophecy will embolden and empower them to imagine that they very are acting according to Allah’s plan.

The Harlot’s Connection To A False Religion

The harlot, in many ways, might be likened to Dr. Frankenstein. The Beast is the monster that the Harlot has created.

The Beast is a coalition of ten kings representing the seven kingdoms in the past, under the authority of the Antichrist. The Harlot is a distinct and separate geographically definable entity that represents the primary religious source of the Antichrist’s religion. The Harlot is sitting atop a scarlet Beast. This beast is the final Islamic Empire of the Antichrist. This close, seemingly symbiotic relationship of rider and steed should not be dismissed as an irrelevant component of this picture. The Lone Ranger had Silver and the Harlot has the Beast. This is a very close relationship that is evident between the two. Beyond the fact that the Harlot is riding the Beast, there are other noteworthy similarities that the two share. First, the woman is dressed in scarlet; the Beast likewise is portrayed as a scarlet Beast – the two match. Secondly, even as the Beast Empire will behead God’s people, so the Harlot is drunk on the blood of the saints. They both share in the bloodguilt of God’s people.

We have examined what “Mystery Babylon” means, but we also need to understand the meaning of the rest of her title: “The Mother of all Prostitutes and Abominations of the earth” (Revelation 17:5). The first thing that we need to understand is that this title is a typical Eastern sort of phrase – the kind of phrase Ahmadenijad uses when he says that Islam will be on top of all the mountains. Remember Saddam Hussein’s comments in the days leading up to the first Gulf War? He declared that the U.S. and Iraq were about to engage in “the mother of all battles.” Of course, in typical megalomaniacal game-talk, he also declared that America was about to experience “the mother of all defeats.” The term “Mother of” is simply an Eastern way of expressing a superlative; it is the biggest, the worst, the unmatched, and most significant of all.

I point this out because many mistakenly interpret “Mother of” here to mean the source of all other forms of idolatry. The Eastern-minded reader; however, immediately recognizes that the purpose of this phrase is to portray the Great Harlot as the greatest manifestation of spiritual infidelity against the God of the Bible that has ever existed throughout the history of the world. So the Harlot is the greatest of all spiritual prostitutes, but she is not necessarily the source of all other false religions. Throughout history, many “prostitutes” or false religions exist and have existed, but the Great Harlot is portrayed here as being by far the most significant of them all. The Harlot’s false religion is also a mystery in that like no other pagan religion, it sprouts from a mixture of a heretical Christian cult and a pagan Moon-god religion that has attempted to cloak itself with certain Jewish and Christian elements in order to appear as a Biblical faith and the rightful successor of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

When the veil is pulled back, Islam’s true nature and pagan source becomes apparent: It is a religion that denies the essence of God, contradicts His character and blasphemes His attributes.

GALATIANS 4 – THE TWO COVENANTS

Galatians 4 speaks of two covenants; one is true and the other is false: “for these are two covenants.” The first is crucial for our study; “the one from mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia” (Galatians 4:24-25).

The covenant of bondage is allegorized by mount Sinai, yet the literal definition for this reference is Arabia. The spiritual battle, according to Galatians 4, is between Arabia (Hagar) and Jerusalem (Sarah):

  • ‘For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the Mount Sinai, which genders to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai, in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, [thou] barren that bears not; break forth and cry, thou that travail not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him [that was born] after the Spirit, even so [it is] now. Nevertheless what Says the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but the free” (Galatians 4:21-31).

Most historians agree that Sinai is in Egypt, so why is this text insisting on an Arabian location? The Bible states that a religion of bondage – Islam literally means submission – came out of the desert of Arabia through Hagar (Ishmael’s lineage). Even the name Sinai comes from the Moon-god’s name Sin.” The desert is the “Wilderness of Sin” or the “Desert of the Moon-god.” In the Old Testament times, Nabonidus (555-539 B.C.), the last king of Babylon, built Tayma, Arabia as center of Moon-god worship. As Segel, a historian of the ancient Middle East has stated, “South Arabia’s stellar religion has always been dominated by the Moon-god in various variations.

THE RICH ROYAL PROSTITUTE

The Prostitute is dressed in scarlet and crimson garments that glitter with jewels, pearls, and gold. Scarlet is the color of royalty. When Jesus was taken prisoner, the Roman centurions dressed Him a scarlet robe (Matthew 27:28) to mock His “royalty.” The scarlet and crimson clothes of the Harlot also connote royalty. Because they literally glitter with gold, jewels, and pearls, she is also considered rich beyond measure.

But there is also another meaning to the color crimson. Crimson represents sinfulness. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Of course, this also perfectly matches the nature of this corrupt and murderous prostitute.

What Islamic desert nation is governed by a Royal Monarchy that is known throughout the earth as being fabulously wealthy and utterly corrupt? What place is decked with gold, silver, and precious stones?

WHAT IS INTENDED BY “THE GREAT CITY”

The Harlot is described as a great city that rules over the kings of the earth. From this, we know that she is a politically and geographically definable entity that exerts a significant measure of influence throughout the world. The primary purpose however is not so much to restrict the Harlot as being a mere literal city, but rather to contrast her to the other prominent city of Revelation – the “Holy City” of New Jerusalem. One city is described as “Great” and is pictured as a foul prostitute, while the other city is “Holy” and is pictured as a pure bride, adorned for her wedding day. The intended contrast is clear: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:10). “Come I will show you … the Great Prostitute … Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast … The woman you saw is the Great City that rules over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:1, 3, 18).

As discussed, Galatians 4 addresses both cities – Jerusalem from above (Revelation 21:10), and the bondage from a literal Arabia, which we see symbolically in Revelation 17:1, 3, 18. Mystery Babylon is both the antithesis and the premiere antagonist of all that Jerusalem is called to be – and will become.

What city in the earth could be viewed as the most significant religious and ideological antagonist to an idealized Jerusalem? What desert city has attempted to usurp the position of Jerusalem as the capital of the world? While exiled in Babylon, the prophet Daniel bowed in prayer several times a day toward Jerusalem. Toward what other city do a large proportion of the people of the earth bow each day? The Qur’an literally switched the direction from Jerusalem to Mecca, and abrogated Jerusalem as a direction of worship.

“COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE!”

“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave her” (Revelation 18:4-7).

God warns his people who are living in Babylon to “come out of her” – to flee, for she is about to be judged severely. Here, we find a direct allusion to another Old Testament prophecy concerning Babylon. Jeremiah 50 and 51 repeatedly reference the need to flee Babylon with the same rendering as in Revelation. “My people, go out of the midst of her” (Jeremiah 51:45). “Flee out of Babylon and leave the land of the Babylonians. Be like the goats that lead the flock” (Jeremiah 50:8). “Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for Jehovah’s vengeance; he will pay her what she deserves” (Jeremiah 51:6). “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for judgment reached unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies” (Jeremiah 51:9).

Notice that those who are warned are told to flee, “every one into his own country.” This is important. Like the ancient Babylon, so also is the Last-Days Babylon filled with foreigners and expatriates. What Arab, Islamic, desert nation is filled with a massive foreign labor-force that is only used for labor and never offered citizenship?

The Harlot’s Connection to Slavery, Lavish Imports And Secret Sin 

“Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” (Revelation 18:16). God speaks to the heathen: “To whom will you liken Me, that we should be alike? They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god; they prostrate themselves, yes, they worship” (Isaiah 46:5-6).

Muslims decked the black stone idol that they likened to God with gold and silver and prostrated themselves to it as Isaiah predicted. Mecca and Medina are decked with much gold, gems and pearls. Arabia is also famous for its gold markets or souqs. The Mall of Arabia is the home of the Gold Souq, which has over 450 jewelry & gold shops in one location. Mystery Babylon prides itself on such imports: “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more – cargoes of gold, silver, previous stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men” (Revelation 18:11-13).

Remarkably, these are the very imports of Saudi Arabia today. The items may be divided into three categories – but they (are) all things that she cannot produce herself. The three categories are luxury items, food items – both livestock and produce – and human slaves. Saudi Arabia imports humans for various reasons; some may be legitimate, but others clearly are not. Above, we saw that there will be many foreign workers living in Mystery Babylon who will have the freedom to flee.

However, we are also told that there are many slaves in Mystery Babylon. Obviously, they will not have the freedom to flee. While most would like to imagine that slavery is a thing of the past, slavery thrives in various forms in many parts of the world today. Mystery Babylon imports men, women, and children, no doubt to maintain and bolster her excessively luxurious and sinful lifestyle. Saudi Arabia has been repeatedly condemned by numerous human-rights watch groups for its horrific treatment of its vast foreign labor-force. They have been repeatedly reported to have a serious problem with importing young women and children as sex-slaves. How in the world could this description be made to conform to the city of Rome?

SECRET SIN AND THE ARROGANT QUEEN

In Isaiah’s prophecy, and confirming Revelation 18 regarding the Harlot of Babylon, we see that in the midst of all of the Harlot’s sin and wickedness, she believes that no one sees her: “You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me'” (Isaiah 47:10). Revelation 18 also describes the Harlot as being utterly arrogant. In her heart she boasts, “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn” (Revelation 18:7). This is also confirmed in Isaiah 47: “I will  continue forever – the eternal queen! … I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.” Its destruction, “will overtake you in a moment, on a single day.” This never happened to the ancient Babylon. Its decay and eventual destruction was very slow and gradual over hundreds of years.

The Last-Day Babylon’s excessive luxury and debauchery which the Harlot expresses that no one is aware of, is typical of the Saudi Monarchy that is known for its hypocritical outward life of public piousness and secret debauchery.

Objection, Your Honor

I always get an array of objections from authors who don’t want to recant their previous teachings. Some of them have written several books claiming that Rome or Europe is the focus of End-Time Bible prophecy. In their view, Rome is most fitting fulfillment of the Mystery Babylon prophecies because it sits on seven hills. But the truth is, even if we take the seven hills in Revelation 17 to be literal hills, modern Rome actually encompasses more than seven hills. And Vatican Hill was not counted as one of the original seven. But why restrict this definition to Rome? Ancient Babylon did have seven artificial hills within its walls? Constantinople is often called the “Second Rome,” and also has seven hills within its boundaries.

But these hills are not to be taken literally. The context of the passage clearly shows that these “hills” (a better translation is “mounts” or “mountains”) are kingdoms. “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings” (Revelation 17:9). Kings rule kingdoms and not mountains. A mountain is a kingdom and not a hill.

Another objection I often heard is that the Greek word used for the place that John was taken is Eremon, and does not mean a literal desert. John was taken in the spirit to this place simply to see a vision; it was simply the theatre for this vision. But “Eremon”, according to Strong’s, does mean: “desert, wilderness, deserted places, lonely regions, an uncultivated region fit for pasturage.” Those who try to claim that the desert was simply the theatre for John to see the vision have rendered this portion of God’s Word completely irrelevant. According to this interpretation, John could have been taken to Mars or the Moon to see the vision and it wouldn’t have made any difference in terms of the meaning of the passage. This is just plain silly. The desert location that John was taken is not irrelevant. In fact, it is a crucial aspect of the vision. The desert is an important description of where the Women – Mystery Babylon can be found.

Mecca sits on a barren valley surrounded by mountains. Eremon is the best fitting term to describe Mecca and is used throughout Scripture to describe deserts: “Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; (eremon) go not forth behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not” (Matthew 24:26). This, by itself, hints that trouble  and false messiahs will come from a desert. Also, John wasn’t taken to the desert to see a movie (vision), but to see a woman/city. He would not have been taken to a place unassociated with the event.

This is true in other similar usages in Scripture: “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones” (Ezekiel 37:1). The valley was not the theatre, but where the actual event took place – in a large pit valley filled with dead dry bones of Jews. The vision of the future Temple also has the scene associated with the event: “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:10). The mountain was not the theatre, but where the new city was located, on a mountain. The same is true in Ezekiel 40: “In the visions of God, He brought me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south” (Ezekiel 40:2). The Lord took Ezekiel to Israel’s most important mountain, the Temple Mount. He didn’t take him to a place unassociated with the event.

Finally, perhaps the best argument against Rome being this harlot city, is the fact that certain European countries (Rome, Spain) are specifically mentioned in the Bible, yet none with a single reference to destruction. Why?

Spain is mentioned in Romans 15:24,28 and Rome in Acts 2:10, 18:2, 19:21, 23:11, 28:14, 28:16; Romans 1:7, 1:15; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 6:24; Philippians 4:23, 1:25; Colossians 4:18, 2 Timothy 1:17, 4:22. The prophets never mentioned the destruction of Rome by name. Has the Almighty forgotten to literally mention it? Yet, He never forgot Arabia by name, she is mentioned in numerous passages. Are we to simply forget all of these because we don’t want to contradict the teachings in so many prophecy books?

Arabia does have great influence over the kings of the earth, and offers an addictive intoxicating commodity – oil. Rome has no such addictive substance, which the Harlot city needs in order to burn forever.

The other argument that some make for Rome is that the products mentioned in Revelation are what Rome exports. Rome produces marble, gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen etc. Many think that the list of goods is what the harlot city produces: marble gemstones, fine clothes. Yet a closer look at the text reveals that the Harlot city does not produce any of these items. In fact, she is an importer of these good and not a producer: ‘And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore …” (Revelation 18:11). These are the products that the Harlot city buys from the merchants of the sea who watch her destruction from the Red sea.

This is crucial for it nullifies the Rome argument. Why would Rome import the very items that she already manufactures? In fact, all Saudi goods are important via the Red Sea, and the lists of goods match Saudi imports perfectly – gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, vessels of ivory, fine wood and copper ware, iron, marble, spices, perfumes, liquor, sheep, horses, slaves, and the souls of men.

The Harlot city also imports slaves, horses and even ivory. Arabia imports all of these, yet Rome doesn’t. By the way, if you think that Saudi Arabia does not import wine because of the Islamic prohibition, guess again. Just because its done in secret doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take place.

So what will the supporters of the Rome theory do once they examine Revelation 18:11? Will they recant their theory? I sure hope so.

ARABIA DOES WHILE ROME DOESN’T

Arabia has a tremendous foreign work force Rome doesn’t.

Arabia does not allow citizenship for immigrants, Rome does. Arabia persecutes the saints, Rome doesn’t. Arabia promotes beheading, Rome doesn’t: “and I saw the souls of the martyrs who were beheaded.” Historically, Rome mainly practiced burning, drowning, or crucifixion while Arabia has always beheaded believers. There are many parallels in Scripture: John the Baptist, crying out in the wilderness was beheaded for exposing the truth. So it will be before Christ comes again. The John the Baptists of this world (Christians) will be sacrificed, and very few will mourn them. Who desires to behead us today? Who are these Last-Days Edomite Herods? Where are they doing their killings? Who represents Salomo that Harlot, the daughter of the Edomite? Where is biblical Edom? Mecca exerts more spiritual influence of false theology on more people than any other city on earth. Today major Universities such as Harvard, Cambridge, Georgetown and many others have been bought by the Saudis to create Islamist friendly indoctrination programs. Saudi  Arabia exports radical Islam to every nation in the world. Why are we having so much trouble today with the radical Islam? It’s because Saudi Arabia has exported Wahabbism throughout the world. Today, we have over a billion people who bow down daily towards an image in Arabia while no one bows towards Rome or even Jerusalem.

Arabia is on a desert, Rome isn’t. Arabia has oil, Rome doesn’t. Arabia imports slaves, Rome doesn’t. Arabia imports all of specific merchandise in Revelation 18, Rome doesn’t.

And so we have come full circle. On all counts, our search until this point has led us in one direction. The only nation on earth that precisly matches all of the descriptions necessary to qualify as Mystery Babylon is most clearly the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

[God’s War On Terror/Islam, Prophecy and the Bible - Walid Shoebat with Joel Richardson]

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