| Just to extrapolate on what Andrew said, Babylon was never really
destroyed as Isaiah and Revelation describe. A lot of scholars think
that it will be rebuilt, which Saddam Hussein has been doing for the
last 20 years (I have pictures of some of the buildings and projects).
Saddam has even offered wealth for life for anyone who could duplicate
Nebuchadnezzar's hanging gardens.
I tend to agree with the literal Babylon view. Both Iran/Iraq are
currently stockpiling military & nuclear weapons from Russia. They now
have the technology to force themselves into a greater position.
Mike
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| It could not be the ancient Baylon the Great because Revelation was
written at the end of the first century and describes events yet to
happen.
Ancient Babylon was destroyed, wether or not Sadam Hussain will ever
succeed in rebuilding it or not, time will tell but for now we must
consider it as destroyed.
It can't be the commercial empires of the world or even the superpowers
of the world because both are said to be morning her destruction which
is yet to come. Both the mergants and the kings have been having
dealings (fornications) with her which again indicates some kind of
third party. Who today is getting rich by having dealings with both
governments and the commercial giants? Rev 17:1-5
Rev 18:21 talks about her/its destruction and warns us to get out of
her if we don't want to be destroyed with her/it. It must be some kind
of organisation that we as people can belong to. I don't think its a
political party. Hoever she/it is, we don't want to be there when she/it
gets destroyed. I am convinced it must be symbolic for something as
most of the book of revelation is something that was given to John in a
dream.
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| Ultimately, Babylon is a religious form that is an apostasy from
the pure and that won't ever be pure, but will someday be so dark
that there will be no light in her at all. (I say this because
I believe some can be saved within Babylon at the *present* time.)
My belief is that salvation is from sin and that one of the hallmark
characteristics of Babylon's theology is that we can never overcome
sin by the blood of the Lamb, i.e. the love of Christ could never
motivate us to perfectly obey Him.
I don't mind saying this as this is the Christian Conference and
you asked. The whore of Babylon, at the very least, is inclusive
of the Roman Catholic Church - by that I don't mean her individual
members, but rather its ecclesiastical set-up. The papacy, etc.
But, if you check Isaiah 4, all 7 women have the bread how they want
it. All churches return to the whore.
Anyway, I thought I ought give a direct answer to your direct
question. If there are any Catholics reading, I am sorry if I
have offended you. I am not saying you are not Christian.
Tony
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