by Barbara Wise

The world in 2004 is focused on Iraq. We watch the news and hear
about the wars that are going on and how Iraq is rebuilding after
the overthrow of their dictator Saddam Hussain. Many of us are so
busy with our lives that we don't stop to think about how
important Iraq is to biblical prophecy. Most of us know that
Iraq is the location of the Garden of Eden. Babylon (which is
now part of modern day Iraq) was the beginning of civilization
with the building of the Tower of Babel immediately after the
flood of Noah's day. Also, Abraham came from the Land of Ur
(later Mesopotamia and now Iraq) as did many other biblical men
and women.

It is my belief that since the world began in Iraq -- and the
world has now come full circle back to Iraq -- the timing for the
rapture is less than a few years away. Of course I do not claim
to know the month or year. Not even the angels in heaven know
that information -- only God the Father. However, Jesus does
tell us we can recognize the "season" of His return and I
personally believe it is very, very close.

One of my reasons for forming this opinion is recognizing God's
timing as always being perfect. After years of studying the
Bible, over and over again I see examples of how God takes
circumstances (that appear to be "puzzle pieces" to us) and He
puts everything in precise order with meticulous organization.
Since God's symbol is a circle (man's is a square), the world has
come full-circle from it's beginning in Iraq to the present day
Iraq.

Will Iraq Be Rebuilt?

In Revelation, Chapter 18, Verses 10 thru 13, God says:

10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas,
alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour
is thy judgment come.

11: And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her;
for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and
of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and
all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner
vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and
marble,

13: And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense,
and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and
sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

At the time this article is written, the merchants of the earth
do not purchase gold, silver, pearls, fine linen, ivory, precious
woods and all the other merchandise mentioned in this scripture
from Iraq. Iraq in 2004 is a desert land filled with poor and
starving people. Therefore, since this passage is referring to
the time period when the Antichrist will be on the earth, this
scripture is describing a future event that has not occurred.

Because of this, I believe that Iraq will become a prosperous
nation which will supply the world's merchants with all manner of
trade. In fact, these merchants will be so financially dependent
on their trade with Iraq they will actually weep and mourn when
Babylon is destroyed in only one hour (60 minutes).

Revelation, Chapter 18, Verses 14 thru 23 continues:

14: And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from
thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed
from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

15: The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her,
shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and
wailing,

16: And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in
fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and
precious stones, and pearls!

17: For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as
many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,
What city is like unto this great city!

19: And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made
rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness!
for in one hour is she made desolate.

20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and
prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone,
and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that
great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at
all.

22: And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and
trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no
craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in
thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all
in thee;

23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee;
and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard
no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of
the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

That's What I Call Destruction

It is hard to imagine that one day -- the Iraq we are helping to
rebuild in 2004 will burn up in smoke. In fact, even the light
of a candle will not shine in Babylon because God will abandon
it. In Verse 23, God says: "...and the voice of the bridegroom
and the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee." If you
study the Bible you will know the "bridegroom" is Jesus Christ.
Right now, saved people are the children of God -- but one day,
we will become the Bride of Christ and we will partake in the
Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God.

The remaining part of Verse 23's passage says: "...for thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries
were all nations deceived." helps me to understand that the
Antichrist will come from Iraq. It is further clarified that the
Antichrist is the one that "deceives the nations" because
Revelation, Chapter 20, Verse 3 says: "And cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he
should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years
should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little
season." There is no doubt this scripture is referring to the
Antichrist, who is yet to come to power at the time of this
writing.

Find Out More ...

I hope this article inspired you enough to do some extended
research on Babylon in biblical prophecy. I suggest you go to
the King James Bible search engine online at
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html and type in the
word "Babylon." Read all the Bible passages (Old and New
Testament) concerning Babylon and you will be better able to
understand how significant Iraq is to understanding prophecy. If
you take the time to do this -- you not only will find some
contentment in what the future holds, but you also will know more
than the news people at CNN and MSNBC.

The AV 1611 King James Bible

If you are unable to locate a copy of The King James Bible AV
1611 edition in order to compare the verses above to your Bible,
go to http://www.servantofjesuschrist.com/kjv1611/index.html to
view the online version available on this website or
http://www.servantofjesuschrist.com/kjv1611/download.html to
download the entire AV 1611 King James Bible in PDF format for
reading offline.

Sincerely,
Your Sister in Christ, Barbara Wise