ISAIAH’S END-TIME TIMELINE

Isaiah’s End-time Timeline Chapter 21

The Two Fallings of Babylon; The Ecclesiastical and the Governmental

The Lord reveals the outline of the end times in the 4 great dominant empires that will rise up from Daniel’s time forward. God speaks through His prophets to those empires and their leaders to reveal the Last Days’ events and meanings. Overall, the prophets of the Old Covenant write about God’s dealings with Israel and their final restoration. Isaiah 21 looks ahead a number of decades and predicts Daniel’s reading of the writing upon the wall. That being the edict against Belshazzar and Babylon, that the Medes and Persians will overthrow them and be the next empire. The 2nd empire of the 4, leading up to Israel’s restoration. Habakkuk also foretells the demise of Babylon.

The future Babylon’s rise to world power has been previously addressed in chapter 13. It is taken up again from another perspective here in the 21st chapter of Isaiah. Also the Medes and Persians are referenced before in 13:17 as those who God would stir up against ancient Babylon. Jeremiah also prophesies against Babylon and predicts the Medes and Persians overthrow them.

ANCIENT BABYLON was the center for all three of the “Beast” nations of Daniel, and the fourth was Rome.

ISAIAH 21:9 “…Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hat broken unto the ground.” With REVELATION 18:2 ”…Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.…”

God’s Word predicts two End Time fallings of Babylon. One being Mystical Babylon, which is represented in Scripture as historical Babel/ Ancient Babylon wherein the spirit of the 4 Beast kingdoms and their Beast leaders, with their idols, finds it roots (rule by force). The last being the Roman Empire, incorporating into its many idols of worship and taking unto itself the guise of “Christianity”. And finally in the End Time Roman Catholic Church and her daughters; (who has spiritually slain and led into captivity the spiritual sons of Abraham, she has defiled and destroyed the spiritual temple.…) whose city or headquarters, (Rome and or the Vatican) are completely destroyed. And that by a league of 10 “kings” / leaders (predominantly Islamic) directed by the Anti-Christ. Who has secretly organized this “spiritual coup”?

No doubt then putting fear into all the hearts of “Christians” throughout the World. As Islam is then universally feared and dreaded, while Christians worldwide question their faith. Adding greatly to the already existing Christian apathy and then burgeoning greater apostasy. Which is just before the Wicked One appears upon the world’s scene. The power-filled (but not of himself) Anti-Christ, having orchestrated by great deceit a plan behind the scenes that would supposedly satisfy the Middle East conflicts, in some manner or fashion unites the Catholics with the Islamists in a plan that would conceptually deal successfully, (possibly treacherously) with the Jews of Israel.

But what occurs is that the 10 nation confederation with the guidance of the Anti-Christ betrays or turns on the Roman Church and destroys the City, and rejoices over its destruction. They then give their power and authority entirely over unto the Anti-Christ whose headquarters are, or will be, in literal Babylon. Who then, within a few short years, continues to consolidate his power and World dominance. And in the midst of that infamous agreement with Israel, musters and or turns the peace-keeping army against the Jews of Israel.

At a time not far from then in the future, another confederation of “Medes” according to Jeremiah 51 and Dan 11:42 attack the Anti-Christ’s headquarters, Babylon, plundering it. Hearing the news, the Anti-Christ turns his forces back towards Babylon, but before he himself arrives back to Babylon, God divinely intervenes, in final judgment of Babylon. An Earthquake ensues, swallowing the City Whole. [Revelation 18:21] Resulting now, in those nations who rejoiced in “mystic Babylon’s destruction, now bewail literal Babylon’s total annihilation. Thus the dual “Babylon is fallen, Babylon is fallen” of Scripture is filled with meaning. Thus Revelation 18 is fulfilled. “…Reward her …double unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.”

ISAIAH CHAPTER 21 THEN DEALS WITH THE FALL OF END TIME BABYLON. As does Jeremiah chapters 50 and 51, and Daniel 5. The New Covenant fullness of understanding of what Babylon really represents, in its two aspects, and its purpose-filled destructions by the Vengeance of God, are found in the Book of Revelation chapters 14, 17,18, 19:1-6. And more clearly seen with the understanding of satan’s relation and hatred of the Woman of Revelation chapter 12. And in the understanding of satan’s relation with the Wild Beast, found in Revelation chapter 13.

Isaiah foresees and prophesies of the End time Babylon’s destruction long before ancient Babylon rises up. And after its rising up, then initiates “the time of the Gentiles” with the destruction of Jerusalem. It is the first of four dominant world empire nations. We might have mistakenly thought his words here exclusively applied to history’s rise and fall of ancient Babylon if it were not for another prophet’s predictions, which was hundreds of years later, long after that Babylon, the city and the nation that had dominated the World had fallen. (Besides that, two of those predicted Beast nations; the Medes and Persians and Greece, had came and went, and the fourth; Rome was then in power.) This prophet predicted, with the very same words the following (then yet future) event:

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” in Revelation chapter 14. This Angel was the second of three successive Angels’ declarations. The third would be following, to give a fearful warning against the worship of the Beast (verse 9). The warning then extended to the Tribulation saints, “…they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” That they would now, from this point forward, to the end of the Tribulation, need patience, even unto death, to receive the blessing that would accompany faithfulness.

This sequence shows that the Babylon fallen, declared by the previous 2nd Angel, represents the first “ fallen” and is prior to that time when the Beast/Anti-Christ would demand worship under the threat of death.

In the 14th chapter there is no description of this Babylon, but she is revealed in the 17th chapter as a part of Mystery Babylon. And as a harlot; the Woman who rides upon the scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns….

So it is that Mystery Babylon is connected with this beast. Who this beast is can be easily discovered by Revelation 13:1, & 6. And additionally by his association with satan, the dragon in 13:2 and 17:3 as both war against the Lamb and His People seen in 13:7,8 and 17:14.

Additionally the identity is confirmed in Daniel 7:20, and the time frame being the same also as when the saints are about to receive the kingdom. [Daniel 7:23-28] As the 10 kings are the 10 toes on which the Rock of Daniel 2 are about to fall. This Beast Confederation with 7 heads and 10 horns is “yet future”. Neither he nor they have yet appeared. But Mystery Babylon and the Harlot Woman is of those things “…which are”.

The 7 heads have dual significance. First, as seven mountains that the Harlot Woman has her seat. They also represent 7 kings; one of which is the Beast she is riding. That is to say that she dominates him, is served by him, but is later destroyed by him to make way for his complete authority.

So it is that one “Babylon is fallen.” That by the Beast before his becoming sovereign in the Earth, and the other Babylon is judged after he himself has begun to be overthrown. Additionally, the destruction of these 2 aspects of Babylon can be seen in the pouring out of the vial judgements (Revelation 16) that have to do with the earth, and civilization after the Beast comes into power (verse 10) and on those who have taken the mark of the Beast, and on the Beast’s throne or seat from where his kingdom is ruled, and on its subjects. And this all towards the end of the Tribulation. It is then only “…great Babylon came in remembrance before God.…to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”

Whereas mystery Babylon was destroyed before or right at the time the Beast received his power from the 10 kings. So says Revelation 17. It is also worth noting that there is no association at all between the false prophet and the Harlot. Why? It’s reasonable to presume because the false prophet did not come up out of the bottomless pit until after Mystery Babylon’s Harlot was destroyed.

IN REVELATION, Chapter 14:8 is connected and expanded in chapter 17. And 16:19 is connected and expanded in chapter 18

Again the words of Isaiah and Revelation 14 are repeated in Revelation chapter 18, “…And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen….” and the prophecy goes on to explain that this Woman is a Harlot. She always has been; she was never a Wife. But she has caused many of God’s People, both, of those represented in the Woman of Revelation chapter 12 to commit adultery with Her. Both of these being those:

  1. “…which keep the commandments of God
  2. …and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The distinction being made even more clear by the double reference to the Harlot having been drunk “with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.” This then implies that her existence was before just the age of the New Covenant, as we know John saw her several hundreds of years before there was a Catholic Church.

Clearly from Isaiah we have been able to see that the great offense to God by Israel, is their continual forgetting of God, and not trusting Him. Instead trusting in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, et al.… down till the End Time. For a People called to trust in their God, this is adultery. And then after these alliances they become infatuated and drunk in the worship of their gods. This is the moving from adultery into whoredom, (like unto a wife who then became a harlot) an abomination to God.

Unlike the Woman representing Babylon, she has never been married, and has always been a Whore. And has caused all the nations to drink of the wine of her fornication. Daniel 5 gives the clear spiritual picture in Belshazzar’s taking of the cups of God and filling them with the wine of their fornication. And his demise is an allusion to the End Time City which is representative of this system then in the earth that causes the great apostasy of God’s people. As well as the ushering in of the spiritual environment that opens the door to the Anti-Christ. The meaning of which is that Babylon the Great Mystery has two parts, and two fallings. The ecclesiastical arm and the governmental mighty military arm.

First the falling of Rome and the ecclesiastical in chapter 17 and then the governmental headquarters’ arm, ancient and then present judgment in the 18th chapter.

ACCUMULATIVE EVIDENCE THAT ROME IS DESTROYED AS AN ENTITY IN FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY:

  • It was Rome that crucified Christ.
  • It was Rome that inflicted great destruction upon Jerusalem and is responsible for the current dispersion of this dispensation.
  • It was Rome that, under Nero, first persecuted Christians.
  • It is Rome that has distinguished itself, not as the seat of Anti-Christ but as the mystery of iniquity, in that it represents itself in the earth to stand in the stead of Christ. What exact form this is in the last days remains to be seen. Spiritual fornication is her nature, as opposed to the Anti-Christ’s nature of Blasphemy. This nature represents an amalgamation of a great apostasy (Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2:3) with false religions, that precede the Anti-Christ.
  • It is Rome that is the fourth and final empire that, in its current form or another, will remain until the Stone of Daniel 2 falls and crushes it to dust.

ONE very clear thought of this prophecy in Isaiah 21 and 22 is that God has delivered the message that Babylon will fall, and quickly, with it will come the deliverance of Israel. SO it was in the past, so it will be in the future.

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