WND: Mecca is Mystery Babylon

Mecca

For some time, World News Daily (WND) has been running items supportive the improper view that the final Antichrist and his base will be related to Islam as opposed to Europe. A reader sent me a recent article by Walid Shoebat that continues that theme. The article begins with:

‘MYSTERY BABYLON’ IS MECCA NOT VATICAN

When it comes to Mystery Babylon, the common theory among many Protestant theologians is to equate it with Rome since according to them Rome is the city of seven hills. Others even equate it with actual Iraq itself since Iraq was where the original Babylon resided. http://www.wnd.com/2013/05/mystery-babylon-is-mecca-not-vatican/#smk12W2vabsAVqm3.99

Let’s address the second point first. Those who believe that “Mystery Babylon” the great is ancient Babylon are wrong. The Bible says that Mystery Babylon sits on seven-hills/mountains (Revelation 17:5,9,18). Ancient Babylon is on a plain without any mountains, hence it cannot be the final Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots that is discussed in Revelation 17. Many Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Church of God theologians recognize that the city of seven-hills is Rome.

To a great degree, the article is based upon Walid Shoebat’s misunderstanding of Isaiah 21:

Iran (biblical Elam) must destroy Arabia. In Isaiah 21:9, Isaiah levels a prophetic oracle against Babylon using the same announcement in Revelation 18:1-2 and Revelation 14:8: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen”:

“The burden against Dumah” (Isaiah 21:11) “The burden against Arabia” (Isaiah 21:13) “All the glory of Kedar will fail” (Isaiah 21:16).

These are all in Arabia, which is destroyed by Iran “Elam” (Isaiah 21:2).

There has been an immense oversight by many in the field of biblical eschatology: When it comes to the destruction of end-days Babylon, Scripture makes no mention of any of the ancient Babylonian cities – Nineveh, Ur, Babel, Erech, Accad, Sumer, Assur, Calneh, Mari, Karana, Ellpi, Eridu, Kish, or Tikrit.

Let’s address the last point above first. It is true that the Mystery Babylon that is discussed in Revelation is not directly mentioned with the other ancient Babylonian cities–but that is because the end-time Babylon is a reference to the city of Rome and the Roman Empire (as even most Roman Catholic scholars will tell you).

Walid Shoebat claims that Iran must destroy Arabia, but that passage of scripture does not teach that. Walid Shoebat failed to actually fully quote various scriptures, instead he interpreted them. Let’s look at what the first few passages in Isaiah 21 actually say:

1 The burden against the Wilderness of the Sea.

As whirlwinds in the South pass through,
So it comes from the desert, from a terrible land.
2 A distressing vision is declared to me;
The treacherous dealer deals treacherously,
And the plunderer plunders.
Go up, O Elam!
Besiege, O Media!
All its sighing I have made to cease. (Isaiah 21:1-2)

Notice that this is the burden against “the Wilderness of the Sea.”

There are several brief points to understand:

The Beast of the sea is European, and that can be proven by looking at passages such as Revelation 13:1; Joshua 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16; Daniel 7:2-8.
Babylon essentially becomes a wilderness AFTER it has is fallen (cf. Revelation 18:2).
Elam mainly goes there for plunder. (Media, has another role, and I may address that later.)
Mecca is not a city of seven-hills/mountains. It is more like a valley. The article by Walid Shoebat never explains that point.
Unlike Rome (cf. Revelation 17:18), Mecca has not ruled over the Western world.
Certain scholars believe that Mecca is the same place as the biblical area of Paran.
Paran is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament (NKJV search) and never once is there a hint that it is end time Babylon. Nor is it directly mentioned as such in the New Testament.

While other passages in Isaiah 21 do discuss the destruction of Turkey (as does Jeremiah 49:21 that Walid Shoebat also mentioned as part of his ‘proof’) and then Arabia, they do not tie this directly with Elam. Yet, Walid Shoebat in his article does and expands on that more.

Walid Shoebat essentially seems to believe that because Arabia is mentioned later in the same chapter (and chapter breaks were made by humans and not God) that this means that Iran will destroy Mecca. And because Babylon is mentioned in Isaiah 21:9, that Mecca is the seat of Mystery Babylon. Yet, this simply does not fit with the description of Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17. Here are a couple of quotes from that chapter of the Bible:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits…18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:1-9,18)

Anyway, the positions sometimes reported at WND that the Islamic world is Mystery Babylon or that the final Antichrist is Islamic are in error. While the Bible does tell of a leader of the Arab/Turkish lands rising up (and since those lands are dominated by Islam, it is logical to conclude that this leader will be Muslim), that leader is referred to as the King of the South (Daniel 11:40).

And while he and much of his empire will be destroyed (Daniel 11:40-43), that happens prior to the empire of the Mystery Babylon, which happens later (Daniel 11:44-45).

Iran is not the King of the South, Mecca is not Mystery Babylon, and the final Antichrist will not be Muslim.

Some links of related interest may include:

The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi? What does the Bible say?
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? Could a Jesuit be “the black pope”?
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist? This video quotes all scriptures that mention the terms Antichrist or antichrists. It also gives examples of the type of deceptions, signs, and results of the time of the final Antichrist. It mentions certain Catholic prophecies and provides some disturbing quotes about Pope Francis. It discusses Antichrist’s role in Armageddon. It quotes Jesus about the coming deception and what Christians should do.
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church. There is also a YouTube sermon on the subject titled Church of God or Church of Rome: What Do Catholic Scholars Admit About Early Church History?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.