The Word of God as printed above calls the destruction of Babylon a “HABITATION,” a “HOLD,” or a “CAGE.” Each of those three words clearly means a “prison-house” or “a place of imprisonment” where there is no escape. Prior to this judgment in future prophecy, Babylon will be the capital city of the Antichrist. Saddam Hussein spent millions excavating and partially rebuilding this ancient landmark. I witnessed this when I was there two years ago. It is currently the headquarters for coalition soldiers and, according to news reports, has been severely damaged. Millions of dollars are presently appropriated to rebuild and revive the historical aspects of this ancient capitol of the Babylonians. The Bible has left no doubt about this city becoming a world-renowned place in the dark years of the Great Tribulation. Its wickedness is legendary. It was the location of the Tower of Babel and has been a center of Satanism since that event.

Revelation chapter nine reveals the fact that a multitude of demon spirits led by four evil satanic princes are presently imprisoned under the Euphrates River that runs right by these partially rebuilt ruins. They will be turned loose on the earth during the Great Tribulation and will kill one-third of the earth’s population. Southern Iraq is central to satanic activity just as Jerusalem is central to Biblical truth. These two cities are the opposites of each other. This geographical area must be judged for the evil it has spawned on this earth. Every false god or goddess of human history has its origination from Babylon. The Rolling Stones named their last album “Back to Babylon.”

A great prophet named Isaiah described this future Lake of Fire as being visible to all the earth so that men will never forget the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. He (Jesus Christ) alone is the one way of escape from this insane asylum of eternity. Isaiah first spoke of the New Heavens and New Earth to set a time reference on this following scene. Then he described a heartrending picture, “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:24). The Bible leaves no doubt that the Lake of Fire is eternal, that it exists, that it is horrible, and that every sinner will be consigned to its imprisonment. The fire will never be quenched. Men that are consigned to its quarters will never die, but one and all can escape by turning wholly to Jesus Christ for salvation before their death.

The Lake of Fire in the Babylon region will connect to the location of Hell that is presently beneath the earth. Again Isaiah spoke of Satan himself being cast into the Lake of Fire and stated that Hell would rise to meet him. “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” (Isaiah 14:9). When those already in Hell at the time of judgment see the devil cast in, they will say to him, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! . . . Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:12,15). At this present time Hell is the temporary holding place of all the wicked dead, but after the White Throne judgment, Hell and the Lake of Fire will be one eternal prison-house. The brimstone and fire will never cease to burn, and the wicked will have no escape.

Jeremiah penned two chapters with almost every word in them concerning the future desolation of Babylon. The prophet declared, “Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby. And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.” (Jeremiah 51:43-44). As this Day of Judgment arrives, the Heavens and the Earth will rejoice at Babylon’s judgment. “Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD. As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.” (Jeremiah 51:48-49). The present church world had almost forgotten that there ever was a Babylon until the last ten years. Yet the Bible is filled with the contest between evil and righteousness. Babylon has always been at the center of evil. Babylon is the second most named city in the Bible. Jerusalem is named 767 times and Babylon is named 261 times. The absolute hatred of the terrorists and opposition in Iraq, especially Southern Iraq, is a testimony to the spirit of evil that reigns out of Satan’s strongholds. Creating a stable Iraq is like putting a harness on the devil. Making Iraq an international country had to occur, but the effort is costly and deadly.

The future of Iraq is very complex. It will be an uneasy democracy for a short time. The Antichrist will arise out of the Assyrian population to the North. The South will become the seat of a One World Order. America will probably be out of Iraq within two years at the least. The United Nations will play a leading role in creating an international country. That may or may not happen until after the Rapture. Once the Antichrist is in power, Babylon will explode in importance and quickly become a world center. Rome will fade as the Eternal City and be utterly burned with fire by the Antichrist. He will not tolerate Rome competing with Babylon for worldwide fame.

As the seven years of Tribulation comes to an end, Babylon will be utterly destroyed. The Antichrist will be slain by the returning Lord Jesus Christ in the very gate of Nimrod or the entrance of Babylon. “And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.” (Micah 5:6). As the Antichrist is slain, the Southern part of Iraq will become a place of desolation and a place of great judgment. The Lake of Fire will develop immediately with the Antichrist and the False Prophet as the first two inhabitants of that dreadful place. It’s all in God’s Book.

Joseph R. Chambers