How God Has Used the U.S. in Iraq (part 2)

The Rising of Babylon

Almost all bible teachers of last days events have taught that Babylon in the book of Revelation is a world economic, political, and religious system. Some others have taught that America or even more specific New York City is modern day Babylon. As far as I can remember, most of Christian eschatology has had a difficult time imagining the rebuilding of the ancient Iraqi city of Babylon that would rival the world influence as seen in the book of Revelation. Why? Because for two thousand years, ancient Babylon just sixty kilometers south of Baghdad has been all but extinct. However, thanks to Saddam Hussein, the United Nations, and the United States and the freedom and democracy that now exists...Babylon is rising up once more.

New York Times correspondent John Burns in the fall of 1990 wrote, "More than 2,500 years ago, a fabulous city rose here on a bend in the Euphrates River. Under King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon and its hanging gardens became as fabled, and as much as a seat of imperial power, as Rome became later. under President Saddam Hussein, one of the ancient world's most legendary cities has begun to rise again."

Burns explained that Saddam had invested in millions of dollars to build replicas of Nebuchadnezzar's buildings - including palaces and throne rooms p "on the original sites." He described Saddam's efforts to rebuild the city's roads, lakes, canals, and bridges, and even to build new museums, souvenir shops, and fast food restaurants. And he reported that Saddam had offered "a 1.5 million reward to anybody who can produce a satisfactory plan for rebuilding the Hanging Gardens."

Burns's article didn't even make the Times's front page. It was buried on page 13 of the A section. But to anyone who believes Bible prophecy, the discovery of efforts to rebuild Babylon was significant. The following year Charles Dyer, senior VP at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, published The Rise of Babylon: Sign of the End Times. In it he described attending an international festival held in Babylon in 1987 and provided even more firsthand details of the efforts of the Iraqi government to make the ancient city a symbol of the country's future.

Both Burns and Dyer noted that construction in Babylon had stalled after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait because Saddam ran out of cash. But thanks to Iraq's new economic vision and the enormous potential of Iraq's petrodollars, plans for a new world class Babylon are alive again.

According to correspondent Jeffrey Gettleman, "The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is pumping millions of dollars into protecting and restoring Babylon and a handful of other ancient ruins in Iraq. UNESCO has even printed up a snazzy Brochure, with Babylon listed as the premier destination; to hand out to wealthy donors."

"Cultural tourism could become Iraq's second biggest industry, after oil,"
said Philippe Delanghe, a United Nations official helping with the project. Gettleman noted, "What makes the project even conceivable is that the area around Babylon is one of the safest in Iraq, a beacon of civilization, once again, in a land of chaos."

In Joel Rosenberg's book, "Epicenter," he interviews Iraqi finance minister Allawi about the restoration of Babylon project. Allawi admitted that cultural, religious, archaeological, and biblical tourism is a big opportunity for Iraq. Rosenberg states in his book that hearing Allawi speak of how the highest levels of the new Iraqi government want to rebuild the ancient city of Babylon and make it a great city of commerce sounded so natural. The Hebrew prophets and the book of Revelations told us it was going to happen. Now it really is...right before our very eyes.