Prophecy Update #502 – Building Babylon

Each week we like to present what we call a Prophecy Update. We do it because the Bible is about 30% prophecy, and there are approximately 500 end times prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled. Since we know that they will be fulfilled, to the letter, we can expect trends in our world, and news items, to anticipate their fulfillment.

We’re not saying the things we present are the fulfillment; only that they are what you’d expect based on reading the Bible from a literal, futurist perspective.

We know from chapters 17 & 18 of the Book of the Revelation that there will be a last days mega-city known as “Babylon the Great.” Many have looked to the city of Rome as the fulfillment, while others have looked to Jerusalem, or New York City.

Others have been awaiting a city to be rebuilt on the literal site of the ancient Babylon about 50 miles south of Baghdad in modern day Iraq.

In his book Mystery Babylon, Joel Richardson has suggested the kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be a more appropriate, and even more biblically defensible choice.

Quoting Richardson:

“Students of biblical prophecy have long noted that the book of Revelation speaks not simply of a city, but of a ‘mega-city’ that will emerge in the last days,” he observed. “Consider the massive building projects taking place in and around Mecca and Jeddah, which will soon feature the world’s newest and tallest building, dwarfing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Just to the north, the Saudis have been quietly building the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), which is slated to become the region’s most technologically advanced sea port. All three cities – Jeddah, Mecca and KAEC – will soon be linked by a high-speed rail line which will allow anyone to get from one city to the next in less than 30 minutes.

“There is no doubt that this emerging megalopolis will match all of the unique descriptions of the last days Babylon, combining idolatry, religious power and economic power into one desert sea-port.”

Recently the Saudi’s announced another mega-city. It’s called Neom. According to the article in Bloomberg,

[Neom] will operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with investors consulted at every step during development. The project will be backed by more than $500 billion from the Saudi government, its sovereign wealth fund and local and international investors…

A Newsweek article about Neom was titled, SAUDI ARABIA TO BUILD FUTURISTIC CITY FILLED WITH ROBOTS, RUN BY BIG BUSINESS.

Excerpts:

Neom would be roughly the size of Massachusetts, spanning across the border region of Jordan and Egypt, both of which are close allies of Saudi Arabia. It will also feature the first bridge between Asia and Africa. 

Neom also promises “untouched beaches and pristine coastline,” as well as fully automated government services, “digital air” style Wi-Fi, world-class education, a robust media landscape, the best in artificial intelligence and augmented-reality technologies.

http://www.newsweek.com/saudi-arabia-neom-robots-future-cities-oil-691604

Reading the Bible, you would expect there to be a trend towards building a mega-city in the Middle East that would fulfill the prophecies about Mystery Babylon.

There is more than a trend; such cities are built, or being built.

We are not looking for any particular sign, or prophecy to be fulfilled. Jesus promised He’d return to rapture His church – which entails the resurrection of the dead in Christ of the Church Age, then the translation from earth to Heaven of all living believers.
It is presented in the Bible as an imminent event.

Are you ready for the rapture? If not, get ready, stay ready, and keep looking up. Ready or not, Jesus is coming!