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NOTE: This article or series has not been updated recently. As such, it may possibly contain some outdated information, and/or ideas and beliefs which I no longer embrace, or which have changed to some degree.



At the very end of this three and a half years of terrible persecution, which Daniel and Jeremiah both referred to as the time of Jacob's trouble, I suspect that when the Satan-inspired Beast and his Islamic followers realize that their defeat is at hand, in one final act of desperation, they may decide to bomb Jerusalem, thus fulfilling their destiny to destroy Babylon the Great. The attitude of the Beast, the False Prophet and their followers will be, "If we can't have Jerusalem, then nobody can!" If these things occur while Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still in power, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he flees and deserts his own people; because he is a U.S.-bred and a U-S.-educated hireling! The minute things begin to get too hot, he is going to take his immediate family and advisors and flee to the land of Uncle Sam or some other safe place of refuge! Jesus said the following regarding such people:

"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."


If the Beast and the False Prophet will be reigning from Jerusalem, why will the Lord land upon the Mount of Olives, which is not far from Jerusalem, and then fight the Battle of Armageddon way up in Megiddo in northern Israel, not far from his boyhood town of Nazareth? Could it be because there will be nothing left of Jerusalem? It certainly offers a plausible reason for this battle occurring away from Jerusalem. Naturally, there are some who totally reject the idea that Babylon the Great might be Jerusalem. They cannot accept that God would destroy His "beloved city". As far as I am concerned, this is a false idea based upon a total misunderstanding of the Scriptures; and the result of falling under the Jewish delusion of the "chosen people". The Apostle Paul also felt the wrath and heat of the Jerusalem church when he began his ministry to the Gentiles declaring that what we are in the flesh has absolutely no bearing on our Salvation. I have covered this topic more thoroughly in such articles as "Is God a Racist?".

One argument often used is that Jerusalem has never been viewed as a city of any major importance by anyone outside of Israel; thus it can in no way be compared to Babylon the Great which is described as follows:

"And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."


Contrary to this view, if we read the lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah following the fall of Jerusalem, we discover that the kings of the Earth did in fact hold Jerusalem in high regard; and were surprised when the seemingly impregnable city was destroyed by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar:

"The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,"


Notice too how these verses mention that Jerusalem was destroyed by fire, just as Babylon the Great will face the same fate in the near future when she is destroyed by nuclear fire. Also similar to Babylon the Great, we are told that in Jerusalem was found the blood of the just. This has a much more significant meaning than you may realize. In this regard, Jerusalem was guilty on three counts. First, the people of Jerusalem sacrificed their young children and babies to the false pagan gods such as Molech. The way they did this was by actually throwing them into a furnace located in the belly of the idol built to honor this god! Second, the people of Jerusalem persecuted and slew all of the Prophets the Lord sent to them. Finally, to give you a vivid picture of how terrible things might be in the future when Jerusalem is once again invaded, consider that following Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Jerusalem, mothers were forced to either eat their own children or else die of starvation!:

"Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people."


When Solomon ruled in Jerusalem, we are also told that the kings of the Earth went up to Jerusalem to witness his vast wealth, which exceeded their own, and to hear his wisdom:

"And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom . . . So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom"


"And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart."


The fact that in ancient times, empire after empire sought to invade and control Jerusalem is also a clear sign of the importance they attributed to the city. In our modern day, the fact that the United States of America, whom some now consider to be the "king of the Earth", invests literally billions of dollars into Israel every single year, is also a clear sign of Jerusalem's important status. Furthermore, the fact that the Arab nations seek to control and/or to destroy Jerusalem is also proof enough that they despise her looking down upon them as if she is some presumptuous queen; just like Babylon the Great who also sits as a haughty queen:

"How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."


Finally, as I point out elsewhere, Jerusalem's true power and influence is not easily recognized by all. This is the financial power she wields through her international bankers and businessmen, the primary organs of which are the IMF, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, which are both Jewish controlled. Nation after nation has been forced into submission to the will of these men through crafty loans and other shrewd financial dealings. It is these kings and merchants of the Earth who will bewail the fall of Babylon the Great, their beloved Jerusalem:

"And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more . . . And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."


Thus, to say that Jerusalem cannot be compared to Babylon the great city which rules over the kings of the Earth, is completely false in my view. Absolutely no one can deny the cunning subtlety of the Jewish businessmen, who John refers to as "the great men of the Earth". From Jerusalem to London to Tokyo to New York, these are the true kings of the Earth, and not the people who take on the titles of president, king, sheik or prime minister. These are only the pawns of the real rulers. It is because they control the American economy that so much money is invested into the tiny country of Israel. According to the last report I read, even though she is a nation of less than six million people, Israel receives the highest amount of American financial aid per capita in the world! In other words, while other countries may actually receive more financial aid from the United States of America, compared to their actual populations, Israel still beats them all!

It is my view then that based on all of these verses, the coming destruction of Jerusalem is going to be a very literal event. I currently do not believe that there is any symbolism implied here. Those who disagree with the view that Babylon the Great and Jerusalem are one and the same further argue that this cannot be so because, according to them, Jerusalem will still be in existence following the Battle of Armageddon. I disagree. A close study of the Book of Revelation reveals absolutely no mention of the Earthly city of Jerusalem following the destruction of Babylon the Great and the Battle of Armageddon. There is only one verse which I have seen used to try to support this erroneous interpretation; and that is the following:

"And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."


To place this verse in its proper chronological sequence, this event occurs towards the very end, or possibly right at the very end of the Millennium. This is a period of one thousand years during which we the resurrected Saints will rule with Christ on the Earth. This is thoroughly discussed in such articles as "From Armageddon to the New Earth". As the following two verses will show, this is in fact what is commonly referred to as the Battle of Gog and Magog:

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."


According to some, the usage of the words "camp" and "beloved city" in verse nine above is said to be referring to the current Jerusalem, even though the verse does not say this whatsoever. As such, it should be viewed as a mere piece of speculation; and a very poor one at that. One reason I say this is because there is not one single verse in the entire Bible where Jerusalem is referred to as "the beloved city". I verified this for myself. Furthermore, how could Jesus say that Jerusalem is full of the blood of the Prophets, that it is run by the children of the Devil, that it will be destroyed, and then turn completely around and call it "the beloved city" in this prophecy? It just doesn't make sense, does it? It is totally contradictory to everything we have seen in the Endtime prophecies. In fact, according to my Greek lexicon, this word "city" is derived from the word "polis", pronounced pol' is, which has the following definitions:

----- Begin Quote -----

1) a city
  1a) one's native city, the city in which one lives
  1b) the heavenly Jerusalem
    1b1) the abode of the blessed in heaven
    1b2) of the visible capital in the heavenly kingdom, to come down to earth after the renovation of the world by fire
  1c) the inhabitants of a city

----- End Of Quote -----

While "polis" can refer to any city, notice that the emphasis in the above definition is on the Heavenly Jerusalem, with absolutely no mention of the Earthly Jerusalem. If this "camp" and "beloved city" are anything, perhaps they are the New Jerusalem which will descend from Heaven during the Millennium. I have read in times past that it might possibly hover just above the surface of the Old Earth throughout the duration of the Millennium, thus keeping it pure from pollution. The Lord and His Saints are definitely going to need some kind of capital city from which to rule the Earth. Why would the Lord choose old decrepit and war-torn Jerusalem which is full of not only the blood of the Prophets and Saints, but His own Blood as well, when He specifically told us that He was going to prepare a place for us?:

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."


In Zechariah chapter fourteen, following the Battle of Armageddon, we discover that there is also talk of Jerusalem. Some have erroneously assumed that this is the Earthly Jerusalem; but a closer reading will reveal that this is also a misguided understanding of the Scriptures. As with other Prophets like Daniel and Isaiah, it appears that Zechariah may possibly be taking a leap a thousand years into the future after the Battle of Armageddon. Consider these example verses:

"And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one . . . And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."


First of all, notice the term "living waters". Does the Earthly Jerusalem have living waters? Definitely not; but the New Jerusalem does:

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."


Notice also how we are told that the survivors of all of the nations which were not destroyed during the Battle of Armageddon, go up to worship the Lord from year to year. Obviously, these people must be the redeemed of those nations. We find the exact same scenario described in Revelation chapter twenty-one after the description of the New Heaven and the New Earth, and after the descent of the New Jerusalem upon the New Earth:

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it."


Clearly then, the Jerusalem Zechariah must be talking about is not the Old Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem. In the article "From Armageddon to the New Earth", I explain another common prophetic misconception in which some Bible students have erroneously assumed that the wolf, the lamb and the lion dwelling together, described in Isaiah chapters eleven and sixty-five, occurs during the Millennium. A closer reading of the Scriptures reveals the same thing: the Prophet was not referring to the Millennium at all, but rather to the New Heaven and the New Earth. Some have also misinterpreted Isaiah's prophecies concerning the New Jerusalem and assumed that they are referring to the Earthly Jerusalem when they are not. As I will show in a minute, from the description provided by John in the Book of Revelation, it appears that the Heavenly City may be pyramidal or mountain-like in shape, with the Supreme Headquarters at the apex. With that in mind, consider the Jerusalem which Isaiah describes:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD."


These verses are clearly referring to the Last Days as the opening verse reveals. Keeping in mind the things I shared previously, notice the phrase "mountain of the LORD's house". This is the "my Father's house" which Jesus was referring to in John chapter fourteen in which He said there are many mansions! It is as big as a mountain; bigger in fact; that is why it is "the mountain of the LORD's house"! It is a humongous golden pyramid-shaped wonder which measures approximately one thousand five hundred miles on each side of its square base; and its height is equal to its length and breadth!:

"And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass."


There is no way that such a structure could possibly be sitting in the tiny country of Israel which is only a fraction of the size of the Heavenly City! Perhaps that is why Isaiah says "it shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills". Maybe it will hover in the air as I described previously. So then, it is obvious to me that this Zion is not Old Jerusalem; it is New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City! Notice the final verses I shared from the Book of Isaiah. They definitely appear to be speaking of the Millennium when the Lord will rule with a rod of iron, exactly as King David wrote thousands of years ago in the second Psalm:

"Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."


Perhaps after the New Earth has been created, the Heavenly City will actually settle upon its surface; but before that time, it will hover somewhere above it during the Millennium. Maybe everyone will have to be shuttled up to it in order to make their offerings to the Lord. I really don't know. At this point in time, all we can do is speculate.

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

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