In many ways the Bible is ‘a tale of two cities’. Two great cities dominate the theatre of Biblical revelation—Jerusalem and Babylon. Both these cities feature prominently in the events at the end of the age. Their history is wonderfully intertwined in Scripture. The rise of one inevitably meant the decline and fall of the other.
Today Babylon is a small settlement in Iraq. It has been most notable in recent times as the seat of one of Saddam Hussein’s extravagant palaces.
The Scriptures have a great deal to say about this city and understanding God’s purpose for Babylon is critical in understanding His purpose for these last days. It is not an overstatement of the case to insist that for God’s people to live as they ought in this age, and to have a right view of Christ’s return, they must have a right view of what God reveals about Babylon and Babylonianism.