2001-09-15 - 9:19 p.m. - Who needs Nodstradaumous, we've got the Bible?

Got this in my e-mail box. To guage readership, I'd welcome feedback and discussions from any of you. Click on my message board link above to post.

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Revelation 18 and the World Trade Center.

September 11, 2001.

1. Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ coming into the rule/dominion over the world and each of its systems. Babylon is the code name for man's system and refers back to Genesis 11:1-9. Each of these systems of man may be called "Babylon." Revelation 18 is the chapter about the "Babylon" of big business or commerce, as is evident by the contents of the chapter. Revelation 16 gives the judgement of the throne of the Beast. Revelation 17 gives the judgement of the Religious world. Revelation 18 is God's judgement on the business world, just as Revelation 19 is God's judgement on the military world. The following is a verse-by-verse list of points of relationship or parallels between the recent events and Revelation Chapter 18.

2. Verses 1,2. "She is become..." She may not have started out this way. Trade is not intrinsically evil or bad, but when it is allowed to become corrupt, it is as corrupt or evil as a crime syndicate or the current "Illegal Drug Industry." In God's eyes it had become "?a residence of every kind of evil." This opening verse ties together with the closing verse (24) of the chapter.

3. V. 3 "?all the earth?the kings of the earth," have gotten addicted to her liquor. Wealth has certainly slain its 1000's. The more a person has, the more they want. They began to lust and love that which had started out as a means to provision. Now it has become a means to luxury. See the movie, "The God's must be Crazy!"

4. V. 4. As we become obsessed with wealth, the disease infects us. Therefore, he says to His people "?come out of her my people..." If we allow ourselves to invest ourselves in this world's systems we will be afflicted and infected. (Hint: How do you feel about the recent down turn in the economy?!)

5. V. 5. "Her sins have piled up to the heavens." This is the second hint of the building type, just as the tower of Babel was, a sky scraper, so floors stacked on floors would be piled up to the heavens.

6. V. 6. "Give her double according to her deeds." Twin towers were built (deeds.) Give her double, so two jets were used to dish it out.

7. A double portion in her cup. It was given to her in two doses, not one. No one would have predicted two jets, twenty minutes apart, one for each tower.

8. Vs 7, 8. Notice the pride of her accomplishment. The twin towers were built to be double strong so that they could withstand the wind and the weight. She "sits as a queen, not a widow," her mate is beside her.

Another interpretation on this is the other various financial centers around the world that are tied together with her. The twin towers were a hub for the world.

9. V. 8. She will be consumed by fire. It was the fire that collapsed the towers. They would not have been destroyed by the crash itself. The heat of the burning fuel "melted" the steel structure.

10. V. 8 "In one day her plague will be..." And it was without nuclear weapons or biological weapons. The airplanes were a "new" weapon but fire is just another old plague. It all happened in one day, not a gradual thing.

11. V.8 the expression, "mighty is the Lord that judges her" is so reminiscent of the Koran. That is the expression used so often in the Qur'an. In God's mind I think this is a pun or play on words. God is a very big God.

12. V. 9. The kings of the earth. All of earth's wealthy and powerful have access to the TV and will see the smoke of her burning.

13. V. 9. They will weep because America has been their market.. see also notes on v.3.

14. V. 9, 19. Twice we are told that "all the merchants of the earth" will see the smoke ascending. The merchant marine has brought all of the delicacities of the world-trade. The wealth is imported and is the result of trade and business. The traders of the world lament over her. It was not conquest by pillage and robbery, it was "trade." All are sad to see trade destroyed.

15. V.10 They are all terrified because it could have been them. They are all dependent on the Arab oil for energy and the US dollar for commerce and the US military to keep world peace.

16. V. 10. The sight of people running away and the pictures taken from a distance are very vivid. They were all lamenting over the destruction of the symbol of the New York skyline. They learned to stand afar off, because some that were standing close-by were destroyed.

17. In one hour all this is burned up. The time from the first airplane crash to the crashing of the first tower is less than one hour. The second tower is hit and crashes in less than another hour.

18. Vs. 11-17. I counted 29 cargos or trade items and commercial items listed in the lengthy list. Why so many and so much details? One, to identify the building as the WORLD TRADE center. Two, to make sure we understand that it is the business system, not the product, which has become evil. There is nothing evil in most, if not all, of the items listed. Some innocent businesses were wiped out. They are just part of the big picture. They just happened to be with the wrong crowd. The commercial items represent the "produce" of the whole earth. Consider the distribution of the common sources of those items. They do represent the whole earth.

19. Vs. 11-17 It seems that every luxury product and item of commerce is named, including "souls" which could be a reference to employment or jobs, and the exchange of national and international businesses.

20. Vs. 11-17. You may not have thought about it before, but the movement of bodies, and body parts, (organs and blood) are modern, necessary business items. This also may be reference to the "illegal" trade items of which we accuse other nations. It also might be a reference to the slave trade that existed 200 years ago. Does anyone know if New York had any connection to that?

21. V. 14. I shutter to extrapolate this. The immediate impact is that the building and its environment are totally destroyed. Nothing of value is recovered.

22. V. 15,16. The terror of the end of our prosperity is certainly frightening.

23. V.15 "They will stand afar off." I predict that our President will have difficulty getting the businesses of the world to support him in going after the terrorists. (Fortunately, America will support him.) Other nations are terrified of this kind of thing happening to them. The rest of the world is much more susceptible to terrorism than the US is. They do not want to do anything to antagonize the Terrorists. This President Bush may be surprised that he gets much less support against terrorism than his father did against Saddam. They will give words of sympathy, but their deeds will be very limited.. Vs 10, 15, 17. ("?stand afar off..weeping") If this proves wrong, then it may be safe to assume that there will be another more complete fulfillment of Revelation 18, later.

24. Vs. 17-19. The seamen and merchant marine are very involved in seeing and lamenting. The twin towers are clearly visible from the New York harbor. Actually, Manhattan is an Island, isn't it?

25. V. 16 "O Great city!" No other city on Earth represents so much to so many. The traditional protestant explanation of Revelation 18 has been the city of Rome. (Sorry, Rome, you are out of date!) Probably the next most visible Great City on earth today, would be Hong Kong.

Compare/contrast the three and see why New York is greater. I just heard a well-known billionaire say that New York and Manhattan will always be the financial capital of the world.

26. V. 18 In the NIV the way the Greek is translated it would imply that it is a relatively modern, young city. That is to say, "None from the ancient world was like this one." (However, no other translation follows that version.)

27. V. 20 It is so ironic that David Wilkerson was the first to predict the downfall of New York, because he knows it so well. It was on the streets of New York that he became famous with his book, The Cross and The Switchblade. The twin towers are portrayed so prominently on the cover of his monthly news letter, I wonder, how soon will he change his cover picture?

28. V. 20. Notice the sharp contrast between the feelings of the world and the words of the angel to God's people. This hurts! I find myself uncomfortably close to the wrong side. Maybe that is why the angel gives the message. Too much of the church is in bed with her and cannot see any reason to rejoice!

29. V. 21 The angel throws a large millstone into the sea and says that with such violence it will happen. Something will come flying out of the air and hit it with a splash! Again, no implication of nuclear attack!

30. Vs 22, 23. The "voice of bride and bridegroom." 110,000 tourists a year would visit the twin towers. Who are tourists? Honeymooners, party goers, musicians, the rich and famous: the people listed here..

31. V.24. (Hint: The Pelican Brief.) Oppressive big business, the almighty dollar, long hours at jobs away from families has destroyed our moral fiber and killed many, many people both morally and physically.

32. There are several other things I see that I do not have the courage to put into print since copies of this may get outside of the church members.(Hebrews 4:12) This is absolutely not a condemnation of any of the people that may have worked at the WTC. It is a commentary on the system that surrounds us.

I have my own ideas and hope to get those posted before the weekend is over.

Until next time....

++++++++++++++++ I'm still working on my post. Will try to get it up tomorrow or Tuesday. Sorry. -- HF