FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down, O Lord,Your mighty Ones” (Joel 3:9-11). 2) The Psalmist also looked ahead to this gathering storm: “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’” (Psalm 2:1-3). As serious as this campaign is and as devastating as it will be, God will not be caught off guard. In fact, the Lord laughs and scoffs at such a plan (Psalm 1:4). In an attempt to achieve their devious plot, the unholy trinity, falling into a state of con- fusion, will actually be helping to fulfill the plan of God. This scheme includes not only a gathering of forces, but, in keep- ing with the rest of the tribulation, mass destruction. This includes: The fall of Babylon – Babylon in the Bible carries a dual meaning. First, it is a generic term used to describe the symbolic sum of those who stand in opposition to God. In fact, early church fathers such as Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine viewed “Rome as fulfilling all the characteristics of the Babylon of Revelation.” 35 That said, Babylon must also be taken literally. In much of the OldTestament, it served as the thriving capital city of Baby- lonia. Kings such as Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar ruled their lands from this infamous metropolis until it fell in 539 B.C. Modern Babylon, located fifty miles south of Baghdad in Iraq, is an archeological shell of its former splendor. However, as the return of Christ approaches, a massive restoration will take place.The rebuilt Babylon will once again become the center of a civilization opposed to God, serving as the operations center for the beast.

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