America Mystery Babylon

From: http://www.apocalypsesoon.org/xfile-6.html by Peter Goodgame "'Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries...' This title was written on her forehead: mysteryBabylon the greatthe mother of prostitutesand of the abominations of the earth After this passage in the book of Revelation, John records the many disasters that Mystery Babylon must suffer. She will be punished by God and attacked by the Antichrist. Some of her plagues seem to come from nature but others are undoubtedly super-natural. With the wickedness of Mystery Babylon and the wrathful judgement that she receives in mind, and with all of God's end-times prophecies coming into clearer focus, it is important that this major subject of the book of Revelation is not ignored or misunderstood. According to my research the identity of Mystery Babylon, the world power which precedes the kingdom of the Antichrist, is painfully obvious. With a simple presentation using scripture and logic, I hope that this article will make the case as clear as it can be made. Which scriptures?The scriptures that mention Mystery Babylon by name are Revelation 17 and 18. However, many do not realize that there is much more prophetic material written about the fall of Babylon in the Old Testament. These scriptures are Isaiah 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51. It is true that there is much Old Testament material that was directed at Babylon and has already been fulfilled, however, much of the above scriptures remain unfulfilled and, based on the descriptions given, could not have been meant for ancient Babylon. As a Christian scholar I believe that all of biblical prophecy is God-given and one hundred percent correct. The simple rule I go by is that if a prophecy has not been fulfilled then that doesn't mean it is false, it just means that we need to wait longer. I believe we can safely apply the Old Testament prophecies that were directed at Babylon and remain unfulfilled to the Babylon of the end-times, that is, "Mystery Babylon," and these prophecies combine to give us a very clear description of that great power. Descriptions Mystery Babylon is the lone Global Superpower- Revelation 17:1, "...the great prostitute, who sits on many waters." Revelation 17:15, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages." Revelation 17:18, "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." Revelation 18:7, "In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.'" A global superpower in three ways- Economic Superpower- Revelation 18:3, "...and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." Revelation 18:11, "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more..." Revelation 18:15, "The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment..." Revelation 18:23, "...Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray." Military Superpower- Jeremiah 50:23, "How broken and shattered is the hammer of the whole earth!" Jeremiah 51:20, "You are my war club, my weapon for battle- with you I shatter nations, with you I destroy kingdoms," Isaiah 14:4-6, "...How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression." Political Superpower- Jeremiah 51:44, "...The nations will no longer stream to him..." Revelation 17:18, "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." Revelation 18:9-10, "When the kings of the earth... see the smoke of her burning... they will stand far off and cry: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!" Major Port City- Revelation 18:17-19, "...all who travel by ship... and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off... and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!' " Greatest and Wealthiest city the world has ever seen- Revelation 18:18, "When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' " Revelation 18:16, "Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!" Revelation 18:14, "The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished..."Isaiah 13:19, "Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians pride..." Jeremiah 51:13, "You who live by many waters and are rich in treasures, your end has come..." Home to a large population of Jewish Exiles- Jeremiah 51:45, "Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the Lord." Revelation 18:4, "Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues," Zechariah 2:7, "Come, O Zion! Escape, you who live in the Daughter of Babylon!" Mystery Babylon is represented by a Woman- Revelation 17:1, "...I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters... ...the waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages." Revelation 17:18, "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." Mystery Babylon is dressed in expensive garments- Revelation 18:16, "Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet..." The above descriptions are just a few of the many biblical indicators that, I believe, point unequivocally and obviously to America as the great power known as Mystery Babylon, and New York City as the specific city destined to fall in Revelation 18. Let me show you how America in general, and New York City in particular, fits the biblical descriptions of Mystery Babylon: A Global Superpower: Economically, Militarily and Politically- The United States of America is the world's only surviving Superpower. We are the king of the hill, no doubt about it. To stay in our position of power we use bullying tactics of diplomacy, military force and economic sanctions. If the reader has been convinced by our massive internal propaganda machine (American Media) that the USA is a force for freedom, liberty and compassion, then you have been duped, bamboozled, hoodwinked and led astray. I believe that the truth, as seen from God's eyes, is that we are immoral, oppressive, self-centered and arrogant, greedy and terribly self-righteous and hypocritical. If the reader find's this hard to swallow then I suggest that he or she take some time to study 20th Century American history from a perspective other than that promoted in the media or in our textbooks. Believe it or not, America has many Political Dissidents who do their best to bring out the truth. Chief among them are the authors Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, (see note on Chomsky at the bottom of the page). Find and read any of their books on politics or media. For a quick intro to what is termed the 'radical' left wing, go to Z Magazine for articles by these authors as well as others. "Z-net" is definitely a secular site, and I don't agree with everything they publish, but their perspective on the USA and its foreign policies contains a lot of truth. It will be considered refreshing or horrifying, depending on your point of view. Economic Superpower- This aspect of Mystery Babylon is the most-stressed aspect that can be found in the scriptures. Time and again we find references to the "merchants of the earth" and how they are "the world's great men." In a 20th Century context, when we speak of the "merchants of the earth" we can only be speaking of Global Corporations.It is the corporations which have all the money and it is the corporations which have all the power. Under the guidance of the USA, global corporations are attempting to convert the world to the religion of materialism and fanatical consumerism, while at the same time, with the help of the US-controlled IMF, trying to reduce third world countries into nothing more than factories which produce cheap labor and areas for the extraction of raw materials. This raping of the world's resources is being done at a breakneck pace and without any regard for the environment or the indigenous peoples. The last thing that the power brokers of America want is a world that is purely democratic where every culture has the right to freely elect their leaders, the right to form labor unions, and the right to protect their own resources. New York City is the engine that runs the economy of the world and it is the home of the majority of the world's wealthiest corporations. New York is also the home of the World Trade Center, which was started in 1960 by David Rockefeller, and also the home of the New York Stock Exchange where the rich can invest in, and make money from, the richer. With the demise of social security, the common people of America: the bewildered herd, are being tricked into gambling their future on the well-being of these global menaces as well, through 401k Plans, stocks, and mutual funds. This speculative economy will not last much longer, and when it crashes it will not be the banks who suffer - they win either way - it will be the bewildered herd. Here is an article by Chomsky on how the "merchants of the earth" are trying to control labor. Here is an important interview of Chomsky by David Barsamian that talks about the true role of the World Bank, GATT and the International Monetary Fund, an organization created and controlled by the "merchants of the earth" and American bankers, acting in an international capacity. Military Superpower- There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that America possesses the world's most powerful military. The question then is, Has America used it in an oppressive and relentlessly aggressive manner that is described of Babylon in the scriptures? The "bewildered herd" has been led to believe that America only acts militarily when vital national interests are at stake, or when democratic freedom-loving peoples are threatened by Communism or Right-wing oppressive dictatorships, or when illegal and heinous invasions of sovereign nations take place. Most people probably presume that after America acts militarily then peace returns and democracy prevails. Not so. Here is a list (from William Blum on ZNet http://www.lbbs.org/) of all the countries America has bombed since World War II:China 1945-46, North Korea 1950-53, China 1950-53, Guatemala 1954, Indonesia 1958, Cuba 1959-60, Guatemala 1960 and 64, Congo 1964, Peru 1965, Laos 1964-73, Vietnam 1961-73, Cambodia 1969-70, Guatemala 1967-69, Grenada 1983, Libya 1986, El Salvador 1980s, Nicaragua 1980s, Panama 1989, Iraq 1991-99, Sudan 1998, Afghanistan 1998, Yugoslavia 1999. In how many of these cases has the military action resulted in a true democracy that is respectful of human rights? None. Setting aside the cases where we have acted, lets look at the cases where true democracies were threatened, where blood-thirsty dictators carried out domestic terrorism and extreme human rights abuses, or where sovereign nations were illegally invaded and we failed to act:Cambodia, Indonesia, Chile, the Indonesian invasion of East Timor, the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the genocide in Rwanda, the oppression of the Kurds, Chechnya, etc., etc. The point I am trying to make is that American foreign policy is not motivated by a sense of morals, but by overwhelming greed. We act when our business interests are threatened, or when we can safely enter a conflict that will allow us a chance to demonstrate our weapons systems, to gain buyers for armaments made by companies like Raytheon, Texas Instruments, Textron, Northrop Grumman, MacDonnell-Douglas and Boeing. (It was statistically safer to be a soldier on the American side during the Gulf War than to be a black man living an ordinary life in an inner-city ghetto at the same time.) America: We play the role of International Policeman and Peacemaker, and yet our defense contractors and arms manufacturers make more deadly weapons and more profit than the arms producers of any other nation on earth. American media has created terms and lingo that serves as a means to our political ends. Some of the ways this is done is by characterizing rebellions against Marxist or leftist countries as being carried out by "freedom-fighters" (like the Contras), and rebellions against US supported right-wing dictatorships (El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Indonesia) are carried out by "leftist guerillas" or "terrorists." American media has also created a term to describe countries which refuse to bow to Western rules and policies, countries like Libya, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Yugoslavia, etc. That term is "Rogue State." Well, here is a very informative and entertaining article by Edward S. Herman on the truly biggest and baddest Rogue State of them all. Political Superpower- Of course being the engine to the world's economy and possessing the world's most powerful military guarantees that America is a political superpower as well. However, the scriptures are pointing to something else that Mystery Babylon possesses. Jeremiah 51:44 mentions that at one time, before its demise, the nations of the world streamed to Babylon. Revelation 17:18 tells us that the city of Babylon rules over the kings of the earth. In Revelation 18:9-10 we see the kings of the earth declaring that Babylon was the "city of power." New York City fulfills these scriptures by being the home to the governing body of the Planet Earth: the United Nations. This fact alone makes it the most important city on the planet. It is from here that deals are made, boundaries are drawn, and lives are bought and sold (Rev18:13). As I write, some may be skeptical that the UN has any real power. Why question the UN's power? The only thing holding back the United Nations right now is the United States, which owes more than a billion dollars in back dues. America has consistently ignored the will of the UN, and has often blatantly acted against it. Here is an article, (by Chomsky once again), that shows how the US is often the only country in the world opposing many UN initiatives. It may appear that the UN lacks teeth, but I reiterate, it is only because its power is superceded by the last remaining superpower- the United States of America.It appears that after the sudden and catastrophic destruction of the city of Mystery Babylon that the remainder of this once great power is attacked by the Antichrist and his forces. This is recorded in Revelation 17:16-18, "The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled." I believe that what we read about here is the nations of the earth throwing off the yoke that was the power of Mystery Babylon and revolting against her, turning instead to the New Age messiah, the Antichrist, and allowing him to rule over them. Maitreya, the New Age "World Teacher" who is expected to soon appear, (promoted by the Tara Center, the Lucis Trust, World Goodwill and Share International- the latter two being NGOs accredited by the UN) is even now, through Benjamin Creme and other supporters, decrying Western culture and the society of consumerism and materialism that has been created. He appears to champion the causes of global democracy and political freedom for all, causes which are diametrically opposed to the true foreign policy goals of American power brokers. Maitreya is a man who appears to be a savior for the starving masses of the Third World, and he calls for a universal system of health care and education for all. He also supports the recent initiatives that call for the G-7 to forgive and forget the insurmountable debt that Third World countries have accumulated due to high-interest IMF loans. The USA and her global merchants and bankers consider this to be inconceivable. America's culture of materialism, consumerism and pursuit of sensual pleasures without a regard for the consequences has been inspired by Satan. The contemporary American lifestyle is his masterpiece, yet it will be his counterfeit son, the Antichrist, who will stand up and quite correctly point out its flaws, warning of the dangers to the environment of throwaway consumerism and of the shallowness of a secular lifestyle which ignores the spiritual. He will point America out as the ultimate in hypocrisy and America will suffer the consequences. Major Port City, Greatest and Wealthiest City, and City of Jewish Exiles- New York City is undoubtedly the most important port city in the world. What may not be known is that when a ship approaches the New York City harbor from the south, in order to properly conform with the shipping lanes it must aim due north straight for a municipality on Long Island named "Babylon." A tall water tower on the shoreline is used as a reference point for navigation and when a ship reaches closest to shore before turning west to enter the harbor, the name "Babylon," written on the tower in big bold letters can be easily read. The community of Babylon is a predominantly Jewish community of over 200,000. It has an airport and two universities. To read about this community go Friday, June 01, 2001 11:14:13here. According to researcher Richard Coombes, Babylon was so named by early Jewish immigrants because of their study of the scriptures and their belief that Ancient Babylon would be relocated west of the Nile. According to my research this community is the only inhabited and functioning community in the world that is known as "Babylon." There are more Jews living in New York City than in any other city on earth, and there are more Jews living in America than in Israel and Russia combined. Clearly America is the home of Jewish exiles. For further evidence that the USA, led by New York City, is end-times Babylon, I suggest Coombes' book, "America, the Babylon." Click the title to go to Amazon.com (another huge corporation; my apologies). The wealthiest city: I haven't researched the veracity of this statement, but I periodically hear economic pundits state the fact that fully half of the world's capital is located in New York City. This means that half of the world's money is in New York. This does not seem so far-fetched to me, given the fact that the money of the IMF and the World Bank is located here, as well as the NYSE, and many other international banks. Regardless of the truth of this statement there is not another city in the world that could come close to equaling New York in wealth, and in total wealth the USA is by far the richest nation on earth.Another point is that after World War II we effectively controlled both sides of both oceans. This fact made us the first truly global power in the history of the world. In 1948, George Kennan, who headed the U.S. State Department until 1950, wrote a then-classified foreign relations document for the State Department entitled Policy Planning Study 23, it read in part, "we have about 50% of the world's wealth, but only 6.3% of its population... in this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity... To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate objectives... We should cease to talk about vague and... unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization. The day is not too far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts." (taken from What Uncle Sam Really Wants, by Noam Chomsky, Odonian Press, 1986, pp. 7, 9-10) Mystery Babylon is represented by a woman-America's most famous landmark, (most famous graven image), is the Statue of Liberty. Richard Coombes makes a solid case that our Statue of Liberty is in fact a representation of the ancient Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Ishtar was next to Marduk at the top of the Babylonian pantheon of gods, and her cult promoted "the notion of personal freedom and liberty to pursue a wild hedonistic sexual lifestyle of immense promiscuity," (Coombes). Basically her philosophy has been recreated here in America and is the same as the '60s mantra of "if it feels good, do it!" Central to her cult was the practice of prostitution for religious purposes, thus the scripture of Revelation 17:5, "...The Mother of Prostitutes..." One of America's most profitable exports is Entertainment, and in that industry is a widely repeated and simple cliche, "Sex Sells!" Thus we have several scriptures that point out the immorality of Mystery Babylon, especially the sin of "adultery," which is celebrated and promoted all over the world through our unparalleled entertainment industry. And finally in Revelation 18:16, we have the identity of Mystery Babylon revealed through her national colors, "O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet..." Here is a copy of an advertisement that I recently received in the mail: The "Mother of Prostitutes" of Revelation 17-18 is a literal representation of the ancient Babylonian goddess Ishtar, whose cult demanded prostitution as a form of religious service. In former times she was known as Inanna to the Sumerian civilization and later she was worshiped as Venus and Libertas by the Romans. At one time Liberty was worshiped at a temple that was dedicated to her on Aventine Hill in Rome, and coins were even minted with inscriptions of her image and her name (as America has done above). Obverse- The head of Claudiuswith inscription: TI.CLAUDIUS.CAESAR.AUG.P.M.TR.P.IMP. Reverse-Libertas draped, standing with head turned to the right holding a pilus in her right hand and her left hand extended with the inscription: LIBERTAS AUGUSTA.On either side of the figure are letters S,C referring to senatus consultum-by decree of the senate was this coin minted. (Information regarding the Libertas coin taken from http://www.dl.ket.org/latin3/grammar/inscriptions.htm.) The Statue of Liberty was conceived of, funded by and created by men who were intimately involved in the organization known as the Freemasons. Edouard Laboulaye was the chief fundraiser and Frederic August Bartholdi was the head sculptor. These men, and the freemasons in general, idealize the pagan gods and goddesses of ancient Rome and Greece. It is a well known fact that Bartholdi intended the Statue of Liberty to be a representation of the Roman goddess Liberty, also known as Inanna and Ishtar. Here is a carving of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar which, according to Richard Coombes, dates to about 3000 BC. Compare it to our modern Statue of Liberty. "The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits,"Revelation 17:9 (NIV). The above passage is most often used by those who would like to identify end-times Babylon with the Roman Catholic Church. It is well known that at one time Rome was built over seven hills. However, the Greek word that the NIV translates as "hill" is the word hora. This word is more accurately interpreted by the KJV and other versions as "mountain." The Greek word for "hill" is the word bounos. This word is one that was borrowed from Latin after the Roman conquests specifically to refer to the "hills" of Rome. To my knowledge there is no reference in ancient Greek literature that describes the hills of Rome as "seven hora," and they are always referred to as "the seven bounos of Rome." There is no precedent whatsoever to use the word hora to describe the seven hills of Rome. The primary definition of the Greek word hora is "mountain," but it could also be used to refer to "vast expanse," "large land mass," or "continent." The official Statue of Liberty website (http://www.nps.gov/stli/prod02.htm) has this to say about the seven-rayed crown which she wears, "The seven rays of the Statue's crown represent the seven seas and continents of the world." "...the great prostitute, who sits on many waters." Revelation 17:1"The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages," 17:15."There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that... had seven heads and ten horns." 17:3"The seven heads are seven hora on which the woman sits." 17:9. The Fall of Babylon The fall of Babylon will take place in three phases. The first will be a judgement that comes from God which results in the destruction of the "great city" of Babylon. The second will be an attack on what is left of her from the Antichrist and the ten kings. The last phase of the fall of Babylon will be her complete and total destruction at the end of the Tribulation. Phase One- The destruction of the "great city" of Babylon occurs suddenly, without warning, and when she is at the height of her power. Revelation 17:18, Before the judgements begin the city is called "...that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth." Revelation 18:7-8, "...she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.' Therefore her plagues will come in one day." Revelation 18:10, After the city is destroyed the kings of the earth cry out, "Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come." Revelation 18:15-17, The merchants of this city, who were "the great men of the earth," cry out: "...'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' " Revelation 18:18-19, And all the shipmasters cry out as well, "... What is like this great city? ...Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate." Jeremiah 50:31-32, "Behold, I am against you, O most haughty one!" says the Lord God of hosts; "For your day has come, The time that I will punish you. The most proud shall stumble and fall..." Jeremiah 51:7-8, "Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged. Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed. Wail for her! Take balm for her pain..." The fact that Phase One occurs when Babylon is at the height of her power makes it clear that this is before she is attacked by the Antichrist. This is evidence that the catastrophe which causes the destruction of the great city of Babylon occurs quite early in the tribulation. The great city of Babylon may fall as a result of the second trumpet judgement of Revelation 8:8, "Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed."If this giant meteor impacts into the Atlantic Ocean then the angel in Revelation 18:21 was offering a literal description of the nature of the great city's fall, "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.' " This possibility is reinforced by Jeremiah 51:42, "The sea has come up over Babylon; She is covered with the multitude of its waves." However, the next verse of this passage indicates that the final state of Babylon will be a "dry land and a wilderness." This is more evidence of a great tsunami, or tidal wave, which may strike the East Coast of the United States, destroy New York City, and then roll back leaving destruction and, ultimately, a wilderness in its wake. More evidence that the destruction of the city of Babylon comes as a result of a direct judgement from God can be found in Isaiah 13:5 and Jeremiah 50:25 which both refer to the Lord's "weapons of His wrath." Jeremiah 50:46 also records, "At the noise of the taking of Babylon, the earth trembles..." The earth would definitely tremble at the impact of a good sized meteor into the ocean. Phase Two- The Antichrist and the Ten Kings attack what is left of Babylon to forcefully bring her into the New World Order.The Bible is clear that the Antichrist will rise out of a previously established world government that is led by ten kings, "The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws..." (Daniel 7:23-25). The Antichrist and the ten kings which lead this one world government will attack Babylon to bring her into submission, "The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled," (Revelation 17:17-18). Phase Three- The end result of Babylon will be her complete and total destruction.This is made clear by a number of texts including, Isaiah 13:19-22, "Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged." Jeremiah 51:25-26, " 'I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth,' declares the LORD. 'I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain. No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever,' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 51:43, "Her towns will be desolate, a dry and desert land, a land where no one lives, through which no man travels." Revelation 18:2, "She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird." The prophet Zechariah witnessed the removal of the demonic spiritual force that once inspired the ancient nation of Babylon. This woman was placed in a basket and Zechariah was told that she was being taken away to a new land where Babylon would again re-emerge. Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. " And he added, "This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land." Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth. Then I looked up--and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth. "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, "To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place." Zechariah 5:5-11 On October 28th, 1886, President Grover Cleveland accepted the Statue of Liberty on behalf of the United States. In the ceremony which celebrated the unveiling of this ancient pagan deity, he spoke these words, "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home;nor shall her chosen altar be neglected." NOTES The quote from President Grover Cleveland can be verified at the official Statue of Liberty website- http://www.nps.gov/stli/prod02.htm The author may be contacted at pgoodgame@hawaii.rr.comor through his web site: http://www.redmoonrising.com/index.html Note regarding Noam Chomsky: He is America's pre-eminent political dissident and the fact that the reader has most likely never heard of him is proof of the overwhelming effectiveness of America's one-sided mass propaganda machine. He is a professor at MIT and a prolific author, lecturer and activist. He is an atheist, a secular humanist and a vocal critic of modern Israel's former policy of Zionist expansion and of their nuclear development. Obviously as a Christian I do not agree with each and every one of his positions, but his political observations regarding America are supported by an overwhelming amount of data and evidence. The usual charge that is brought against this man is that he is anti-Semitic. The fact that Chomsky is a Jew should at least cause people to research this charge more intently, yet it continues to be leveled at him from right-wing zealots, supporters of the corporate led capitalist system, by the major media and the government, as well as by uninformed Christians. The charge of anti-Semitism comes from his support of a French "researcher" who wanted to publicize his belief that the holocaust of WWII was greatly exaggerated. Chomsky did not, in any way, shape or form support the conclusions of the researcher, he only defended the man's right to present them. For Chomsky it was a simple matter of Freedom of Speech, yet his opponents have used this incident to call Chomsky, a Jew himself, a supporter of historical revisionism and anti-Semitism. This is how supporters of the status quo go about silencing people who are gifted in pointing out their hypocrisy. I must reiterate that Chomsky is not a Christian, and although he is gifted in illuminating the past and understanding the present, his view of the future, and of what we as human beings need most, is entirely human-centered and thus greatly flawed. Keep this in mind while researching his views. The Noam Chomsky archive can be found here- http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/index.cfmAn article which defends Chomsky against the slander that he is anti-Semitic can be found here- http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/other/85-hitchens.html