Posted on 04/14/2012 5:28:00 AM PDT by GiovannaNicoletta
Bible prophecy indicates that in the End Times, the nation we know today as the Republic of Iraq—known variously in Scripture as Babel, Babylon, Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Shinar—will emerge as the global center of wealth, power and terrible evil. Eventually Iraq will pose a direct and existential threat to the State of Israel, particularly during the Tribulation.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his regime in 2003, Iraq has not been a regional threat, much less a danger to Israel. Some have assumed, therefore, that Iraq would no longer play a major role in Middle Eastern or global affairs in the future. But such a conclusion would be a mistake. As I wrote about in my first non-fiction book, Epicenter, those who read, understand and believe Bible prophecy have been watching for Iraq to: 1) begin rebuilding its offensive military capability; 2) begin rebuilding its economy; 3) continue rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon into a major center of commerce and tourism.
Interestingly, all three developments are currently underway.
Iraq Is Rebuilding Its Military
Now that the Iraqi government has forced the American military out of their country, they have embarked on a dramatic arms build-up, including the purchase of American weapons systems that could be used for offensive purposes in the future. Examples:
Iraq Is Rebuilding Its Economy
Now that the war of liberation is over and most of Iraq has been pacified and stabilized from the terrorist insurgency, Iraq’s economy is not only growing but is poised for hyper-growth. Analysts expect Iraq’s GDP to grow by more than 9% annually for the next few years, and expect Iraq’s oil production to nearly triple by 2017.
Iraq Is Rebuilding the City of Babylon
Largely overlooked by Westerners is the fact that the government of Iraq is moving forward with plans to protect the archaeological remains of the ancient City of Babylon, in preparation for building a modern city of Babylon. As I wrote in 2009, the project—originally started by the late Saddam Hussein—is aimed eventually at attracting scores of “cultural tourists” from all over the world to see the glories of Mesopotamia’s most famous city. What’s more, the Obama Administration has actually helped contribute U.S. taxpayer dollars to “The Future of Babylon Project” through the State Department’s budget. Read more at the World Monuments Fund website for the rebuilding Babylon project.
In 2011, I noted that the New York Times had published an intriguing article on Iraqi efforts to preserve, protect, restore and then rebuild the ancient city of Babylon and make it a draw for tourists, with U.S. taxpayer assistance. The Times reports that a modern Babylon museum will open later this month. Times’ reporter Steven Lee Myers also posted a fascinating four minute video walking through some of the rebuilt ruins of Babylon, and explaining Iraqi efforts to protect and restore numerous Biblical sites.
“The Babylon project is Iraq’s biggest and most ambitious by far, a reflection of the ancient city’s fame and its resonance in Iraq’s modern political and cultural heritage,” the Times reported, noting that “in November, the State Department announced a new $2 million grant to begin work to preserve the site’s most impressive surviving ruins. They include the foundation of the Ishtar Gate, built in the sixth century B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, and adorned with brick reliefs of the Babylonian gods Marduk and Adad.”
"The American reconstruction team has refurbished a modern museum on the site, as well as a model of the Ishtar Gate that for decades served as a visitors’ entrance. Inside the museum is one of the site’s most valuable relics: a glazed brick relief of a lion, one of 120 that once lined the processional way into the city. The museum, with three galleries, is scheduled to open this month, receiving its first visitors since 2003. And with new security installed, talks are under way to return ancient Babylonian artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad. The fate of Babylon is already being disputed by Iraqi leaders, with antiquities officials clashing with local authorities over when to open it to visitors and how to exploit the site for tourism that, for the most part, remains a goal more than a reality. Even now they are clashing over whether the admission fee should go to the antiquities board or the provincial government.”
The Iraqis have stated their intention to return to buying weapons from Russia and China once our contracts run out.
Why would they do that ?
Better terms ?
Cheaper, the quality of weapons are similar (The US sells Iraq monkey models too), and to snub the United States
None. Zip. Nada.
Open your eyes before time runs out for you. Please.
there are none so blind as those as those that refuse to see.
It was off-limits due to being a historical site. I went there and the Iraqi’s mandated we cover our weapons while on-site, due to agreements by our people...imagine a whole team of guys walking around with shemagh’s covering their long guns...lol.
Having my eyes wide open is exactly why I know the whole dispensationalist/rapture scam along with 99.9% of "interpretations" of prophecy that go along with it are pure and total hokum.
It sells well, but then again, so do bags of horse manure. Hal Lindsey bragged about putting his daughters through a fine Catholic university with the proceeds from just one book full of the manure. I guess the crowd who helped fund their education and his fine collection of automobiles can't admit they were scammed and so stick to the pretense that they at least learned something in exchange for making Hal and a whole crowd of BS artists rich. Drop the scales from your eyes and actually read the Scriptures rather than running them through a filter of lies and preconceptions first. When was Christ crucified in Babylon, for instance.
You and your crowd are the ones who better wake up before you're hearing, "I never knew you" right after your last heartbeat.
Hal Lindsey wrote the prophetic Scripture that details the role of Babylon during the Tribulation and, the fact that that very city is being rebuilt and is being prepared to fulfill that Scriptural role rght in front of us is be credited to Hal Lindsey? Are you serious?
Did Hal Lindsey also write these Biblical prophecies that have already been fulfilled?
Is that what you're trying to say? When Jesus Christ states that the city of Babylon will be a huge center of wealth and commerce during the Tribulation and will be destroyed to the point that nothing but animals will live in it after that, we should actually give credit to Hal Lindsey? What do you think God thinks of that idea?
You can attempt to discredit the Scripture by hiding behind "dispensationalism" all you want, but unfortunately, the prophecies given to us by God for the last moments of this world system are in the process of happening and will continue to come to pass until every single one is fulfilled down to the smallest detail. And all the denials of fallen men will not stop these things from happening.
Like I said, open your eyes and look around you. You're not hurting anyone but yourself by denying reality.
Iranian influence.
If and when Iran subverts Iraq, partially or completely.
The US would stop sending technicians/mechanics/training and spare parts for their military equiptment, making their US procurement entirely useless in fairly short order.
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