America: Babylon’s Mirror Image – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/06/20/america-babylons-mirror-image/ Author’s note: This is a chapter I wrote for one of my books some time right after the 2016 presidential election. Emails I’ve received from several readers have asked if I believe America is the Babylon mentioned in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. I looked at this chapter and felt it was the best answer as to my thoughts in answering their question. The things involved, though somewhat dated, remains my best estimation of the possibilities involved in the America/Babylon question. It is lengthy, but I thought it better to present in its totality rather than break into several parts. –Terry One of the most frightening descriptions of judgment found in Bible prophecy is set within the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of Revelation. God’s wrath is foretold to fall upon history’s most blasphemous and wealthiest religious, political, and socioeconomic humanistic system. Babylon the Great will be destroyed in a single hour. It will take place at some point during the last seven years of the age leading up to Christ’s Second Coming. One of the most asked questions by those interested in end-times matters is: “Is America in Bible prophecy?” —Or, “Why isn’t America, certainly considered the greatest nation to this point in history in terms of wealth and material achievement—not in Bible prophecy?” The most common answer given by teachers and others who view prophecy from the pre-Millennial, pre-Tribulation, futurist perspective is: “No.” America is not found in Bible prophecy. That has most frequently been my own answer to that basic question. The United States of America isn’t found within the pages of God’s prophetic Word. I can’t answer for others who deal with biblical eschatology (the study of end things). I can only say that my own meaning within my answer is that the U.S. isn’t mentioned by name anywhere in prophecy. Whether this most materially blessed nation in history, despite the absence of its name, is or is not somewhere in prophecy is another matter. Regarding that matter, my thinking, based upon study of God’s Word, has trended in more recent times toward “perhaps.” Babylon, the city second only to Jerusalem as far as the number of times it’s mentioned in the Bible, is, of course, at the center of most controversy in the question of whether America is implied in Scripture. Is the United States Babylon the Great? Despite the adamant answers to this query by some of my colleagues and friends on both sides of the America/Babylon matter, I must say they cannot—nor can I—know for certain. Only history playing out can provide the answer. We don’t know the future in detail when speculating upon such peripheral prophetic issues. Such is reserved exclusively for the God of Heaven. Time’s unfolding, however, always draws things to come into focus so that prophetic detail can be more clearly discerned. It seems to me that recent times have provided ever-increasing magnification, showing America’s possible inclusion within these “end-of-days” prophecies, as the secular world terms them. I am not declaring that I’m thinking America is Babylon the Great. Like this chapter’s title implies, however, our nation, in many ways, looks to me to be more and more like a mirror reflection of that prophesied entity. Babylon the Great Let’s look here at the mysterious entity God called “Babylon the Great.” Its total destruction assuredly describes how it will be the apex nation/city/commercial and religious system of human history. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate (Revelation 18:9–10, 15–19). There have been great religious and commercial centers throughout history. Some of these were, no doubt, seen by the merchants of the time and others as wielding great seductive and controlling power like that described above. Some of these have been destroyed, usually by military action. Others—such as in the case of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius—have been almost instantly decimated by what many consider the judgment of God. But, these were all in the past—mostly in the ancient past. There has been no such total devastation to such a powerful city or nation in modern times. And, the destruction of Babylon the Great is prophetically scheduled to take place at a future time set within the context of the last seven years leading up to Christ’s Second Advent. If God’s Word is true—and it is truth in every respect—there must be a city, nation, and commercial influence of tremendous magnitude during the time of what John was told to call the Apocalypse, the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” We must then, if trying to understand whether the present generation is near the time of Christ’s “Revelation” or Second Coming, ask whether a city-state commercial system as described in Revelation chapter 18 exists. As a matter of fact, there is indeed such an entity. It is the only one on the scene as of right now. Far beyond that fact, the one presently on the scene is one unlike any to have ever existed throughout the history of mankind. The United States of America is, in terms of human achievement and attainment of every conceivable development of material convenience, the absolute apex of all nations of all of history! This isn’t being boastful of my nation. It’s simply fact that even the most ardent America-hater can’t truthfully deny. As my fellow Arkansan, that great philosopher Dizzy Dean, said: “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” America, blessed beyond all nations, materially speaking—and even spiritually speaking, in some sense—has done it. The United States has achieved greatness that is the envy of the world…and the hatred of the world as well, in many cases. It is deflating, after that statement, to have to say that this once-great nation has become, perhaps, among the most debauched and debased of human history. Lord Edward Acton said it well: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” America has achieved power like no other nation-state. She has corrupted herself, possibly beyond redemption. The primary cause of the fall into corruption is that American society and culture—its people, for the most part—have collectively turned their backs on God. The nation has grown rich and insensitive to God’s blessings, His great purposes for bringing into existence this most unique experiment in liberty. Like the Lord’s indictment of Babylon the Great, it might be said, “For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:3). America is the richest nation that has ever been upon this fallen planet. Jesus told us that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to “see” the Kingdom of Heaven. The spiritual heart—the minds of the rich—are easily turned from thoughts of the True God of Heaven. These have a difficult time even “seeing” or recognizing things of the Kingdom of Heaven. They, therefore, certainly have an almost impossible challenge in finding the only route to salvation—that found in Romans 10:9–10: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Thankfully, Jesus followed up that dire “camel through the eye of a needle” assessment by stating that “with God all things are possible,” meaning that the rich can attain salvation, because of God’s love and grace. The United States of America experienced that love and grace as a —nation with the 2016 presidential election. This is a view I realize isn’t shared by a vast number of Americans, even necessarily Americans who voted for the winner in that election. But, my view is that God’s grace, love, and patience are the reason for the sudden, unexpected turn of events in the direction the election took that night of November 8. The 2 Chronicles 7:14 Scripture was on full display: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Some theologians will argue adamantly that this declaration by God was only for the Jewish people—the nation Israel. It has, at best, only unknowably uncertain, peripheral application for today’s Age of Grace (Church Age), they insist. I disagree. God tells us that He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The 2 Chronicles 7:14 promise has not been abandoned by the God of Heaven. The essays within this book detail my view on how God’s praying people helped cause the surprise—even shock—politicians, pundits, and people across the nation and world received when the election results became known at around 9 p.m. Eastern time on November 8, 2016. Not to be misunderstood, I am not saying or even hinting that I think the winning candidate for the presidency is a godly person. I am saying, however, that the winning candidate is God’s man for this critical hour as this generation moves ever deeper into the last of the last days. The United States—the world—received a sort of reprieve. The phenomenal turnabout in direction America took was like a child playing with a battery-operated toy car, reaching down and picking the toy up, turning it around, and letting it run in the opposite direction. Well…that might be a bit of a weak analogy to what happened, but maybe it will suffice for illustrative purposes here. We consider at this juncture only the moral issues of the most basic sort, just to, hopefully, further make the point. America’s obstinate turning from God’s prescriptive way for humanity was on full display during the previous presidential administration. God said, through Paul the apostle in Romans chapter 1 and in numerous Old Testament passages that homosexuality is a sin. God seems to consider man lying (engaging in sexual acts) with man and woman with woman as among the most egregious of sins. Such is termed an “abomination” in God’s Holy Word. Not only did the practice of homosexuality ramp up during the years of the previous administration, it was given government sanction at every turn. We recall that the president had the White House bathed in the rainbow colors to show his support for those on the side of gay rights. We remember, too, that Christian business owners were prosecuted and fined for refusing to bake cakes for homosexual “marriages.” And, to that point, the United States government, with full backing of the court system, slapped the Creator of mankind in the face by saying marriage is not the way God ordained. We infer from that decision that God—if there is a God like that of the Bible—was wrong in the opinion of America’s court system. Same-sex marriage was normalized—or that was the attempt that was made. God made male and female, we are plainly informed in Genesis. The courts and the “progressive” minds of America and the world tell us that, regardless of our birth gender, we can be whichever we want to be. The psychologists, psychiatrists, and other psychoanalysts of today agree. Some textbooks on such matters have been rewritten. They now say that homosexuality, transsexuality, and all other formerly aberrant sexual identities are now normal, alternative lifestyle choices. While the new president—again, as I see as not a godly man, but as God’s man—hasn’t addressed to any great extent the particular issue of immorality concerning sexuality within the American culture, he has indicated strongly that he intends to see that Christianity is treated fairly. He has said he saw that the Christian faith was under assault and that he intends to rectify that inequity. I believe the Lord has seen fit to surround the president with a number of Christian men and women who will help guide him in the effort to “rectify” the inequities. America has corrupted herself, as delineated above. However, she has been an instrument for righteousness in the hand of God as well. From its beginning, despite the problems of infiltration by esoteric influences, America had at its conception principles that obviously were put in the minds of the Founding Fathers by the God of Heaven. Those Judeo-Christian principles served the nation well. The Gospel of Jesus Christ flourished as the dominant faith without its proponents acting dictatorially by suppressing or oppressing other religions. While some such oppression might have on rare occasion attempted to so dominate, the Constitution was there to assure freedom of religious practice and expression. In the matter of sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, America was indeed that shining light on the hill about which President Ronald Reagan and others have proudly spoken. Second only in importance to spreading the Gospel around the world through missionary effort and through the fantastic technologies she developed is the nation’s other divine purpose, in my view. America served as midwife for Israel’s rebirth into modernity. America was the primary mover in supporting the fledgling Jewish state when much of the world was indifferent or even antagonistic to Israel becoming a nation. The most powerful country on earth just happened to be there, with a president, Harry S. Truman, who saw prophetic significance in what was taking place. It was a divine appointment, there is no doubt. This nation, then, was once a great nation, considering the two main purposes it has served. In that sense, the desire to “make America great again” is a worthy and even noble ambition. However, it will never be made great again through political manipulations or economic revival. Only the God of Heaven who gave the nation its commission in the first place can truly “make America great again.” When looking at the America/Babylon the Great question, do we see in Scripture any indication that the doomed religious and commercial city-nation system ever had redeeming qualities? Perhaps—and it is a big “perhaps.” Based upon the fact that Bible prophecy often has dual reference, usually to a local or immediate circumstance and secondly to a distant circumstance, it is appropriate to wonder if the Babylon mentioned in Jeremiah is a future reference to the Revelation chapter 18 Babylon in the following: “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed” (Jeremiah 51:7–8). There is the possibility that this is a reference to mention by the Lord that the Babylon to be judged was once used by God in a good way. Babylon has been a “golden cup.” Of course, the next statement is that Babylon nonetheless caused the whole world to drink of her evil, thus making all earth-dwellers “mad.” There also seems to be some room here to believe that there is still hope for redemption. Jeremiah says: “Howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed.” I believe the declaration that this Babylon referenced has been “a golden cup in the Lord’s hand” could easily describe America’s usefulness in the matters of exporting the Gospel and of serving as midwife in Israel’s rebirth in 1948. I’m not prepared to say this is definitely describing the United States, but that it would serve as an apt description of the way God has used this nation. In that sense, America is a mirror image of the Babylon mentioned in the Jeremiah declaration. It is easy, as one who loves America, then, to take some comfort from the following words of the prophet: “Howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed.” Admittedly, it is nigh on to impossible to see how Babylon the great might ever have a chance of redemption from her gross sinfulness, as described in excruciating detail by John. But we remember that Saul, the mass murderer of the earliest Christians, found redemption by God’s grace. As a matter of fact, we can look at our own sinfulness before coming to Christ to understand that the redemptive process is far above our own thoughts and ways. Praise God! In the same way we might take comfort from the thought of a balm for the healing of America, if it is indeed a mirror image of Babylon the Great, it is equally troubling to consider the corruption-laden imagery that reflects from that mirror. America the Not So Beautiful John announces the vision as he sees the crashing down of Babylon the Great: And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Revelation 18:1–3) Babylon, if it was indeed once a “golden cup” in the hand of the Lord, certainly is here described as having collapsed to rubble. We don’t know exactly who this city-nation commercial system was (prophetically will be) in its glory days that made it Babylon the Great. It is part of the description of a “mystery,” and is called just that in its hellish, religious aspect: And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (Revelation 17:1–5) It seems obvious that this future Babylon the Great has at its core a satanic religion. In its final throes of collapse, this religion has become an integral, inseparable part of doing business worldwide. All merchants, kings, and everyone else are required to worship within this religious monstrosity as directed by its religious leader. We go to Revelation 13 to better understand this blasphemous relationship. This describes earth’s last and most horrendous tyrant, Antichrist: And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world…. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (Revelation 13:7–8, 11–12) We can understand from this prophecy that the final füehrer will have a sidekick called here “the second beast.” This will be a false religious leader who will force all the world to worship Antichrist, who controls all buying and selling. All of this is rolled up into the entity called Babylon the Great. Looking in the mirror of the future at Babylon the Great, can we see resemblance to the current apex nation of history, the United States of America? Our country has put forth the Gospel as no other nation-state. This is true if only because we have been blessed with the amazing technologies to get the message of Jesus Christ to the whole world. America has been the champion of Israel, seeing to it that the modern Jewish state was reborn in the twentieth century. The U.S. has been at the forefront of kindness and generosity to the unfortunate peoples of the world at every turn. Whether in war-torn, post-war Europe and Japan or in the regions devastated by any given natural disaster around the globe, this country has been the first on the scene with tremendous amounts of money and supplies to help relieve the suffering. Until the mid-twentieth century, America had at its core morality based upon Judeo-Christian values emanating from the Holy Scriptures. Even though there was much immorality within the nation, and there was increasing corruption at every level of society and culture during the first half of the 1900s, any aberration or severe deviation from that core morality was so ostracized that such evil stayed locked in the shadows for the most part except for the era known as the Roaring Twenties. If not a “golden cup” in the hand of the Lord, America was a nation that still embraced His way of comportment for the most part. All changed, it seemed to me, in 1962–1963 and 1973. Prayer in public schools were banned. Bible reading, too, was banished from the classrooms of America. Abortion became the preferred way of handling unwanted babies still in the womb with Roe v Wade in 1973. From the time of those years, most every form of evil seems to have been loosed upon America. It was as if Daniel the prophet’s words burst in their beginning of fulfillment during that eleven-year era from 1962 to 1973. Of the wrap-up of human history prior to Christ’s return, Daniel said: “and the end thereof shall be with a flood” (Daniel 9:26c). A flood of evil has descended, to be sure. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, followed by the start of the sexual revolution, and the Vietnam War that took more than fifty thousand American lives. The drug culture exploded on the national scene and two prominent Americans in the news were shot to death, ostensibly for their political views—Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy. The national debt arose to astronomical heights with Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, which unleashed unprecedented spending into his War on Poverty. The liberal mindset swiftly overwhelmed more conservative thinking, bringing about legislation and judicial appointments and decisions that moved America away from the God who had so richly blessed the country. That inevitable, future, national train wreck has not been stopped, or even slowed. It has accelerated, as a matter of fact. Upside-down thinking of politicians, judges at every level, and presidents and their administrations have helped bring at least half of the American populace to the point described by Paul the apostle: And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:28–32) The United States of America does not present a “beautiful” picture early on in the twenty-first century. Her image, sad to have to report, could be said to in many ways be a mirror image of end-times Babylon. Our nation’s sins are reflective of the many things that God’s Word prophesies will bring Babylon the Great crashing from its prideful heights. How Near Is Christ’s Return? Today there are an increased number of observers of prophecy who insist that America is scheduled to be the Babylonian entity of Revelation 18. Still, there remain the majority who hold to Babylon the Great as a city-nation religious and commercial system yet to form and be centered in the geographical area where ancient Babylon was located. Both sides of the issue seem rather insistent that their view is correct. There are few I’ve noticed who hold that an alternate view could be found. Both sides use Scripture effectively as a basis for their viewpoints. Both sides have logical arguments to validate their perspectives. As stated at the beginning of this chapter, my own thinking in answer to the question is a “perhaps,” which I know is wishy-washy at first glance. I would, however, ask consideration of my reason for switching from “absolutely not” to “perhaps.” I would like to try to explain why I think there is a possibility that America could be the mysterious entity that will absolutely dominate the world for a brief time. There are great scholars, living and some now with the Lord, who have held that the Word of God places the Babylon of Revelation 18 in the land of Shinar. They present scriptural reasons they believe this. I respect them and their findings. However, I must say that, upon careful study, I don’t find absolute, 100 percent assurance that this end-times, humanistic, conglomerate system can’t be located, at least in part, in regions other than ancient Babylon. Rather than go into all the scriptural reasons for supporting my thesis that “perhaps” Babylon the Great could turn out to be the U.S., I will just offer what I believe to be a most logical speculation in that regard. I could present many Scriptures brought to the forefront of scholarship over the years to back any of the points of view, including my “perhaps.” There are a number of fine works from which to glean such scholarship. But, I’ll postulate a logical argument, with one caveat. I’m convinced that the preponderance of evidence presented by the issues, events, and conditions of today’s world indicate exceedingly that the time of Christ’s Second Coming is very near. This is the premise upon which I base what follows. Remember my words earlier in this chapter: “Time’s unfolding…always draws things to come into focus so that prophetic detail can be more clearly discerned. It seems to me that recent times have provided ever-increasing magnification, showing America’s possible inclusion within these ‘end of days.’” How near is Christ’s return? Most relevant to the question we are examining regarding Babylon the Great is what is the present disposition of America, particularly, in the geopolitical and socioeconomic global configuration? These are questions we need to look at in order to understand the common-sense logic I’ll try to present. In consideration of the first question—“How near are we to Christ’s Second Coming?”—here are some facts. 1. There is today a turning away from God and His prescription for living, even among born-again believers. Apostasy has infected this generation. The seeker-friendly forms of service that are designed to increase church enrollment, but at the expense of sound doctrine, are rampant. 2. Nations are in the process of alignment and are continuing to align in the order they are prophesied to present at the time Christ’s return nears. Gog-Magog forces, including Russia, Iran (Persia), and even Turkey (Togormah) are coalescing. They are doing so north of Israel, just as God’s Word predicts in Ezekiel 38 and 39. 3. Syria is in the news, at the heart of which is its capital city, Damascus. The Isaiah 17:1 prophecy could easily be fulfilled in the days, weeks, or months just ahead. 4. Israel is back in the land God promised to it, with Jerusalem in contention by all the nations of the region. Israel’s enemies are threatening to destroy her, but have been thwarted at every effort to do so. 5. Globalists are foaming at the mouth to form a new world order that will forever throw off the shackles God has placed on mankind exactly as Psalms 2 foretells. 6. The economies of the world are in total disarray, causing great distress and perplexity as to how to solve the many problems caused by the global fiscal crisis. 7. Technologies exist that can track every individual on earth, if employed as is apparently planned in the near future. 8. That technology, linked by satellite from continent to continent, will undoubtedly be used to put all the world in electronic chains and at the same time create a system of EFT (electronic funds transfer), providing a solution to the financial problems of current monetary crises. Undoubtedly, this will eventuate in the Antichrist 666 marking system of Revelation 13:16-18. Those of us who hold to the futurist, Pre-Millennial, Pre-Trib perspective believe Christ’s return to be soon. All of this combines to show that this generation is very near the time of Christ’s Second Advent, in my estimation. The thought I wish to share is that since Christ’s return is so near, the entity known as Babylon the Great has to be on the scene in some major form. For this great system of influence on world commerce and in every other area to have its beginning now, then come together and grow to such influence in the last seven years of human history leading up to Christ’s Second Coming just doesn’t make sense. The region where ancient Babylon sat is for the most part undeveloped. Nothing is there to indicate any sort of potentiality for a suddenly developing, grandiose world center springing from that basically barren place. Babylon the Great, as described in the Revelation 18 prophecy, is a religious, commercial, and cultural behemoth of monumental influence on the whole world. That influence could not possibly attain that degree, couldn’t reach that spectacular height, within less than several decades. I believe it would take even much longer than that to become as all-encompassing as described. However, the world become exceedingly wicked. In this sense, the saturation point for blasphemy and evil behavior has already been reached. Sadly, as a nation, America leads the way in the perpetration of much of that evil. No caring American who loves the nation wants to think of her in terms of being guilty of producing the sinfulness Babylon the Great will export. But, there are things about this once God-influenced country that are frightening to consider. My friend Dr. David Reagan, of Lamb and Lion Ministries and Christ in Prophecy television programs, provides troubling facts we must face. He wrote this in 2012: Think about it. Since 1973, we have murdered our babies in their mothers’ wombs at the rate of 4,000 a day, totaling nearly 60 million, and their blood cries out for vengeance. We consume more than one-half of all the illegal drugs produced in the world, yet we constitute only 5% of the world’s population. We spend $2.8 billion dollars per year on Internet pornography, which is more than half the world total of $4.9 billion. Our rate of cohabiting partners has increased tenfold since 1960, totaling over 12 million unmarried partners today. Our divorce rate is the highest of any nation in the world. Forty percent of our children are born to unmarried women. We spend over $100 billion per year on gambling. Our number one drug problem is alcohol, producing over 17.6 million adults who are alcoholics or who have alcohol problems. Our nation has become a debt junkie, leading the world in both government debt and personal debt. Blasphemy of God’s name, His Word, and His Son has become commonplace in our media. We are the moral polluter of planet earth through the distribution of our immoral, violent and blasphemous television programs and movies. We have forsaken the nation of Israel, demanding that they surrender their heartland and divide their capital city. We have become a nation that calls good evil and evil good. And we are paying the price: Our schools have become arenas of deadly violence. Our prison population is increasing exponentially, from 500,000 in 1980 to over 2.5 million today. Over 7.2 million of our people are under some form of correctional supervision. Over 1.5 million of our women are reported victims of domestic violence each year, and it is estimated that the majority of cases are never reported. We are currently averaging over 3 million child abuse cases each year, involving 6 million children. We experience more than 12 million crimes every year, more than any other nation in the world. Teen violence has increased exponentially, with youngsters killing each other over tennis shoes. Gangs are terrorizing our cities. Even the nicest of our neighborhoods are no longer safe, requiring us to protect our homes with security systems and weapons. Our money is becoming increasingly worthless. Our economy is being choked to death by a pile of debt that is beyond comprehension. Our major corporations and labor unions are in bondage to greed. Our society has become deeply divided, splintered among competing groups defined by racial, religious and economic factors. Our families are being destroyed by an epidemic of divorce. Our entertainment industry consists of vulgarians amusing barbarians. One of our fastest growing businesses is the pagan practice of tattooing and body piercing. Our universities and media outlets are controlled by radical leftists who hold God in contempt. Our federal government has become top-heavy with bureaucrats who are insensitive to taxpayers. Our politicians have become more concerned with power than service. All levels of government have become increasingly oppressive, seeking to regulate every aspect of our lives. Taxation has become confiscatory in nature. Our legal system has been hijacked by activists who desire to impose their will on the people, regardless of what the people desire. Our freedom of speech is being threatened by “hate crime” legislation. Our forms of sports are becoming increasingly violent, reminiscent of the gladiators of ancient Rome. Our society has become star-stuck, more interested in celebrities than people of integrity. Our churches are caught up in an epidemic of apostasy as they set aside the Word of God in an effort to cozy up to the world and gain its approval. We are experiencing one major natural disaster after another in unprecedented volume and ferocity. We have become afflicted with a plague of sexual perversion, producing an army of hard core militant homosexuals. In summary, we are a people who have become desensitized to sin, and in the process, we have forgotten how to blush.[i] Assuredly, the Tribulation, Armageddon, and Christ’s Second Coming could be many years in the future. Such an extended period could provide time for Babylon the Great to develop from the ground up. Again, however, the signals of Christ return are converging at a phenomenal pace. Israel is in the land and at the center of great controversy. The potential conflict with its Muslim neighbors harbors the strong possibility of the initiation of nuclear conflagration and World War III. Zechariah’s prophecy of chapter 12:1–3 seems on the verge of exploding into the headlines of today’s news. Only one conclusion can reasonably be reached, therefore. Jesus is at the very door of Heaven for His return to planet earth. All these end-of-age prophecies must come to pass quickly. One and only one nation-state in the world at present comes anywhere near matching the description of Babylon the Great as far as potential influence. As a matter of fact, America already has achieved similar influence and holds sway in a way not unlike that attributed to that end-times entity of Revelation 18. Dr. Reagan’s masterful exposé on America’s contribution to planetary wickedness is self-explanatory. Tragically, in the comparison to Babylon the Great we’ve undertaken in this chapter, his findings show clearly that our nation is in many ways indeed a mirror image. The United States of America is here and now, and fits much of the description of Revelation 18. Ancient Babylon at present is basically a land decimated by the likes of ISIS. Building any sort of worldwide commercial, religious, and socioeconomic headquarters like that prophesied to be destroyed isn’t even on the drawing board of new world order architects, so far as has been released for public consumption. It is true that Dubai and other cities of the Middle East have been constructed in amazingly short time. The great technological know-how and construction capabilities have accomplished astonishing building projects. But the outreach these sites have achieved so far as worldwide influence comes nowhere near that predicted for the doomed Babylon the Great. Building from scratch such a city and national infrastructure could conceivably take place within relatively few years. But the building of such powerful influence on the merchants and kings of the world would take far, far longer. Is America the nucleus of that great, humanistic system of religious and socioeconomic control? I don’t know. But I think, based upon the fact that it is in many ways a mirror image of that prophesied entity, it’s perfectly legitimate to conclude “perhaps.” [i] Dr. David R. Reagan, “A Prophetic Manifesto: The Death of America,” http://www.lamblion.us/2013/06/a-prophetic-manifesto-death-of-america.html .