The first religious city is called Babel and it's in Shinar. The Book of Daniel begins: [1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
[2] And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god."Israel is taken captive and they're brought into the land of Shinar and Daniel's in Babylon--Babel morphs into Babylon," explains Alex Kurz.
"So, Revelation is focusing in on a city that has a political and religious arm and its roots are back in Genesis with Nimrod, who built that first city, and the purpose was to try to reach heaven.
"Micah 5 provides this prophecy about the end times: [4] And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
[5] And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.[6] And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders.
"Verse 4 is referring to Revelation when the Lord Jesus literally comes back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
"You see how the end is intimately linked to the beginning. The Assyrian, who is the Antichrist, is linked to the land of Nimrod, Shinar, the Tower of Babel. That's where it all begins.
Revelation 17:3: [3] 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.
"When the Bible uses the word 'wilderness,' turn to Exodus 19: 1-2: [1] In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
[2] For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount."The Bible is its own dictionary and 'the wilderness' is defined as a desert. The wilderness of Sinai is also referred to as the desert of Sinai.
Galatians 4:25: [25] For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
"Don't assume that Paul has to be talking about Saudi Arabia. Two thousand years ago it's quite possible that this entire region is called Arabia.
"There's some fascinating verses regarding a desert area. Jeremiah 25:19-24: [19] Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;
[20] And all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Azzah, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod,[21] Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon,
[22] And all the kings of Tyrus, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea,
[23] Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners,
[24] And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert,
"You go through this list and you know where all of these cities are located? Land of Shinar.
"The word 'mingled' in verse 24 is the word Arab. Remember in Daniel 2 where they're going to try to mingle with the seed of men and it's that word Arab. Arabization kind of a concept there.
"There is no clear test to try and prove someone is an Arab. These are tribal--it's a mixed race. It all starts with Ishmael and where is he and Hagar? They're not an identifiable group of people.
"John is standing there in the desert and the vision of the fall of mystery Babylon--he's actually standing there in the very place where it's all going to come down. Of course, John sees the future.
"We know God is talking about the Antichrist when He talks about the MYSTERY aspect of the prince of Tyrus who becomes the king, so look at Ezekiel 27:
[21] Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats: in these were they thy merchants.
[22] The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants: they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
[23] Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assur, and Chilmad, were thy merchants.
[24] These were thy merchants in all sorts of things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.
[25] The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market: and thou wast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.
"Look at the list of nations named and guess where you're at? The evidence is overwhelming it's the land of Shinar.
"If you live in a desert, how do you build a ship? Don't you have to import wood? Think about this, the two greatest natural resources in this entire region are No. 1, oil and No. 2, sand.
"This area becomes so wealthy they import all of these products and when we get to Rev. 18, you know why the merchants are crying? Because nobody is buying their products anymore!
"Isn't it true that in Dubai--you know, they've got artificial ski resorts in the desert! Where did they get all of those products? They're imported because they export the one commodity that everybody needs and they are so rich.
"Here's the point; Ezekiel 27 and Revelation 18 describe the ability of this region to import. They don't produce any of these products. Rome exports; Rome doesn't import. That's why everybody is bummed out: 'I can't sell it anymore; Babylon's fallen.' "
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