The Great Whore of Babylon I
Make Haste into the Valley of Decision; the Day of the Lord is near
Foreword
The world finds itself on the doorstep of the most dangerous time in history since the Cold War ended. Arguably, we have been in Cold War II for the last five years, as historian Niall Ferguson has suggested. The principal reason for this perilous predicament is that we, the U.S., have lost credibility as a deterrent force.
We all but invited Putin to invade the Donbass and then failed to shore up Ukraine, thereby forcing that war into a stalemate. We have failed to deter Iran from attacking not only Israel via its terrorist proxies, but by threatening global shipping lanes at Bab-el-Mandeb, the waterway between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The Iranian sponsored Houthis terrorists fired 14 missiles at ships on December 16. Two major shipping lines recently delayed or rerouted their container vessels en route to Suez. Everyday, the world seems to slide a little further into chaos.
You may be familiar with the “prepper channels” on YouTube and elsewhere. I certainly believe they’re worthy of a bit of attention, although they are not always factual with their news reporting, preferring sensationalism. However, forewarned is forearmed.
This piece also aims to prep, but spiritually not physically.
Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Joel 3:14-16
The Israeli-Palestinian War leads many to consider more seriously the various end times’ signs and scenarios prophesied in the Bible. The multitudes in Joel’s “Valley of Decision” have gathered for one reason - to prepare for the day of judgement or the “great and terrible the day of the Lord,” as the prophet Malachi termed it.
One edifying cross reference to Joel’s prophecy was written by the prophet Isaiah.
Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war. They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens - the LORD and the weapons of his wrath - to destroy the whole country. Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty.
Isaiah 13:4-6
The army mobilizing for this future war likely refers to a coalition of forces prophesied to attack Israel from the “far north.” It is referred to in the Bible as the Gog-Magog War. If the current war in Gaza against Hamas should escalate into a regional conflict, we reasonably can expect these forces to be marshaled.
This war would not necessarily mark the onset of the Biblical Tribulation, but would implicate the ‘Time of Jacob’s Troubles.’1
Biblical prophecies are intentionally confusing and ambiguous. They require prayer and contemplation to sort out. When prophecies appeal primarily to literal interpretations of the Bible, they are inclined to skew toward bizzare concepts, such as souls being swept up into some safe haven among the clouds.
When interpreting biblical prophecy, one should be careful not to shoehorn one’s favored biases, conclusions or outcomes into texts, particularly when more realistic options are available.
Regardless, Job One for prophets is simply to draw souls closer to spiritual truth (God). Both Joel and Isaiah accomplish this while emphasizing urgency. The prophetic mosaic of the Bible provides vivid imagery, symbolic tales and allegories that illuminate the cosmic struggle between good and evil accompanied always by an imperative to choose one or the other.
Central to this end times’ thematic is the apocalyptic figure of the Great Whore of Babylon, as described in Revelation 17. The apocalyptic Book of Revelation was written by John of Patmos, a Jewish-Christian prophet, around AD 90.2
This woman is depicted as sitting on many waters, adorned in luxury and intoxicated by the blood of the saints. This harlot is emblematic of satanic false religious systems and secular powers that oppose the spiritual ascension of humanity. In essence, she symbolizes the pinnacle of worldly corruption and spiritual deprivation.
The Beast with Seven Heads that the Whore rides symbolizes seven cultures or empires associated with false religions, six from the past and one in the future. They are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, The Medes (Media), Greece and Rome, and in the future, Islam. All of these cultures expressed antipathy toward the Jews; all but Greece sought to persecute them.
Cosmological dualism, the eternal conflict between light and darkness, good and evil, is deeply embedded in the biblical narrative. The Great Whore obviously embodies the dark and evil, the culmination of worldly allurements that lead souls astray. Yet this story is not simply a woeful tale of worldly excess, but one of a profound spiritual battle at the heart of our very existence as humans.
Considering Luke's Gospel, Jesus employs the metaphor of "The days of Lot" to depict a world oblivious to impending judgment. The story of Lot in the Old Testament is a dramatic account of a city - Sodom - engulfed in wickedness and vice that brings about its fiery destruction.
Jesus warns that conditions at the close of our age (the days we are living in) would mirror Sodom: "Just as it was in the days of Lot...it will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed." (Luke 17:28-30)
To better understand this analogy, let’s examine the environment during the days of Lot. Sodom was a place of profound moral decay, where the line between right and wrong was blurred, if not completely erased. However, it's crucial to remember that the inhabitants of Sodom lived in a state of complacency, indulging in their excesses, unaware of the looming divine judgment. The similarities with our own times are compelling. The key difference being that we are being warned.
The allure of worldly pleasures, epitomized by the Great Whore, combined with the moral decay reminiscent of the days of Lot, paints a disconcerting picture. Contemporary society increasingly leans toward secularism, often disregarding spiritual values in favor of materialism and self-indulgence. The rapid advancement of technology, while bringing numerous benefits, has also led to heightened individualism and detachment from communal and spiritual values.
Currently, social media is awash with disinformation and fake news as the war in Israel rages. This war, a manifestation of abject evil in the physical realm, is properly regarded as an eschatological (end times) event. The call to the Valley of Decision is a call to make an unequivocal and unwavering choice between Good and Evil.
This is a religious war of extermination not persecution, make no mistake about it. On one side, which is the evil, barbaric side, babies were ripped from their mother’s arms and slaughtered. Shouts of “Death to Israel” and “Kill the Jews” are deafening echoes of the Holocaust. Because of gleeful blood lust, the Oct. 7th massacre was perhaps in many ways worse than the Nazi’s final solution, were that possible!
On the opposite side, the good and the righteous, epitomized as God’s chosen people, the Jews, are once again faced with an existential threat. Geopolitics aside, this war offers a crystal clear imperative to choose light over darkness, supreme good over nihilistic evil. The conflict invites us to take a firm stand without qualification or equivocation.
There is nowhere to hide, so choose wisely.
If we interpret biblical allegories as signposts, it appears evident that humanity has arrived at a crossroads. One direction leads to a monumental spiritual upheaval, the other to total destruction. The frequent discord, societal fragmentation and challenges to traditional values in both our culture and our institutions could well point to the birth pangs (sorrows) of an era aligned with the prophetic end times.
Israel: The Judeo-Christian Spiritual Battleground
The ongoing tensions and conflicts in Israel should be viewed not just as geopolitical struggles, but as symbolic of the larger cosmic war between good and evil. Israel, given its profound spiritual significance in Christianity, becomes the emblematic heart of this spiritual battle, which has permeated the physical realm. In the physical realm, the nation of Israel is a spiritual metaphor for the people of God.
The miraculous history of Israel, including its triumphs and failures, serves as a valuable source of spiritual lessons. The faithfulness of God despite Israel’s shortcomings is often viewed as a metaphor for the divine grace available to all believers. The moral and spiritual struggles of Israel, and of the Jewish people, can reflect the challenges faced by individuals and communities in their spiritual lives.
This piece is not about pinpointing the end times based on current events, regardless of how tempting that may be. Rather, it is about recognizing that the struggle between righteousness and wickedness, between civilization and barbarism, symbolized by present day events in Israel. The end times are not intended to induce fear, but rather to remind believers of their ultimate hope and call to live a good life.
The events in Israel and the broader struggle between good and evil should not lead believers into a frenzied fear of predictions, but should inspire introspection, repentance and a renewed commitment to spiritual awareness and personal growth. They should beckon us into the Valley of Decision.
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites3 in whose land [Israel] you are living.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
God bless you and your family wherever you are.
While all the nations of Israel will experience the tribulation of “Jacob’s trouble,” Genesis 48:16 reveals that Jacob explicitly placed his name on Ephraim and Manasseh. Hence their descendants (primarily the United States and Great Britain—along with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.) will bear the brunt of this difficult time. Source
The Book of Revelation is replete with symbolic and allegorical language and its interpretation has been a subject of theological debate for centuries.
The Bronze Age Amorites, like other ancient Canaanite peoples, practiced polytheism and worshipped a pantheon of gods and goddesses.