|
Author
|
: Bill Kochman
|
|
Publish
|
: Feb. 28, 1998
|
|
Update
|
: May 28, 2025
|
|
Parts
|
: 12
|
Synopsis:
Babylon The Great Will Be Burned With Fire And Made Desolate And Naked, One Reason Why God Judged Jerusalem Was To Avenge "The Blood Of His Servants", Vespasian, Titus And The Fall Of Jerusalem, Temple In Jerusalem Was The Very Heart And Soul Of Jewish Life, Babylon Shall Be Found No More At All, Temple Has Never Been Rebuilt In Almost Two Thousand Years, Jerusalem Was Thoroughly Demolished By The Romans, Contributing Factors That Explain Why Significant Temple Building Ruins Have Never Been Found, Political And Religious Concerns Which Prevent Temple Mount Excavation, Point-By-Point Review Of Why I Am Convinced That 1st Century Jerusalem Is Babylon, Suggested Reading List
Continuing our discussion from part eleven, as we have seen, prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by King Nebuchadnezzar in 587 BC, the Lord warned the Jerusalemites via the Prophet Jeremiah, that He would send both spiritual and physical fire upon them, and leave their land desolate, if they failed to repent and return to Him as His faithful bride. Sadly, as we know, they did not do that, and the Word of the Lord was fulfilled against them. If we turn again to the Book of Revelation, we find similar pronouncements being made against Babylon the Great, who would also be burned with fire and made desolate and naked. Consider the following set of Bible verses:
"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast . . . And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her DESOLATE AND NAKED, and shall eat her flesh, and BURN HER WITH FIRE. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."
Revelation 17:12, 16-18, KJV
"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and SHE SHALL BE UTTERLY BURNED WITH FIRE: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
Revelation 18:8, KJV
"For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand."
Revelation 19:2, KJV
Please notice again that in the previous verses, we are told that one of the reasons why the Lord is going to so strongly judge Jerusalem -- or Babylon the Great -- is to avenge "the blood of his servants at her hand". This key phrase reflects back on everything else we have already discussed previously. Regarding exactly how Jerusalem and the temple compound were destroyed by fire, and by whom, is something I discuss in my companion series entitled "Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem". Trust me when I tell you that if you have a deep interest in understanding exactly when and how the Romans first occupied Israel in 63 BC, how the Romans invaded Judea and the rest of Israel in 66 AD, who the key players were on both sides of the battles which were fought, the routes that were taken, which cities were defeated or submitted willingly to Rome, and similar information, that series will teach you a lot. I learned so much just from writing it!
While throughout this series I have referred to Jerusalem as Babylon the Great, let me emphasize again -- as I did in part eight of this series -- that the temple in Jerusalem was the very heart and soul of Jewish life. All devout Jews, whether those Jews who lived in Israel itself, or those who had been dispersed in other lands due to the various diasporas, were obligated to visit Jerusalem and the temple compound at least once a year. So in my mind, the temple was the very heart of Babylon the Great herself. Why is this point important? Well, because of the following group of verses:
"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found NO MORE AT ALL. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard NO MORE AT ALL in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard NO MORE AT ALL in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine NO MORE AT ALL in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard NO MORE AT ALL in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."
Revelation 18:21-23, KJV
God specifically said in the previous verses that Babylon the Great would be found no more at all. Personally, I take Him at His word. Thus, while the actual city of Jerusalem itself was eventually rebuilt and repopulated in later decades and centuries, there is something else which has not been rebuilt in almost 2,000 years. That, of course, is the temple itself. In fact, try as the modern Jews might, even today, they still cannot find the remains of the temple despite all the various excavation projects they have been conducting. So do you know why not?
First of all, in Book 7 Chapter 1 of "The Wars of the Jews", Josephus explains that following the completion of the 70 AD siege of Jerusalem, Titus ordered his soldiers to demolish the entire city, including what remained of the burnt temple. This included removing the surrounding retainment walls down to their foundations. The only parts which were spared were three of the towers, as well as the western wall so that that the Romans would have a safe, shielded place to encamp. In fact, Titus' soldiers did such a thorough job of scraping the surface, that Josephus notes that if someone were to pass by, they would never believe that the site had actually once been inhabited. Consider the following excerpt:
----- Begin Quote -----
"Caesar [meaning Titus] gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency, that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne, and so much of the wall as inclosed the city on the west side. This wall was spared, in order to afford a camp for such as were to lie in garrison, as were the towers also spared, in order to demonstrate to posterity what kind of city it was, and how well fortified, which the Roman valour had subdued; but for all the rest of the wall, it was so thoroughly laid even with the ground by those that dug it up to the foundation, that there was left nothing to make those that came thither believe it had ever been inhabited. This was the end which Jerusalem came to by the madness of those that were for innovations [meaning the Jewish seditionists]; a city otherwise of great magnificence, and of mighty fame among all mankind."
----- End Quote -----
In addition to the above, following the great destruction, the Romans pushed the rubble -- meaning the stone blocks and other debris and burnt remains -- down into the Tyropoeon Valley, and possibly into other adjacent ravines such as the Kidron Valley. The Tyropoeon Valley -- which is also known as the "Valley of the Cheesemakers", is a ravine which separated the Temple Mount from the Western Hill -- meaning Mount Zion -- in first century Jerusalem. You may recall from part nine that in Book 5 Chapter 4 of "The Wars of the Jews", Josephus refers to it as the Valley of the Cheesmongers and explains that it separated the Upper City from the Lower City. Here again is a part of the excerpt from part nine:
----- Begin Quote -----
"However, in those times, when the Asamoneans reigned, they filled up that valley with earth, and had a mind to join the city to the temple. They then took off part of the height of Acra, and reduced it to a less elevation than it was before, that the temple might be superior to it. Now the valley of the Cheesemongers, as it was called, and was that which we told you before distinguished the hill of the upper city from that of the lower, extended as far as Siloam; for that is the name of a fountain which hath sweet water in it, and this in great plenty also."
----- End Quote -----
Thus, while the Temple Mount platform itself remained largely intact -- including the Western Wall -- as far as the actual temple building is concerned, it was completely demolished. To complicate the situation even further, over the centuries, other factors have contributed to making it difficult to find any remains of the temple building itself.
This includes the natural sedimentary deposits which slowly accumulated on top of the original rubble; as well as other periods during which construction and destruction occurred. For example, during the Crusades and Islamic rule when the Ottomans added layers of earth and architecture on top of the original Temple footprint. To be clear, archaeologists have found some massive stones at the southwestern and southern areas of the Temple Mount which have since been partially excavated. Likewise, some charred beams, stone fragments and mikvehs -- ritual baths -- have also been discovered. But as far as major ruins of the actual temple building itself, to my knowledge, none have ever been discovered. Thus, it seems that God's Word that Babylon "shall be found no more at all" has indeed been fulfilled.
The thoroughness of the original 70 AD destruction, the slow accumulation of sediment, and the centuries of construction which has occurred since that time have not been the only challenges which have contributed to finding actual temple debris. There is also the problem that there are limitations on the excavation of the most relevant area, that of course being the top of the Temple Mount platform itself. This is because such excavations are forbidden due to the obvious religious and political sensitivities which exist with both the Israelis, as well as with the Muslims.
To be specific, on the Muslim side, the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf is a Jordanian-funded Islamic religious trust which currently manages the Temple Mount, which is also known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary. As I point out in other articles, following the 1967 Six-Day War, while Israel took control of East Jerusalem -- which included the Temple Mount -- as part of a mutually agreed upon status quo arrangement, Israel immediately permitted the Waqf to retain administrative control over the site.
Ever since that time just under sixty years ago, the Waqf has consistently opposed Jewish or Israeli archaeological endeavors to excavate on the Temple Mount platform, viewing such excavations as a threat to the sanctity of the Islamic holy sites, meaning the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Dome of the Rock. In fact, excavation -- or even minor disturbance -- is viewed by the Waqf to be a violation of Islamic sovereignty and sacred space.
Now regarding Israel's position, while it is the sovereign authority over the Temple Mount -- by both military and civil control -- in order to avoid any major flare-ups, it has chosen to uphold the religious status quo. It is for the very same reason that the Israeli Antiquities Authority does not conduct or authorize any excavations on the Temple Mount platform. Considering the animosity which exists between the Israelis and the Muslim world, it is easy to understand how any attempt to excavate on the Temple Mount would lead to widespread unrest, and how it could expand and evolve into a major Middle Eastern war. In short, the Islamic Waqf objects to excavations on religious grounds, while Israel objects on political grounds and security considerations.
Before concluding this lengthy series, let's review the main points which explain why I am personally convinced that first century Jerusalem -- and more specifically the temple itself -- was symbolized in the Book of Revelation by the mysterious Babylon the Great:
1. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great are both accused by God of being spiritual harlots who have abandoned their husband -- meaning God -- and committed fornication with the false gods in the case of 6th century BC Jerusalem, and with the Roman Beast in the case of 1st century AD Jerusalem.
2. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great both have a whore's forehead and are proud, impudent and totally unashamed of their sins.
3. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great both murdered the Prophets and Saints of God.
4. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great are both described as being great cities.
5. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great are both international cities.
6. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great are both financial centers.
7. Jerusalem and Babylon the Great both traffic in the bodies and souls of men.
8. First Century Jerusalem sat upon seven mountains, all named in the Bible, or else mentioned by other sources such as Jewish historian and general, Flavius Josephus.
10. The primary colors of the tabernacle, the temple, and the priestly garments were blue, purple and scarlet, and were made of fine linen, and adorned with precious stones and gold laces, very similar to Babylon the Great.
11. Apostle Peter referred to Jerusalem as Babylon in his Epistle.
12. Apostle Paul wrote that Jerusalem was in bondage with her children -- to the Mosaic Law -- just as the Jews of the 6th century BC served Seventy Years of Captivity in physical Babylon.
13. The sixth king who reigned during the time of John's revelation was Emperor Nero, proving that Revelation was written prior to 68 AD, and making it very possible that first century AD Jerusalem was the Babylon the Great which was set on fire and destroyed by the Roman Beast under orders of Nero himself.
14. Nero persecuted the Christian Church, and sent Vespasian and Titus to subdue the rebellion in Israel, resulting in the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD.
While there are a few other lesser reasons why I'm personally convinced that first century Jerusalem was symbolized as the mysterious Babylon the Great in the Book of Revelation, the aforementioned list of points represents the most important reasons. If you have wondered about this issue yourself, it is my hope that the Scriptural and the historical evidence I have presented in this series will assist you in coming to the proper conclusion.
With these thoughts I will bring this series to a close. I trust that you have found it informative and enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter or Google+, I would really appreciate if you would take the time to click on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!
For additional information, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were also mentioned in this series, or which are related to this series, and which are likewise located on the BBB Bible web server.
Abomination of Desolation: Explained!
As a Thief in the Night
Fight Against Futurism!
Greater Works Than These Shall He Do . . . and Satan Too
He That Shall Endure Unto the End
In the Ages to Come
It Is Time to Wake Up!
Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?
Leviathan: An Ancient Dragon of the Sea?
Modern Deception: Shall a Nation Be Born at Once?
Modern Deceptions: Return to Israel, the Fig Tree and This Generation
My Evolving Theology
Please Stop Misinterpreting the Scriptures
Prophetic Comparisons: Moshiach, Mahdi and Messiah
Satan: His Origin, Purpose And Future
Satan: King of Tyrus, King of Empires
Seventy Weeks Prophecy: What It Means
So, You Have Got It All Figured Out, Do You?
Sorry, Jesus Is Not Coming at Any Moment
The 70th Week of Daniel Error: Are You Guilty?
The Day I Am Waiting For
The Day of the Lord: What It Really Means
The Fruits of Disobedience
The Great Tribulation and the Rapture
The Last Seven Years Chart
The Triumphant Touchdown of Jesus Christ
The Two Sackcloth Witnesses of Revelation 11
The Woman in the Wilderness and the 144,000
Tradition or Truth? Old Wine or New Wine?
Understanding the Bible in Context
Vespasian, Titus and the Fall of Jerusalem
When Was Satan Cast Out of Heaven?
Who Hindered the Antichrist?
Who is Moshiach ben David?
Who is Who?: Defining Important Prophecy Terms