As we have discussed earlier in the post The war to come – who is Babylon?, Babel has more than one meaning. Because there are two beits (Bs), we have a symbol of two houses – the house of Ba’al and the house of EL. In one instance, the house of EL is captive or exiled (galuth, in the Hebrew) within the house of Ba’al. However, in another instance, it may also symbolize the house of Ba’al within the house of EL.
Let us take on the issue then of determining who is Babylon. I have considered the proposition that Babel could be within its original land grant, which would include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and so on. However, this conclusion is ruled out by the following discussion:
Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) 49:7-13
Concerning Edom, thus says YAHUAH TSEVA’OT; Is wisdom no more in Teyman? Is counsel perished from the prudent? Is their wisdom vanished? 8 Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, the time that I will visit him. 9 If grapegatherers come to you, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough. 10 But I have made את (eth)-Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is not. 11 Leave your fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let your widows trust in me. 12 For thus says YAHUAH; Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunken; and are you he that shall altogether go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, but you shall surely drink of it. 13 For I have sworn by myself, says YAHUAH, that Botsrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes.
Dedan, Esau, Edom, Botsrah – all are areas of the Arab world today. This prophecy is distinct from the prophecies concerning Babel. These are the prophecies of Edom. Babel is therefore someone or someplace else.
In furtherance of this concept that Babel is a house within a house, consider the following:
Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 2:6-9
Alas, alas, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, says YAHUAH: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, says YAHUAH. 7 Deliver yourself, O Tsiyon, that dwell with the daughter of Babel. 8 For thus says YAHUAH TSEVA’OT; After the glory has he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touches you touches the apple of his eye. 9 For, behold, I will shake my hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that YAHUAH TSEVA’OT has sent me.
Here, Zakaryahu tells us that Tsiyon dwells with the daughter of Babel – that is, they dwell together. Of course, the instruction is for Tsiyon to flee from the land of the north, where Tsiyon had been spread (the diaspora). For some, this name Tsiyon (Zion) has achieved a negative status, as the anti-Judaism of the 20th Century has become the anti-Zionism of the 21st Century, and is virtually certain to reach the same holocaustic events. Consider, however, that the repatriation of Tsiyon to the Levant is foretold in scripture and therefore commanded in the work of YAH.
Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 2:10-13
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Tsiyon: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says YAHUAH. 11 And many nations shall be joined to EL-YAHUAH in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that YAHUAH TSEVA’OT has sent me unto you. 12 And YAHUAH shall inherit את (eth)-Yahudah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Yerushalayim again. 13 Be silent, O all flesh, before YAHUAH: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.
Given the words of Zakaryahu 2:12, the question must be asked whether the repatriation of eth Yahudah to his portion in the holy land and in Yerushalayim is the work of Theodore Hertzl, or the work of YAHUAH TSEVA’OT.
Consider then that Babel in this passage is named and is described as the land of the north. Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula are to the southeast of Israel. Again, we have a reason to conclude that Saudi Arabia is not the daughter of Babel, nor MYSTERY BABYLON; rather, it is the land of the north – where the house of EL dwells within the house of Ba’al.
This concept of a house within a house also rules out Saudi Arabia as our candidate for the successor of Babel in the end times, and the Sauds do not allow diversity within their jurisdiction, even persecuting non-Sunni Muslims.
Therefore, we can conclude that the prophecies which exact judgment against Babylon in the end of the ages is against the land of the north.
As we have ruled out Saudi Arabia, can we also rule out lands of the north? There are certain lands which can be excluded.
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 21:1-10
The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the Negev pass through; so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. 2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Eylam: besiege, O Maday; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travails: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. 4 My heart panted, fearfulness frightened me: את (eth) the night of my pleasure has he turned into fear unto me. 5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. 6 For thus has ADONAI said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he sees. 7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: 8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: 9 And, behold, here comes a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babel is fallen, is fallen; and all graven images of her gods he has broken unto the ground. 10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of YAHUAH TSEVA’OT, the ELOHIYM of Yisra’el, have I declared unto you.
This is a difficult passage to be sure, but our first conclusion that can be reached is that Eylam and Maday are not Babel, for they are the chariots that come against the Holy Land like a whirlwind over the Negev, following the fall of Babel.
Who, then is Eylam and Maday? Eylam was a son of Shem (Bere’shiyth 10:22), who would come to occupy that portion of modern Iran formerly known as Persian. Maday was a son of Yepheth.
Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 10:2-5
The sons of Yepheth; Gimera, and Magog, and Maday, and Yavan, and Tubal, and Meshek, and Tiyrac. 3 And the sons of Gimera; Ashkenaz, and Riyphath, and Togarmah. 4 And the sons of Yavan; Eliyshah, and Tarshiysh, Kittiym, and Dodaniym. 5 By these were the isles of the other people divided in their lands; everyone after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.
Yepheth chose the land of the north in the time of the division of land, and this passage shows that the sons of Yepheth came to occupy the isles, everyone after his own tongue, family and nation.
This division of Yepheth included the diaspora of these tribes north of the Levant, including ancient Greece which is now modern Turkey. Maday came to occupy Ukraine and the Caucasus region down into modern northern Iran. Magog was to the east of Maday, Gimera was also in Ukraine, but became displaced by the migration of the Scythians (representing all of the tribes of Yisra’el migrating from the Indus River valley into Europe. Maday came to be the leadership of European Russia with the transfer from Kiev to Moscow in the 15th century.
So, who is Eylam and Maday in the modern world? It is Iran and Russia, respectively. Therefore, we can reason that Iran and Russia are not Babel.
Let’s continue to consider the remainder of the prophecy in Yesha’yahu 21:
Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 21:13-17
The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedaniym. 14 The inhabitants of the land of Teyma brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. 15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. 16 For thus has ADONAI said unto me: Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Qedar shall fail: 17 And the remnant of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Qedar, shall be diminished: for YAHUAH ELOHIYM of Yisra’el has spoken it.
There are two names in this passage which go without recognition, generally: Teyma and Qedar, both of whom are named as the sons of Ishma’el. Let’s consider if there is another understanding that may be found in this passage. Within a year of the joining of Eylam and Maday, the glory of Qedar shall fail, and their army shall be diminished.
Qedar. Should we bring forth a new label, we might refer to his tribe as al-Qedar. Does this sound familiar? The house of Qedar occupies that area now controlled by a group we call ISIS, which is a successor of a group formerly known as al-Qaeda. Does Yesha’yahu predict the destruction of al-Qaeda?