I started this blog before the US elected a new president and tried to finish it before Election Day. So that didn't work out, but it won't matter much to this story. Because if the world has been primed for antichrist's world domination in recent years, Trump won't be able to change that much. Possibly he will even participate in it.
- Will Trump save the world?
- God Himself intervenes
- What preceded the flood
- They did not take the verdict seriously
- The tower building of Babel
- The gods of Babel
- Babel is more than religion
- Israel the people of God
- The Church of God, a heavenly people
- Babylon the great city
- The greats of the earth
- World trade
- Those who destroy the earth
- Amsterdam reminds us of the end of Babylon
- The city with the pearly gates
Will Trump save the world?
Trump has won the US presidential election by a large margin. The victory was so big that most people may have hoped it, but not really expected it. This was evident when the results were announced, because then you could read many happy messages. Many people expected big changes in all kinds of ways. Not only in America, but in the whole world many things will change for the better. Trump is seen as the only one who can reverse left-globalist developments. He is therefore seen by many as a kind of Messiah. For example, a quote from someone on X (formerly Twitter) reads as follows:
"Trump has an excellent team behind him. (...) It is time for the big cleanup. Trump will shake the world to its foundations and we can only welcome that because things are well and truly wrong. (...) We are moving toward a better world. A world where the core values of family and family will be restored, a world where an end will be put to wars and other business models where only the happy few benefit and make billions."
This way of thinking is understandable. Trump has done many good things in his first term as president for the U.S., as well as for Israel and the world1. He really was different from the presidents before him. That many, after the "Democratic woes" of the last four years, now yearn for Trump's return is understandable.
Just look at what kind of people he is going to put in his government, for example: Kennedy, who is going to tackle the power of the pharma industry, and Elon Musk who stands for freedom of speech and, moreover, will shrink the government apparatus. Trump will continue to support Israel, as he did before and, in addition, he wants to end the war in Ukraine. For many people, these are great plans and they look forward to the restoration of what they see as "a normal world.
But on the other hand, it's also quite possible to have a lot of questions about it; I see quite a few things that are, in my humble opinion, "strange" to say the least, and therefore I don't trust it very much. It just might turn out very differently in a while.
Therefore, I am curious to see how things will unfold in the time to come. Eventually things will go to their end, as our God directs. His judgments on this world will not fail.
God Himself intervenes
One of the things the Bible makes clear is that the government of the world is not independent of powers in the unseen world. The second is that God judges when the time comes.
It began as early as the Fall and came to a climax in the time of Noah. When everything was depraved, God intervened and sent the flood. Only eight people survived.
Then misery began again and culminated in Babel, so God had to intervene again to prevent worse.
Likewise, the "great Babylon" of the end times will soon be judged by God. This present Babylon too was built with the help of the invisible spiritual powers of darkness.
But even here God will intervene: Christ is coming to destroy it and establish His kingdom here on earth.
What preceded the flood
The reason God rigorously intervened in human history lies in the fact that the entire human race was "depraved. So it says in Genesis 6:11,12.
"But the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of violence.
Then God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had a corrupt walk on the earth." (Genesis 6:11-12)
The word "corrupt"(or "corruption") is always connected throughout the Bible with idolatry and serving the gods in the unseen world.
Here it was because "sons of God" had mixed with women. Thus people were born who were actually a type of man-god; they were "giants. "These are the mighty men of old, men of name" (Genesis 6:4). These men built their own name: they ruled over others, building their own empire. Their name was important, and eventually every man belonged to such a ruler2. Thereby, every man had made himself - whether forced or not - dependent or subservient to such a "man of name" and thus to Satan and his powers.
Remarkably, this evil "infected" the entire population of the world and, as a result, they fell together under God's judgment. It makes it clear that somehow mankind no longer had free will. Their hearts were hardened3 and no longer able to trust the good God. This was the result of the mixing of the invisible with the visible world. This leads to the hardening of the human race, which at some point makes repentance, conversion and salvation impossible.
They did not take the verdict seriously
People did not see the flood coming. At least, they heard and saw Noah's preaching, but did not take it seriously. They just went on with their lives.
The same attitude had the people in Sodom, where also no distinction was made between - so to speak - "earthly" and "heavenly. Again, this unholy and fatal mixing led to a necessary judgment from God.
“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they took in marriage and they were given in marriage until the day when Noah went into the ark and the flood came and killed them all.
In the same way also, as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. However, on the day Lot left Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and killed them all.
Likewise it will be in the day when the Son of Man will be revealed." (Luke 17:26-30)
In the time of Noah and in the time of Lot, people did not take the coming judgment seriously and just went on with their lives. The text in Luke says it will be the same in the time leading up to the coming of the Lord Jesus.
You can see it happening around you: people just go on with their lives and are not impressed by the judgment that is inevitably coming.
As we have seen above, it has to do with the hardening of their hearts that has occurred as a result of their dealings with the powers in unseen worlds.
That this evil continues into the present age we may well conclude from 2 Peter 2 in which false teachers4 in the church of God are compared to the false prophets who acted in Israel at the time and promoted idolatry. Reading through this chapter, two things stand out:
- The word perish or pernicious occurs six times in this chapter: verse 1 (2 x), verses 2 and 3 (1 x) and verse 12 (2 x);
- False prophets and false teachers face the same fate as those who brought God's judgment in the Flood and on Sodom and Gomorrah.
The tower building of Babel
After the Flood, in which only eight people survive, we get a special history in Genesis 10 and 11. Important in it is the history of Nimrod. He represents a humanity living in rebellion against God: they 'make themselves a name'. Their goal is that they themselves would somehow become "gods. They wanted to 'recreate' the Garden of Eden, as it were, but without God and with the help of their own gods.
Moreover, they were apprehensive about being "played" apart5: 'together we are stronger'. 'They were 'one people', so God said (Genesis 11:6).
Would it be so crazy to think that we see here the same problem as before the Flood? The mixing of demons with the human world, as a result of which all mankind would again become corrupted6. I suspect that this is indeed why the Lord Himself came to earth to see what was going on. He observed that this was only the beginning of their endeavor and that they would no doubt reach their goal. To prevent this, the Lord confused their language so that they were scattered throughout the earth and their power was broken.
The gods of Babel
Babel is characterized in the Bible like no other city by idolatry, the mixing of the gods with the human world. It is the place where man strives to be like "god. The name says it all: Bab-El, the gate of God (or "gate of the gods").
It is also the place where those who feel they are "god" rule over other people by force. It is the place where people are slaves and where there is no freedom to serve God. Babel is the city , the human community where the God of the Bible no longer has any place and where at some point no one wants to (and can) serve God either. The city where people are dominated by the gods of the unseen world. Just like in the time before the flood.
In Babylon, God intervened to prevent the same situation from arising as in the day of Noah, namely that destruction would permeate all. This, by the way, created the situation that the nations each had their own god or gods7 had. From this moment on, even the invisible world - so to speak - was divided. After all, only after this we read in the Bible about gods associated with and ruling over nations or even cities as well8.
Babel is more than religion
It is clear that from Babel, man's idolatry - man's dealings with the gods - went all over the world. Every nation has its own gods, its own rituals and myths; all originated from the "mother religion" in Babel.
But in addition, Babel is also the society where people used science and technology to move forward together. Bricks and asphalt were new technologies to build the city and the tower (Genesis 11:3,4). Moreover, there was the political will to do it together so that they could stick together and not be scattered across the earth. Apparently there were certain developments going on that might drive them apart. And that was precisely something they did not want.
Israel the people of God
The nations had their gods, but equally it was that the gods had their nations. God Almighty, the God of gods, then called Abraham from the region of Babylon (Ur of the Chaldees) to make him a people for Himself (Genesis 12:1-3).
God gave His people a land, a city Jerusalem and a temple. God's intention was that the Gentiles (the divided nations) would come to know God through this people, so that God's blessing would also be for the nations.
We know the history, how it happened. How the people of God also fell into idolatry time after time. But God is faithful and sent His Son to become man and die on the cross for sinners.
That the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus marked the provisional end of the Jewish people as God's people here on earth. See in Romans 9 and 10 what Paul writes about this.
The Church of God, a heavenly people
After the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples (Acts 2). All who believe in the Lord Jesus and accept Him as their Savior and Lord receive the Holy Spirit from God. They are thus added to the church of God, forming "a people whom God made His own" (1 Peter 2:9).
The Church is not an earthly people, like Israel, but a heavenly people. Their "citizenship is in heaven, from which they also expect the Savior, namely the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20).
The Church has a heavenly homeland and expects the city that has foundations (Hebrews 11:10, 14-16) , the New Jerusalem and is itself now on earth the dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).
Babylon the great city
The old Babel has advanced to the Babylon of the end times. Call it the Babylon of today and therefore we should be able to find characteristics of ancient Babel in our time. There is much written about Babylon in the book of Revelation and it is shocking to discover how many things are mentioned there that are playing out very concretely today.
To begin with, 'the great Babylon a mystery' (Revelation 17:5). The content of the mystery about this Babylonian system is what John reveals here: especially the new revelation about its evil character and judgment. Its true character will be revealed only when the time arrives of which John writes. Until then, it is hidden except to those who know the mystery from the Word of God.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this mystery is that Babylon is a religiously inspired power that wants to rule the earth9. The Church of Rome, together with all the religions of the world (ecumenism), has an important and not to be underestimated share in this.
The same text says that Babylon 'the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth is. These words (harlotry and abominations) indicate the divination and indicate how the people of Babylon intermingled with the gods from the invisible world. She is not called ''the great whore' mentioned (Revelation 17:1). This concerns the religious aspect10 To the mystery Babylon.
“The great Babylon (...) has become a habitation of demons, a refuge for all kinds of unclean spirits and a shelter for all kinds of unclean and repulsive birds."
(Revelation 18:2).
The influence of these unseen and evil powers has resulted, among other things, in Babylon exercises power over the kings of the earth.
"And the woman whom you have seen is the great city, which has royal dominion over the kings of the earth." (Revelation 17:18)
“For by your sorcery all nations were deceived." (Revelation 18:23)
That this exercise of power comes from the wrong dark sources ultimately results in God and Christ no longer being allowed to be spoken of. The deaths that this has resulted in the past, still has and soon will have will be credited to the city of Babylon.
“And the blood of prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth was found in this city."(Revelation 18:24)
The greats of the earth
When it comes to the people in power11 have in Babylon, it is notable that several groups are mentioned in the book of Revelation, often involving wealth is a common feature. Apparently there is a connection between money/wealth and power/influence, with religion/spirituality being the connecting link.
Thus, in Revelation it is about kings, merchants, empires and shipowners/transporters. These are the people who 'the greats of the earth' are called. Among "kings," we may also understand world government leaders.
“(…) kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her, and the merchants of the earth Have become rich by the power of her licentious life." (Revelation 18:3)
“the kings of the earth who have committed fornication with her and lived licentiously, shall crying and mourning about its businesses (...) And the merchants of the earth will be about her weeping and grieving, because no one buys their wares anymore" (Revelation 18:9-13)
“ (…) all who do their work at sea, remained standing from afar (...) And they threw dust on their heads and cried out weeping and grieving: Woe, woe to the great city, in which all who had ships at sea, have become rich by her opulence." (Revelation 18:17,19)
"For your merchants were the greats of the earth“ (Revelation 18:23)
World trade
Next, it also describes how the merchants became rich, namely through the world trade. After all, the goods they got from anywhere in the world had to be transported mostly by sea.
“(...) the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their wares any more: merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of fragrant wood, all kinds of ivory objects and all kinds of objects of very precious wood, copper, iron and marble, and cinnamon, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, flour and wheat, beasts of burden and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men." (Revelation 18:11-13)
The variety of goods John lists indicates how extensive trade will be at this time in history. The marketplace is the world12. Most of the items listed were luxury items in John's time. They can be classified into the following categories: precious metals and precious stones, clothing, furniture, spices, food, animals, utensils and people.
As the life of luxury increases in the rich West, people become more enslaved to "the system" and it becomes more and more difficult to get rid of and free yourself from it. In this way, people are 'bought' and enslaved to the system, as it were.
But today, all the luxury and wealth has also led to something else. Something you don't hear much about, by the way, which is the trade in human organs ("bodies") and human trafficking ("souls of men"). That is one of the dark and gruesome sides of Babylon.
Those who destroy the earth
Finally, the chapters in Revelation mention something else that will be judged in the judgment of Babylon. It is mentioned twice and it concerns 'those who destroy the earth'.
“Your wrath has come ... to destroy them who destroyed the earth13." (Revelation 11:18)
“... who the earth to ruin has with her whoring" (Revelation 19:2)
NOTES. The same Greek word is used for "destroy" and "ruin" in these two verses. So it actually says the same expression.
Possibly "destroy the earth" is a general expression, which also means something like "society. But when I read this expression twice in Revelation, along with a scathing judgment on those who do so, I still can't help but take it quite literally.
God gave "the earth" to man to subdue and live off its food. The earth as a perfect - God-given - place to live.
But through the lies of, for example, "climate crisis" and "energy crisis," all kinds of things are being done that, in my humble opinion, are precisely not helping. On the contrary, they are harmful and are capable of destroying the earth. I think the biggest example of this is the idea of blocking the sun to prevent "global warming. Or the attempts to reduce CO2 in the air. Both will eventually destroy life on Earth, if they were to succeed at all, by the way. It is the utmost madness that is clearly anti-Christian.
Amsterdam reminds us of the end of Babylon
As I am wrapping up with this blog, terrible things are happening in that other city: Amsterdam. Jews being hunted down and mistreated. The stories you can read about that are getting more terrible by the day. After World War II, the molestation of Jews in the Netherlands has never before occurred on this scale.
Meanwhile, a lot of conflicting information is coming out, and authorities, both local and national, are looking away when it comes to the religious violence underneath. People deny the struggle Islam is waging (jihad) against Judaism and Christianity.
This is about that other power in the world that wants to exterminate or subjugate both the Jewish people and all who call themselves Christians.
This reminds us of Revelation 17 where a woman sits on a scarlet beast. That woman, according to verse 5, is the great Babylon, and she will be destroyed and burned with fire by the beast on which she sits (verse 16). The Christian West - the woman, the great Babylon - will be subdued by jihad and burned with fire.
The rich Christian West has "robbed" all those Islamic countries of riches for decades. But now it is being subjugated by them and robbed of its power. It is exactly the same as we have seen in the sequence of the two last horsemen in Revelation 6. First comes the black horse, Capitalism, and then the sallow horse, the Terrorism the logical consequence.
The world is facing a terrible time; we know it from God's Word. When you see the world around you, you see that it is not long ...
“And the big city fell apart into three pieces, and the cities of the heathen nations collapsed. And the great Babylon came to God in remembrance, and He gave her the cup with the wine of His grim wrath.”
(Revelation 16:19)
The city with the pearly gates
All a person can do is entrust himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. Believing that He died for your sins, that you are reconciled to God through Him, and that the Lord Jesus is coming back to bring us into His glory forever.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the one who is by God "set at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all government and power and might and dominion and every name that is called, not only in this world, but also in the world to come" (Ephesians 1:20-21). All powers and forces that believe they can rule the world are ultimately subject to Christ who sits at God's right hand.
That may give us confidence that He also has our lives in His hand. Then we may testify of our faith and salvation in Christ to all who will hear. That is all we can do.
"We are then envoys on behalf of Christ, as if God Himself were pleading through us. On behalf of Christ we beg: be reconciled to God. For Him Who knew no sin He made sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
(2 Corinthians 5:20-21)
In doing so, we continue to look forward - like Abraham - to "the city that has foundations, of which God is the Builder and Designer" (Hebrews 11:10)
"And he led me away in the spirit on a great and high mountain and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, which came down from heaven, from God. She had the glory of God, and her radiance was like a very precious gemstone."
"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each gate separately consisted of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw no temple in her, for the Lord God Almighty is her temple, and the Lamb.
And the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its lamp.
And the nations that will be saved will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it."
(Revelation 21:10,11, 21-24)
Related articles
The downfall of our culture - Francis Schaeffer wrote about it 50 years ago: https://goddienen.nu/hoe-nu-verder/
The final plot - the restoration of the Roman Empire: https://goddienen.nu/het-laatste-complot/
On Capitalism and Terrorism, the two horsemen of Revelation 6: https://goddienen.nu/terugkijken-om-vooruit-te-kunnen-zien/#aioseo-een-korte-interpretatie-van-de-vier-ruiters
Footnotes
- See also still what we have here four years ago wrote about. ↩︎
- We find an analogy with Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, "(...) every one of you says, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas, and I of Christ." Worldly thinking had crept into the church. ↩︎
- See about hardening still here (https://goddienen.nu/de-religies-van-babylon/#aioseo-verharding-het-licht-dat-verduistert) and here (https://goddienen.nu/gevolgen-voor-de-ziel/) ↩︎
- See also this blog on this topic here ↩︎
- This clearly went against God's command to spread over the earth (Genesis 1:28). ↩︎
- Genesis 6:4 mentions that even after the flood there were such giants on the earth, that they were men of violence and men who had made a name for themselves. There were also such giants in the land of Canaan (Deuteronomy 1 :28). Basan is called the land of the Refaiths, and Og, their king was such a giant (Deuteronomy 3:11,13). ↩︎
- I use the expressions "demons" and "gods" synonymously in this piece. The Bible also usually uses "gods" and less often "demons" in the Old Testament. ↩︎
- See, for example, texts such as: Daniel 11:10,20-21; 1 Kings 11:33; 2 Kings 17:29-31; Judges 11:24. ↩︎
- Another religious power pursuing this same goal is Islam. ↩︎
- The phrase "religious aspect" does not mean that it is necessarily "Christian," but means that it is entirely imbued with dealing with the gods in the unseen world. ↩︎
- Power can also be informal power or, in other words, influence. ↩︎
- On world trade -origin and consequences, see also in the article on the four horsemen in Revelation 6 (https://goddienen.nu/terugkijken-om-vooruit-te-kunnen-zien/#aioseo-de-ruiter-op-het-zwarte-paard-het-kapitalisme). ↩︎
- We also find a similar expression in the Old Testament; ".... they will ravage the earth And I will deliver none out of their hand." (Zechariah 11:6 EBV) ↩︎