When The
River Euphrates Runs Dry
(Taken from Chapter 10 of
Steve Wohlberg's book,
Exploding the Israel
Deception)
"The sixth angel poured out
his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water was dried up, that
the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." Revelation 16:12. In
order to correctly understand this prophecy, we must first study some
ancient Bible history about Israel and Babylon. In 605 B.C.,
"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon" came "unto Jerusalem, and besieged it."
Daniel 1:1. Jerusalem was conquered and Israel was taken captive for 70
years (Daniel 9:2). After those 70 years, an amazing set of circumstances
occurred. The Euphrates was dried up, Babylon was conquered from the east,
and Israel was delivered. As we shall soon see, this history forms the
background for a true understanding of Revelation 16:12.
Ancient Babylon sat on the
river Euphrates (Jeremiah 51:63, 64). A wall surrounded the city. The
river Euphrates ran through Babylon, entering and exiting through two
spiked gates whose bars reached down to the riverbed. When these double
doors were shut and all other entrances were closed, Babylon was
impregnable. Ancient Babylon was "most proud," "a golden cup…that made all
the earth drunken…of her wine." Jeremiah 50:32; 51:7. Yet she was to fall
suddenly and be destroyed (Jeremiah 51:8). Then God would call Israel,
saying, "My people, go ye out of the midst of her." Jeremiah 51:45. As we
shall soon see, these exact words are repeated in the book of Revelation
to spiritual Israel about the importance of coming out of modern Babylon
(Revelation 17:4, 5; 18:2-8).
In 538 B.C., on the night
of ancient Babylon’s fall, her king and subjects were drunk with wine
(Daniel chapter 5). So were the guards, and they forgot to fully close the
double doors. Over 100 years earlier, God had predicted concerning Babylon
and the Euphrates, "I will dry up thy rivers." Isaiah 44:27. The Lord also
spoke about "Cyrus," who conquered Babylon, saying, "I will…open before
him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut." Isaiah 95:1.
Moreover God called Cyrus "my shepherd" and "his anointed" (Isaiah 44:28;
45:1). Thus Cyrus was a type of Jesus Christ. And he came "from the east"
Isaiah 46:11!
Inside the British Museum
in London lies the famous Cyrus Cylinder. It describes how Cyrus, a
general of Darius, conquered Babylon. Cyrus and his army dug trenches
upstream alongside of the river Euphrates. By diverting the water, the
river gradually went down as it ran through the city of Babylon. No one
noticed. At night, at the height of Belshazzar’s drunken feast, the water
became low enough for Cyrus and his men to quietly slip under the double
doors, which had been left open. Quickly they overran the doomed city,
killed the king (Daniel 5:30), and conquered Babylon. Then Cyrus issued a
decree to let Israel go (Ezra chapter 1).
The book of Revelation uses
the events, geography, and terminology of the Old Testament, and then
applies them universally to Jesus Christ, the Israel of God, and modern
Babylon at the end of time. A failure to discern this principle has
resulted in a massive misunderstanding of Revelation, a false Middle-East
focus, and deception!
In Revelation chapter 17, a
holy angel said to the apostle John: "Come hither; I will shew unto thee
the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters." "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 a
golden cup in her hand." "And upon her forehead was a name written,
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH." Revelation 17:1, 3, 4, 5. John saw this woman when he was "in the
spirit." Even so must we be "in the "Spirit" in order to understand this
prophecy!
Notice carefully. John saw
a Mystery Babylon who "sitteth upon many waters." She also has "a golden
cup," just like we read in Jeremiah! Yet this "Mystery Babylon" is not the
same as the ancient city of Babylon in the Middle East. And the "many
waters" that she sits upon certainly do not refer to the literal river
Euphrates that today trickles through modern Iraq. No! Revelation’s angel
interpreter said, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Revelation 17:15.
The genius of Revelation is
that it uses the history of the Old Testament and then applies it
spiritually to a Mystery Babylon, which now sits upon the "many waters" of
a spiritual river Euphrates! According to the angel interpreter, this
river of "many waters" actually represents "peoples, and multitudes, and
nations" around the world that support Mystery Babylon and her global
deceptions (Revelation 17:15, 18:23). Echoing the ancient words of the
prophet Jeremiah, yet applying them spiritually and globally, Revelation
says, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all
nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Revelation
14:8.
The error of those who
adopt the "literal Middle East" method of interpreting Revelation’s
prophecies stems from:
-
1) The belief that
those prophecies must apply to the Israel of the flesh.
-
2) A failure to study
the Old Testament’s "root history" behind Revelation’s prophecies.
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3) A failure to apply
that history spiritually and universally to the Israel in the Spirit
and to the Lord’s global enemies.
Modern interpreters usually
apply the words "Babylon," "Euphrates," and "kings of the east" to a
literal city, a literal river, and literal armies in the Middle East. Yet
Revelation speaks of the "which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt,"
about a "Mystery, Babylon," and about "waters" that represent "peoples,
and multitudes, and nations and tongues." Revelation 11:8; 17:1, 5, 15.
This issue can be compared
to the wearing of two different pairs of glasses. If we put on the
"literal Middle East glasses" and then read Revelation, we will "see"
these prophecies as applying to the Israel in the flesh. But if we put on
the "Middle East symbolism glasses" and then read Revelation, we
will "see" these prophecies as applying to the Israel in the Spirit. Paul
wrote to Christians, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit."
Romans 8:9. If we put on the wrong glasses and interpret prophecy
according to the flesh, we will end up more blind than a bat. But if we
put on the right glasses and interpret prophecy according to the Spirit,
then we will say, "I was blind, now I see." John 9:25.
A woman in prophecy
represents a church. The Church of Jesus Christ is called "his wife" who
makes "herself ready" for the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation
19:7, 8). That woman called "MYSTERY, BABYLON" represents a false form of
Christianity which has fallen away from God and is now leading "peoples,
and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" away from the truth of Jesus
Christ! Just like ancient Israel during her darkest days, this modern
Babylon is now "playing the harlot." Ezekiel 16:1, 2, 15, 35. She is even
now making "all nations" drunk with "her wine," which represents her false
doctrines. This Mystery Babylon is now denying "the mystery of Christ"
that we studied about in Chapter 7. She has rebuilt a wall between Jews
and Gentiles—a wall that Jesus Christ abolished at the cross (Ephesians
2:14-17).
In the Old Testament, when
Cyrus dried up the literal river Euphrates, God told literal
Jews to come out of literal Babylon. "My people," the Lord pleaded,
"go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the
fierce anger of the Lord." Jeremiah 51:45. This very same call is now
being given in Revelation to those in the midst of spiritual
Babylon. God says, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4.
Inside spiritual Babylon
today are large numbers of true Christians who are serving the Lord to the
best of their ability. This applies to many who are even now teaching
false prophecy. Yet God still calls them "my people." The Lord mercifully
sees them as part of His spiritual Israel. But they are confused! The word
"Babylon" means "confusion." Because of today’s global religions
confusion, especially about Bible prophecy, millions of the Lord’s people
now believe false theories about the end of time! Yet according to
Revelation 18:4, Jesus Christ is now calling us all to "come out" of
spiritual confusion and into the truth of His Word. We must all
leave Babylon before it is too late! Soon the river will run dry!
"The sixth angel poured out
his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was
dried up." Revelation 16:12, emphasis added. "Babylon the Great" now
sits on "the great river Euphrates." This river represents "peoples, and
multitudes" around the world who, refusing to come out, continue to
support the false doctrines of Mystery Babylon. Soon "the sixth angel"
will pour out "his vial upon the great river Euphrates." This vial is one
of the seven "vials of the wrath of God." Revelation 16:1. Thus, it is the
wrath of God, not modern Turkey, that will dry up the Euphrates! What does
it mean? Brace yourself. It means that God’s wrath will be soon poured out
upon people who continue to support the deceptions of Babylon!
When the "peoples, and
multitudes, and nations" that have supported modern Babylon up to the end
finally experience God’s wrath, then they will realize that they have been
deceived. Then they will "hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and
naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Revelation 17:16.
Their support for Babylon will vanish. This is how Babylon’s water will
dry up, preparing the way for the "kings’ of the east." Revelation
16:12.
Cyrus came from "the east"
to conquer ancient Babylon (Isaiah 44:26-28; 46:11). The word "east" means
"sun rising." The name "Cyrus" means "sun." Cyrus was a type of Jesus
Christ, the "Sun of righteousness." Malachi 4:2. In Revelation, God’s
angels come from the east (Revelation 7:2). Jesus said, "As the lightening
cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:27, emphasis added.
Jesus is coming from the east with the armies of heaven as "KING OF KINGS,
AND LORD OF LORDS." Revelation 19:14, 16. Thus, the "kings of the east"
are not the Chinese, but King Jesus and His armies, which will soon
descend from the eastern skies to conquer modern Babylon and to deliver
Israel at Armageddon!
Which Israel will Jesus
deliver? It will surely be an Israel in the Spirit, which, having chosen
to walk in the Spirit and to interpret prophecy according to the Spirit,
has also chosen to "come out" of Mystery Babylon and to forsake its fleshy
ideas (Galatians 5:16, 25; Revelation 18:4). Let’s be part of that Israel!
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