So what's the big deal with Babylon, anyway? It's just a historic wonder, not to be considered a part of anything remotely modern, and definitely not future, right? Not so fast, not so fast. There are two ways to look at the Bible's Babylon "doctrine." And maybe both of them are involved in this horrendous war.

Babylon was a real city. A real empire. Bible students recall how this great power was used by God to come against His own people, Israel. But Babylon overstepped its bounds and allowed pride to enter the mix. God vowed that Babylon would have to go. And go it did, right? Again, slow down. It aint necessarily so.

God had promised an immediate destruction. But the city hung on for many centuries after the Medo-Persians took over the Empire. The conquering armies of many nations that followed used Babylon as one of their headquarters. In Jesus' time the city still existed and was dwelt in by many Jews.

God cannot lie. Or exaggerate. The city lost power but not existence. Through Saddam's ingenuity it is still with us. And Revelation 17-18 foretell the immediate fall of Babylon as still in our future! Will the old city rise again?

But you say, we all know that "Mystery Babylon" is none other than the Roman Church. In our day, yes. Back up through the Middle Ages, still yes. And Imperial Rome, and Greece, and Medo-Persia, and Assyria, they all wore the robes of Babylon at one time. There were seven heads to the beast, you will recall.