Babylon Rising: Is the Strait of Hormuz Preparing the Way for Revelation 18? /Brandon Holthaus

Could ancient Babylon rise again as the political and commercial capital of the end times?   In this teaching, Pastor Brandon Holthaus examines the biblical case for a literal, rebuilt Babylon in modern Iraq. Beginning with Genesis and continuing through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, and Revelation, he explains the “biblical boomerang effect”—the rebellion that began in Shinar ultimately returns to its place of origin before experiencing God’s final judgment.  

The teaching also explores Iraq’s rapidly expanding commercial infrastructure, including Grand Faw Port and the $17 billion Development Road connecting the Persian Gulf with Turkey and Europe. These projects do not prove that Revelation 18 is presently being fulfilled, but they demonstrate how Iraq could once again become a major center of international trade.   Zechariah 5 depicts religious wickedness and a corrupt economic system being transported back to Shinar. Revelation 17–18 then presents Babylon at the height of its religious, political, and commercial power before its sudden destruction.   Babylon is not New York, Rome, Brussels, America, or an undefined global system. When the Bible says Babylon, it means Babylon.