Happy Chinese New Year, John! Thanks again for maintaining the Doves site.
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Thanks, Matt. It lasted half a moon!
John

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Matt,
 
Just this morning I read Ezekiel chapter 38 as part of my daily devotions, and lately I have been looking closely at Daniel and the Book of Revelation, so I hope I might help shed some light on your inquiry.
 
Is "Mystery Bablyon" of Rev. 17,
the "Land of unwalled villages" of Ezekiel 38,
and the "Eagle's wings" of Daniel 7,
all prophesies about the USA?
 
Mystery Babylon might very well indeed portray an aspect of the USA--our present preeminence as the world's greatest bastion of Capitalism, through which our nation exercises unprecedented influence over world affairs, both ecomically and militarily.
 
That the whore of Babylon sits upon the beast with seven heads and ten horns conveys the idea of domination--the beast, of course is the Anti-Christ Confederation and is synonymous with the Sea Beast of Rev. 13.
 
The seven heads are seven mountains--which does indeed suggest Rome--but they also symbolize seven kings. These are the seven great empires of the world seen in the Great Image of Daniel 2. Babylon, Medo-Persia, Alexander the Great's Greece (which upon his untimely death was divided amongst his three generals: Greece to Antigonus Gonatas,  Asia Minor as far as India to Selucus, and Egpyt to Ptolemy Lagos. Next comes Rome in its western and eastern aspects.
1.        1 King:       Babylon
2.        1 King:       Medo-Persia
3-5.     3 Kings:     Greece (ultimately Greece, Asia Minor and Egypt)
6-7.     2 Kings:      Imperial Rome, which was split after 284 AD to form the Eastern or Byzantine                              Empire.
 
Revelation 17:11 says that the Beast is an eighth king even though he is part of the seven. He will rule over the 10 nation confederation symbolized by the feet and toes of clay mingled with iron, which is simply the recombined Roman Empire--the sum total and historic culmination of human government on the earth.
 
Revelation 17: 16 says that the ten horns (kingdoms) shall hate the whore, and ultimately eat her flesh and burn her with fire. If the USA is Mystery Babylon, then we know that the Anti-Christ Confederation will destroy her eventually.
 
Ezekiel 38 verse 16 clearly shows that Gog will come against "my people Israel. . . ." This is either the Israel of the Millennial Kingdom, or possibly the present state of Israel, tho I tend to believe the former. This is certainly not the USA.
 
The four beasts of Daniel chapter 7 follow the same leitmotif seen in the vision of Daniel 2.
The Lion with Eagle wings symbolizes Babylon, the Bear is Medo-Persia, the four-headed Leopard is Alexander's Greece, and the fourth beast is of course Rome and the reconstituted Roman Empire of the Anti-Christ. Any other interpretation is improbable.
 
The Bible ultimately explains itself. The more I study prophecy--particularly the book of Revelation--the more I am convinced that a literal interpreation is best, except of course where symbols are explained in the text, which occurs in many instances in Revelation.
 
Might I suggest another possible appearance of the USA in Revelation? In chapter 12
the woman Israel is given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness....Perhaps this is some sort of air power aid from the USA, or what is left of it.
 
My best wishes to you, Matt...
 
Matt K. in Hayward, CA