Is the ancient city of Babylon merely a metaphor—or is it rising again, just as Scripture foretold? Pastor James Kaddis and Dr. Andy Woods believe the answer is crystal clear: Babylon is literal, and the groundwork for its prophetic future is already being laid in modern-day Iraq.
In a recent episode of Countdown to Eternity, Kaddis and Woods pushed back against the view that Babylon in Revelation is purely symbolic or represents Rome. Instead, they argue, the city described in Revelation 17 and 18 aligns with the ancient site in Iraq—and current global developments point to a coming fulfillment.
Breaking News. Spirit-Filled Stories. Subscribe to Charisma on YouTube now!
“There’s a general rule in the book of Revelation that whenever it mentions places of geography, it’s always literal,” said Woods. “All of a sudden we get to Revelation 17 and 18 and people see the word Babylon, and all of a sudden that piece of geography is non-literal. That’s kind of crazy.”
The pair highlighted a striking development: a $4.7 billion port project in southern Iraq is ahead of schedule and expected to transform the region into a major international trade hub. Woods explained the significance of this shift: “This whole canal system… is going to turn this landlocked city into a maritime city, exactly the way the Bible describes it.”
They also addressed the common confusion over the phrase “Mystery Babylon,” which Kaddis called a mistranslation. “Mystery Babylon is a myth,” Woods said. “There’s no such thing in the Bible as Mystery Babylon. Her title is Babylon the Great.”
Both men warned against spiritualizing the text and stripping it of its geographical meaning. “You look at Revelation, there’s clear predictions about what is going to happen,” said Kaddis. “We really do have no reason to believe anything other than that. Babylon is Babylon.”
Join Charisma Magazine Online to follow everything the Holy Spirit is doing around the world!
With prophecy seemingly unfolding, Kaddis closed the discussion with a call to urgency. “If this is true and these are all signs for the tribulation period, then the rapture can’t be far away.”
As global events catch up with biblical prophecy, Bible believers should take God’s Word literally, and be ready to see a revived Babylon rise from the ashes.
James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
