Barry Smith is Wrong About the 3 Parts in Rev. 16.19

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Originally Posted by Barry Smith

The 3 parts of the great city split up in Rev. 16.19 are New York representing economy, Washington representing politics, and religion Rome.

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Though it is true religious Rome is going to fall and so will political Rome which is centered in Rome, not Washington, that is not what Rev. 16.19 is referring to about the 3 parts. Yes, the shipping merchants will mourn because they will no longer be able to sell their goods to USA, but economics is not one of those 3 parts.

"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath" (Rev. 16.19). The nature of Babylon is buying and selling, not giving and receiving.

"The great city" means Jerusalem (not the same great city as in Rev. 14.8 pointing to the city of Rome's religious aspect) which is divided up pretentiously by the armies of the world into 3 parts and settled on by the nations (perhaps 1/3 to the European Union, 1/3 to Israel and 1/3 to the Islamic nation). The Babylon cited here points to the actual Babylon (14.8 "fallen, fallen is Babylon" happens before battle of Har-Magedon and is syncronized with 17.16-18. "Babylon the great" is actually politically and economically centered Babylon in Rome whose fall is complete after the battle of Har-Magedon, and so it coincides with the latter half of Rev. 18). The verses in 14.8 and 16.19 give a sketch concerning Babylon while chapters 17 and 18 furnish the details.

Could United States still be the falling babylon referred to here?

I don't think so, because United States is broke and there is no key city of United States like Rome is for Europe. As United States slowly drops out of the picture, the European Economic Union will take hold as the greatest nation the world has ever seen and be considered the youngest nation as well, for it is newly formed. It will be the center of Christendom (Christendom is not necessarily saved Christianity).

Moreover the ship masters, merchants and nations will no longer be able to sell their goods to her. It is one city in one great economic powerhouse of the European Union, not United States and Europe, but Europe only which will be destroyed politically and economically finally at the end of the Tribulation.

The EU rises to power because of USA's massive debt/GDP ratio now about 350%. It has 9 trillion in debt and over 50 trillion in unfunded liabilities. And the trade deficit is quickly approaching 1 trillion dollars per year. The only way to pay for this is to destroy the U.S. dollar. It has a long way to go down, slowly but surely. A lot of hegemony dollars are out there just begging to be sold.

The reason I believe it will not be a dramatic fall though, but slow and sure is because United States is not a horrifically heathen nation, but does have some good qualities, so the punishment will match the crime.

A lot of people are going to lose a lot of money holding U.S. currency, but it will be so slow it will be hardly noticeable over time.