Humans began to build cities shortly after the flood. The initial concept was to create interdependency and collective structure for the purpose of self determination apart from God's providence and direction.

The city is the model that is still used today for the same purposes and it is the nucleus of human population that fills the dominion or kingdom ruled by human political authority.

The society that is created is symbolized by a "woman" who is separated from a relationship with God. One of the first cities was Babel and many others were built between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East.

The symbol of "Babylon", or "Mystery Babylon the Great", is derived from Babel (confusion of languages), one of the first cities built after the flood. All spoke a common language until God intervened.

His purpose was to halt the building process and to scatter the inhabitants by limiting their communications. He would prefer that humans live separate nomadic life styles with dependence upon His direction and care.

Babylon is also the literal name of the city of Babylon which was the center of the Babylonian Empire ruling the Middle East during the 6th century B.C. This symbol is also used to describe human civilization(s) without God in the Book of Revelation.

Nimrod, a descendant of Ham, was one of the first human leaders (kings) and he built Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the Land of Shinar. This was the beginning of his kingdom (dominion)in the Land of Shinar.

Later Asshur, a descendant of Shem left Akkad in the Land of Shinar, and built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth, Calah, and Resen. These cities were located further north and west of the Land of Shinar in the Land of Magog.

His kingdom (dominion) was the beginning of the Akkadian/Assyrian Empire which eventually ruled most of the Middle East by the 7th century B.C. These first cities established his dominion in part of the Land of Magog.

Magog and his brothers Gomer, Mesheck, and Tubal, were descendants of Japheth and established the first settlements in the same area located between the Land of Shinar and the Land of Canaan.

This area was directly south of Mount Ararat and was the beginning of their dominions shortly after the flood. Further extents of this area were developed westward and southward toward the Land of Canaan.

The two cities of Mesheck and Tubal were built in this land and were named after Magog's younger brothers. These two inland commercial centers traded with early Canaanite settlements on the Mediterranean coast.

Magog's other relatives Gomer and Togarmah settled in the northern extents (north quarters) of Land of Magog. The rule of Magog's land eventually passed to the Akkadian/Assyrian political powers.

This same area of Magog's original settlements is where the little horn, human leader (Satan's christ) will first appear at the end of this present age.

He will begin with a smaller dominion there at first and then expand it to rule most of the Middle East. This is why God has Ezekiel address Satan (Gog) and the land of Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

The Akkadian king Sargon was the first to establish and rule over a system of combined city/states from this same area. All paid tribute and were subjected to his rule. This same area is in northern Iraq today.

The "position" of the human "king" is part of the composite model of the "woman" (human inhabitants), and the king's "dominion" (head, mountain) as it is described in the Book of Revelation.

It is vital for the student of Bible prophecy to understand these symbols used to describe human organization that separates from a necessary relationship with God.

Sargon's rule (dominion) eventually covered most of both of the Lands of Magog and Shinar and extended to the Mediterranean in the west and to the Persian Gulf in the east.

All of these early human habitations were designed and built on the concept of self rule apart from God's providence and direction. This has been and still is the model of human civilization.

The city (woman) became the center of the human king's power, following, support, and resources. Human organization of this type was a necessary component of the king's dominance.

He could develop political infrastructure, collect taxes, raise armies, and control these human populations within his kingdom (dominion). The next step was further expansion by conquering other peoples and their lands.

Human interaction creates the energy, synthesis, and motivation for the development of culture, social infrastructure, materialism, trade, commerce, false religions, and self determination.

This model of human design includes the human king "position" (government), the dominion (extent of the king's rule), and the society (woman) that exists within the dominion.

It also creates the potential for expansion by alliance and conquest. The world has experienced continuous warfare and human civilization has been responsible for mass death and destruction since the beginning of time.

God is against this model because it is built on the fallen condition of human nature and because it excludes His interaction.

Human behavior can and does become antagonistic toward God beyond His tolerance. When this happens His judgment can be sudden and brutal.

Human societies are collectively and individually lost without a relationship to Him and this can lead to an individual's eventual spiritual death and elimination.

The model produces an environment packed with deceptions, distractions, seductions, and misleading influences which can prevent humans from finding out the truth about their existence and future survival.

There is a contrasting theme presented in Scripture involving the social context of this model. God called Abraham to leave the city of Ur and the Sumerian culture for the Land of Canaan about 1,000 years after the flood.

There he was to establish (father) a nation and city that would be set apart from all others. The Land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem was to be the human organization model of contrast.

It was to be an example to the world of a nation and city under the providence and direction of God. God Himself would be their King and they would be His people.

The relationship was eventually traded by Israel for the ways of the other cities and nations, but God has and is still honoring his agreements with Israel of whom some (a remnant) will eventually accept and obey Him.

God sent His Son Jesus Christ to be the King of the nation of Israel 2,000 years later and He was rejected by His own people.

The scope of Bible prophecy ends with the rejection and resumes again to present events that will lead up to His return.

He will come again the second time at the end of this present age and His Kingdom (dominion) will extend over the entire earth and He will rule from Jerusalem.

Israel's early intransigence caused God to bring judgment against the nation by allowing the surrounding nations to attack, destroy, and occupy their land. The Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans were examples.

He sent prophets to the nation to warn of impending judgment if Israel did not turn to Him and repent of their intentional behavior.

The same prophets recorded their visions in the Old Testament and these also include related events that are yet future from today. The nation was expelled entirely from the land by the end of the first century.

God scattered Israel to reside in the very nations that He brought against them from which they are to return for the second coming of their Messiah King, Jesus Christ.

They will experience a time of unprecedented trouble almost to the point of total extinction in the Land of Israel and on a worldwide scale.

This will take place during the last 7 years of this present age. The nation will be invaded, conquered, and occupied by the beast and his followers for 42 months.

A believing remnant of the nation will turn to God during the great tribulation (time of Jacob's trouble) and will accept the Kingship of their Messiah Jesus Christ.

There is another dimensional component related to human organization revealed in Scripture. We do not detect this with our limited senses, but the Bible contains a great deal of information and its significance to human existence.

This is the dimension of the spirit world of angelic creatures of whom some have been, are, and will be involved with human civilizations. This interaction is allowed by God and is subjected to His limitations.

The trend has been from a higher to a lower more restrained level of interaction since the beginning of human existence and it will increase dramatically at the end of this present age during the 70th week.

Satan lost his position and authority in God's government because of his rebellion and intransigence. His focus has been on corrupting and destroying humans since Adam and Eve were created and he still pursues these objectives today.

God addresses Satan as Gog, identifies his place of origin on the earth as the Land of Magog, and calls him the "chief" prince of Mesheck and Tubal.

This description is an example of Satan's involvement with humanity in the early stages of human settlements in the Middle East shortly after Noah's flood.

God uses these ancient identifiers to pinpoint Satan's location of operation at the time of the end of this present age. His involvement with the two ancient commercial centers of Mesheck and Tubal portray his connection with human society.

The developments of human organization into cities, larger city/states, and empires become targets of satanic exploitation. Satan is the "chief" prince of other fallen angels who participate in his strategy of corrupting the human race.

Visions contained in Bible prophecy are specifically focused upon the Middle East and the human civilizations that have existed there since the flood and the scope of the visions is limited by God for His specific purposes.

Other significant developments on the earth from migrations out of the Middle East existed in parallel, but do not appear in the visions. Neither do the Roman or subsequent empires over the past 2,000 years appear in the visions.

Five Middle Eastern dominions included in the visions of the Old Testament prophets and in Revelation are historical and there are two more that will exist there in the near future.

Satan has structured a number of his angelic followers to rule over specific geographic centers of human civilization on a worldwide basis. The Bible contains those centered in the Middle East.

The Middle East is the focus of the visions of the Bible prophets and is very much in the focus of today's current news headlines. Many nations are involved and vexed by the instability and warfare taking place involving the Middle East, militant Islam, the West, and Israel.


A portion of the Big Picture from my website: www.prophecy1.blogspot.com