I’m curious as to your thoughts regarding how literal Babylon will be able to fit the descriptions of Revelation 17-18 if the Rapture were to happen today. It seems to me that it would take decades or centuries for the current Babylon to become a “great city”. NYC, Rome, and all of the other “great cities” would all have to fall, and then Babylon would have to be re-built. This does not seem possible. I’ve heard that there is money going into Babylon, but there is no evidence (to my knowledge) that it is anywhere near the amount of money required to re-build it into anything significant. Please share your thoughts on what will transpire regarding Babylon if the Rapture were to happen today.
I think there are several flaws in your thinking. First is the assumption that the 70th week has to follow immediately on the heels of the rapture. There’s no Biblical requirement for this. Second, you assume the world’s other “great” cities would have to fall. There are many “great” cities in the world today, but only one is the center of world government. Besides, any (or all) of them could cease to be great overnight due to an act of terror or a casualty of war.
Third, you assume Babylon will need time to evolve into a great city. All it will take for Babylon to be a great city is for the center of world government, commerce, and religion to be located there. The rest would follow quickly. As an example, in the last few years China alone has built several large “ghost” cities which by some estimates contain a combined total of 64 million vacant apartments with enormous business and government centers as well. Doing this in Babylon, with world wide cooperation, wouldn’t take long at all.
And finally, the Bible says it will happen, which means God Himself will be the force behind it.