For a time, I had seriously considered the possibility of the antichrist & islam.

Clearly, islam is definitely antichrist in their belief:

I John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

I John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

II John 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

And they are antichrist in their hatred and actions against those who believe in Jesus.

There are some, like King Hussein, who not only is muslim, but claims lineage back to David, demonstrate strange combinations.

There is also the "anti-prophecies" of islam, where their mahdi is like the reverse antichrist, and their dajjal like a reverse Jesus.

So, when I came across the writings of Walid Shoebat, and then Joel Richardson, I was intrigued.

These two men not only believed in an islamic antichrist, but were convinced that Mecca was Mystery, Babylon.

Joel Richardson went on to debate Chris White over whether the antichrist will be a false Jewish messiah.

If I remember correctly, that is where they also debated the possibility of Mecca being Mystery, Babylon.

Earlier, I concluded that many of the descriptions of Mystery, Babylon, especially in chapter 18, did not fit the vatican, though some did.

I began to consider the same thing about Mecca, especially the things that were being said about the trading ships, and water ports.

Some of what was said could have been applied, to a degree, describing the entire Arabian peninsula, but not to the land-locked Mecca.

So, I began to look at things in 18 & 19, also as which things do not look like Mecca, rather than only those things that did.

That was the same approach that I took to considering the vatican.

For years I had been taught that the vatican was Mystery, Babylon, and believed it.

Some taught me that it was the entire catholic church, with all their various parishes, worldwide - that really was harder to believe.

So, similarly with Mecca, when I would go through Revelation chapters 17 and 18, I would take a different approach than I had been.

Previously, as I came across something that supported the idea, I would tell myself that it was another proof, and then another, etc.

Now, as I go through, I come across some the things that don't support any of the theories that I have believed.

I either try to morph them, in my mind, into merely a picture or metaphor, which then would not require much accuracy.

Or I would dismiss it from my thinking, all together, saying to myself, that more things support one of theories than don't.

But as I continued through the chapters, I realized that there were more things that didn't support those theories than those that did.

Now, I still read, like Walid Shoebat, showing that there are definite agreement of somethings in those chapters with his theory.

Yet, now, I also look for myself at the other things which definitely don't fit theory, and some things that can only fit by twisting them.

If, by only counting things that fit a theory, than there may be more things that fit the theory that it is America.

But then, what about those things that don't completely fit that theory, either.

And then, what if the Lord tarries for another millennium?

There is no telling what kind of geopolitical changes will result in a city that greatly mirrors Mystery, Babylon.