answer:Sincerely, my understanding is that the author of the Book of Revelation was describing Rome, using Babylon as a code word. If I were to assume the prophet really had supernatural powers, which I am not saying I am, but I try to keep an open mind, I will say for the sake of argument he may have seen the future in some manner but was off on the timing. Following that line of thinking, the closest modern equivalent to Rome would be the USA. Perhaps a near future USA, where, exactly as happened in Rome, the Congress was dissolved in favor of a stronger chief executive.