While not convinced that the war with Iraq signals the imminent return of Jesus, Hitchcock does believe the conflict's eventual result - the removal of Hussein and his regime - is a big step in that direction.

In his latest book, The Second Coming of Babylon, the author lays out what the Bible says about how Babylon (modern-day Iraq) will be rebuilt in the final days and how the country will become a great world commercial center (Revelation 18) before it falls again.

"What's going on now is we're getting Saddam out of there and going to get the oil flowing again," he said, adding that Iraq only pumps 20 percent of the oil it can produce and would become much more of an world economic impact player if that production reached its potential.

Hitchcock, like much of the world, sees Hussein as an evil terrorist threat, but his reign has been even more hurtful to his own people.

"He's done nothing but ruin his country for 20 years (an eight-year war with Iran followed by 12 years of United Nations economic sanctions)," Hitchcock said. "With the removal of Saddam, the building of Babylon is much more likely."

What fascinates Hitchcock is how few paid much attention to that part of the world 60 years ago, but the focus has shifted that way again - primarily because of oil.

"That's where everything began, in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. Then it moved west; the Greek Empire, then the Roman Empire, then the British Empire and now the United States. But now the world focus is moving back east again," he said. "And what does it boil down to? The main reason is oil, and who put the oil there? God did. I'm not saying all [the U.S.] is doing over there is because of oil, but we wouldn't be as interested in Kuwait if not for oil. That's just being realistic. Oil has put the attention over there."