Hello Vance, thanks for taking the time to respond.

You said:

"In Revelation 18, a voice from heaven says this regarding the "mighty city of Babylon": "Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her." If we say that a reference to the city of Babylon can be symbolic, it opens the door to saying that references to the nation of Israel could also sometimes be symbolic. But if we say that Revelation refers to the literal city of Babylon then it seems that the city must be rebuilt. People are actually working on that now."

Great points!

Babylon is often used metaphorically in the New Testament, precisely because the real city had fallen so far. Babylon is used as a code name for Rome, and other times symbolically for the world order arrayed against Jesus.

As you say, allowing one city to be metaphorical should make you consider whether the others are.

Yet each case needs to be considered on its own merits.

The references to the nation of Israel do not carry the same markers of being metaphorical. It's connected to the real people, the real Israelites, the real descendants. It's connected to the real land, often delineated by real landmarkers. It's coming from real, specific promises and prophecies that Israel would dwell in its land securely. These promises are given as real, tangible promises about the real, tangible land, such as the promise given to Abraham. The entire point is that the specific land in question is real.