Scripture teaches that Babylon is actually two entities intertwined in Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation. The first Babylon is a literal, physical place during the time of Tribulation from where the Antichrist rules. The second Babylon is the Harlot, a religious system the Antichrist uses to control the world in the last days.
Scripture distinguishes between two Babylons in the end times, the place and the religious system, as two sides of the same coin. The Bible calls the religious system led by the False Prophet "Babylon," while the world headquarters of the religion's False Prophet is located in the geographical Babylon, which is also the Antichrist’s capital city.
From a close study of scripture, we find no reason to reject a literal interpretation of a future world capital in the Babylon located at the site of the ancient city in present-day Iraq. Remember, if the plain sense of scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense (i.e., the “Golden Rule” of interpretation).
The descriptions of this future Babylon – including its location east of Jerusalem provided in Revelation – all point to a location in Mesopotamia. Furthermore, there is no Biblical support for moving Babylon’s location to another spot in the world. Therefore, since there is no reason to reject the literal place of Babylon in Iraq, then we should seek no other answer and accept the plain meaning of scripture.
The second entity called Babylon (i.e., the religious Harlot in Revelation 17) may indeed have its origins, at least in part, within the present-day Catholic church. It could likely include many of the false practices and idol worship found within Catholicism today, however it would be too narrow an interpretation (in my opinion) to conclude that the future Babylon world religion is merely the Catholic church in its present form.
Much will have to change in the world to make possible these events, so whatever false religion will dominate in that day will exist in a radically different world than the one we know now. Of course, the power and purpose of this false religion will remain unchanged since the time of the Garden of Eden and the Tower of Babel: to oppose God and pull men and women away from the truth. So, if the Babylon of Revelation is connected to Rome and the Catholic Church of today, it could only be in the same way that a mother is connected to her daughter: one gives birth to the other.
Another Angel (v1)
Verse 1 says, "After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance"
Chapter 17 was revealed to John by one of the seven angels who had released the seven bowls of judgment. Now he sees another angel who appears to be especially glorious, lighting up the earth with his radiance. This implies that the prostitute's punishment, as revealed in this chapter, is a great revelation of God's glory from the perspective of God's people.
Angelic Proclamation (v2-3)
The angel shouts with a powerful voice. Angels are also seen to shout loudly in Revelation 7:2, 14:7, and 14:15. And 1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel…" Loud shouts imply dramatic events are about to take place.
In verse 2, his proclamation begins, "“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detested beast".
"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great" is a direct quote from Isaiah 21:9. When Jesus hung upon the cross and was about to die, he cried out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" in the words of Psalm 22:1 (Matthew 27:46). As well as uttering a genuine cry of anguish, Jesus was pointing to his death as a fulfilment not just of Psalm 22:1, but of Psalm 22 as a whole. Quote of a single verse points to the prophecy that contains it. So here in Revelation, this quote of Isaiah 21:9 implies that the fall of the Great Prostitute fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah 21 as a whole. Isaiah 21 is the passage which most clearly identifies end-time 'Babylon' with Saudi Arabia, and with 'Kedar' (Mecca). It is introduced in Isaiah 21:1 as an oracle about the 'Desert by the Sea'. This is a reference to the Arabian Peninsula that is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. Three of the places named in Isaiah 21 are Dumah, Tema, and Kedar. According to the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1:29-30, Dumah, Tema and Kedar were three of the sons of Ishmael. So the whole chapter is a prophecy about the Ishmaelites of Arabia. And yet it is within this context that the declaration is made, "Babylon is fallen, fallen", an ensuing Arabian refugee crisis is envisaged, and Kedar is destroyed after one calendar year.
The second half of verse 2 alludes to Isaiah 13:20-22 and to Isaiah 34:11, implying that the fall of Mystery Babylon also fulfils these prophecies.
Although Isaiah 13 was partially fulfilled in the fall of ancient Babylon in 539 BC, it is ultimately an end-time prophecy about the fall of Mystery Babylon (Saudi Arabia) in the 'Lord's Day of Judgment' (Isaiah 13:9). Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would be destroyed by God, just as Sodom and Gomorrah were, that no Arab would pitch his tent there again, and that its ruined palaces would be left as dwelling places for the wild animals and birds (Isaiah 13:19-22). This was not the case after Babylon's fall in 539 BC, as it continued to be inhabited for about another 1,000 years.
Isaiah 34 is a prophecy about God's end-time judgment of Edom. Verse 11 says, "Owls and wild animals will live there, all kinds of wild birds will settle in it. The Lord will stretch out over her the measuring line of ruin and the plumb line of destruction". Edom was originally the region around the mountains of Seir, extending from the southern tip of the Dead Sea, down to Aqaba at the northern tip of the Red Sea. It was settled by Esau and his descendants (Genesis 36:8 and Joshua 24:4). According to Ezekiel 25:13, by the sixth century BC, Edom was seen to extend south into Arabia as far as Dedan (modern-day Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia), presumably because the Edomites had by then spread that far south. It is therefore reasonable to understand Edom as synonymous with northern Saudi Arabia and southern Jordan, and that it is part of Mystery Babylon in its broader sense as the nation of Saudi Arabia, not just as a great city in Arabia. So not only are end-time prophecies about Babylon applicable to Saudi Arabia, but also those about Edom. Being the descendants of Esau, the Edomites and the Israelites were relatives. But in 586 BC, when the Babylonians conquered Judah, Obadiah 1:10-14 records that the Edomites joined in the slaughter and behaved as though they were in league with the Babylonians. They entered the city, joined in the looting, and slaughtered those who were trying to escape. Because of this great act of betrayal, the bible contains more prophecies of condemnation and judgment against Edom than against any other nation (Psalm 137:7-9, Isaiah 11:14, 21:11-12, 34:5-17, 63:1-6, Jeremiah 9:25-26, 25:17-26, 49:7-12, Lamentations 4:21-22, Ezekiel 25:12-14, 35:1-15, Joel 3:19, Amos 1:11-12, 9:11-12, Obadiah, Malachi 1:4). One of these is Psalm 137 which provides another important link between Mystery Babylon and Arabia. It refers to Edom as as 'Daughter of Babylon'. See my commentary on Psalm 137 for an explanation as to why this name was appropriate.
Isaiah 34:9-10 tell us Edom's streams will be turned to pitch and the land become blazing pitch. Given that it is talking about a region within Saudi Arabia, this is surely a reference to burning oil fields. The streams are not water but oil which is set alight. In the First Gulf War, Saddam Hussein set alight to Kuwait's oil fields, as shown in the photo below:
In verse 3, the angel says, "For all the nations have fallen from the wine of her immoral passion, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behaviour".
As I explained in my commentary on Revelation 17, Babylon's 'immoral passion' represents her worship of Allah, the false god of Islam. Worship of a false god is portrayed metaphorically in the bible as sexual immorality, adultery, or prostitution. The 'wine of her immoral passion' represents Saudi Arabia's evangelisation of the world with the message of Islam, funded by her great wealth. She is seen to offer her cup of wine to the nations in order to seduce them (Revelation 17:4). So the 'kings of the earth committing sexual immorality with her' represents her spiritual seduction of world leaders through the export of her wine, the message of Islam. The 'merchants getting rich from her sensual behaviour' represents her economic seduction of the nations through the export of her oil and import of their goods. Both spiritually and economically, the nations get sucked into an immoral relationship with her. Just as men who commit adultery or use prostitutes find ways of justifying their actions, so the nations justify their relationships with Saudi Arabia. For example, since Saudi Arabia intervened in the Yemen War in 2015, she has committed numerous documented war crimes against innocent civilians. Western nations continue their lucrative trade of selling her arms, despite the clear risk that she will use them to commit even more war crimes.
Come out of her my people (v4)
Verses 4 to 5 say, "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues, because her sins have piled up all the way to heaven and God has remembered her crimes".
This is effectively a quote from Jeremiah 51:6 which says, "Get out of Babylonia quickly, you foreign people. Flee to save your lives. Do not let yourselves be killed because of her sins". As such, it points us to the long prophecy of Jeremiah 50-51 as yet another that is ultimately about Mystery Babylon, even though it was originally about Ancient Babylon.
Here in verse 4, this is apparently the voice of God speaking, since he addresses Christians as 'my' people. With the previous angel having alluded to Isaiah 13, in which 'Babylon' is destroyed by God like Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 13:19), God now calls for his people to come out of her. This is like the angels calling Lot and his family to hurry and get out of Sodom before God's judgment fell (Genesis 19:15). An estimated 37% of Saudi Arabia's population are foreign expatriate workers. A significant proportion of these are Christians, and God warns them to get out so they do not take part in her sins or receive her plagues.
But when is the fall of Saudi Arabia likely to happen, and when should her Christian expatriate workers heed this warning and leave? Many of those Christian expatriates feel called by God to be there as a witness for Christ, and are not simply there to earn high salaries. So it would not be helpful to say, 'Why don't they just leave now?' There comes a time when abandoning a sinking ship is the right thing to do. But until that point, it is not wrong to remain onboard and try to help every last passenger and crew into a lifeboat.
Her final destruction seems to occur at the seventh bowl judgment (Revelation 16:19), and it is reasonable to equate this with the destruction of Kedar in Isaiah 21:16. The bowl judgments are released in the 30 day period after Jesus returns at the end of the three-and-a-half year Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Daniel 12:11-12), and it is reasonable to equate the seven bowls with 'her plagues'. Isaiah 21:16 indicates that her initial fall occurs one year before the destruction of Kedar, resulting in a year-long Saudi-Arabian refugee crisis. So her initial fall comes about two and a half years into the Great Tribulation.
By the time of her judgment, Saudi Arabia is seen to be 'drunk with the blood of the saints' (Revelation 17:6). Does this imply that when the Great Tribulation begins she will launch a new persecution of Jews and Christians, like Hitler did against the Jews when he came to power? Or is she already drunk with the blood of the saints because for decades she has been exporting her murderous ideology of Wahhabist Islam, driving fundamentalist Muslims around the world into a drunken frenzy of violent jihad against non-Muslims? I suspect the latter is the more correct answer, and that their drunken frenzy will become ever more extreme as we enter the Great Tribulation. But if the former is correct, then Christians would be well advised to get out of Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world before the Great Tribulation begins, and perhaps as soon as Antichrist confirms his international peace treaty (Daniel 9:27). People will be saying "There is peace and security" at that point (1 Thessalonians 5:3), much like Neville Chamberlain declared 'Peace in our time' in 1938. But Hitler began persecuting the Jews in Nazi Germany from the moment he came to power, so there certainly wasn't 'peace in our time' for Germany's Jews, either in 1938 or several years before that. Likewise there may not be 'peace and security' for the Christians in Saudi Arabia during the three and a half years before the Great Tribulation. Unless God clearly guides them otherwise, and they are happy to die for their faith, my advice to Christians would be to leave Saudi Arabia as soon as the international treaty is signed. Even then, it may not be easy for many of them to leave, especially those from non-Western countries.
Saudi Arabia is divided into 13 provinces, with the Province of Mecca in the south-west being the most highly populated region. According to Isaiah 21:13-15, it seems that during the Saudi refugee crisis, the population will flee in a northerly direction towards Tema in Edom. According to Ezekiel 25:13, from Dedan northwards was considered part of Edom. By fleeing in the direction of Edom, it seems that they flee 'out of the frying pan into the fire'. For when Jesus comes back, it is Edom in the north-west of Saudi Arabia (and possibly southern Jordan) that he afflicts most with plagues (Isaiah 34 and 63:1-6, Habakkuk 3). Habakkuk 3:7 identifies them especially with the land of Midian. This was the region on the east of the Gulf of Aqaba in the far north-western corner of modern-day Saudi Arabia. It is a part of Edom, in accordance with the definition of Edom in Ezekiel 25:13.
The following slides show a likely sequence of events related to the fall of Mystery Babylon:
Verse 5 says, "because her sins have piled up all the way to heaven and God has remembered her crimes". This is given as justification for her plagues. Revelation 17 already gave a vivid description of her sins, and why she is deserving of God's condemnation. Not only is she guilty of gross idolatry, she is also seen to be drunk with the blood of the saints whom she has murdered. Even today, Saudi Arabia is one of the world's worst nations for persecuting Christians. Although she shows a degree of tolerance towards expatriate Christians, leaving Islam and becoming a Christian is punishable by death, in accordance with Islamic law. God tells us that he has remembered her crimes.
Pay her back double (v6)
Verse 6 says, "Repay her the same way she repaid others; pay her back double corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her". In the Law of Moses, a thief who was caught had to pay back double what he had stolen (Exodus 22:4-7). Describing the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the Apostle Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, "For you know quite well that the day of the Lord will come in the same way as a thief in the night". Many people will suffer great loss in the Great Tribulation, including many who will lose their lives. Mystery Babylon (Saudi Arabia) and the beast (the Antichrist and his empire) will be held responsible for much of that loss. As such, when Jesus comes back at the end of the Great Tribulation, Mystery Babylon and the Antichrist will be made to pay double for their crimes. And just as she becomes drunk on the blood of the saints through the export of her wine (the message of Islam), so she will be made to drink double from the wine of God's anger. In Jeremiah 25:23-24, the peoples of modern-day Saudi Arabia are listed among the many nations who will have to drink the wine of God's anger. And last of all the king of Sheshach (the Antichrist) will drink it (Jeremiah 25:26).
Exaltation and Humiliation (v7)
Verse 7 says, "As much as she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ For anyone with any knowledge of Saudi Arabia, it should be obvious and appropriate to describe her as 'exalting herself and living in sensual luxury'. So I won't bother to list examples of her ridiculous excesses and luxuries. The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf States like Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE, has brought about a meteoric 'rags-to-riches' rise that is unprecedented and extreme. Her end-time fall will bring about a reversal that is every bit as extreme, leaving her tormented, grieving, and pitiful. The statement, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’ is a quote from Isaiah 47:7-8. As such it implies that the whole of Isaiah 47 is a description of her end-time fall. In that chapter she is pictured being thrown down from her throne into the dirt, and instead of being called 'delicate and pampered', she has to pick up millstones and grind flour like a poor woman. Her prostitute's veil is removed, her skirt is stripped off, her legs exposed, and her genitals are put on display! In other words, she is utterly humiliated!
Saudi Arabia's extreme exaltation, leading to her extreme humiliation, parallels Antichrist's attempted self-exaltation but eventual humiliation in Isaiah 14:13-15. This is set within a passage that presents Antichrist as a kind of Satan-incarnate. In verse 13 he boasts, "I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon". Mount Zaphon in this context was the Canaanite equivalent of Mount Olympus to the Greeks, and metaphorically-speaking was like the seat of the gods. Antichrist's boast that he will set up his throne above the stars of El means he will usurp the place of God. Isaiah 14:15 says, "But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the Pit". In other words, Satan-incarnate as the Antichrist seeks to overthrow God and exalt himself to the heights of heaven, but ends up in the depths of hell.
Plagues in a single day (v8)
Verse 8 says, "For this reason, she will experience her plagues in a single day: disease, mourning, and famine, and she will be burned down with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!” In the old days of siege warfare, famine and disease were used as deliberate tactics of war to achieve a surrender. In the Yemen War since 2015, Saudi Arabia has employed a strategy of siege warfare to strangle the Houthi rebels into surrender. She has blockaded Yemen's coastline with her navy and the skies with her aircraft. She has bombed the Port of Hodeidah in order to cut off supplies, including food and medicine. Not surprisingly, Yemen has experienced the biggest recorded outbreak of cholera, and is predicted to experience the worst famine in a hundred years. Already it has been estimated that 85,000 children have died of starvation. Military bombardment, disease and famine, have all been part of its strategy of war. God promises to combine all of these elements into his punishment of Saudi Arabia, all in a single day! As already stated, it is apparent from Isaiah 21:16 that the final destruction of Kedar follows a one-year Saudi Arabian refugee crisis that follows the announcement in Isaiah 21:9, "Babylon has fallen, fallen!" Which occasion does this 'single day' point to. The verses that follow imply that it is the destruction of the city, not of the nation's government, and is best equated with the destruction of Kedar. The fall of the government (Babylon) occurs a year earlier, before Jesus comes back. The destruction of Kedar occurs during the time of the seven bowl judgments, after Jesus has returned at the seventh trumpet. Jesus conducts his Edom campaign (Isaiah 63:1-6, Habakkuk 3) in the north of Saudi Arabia during that same period of time.
Reaction of the Kings of the Earth (v9-10)
Verses 9 to 10 say, "Then the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say, “Woe, woe, O great city, Babylon the powerful city! For in a single hour your doom has come!”
World leaders who have been involved in immoral acts with her are seen to weep and wail when they see the smoke that burns her up. In a spiritual sense, these immoral acts imply that at least some of them worship Allah, the false god of Islam. In a political sense, these immoral acts imply their political alliances with her for the sake of economic advantage and political security, but overlooking her corruption, oppression, and human rights abuses.
What is the source of the fire that burns her up? Isaiah 13:19 says, "Babylon, the most admired of kingdoms, the Chaldeans’ source of honour and pride, will be destroyed by God just as Sodom and Gomorrah were". Does that mean God will use the same method of destruction that he used against Sodom and Gomorrah when he rained down sulphur and fire (Genesis 19:24)? Or does he use a human agent to destroy the city with a nuclear missile? Whichever is the case, it is still a judgment of God who can use either natural disasters or human agents to deliver his judgments. The picture of them standing a long way off, watching her burn and pronouncing woe over her, reminds us of Genesis 19:28. It says of Abraham, "He looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah and all the land of that region. As he did so, he saw the smoke rising up from the land like smoke from a furnace".
Reaction of the Merchants (v11-17)
This is the longest and most detailed reaction. It depicts the reaction of the world's business people and the world's stock markets. They weep over her, asking who will buy all their luxury products that she always imported. Verses 12 to 13 give a long and detailed list of all her imports. Most of these are luxury items. Something like 'objects made of ivory' shouldn't be taken too literally. This is a listing of all the kind of luxury products the excessively rich of the 1st century AD might have wanted. Interpreting things in modern language, horses and four-wheeled carriages speaks of luxury cars. Wheat, cattle and sheep imply her import, not just of luxury items, but also of more basic food items. They confirm Mystery Babylon as a nation that is reliant upon the world's exports and produces very little of her own, other than oil and Islam. 'Slaves and human lives' reflects Saudi Arabia's import and exploitation of cheap foreign labour, and her extensive association with people traffickers. It may have been abolished long ago in most of the world, but slavery certainly exists today in Saudi Arabia.
Verse 14 emphasises that her fall is permanent. The luxuries she desired have gone forever, and will never ever be found in her again.
In verse 15, the merchants stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. This probably describes the reaction of business people around the world who fear that the same kind of disaster might befall other important economic centres, such as New York, London, Tokyo and so on. Or do they stand a long way off in a more literal geographic sense, afraid of the spread of nuclear fallout?
The language of verses 16 to 17 reaffirms her royal status and excessive royal luxuries, and laments the destruction of such great wealth in a single hour. Saudi Arabia is known for its huge royal family, with roughly 15,000 princes and princesses, owing to the polygamy of its rulers. Its founder, Ibn Saud, had about 100 children, and one of his sons, Saud, has 115 children. Isaiah 34:12 says, "Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom, all her princes will disappear".
Reaction of the Seamen (v17-19)
Verses 17b to 19 say, "And every ship’s captain, and all who sail along the coast – seamen, and all who make their living from the sea, stood a long way off and began to shout when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, “Who is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, “Woe, Woe, O great city – in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth – because in a single hour she has been destroyed!”
These verses are very important because they identify this great city as being located by the sea, or sufficiently close that the smoke of her burning is visible from the sea. If we identify the destruction of this great city with that of 'Kedar' in Isaiah 21:16, it is reasonable to associate it with Mecca, the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammed who is believed by most Muslims to be a descendant of Ishmael's second son, Kedar. Mecca is not exactly by the sea, but is located 70 km inland from the City of Jeddah, which is an important business city located by the Red Sea. About 100 km north of Jeddah, and also located by the sea, lies the new King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC). KAEC was conceived in 2005, with completion estimated in 2020. It is likely to become a great economic powerhouse during the next decade, rivalling Dubai which lies on the east side of the Arabian Peninsula. In just a few years after the discovery of oil in the UAE, Dubai was transformed from a quaint Arab fishing village into a great business centre that is used as a hub by much of the world's shipping. It is likely that KAEC will rapidly become the next Dubai. As such, you have a triangle of Mecca, Jeddah and KAEC, all located within Mecca Province, the mostly highly populated of Saudi Arabia's thirteen provinces. Connected by high-speed rail links, it is reasonable to see these three cities as effectively forming one megacity that relates to the religious, business and shipping communities as characterised by Babylon the Great in Revelation 17-18. The following video gives an introduction to King Abdullah Economic City:
Verse 20 says, "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!"
The speaker here is not identified. It may be an angel, or possibly the voice of God himself as in verse 4 when he addressed Christians as 'my people'. This reaction contrasts dramatically with that of the kings, merchants and seamen. Instead of expressing woes, believers in heaven are called upon to rejoice. The city's destruction is God's judgment on their behalf. In other words, it is payback for her murderous campaign against God's people, in which she became drunk on their blood (Revelation 17:6).
Angel's dramatic pronouncement (v21-24)
Verse 21 says, "Then one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said, “With this kind of sudden violent force Babylon the great city will be thrown down and it will never be found again!"
This alludes to Jeremiah 51:61-64. Jeremiah pronounced a long and detailed prophecy about the fall of Ancient Babylon, as recorded in Jeremiah 50-51. He then gave it to Seraiah, whom he sent to Babylon and charged as follows: "When you arrive in Babylon, make sure you read aloud all these prophecies. Then say, ‘O Lord, you have announced that you will destroy this place so that no people or animals live in it any longer. Certainly it will lie desolate forever!’ When you finish reading this scroll aloud, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates River. Then say, ‘In the same way Babylon will sink and never rise again because of the disaster I am ready to bring upon her; they will grow faint.’" What this implies is that although the prophecy was primarily about the fall of Ancient Babylon, it is ultimately about the fall of Mystery Babylon. Whereas Seraiah was simply told to tie a stone to the scroll and throw it into the River Euphrates, now the angel picks up a huge millstone and throws it into the sea. So the prophecy is re-interpreted in relation to end-time Babylon the Great which is located not by the River Euphrates, but by the sea. The magnitude of her fall compared to that of Ancient Babylon is dramatically demonstrated in the difference between the huge millstone that the angel uses, and the simple stone that Seraiah used.
After Ancient Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 BC, it continued to be inhabited for another 1,000 years. When Mystery Babylon falls, it will become an uninhabited ruin, left as a dwelling place for wild animals and birds (Revelation 18:2). In verses 22 to 23, the angel emphasises this fact. The sound of musicians will never be heard in her again (v22a). No craftsman or trade will be found in her (v22b). No light from a lamp will ever shine in her again (v23a). Neither will the voices of bridegroom and bride (i.e. the sounds of happy rejoicing) be heard in her again (v23b).
The Final Verdict (v23-24)
Verse 23 says, "…For your merchants were the tycoons of the world, because all the nations were deceived by your magic spells!" This again emphasises her dual-role as a great centre for business, and also for religion. The Greek word 'pharmakeia' translated 'magic spells' in the NET bible implies a type of sorcery. As such it is a description relating to her religion. The earth's inhabitants are seen to have become intoxicated with the wine of her immorality (Revelation 17:2). The message of Islam intoxicates them and bewitches them under Satan's power like a magic spell.
Verse 24 says, "The blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, along with the blood of all those who had been killed on the earth". This is a portrayal of a wicked sorceress, sacrificing God's people and mixing their blood to create a magic potion.
This is like a courtroom scene in which the judge sums up what a vile creature she is, and why she is deserving of the heavy sentence he pronounces upon her. The phrase 'along with the blood of all those who had been killed on the earth' portrays her as ultimately an earthly manifestation of Satan himself, who will ultimately be held responsible for the blood of all those killed on the earth. In his summing up, God completely demonises her. This demonisation is also seen in the sense that in Revelation 17 she rides the beast. Like the dragon (Satan) in chapter 12, the beast has seven heads and ten horns. The beast is Satan's kingdom on earth, and Saudi Arabia as the Great Prostitute rides upon it. She is therefore Satan's accomplice, and is judged accordingly for Satan's crimes.
In stating that God and the bible effectively demonise Saudi Arabia and Islam, it is important to point out that God loves individual Muslims. It is ultimately Allah himself and the religion of Islam that God demonises. He doesn't demonise ordinary individual Muslims who succumb to the Islamic deception. According to Revelation 14:6-8, an angel proclaims the Gospel to every nation, tribe, language, and people immediately before the fall of Mystery Babylon. This demonstrates God's mercy before judgment, and I believe that many Muslims will repent and turn to Jesus at that point. When God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son (John 3:16), Jesus died for Muslim people as much as for anyone else. He longs for them to repent and believe in Jesus as the Son of God, their true God and Saviour.
On Open Doors' Watchlist of the top 50 nations where Christians face the most extreme persecution, Saudi Arabia is currently ranked 15 out of 50 in 2019. After North Korea which is the worst of all, the next 15 worst nations are all Muslim nations, except for India where persecution is partly by Muslims and partly by Hindus. Out of the top 50 nations, 35 are Muslim-majority nations.
Saudi Arabia is not currently the worst persecuting nation. But here in Revelation, perhaps because she is the original source of Islam, and because she has so effectively used her oil wealth to export her wine, the message of Islam, she is viewed as being accountable for all who are persecuted and killed in the name of Islam.
To further understand the fall of Mystery Babylon, it is important to follow the pointers that Revelation 17-18 gives us to the prophecies of Isaiah 13, 21, 34, 47, Jeremiah 49, 50-51. All of these are ultimately prophecies about the fall of Mystery Babylon.
Symbols: Prostitute, Purple, Scarlet, Court, Sorceress, Witch
Tags: Islam, Fall of Islam, Cup of intoxicating wine of judgment, Fall of Babylon, Antichrist as Satan-incarnate, Plagues, Babylon will be destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah, Sorcery, Persecution of Christians, Martyrdom, Mystery Babylon
18 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance.
2 He shouted with a powerful voice:
“Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!
She has become a lair for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detested beast.
3 For all the nations have fallen from
the wine of her immoral passion,
and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have gotten rich from the power of her sensual behavior.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so you will not take part in her sins and so you will not receive her plagues,
5 because her sins have piled up all the way to heaven and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Repay her the same way she repaid others; pay her back double corresponding to her deeds. In the cup she mixed, mix double the amount for her.
7 As much as she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’
8 For this reason, she will experience her plagues in a single day: disease, mourning, and famine, and she will be burned down with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is powerful!”
9 Then the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her and lived in sensual luxury with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up.
10 They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say,
“Woe, woe, O great city,
Babylon the powerful city!
For in a single hour your doom has come!”
11 Then the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo any longer –
12 cargo such as gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all sorts of things made of citron wood, all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble,
13 cinnamon, spice, incense, perfumed ointment, frankincense, wine, olive oil and costly flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and four-wheeled carriages, slaves and human lives.
14 (The ripe fruit you greatly desired
has gone from you,
and all your luxury and splendor
have gone from you –
they will never ever be found again!)
15 The merchants who sold these things, who got rich from her, will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
16 saying,
“Woe, woe, O great city –
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet clothing,
and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls –
17 because in a single hour such great wealth has been destroyed!”
And every ship’s captain, and all who sail along the coast – seamen, and all who make their living from the sea, stood a long way off
18 and began to shout when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, “Who is like the great city?”
19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning,
“Woe, Woe, O great city –
in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth –
because in a single hour she has been destroyed!”
20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!)
21 Then one powerful angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone, threw it into the sea, and said,
“With this kind of sudden violent force
Babylon the great city will be thrown down
and it will never be found again!
22 And the sound of the harpists, musicians,
flute players, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again.
No craftsman who practices any trade
will ever be found in you again;
the noise of a mill will never be heard in you again.
23 Even the light from a lamp
will never shine in you again!
The voices of the bridegroom and his bride
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the tycoons of the world,
because all the nations were deceived by your magic spells!
24 The blood of the saints and prophets was found in her,
along with the blood of all those who had been killed on the earth.”
The mysteries of 'Babylon the great', sometimes translated 'Mystery Babylon" in Revelation 17-18, and of the two beasts introduced in Revelation 13, are the greatest and most complex pieces of the end time puzzle. How you interpret these two great mysteries dramatically affects your end time worldview and expectations of end time events. For a scholarly and comprehensive overview of the history of Christian interpretation of Revelation 17-18, together with a more detailed explanation as to why Mystery Babylon represents Mecca, Saudi Arabia and Islam, I strongly recommend that you read 'Mystery Babylon' by Joel Richardson. My priority in writing these commentaries is to explain concisely what the text actually means from a biblical perspective. I leave you to read Joel Richardson's excellent book if you wish to gain the broadest perspective, and to understand its associated history.
To interpret these chapters correctly, it is crucial that we allow scripture to interpret each of the metaphors or symbols.
In verses 1 to 2, one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls says to John, "Come…I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
Revelation 17 explains who the prostitute is and why God will condemn her. Revelation 18 prophesies her punishment.
Prostitute metaphor (v1)
The Old Testament presents God as Israel's true husband, much like the New Testament presents Christ as the bridegroom who will return for his betrothed, the Church. In Hosea 2 and in Jeremiah 3, Israel is portrayed as an adulterous wife who prostituted herself to foreign gods, with the result that God divorced her and sent her away because of her adultery. So worship of any god other than Jehovah is seen metaphorically as a kind of sexual immorality, adultery or prostitution. For example, Jeremiah 3:1-3 says, "…But you, Israel, have given yourself as a prostitute to many gods… Look up at the hilltops and consider this. Where have you not been ravished? You waited for those gods like a thief lying in wait in the wilderness. You defiled the land by your wicked prostitution to other gods. That is why the rains have been withheld, and the spring rains have not come. Yet in spite of this you are obstinate as a prostitute. You refuse to be ashamed of what you have done". Israel being metaphorically divorced and sent away represents the exile of the northern kingdom to Assyria in 722 BC, and of the southern kingdom to Babylon in 586 BC. Hosea 2:7 prophesies a time when she would later decide to return to her husband, an allusion to Judah's return from Babylon in about 539 BC. Hosea 2:14-17 then prophesies a later time when God will allure Israel back into the desert, in a kind of end-time exodus. There he will speak tenderly to her, and fully restore her into covenant relationship as his wife.
Similarly Ezekiel 23 very graphically portrays Samaria and Jerusalem as two sisters who become prostitutes. The older one is called Oholah and is said to represent Samaria. As the capital city, Samaria in turn represents the northern kingdom of Israel as a whole. The younger one is called Oholibah and is said to represent Jerusalem. As the capital city, Jerusalem in turn represents the southern kingdom of Judah. The name 'Oholah' means literally 'her tent' and 'Oholibah' means 'my tent is in her'. This reflects the fact that during the time of the judges, the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant were located at Bethel in the northern kingdom (Judges 20:27). Later, during the reign of King David, the ark was moved to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom, where David pitched a tent for it (1 Chronicles 15), and Solomon later built a temple for it. Bethel was distinct from Samaria, but being in general proximity to Samaria it was as though it was part of 'greater Samaria'. In that sense, both Samaria and Jerusalem were both places that housed God's sanctuary, but which later became centres of idolatry (e.g. 1 Kings 12:28, Jeremiah 32:34, Ezekiel 8).
So the 'great prostitute' here in Revelation represents a city and nation that contains the shrine of a great false god. Her identity as a city is stated explicitly in Revelation 17:18.
In 520 BC, Zechariah also had a prophetic vision of Islam as a prostitute. In Zechariah 5:5-11, he saw a woman, said to represent wickedness, being carried in a basket. When Zechariah asked where it was being taken, he was told, "To build a temple for her in the land of Babylonia. When it is finished, she will be placed there in her own residence". This was fulfilled in 630 AD when the Kaaba in Mecca effectively became the temple of Islam. In his book, 'Mystery Babylon' page 216, Joel Richardson points out that the Kaaba is covered in a black cloth like a woman's burka, but in one corner the black stone is exposed. The black stone is set in one corner of the Kaaba, within a silver encasement that resembles a woman's vagina.
The Kaaba being 'dressed' like a prostitute with her genitals on display also points prophetically to the fulfilment of Isaiah 47. This describes the fall of the Daughter of Babylon, with verses 1 to 3 saying, "Indeed, you will no longer be called delicate and pampered. Pick up millstones and grind flour! Remove your veil, strip off your skirt, expose your legs, cross the streams! Let your private parts be exposed! Your genitals will be on display!"
Waters metaphor (v1)
In verse 1, the prostitute sits on many 'waters'. Verse 15 interprets this saying, "The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages". In other words, the waters represent the peoples of many nations and languages who worship the false god associated with this city.
Verse 2 says that the kings of the earth commit sexual immorality with her. This means that the earth's rulers worship her false god, or are seduced and corrupted by her. In chapter 21 of 'Mystery Babylon', Joel Richardson details how Saudi Arabia has funded several US presidents, including Jimmy Carter, George Bush senior and George W. Bush, as well as Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign. Saudi Arabia and Islam seeks the submission of the world's rulers. If it cannot attain this submission by their conversion to Islam, Saudi Arabia attempts to buy it instead.
Wine and Cup metaphors (v2-4)
Verse 2 also says, "the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality". Similarly Revelation 14:8 says, "She made all the nations drink of the wine of her immoral passion". This depicts the manner in which Saudi Arabia has sought to evangelise the world with its version of Islam, known as Wahhabism or Salafism. Wahhabism is an Islamic reform movement, not in the sense of modernist reform, but in the sense that it attempts to restore Islam to how it was during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed. Evangelism is called 'dawah' in Islam, meaning 'to invite'. In the last few decades, Saudi Arabia has spent tens of billions of dollars building mosques, Islamic cultural centres and madrasas, and distributing free Qurans and Islamic literature around the world. The wine primarily represents the message of Islam which she invites people to embrace.
Jumping ahead slightly, verse 4 says, "…She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality". 'Her sexual immorality' means 'her worship of Allah'. The 'detestable and unclean things' refer again to the wine that fills her cup, and depict the teachings and practices contained within the message of Islam.
The cup and wine metaphors also have a basis in Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:16-23, Jeremiah 25:15-38, Obadiah 1:16, Habakkuk 2:15-17, Zechariah 2:12, and Revelation 14:10. Jeremiah 25:15-38 is a prophecy about end times in which God gives Jeremiah a cup filled with the wine of his anger and tells him to make all the kings of the nations drink it. First of all the leaders of Judah are made to drink it, then the leaders of Egypt, the Palestinians, Jordan, Lebanon, Arabia, Iran, then of all the nations, and finally the king of 'Sheshach 'is made to drink it. As they each drink the cup, God sends wars sweeping through their lands. I will explain the meaning and significance of 'Sheshach' in my commentary on verse 5 below.
The cup of wine in the prostitute's hand is in a sense Satan's counterfeit of the cup of the wine of God's anger. In recent years, as Saudi Arabia has used its oil wealth to export the message of Wahhabist Islam, nations like Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Lybia have embraced it and then been overwhelmed by war. Many claim that 'Islam' means 'peace' and is a religion of peace. In reality, 'Islam' means 'submission', and although that submission to Allah and his Sharia is sometimes achieved through peaceful invitation and persuasion, it is and always has been largely achieved through jihad warfare. Islam is in reality a religion of war, but masquerades as a religion of peace. It divides the world into the 'House of Islam' and the 'House of War', and incites Muslims to wage jihad until all the whole world is ruled under sharia law and there is no religion other than Islam. For example, Quran 9:5 says, "Then, when the sacred months are over, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then let them go their way; Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate". And Quran 8:39 says, "Fight them, till there is no persecution and the religion is Allah’s entirely". If you are still not convinced that this is truly what Islam teaches, please read Robert Spencer's excellent book, 'A History of Jihad from Muhammad to ISIS'. Quoting primarily from Islamic sources, it documents how Muslims have practiced what the Quran preaches through 1,400 years of jihad warfare.
So is the wine the message of Islam, or is it God's judgment? In a sense it is both. At the beginning of the Great Tribulation, God will allow Antichrist to sweep through Israel and other Middle Eastern nations and conquer them. In so doing, these nations will drink the wine of the great prostitute, but also in a sense they will drink the wine of God's anger. Just as Nebuchadnezzar of old, king of ancient Babylon, acted in a sense as God's 'servant' when he invaded Israel and the surrounding nations (Jeremiah 25:9), Antichrist will in a sense be acting as God's servant and agent of judgment. At the end of the Great Tribulation, after Jesus returns upon the clouds, the cup will be placed in Antichrist's hand and he and all his followers will have to drink the wine of God's wrath (Jeremiah 25:26). Isaiah 51:22-23 also prophesies this when he says to Zion, "This is what your Sovereign Lord, even your God who judges his people says: “Look, I have removed from your hand the cup of intoxicating wine, the goblet full of my anger. You will no longer have to drink it. I will put it into the hand of your tormentors who said to you, ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you.’”
Jesus also drank the wine of God's wrath when he hung on the cross at Calvary. The night before, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, "My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Matthew 26:39). Jesus drank it so that all who believe in him escape having to drink it.
As we will see in Revelation 18, Mystery Babylon is not just the city of a great false religion, but in the end times it is also a great economic city. The kings and merchants of the earth are seen to commit immoral acts economically. In this sense, it is also reasonable to see a further dimension to the wine in her cup. Saudi Arabia seduces the nations economically by offering them her oil. Because of their interest in her oil exports, and in her imports of their own goods, the nations overlook the oppressive nature of the Saudi regime and its many abuses of human rights. Since Saudi Arabia became involved in the Yemen war in 2015, Saudi has become the world's largest importer of arms, with the USA and the UK being its main suppliers. Despite the fact that the Saudis have used these weapons to commit numerous war crimes against innocent civilians in Yemen, and the clear risk that they will continue to do so, western governments continue to sell arms to Saudi Arabia. Although they deny it, these governments are arguably violating international law by doing so.
In a Desert (v3)
Verse 3 says, "So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns". This identifies the prostitute as being located in a desert. This fits with the prostitute representing Mecca and Saudi Arabia, but not with alternative theories such as it representing Rome, Catholicism, New York and so on.
Although an aside to the main point here, John is seen here as an example of a prophet who, spiritually speaking, was enabled by God to travel in both time and space. In the spirit he is carried to the location of the prostitute and shown what she looks like in the end times. Ezekiel is another example of such a prophet. While living in ancient Babylon, he was transported to Jerusalem, once to Jerusalem in his own time (Ezekiel 8:3), and on another occasion to millennial Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40:1-2). Isaiah frequently travelled through time, as it were, enabling him to look back at yet future events and describe them from an end-time perspective (e.g. Isaiah 53). Philip the Evangelist was carried literally and bodily from one geographic location to another (Acts 8:39-40). The Apostle Paul was carried into heaven, but was not sure whether it was in the body or just in the spirit (2 Corinthians 12:2). In John's case, it is apparent from verses 6 and 7 that John was transported spiritually, but not literally, for what he saw was a vision of the mysterious prostitute, and this vision needed to be interpreted. He didn't see the literal city, but only its representation as a prostitute.
Scarlet metaphor (v3)
This beast in verse 3 is the same as the beast out of the sea in Revelation 13:1. It represents the end-time Antichrist and his restored Islamic Empire. Its scarlet colour represents its sinfulness, as in Isaiah 1:18, 'though your sins are like scarlet...'.
Sitting on the beast (v3)
The woman sitting on the beast depicts Saudi Arabia trying to ride and control Antichrist and his Islamic Empire. I explained the meaning of the seven heads and ten horns in my commentary on Revelation 13, and look at them below in my commentary on verses 9 to 14.
Names on foreheads (v3-5)
The blasphemous names on the heads of the beast remind me of some reality TV shows like Britain's 'Made in Chelsea'. Names often appear on the screen to tell you who the people are that you are watching. As John watches the beast with its seven heads, it is as though names appear on the screen to show him what these heads are that he is looking at. Blasphemous names imply names of false gods, or counterfeits or denials of biblical truth. In Revelation 13:16-18, Antichrist's followers have a mark on their foreheads or right arm that contains the name of Allah (see my commentary on Revelation 13). In Revelation 14:1, the 144,000 have the names of the Father and Son on their foreheads, in other words the name of Jehovah, the trinitarian God of the Bible. So throughout Revelation, names are continually 'popping up' on foreheads to show John what he is looking at.
Purple metaphor (v4)
Verse 4 says, "Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup…". I have also noted above that the colour scarlet represents sinfulness, and this is applied here to the prostitute just as it is to the beast in verse 3. The colour purple denotes royalty, implying that the prostitute represents a kingdom with a royal monarchy. Her adornment with gold, precious stones and pearls emphasises this fact, her wealth, and her royal luxury. The description of her golden cup within this context portrays her using her great wealth to offer the nations her wine, the message of Islam.
Speaking about the end-time fall of Edom, which according to Ezekiel 25:13 stretched at least as far as Dedan in what is today Saudi Arabia, Isaiah 34:12 says, "Her nobles will have nothing left to call a kingdom, all her princes will disappear". Saudi Arabia is known for its huge royal family, with roughly 15,000 princes and princesses, owing to the polygamy of its rulers. Its founder, Ibn Saud, had about 100 children, and one of his sons, Saud, has 115 children. Isaiah tells us all her princes will disappear.
Mystery Babylon (v5)
Verse 5 says, "On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”
The NET Bible notes say about this translation, "Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (mustērion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”). This is actually an important point. Although we might talk about 'Mystery Babylon', the bible actually gives the prostitute a 'mystery name' which is 'Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth'.
This mystery associated with the name Babylon has its origins in the Old Testament. As noted above, in Jeremiah 25 after various Middle Eastern nations have been made to drink the wine of God's wrath, verse 26 says, "After all of them have drunk the wine of the Lord’s wrath, the king of Sheshach must drink it'. The NET Bible actually translates this as 'the king of Babylon', but its translation notes say:
Why did Jeremiah encrypt the words 'Babylon' and 'Chaldea' with this code? It is not as though the code wasn't obvious, or was difficult to decipher. And in verse 12 of the same chapter, where it is clear that he was talking about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylonia in the 6th century BC, he says, "But when the seventy years are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation for their sins. I will make the land of Chaldea an everlasting ruin". He uses no code in this verse because he was talking about literal King Nebuchadnezzar and literal ancient Babylonia. Fourteen verses later, he encrypts the word 'Babylon' as 'Sheshach' to imply that he is talking about the end-time king of 'Mystery Babylon', who we generally call the Antichrist.
Similarly, in chapters 51 to 52, Jeremiah gives a long and detailed prophecy against 'Babylon'. But he introduces it in verse 1, saying, "The Lord says, “I will cause a destructive wind to blow against Babylon and the people who inhabit Leb Kamai". Instead of saying Chaldea, he encrypts it as 'Leb Kamai' using the same encryption as in chapter 25. Again in Jeremiah 51:41, he says, "How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! How is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!" (KJV). Using both the encrypted word 'Sheshach' and the plain text 'Babylon' in the same verse, it is clear he is not simply talking about ancient Babylon and trying to obscure the fact, like you might do in military communications. Although his long prophecy had a relevance and application to ancient Babylon, Jeremiah is telling us that it would ultimately be fulfilled in the fall of 'Mystery Babylon' and 'Mystery Chaldea'. Just as Babylon was the great city, and Chaldea the nation, 'Sheshach' is the mystery city, and 'Leb Kamai' is the mystery nation that it is in.
As the Holy Spirit revealed these prophecies to Jeremiah, did he have any clue what 'Mystery Babylon' was pointing to? I believe he probably did. For about a hundred years earlier, Isaiah had given a prophetic oracle declaring "Babylon has fallen, fallen!" (Isaiah 21:9). But the prophecy is introduced in verse 1 saying, "This is an oracle about the desert by the Sea". The 'desert by the Sea' is a reference to the Arabian Peninsula, which is surrounded by sea on three sides, namely the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. It is not a description of ancient Chaldea (Babylonia), which was located in Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris. In the detail of the oracle, it gives information not about Mesopotamia, but about Edom and Arabia. It describes an Arabian refugee crisis caused by an invasion of the Medes and Elamites (parts of modern-day Iran). The Arabs are prophesied to flee northwards from Dedan to the region of Tema in north-western Saudi Arabia, which was considered to be part of Edom according to Ezekiel 25:13. After one calendar year, the crisis ends with the final destruction of Kedar. Kedar is the Hebrew word commonly used for Arabia, reflecting the descent of many Arabs from Ishmael's second son Kedar (Genesis 25:13). The Kedarites were characterised as the Bedouin of the desert, living in dark tents made of goats hair (Psalm 120:5, Song of Solomon 1:5). Most Muslims identify the Prophet Mohammed as a descendant of Kedar, and associate Kedar with Mohammed's birthplace of Mecca. Isaiah 21:16-17 says, "For this is what the Lord has told me: “Within exactly one year all the splendor of Kedar will come to an end. Just a handful of archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be left.” Indeed, the Lord God of Israel has spoken".
This suggests that what Jeremiah calls 'Sheshach' refers to Mecca, and 'Leb Kamai' refers to Saudi Arabia. Here in Revelation when John describes 'Babylon the Great', it is reasonable to understand this in the sense of 'Greater Mecca' and Saudi Arabia. The map below shows Saudi Arabia together with place names mentioned in Isaiah 21. It also shows Edom, which extended as far as Dedan according to Ezekiel 25:13. Jabal Al-Lawz, the biblical Mount Sinai, is also shown.
Verse 5 also calls Babylon the Great 'the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth'. As discussed above, the prostitute metaphor refers to Babylon as a centre of false religion. 'Mother of Prostitutes' implies the superlative. She represents the 'Big Mamma' of false religions and detestable things. In other words, she is the biggest and most detestable false religion that has ever existed.
Drunk on Blood (v6)
Verse 6 says, "I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her". Those who testify to Jesus are clearly Christians. It is possible this is a descriptive phrase to further describe 'the saints'. Alternatively, 'the saints' may refer to the Jews as a distinct group. Jews and Christians together are called 'the People of the Book' in Islam. Quran 9:29 says, "Fight those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not practice the religion of truth, even if they are of the People of the Book — until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued". Despite calling Jews and Christians 'the People of the Book', Mohammed considered them to be unbelievers in Allah and idolaters because of the Christian belief in God as Trinity. Quran 47:4 says, "When you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks, then, when you have made wide slaughter among them, tie fast the bonds; then set them free, either by grace or ransom, till the war lays down its loads". In saying this, Mohammed was inciting his followers to behead non-Muslims, and to ransom some as hostages. He practiced what he preached when he personally beheaded 600 Jewish prisoners from the Qurayza tribe after he besieged them and they surrendered. It is clear that this Islamic practice of beheading Christians will become much more common and widespread during the Great Tribulation. Revelation 20:4, says "…I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand".
As Muslims are driven into a drunken religious fervour, beheading Christians and spilling their blood, Saudi Arabia is seen to be drunk with their blood. She is ultimately responsible, and she revels in it. Not only is she the Mother of Prostitutes, she is also a murderer and 'the mother of the detestable things of the earth'.
Why is John Astounded? (v6-7)
In verse 6 when John sees the prostitute drunk with the blood of the saints, he says "I was greatly astounded when I saw her", or literally "I marvelled a great marvel". In other words, the vision of the prostitute was a great mystery to John, and beyond his comprehension. In verse 7, the angel asks him, "Why are you astounded?", but without giving him time to answer then proceeds to explain it to him. Even with the angel's explanation, Christians have spent the last two thousand years pondering this great mystery, trying to make sense of it in relation to the rest of scripture, and in relation to world events. Just as the weather forecast for any given day becomes clearer and more accurate the closer you get to it, so this great mystery is much clearer to us today than it was to Christians in times past, or even a generation ago. But it is no wonder that it was a great wonder to John when he first saw it. My guess is that John was left still wondering, even after receiving the angel's interpretation. Like Daniel (Daniel 12:8), there was much about the visions he received that he did not understand.
In verse 7, the angel tells John, "I will interpret for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her". So actually the angel promises to interpret two mysteries, that of the woman, and that of the beast. Because the woman rides the beast, these two mysteries are so interlinked that you cannot understand one without understanding the other.
Interpretation of the Beast (v8-17)
Although John seemed to marvel most at the vision of the prostitute, the angel focusses mainly on the interpretation of the beast. This implies that to understand the prostitute, you first have to understand the beast. Please also see my commentaries on Daniel 7 and on Revelation 13, for background to the beast metaphor. The beast here in Revelation 17 is the 'beast out of the sea' in Revelation 13. Primarily it represents the end-time Islamic Empire, but also its king who personifies it, the Antichrist.
For a still broader and more detailed explanation, I recommend that you also read 'The Islamic Antichrist' by Joel Richardson. Briefly however:
Up from the Abyss (v8)
Verse 8 says, "The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction". 'Abyss' is a translation of the Greek word 'abussos' which is another word for 'Tartarus'. It refers to the deepest part of the world of the dead, and the place where demons could also be imprisoned (Luke 8:31, 2 Peter 2:4, Revelation 9:1-11). It is the deepest darkest depths of 'hell', or what Isaiah calls 'Sheol, the remote slopes of the Pit' (Isaiah 14:15). Coming 'up from the abyss' means that this beast is a wicked empire from the past that is 'resurrected from the dead' in the end times. Today, as the Great Tribulation rapidly approaches, this empire was, and is not, but is about to be restored. In Revelation 13:3, the historic 'death' of this empire is represented metaphorically as a fatal head-wound. Its future 'resurrection' is represented by this head-wound being healed.
Also, in Ezekiel 38, the Antichrist is called Gog after Gyges. Gyges was a 7th century king of Lydia in western Turkey. But further back in Greek mythology, Gyges was one of the three hecatoncheires whom Zeus released from the Abyss to help him defeat the Titans. I believe that Antichrist is called Gog for both of these reasons. He will arise as a ruler of Turkey (Ezekiel 38:3). But figuratively, he is Satan's man from the Abyss, through whom Satan hopes to overthrow God (Isaiah 14:11-15).
Seven Heads as Seven Mountains and Seven Kings (v9)
Verse 9b says, "The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on". This statement, and those that follow, are introduced in verse 9a with the statement which says literally, "Here is the mind that has wisdom". In other words, the explanation needs to be understood metaphorically, requiring wisdom. It is therefore a mistake to try to interpret the explanation literally. The seven heads are not literal heads, but represent mountains and kings (v9). Kings in turn represent their kingdoms or empires, just as in Daniel 2:38-39 the head of gold represented King Nebuchadnezzar, who in turn represented the Babylonian Empire.
It is also reasonable to argue that mountains here are not intended to be taken literally, but as a metaphor within a metaphor, they also represent kingdoms. For example, Isaiah 2:2 says, "In the future the mountain of the Lord’s temple will endure as the most important of mountains, and will be the most prominent of hills". Metaphorically speaking, this is a way of saying that Christ's kingdom will be superior to every other kingdom. (Admittedly, Zechariah 14:10 does suggest there may also be a literal raising up of Jerusalem). In Isaiah 55:12, God says to the people of Israel, "you will be led along in peace; the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you, and all the trees in the field will clap their hands". The mountains here metaphorically represent kingdoms and their people who will applaud redeemed Israel. According to Obadiah 1:19-21, after the day of the Lord the Jews will take possession of 'Esau's mountain' and rule over it. In other words, they will rule over the kingdom of Edom. Also Matthew 4:8, in the account of Christ's temptations, says "the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur". Whichever mountain he went up, there is no way that Jesus could literally have looked down on all the kingdoms of the world. Instead, when he looked down at mountain peaks beneath him, it was as though he was looking down on earthly kingdoms.
Mystery Babylon is not Rome
Taking mountains in a literal sense, the statement that the woman sits on seven mountains is one of several reasons that Mystery Babylon is most often interpreted as Rome. Rome is certainly often known as the city of seven hills, and Roman coins have been found that depict it as such. But if you look at Wikipedia's list of cities claimed to be built on seven hills, you find that there are many. And Mecca is one of them! However, I personally think it is better to understand mountains metaphorically as representing kingdoms or empires.
Verses 9b to 11 say, "They are also seven kings: five have fallen; one is, and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction".
In other words, the beast represents Satan's kingdom throughout biblical history, and the seven heads represent seven manifestations of that as historic earthly empires. Although there have certainly been more than seven empires throughout world history, these are seven that have ruled Israel, since the bible is always Israel-centric. From John's perspective in the 1st century AD, five of these had fallen, one was (the Roman Empire), and another was yet to come (the Islamic Empire). He also envisaged an eighth king, or kingdom, which would be a restoration of the seventh. These kingdoms are as follows:
2nd head - Assyrian Empire - fallen
3rd head - Babylonian Empire - fallen
4th head - Medo-Persian Empire / Achaemenid Empire - fallen
5th head - Greek Empire - fallen
6th head - Roman Empire - still present when John wrote Revelation
7th head - Islamic Empire (historic) / Antichrist's empire after resurrection from the Abyss
-still a future head from John's perspective
8th king - Antichrist - ruler of the seventh kingdom in its revived end-time state
Since the time of the Protestant Reformation, it has been common for Protestant Christians to identify Mystery Babylon as Roman Catholicism, and the Antichrist as the Pope. Given that the Roman Catholic church was spilling the blood of Protestant Christians at the time, this was not an unreasonable assumption in its day.
In 1704, Sir Isaac Newton, the great scientist who explained the laws of gravity, made a prediction that the second coming would take place some time after 2060. Although this prediction is not widely known, I think it is interesting and worth noting. As a devout Christian, Newton wrote more about theology than about science, and had a particular interest in eschatology. His 2060 prediction was based upon an interpretation of the 1,260 days of the Great Tribulation (e.g. Revelation 12:6) as representing 1,260 years. Starting with 800 AD when Charlemagne became the first Holy Roman Emperor, he added 1,260 years, arriving at the year 2060. However, he was somewhat unsure about 800 AD, and wondered whether to start with the Donation of Pepin to the Papacy in 756 AD. So he offered the year 2016 as another possibility!
Another common reason Christians often identify Mystery Babylon as Rome is because of Reverend Alexander Hislop's pamphlet, 'The Two Babylons', published in 1853. This promoted the theory that Roman Catholicism is an evolved form of religion started by Nimrod at the Tower of Babel, based on various supposed connections that Hislop identified between the two. In recent years, Hislop's theory has been exposed as a fraud, but his influence continues. For more details about this, please read chapter 5 of 'Mystery Babylon' by Joel Richardson.
Finally, Mystery Babylon as Rome has been a core assumption of most dispensationalists. When a particular interpretation is part of a 'bundle' along with other popular interpretations, it is often harder for people to discard it and to move on when evidence suggests it is time to do so. Dispensationalism was introduced by John Darby in the 1830's and popularised after the 1909 publication of the Scofield Reference Bible, which included Darby's notes. Another key assumption associated with dispensationalism is that of a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church (which conflicts with 2 Thessalonians 2). Dispensationalism was further popularised by the restoration of the State of Israel in 1948, which was seen as a fulfilment of dispensationalist expectations. This was something they got right, but it was then seen as a confirmation of Dispensationalism generally. As a framework for understanding end times, Dispensationalism is still popular today.
Going to Destruction (v11)
The statement in verse 11 that the beast 'is going to destruction' anticipates the destruction by Jesus of Antichrist and his empire (Revelation 19:11-21).
Ten horns (v12-14)
Verses 12 to 14 say, " The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These kings have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful".
The ten horns as ten kings refers back to Daniel 7:7-27. In Daniel's vision of the end-time empire it arises as a coalition of ten kings, but later the Antichrist arises over it as an eleventh king. Daniel 7:24 says, "The ten horns mean that ten kings will arise from that kingdom. Another king will arise after them, but he will be different from the earlier ones. He will humiliate three kings".
Here in Revelation 17, because the prostitute rides the beast, I expect the end-time empire to arise as a coalition of ten Sunni Arab nations led and controlled by Saudi Arabia. The Antichrist then arises out of Turkey (Ezekiel 38:2). Being a Turk and not an Arab, he is 'different from the earlier ones' (Daniel 7:24). The 'kings have a single intent' (Revelation 17:13) in the sense that Salafist Muslims like Al-Qaeda and ISIS have a commonly expressed intent of restoring the Islamic Caliphate and the Ottoman Empire. It is likely that the ten nation coalition willingly submits to Antichrist's takeover. However, in Daniel 2:41-43, this restored Islamic Empire is pictured as feet of iron mixed with clay, representing a weak and brittle unity that holds the empire together. So although Antichrist's takeover may initially be a peaceful one, problems quickly arise and he overthrows three of its kings.
Part of their single intent and dream of a revived Ottoman Empire is that Islam will dominate the world, leaving no religion except Islam, as per Quran 8:39 which says, “Fight them, till there is no persecution and the religion is Allah’s entirely". Consequently, as verse 14 says, "They will make war with the Lamb". This is their attempt to destroy Christianity, along with every other religion, so that only Islam survives.
For One Hour (v12)
The coalition of ten kings receive authority along with the Antichrist for 'one hour'. There are times when biblical time-periods should be taken literally. An example is the 1,260 day duration of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:3, 12:6). Its literal meaning is indicated by it being confirmed as 42 months (Revelation 11:2, 13:5), and as three and a half years (Daniel 7:25, 12:7, Revelation 12:14). However, there are also cases where biblical time-periods should be taken figuratively. For example, in Luke 4:19, Jesus announced the 'year of the Lord's favour' in accordance with Isaiah 61:2a. It represents a long period of time that we are still in today, when God offers an amnesty to sinners who choose to repent. Isaiah 61:2b also describes the 'day of vengeance of our God' which represents a shorter time period and equates with the Great Tribulation period of three and a half literal years. I understand the 'one hour' here in verse 12 in this non-literal sense. 'One hour' represents a short period of time. The Islamic Empire is restored as a coalition of ten kings, but it is very quickly taken over by the Antichrist.
The Lamb will conquer (v14)
Fortunately, things don't go to plan for the end-time Islamic Empire. Verse 14 says, "but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful".
Obviously, it is Jesus who is the Lamb (e.g. John 1:29, Revelation 5:6), the Lord of lords and King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 19:16). Jesus will be victorious and defeat Antichrist's empire at the battle of Armageddon.
Jesus accompanied by an army (v14)
It is also worth noting that Jesus will be accompanied at Armageddon by his 'called, chosen and faithful followers'. After Jesus returns at the seventh trumpet, he first of all fights alone in his Edom campaign (Isaiah 63:1-6), during which he rescues the Jewish refugees from their 'Bozrah sheepfold'. He leads them out from there, advancing ahead of them as their king (Micah 2:12-13). In the intervening period between then and Armageddon, it appears from various scriptures that he musters a considerable army to accompany him for the final battle. This army appears to include resurrected and raptured believers (Psalm 50:4, Isaiah 13:3-5, 33:4, Joel 2:1-11, 3:11, Revelation 19:14), those identified as godly, holy, or as God's chosen people (Psalm 110:3, Psalm 118:10-27, Zechariah 14:5, Revelation 17:14), and redeemed exiles from Judah and Israel (Psalm 149:5-9, Isaiah 11:10-14, Ezekiel 25:14, Zechariah 9:13, 10:6-9, 12:6). Jewish resistance fighters from within occupied Jerusalem are also seen to play a role (Micah 4:13, Zechariah 12:5, 8). It is also possible that his army includes angels. In his parables in Matthew 13, Jesus spoke about the role of angels in separating the wicked from the righteous in his kingdom. And in Matthew 16:27 he says, "For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done". So angels come with Jesus and are involved in dealing out judgments and rewards. And they will be involved behind the scenes in spiritual warfare surrounding end-time events (.e.g. Zechariah's vision of four horses, and of four chariots in chapters 1 and 6). But it is not clear whether angels also fight and kill people in the physical earthly realm of Jesus' end-time battles.
Waters metaphor (v15)
As already noted, in verse 1 the prostitute sits on many 'waters'. Verse 15 interprets this saying, "The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages". In other words, the waters represent the peoples of many nations and languages who worship the false god associated Mystery Babylon. These are the Muslim peoples of the world who worship Allah.
The Beast Hates the Prostitute (v16-17)
Verses 16 to 17 say, "The ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled".
This might seem surprising, but it is another consequence of the fragile unity holding Antichrist's empire together. As noted, his empire is portrayed in Daniel 2 as feet of iron mixed with clay. Although it may appear strong, in reality it is inherently weak. Initially the prostitute (Saudi Arabia) rides and controls the beast, and I think it is reasonable to assume that it is Saudi Arabia that will bring about the united coalition in the first place. But deep down, this coalition (the ten horns) and the beast (the Antichrist) hate Saudi Arabia. Although many Muslims adopt Saudi Arabia's Wahhabist ideology of Islam, many of them despise Saudi Arabia. Reasons include:
1) They are jealous of Saudi Arabia's wealth and excessive luxuries
2) They despise Saudi Arabia's for its well-known corruption
3) They despise it for its close relationship with the West and especially for its close reliance upon America.
4) It is also helpful to know a bit of recent history. After Russia occupied Afghanistan in 1979, Saudi religious clerics called for a jihad in support of the Afghan Mujahideen. Thousands of foreign jihadists responded and went, funded and supported by Saudi Arabia and the United States. This included about 20,000 Saudi nationals, including Osama Bin Laden. The subsequent Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 was widely seen by the Muslim world as a great victory for the Mujahideen. However in 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and became a threat to Saudi Arabia. Instead of calling another jihad and relying upon the Mujahideen, Saudi Arabia turned to America and the West for support. This left many veteran jihadists like Osama Bin Laden highly disillusioned with the Saudi regime. Not only did they feel sidelined, but they felt great disgust at the thought of 'infidel American boots' on the holy ground of Saudi Arabian soil. This kind of disillusionment led to the formation of Al-Qaeda as a jihadist rebel group, intent on overthrowing the Saudi government and attacking the 'infidel West'. Today, various Islamist groups exist that give allegiance to Al-Qaeda or ISIS. Ironically they have grown out of the Saudi ideology of Wahhabist Islam, and yet they hate the Saudi regime.
5) The Cold War between Saudi Arabia and Iran. After the discovery of Saudi Arabian oil in the 1930's, Saudi Arabia rapidly emerged as the wealthiest and most powerful Middle Eastern nation, overtaking Egypt. It has effectively been 'top dog' in the Middle East for the last fifty years or more. However, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, a cold war has developed between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Iran has funded Shia minorities all over the Middle East, seeking to increase its power and influence at the expense of Saudi Arabia. In turn, Saudi has funded Sunni rebel groups, trying to undermine Shiite governments in places like Iraq and Syria. Although the Middle East has become polarised over the Sunni-Shia divide, not all Sunni nations are as anti-Iran as Saudi Arabia would like them to be. For example, relations recently soured between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, partly because of Qatar's alleged ties with Iran.
In Isaiah 21, the main Old Testament passage which identifies 'Babylon' with Arabia, verse 2 tells us, "The deceiver deceives, the destroyer destroys. Attack, you Elamites! Lay siege, you Medes! I will put an end to all the groaning!" The Elamites and Medes were ancient Iranian peoples. In its end-time context, the deceiver is the Antichrist, of whom Daniel 8:25 says, "By his treachery he will succeed through deceit. He will have an arrogant attitude, and he will destroy many who are unaware of his schemes." Ezekiel 38 tells us that Gog (another name for the Antichrist) is 'the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal', indicating that he is a ruler of modern-day Turkey. It also identifies Persia (Iran) as one of his allies. Psalm 120 also describes his deceitfulness, and makes a connection between Meshech (Turkey) and Kedar (Arabia). It seems likely that Saudi Arabia will willingly form an alliance with Turkey, but Turkey will deceive Saudi and make its own alliance with Iran. Saudi trusts Turkey, but Turkey betrays her to her arch-enemy and gives Iran the green light to attack. The outcome is expressed in Isaiah 21:9, "Babylon has fallen, fallen! All the idols of her gods lie shattered on the ground!"
Here in Revelation 17, this same outcome is expressed in verses 16b to 17, "They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled". It is also quoted in Revelation 18:2, "Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!" It is certainly reasonable to speculate that the statement 'They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire' points to Saudi Arabia being nuked by Iran.
Prostitute as a Great City (v18)
Verse 18 says, "As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth".
Just as Ezekiel 23 portrayed the ancient cities of Samaria and Jerusalem as prostitutes, so Revelation confirms that the Great Prostitute represents a great city. A city in turn represents its nation as a whole. Mecca is seen to rule spiritually over the kings of the earth through its export of Islam. In chapter 18, it is also seen to have great economic power over the kings and merchants of the earth. It is reasonable to attribute this to its export of oil, its other kind of 'wine', and through its import of so many goods from the nations of the world. Both her exports and imports breed international dependency upon Saudi Arabia.
Given that this great city in Revelation 17-18 has both religious and economic dimensions, it is likely that the 'city' refers to more than just Mecca. It likely includes the nearby coastal city of Jeddah, and possibly the new King Abdullah Economic City(KAEC) which has been built about 100 km north of Jeddah as a rival to Dubai. These three cities are all in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and could be understood collectively as parts of 'Greater Mecca'. KAEC was only conceived in 2005, with completion estimated in 2020. It is likely to become a great economic powerhouse during the next decade.
Symbols: Prostitute, Mother of prostitutes, Beast out of the Abyss, Beasts as empires, Waters, Cup of intoxicating wine of judgment, Wine as the message of Islam, Wine as oil, Heads as kings or kingdoms, Horns as kings, Scarlet, Purple, Mountains as kingdoms
Tags: Islam, Kaaba, Cup of intoxicating wine of judgment, Names on foreheads, Greek mythology, Abyss, Dispensationalism, Restored Islamic Empire, Jesus musters an army, Antichrist hates the prostitute, Fall of Babylon, Persecution of Christians, Martyrdom, Mystery Babylon
17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness, and there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
4 Now the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality.
5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.”
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus. I was greatly astounded when I saw her.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her.
8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth – all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world – will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come.
9 (This requires a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains the woman sits on. They are also seven kings:
10 five have fallen; one is, and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time.
11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction.
12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
13 These kings have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”
15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.
16 The ten horns that you saw, and the beast – these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.
17 For God has put into their minds to carry out his purpose by making a decision to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 As for the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”
Babylon and the End Times
5 Idols of Babylon That Will Cause Her Downfall
Back in the Old Testament in the Book of Genesis, the city of Babylon was the first city where man began to worship himself in organized rebellion against God Himself. It was where Satan officially set up his initial headquarters. The first official world ruler was Nimrod and he ruled from the city of Babylon. Most, if not all of the false religions of this world, can be traced back to the city of Babylon.
As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is called a harlot – because from out of her came all of the other false religions that have set themselves up against the one and only true God. From these other false religions have come massive persecution of God’s people throughout the ages.
Satan and his demons have obviously been behind all of these other false religions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.
As we get into the 7 year Tribulation, God arranges for this city to be rebuilt again, and then He will arrange for the city to be completely destroyed by the Antichrist and his 10 nation confederacy in one day! The Antichrist will have no idea that he is being used as a pawn by God the Father when he sets out to destroy this unholy city.
I have a feeling Satan may be able to read what I believe will be a very heavy signfrom God as to why this city is being raised up again – just so God can personally destroy it Himself.
I believe God is saying with the destruction of Babylon, that He is in the process of getting ready to clean up the earth, and that all of the false religions of this world are going to be taken for out for good once Jesus returns back to our earth to set up His Millennium Kingdom.
As you will see in the following verses, Babylon is once again going to be rebuilt, and it appears to become a major governmental and commercial place in the world. The Bible says that this harlot will initially rule in tandem with the Antichrist.
When the city is eventually destroyed by the Antichrist, the Bible says that many of the merchants, traders, and seamen will mourn because they are no longer going to be able to trade and make money with her. The Bible says that the kings of the earth were living luxuriously with her when she is destroyed and they are all mourning because of the loss of wealth that will occur to them as a result of her sudden destruction.
1. This first verse tells us that the beast, who is the Antichrist, and his 10 nation confederacy will be the ones who will destroy this city. However, this verse then goes on to tell us that it will be God Himself who will be the One to put it into the hearts of the beast and his 10 nation confederacy to destroy Babylon. Here is the verse:
“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, they will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that GREATCITY which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:16-18)
2. This next verse goes further into the actual destruction of Babylon. Apparently the city is literally destroyed in one hour! Here is the verse that wraps up what God has to say about destroying this unholy city.
coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.’
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury … In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart,’ I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow’.
Therefore her plagues will come in one day – death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
And the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore … Rejoice over her, O heaven, and your holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore… And the light of your lamp shall not shine anymore … For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” (Revelation 18:1-24)
3. Here is another verse that says her destruction will come in one hour.
Early History Of Babylon
The early history of Babylon is shrouded in mystery. First mentioned in the Bible is the record of Genesis 10:8-10 which names Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, as the founder of the city in the dim prehistoric past. Its name was derived from a later experience revealed in Genesis 11 where the inhabitants of the land of Shinar, the southern portion of Mesopotamia, are recorded as building a tower designed to reach the heavens. This may have been the beginning of a practice of building towers with religious significance. Such a tower is known as a ziggurat, designating an artificial mound of brick and soil elevated above the surrounding terrain.
The Biblical description of the tower is in keeping with the characteristics of the area. Lacking stones, they made brick and used slime or bitumen native to the area in the construction of the tower. According to Scripture, the inhabitants had said,
Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:3, 4).
The Scriptures record that the Lord judged the people and confounded their language with the result that the city and the tower were left unfinished (Genesis 11:5-8). The place according to Genesis 11:9was “called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” It seems probable that the name given to the city in Genesis 10:10 actually supplanted the original name at this time, and this incident contributes to the long history of Babylon as a center of religious significance, and as a source of false religion and rebellion against the true God.
Although the city of Babylon does not rise to prominence until 1830 b.c., the area in which it is located, called Babylonia, had a long history. Early civilization near the site of ancient Ur in lower Babylonia dates from the fourth millennium b.c. and successive civilizations have been traced from 2800 b.c. The period of the early dynasties (2800-2360 b.c.) recorded an advanced civilization including great temples, canals, and other construction. The old Akkadian period (2360-2180 b.c.) included the extensive empire of Sargon from Persia to the Mediterranean. This was followed by the Neo-Sumerian period (2070-1960 b.c.), in which time Abraham was born. The land was sacked by the Elamites and Amorites in the period 1960-1830 b.c.
The history of Babylonia proper, known as the Old Babylonia period (1830-1550 b.c.), included the brilliant reign of Hammurabi (1728-1686 b.c.) whose famous Code was discovered in 1901. Babylonia was next invaded by the Kassites in the period 1550-1169 b.c. This was followed by Dynasty II of Isin (1169-1039 b.c.), whose kings were native Babylonians. In the period from 1100 to 625 b.c. the land suffered various invasions including that of Assyria. In 729 b.c. Tiglath-pileser became king of Babylon and later in 689 b.c. attacked by Sennacherib, Babylon was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt by Esarhaddon, and was finally wrested from Assyria around 625 b.c. when the Neo-Babylonian Empire was founded by Nabopolassar, the father of Nebuchadnezzar. With the help of the Medes, Nineveh was destroyed in 612 b.c. Necho of Egypt was defeated in 605 b.c. The stage was now set for the brilliant reign of Nebuchadnezzar which included the earlier conquering of Jerusalem in 606 b.c., the ultimate captivity of its inhabitants, and the destruction of the city itself.
The Prophecies Of Isaiah Concerning Babylon
Apart from a reference to a “Babylonish garment” in Joshua 7:21, there is no Biblical reference to Babylon after Genesis 11 until the great prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel unfolded God’s plan for the ancient city. Most of the Biblical prophecies relating to Babylon are in relation to the captivity and God’s revelation to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel concerning the ultimate end of the captivity both for Israel and for Babylon. Most remarkable, however, are the prophecies of Isaiah delivered a century before Babylon had risen to power and recorded at a time when Babylon was still in obscurity with no indication of its coming greatness. Outstanding chapters in Isaiah’s predictions are 13, 14, and 47 with scattered references elsewhere (21:9, 39:1, 3, 6, 7; 43:14; 48:14, 20).
The predictions of Isaiah have to do with Babylon’s ultimate destruction in the Day of the Lord. The near and the far view are often mingled as in chapter 13. The destruction of Babylon is pictured in Isaiah 13:1-11as part of God’s program to punish the entire world (cp. 13:11). The historic conquering of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians is mentioned specifically in Isaiah 13:17-19.
As far as the historic fulfillment is concerned, it is obvious from both Scripture and history that these verses have not been literally fulfilled. The city of Babylon continued to flourish after the Medes conquered it, and though its glory dwindled, especially after the control of the Medes and Persians ended in 323 b.c., the city continued in some form or substance until a.d. 1000 and did not experience a sudden termination such as is anticipated in this prophecy.
Interpretation has been made more difficult by the varied meanings of Babylon itself. Sometimes the term (in the Hebrew Babel) refers to the city whose history continued and was flourishing even during the Apostolic period when it became a center of Jewish learning after the destruction of Jerusalem. Sometimes the term is used in reference to the political power of Babylon which obviously fell in one night when the Medes and the Persians took control of Babylon. Sometimes it is used in a religious sense, for Babylon has been the fountain of many of the pagan religions which have competed with Judaism and Christian faith ever since. The interpretation of Isaiah 13:20-22 is inevitably determined by the meaning assigned to Revelation 17, 18.
Many interpreters agree that Babylon in its religious and political sense will be revived at the end of the age. Debated is the conclusion that the city itself will have a physical revival to become the capital of the world at the end of the age. Such a rebuilding of the ancient city would make possible a literal fulfillment of the prophecy of complete and sudden destruction as predicted in Isaiah 13:19-22.
Isaiah 14 seems to confirm that the ultimate destruction in view is one related to the second advent of Christ and the Day of the Lord. The satanic power behind Babylon addressed as “Lucifer, son of the morning” (14:12) is portrayed both in his original rebellion against God and in his ultimate judgment. The destruction of Babylon is related to the judgment upon “all the kings of the nations” (14:18).
Another massive prophecy against Babylon is found in Isaiah 47. Here a prediction of Babylon’s utter humiliation is given, and the foreview seems to relate primarily to the capture of Babylon by the Medes and the Persians. The sad pronouncement is made at the conclusion of the passage, “None shall save thee” (Isaiah 47:15). The major attention given to Babylon in Isaiah’s prophecies confirm Babylon’s importance in prophecy relating to the nations.
The Prophecies Of Jeremiah Concerning Babylon
The prophet Jeremiah like Isaiah devotes two long chapters to the prediction of Babylon’s ultimate judgment and destruction (Jeremiah 50, 51). If the prophecies of Isaiah are remarkable for their anticpation of Babylon’s rise to power and the captivity of Judah a hundred years before it actually occurred, the prophecies of Jeremiah are notable because they were delivered at the peak of Babylon’s power when it seemed most unlikely that the great nation would fall. Babylon is pictured as being punished because of its cruel treatment of Israel (50:17, 18; 51:24, 49).
Practically all of the predictions of Jeremiah seem to relate to the fall of Babylon by the attack of the Medes and the Persians. Only occasionally does there seem to be a reference to a future ultimate destruction as in Jeremiah 51:62-64. The prophecies of Jeremiah predicting the fall of Babylon at the hands of the Medes and the Persians were graphically fulfilled approximately sixty-five years later, as recorded in Daniel 5.
Major attention is devoted to the captivity of Judah in the prophecies of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel. There is almost constant reference to the Babylonian captivity of Judah in Jeremiah beginning in chapter 20; numerous references are also found in Ezekiel. Much of Jeremiah’s ministry was to his own generation as he predicted the downfall of Jerusalem and the victory of the Babylonian armies. Jeremiah is seen as the true prophet of God in contrast to the false prophets who had predicted victory over Babylon (cp. Jeremiah 28:1-17). Jeremiah’s prophecies were largely ignored. The first copy of his book was destroyed by the king (36:23). Jeremiah himself suffered affliction and imprisonment (37:15-38:13). With the capture of Jerusalem, the prophecies of Jeremiah were fully vindicated.
Most important were Jeremiah’s prophecies concerning the duration of the captivity, designated as seventy years in Jeremiah 25:11 and 29:10. It was this prophecy which was read by Daniel which led to his prayer for the return of the captives to Jerusalem (Daniel 9:2).
A prominent theme of Jeremiah’s prophecies were predictions against Egypt in which he anticipated that Nebuchadnezzar would conquer Egypt. As a traditional enemy of Israel, Egypt was thus to experience God’s judgment in the form of coming under the power of Babylon. Jeremiah devotes considerable Scripture to this theme, including 43:10-13; 44:30; 46:1-26. In chapter 44 Jeremiah sends a message to the Jews in Egypt in which he predicts that their attempt to escape the power of Babylon would only result in their own destruction.
The Prophecies Of Ezekiel Concerning Babylon
Ezekiel echoes the prophecies of Jeremiah relating to the Babylonian captivity (Ezekiel 17:12-24) and like Jeremiah predicts the conquering of Egypt (29:18, 19; 30:10-25; 32:1-32). Added is the prediction of the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel 26:7- 28:19.
It is obvious from these many passages in the prophets that Babylon occupies a large place in the prophetic program of the Old Testament for the nations surrounding Israel. It is with this context that Daniel the prophet takes up the theme and relates God’s dealings with Babylon to His ultimate purpose of bringing all nations into subjection unto the Son of God.
The Prophecies Of Daniel Concerning Babylon
Daniel’s first recognition of Babylon prophetically was in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Babylon was represented in the great image by the head of gold, and Daniel recognized the importance of Nebuchadnezzar:
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold (Daniel 2:37, 38).
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel’s vision recorded in chapter 7 includes much added revelation. In his description of the first beast which represents Babylon, Daniel states, “The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it” (Daniel 7:4).
Babylon was indeed like the lion, the king of beasts, and had eagle’s wings like the king of birds. That the wings would be plucked and the beast would stand as a man with a man’s heart was the divine portrayal of Nebuchadnezzar’s experience in Daniel 4 as well as an anticipation of the ultimate humiliation of the Babylonian rulers in Daniel 5. In Daniel’s interpretation of the tree vision of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4, he had predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation in which he suffered seven years of insanity before his reason returned. Nebuchadnezzar was ready then to give praise to God as he does in Daniel 4:2, 3, 34-37. The prophecies of Daniel were meticulously fulfilled.
The Fall Of Babylon
The fall of the Babylonian Empire came suddenly when the Medes and the Persians overran the city of Babylon in a night attack in 539 b.c. Prior to this event, the Babylonian Empire had already fallen on evil days. When Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 b.c., he was succeeded by his son Amel-Marduk who was assassinated only two years later. In 560 b.c. Neriglissar took the throne. When he died in 556 B.C, after only four years of reign, he was succeeded by his son who was assassinated shortly after he came to the throne. Nabonidus then assumed power appointing his son Belshazzar as co-ruler. It was this Belshazzar who held the ungodly feast of Daniel 5 and perished at the hands of the Medes and Persians.
At the time of the downfall of the city of Babylon recorded in Daniel 5, the city was still a monument to the genius of Nebuchadnezzar. According to Herodotus, the city was approximately 14 miles square with the Euphrates River bisecting it north and south. Two sets of walls inner and outer protected the city and, according to standards of the day, rendered it safe from attack from without. If Herodotus can be believed, the walls were indeed formidable being 350 feet high and 87 feet thick. Walls also lined the river on either side and 150 gates of solid brass protected the entrances. On the wall were some 250 watchtowers, 100 feet higher than the wall itself. The outside wall had a deep water moat some 30 feet wide.
During the height of its power, provisions were stored in Babylon supposedly sufficient for twenty years of siege and designed to discourage anyone attacking it. Within the walls the city was laid out in square blocks with beautiful houses lining the streets usually three and four stories in height. The city also included great parks and gardens, some of which, such as the hanging gardens described by Diodorus, were outstanding wonders in the ancient world. The gardens were built on terraces and supported large trees. A great bridge some 660 feet long and 30 feet wide bridged the Euphrates River and connected the eastern and western halves of the city. Notable buildings were also found such as the palace of the king, the temple of Bel over eight stories in height, and many other buildings of less importance.
It was this city, proud of its supposed invulnerability, which had ignored the rapidly expanding power of the Medes and the Persians. Media as a separate kingdom had matched the rise of the Babylonian Empire. After the Medes had captured Asshur in 614 b.c. under alliance with the Chaldeans, they had also captured Nineveh. The downfall of the Assyrian Empire, marked by these events, paved the way for the rise in power of Media which was in alliance with Nebuchadnezzar during most of his reign. Persia was also, rising in power, however, and under Cyrus II Media was conquered by the Persians about 549 b.c. Media and Persia were united in a common government which lasted until Alexander the Great in 331 b.c. Their armies had proceeded to conquer much of the territory around Babylon before the fateful night in 539 b.c. (Daniel 5).
Setting siege to the large city of Babylon, the Medes had dug a canal diverting the water that flowed under the city wall. At the very time of Belshazzar’s impious feast, they were entering the city on the dry channel underneath the mighty walls. The drinking feast celebrated by the one thousand lords apparently was shared by other inhabitants so that the normal watch kept on the walls was not observed, allowing the invaders valuable time in conquering the city before their presence was fully known. At the very time the Medes were pouring into the city, the handwriting appeared on the wall (Daniel 5:5, 24-28). Daniel correctly interpreted the writing as spelling the doom of the Babylonian Empire and the beginning of the empire of the Medes and the Persians (Daniel 5:28, 31). Thus ended the fabulous reign of the Babylonian Empire, the symbol of Gentile glory and moral and religious wickedness.
Continued Influence Of Babylon
Although the fall of Babylon marked the end of political rule of Babylonian rulers, much of the Babylonian culture, its pagan religions, and its ideology were continued in the kingdoms which followed. Babylonian influence was perpetuated down through the centuries especially in ancient pagan religions. Babylon, the symbol of religious confusion, was to appear again in the apostate church of Revelation 17, and its political power was to be revived in the final form of the Roman Empire as depicted in Revelation 18. Even if literal Babylon is not rebuilt as a city in the last days and subjected to the sudden destruction described in Revelation 18, Babylon as an influence for evil politically and religiously will not be terminated until Jesus Christ comes in power and glory to reign.
While Jeremiah was restrained in Egypt, Jehovah prophesied about the future destruction of Babylon during the Great Tribulation. It must be remembered that Jerusalem is God’s city and Babylon is Satan’s city. Babylon will be the capital of the Antichrist’s kingdom during the Great Tribulation.
50:2 “Announce the news among the nations! Proclaim it! Signal for people to pay attention! Declare the news! Do not hide it! Say: ‘Babylon will be captured. Bel will be put to shame. Marduk will be dismayed. Babylon’s idols will be put to shame. Her disgusting images will be dismayed.
Jeremiah was to make an announcement to the Gentile nations about the future destruction of Babylon. Bel means “lord.” He was the storm god of Babylon during Jeremiah’s day. Marduk was the chief god of the Babylonian Pantheon and the supposed creator of the world. Marduk may have been a deified form of Nimrod, the evil founder of the Tower of Babel. The announcement to the Gentiles was that Babylon was going to be destroyed. These Babylonian gods will not be able to save them from God’s future judgment. The Hebrew word for “disgusting images” is גִּלּוּלִים (gillulim), meaning “balls of excrement.”
50:3 For a nation from the north will attack Babylon. It will lay her land waste. People and animals will flee out of it. No one will inhabit it.’
Cyrus was the King of Persia. The Persians were from the east and not from the north. Cyrus did not make the city desolate. Instead, he subjugated her for natural resources. Babylon remained populated for several centuries afterwards. Therefore, this must be another nation who will attack Babylon during the Great Tribulation.
50:4 “When that time comes,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel and Judah will return to the land together. They will come back with tears of repentance as they seek the Lord their God.
After Babylon is destroyed during the Great Tribulation, then Israel will return from all of the nations of the world to inhabit the promised land. This time period will be called the Millennial Kingdom. The tears of repentance mean that Israel will change her attitude about the Lord Jesus Christ. The entire nation of Israel will receive national regeneration. All of those who seek the Lord will find him. They will recognize Jesus as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.
50:5 They will ask the way to Zion; they will turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord
After Babylon is destroyed during the Great Tribulation, then Israel will return to her land and make an everlasting covenant with God. This everlasting covenant will be the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31-34.
50:6 “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have allow them to go astray. They have wandered around in the mountains. They have roamed from one mountain and hill to another. They have forgotten their resting place.
Israel has been scattered into all of the nations like lost and scattered sheep. They are without their Messiah, who is their true Shepherd. Israel has been following false shepherds. The false shepherds of Israel are the rabbi who have been continually leading her astray. During the Great Tribulation, the Jews will leave Jerusalem and hide out in the mountains of Petra. They will not recognize their true Shepherd Messiah until the last three days of the Great Tribulation.
50:7 All who encountered them devoured them. Their enemies who did this said, ‘We are not liable for punishment! For those people have sinned against the Lord, their true pasture. They have sinned against the Lord in whom their ancestors trusted.’
The Gentile nations devoured the sheep of Israel. The Gentiles felt that they had the right to devour the Jews, because the Jews had rejected her Messiah. The Gentiles claimed innocence and called the Jews “Christ-killers” in order to cover up their anti-Semitism. These anti-Semitic Gentiles were fulfilling this prophecy. God will not allow Gentiles to use Jewish unbelief as a reason for their anti-Semitism. Jewish unbelief never gave the Gentiles an open checkbook to persecute Jews. This type of persecution has been a common theme throughout the church age. The Crusaders called the Jews “Christ-killers” and killed them. King Ferdinand and Isabella ran them out of Spain and plundered their property for the state. Martin Luther spoke against the Jews during the Reformation. Adolph Hitler used quotes from Martin Luther in order to justify his genocide of the Jews.
50:8 “People of Judah, get out of Babylon quickly! Leave the land of Babylonia! Be the first to depart! Be like the male goats that lead the herd.
There are Jehovah Witnesses who falsely use this verse to warn modern Christians that they need to leave their local churches and join the Watchtower Society. This is not the meaning of this verse. Instead, Jeremiah was warning the “people of Judah” (Jews) to leave the future city of Babylon, because the capital of the Antichrist will be destroyed. The he-goat was the leader of the flock. The other sheep will follow his lead. These future Jews were commanded by Jeremiah to become he-goats and lead the other sheep (Messianic Jews) out of Babylon.
50:9 For I will rouse into action and bring against Babylon a host of mighty nations from the land of the north. They will set up their battle lines against her. They will come from the north and capture her. Their arrows will be like a skilled soldier who does not return from the battle empty-handed.
The Persians came from the east and not the north, so this is not the Persians. This verse refers to a mighty host of nations who will combine under one flag and destroy Babylon.
50:10 Babylonia will be plundered. Those who plunder it will take all they want,” says the Lord.
In verse 7, The Jews will be the prey who will be plundered. In this verse, the Babylonians will become the prey who will be plundered. According to Revelation 17-18, Babylon will be the capital of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation. Babylon will become one of the wealthiest cities in the world. However, she will be defeated and plundered by enemies from the north.
50:11 “People of Babylonia, you plundered my people. That made you happy and glad. You frolic about like calves in a pasture. Your joyous sounds are like the neighs of a stallion.
Babylon will receive the kind-for-kind judgment of the Abrahamic Covenant. Babylon has always been and will be anti-Semitic. Babylon will enjoy plundering Israel. so Babylon will be plundered by these other nations just as joyfully.
50:12 But Babylonia will be put to great shame. The land where you were born will be disgraced. Indeed, Babylonia will become the least important of all nations. It will become a dry and barren desert.
During the Millennial Kingdom, all of the earth will return to its Garden-of-Eden conditions. The only three exceptions will be Edom, Babylon, and Saudi Arabia. These three territories will become dry and barren deserts.
50:13 After I vent my wrath on it Babylon will be uninhabited. It will be totally desolate. All who pass by will be filled with horror and will hiss out their scorn because of all the disasters that have happened to it.
There will be no citizens living in Babylon during the Millennial Kingdom. Babylon will be used as an example of what evil can do to a city if it is left alone without the grace of God. People will hiss at the city of Babylon, because this will be the former city of the Antichrist.
50:14 “Take up your battle positions all around Babylon, all you soldiers who are armed with bows. Shoot all your arrows at her! Do not hold any back! For she has sinned against the Lord.
Cyrus of Persia did not defeat Babylon with his bow and arrow artillery. He snuck under the walls and took Babylon without a fight. This is a prophecy of the destruction of Babylon at the end of the Great Tribulation. The reason that she receives this judgment is because she sinned against the Lord by attacking Israel.
50:15 Shout the battle cry from all around the city. She will throw up her hands in surrender. Her towers will fall. Her walls will be torn down. Because I, the Lord, am wreaking revenge, take out your vengeance on her! Do to her as she has done!
Cyrus did not tear down the walls and towers of Babylon. Cyrus took Babylon without a fight. This is a prophecy of the future rebuilt city of Babylon during the Great Tribulation. The shout of the battle cry is the shout of a future northern military commander to proceed with the attack.
50:16 Kill all the farmers who sow the seed in the land of Babylon. Kill all those who wield the sickle at harvest time. Let all the foreigners return to their own people. Let them hurry back to their own lands to escape destruction by that enemy army.
There will be a mass execution of the food producers of the Antichrist. Many Gentiles will be visiting Babylon. They will be asked to go back to their own nations so that they will not be killed by the armies from the north. The Gentiles will escape by following the he-goat Jews.
50:17 “The people of Israel are like scattered sheep which lions have chased away. First the king of Assyria devoured them. Now last of all King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed their bones.
Jeremiah gave a summary of the history of Israel’s suffering, The Gentile nations were like beasts who wish to devour the sheep. Israel was like a hunted sheep who wandered around lost and aimlessly without her Shepherd. Assyria was the first lion who devoured the ten northern tribes. Nebuchadnezzar was the second lion who gnawed on the bones of the two southern tribes.
50:18 So I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say: ‘I will punish the king of Babylon and his land just as I punished the king of Assyria.
Notice this verse is written in the future tense. The King of Babylon will be the Antichrist of the Great Tribulation.
50:19 But I will restore the flock of Israel to their own pasture. They will graze on Mount Carmel and the land of Bashan. They will eat until they are full on the hills of Ephraim and the land of Gilead.
Mount Carmel is modern Galilee. Bashan is the modern Golan Heights. Ephraim is the modern West Bank. Gilead is the modern East bank of the Jordan. God will restore Israel back to her own pasture lands during the Millennial Kingdom. She will receive all of the literal land which was promised to Abraham, isaac, and Jacob.
50:20 When that time comes, no guilt will be found in Israel. No sin will be found in Judah. For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive. I, the Lord, affirm it!’
“When the time comes” will be the 5th stage of the campaign of Armageddon. During this time period there will be a national conversion of Israel. Those Jews who survive the Great Tribulation will enter into the Millennial Kingdom as Jewish believers in the Messiah.
50:21 The Lord says, “Attack the land of Merathaim and the people who live in Pekod! Pursue, kill, and completely destroy them! Do just as I have commanded you!
Merathaim means “double rebellion.” There was no known actual city in ancient Babylon by that name. Pekod means “visitation of punishment.” Babylon will receive the חָרַם (herem) curse. The entire city will be devoted to God for destruction. This means that humans will not be allowed to touch the future city of Babylon. This judgement was similar to the חָרַם (herem) curse which Jericho received. Achan touched a Babylonian garment in Jericho, causing massive deaths among the Israelite people. What was true of Jericho will become true of Babylon. These words were sarcastic wordplays about the southern and eastern districts of Babylon. God was using the Hebrew language to show that He will attack “the land of double rebellion” and “He will visit the city with destruction.”
50:22 The noise of battle can be heard in the land of Babylonia. There is the sound of great destruction.
The noise of the battle will signal the sounds of the military destruction of Babylon.
50:23 Babylon hammered the whole world to pieces. But see how that ‘hammer’ has been broken and shattered! See what an object of horror Babylon has become among the nations!
This sentence begins with the Hebrew exclamation word אֵ֤יךְ (aik), meaning "an emphatic and shocking surprise!" Babylon will become the only city in history who will actually conquer the whole world. However, God will turn this smashing hammer into a broken hammer. The hammer which shattered the nations will herself become shattered.
50:24 I set a trap for you, Babylon; you were caught before you knew it. You fought against me. So you were found and captured.
Babylon will be caught in Jehovah’s trap. Jehovah’s trap will be a surprise attack upon the city. Babylon will be burned to the ground before she can figure out what is happening to her.
50:25 I have opened up the place where my weapons are stored. I have brought out the weapons for carrying out my wrath. For I, the Lord God who rules over all, have work to carry out in the land of Babylonia.
If taken literally, then Babylon will be destroyed by supernatural weapons of God. This destruction may be similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is interesting to note that archaeologists have recently excavated the five cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
50:26 Come from far away and attack Babylonia! Open up the places where she stores her grain! Pile her up in ruins! Destroy her completely! Do not leave anyone alive!
God will give this northern military confederacy of the future seven commands. First, they are to combine and attack Babylon. Second, they are free to open the storehouses and eat the grain. Third, they are to destroy the walls, buildings, and roads and pile them in ruins. Fourth, Babylon is to be completely destroyed. Fifth, no one is to be left alive.
50:27 Kill all her soldiers! Let them be slaughtered! They are doomed, for their day of reckoning has come, the time for them to be punished.”
Six, all soldiers are to be killed. Seventh, all livestock are to be slaughtered. This complete and final destruction of Babylon will all happen on the day of God’s visitation.
50:28 Listen! Fugitives and refugees are coming from the land of Babylon. They are coming to Zion to declare there how the Lord our God is getting revenge, getting revenge for what they have done to his temple.
After the Babylon of the Great Tribulation is destroyed, then many of the Jewish fugitives and refugees will return to Jerusalem and report the destruction. The Antichrist would have desecrated the Jewish Temple 3.5 years earlier by stepping into it and claiming that he is God. Therefore, God will destroy the Antichrist's capital city.
50:29 “Call for archers to come against Babylon! Summon against her all who draw the bow! Set up camp all around the city! Do not allow anyone to escape! Pay her back for what she has done. Do to her what she has done to others. For she has proudly defied me, the Holy One of Israel.
The pride of Babylon will be humbled. Snipers will be placed outside of the city. No one will be allowed to leave alive.
50:30 So her young men will fall in her city squares. All her soldiers will be destroyed at that time,” says the Lord.
Not all of the soldiers were destroyed during the attack of Cyrus. This slaughter looks forward to the Babylonian destruction of the Great Tribulation.
50:31 “Listen! I am opposed to you, you proud city,” says the Lord God who rules over all. “Indeed, your day of reckoning has come, the time when I will punish you.
God is saying that Babylon’s day of visitation will come.
50:32 You will stumble and fall, you proud city; no one will help you get up. I will set fire to your towns; it will burn up everything that surrounds you.”
The proud city of Babylon will fall and never rise again. During the Millennial Kingdom. she will become a continuous burning wasteland.
50:33 The Lord who rules over all says, “The people of Israel are oppressed. So too are the people of Judah. All those who took them captive are holding them prisoners. They refuse to set them free.
During the Great Tribulation, Babylonians will enslave the Jews. The Messiah will be Israel’s only redeemer.
50:34 But the one who will rescue them is strong. He is known as the Lord who rules over all. He will strongly champion their cause. As a result he will bring peace and rest to the earth, but trouble and turmoil to the people who inhabit Babylonia.
The “Lord who rules over all” is יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאֹות֙ (Jehovah Zavoat), meaning the vovenant-keeping-promise-keeping-God of the angelic army. He is the one who uses his angelic beings to help fulfill the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants. God does not need the angels to help Him keep these promises, but He chooses to partnership with them. God will bring peace and rest to the messianic Jews and believing Gentiles, but He will bring terror to all Christ-rejecters.
50:35 “Destructive forces will come against the Babylonians,” says the Lord. “They will come against the people who inhabit Babylonia, against her leaders and her men of wisdom.
Verses 35-37 record “the sword song” of Jehovah. The Hebrew word for “destructive forces” is חֶ֥רֶב (herev), meaning a sword. Many dictators enforce gun laws on their people so that they can be easily controlled. The Antichrist may pass global gun laws in order to leave the global population without weapons to defend themselves from the wrath of the Antichist. It is possible that only the army of the Antichrist will possess firearms. Therefore, the soldiers against the Antichrist will have to use horses, swords, knives, bows, arrows, and other ancient weapons. A popular modern saying is that World War III will be fought with sticks and stones.
50:36 Destructive forces will come against her false prophets; they will be shown to be fools! Destructive forces will come against her soldiers; they will be filled with terror!
The Hebrew word for “destructive forces” is חֶ֥רֶב (herev), meaning a sword. The sword will also be used against the false prophets and soldiers of the Antichrist.
50:37 Destructive forces will come against her horses and her chariots. Destructive forces will come against all the foreign troops within her; they will be as frightened as women! Destructive forces will come against her treasures; they will be taken away as plunder!
The חֶ֥רֶב (herev) sword will also be used against the horses, chariots, foreign troops, and plunder of the Antichrist. All different social and economical classes will be killed by the sword.
50:38 A drought will come upon her land; her rivers and canals will be dried up. All of this will happen because her land is filled with idols. Her people act like madmen because of those idols they fear.
The sword of judgment will also cause drought to fall upon Babylon. The rivers and canals of Babylon will dry up. At the beginning of the Campaign of Armageddon, the Euphrates Rivers will dry. Babylon will be a city of demonic idols. The people in the city will fear the demonic powers behind the idols. They will actually become insane over their own man-made terrors.
50:39 Therefore desert creatures and jackals will live there. Ostriches will dwell in it too. But no people will ever live there again. No one will dwell there for all time to come.
The Hebrew word for “desert creatures” צִיִּים֙ (tsiyim), meaning wildcat-like creatures. The Hebrew word for “jackals” is אּיִּים (iyim), meaning hyena-like creatures. The Hebrew word for “ostriches” is בְּנֹ֣ות יַֽעֲנָ֑ה (bonot yaanah), meaning daughters of unclean birds who dwell in the wllderness. These are not literal animals, but they are demons who share these animalistic qualities. During the Millennial Kingdom, Babylon will become a fiery prison for demons. No humans will live in Babylon.
50:40 I will destroy Babylonia just like I did Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighboring towns. No one will live there. No human being will settle in it,” says the Lord.
Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone. Their total destruction was left as a witness to the world of what happens to a city who rebels against God. During the Millennial Kingdom, Babylonia and Edom will become similar examples to the rest of the nations of the world. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah have been witnesses to the pre-tribulation world, then Babylon and Edom will become witnesses to the post-tribulation world. The post-tribulation world will be the literal 1000 year Millennial Kingdom.
This prophecy has never been fulfilled. Babylon has always been inhabited throughout her history. The government of Iraq has recently began to rebuild some of the old city. Their building project is published in a pamphlet call Archaeological Survival of Babylon Is a Patriotic, National, and International Duty (Baghdad: State Organization of Antiquities and Heritage, 1982).
50:41 “Look! An army is about to come from the north. A mighty nation and many kings are stirring into action in faraway parts of the earth.
Cyrus the Persian came from the east, not from the north. The future invaders of Babylon will come from the north.
50:42 Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like the roaring sea as they ride forth on their horses. Lined up in formation like men going into battle, they are coming against you, fair Babylon!
The army from the north will be just as fierce and cruel as that of Babylon.
50:43 The king of Babylon will become paralyzed with fear when he hears news of their coming. Anguish will grip him, agony like that of a woman giving birth to a baby.
The King of Babylon will be the Antichrist. This army from the north will cause him pain and anguish, such as a woman experiencing birth pangs. This will mean that the Antichrist is about to be defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire. Like the fallen angels, the Antichrist sided with Satan and lost. Satan offered Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world, but Jesus refused. Satan will offer all of the kingdoms of the world to the Antichrist, but the Antichrist will accept.
50:44 “A lion coming up from the thick undergrowth along the Jordan scatters the sheep in the pastureland around it. So too I will chase the Babylonians off of their land. Then I will appoint over it whomever I choose. For there is no one like me. There is no one who can call me to account. There is no ruler that can stand up against me.
The northern confederacy will come upon Babylon just as a lion pounces upon an unsuspecting prey from the jungle bushes. This attack will be a surprise. The victims will be killed very quickly. God will be in control of this attacking army.
There is no one like God. There is no one who can judge God. There is no king who can stand against God and survive.
50:45 So listen to what I, the Lord, have planned against Babylon, what I intend to do to the people who inhabit the land of Babylonia. Their little ones will be dragged off.
I will completely destroy their land because of what they have done.
What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah will happen to Babylon. There will be no one who can stop God from His visitation of destruction.
50:46 The people of the earth will quake when they hear Babylon has been captured. Her cries of anguish will be heard by the other nations.”
All of the people on the earth who follow the Antichrist will shake with fear when they find out how Babylon was destroyed supernaturally by God. The angels will promise eternal destruction to anyone who takes the mark of the beast. Everyone who will follow the Antichrist will think that he will be a god and that he will win. However, they will found out that they have joined the wrong side. They will shake with fear, because their destiny is eternity in the Lake of Fire.
3 – 7th Head is the Antichrist (7 Heads) – Rev 17:3,7,9-10
- See discussion below on ‘Location of Babylon, Sits on 7 Heads’ for more details
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Rev 17:3)
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (Rev 17:7)
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (Rev 17:9-10)
- Five of these Satanic kingdoms have fallen, one is and one is yet to come. The kingdom that was present when John was inspired to write the Revelation was the Roman Empire (Acts 16:21). The reference to 5 fallen kings likely is symbolic to highlight the number 5, which is a number that is used to signify both those who are saved or those who are lost (e.g., the 10 virgins – Mat 25:2-12, David’s 4 smooth stones – 1 Sam 17:40, etc.).
- The final head points to the end time Beast of Revelation 13 (also known as the little horn – Dan 7:3, 8, 17, 5:5, 7-9, 11:2-4, 13, 15, 27-29, etc., the wicked one of 2 Thess 2:3-4and the antichrist – 1 John 2:18, etc.). This final head would become active once the scarlet-colored beast of revelation 17 (Satan) is released from his abysmal prison resulting in the ‘Great Tribulation. The scarlet beast (Satan) becomes the eighth beast and is contemporaneous with the antichrist (a.k.a., little horn, wicked one).
- 1 King to come (antichrist) and continue a short space (Rev 17:10)
- Short space (G3641 – oligos – literally – puny in extent)
#4 – 10 Horns Reign for One Hour – Judgment on the Harlot (Rev 17:3, Rev 17:7, Rev 17:12, 17:16
The 10 horns symbolically represent the final unified completion of the world kingdoms that are against organized end-time false Christianity, just before Judgment Day (Great Tribulation)
10 horns, which have received no kingdom yet – The scarlet-colored beast will also have 10 horns which are 10 kings which did not yet at the time of John’s inspiration receive their kingdom yet (Rev 17:12). The number ’10’ once again should be understood from a spiritual perspective in that the world’s kingdom’s will align with Satan and the antichrist for 1 hour (Rev 18:10,17). The world’s kingdoms will give their strength and power (Rev 17:12-13, 17) to the beast (Satan) for the purpose of waging war with the Lamb (Jesus Christ) (Rev 17:14), but the Lamb will win this battle (Judgment Day). The 10 horns (the world’s kingdom’s will hate the Whore, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn with her with fire – all symbols of the double judgment of the Great Tribulation and the Last Day (see discussion on ‘double judgment).
- So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (Rev 17:3)
- And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (Rev 17:7)
- And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Rev 17:12)
- One hour – points to Judgment
- ‘Hour of judgment’ – Rev 14:7, Rev 18:10
- The passion of Christ – Mark 14:35, John 2:4, John 8:20, John 12:23, John 12:27, John 13:1, John 16:21, John 16:32, John 17:1, John 19:14, John 19:27
- Disciples could not watch for one hour – Mat 26:40, Mat 26:45, Mk 14:37, Mk 14:41
- One hour – Great Tribulation – Rev 9:15, Rev 17:12, Lk 12:12, Rev 18:10, Rev 18:17, Rev 18:19, John 16:32(scattering) – see also 1 Cor 15:30, Gal 2:5
- One hour – Final Judgment Day / Battle of Armageddon – Rev 17:14, Rev 3:3. Rev 3:10, Rev 11:13, Rev 14:7, John 5:25-30, etc.
- Hour is a type of the entire Christian era – 1 John 2:18 (‘Last time’ literally, hour) – Ro 13:11, John 16:2, John 16:4, John 16:25, (see also Jude 18) – refers the church age
- Hour – Old Testament (H8160 – only 5 occurrences) – Dan 3:6, Dan 3:15, Dan 4:19, Dan 4:33, Dan 5:5 – Points to a time of judgment
- One hour – points to Judgment
- These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. (Rev 17:13)
- One mind – unity (Mat 4:8 – Satan controls all kingdoms of the world, Lk 4:6) – see also Phil 1:27, Phil 2:2
- Mind – gnome (G1106) – literally, one purpose (not mind) – be in agreement (Rev 17:17) – (see also 1 Cor 1:10, 1 Cor 7:25, 1 Cor 7:40).
- Power – dunamis (force, power) – Isa 10:5-7, Ez 38:10, Acts 4:28
- Under God’s soverign will – Is 10:5-7, Eze 38:10, Acts 4:28
- Strength – exousia (authority)
- Beast – Satan’s kingdom under the authority of the antichrist (Rev 13:2)
- For further discussion on the 10 horns hatred of Babylon (Great Tribulation) and the 10 horns’ war with the Lamb (Judgment Day), see section entitled ‘Babylon’s Judgment’ below.
#5 – Babylon Deceives all nations (Rev 18:23-24)
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. (Rev 18:23)
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Rev 20:3)
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (Rev 20:7-8)
In Rev 18:23, we find that Babylon deceives all nations by her sorceries. The deception of all nations points to the work of Satan during the short season of the Great Tribulation (Rev 20:3,7-8). The motive power that allows Babylon to deceive all nations is that the Scarlet Beast (Satan) will be loosed from his prison during the Great Tribulation. The scarlet beast (Satan) gives his power and authority to the Beast (Rev 13:2). The beast (antichrist) is the 7th head of the scarlet beast who only continues for a short time (Rev 17:10). In these passages, the Satanic trinity can be seen (i.e., scarlet colored beast is Satan, the 7th head is the beast and Babylon is the false prophet).
Great Tribulation verses on deception:
- And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. (Rev 20:3)
- Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish … (2Th 2:9-10)
- … false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders … if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Mat 24:24)
- And his [little horn] power shall be mighty … And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many … (Dan 8:24-25)
#6 – Babylonian Captivity – Type of Great Tribulation
Many that are interested in prophecy (pre-millennialists) believe that the Babylonian Captivity is just an historical event. They believe that it applies to Old Testament Israel only and that it does not directly impact the church today. However, when this topic is examined from a Biblical viewpoint that recognizes that the millennium (1000 years) of Rev 20 is a symbol for the church age, then the Babylonian Captivity can also be seen as a type of the end-time Great Tribulation. Just as the Babylonian Captivity affected Israel / Judah of the Old Testament, so too will a Babylonian Captivity affect the church during the Great Tribulation (see Luke 21:24, Rev 17-18). Realizing this, tremendous spiritual truth is unlocked from the Old Testament prophets that is directly applicable to the church of the Great Tribulation.
The Babylonian Captivity is a type of the time period known as the Great Tribulation (Mat 24:15). During the Great Tribulation the false Christian church is known as the Great Whore Babylon (Rev 17-18). Although Babylon has always existed, during the Great Tribulation, Satan is loosed from his prison (Rev 20:1-8) for a symbolic 1000 years (the church age, see Mat 12:22-29 and Rev 20:1-8). Once released, this begins the short period of time known as the Great Tribulation (Rev 20:3-8, Mat 24:15, etc.). The Abomination of Desolation exists within the false Christian church (Babylon). The Abomination of Desolation is Satan and his kingdom (which includes the Antichrist (beast) and the False Prophet / Babylon). Satan and his kingdom manifests itself in the church as the worship of other gods and idols. The church condones this behavior during the Great Tribulation (lawlessness). At this time, the false church Babylon encompasses the true church of genuine Christians, who are just a small remnant of the entire false Christian church (Mat 7:21-23). This physical church is held in captivity with Satan and his ministers in charge of the church.
A very important link from New Testament prophecy concerning the Great Tribulation and the Babylonian Captivity is found in Lk 21:20-24:
- (20) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (21) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. (22) For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. (23) But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. (24) And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Lk 21:20-24)
When we harmonize this passage with the similar passages in Mat 24 and Mk 13, we find that the compassing of Jerusalem with armies and impending Jerusalem’s desolation is equated to the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ (see table below Mat 24:15, Mk 13:14a, Lk 21:20) compared to Mat 24:16, Mk 13:4b and Lk 21:21. This results into the entry into the time period known as the ‘Great Tribulation’ (see Mat 24:21, Mk 13:19, Lk 21:23b).
| Mat | Mark | Luke |
| (Mat 24:15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) | (Mar 13:14a) But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) | (Luk 21:20) And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side |
| (Mat 24:16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: | (Mar 13:14b) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: | (Luk 21:21) Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. |
| (Mat 24:17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. | (Mar 13:15) And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take anything out of his house: And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. | |
| (Mat 24:19) And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: | (Mar 13:17) But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. | (Luk 21:23a) But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! … |
| (Mat 24:21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. | (Mar 13:19) For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days. | (Luk 21:23b) … for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. |
The key facts that Jerusalem is encompassed (i.e., sieged) and then desolated points to the events of the Babylonian Captivity. Additionally, other features concerning the Great Tribulation found in the Olivet Discourse (Mat 24, Mk 13, Lk 21) also are the same as the events that occurred during the Babylonian Captivity:
- Siege
- Abomination of Desolation
- Deception / false prophets
- War (sword)
- Famine
- Pestilence
- Earthquakes
- Tribulation (persecution)
- Command to flee
- Days of God’s vengeance
Details of this comparison of the Olivet Discourse and the Babylonain Captivity are contained in ‘Babylonian Captivity in the Olivet Discourse’. This provides very strong evidence that Babylon Captivity (i.e. Babylon in control of the church) is a type of the Great Tribulation.
As discussed in detail in Appendices a through D, the Babylonian Captivity of Judah (c. 606 B.C. – 536 B.C.) provides an important Biblical type of the Great Tribulation. The Babylonian Captivity is extensively discussed in the major and minor prophets in the Old Testament. For example, Jeremiah was the prophet in Jerusalem during the end of the kingdom of Judah including the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel was the prophet with the captives that were deported from Jerusalem. The prophet Daniel was deported to Babylon and served the King of Babylon.
Important references that tie the Babylonian Captivity to the Great Tribulation include Bible passages in the Olivet Discourse, the discussion of the Abomination of Desolation and the book of Revelation.
In the Great Tribulation, we find an explicit statement that there will be a captivity, a siege and a desolation of Jerusalem, just before the second coming of Jesus Christ:
And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh … And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
We find in the parallel passage to Mat 24 concerning the Abomination of Desolation that Christians will be led away (spiritually) captive into all nations and Jerusalem (the spiritual Holy Place, where Christians physically gather together – i.e., the church) shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled (i.e., Judgment Day, see Rev 11).
A careful review of the harmony of verses in the Olivet Discourse (i.e., Mat 24, Mk 13, Lk 21) indicates that the event that causes the need for those in Judea to flee (Mat 24:16, Mk 13:14 and Lk 21:21) is recorded as the Abomination of Desolation in Mat 24:15 and Mk 13:14, but as the siege of Jerusalem in Lk 21:20. Similarly, later in the passage we find that the definition of Great Tribulation in Mat 24:21 and Mk 13:19 is the great ‘distress’ noted in Lk 21:23. The Abomination of Desolation is also discussed in prophecies in Revelation.
Jerusalem Trodden Down by Babylon
The treading down of Jerusalem is recorded in Lk 21:20-24and other related passages as being a symbolic reference to the Great Tribulation:
- And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luk 21:20-24)
- Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2Th 2:4)
- But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Rev 11:2)
- For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zec 14:2)
- Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? (Dan 8:13)
- And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Dan 8:23-25)
- And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Dan 11:45)
- And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:6-8)
After a siege of Jerusalem (c. 588-586 B.C.), the Babylonians entered Jerusalem and ‘trod down’ the holy city making the Babylonian occupation of Jerusalem a symbol for the Great Tribulation
- And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. (Jer 39:2-3)
- Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans, which besiege you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this city. (Jer 21:4)
- The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation. (Lam 1:10)
- Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. (Psa 74:3-4)
- A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. (Psa 79:1)
- We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’S house. (Jer 51:51)
- My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it. (Eze 7:22)
- The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress. (Lam 1:15)
- The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. (Isa 63:18)
The Promised Land controlled by King of Babylon
Another impotant fact is that during the babylonioan Captivity, the King of Babylon controlled the ‘pronmised land’ from the River of Egypt to the River Euphrates:
- And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land: for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the river Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt. (2Ki 24:7)
- In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (Gen 15:18)
This signifies that Satan’s kingdom controlled the place of God’s people during the Babylonian Captivity. Similarly, during the Great Tribulation Babylon will control the place of God’s people (i.e., the church throughout the world).
#7 – Nebudchadnezzar, King of Babylon is a Type of the Antichrist
Summary – Why Nebuchadnezzar is a type of the Antichrist
Babylon is referred to as a queen (Rev 18:7). A queen in the Bible often represents the wife or consort of the king (e.g., Maacha – 2 Chr 11:20-22, 1 Ki 14:31, 15:2,10,13, Vashti – Esther 1:9-18, Esther – Esther 2:4, Athaliah, wife of Jehoram – 2 Chr 22:12, see also 2 Chr 15:16, Neh 2:6. Jer 29:2, Dan 5:10). Babylon in Rev 17-18 is the queen over the kings of the earth (who are under the power of Satan (Mat 4:8-9, Eph 2:2, 2 Cor 4:4, etc.). Also, during the Great Tribulation, Babylon will ride upon the beast (Satan) and the 7th head (antichrist) will be in place (see discussion above). Therefore, Babylon is the consort of the Antichrist.
The following is a summary of 4 reasons why Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon is a type of the antichrist:
- King of Kings (worldly imitation of Jesus Christ – 1 Tim 6:15, Rev 19:16)
- The same title (King of kings) is used for Nebuchadnezzar as is used for Jesus Christ. Nebuchadnezzar is an imitation (false type) of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Nebuchadnezzar is an antichrist since he takes the position of King instead of Jesus Christ.
- All nations commanded to serve Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
- During the Great Tribulation, Satan gives his power and authority to the beast (antichrist), who has power over the kingdoms of the world (Rev 13:2). The 7th head of the scarlet beast (Satan) symbolizes the antichrist. The 10 horns represent the fullness of the world’s kingdoms.
- Nechadnezzar – God’s Servant of Judgment on Judah / Jerusalem (which is a symbol of the location of God’s earthly church)
- In Is 14, King of Babylon has similar characterists as the Man of Sin (Antichrist) in 2 Thess 2, Dan 7, Dan 8, Dan 11, Rev 13, etc.
Nebuchadnezzar – King of Kings (antichrist, imitation of Christ)
- Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. (Dan 2:37-38)
- For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will bring upon Tyrus Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings, from the north, with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and much people. (Eze 26:7)
- Jesus Christ is the true King of Kings
- That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (1Ti 6:14-15)
- And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (Rev 19:16)
- Antichrist
- (A.k.a., Beast, Man of Sin, Son of Perdition, Little Horn, King of the North, etc.)
- Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1John 2:18)
- Many other names for the end-time antichrist:
- Man of sin, son of perdition, lawless one – 2 Thess 2:3, 8
- The Beast – Rev 13:1-10
- The 7th Head of the scarlet-colored beast – Rev 17:10
- The Little Horn – Dan 7:8, Dan 8:9
- The King of the North – Dan 11:40
- Etc.
- Definition of an Antichrist
- Against Christ (Prophet, Priest, King)
- Prophet – Word of God
- Priest – Christ is only way to salvation
- King – Obedience
- Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. (1Jn 2:22)
- And every spirit that confesses 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. (1Jn 4:3)
- Actions of the Antichrist
- Pride Examples:
- Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God… Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness (2Th 2:4, 7, 9-10)
- And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Rev 13:7)
- Pride Examples:
All Nations Commanded to Serve Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
- And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him. And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land; and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. I spake also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. For I have not sent them, saith the LORD, yet they prophesy a lie in my name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye, and the prophets that prophesy unto you. Also I spake to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon, and live: wherefore should this city be laid waste? (Jer 27:6-17)
- Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also. (Jer 28:13-14)
- And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. (Jer 40:9)
- For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. (Jer 30:8-10)
Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylon) – God’s Servant (Judgment on Judah)
- Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. (Jer 25:9)
- And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. (Jer 27:6)
- And say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them. (Jer 43:10)
- Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled: yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against it: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he served against it, because they wrought for me, saith the Lord GOD. (Eze 29:18-20)
Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon – A Type of Satan (Lucifer) in Isaiah 14
Summary of Isaiah 14 characteristics of the Antichrist / Satan
- Oppressor – Is 14:4
- Wicked – Is 14:5
- Smote people in wrath, ruled nations in anger – Is 14:6
- Feller of trees – Is 14:8
- Pompous – Is 14:11
- Lucifer, son of the morning (dawn) – Is 14:12
- Lucifer – H1966 (1 occurrence) – brightness
- Did weaken the nations – Is 14:12
- Pride: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high (Isaiah 14:13-14)
- Made the earth to tremble, did shake the nations – Is 14:16
- Made the world a wilderness; destroyed the cities, did not open the house of the prisoners – Is 14:17
- Destroyed the land, slain the people – Is 14:20
In addition to the above descriptions of the King of Babylon that describe the desire of Satan, they also harmonize with the Satan-powered antichrist of the Great Tribulation. We recall from 2 Thess 2 that the antichrist as a man seeks to exalt himself above God. He actually shows himself to be a god:
- Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2Th 2:1-4).
So historically we see three things about Babylon:
(1) It begins as the place of man’s rebellion through tyranny and a united world effort which God judged by the confusion of languages.
(2) It’s also the instrument that seeks to take away the land promised by God to His people, the Israelites,
(3) and it is the kingdom that destroys or at least disrupts God’s kingdom here on earth and starts the times of the Gentiles, the time of Gentile domination.
THE ORIGIN OF BABYLON’S RELIGION
Ancient records indicate that Nimrod had a wife named Semiramis who was the founder and first high priestess of the Babylonian mystery religion. She gave birth to a son named Tammuz, whom she claimed was conceived miraculously. This son was considered savior of his people and in effect was the first false Messiah—a counterfeit of Genesis 3:15 and God’s promise of a Savior. The son was to have been killed by a wild beast, but brought back to life.
The religious system of Semiramis had many secret rites in the worship of its idols. These were called mysteries (secrets) into which new members had to be initiated. When the initiates were initiated they were given a cup containing a mysterious drink made of wine, honey, water and flour. This represented the doctrines of the cult, but these also made the participant intoxicated and prepared for what the participant was about to see, hear and do. These rites involved consecrated male and female prostitution and the most sordid sexual immorality carried out in connection with its idolatrous worship. The fornication is both physical and spiritual (Rev. 17:2-5).
The rites incorporated the worship of the mother (who was called “the queen of heaven”) and the child. While the rites varied, and the idol images often varied from country to country as the cult spread from one location to another, they all contained one central feature, the worship of the goddess mother and her child. Often the names changed, but no matter where you went, pictures and images of a mother with a child in her arms were found. (See the study on Rev. 14.)
The religious system which began in Babel (or Babylon), became the mother, the source of all pagan religions of the world. This is the reason she is called “Mother of Harlots” (Rev. 17:5). This system spread to Greece, Egypt, Italy, Phoenicia, Israel, India, Asia Minor and Europe. Canaan was full of this iniquity and is one of the reasons God commanded Israel to destroy its inhabitants. Their failure to do so led to Israel’s own downfall and involvement with the Babylonian system.
Babylonianism Today
But what about the present? Now we come to information which will link the past with the present and help us to identify Babylonianism today. This will also help us to identify the religious city of 17:18 which, because of its Babylonianism, is symbolically called Babylon.
Linked with the central mystery of Babylon—the worship of the mother and child—were many other lesser mysteries which will have many familiar sounds. These include:
THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY
The doctrine of purgatorial purification after death was seen first in pagan Babylonianism. It involved the same extortion and theft of the poor to get the dead cleansed and into a higher state. Prayers and supplications were offered by the priest but only after great fees were collected.204
THE DOCTRINE OF EXTREME UNCTION
In the pagan Babylonian system the dying were anointed for their last journey. This was done in the name of Bee?l-samen, “lord of heaven” and “lord of oil,” the anointed one.205 In James 5 anointing, by contrast, is to be done medicinally, with a view to health, not death.
THE DOCTRINE OF FESTIVALS OF ANCIENT BABYLONIANISM
YULE DAY
Yule means “infant,” thus, the day of birth. In Egypt the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was to have been born at the end of December. Long before they were introduced to Christianity, Anglo Saxons celebrated a “Yule Day” and this was preceded by “A Mother’s Night.” The Sabaeans of Arabia likewise celebrated a birth festival on the 24th of December. This was the birth of their moon god, “Lord Moon” which in the East was called “Meni” (Isa. 65:11). A special tree and a yule log were both involved with this festival. The yule log represented Nimrod, the dead stock of Nimrod, cut down by his enemies, and the tree represented Nimrod come to life.
MARCH 25
Long before the birth of Christ pagan Rome honored Cybele, the mother of the Babylonian Messiah, with a special day, March 25th, nine months before December 25th. Today in Rome this is called “the Annunciation of Mary.”
EASTER
Easter was another name for Astarte or Istar, which were other names for the queen of heaven. This festival in ancient Babylonianism was a 40-day weeping period for Tammuz just prior to the festival of Astarte (or Istar or Easter), who was said to have received her son back from the dead; for it was taught that he was slain by a wild beast (boar). To him the egg was sacred, depicting the mystery of resurrection.
Fifteen hundred years before Christ the hot cross buns of Good Friday were used in the worship of the queen of heaven, the goddess of Easter. They were even called “the boun,” i.e., “bun” (Jer. 7:18). They were first offered, then later eaten.
The egg can be traced back to the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians. “An egg of wondrous size” is said to have fallen from heaven into the River Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank where the doves having settled upon it, hatched it. Out came Venus who afterwards was called the Assyrian goddess or Astarte, the queen of heaven. So the egg first was a symbol of Astarte or Easter, the queen of heaven.
Thus you can see the background for lent, the 40-day period prior to Easter, and the Easter festival. Some simply adopted the egg and applied it to the resurrection of Christ. In the very early church there was the celebration of the Passover on Friday before the resurrection, but it was not called Easter.
THE NATIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
One of the grand and original festivals of Tammuz, the child of Semiramis, was observed in June. In fact, June was called by his name in some places. Other periods had been devoted to the commemoration of the death and reviving of the Babylonian god for various reasons in different countries, but the month of Tammuz appears to have been the primitive date of this festival. As a result, this date and festival still had a firm hold on the people in various parts of the Roman world, so the papacy came up with a solution. John the Baptist was born six months before Christ, which according to their festival for Christ’s birth was December 25, so June would be John’s birth month. One of their many sacred names for Tammuz was Oannes. This was just perfect because in Latin, the sacred language of the church, John was Joannes. Thus, this festival was continued and suited both Christians and pagans alike.
THE FEAST OF ASSUMPTION
This is the teaching that Mary saw no corruption, but was in body and soul carried up to heaven and is now invested with all power of heaven and earth. This too, goes back to Babylonian mystery.
THE DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMAL REGENERATION
This doctrine of Rome did not come out of mistaken use of Scriptures such as Acts 2:38, but from Babylon itself. The baptism was by immersion and was a part of the initiation rites of Babylonianism. It was a rather rough process along with the other parts of the initiation and if one survived, then he was admitted to the knowledge of the mysteries. It took real courage to submit to these rites. The motivation, please note, was regeneration and pardon of all sins! Babylonianism spread all over the world and it touched all nations. Thus, as you would expect, baptismal regeneration was even found in Mexico before Roman Catholic missionaries ever arrived, as well as in India and among our Anglo ancestors.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS
The sign of the cross as used in Rome, did not originate with Christianity as many assume, but came right out of mystery Babylon. It represented the mystic Tau, the letter “T” and the initial for the name Tammuz. It was seen as follows:
These symbols were used on the official garments of the priests of Babylonia and worn around their necks on chains, just as in Rome today.
Bacchus, another name for Tammuz, was represented with a headband covered with crosses.
This is not all. Much of what one finds in Rome can be traced back to the Babylonian mysteries; the holy water, the keys of the Pope, the fables of Mary, the clothing and images, the statues which shed tears or winked, the rosary, the sacred heart, the lamps and candles, the wafer changed into God, the priests and nuns, and the Pontifex-Maximus.
Charles Chiniquy, a man who was 50 years in the Roman Church and 25 years a Roman priest said: “It was certainly our desire, as well as our interest, to believe them (the dogmas, precepts and practices of Rome). But how our faith was shaken, and how we felt troubled when Livy, Tacitus, Cicero, Virgil, Homer, etc., gave us evidence that the greater part of these things had their root and origin in paganism.” Of course he meant by this, mystery Babylon.
He then went on to give an illustration and told how they had been told to trust in the scapulars (the sleeveless outer garment of a priest or monk), medals, holy water, etc., because they would keep them safe and aid in battling the temptations of life. But, how again their faith was shaken when in reading the Greek and Latin historians, they found the same things involved with the worship of Jupiter, Minerva, Diana and Venus (the mother-child cult). He said they asked each other (fellow students) the question, “what is the difference between the religion of heathen Rome and that of Rome today?” More than one student would answer, “the only difference is in the name.” The idolatrous temples are the same, the idols have not left their places, the incense still burns in their honor. Instead of calling this statue Jupiter, we call it Peter, and instead of calling another Minerva or Venus, we call it St. Mary. It is the old idolatry coming to us under Christian names.
What brought about the transference of mystery Babylon over into Christianity and the rise of what we know as Romanism or Roman Catholicism? Remember, we are identifying present day religious Babylonianism. We have already seen the similarities and origin, but what made the transfers.
In A.D. 312, Constantine, Emperor of Rome was marching against Maxentius from France into Italy. The story goes that he had a vision in which he saw a cross, or perhaps the letter, “X” the initial of Christ. With this was the inscription “conquer by this.” He determined that if he was victorious he would make Christianity the legal and official religion of the Roman world. So, taking this as the sign of God, he did as he was told. On his banner and on the soldiers’ shields he put the letters “X” and “R” for the initials of Christ. He was victorious and he issued the Edict of Milam which made Christianity the official religion. All persecution of Christians stopped and being a Christian became the vogue of the day.
What actually happened was the name “Christianity” was given to the pagan Babylonian mystery religion with but a few necessary changes. The temples became the churches, the priests and nuns became the leaders of Christianity. The statues and festivals were given new names, but it was the same system with a new name. Only the names were changed to deceive the innocent. Astarte or Cybele became Mary, and Tammuz, Baal or Bacchus became Jesus, etc.
In the days of Julius Caesar the emperor became the high priest of the Babylonian cult and wore on his crown the name “Pontifex Maximus.” “Pontifex” means “the bridge maker,” i.e., between God and man. “Maximus” means the “greatest.” So this became the title of the high priest of mystery Babylon. Today the Pope wears the same title and calls himself the sovereign pontiff of the College of Pontiffs and the successor of Peter. However, the truth is he is the successor of Babylonian high priests. He is not the successor of the Apostle Peter, but the direct successor of the high priests of the Babylonian mystery cult, the servant of the fish god, Dagon,whose ring (the fish ring) he wears just as did his successors. Even the keys he wears which he claims came from Peter, came instead from the heathen Babylonian gods of Janus and Cybele who bore keys in ancient Babylonianism. Not until 431 A.D. did Roman Catholicism publicly lay claim to the possession of Peter’s keys (Matt. 16:19).
Ancient religious Babylonianism (the mother of harlots) which began in Babel (Babylon), today resides in Romanism which is headquartered in the ancient city of Rome and is spread practically all over the world. This is undoubtedly the religious Babylon of Revelation 17:18.
The Destruction of Religious Babylon
As we study about Babylon, it is important to remember that Babylon refers to more than a city in Revelation 17 and 18. It stands for a system of evil,religiously and politically. Americans speak of “Wall Street” and “Madison Avenue.” These are actually streets, but they also stand for the center of the financial and advertising enterprises of this country.
Revelation 17 describes the apostate religious system as it will come to its zenith in the first half of the Tribulation, but it will be destroyed by the Ten Nation Confederation in the middle of the Tribulation. The true church will have been raptured, but the apostate and false religious systems continue on and become united under the one world system of Babylon, which will may well be headed up by Rome.
As some of the parables of Matthew 13 suggest, and Paul and Peter explicitly warn us, the church age will be characterized by growing apostasy (see 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 2:1-3:4). This apostasy will take the form of ecumenicity—the movement of uniting all religions together into a one-world church governed and controlled by Rome. To accomplish its goals, this apostate ecumenical system will of necessity employ a number of practices to bring off its goals of a world-wide, universal church.
(1) Eclecticism: This is that philosophy of religion which refuses to accept any one system of doctrine, but seeks to take the so-called best from all systems of belief. Eclectics, at least outwardly, seek to be fair to all and therefore yield to all.
(2) Latitudinarianism: This is that system of religion which cares little about creeds or doctrine. In this system sincerity is more important than what is believed. But as above, it opens the door for anything.
(3) Syncretism: This system seeks to unite all opposing theological and philosophical positions by arriving at a common denominator or by coming to a new synthesis.
In all of these there will be persecution and rejection of the truth on behalf of establishing a world church. True Christianity is exclusive. It sees that there may be some truth in other religions but only Christianity has The Truth in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Scripture (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). The world hates this commitment to absolute truth, especially as it is promoted in Scripture (the Written Word) and in the person and work of Jesus Christ (the Living Word). After all, the world is the child of the Antichrist, and as mentioned in previous lessons, while claiming to be eclectic, latitudinarian, and syncretistic, the one-world system of the last days will have no tolerance for true Bible-based Christianity and will seek to persecute and annihilate believers in Christ unmercifully.
Political Babylon to be Rebuilt
on the Euphrates in the Tribulation
The announcement of the fall of Babylon in chapter 18 which comes immediately after the destruction of the harlot in chapter 17, causes many to think that these are one and the same event. However, there are several things which show they are two different events, though described in similar terms. We have here the fall of religious Babylon followed later by the fall of political and commercial Babylon.
(1) The woman of chapter 17 is made desolate, naked, and burned with fire by the beast with the ten horns, whereas the fall of chapter 18 is accomplished directly by God at the end of the Tribulation (cf. 16:19-21). The fall of religious Babylon (chapter 17) occurs when the beast assumes his religious role in the middle of the Tribulation and assumes world political power. The world apostate ecumenical system is destroyed in favor of the new world religion which worships the political dictator of chapter 13 whose capitol city will be in rebuilt Babylon.
The destruction of Babylon in chapter 18 should be compared with the preceding announcement in 16:19 where the great city is divided and the cities of the Gentiles fall. This event comes late in the great Tribulation, just prior to the second coming of Christ, in contrast to the destruction of the harlot of chapter 17 which seems to precede the great Tribulation and paves the way for the worship of the beast (13:8).206
(2) The context of chapter 18 with its many references to the kings and merchants and commerce shows that, in this setting, Babylon is viewed in her political, economic, and commercial character, rather than in her religious role (vss. 11-19).
(3) As Walvoord suggests,
The term “Babylon” in Scripture is more than a reference to the false religious system which stemmed from ancient Babylon. Out of ancient Babylon came the political power represented first in Nimrod and later in Nebuchadnezzar in his great world empire. In some sense this is continued in the commercial system which came from both the religious and political Babylons. It seems that chapter 17 deals with the religious aspect and chapter 18 with the political and economic aspects of Babylon.207
Both aspects have continued down through the centuries. For an Old Testament reference to the commercial aspect, see the vision of the woman with the ephah (a sign of commerce) in Zechariah 5:5-11).
(4) Walvoord points out another significant difference which suggests we have two different aspect of Babylon in chapters 17 and 18.
According to verse 9 the kings of the earth as well as the merchants will all mourn the passing of the Babylon of chapter 18. There is apparently no mourning connected with the destruction of the woman in chapter 17.208
The ten horns and the beast hate the woman (17:16). This would strongly suggest we have two distinct destructions. All of this indicates that the Babylon of chapter 18 is a city that will be rebuilt as the capitol of the world empire in the great Tribulation period and that Babylon in this chapter refers to ancient Babylon which is to be rebuilt rather than to Rome.
Some argue against the rebuilding of Babylon and claim that we must not take the references to Babylon in Revelation too literally. They say this chapter refers to a spiritual Babylon, a city which will become the incarnation of ancient Babylon, but will not be a literal Babylon. They maintain Babylon has already been destroyed and Old Testament prophecy teaches us it will never be rebuilt. But let’s consider some prophetic facts about Babylon.
(1) The Bible predicts the destruction of Babylon will be final and complete (Jer. 50:35, 39-40; Isa. 13:1, 19-22). These verses show that it will no more be inhabited and that its destruction will be as Sodom and Gomorrah with absolutely nothing left (Jer. 51:24-26).
(2) Scripture also predicts that the destruction would be sudden, quick (Jer. 51:8).
(3) The Old Testament predicts this destruction will come in the “Day of the Lord” (Isa. 13:6-11; 13:1; 14:1-3; Jer. 50:1-6).
(4) At the time of her destruction there will be a disturbance in the sun and moon (Isa. 13:10).
(5) Universal peace will result from the overthrow of Babylon (Isa. 14:7-8).
(6) A literal interpretation of Zechariah 5:5-11demands a restored and rebuilt Babylon. These verses involve the vision of the ephah. A woman called “wickedness” is seen sitting in an ephah measure, covered with a round piece of lead. An ephah to a Jew was a perfect symbol of commerce and was the largest dry measure of the Jews. The ephah is then borne away by two women with wings of a stork “to build for it an house in the land of Shinar” (the land of Babylon). This vision anticipates a final concentration of wickedness and commercialism in a great center in the land of Shinar (Babylon) which would reach out over the whole earth. This is the exact portrayal of Babylon as seen in Revelation 18.
(7) The historical situation concerning Babylon shows much of the prophecies mentioned above have not been fulfilled and must await a final and complete fulfillment. The prophecies regarding Babylon are an illustration of dual reference with a partial (near) fulfillment versus a complete (far) fulfillment.
When the Medes and Persians conquered the city they came suddenly and gained immediate control, but they did not destroy the city. Instead Cyrus the Mede beautified the city in 540 B.C. Hundreds of years later many Jews still lived at Babylon and a Jewish Talmud actually originated from there. In the twelfth century A.D. Babylon had grown and several mosques had been erected. Later a city by the name of Hillah was built there and in 1900 it had a population of ten thousand. The land around Babylon is fertile today and dates are grown in abundance (Isa. 13:21f).
Other cities around the area of Babylon were built from the ruins of ancient Babylon; in fact the city of Hillah was built entirely from the ruins of Babylon. Bricks with the word “Babylon” stamped on them have been found as far away as Bagdad.
It is obvious from this historical information that the city was not destroyed suddenly nor completely. Instead, it continued to be inhabited after it was conquered and the land around her did not become desolate, but continued to be populated and fertile. This is a fact of history. Her ruins were used in building other cities and there was no disturbance in the sun or moon, nor did universal peace follow.
The Word of God is true and these prophecies still await a future fulfillment.
The description of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18 declares it will be destroyed suddenly (“in one day her plagues will come” [vs. 8]; “for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste” [vs. 17]). The destruction will be complete and final, “it shall be found no more at all” (Jer. 51:63-64); “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer” (Rev. 18:21). Babylon will be destroyed with fire from heaven as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Rev. 18:18; 16:17-21). Universal peace will follow the destruction.
All of this coincides exactly with the prophecies of the Old Testament and shows that Babylon must be rebuilt in the Tribulation in order to be destroyed as prophesied in “the Day of the Lord.”
Rome may well be the religious Babylon of the world in the first half of the Tribulation, but I am convinced that Babylon on the Euphrates will be rebuilt and will be the political and commercial capitol in the last half of the Tribulation.
199 John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966, p. 243.
200 Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1988, p. 221.
The Origin of Babylon
In the Bible, Babylon is described as young (Isa. 47:15). If it was young, it had a beginning. What was this beginning? Genesis 10:8,10 gives us an answer: “And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. . . . And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” This first development of Babylon occurred in the early post-Flood period and was political in nature. Secular history reveals that not long after this, the philosophical ideology of Babylon began to prevail. The book of Revelation tells us that Babylon has deceived the nations (Rev. 18:23). And who is the author of deception? None other than Satan, the Devil (Rev. 12:9)! The philosophy of Babylon is the creation of Satan. Satan at one time rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:11-16). Satan hates God’s Way and God’s Truth. Not too long after the Flood, Satan used Babylon as the stepping stone in his program to deceive the nations-both politically and philosophically. But, this deception did not really begin in Babylon. It began earlier than that.
Revelation 18:24 makes an astounding statement. It tells us that in her (Babylon) “. . . was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” The first man slain on the earth was righteous Abel. Abel was slain at the behest of Satan. The Apostle John wrote, “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12). Jesus placed this same blame on the religious leaders of His day. He told them, “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” (Matt. 23:35). What does this mean? It means the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were the instruments and tools of Satan. These religious leaders manifested the same hateful spirit that was associated with Babylon. In reality, the spirit of Babylon manifested itself shortly after the Creation. Notice what John wrote in Revelation 17:6: “And I saw the woman [Babylon] drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great [wonder].” Babylon has been responsible for all the blood shed on the earth (Rev. 18:23), including the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. The philosophy of Babylon has been utilized to deceive all nations since shortly after the Creation; the political system is the means of control. Throughout history, Babylon has revived over and over again, and, with few exceptions, has always opposed the Way of God.
Babylon in Early History
The first attempt at world government is recorded in Genesis 11. This took place in the land of Shinar (the present territory north of the Persian Gulf). The land of Shinar was located in the fertile plain between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It was given the name “Babel.” After the Flood men began to develop skilled labor-crafts and other abilities. They became arrogant and said, “Let us make us a name.” They began to repudiate the patriarchal system which God had established after the Flood. They demanded their “rights.” This movement was the continuation of a movement Nimrod had instigated earlier. He had placed himself before (ahead of) the Lord (Gen. 10:9). What we find recorded in Genesis 11 is the first attempt to bring about a central one-world government. Notice what they said, “. . . let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). The Tower of Babel was the attempt to establish a universal government in defiance of God. As a result, God scattered them abroad. God said, “Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city” (Gen. 11:7-8). The confounding of the languages and the dispersion of the peoples prevented this precipitous movement. Politically, it failed. Philosophically, its tenets were conveyed around the world.
When Israel was in Egypt, the concepts of Babylon permeated the culture. This is because the Babylonian civilization preceded that of the Egyptians. Later, Israel encountered these Babylonian concepts when they entered the promised land. Like Egypt, the Canaanite culture had its roots in Babylon. The lifestyle of the Canaanites included many sinful practices (Lev.18-20, Ps. 106:34-42, Ezra 9:1-2, Judges 3:5-7). Israel was commanded not to follow the practices of the Egyptians and Canaanites (Lev.18:3). The Israelites failed to heed God’s warning and were soon practicing many Canaanite customs. Eventually the northern tribes of Israel were deprived of their land and taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Originally Assyria was a Babylonian colony, steeped in its culture, and when it became independent set out to control the commerce of the ancient world. About 120 years later, the Israelitish tribes in the south were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. They were allowed to return to Palestine about 70 years later. Outwardly, they appeared to have reformed and gave much attention to the Law of God. Inwardly, however, they had absorbed much of the Babylonian philosophy and were thoroughly indoctrinated into Babylonian concepts when Christ appeared on the scene.
Christ and the Apostles
Contended With Babylonian Concepts
Old Testament Scriptures have little to say about the Jews after their return from the Babylonian captivity. Daniel’s prophecies cover much of what took place following this time, even foretelling the year Christ was to begin His ministry. Christ was in constant conflict with the religious establishment of His day. The scribes and Pharisees were the continuation of the Old Testament Church, but had perverted the Truth given by Moses and had embraced many of the ideas of Babylon. They were hypocritical in their attempts to practice their version of the Law of Moses. Jesus frankly told them their spiritual paternity went right back to Satan (John 8:44). The Jews had been indoctrinated in Babylon, where the philosophical concepts of Satan were rampant.
After the time of Christ, the Apostles encountered the same Satanic system. First, it came in the form of persecution, and later, in the Gnostic heresies. Within the lifetime of most of the original Apostles, apostasy crept into the Church, and by the middle of the second century the Church took on a new appearance. The Apostle Paul referred to this heresy as “the mystery of iniquity.” The gospel Jesus preached-the gospel of the Kingdom of God-had been perverted into a gospel about the person of Christ. Little was said about His real message. Instead, human reasoning, based on Greek thought, took the place of divine revelation. Pagan concepts, which had their origin in Babylon, were substituted for the principles Jesus taught. The weaknesses of the flesh were excused, and occult practices of one type or another began to prevail. Division and strife arose in the local Churches and those who remained faithful to the original revelation from God were excommunicated.
Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). All nations have been deceived (Rev. 12:9). His philosophy was first manifested in the murder of Abel, and later in the Tower of Babel. Babylonian society was its epitome. From Babylon it was exported to the entire world. Its chief manifestation in the early New Testament period was the Gnostic heresy. Here it took on two bents. One was asceticism (strict discipline to rules and regulations) and the other was antinomianism (no law). Paul’s epistles make this plain. That the philosophy and politics of Babylon were to continue after the time of Christ and the Apostles is seen in Daniel 2:31-44 and Daniel 7:1-14. An examination of these two passages demonstrates that the political system manifested in Babylon continues until the time of Christ. The image is one image which is continual from beginning to end. The fact is: The Roman Empire, which was the fourth manifestation of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, is a manifestation of Babylon. The basic deceptions of Babylon were developed long before the time of the Roman Empire. Scholars recognize that much Roman thought came from the Greeks via the Egyptians. And where did the Egyptians get it? From Babylon, of course!
Babylon Today
In the Bible, Babylon is called the “lady of kingdoms.” Notice what she boasts: “. . . I shall be a lady for ever. . . . I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children” (Isa. 47:7-8). Babylon, according to this prophecy, is a preeminent power in the world. She rules over peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (Rev. 17:15). Babylonianism bridges all national concerns which, in turn, have profoundly affected the working relationships of all nations.
What are Babylon’s characteristics?
Babylon is economic in nature. From a “youth” Babylon has engaged in merchandising (Isa. 47:15). See the description of the enormity of Babylon’s riches and commerce in Ezekiel 26and 27. Tyrus here is merely an extension of Babylonian practices; Satan is the invisible ruler of both Babylon and Tyrus (Isa.14, Ezek. 28). Just prior to its final destruction, notice the description of the trade and wealth of modern Babylon.
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. . . . And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! (Rev. 18:7, 11-18).
This description must certainly include the great international business relations that fuel the economies of most nations today. Under Babylon’s aegis, the merchant bankers, along with exporters and importers, have prospered tremendously, much of this profit coming from third world nations whose economies require laborers to work for a pittance.
Babylon is political in nature. Babylon is involved in political arrangements and alliances with the kings of the earth. The Bible calls this fornication. Of Babylon we read, “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Rev. 17:2). The political concepts that pervade the Babylonian mystique are both totalitarian and socialistic in nature. For those nations who have been able to implement these political concepts, the result has been wealth and riches. There has been on their part a willing cohabitation-acceptance and pursuit of these political relationships. In due time most of peoples in the world will come under the influence and domination of the Babylonish system. See the description in Revelation, chapters 17 and 18. While all indications are that China will remain outside this orb, certainly trade and business will greatly increase in all the nations of the world, including China.
Babylon is the catalyst behind social change-its goal, to do away with nation states and nationalities-to unify the world. The reader will recall that the purpose behind the Tower of Babel was to fuse the peoples into one (Gen. 11:4). The oracle against Babylon in Isaiah 13points out this fusion. We read: “The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. . . . they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land” (Isa. 13:1-14). Notice the time setting of this chapter-the “Day of the Lord” (vv. 6, 9, 13). The “Day of the Lord” will occur when God takes a direct hand in the affairs of man; the world will be punished for its iniquity. This event will take place at or near the return of Jesus Christ. In Jeremiah 50:8, God’s people are told to remove themselves from Babylon-that is, to come out of this worldly system (Rev. 18:4). Today, the world is rapidly becoming one. Due to the influence of television the same styles and dress are seen around the world. The Internet is rapidly linking all peoples into a single communication system. English has become the international language. Cultures are being merged and vast numbers of people are moving from nation to nation. Those enmeshed in Babylon are living deliciously (Rev. 18:7). The economic system that has looted the third-world nations has done so at the expense of the masses. But first the peoples must be molded into accepting whatever means of livelihood is available. In many cases, people have been compelled to leave their homes and switch to another culture and language.
Babylon is military in nature. One of the great military powers of the past was Babylon. Modern Babylon, we are told, sits astride a beast (Rev. 17:3, 6-7). In the Bible a beast is a symbol for government. Babylon, then, controls the government/s it represents. So militarily powerful is modern Babylon that the Bible tells us: “. . . Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Rev. 13:4). Babylon will even fight Christ at His return. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. . . . And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army” (Rev. 19:11-19). But to no avail: “. . . in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).
Babylon is philosophical and religious in nature. Historians are aware that all the philosophical systems of the world have their roots in Babylon. Why? Because it was the world’s first civilization. It is often referred to historically as Sumerian. It is well known that some of the philosophers of Greece studied in both Babylon and Egypt. The similarity of thought in both philosophy and religion can be seen throughout the world today. The Bible tells us the whole world has been deceived (Rev. 12:9). The world is in a state of mental disorientation. Babylon has made the inhabitants of the earth spiritually drunk (Rev. 17:2). The educational philosophy of Babylon is common to every nation on earth. These educational systems have been largely responsible for propagating the false concepts so popular today. The woman has a golden cup in her hand (Rev. 17:4). What does it contain? The abominations and filthiness of her fornication-the beliefs, practices, and customs found in every level of society. She is the inventive genius behind all the dynamics that run the world today. We read: “For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. . . ” (Rev. 18:3). The nations of the earth are not Babylon. Babylonism is the system that runs the nations today. But, behind this system are the power brokers-the business moguls and merchant bankers who control the world’s economy. They are the ones who have waxed rich through her delicacies, the ones who have committed fornication (spiritual intercourse) with her. Babylon represents a way of life, a philosophy and religious view that has risen superior to all nations, religions, languages, cultures, and races. By her sorceries all nations have been deceived (Rev. 18:23).
Babylon is totalitarian in nature. The totalitarian nature of ancient Babylon is described in Daniel, chapter three. King Nebuchadnezzar answered to no one. The historical manifestation of Babylon is a type of modern Babylon. The philosophy and religion behind Babylon is what is politically correct today. To be out of sync with the system makes one unpopular. The Bible indicates that the philosophy and religion of Babylon will eventually be forced upon everyone. The totalitarian nature of Babylon will then be fully realized (Rev. 13:11-17). Those who refuse to conform will be killed (v. 15). The masses will be deprived of religious freedom. The nations will be forced to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Babylon will become drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (Rev. 17:6). Those who refuse to compromise their faith and convictions will receive the wrath of the Babylonian system (Rev. 13:7).
Babylon is universal in nature. Satan is the present god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). He does have a kingdom (Matt. 12:24-26). He is the real author of the Babylonian system and philosophy. Since Satan failed in his attempt to rival God (Isa. 14:12-15, Ezek. 28:15-16), he set about to accomplish this through the nations and governments of the world. The first civilization of man was destroyed by the Flood. This civilization was the result of following the way of Satan. After the Flood, Satan tried to bring about a one-world government at the Tower of Babel. God put a stop to that. Satan has been working in the hearts and minds of men ever since. Satan’s domain is universal. His system-Babylon-is found the world over. How broad is this system? “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Rev. 14:8). “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Rev.17:15). See also Revelation 18:3, 23; 20:3. The scope of Babylonian influence is worldwide. It is universal in nature.
We now see developing before our eyes the greatest economic system the world has ever seen. Soon, it will virtually control the economies of all nations. The wealth of Babylon is described in Revelation 17:4. “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (Rev. 17:4). Her attire, opulence, greatness, and dominance attest to the enormous success of this economic system. “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow” (Rev. 18:7).
But what will be the ultimate fate of Babylon? “. . . Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. . . ” (Rev.18:16-17). The Babylonian belief system holds together the entire fabric of modern society. It dominates economics, politics, social change, the military, and religion. It is the heart and core of today’s world!
What Bible Prophecy Says
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon. We have seen from Daniel, chapter two, the account of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation. In the dream Nebuchadnezzar saw a great image. By means of a vision, Daniel understood the meaning of the image. It is a prophecy for the last days. The image reveals the continuity of the Babylonian system from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the time of Christ’s return. The stone that smote the image and destroyed it is the government of God which, at Christ’s return, will take control of the whole world. What Nebuchadnezzar’s dream tells us is that the Babylonian system will be in existence up to the time of Christ’s second coming. This is why Babylon is emphasized so much in the book of Revelation.
During the Old Testament period God used the Babylonian kingdom as “the hammer of the whole earth” (Jer. 50:23). The sinning nations of the earth were punished by the Babylonian juggernaut. In the last days Babylon is characterized as the world’s preeminent force. Today, the nations of the world are under the curse of the Babylonian system. The marvelous blessings that could come to mankind as a result of obedience to God will not be realized until the return of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, the world continues to suffer from the Babylonian system.
Apostasy and the Man of Sin
Uppermost in the minds of many is the “man of sin,” described in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. What is not realized, as this verse shows, is that the revealing of the man of sin is first preceded by an apostasy. The words “falling away” in this verse are translated from the Greek word apostasia, which means a departure from truth. Satan is the author of all Babylonian concepts. Of necessity, the man of sin will employ these same concepts. This apostasy is to occur in the last days (2 Thess. 2:1-3).
What will be the degree and scope of this apostasy?
What the Bible does point out, is that the people of God will be influenced by doctrines of demons (1 Tim. 4:1). They will not really love the Truth of God; they will gather to themselves teachers who will tell them what they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3-4). The acceptance of popular ideas and views will prevail. Change will be touted as the way to go. False teachers will be highly accepted. Ecumenism and a one-world religion will become paramount. Many Christian churches will compromise in order to be accepted. A major form of Babylonianism is occultism. Informed people are alarmed at the increase of this religious orientation. In addition, the peoples of the West are being inundated with oriental concepts that have their origin in ancient Babylon. The goal of Satan and the man of sin will be to destroy the Truth of God (Dan. 8:12). A “king of fierce countenance” will arise and will destroy the holy people. The sanctuary will be polluted (Dan. 11:31). What is the parallel between these texts and Revelation 17:3, 6 and 13:17-18? The beast, that is, a government, will be ridden by the apostate woman (a false religious and philosophical system) called “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Rev. 17:5). What does this woman do? “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great [horror]” (Rev.17:6). As the kingdom of Babylon was selected to punish the nations of the past, so in the last days a great worldwide system called “Babylon” will punish the peoples of the earth. The historical captivity of the people of God in the past, is the type of what will happen to them in the future.
The Coming Destruction of Babylon
It will soon be Babylon’s turn to suffer God’s wrath. We have mentioned the “Day of the Lord.” This time period is not referring to Sunday as a day of worship. In the Bible, it describes the period when God will take a direct hand in the affairs of this world. It will not be a pleasant time for mankind. For the first time in thousands of years, men will come to truly fear God as they should. God will manifest His power as never seen before. By referring to a Concordance, the interested reader can acquaint himself with the passages that refer to the “Day of the Lord.” As the historical type, Babylon received God’s judgment. God will do the same to modern Babylon. Revelation 18 describes the punishment and destruction upon modern Babylon in detail. Compare this chapter with Isaiah 13 and 47. The shock waves felt internationally by the destruction of Babylon are described in Revelation 18:9-11, 15-19.
Modern Babylon is Satan’s attempt to bring about a one-world government. This undertaking was thwarted at the Tower of Babel. At the time of the end God will allow a one-world government to continue for a period of three and one-half years (Rev. 13:5). The kingdoms of this present world belong to Satan (Matt. 12:25-26). At the start of His public ministry, Christ was offered these kingdoms. All He had to do was to fall down on His knees and worship Satan (Matt. 4:8-9). He refused. Christ came to prepare a kingdom that will replace Satan’s. That kingdom is the Kingdom of God. Those called of God today are called out of the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God (Acts 26:18). Satan’s kingdom will not last. God’s Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. It will be established on the earth at Christ’s return.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever . . . . And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him (Dan. 2:44; 7:27).
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