Christ the Just
It’s the time of reckoning for the kingdom of the world. How does it all unravel?
Babylon the kingdom of this world will fall. It is the beginning of God’s judgment on a sinful world which as persecuted His servants.
In Revelation chapter 14 there are three fnal warnings of coming wrath. First the preaching of the gospel to people. Second the fall of Babylon and fnally the kingdom of the beast. This sets the order of end time events. Therefore when we come to chapters 17 and 18, which cover the fall of Babylon, we are going back in time.
Mystery Babylon
To fnd out what is represented by MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH, we will look at her character as described in Revelation.
First we learn that God hates her, (Revelation 16: 19). Then in chapter 17 verses 1 to 6 we are told the following about her: She is described as a great harlot. (Jerusalem was called a Harlot when she abandoned the true God for the worship of false gods: Isaiah 1: 21). By her fornication she has led the rulers and peoples of the earth astray, teaching them to worship other gods. Having corrupted many others she is called the Mother of Harlots. She revels in all that God fnds to be an abomination. She sits on many waters, which in Revelation 17: 15 is interpreted as peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, from which we conclude that her infuence is global. She is seen seated on the beast. She is not the same as the beast but relies on the beast for her considerable wealth and security. She persecutes those who are faithful to Jesus. Later we learn how she glorifes herself and is flled with pride.
A literal city?
Several times she is called that great city. Is this a reference to a literal city? We are also told that she sits on seven mountains. New York, Rome, London and Mecca are all said to be built on seven hills. But can any literal city be said to be the source of all the corruption in the earth?
Her wealth and trade make her more than a purely religious system. Her harlotry makes her more than the world economy. She has existed longer than any end time world government. She is older and more extensive than Europe. The woman is not the same as the individual empires. She has an adulterous relationship with them all spanning the whole of history. There is no single city which fts her character. In the light of the huge rejoicing in heaven at her fall and the global signifcance of her trade, Babylon represents something much bigger than a single city or country or even a religious system. That is why I believe that she represents the kingdom of this world.
The birth of civilisation
A clue which confrms her identity is found in Revelation 18: 24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints and all who were slain on the earth”. This takes us back to the time of the frst murder. In Genesis we read that Cain out of jealousy kills his brother Abel. As a punishment Cain is condemned to be a fugitive. Driven from the presence of God he fears that he will be killed. In response, God promises that he will be protected. Cain goes out from the presence of the Lord and settles in the land of Nod. There he builds a city. People have always regarded cities as places of safety. A place where they can defend themselves from their enemies. Cain is trusting himself rather than God.
After fve generations Lamech is born into this city. He is the frst to break with God’s divinely appointed order of one man, one wife. The ofspring of this rebellious relationship are very creative. Jabal develops agriculture. Jubal is into the arts, developing music. Tubal-Cain is a metal worker. With the arts, technology and agriculture, what we call ‘civilisation’ is born to this ungodly line. When mankind develops a new technology, what is usually the frst use he puts it to? Lamech boasts that he has killed a younger [ie: stronger] man. His son’s metal work has enabled the production of weapons. With weapons Lamech can boast that he no longer needs God (Genesis 4: 24). The kingdom of this world, which we call civilisation, becomes the focus of rebellion against God.
In Revelation 18: 22 music and technology end with the fall of Babylon. The civilisation which began in Cain’s city will be brought to an end when God judges the Harlot.
A new world, the same rebellion
Because of the violence flling the earth, God brings the Flood. After the Flood, He gives mankind a fresh start. The command of God to Noah and his sons was to go out and fll the earth (Genesis 9: 1). In disobedience, Nimrod, only four generations on from Noah, rebels against God and founds a kingdom (Genesis 10: 8–12). His frst city was called Babel. Nimrod’s Babel soon became the source of all false religion, ftting the description the MOTHER OF HARLOTS. The city called Babel, later named Babylon becomes a symbol of man’s rebellion against God.
Two kingdoms are now in confict, the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God. For Isaiah and Jeremiah, Babylon becomes the personifcation of wickedness.
The beast
The beast on which the Harlot rides is the manifestation of Satan the god of this world. His power comes through kingdoms and empires. Heads represent empires and horns represent nations. In the three fnal warnings, Babylon falls to make way for the kingdom of the beast. This is confrmed in Revelation 17:16–17 where the ten nations which arise at the end time to give their power to the beast will destroy the harlot. God is sovereign, He puts it in their hearts to do this. It is His judgment on the Harlot’s wickedness.
The kingdom of the beast is to be a rebirth of a former empire. The beast is also a person who, “will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition.” He “was and is not”. If we take this literally, at the time Revelation was written, the man who is to become the beast had been alive but was now dead. He will come back to life. In Revelation, Abaddon is the one who is released from the bottomless pit.
What is Babylon today?
Revelation ends with a vision of the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ. Her opposite number is Babylon the Great, the Harlot bride of Satan. The Old Testament imagery of Babylon as the personifcation of wickedness and rebellion is applied to the culmination of man’s pride at the end of the age.
The Bible tells us that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one”, 1 John 5:1. Those that hate God and reject His ways are citizens of Babylon. All who have trusted Christ as their redeemer belong to the New Jerusalem.
Babylon is man’s attempt to live independently from God. She is the kingdom of this world, what we would call civilisation. There is a facade of greatness, but underneath she is proud and corrupt. For men, cities display their strength. The city with its resources provides opportunities to develop music, the arts, philosophy and technology. City society is ordered and regulated by manmade laws. Cities have armies for defence and war. At the end of her days Babylon is a trading power flled with pride. She says she sits as a Queen and no misfortune can harm her. She is preoccupied with increasing her wealth and has enticed the leaders and the peoples of the world to follow after her in the pursuit of luxury. All the merchants and those who have grown rich through trade with her will mourn when she falls.
God has allowed men to adopt symbols in order to make things easier for us to understand. The European Union adopted the symbol of Europa as a political statement. The old Judeo/Christian culture is discarded in favour of pagan Greek culture. In sculpture and pictures Europa is portrayed as a woman riding a beast. European culture dominates the modern world. In Bible terms it sits on many waters. In these closing years of the present age it is the western world which best fts the description of Babylon the Great. The leaders of the world and the nations aspire to share in her wealth. For man, she is the pinnacle of civilisation. In the sight of God she is evil, corrupt and soon to fall. She is antiGod, seeking to reverse the judgment of Babel.
At the opening of chapter 17, John is invited to witness the judgment of the harlot. It is God who puts it into the hearts of the ten kings, who give their power to the Beast, to destroy the harlot. They hate her and will “make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire”. Revelation 17:16–17. With the collapse of western civilisation the world will quickly descend into lawlessness. Satan will then offer his man as the world’s saviour. But note it is all in accordance with the will of God.
Nebuchadnezzar had to learn, “…that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He chooses.” When the fifth seal was opened the martyrs cried out, “How long O Lord.” They were told to be patient. Jesus Christ is just in His judgments. He will avenge the blood of all slain on the earth in His time.