The term Babylon (or Babel) in prophecy in the Book of Revelation is an abstract concept to most visitors to the major churches. If ever discussed. Who or what is Babylon? A question that needs an answer.
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In any case, it is seldom, if ever, discussed that prophecy is dealt with in the major churches. Thus, the church service attendees are presented by the preachers with “life wisdom” adapted to the spirit of the times rather than the prophetic statements of the Bible. This is especially true when the prophecy concerns our current time.
Chapters 7 through 12 of the book of Daniel, and especially chapters 11 through 18 of Revelation, are among the neglected areas of scripture. However, that is not surprising. After all, the prophecies for the end times usually address the institutions that the preaching pastor and priest would represent.
It is obvious that the prophecies do not refer to the once actual city of Babylon and the kingdom of Babylon. It is symbolic, as is most of the prophecy in the last book of the Bible in (ageless) symbolism. But the Babylon described contains the characteristics of the ancient model and this applies in particular to the widespread beliefs, the philosophies represented and also the internal structures, as will be seen later.
Revelation 18:4 contains an urgent warning for the people:
“Come out of her [Babylon], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”
Man should get out of Babylon as quickly as possible, according to the message. Those who remain in Babylon accept their sinfulness and face the consequences. Isn’t it then extremely important to know who or what Babylon is? It is all the more astonishing that so many churches that claim to stand on the foundation of the gospel treat this topic so sparsely or not at all, let alone point out this warning to their worshipers.
In contrast to the ruins of Pergamon, Babylon will disappear completely
The book of Daniel and Revelation show some connections. The prophet Daniel experienced ancient Babylon under the Chaldeans with the kings Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar. After that, Daniel lived for a few more years under the rule of the Medo-Persians. Babylon, under the last king Belshazzar, fell literally overnight. The night before, the last king received a message written on the wall of the banqueting hall, as described in Daniel 5:25-28:
The word “Mene” was written twice, as was the exclamation “fallen, fallen” in Revelation 14:8. With the double exclamation, the entire downfall is announced, which covers not only the political but also the religious sphere of power. Belshazzar took care of the political affairs in Babylon at that time. His father, Nabunides, was responsible for the religious part. The rulers of Babylon thus determined politics and religion. The Babylon described in the last book of the Bible also exhibits this characteristic.
In the book of Daniel 7, the first three beasts, the lion, the bear, and the panther, represent a succession of emerging kingdoms. The lion represents the kingdom of Babylon, the bear represents Medo-Persia and the panther the kingdom of Greece. These three beasts reappear in Rev. 13 for the description of the “beast out of the sea.” This beast has the jaws of a lion, legs of a bear, and body of a panther, and thus has the characteristics of Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
It speaks like Babylon, embodies Greece and stands on the foundation of Medo-Persia.
A list of the insights gained from the previous verses:
The last book of the Bible, reporting “Babylon”. Following are the verses which directly name Babylon.
With the preceding verses some statements about Babylon have been added
Babylon teaches pub culture and not the gospel
The destruction of Babylon according to Rev. 16:9 (see above) describes the time of the last of the seven final plagues. During the sixth plague parallels to ancient Babylon are again made clear, as in Rev. 16, 12-13:
The quick victory of the Medo-Persians over Babylon was actually a surprise. The river Euphrates flowed right through the city of Babylon. As a stratagem, the Medo-Persians diverted the Euphrates by removing dams. The river literally dried up at that time and the warriors of Medo-Persia could walk into the city with almost dry feet. Since there was a festive mood anyway and the guards insisted on being in a good mood like Belshazzar, the attention was accordingly gone.
The two verses also make it clear that the prophetic Babylon consists of three parts. From the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. With the dragon it is about Satan, so in the Rev. 20:2:
The beast is the “beast from the sea” according to Rev. 13, 1-10. The false prophet is the one who conveys the messages of the beast out of the sea to mankind. As described in Rev. 13:11-18. Depicted there as the “Beast from the Earth”.
Chapter 13 lengthened the list of descriptions of Babylon
In chapter 17 of Revelation Babylon is described as a woman, more specifically as a whore. This has a whole series of properties, as in verses 3 and 4:
A woman in prophecy is a church or congregation. A whore is a corresponding apostate church. However, this interpretation is not made out of thin air, but explains the Bible itself.
The kings of the earth will hand over their power to this woman who sits on the beast, i.e. the religious institution that also controls political matters, as in the Rev. 17, 17-18:
In the meantime, a whole package of descriptions of Babylon has come together. Although this is not yet complete, it gives a very understandable picture:
Babylon is characterized by wealth, ostentation and idolatry
There is only one institution on this planet that actually fully fulfills all the descriptions listed. This institution held absolute power for 1260 years (between 538 and 1798). During this time countless people were killed for deviating from the prescribed teachings. This institution takes back this power (healed wound, Rev. 13:3).
This institution dresses its “collaborators” in scarlet and purple, propagating diametrically opposed to the Gospel teachings of nature and sun worship (Babylon). This institution even minted coins depicting a woman holding a cup and holding the sun. This institution took Medo-Persia as a model for its organization and structure (e.g. priesthood and various religious orders). With the spread of its social teachings, this institution represents natural law, i.e. Greek philosophy.
It is the only religious institution that a city bears in its name.
With the beast out of the sea, the harlot, the “abomination of the earth” it is about the Roman Catholic Church (more here). A look at the once Protestant churches and their represented teachings clearly point to the guidelines of Rome and also implemented them. Protestantism is anyway officially buried without it being treated “greatly” in the media.
On the political level, Rome’s specifications are implemented politically and militarily by the world power USA. The change at the political level and the occupation of influential government posts by Catholics are unmistakable.
The prophetic Babylon in Revelation (dragon, beast, false prophet) is unmistakably the combination of:
Satan, the Roman Catholic Church, fallen Protestantism and the political world power USA.
The papacy is the “man of sin” and the “son of perdition” described in the Bible. A realization which was already made by the former reformers consistently recognized.
The first thought could be: Anyone who does not know who or what Babylon is runs the risk of being right in the middle of it and doing so without knowing it.
However, anyone who has recognized Babylon also knows that everyone who does not know Babylon automatically stands inside and stays there. That’s what’s fatal about it. It is therefore essential to recognize the “nature” of prophetic Babylon in order to act properly.
It is understandable at this point that neither the Roman Catholic Church nor the former Protestant Churches have any interest in explaining the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation to their followers.
So get out of the Catholic and the so-called Protestant churches. Get out of the institutions that support and advance Rome’s agenda. As things stand, there isn’t much time left.
Bible verses from King James Version