Revelation 17: Babylon

Here in this chapter we are given the concept of Babylon.

This is a real city but over time has become also a symbol of corruption and worldliness which are rejection of God and His eternal plan for His creation. Verses 14:8 & 16:19 have declared the fall of Babylon. In chapters 17 & 18 the fall is detailed.

Babylon is mentioned 287 times in scripture, more than any other city except Jerusalem. It was a real city on the banks of the Euphrates river. Scripture begins to present it to us in Genesis 11 as a seat of civilization after the flood. It was later the capital of the empire that cruelly conquered Judea, used by God as judgment. The name Babylon is associated with idolatry, blasphemy, and persecution of God's people. Rome became the center of such things later in time and was used as a symbol of ungodly things. It was the center of a "world system" and under the Antichrist is to be the world power for all evil to come.

Verses 1-2 begin the description of Babylon by the angel. He allows John to see the judgment of the great harlot. There is no doubt as to the fate and failure of Babylon.

Babylon was a religion before Christianity was born, founded by the wife of Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah. Her name was Semiramis, a high priestess of idol worship who gave birth to a son named Tammuz, supposedly conceived by miracle, and was to be considered a savior. He was killed by a wild beast and then supposedly brought back to life. The Canaanite name for this person was Baal. We can see the false worship that follows the story of our Lord as Satan's counterfeit. The prophets spoke against him. Ezekiel protests against him in 8: 14 & Jeremiah mentions the heathen practice in chapters 7:18 & 44:17-19 & 44:25.

The angel teaches John that Babylon sits on many waters, meaning she is universal over many locations. The people of earth were made drunk with her wine of fornication. John saw in amazement this vision given as he was carried away into the wilderness. The woman vision he saw sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. We saw this beast before in chapter 13. She is clothed in luxury, purple and gold, and yet she offers impurity. She is described as a mystery not as a city anymore, but now to be seen as a symbol of spiritual corruption. She is seen to be drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus.

We should remember that such persecution has been at times used by portions of the Christian church, in corruption, against its own. Under the Roman Catholic queen of England, Mary, 288 Christians were burned at the stake who refused to convert. This period was known as "tum or bum" years (1555-1558). Mary was executed by Elizabeth the first.

Verse 7 begins the explanation of the great harlot to John. The focus is on her beast. She rides the system of the Antichrist. Verse 8 explains that the beast was and then was not, amazing those whose names are not in the book of life (unbelievers). Verse 9 associates seven mountains with this beast, a symbol for the seven hills on which Rome stood. Daniel 2:35 shows such figures of governments on hills. Verse 10 teaches of seven kings and five have fallen, one now is, and one is to come. The five fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Medea-Persia, and Greece. The one that now is in John's day is Rome. The one yet to come is the one world empire to be formed by the Antichrist, as a revival of the Roman rule ( one was, then was _J?-0t, and then is).

Verses 12-15 shows a vision of ten kings to come, allies of the Antichrist. It has been supposed that these are represented by the ten toes of the image in Daniel 2 and in our day, some see the symbol to be the ten nations bound together in Europe currently. All of these give their power and authority to this beast to war later against the power of Christ. John is told the harlot presides over peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, showing another view of a one world power base.

Verse 16 allows the judgment of the harlot as the ten kings tum against her, likely a vision of the midpoint of the tribulation period. Once the Antichrist gathers his power he no longer needs the ten. He wishes himself to be worshiped as Paul teaches us in 2nd Thessalonians 2:3-4, as he discards-all ten and any pretense of religion, appearing in the temple of God to be himself worshiped.

Verse 1 7 teaches us that God himself put into the hearts of the ten to rebel against the Antichrist. Through history, God has used evil powers on earth to bring His judgment. Now he does so once more giving their powers to the beast, allowing the world to receive exactly what it wants, godless religion and godless rulers.

Verse 18 concludes the vision by teaching that this great city of his day, Rome, rules over the kingdoms of this world, as the political, economic, and military center of all things. But it remains as a symbol of Babylon, the concept.

The question for us is whether we are citizens of Baby Ion or are we citizens of a better city to come, new Jerusalem? Idol worship is even more powerful today in our time than ever before. Are we giving ourselves to it or to the Lord? What is our vision?

THOUGHTS ON CHAPTERS 18-20:

18: THE BABYLON WE STUDIED IN CHAPTER 17 NOW FALLS. IN CHAPTER 17 WE SAW THAT GOD PLACED HIS WILL INTO THE MINDS OF 10 NATIONS TO TURN THEM AWAY FROM THE ANTICHRIST TO FULFILL HIS PLAN.

NOW A GREATER ANGEL APPEARS WHO WE ARE TOLD LIGHTS THE EARTH WI TH GREAT GLORY, LIKELY A VIEW OF THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, THOUGHT TO BE JESUS HIMSELF. HE ANNOUNCES THAT BABYLON HAS FALLEN. NATIONS AND KINGS AND MERCHANTS HAD COME UNDER THE FALSENESS OF CORRUPT BABYLON, AND NOW SHE IS FINISHED. VERSE 7 TEACHES US THAT BABYLON HAD GLORIFIED HERSELF, NOT GOD, & THE WRATH ON HER WAS AWFUL, WI TH PLAGUES AND DEATH AND MOURNING AND FAMINE AND FIRE. THE FALSE RELIGION OF THE ANTICHRIST WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH MATERIAL MATTERS THAN WITH SPIRITUAL MATTERS AND NOW HAS BEEN SHOWN THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH FOCUS.

19: THE SCENE SHIFTS FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH AS THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS CONCLUDING AND THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM APPROACHES. JOHN SEES THE COMING OF JESUS IN ALL OF HIS MAJESTY AND POWER. THE SYMBOLS OF A WHI TE HORSE AND FOLLOWERS IN WHITE ROBES ARE POINTS OF PURITY. PATIENCE AND MERCY IS OVER AND THE CLOTHING OF JESUS WAS DIPPED IN BLOOD TO SHOW THAT HIS ENEMIES WILL NOW FALL (ALL FORETOLD IN ISAIAH 63). HE IS SAID TO BE THE WORD OF GOD. JUDE 14 TEACHES THAT HE WILL COME WITH THEN THOUSANDS OF HIS SAINTS. SO SERIOUS IS THE DESTRUCTION TO COME THAT ALL THE BIRDS OF THE EARTH ARE INVI TED TO COME TO EAT THE FLESH SOON TO BE LYING DEAD. IN THIS BATTLE THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES ON THE SIDE OF VICTORY (THE LORD'S SIDE) AND NO SURVIVORS ON THE DEFEATED SIDE.

20: THE 1,000 YEAR REIGN BEGINS. SATAN IS BOUND, ASSURING PEACE AND HARMONY FOR THE 1,000 YEARS. AT THE END OF THE 1,000 YEARS THE UNSAVED DEAD WILL RISE AND BE JUDGED, HAVING CHOSEN THEIR OWN FATE BY REJECTION OF THE LORD. A FINAL REVOLT AT THE END OF THE 1,000 YEARS BY SATAN (NOW RELEASED FOR A LITTLE TIME) AND THEN HE IS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE, THE SECOND DEATH IS SEEN FOR UNBELIEVERS & SIN AND DEATH ARE ENDED ..