We must always be sure to distinguish between the Lord�s invisible, universal, spiritual Church (the Ecclesia) and the non-profit religious organization that meets in a building with a steeple on top. The difference is incalculable, and we dare not make the mistake of confusing the two. Please understand that we do not question the right of any religious group to peaceably assemble together, elect their leaders, receive monies, have membership requirements, and govern themselves in the manner they see fit � as long as we realize that such a right is a civil right and is neither inalienable, Scriptural, or mandated by God Himself. That doesn�t make it wrong, but neither does it make it spiritual. The Ecclesia is not an organization or invention of man, but an organism filled with the Life, and whether we worship �in Jerusalem or in this mountain� is not as important to God as whether or not we worship Him �in Spirit and in Truth.�
So where is the distinction? What makes it an issue? It becomes an issue when spiritual or Scriptural significance is erroneously attached to a mere social contrivance, cultural norm, religious tradition, organizational structure, or place of meeting. When the waters are muddied and the lines are blurred between the social expectation, tradition, or custom of the religious organization and the true spiritual life and essence of the Ecclesia or the individual believer then such a system has the potential to evolve into a dangerous form of spiritual abuse or religious elitism.
What is Babylon? It is the marriage of church and state, religion and government; or to be more direct, it is allowing the leaven of the world to spread via Organized Religion and Institutional Christianity. As an example, consider how pastoring a church has become more of a profession than a calling, and how church government has digressed from a theocratic, Spirit-led consensus to a �Spirit-led� democracy, or worse, a �Spirit-led� benevolent dictatorship of a single pastor or a church board. This is the result of the spirit of Babylon. Whereas the True Church is to be �in the world, but not of the world�, Babylon is that which is both in the world and of the world � it is by, for, and of the worldly system, yet it retains the outward appearances of godliness and spirituality. It is a synthesis of God and man, taking the best that each has to offer and fashioning a golden calf with it.
Babylon is always antithetical to Christ. It is anti-Christ. Babylon is represented as a religious harlot riding on top of a beast which kills the prophets and saints of God. Perhaps we have missed the point by personifying the Antichrist as a Hitler-type world leader bent on global domination. Antichrist is the religious antithesis of Jesus Christ which flows from Babylon AS Jesus Christ. It is not coming, it is already here, and has been here from the beginning. Perhaps denominationalism is the real mark of the beast. If so, it is no wonder that so many are willing to accept it.
BABYLON:devil: IN REVELATION 18 WILL DEFINITELY BE A GREAT SEAPORT; JUST LIKE ROME:devil: AND WILL DEFINITELY BE A CITY BUILT ON 7 HILLS; JUST LIKE ROME:devil: AND PETER WAS INSPIRED TO CALL ROME :devil:"BABYLON" IN I PETER 5:13:
WHAT CITY:devil: WILL BE THE HEADQUARTERS OF 666:devil: DURING THE 1260-DAY GREAT TRIBULATION??
Rev 18:24: "In her:devil: {Babylon/Rome} was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and all who have been killed on the earth." {During the 1260-day Great Tribulation}
Rev 13:5,7: "The Beast:devil: {666} will be given power... to exercise his authority for 42 {30-day} months {1260 days}. He was given power to make war against the saints and conquer them." {From his headquarters in that great seaport built on 7 hills or Babylon which was nicknamed Rome by Peter}
Most Bible scholars believe that the book of First Peter was written shortly after the beginning of Nero�s Roman persecution of Christians in AD 64 because of I Peter 4:12,13 & 5:8,9. We know that Peter and his wife were living in Rome at this time. Peter was inspired to write in I Peter 5:13: �She {Peter�s wife} who is in *BABYLON* {Nickname for *ROME*!} sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.� Apparently some Christians including Peter were inspired to call ROME �BABYLON� after Nero�s terrible persecution of Christians starting in AD 64. This is very interesting since the evil city of the End-Times is called �BABYLON� 6 times in Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2,10,21.
�Babylon� {Nicknamed Rome by Peter} is a �GREAT SEAPORT� in Rev 18:17-19; JUST LIKE ROME and UNLIKE Babylon whose ruins are NOW 4 miles from the very shallow Euphrates River; and UNLIKE Jerusalem which is 2000 to 3000 feet above sea level and 35 miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Babylon is also completely FLAT whereas the End-Time "Babylon" will be a city built on 7 Hills JUST LIKE ROME!!
Rev 17:18: �The woman you saw {Rev 17:3--Who sits with the Beast with 7 heads} is the great *CITY*:devil:{Not a nation!!} {Rome--nicknamed Babylon in I Peter 5:13--See Rev 17:5a} that will rule over the kings of the earth.� The headquarters of 666 will be destroyed about 2 weeks before the Last Day. Rev 18:19: �Woe! Woe, O great **CITY** {Not a nation!}, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.� See Rev 17:5,6; & Rev 18:24.
The last part really caught my eye... because we are also told that there is an antichrist that will come that Holy Spriit of God is holding back. Yes, anyone who does not believe in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is an antichrist, just as they were in Paul's and the apostles days, an went around preaching and teaching false doctrines.
But Paul also tells us about the son of perdition who is described as the man of sin satan himself, the false Christ that wil come and he will deceive the people and seek to rule the world. The anitchrists who are here now are all those who believe in false doctrine and teachings, they are also called antichrist who do not believe in the birth, ministry, death, burial, resurrection and soon return of Jesus our Redeemer. These people all work for satan in their unbelief, and do not know it the truth of God's word out of ignorance. Our duty as believers is to pray and teach and preach and witness God's truth to the lost. Many people run and hide from the JW when they see them coming instead of opening the door and telling them the gospel truth about Jesus Christ.
Paul writes all about this in the books of First and Second Thessalonians, how many are deceived and will be deceived. The Holy Spirit is now restraining the coming of THE antichrist that God speaks about in the word, until God has accomplished all that He desires through the salvation of those who will believe in His Son and there is salvation. As Jesus says, WHEN THIS GOSPEL HAS BEEN PREACH FROM ONE END OF THE WORLD TO THE OTHER, THEN THE END... God will continue to hold back the real antichrist, becaseu many who confess they know Jesus Christ are not ready spiritually nor has the gospel been preached through the world. That's why its so very important that beleivers should know God's word for themselves.
As there will be a falling away from the truth to believe the lie, as Paul writes to Timothy, because people do not study God's word, and would rather sugar coat the truth to feel good inside, because they don't like the truth about themselves as God see them. These people unless they get serious, they will be deceived when the antichrist is set free to do his eveil deeds, as Paul points out. All believr must eb careful to obey God's word and know His word to the very best of their abilities, and not settles for the lie...
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps .... How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? If I forget you, 0 Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill... If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy....
Psalm 137.
Few psalms, indeed few poems in all human literature, are more beautiful than Psalm 137. The exiles sit weeping with silent harps in a foreign land, unable to sing. Babylon with all its riches and prosperity can never satisfy their hearts. Their dream, as that of many throughout the intervening centuries, was of Zion, the city of God. They wept for Jerusalem, the holy city, lying desolate and in ruins, while the proud King Nebuchadnezzar boasted of great Babylon which he had built. How could they, and how can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land?
Many years ago I was first moved by the beauty of this Psalm, and learnt it all by heart; but I knew nothing of its spiritual meaning. I understood how the Jews in their exile longed passionately for the land of their fathers, and hated their proud rulers; but I was ignorant of the spiritual Babylon, the great prostitute of the book of Revelation, that for centuries has held the true church of God in captivity; and little did I know that I myself was in a foreign land.
Babylon is one of the mysteries of the Bible (Rev 17:5,7). Its meaning is hidden from the natural mind. If you want to understand it properly, you must ask God to give you a revelation of it. No truth of the scripture can really help us without the illumination of the Holy Spirit; but especially is this true of those things that God describes as mysteries.
Some people believe that Babylon is God's description of every sect and denomination except their own. They have had some revelation, real or imaginary, that they think makes them different from others. They are clever enough to recognise the marks of Babylon in other churches, but blind enough to ignore the same things in themselves. They have never really heard the voice of God. They are certainly wrong, but still we must find out the true meaning of mystery Babylon.
The question of Babylon is especially important because it affects the whole world. 'Babylon was a gold cup in the LORD's hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad' (Jer 51:7). Ancient Babel or Babylon was the root of all heathen religion. When men tried to build their religious tower independently of the true God, they soon found other gods to worship; and the evil heathen influence spread to the surrounding countries as well. In the end these other gods surrounding ancient Israel led to her downfall and captivity.
In Revelation 18:3 we read, 'For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her.' Spiritual Babylon is also something of universal influence. It is something which has corrupted and contaminated the whole Christian world. In other words natural Babylon in the past brought natural Israel into captivity. Spiritual Babylon has now brought spiritual Israel into captivity.
All encyclopedias agree that Babylon was completely evacuated in 275 BC and completely destroyed by 141 BC. The Wikipedia encyclopedia states, "By 141 BC, when the Parthian Empire took over the region, Babylon was in complete desolation and obscurity." The only question that remains is: Was Babylon rebuilt so that there could be people living in Babylon around AD 65 when Peter wrote 1 Peter 5:13??? Which leads us to the promises of God in Jeremiah 50:1-3,13: This is the word the Lord spoke through Jeremiah concerning Babylon.."Babylon will be captured... A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. No one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away!" Also read Jeremiah 52:52:61-64: And God ALWAYS keeps His promises. If you check out the latest Iraqi Tour Guides you will notice the following statement: "Today, Babylon lies COMPLETELY in ruins. A large and splendidly carved stone lion is all that remains of its former glories."
One thing we do know is that Babylon WILL NOT BE REBUILT as Isaiah chapter 13: verses 17-22 tells us: 17. See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses;
there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged."
Then hear what Jeremiah has to say about the rebuilding of Babylon: Jeremiah chapter50: verses 33- 39: This is what the LORD Almighty says: �The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to let them go. Yet their Redeemer is strong; the LORD Almighty is his name. He will vigorously defend their cause so that he may bring rest to their land, but unrest to those who live in Babylon. �A sword against the Babylonians!� declares the LORD ,�against those who live in Babylon and against her officials and wise men! A sword against her false prophets! They will become fools.
A sword against her warriors! They will be filled with terror. A sword against her horses and chariots and all the foreigners in her ranks! They will become weaklings. A sword against her treasures! They will be plundered. A drought on her
waters! They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror. �So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns,� declares the LORD, �so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it."
And we know that Babylon was destroyed, and those who have tried over the century like Saddam, to rebuild her all died aweful deaths in the process, and their plans were never fulfilled, and never will be, disobeying God will bring the curse upon anyone who will ever try to rebuild Babylon.. Becasue God has said she will NEVER be rebuilt.
Jeremiah also tells us this in chapter 51:verses 60-64: Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon�all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. He said to Seraiah, �When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. Then say, �LORD, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.� When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, �So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.��
I'm thinking Babylon is symbolic of a city that is going to turn as Babylon with false teachings, idols and all the things that made Babylon a great place when it was up and runing... and this will be the Great Babylon spoken about in Revelation... just as many call Las Vegas sin city, and San Fransico Sodmon and Gomorrriah, I think whatever city this place will be is going to be a place where many will gather who are religious and then their hearts will trun from God , because of so much sin pollution, and to false teachings and corruptions in the churchc and the city.This will be the new Babylon... Bible does not tells us its Rome, and it could very well be, but it also could very well be Los Angeles as well:laugh:
Babylon described in Revelation is not the same Babylon which is already destroyed! Modern Babylon in Revelation is described as a prostitute. Do not forget that all prophecies of Revelation relate to the end time events!!!!
The United States fits the description of Mystery Babylon, a 'city' described in Revelation. A country could be called by the name CITY if God compares this state with the former Babylon!
Babylon sits on many waters, and has many peoples and languages, and where sexual immorality and false religions are rampant.
There is only one nation that fits this description (a world superpower, politically and economically strong). Babylon is the United States of America!
If the Babylon is the USA/Washington/New York City then of course the USA has many sea ports.
Mystery Babylon cannot be a future city where the Anti-Christ rules the world from, because in Revelation 17:15-18 the Anti-Christ destroys Mystery Babylon by fire.
Revelation 17:15 - "...the waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose, and to give their kingdom to the beast until God's words are accomplished. And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire over the kings of the earth."
The great seaport and **CITY** built on 7 hills or Rome; which is called Babylon by Peter in I Peter 5:13; will be responsible for the death of the martyrs {See Rev 17:6 & Rev 18:24} since it will be the headquarters of 666. About a few weeks before the Last Day God will put it the hearts to destroy their evil headquarters about 2 weeks before the Last Day and then 666 the False Prophet and Satan will gather all the armies of the world at Armageddon Israel {See Rev 16:10-16} 55 miles North of Jerusalem. And then 666 and his 10 armies will attack Jerusalem and kill Moses and Elijah about 3 1/2 days before the Last Day when the 7th angel will sound the 7th and last trumpet and it is time to judge the lost and reward God's saints {See Rev 11:7-18}
Rev 17:18: The Woman {Or Prostitute} you saw is the great **CITY** that rules over the kings of the earth {During the Great Tribulation} Rev 17:6: I saw that the WOMAN was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. Rev 18:24: In her {Babylon} was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.
The woman or prostitute or Babylon is called a **CITY** 9 times in God's Word {See Rev 16:19; 17:18; 18:10 {2X} ,16,18 {2X},19,21 and is **NEVER** called a NATION!!
