M.A.P.,For years, many believed Rome to be the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon:1) The early church believed her to be imperial Rome which crucified Jesus, persecuted the church, and destroyed temple in Jerusalem2) Reformation preachers believed her to be ecclesiastical Rome, the Vatican
My thoughts have been, that it "could have been". After the transfiguration, the disciples questioned Jesus about Elijah:
Matthew 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist said that he wasn't Elijah, yet it sounds like the possibility of John being Elijah, but Jesus said that Elijah still "shall" come (line 11). Earlier Jesus had also spoken to his disciples about John the Baptist and Elijah:
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Jesus said, "if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come". John the Baptist "could have been" the fulfillment of the coming of Elijah that Malachi prophesied of, but since Jesus came to his own, and his received him not, the kingdom was not established at that time, but postponed, until after a time when even Gentiles would be saved. However, apparently, if the nation would have received the Messiah, then John the Baptist would have been the complete fulfillment of the coming of Elijah, but since they didn't, Elijah will still come, prior to Israel finally receiving Jesus the Messiah, at his second coming.
I said all that, because in a similar way, Rome "could have been" the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon, but the time has still been delayed, so that if the time is now, then America fits the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon, but if the Lord still delays his coming another thousand years, then someone else & somewhere else, will be the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon.
I recently had written a few things regarding America as Mystery Babylon:
Please take a look at that, as well as what I have written above, and let me know what you think,Thank you,Gino