Lyn Mize
(Rev 17 KJV) And there came one of the
seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto
thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon
many waters: {2} With whom the kings of the earth have
committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the
earth have been made drunk with the wine of her
fornication. {3} So he carried me away in the spirit
into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a
scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,
having seven heads and ten horns. {4} And the woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked
with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a
golden cup in her hand full of abominations and
filthiness of her fornication: {5} And upon her
forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH. {6} And I saw the woman drunken with the blood
of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great
admiration. {7} And the angel said unto me, Wherefore
didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the
woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath
the seven heads and ten horns. {8} The beast that thou
sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the
bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not
written in the book of life from the foundation of the
world, when they behold the beast that was, and is
not, and yet is. {9} And here is the mind which hath
wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which
the woman sitteth. {10} And there are seven kings:
five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet
come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space. {11} And the beast that was, and is not, even
he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition. {12} And the ten horns which thou sawest
are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet;
but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
{13} These have one mind, and shall give their power
and strength unto the beast. {14} These shall make war
with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that
are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
{15} And he saith unto me, The waters which thou
sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues. {16} And the ten
horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall
hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked,
and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. {17}
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will,
and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast,
until the words of God shall be fulfilled. {18} And
the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Chapters 17 and 18 of
Revelation deal with Mystery Babylon the Great, the
great harlot of the Bible. Babylon the Great is a
system that goes all the way back to the very first
Babylon described in chapters ten and eleven of
Genesis. The first Babylon inaugurated the
original and all subsequent harlotries described in the
Bible. Harlotry is the primary symbol in the Bible
for a debauched worship, idolatry, and false
devotion. These two chapters depict the end time
culmination of Mystery Babylon the Great, and it
consists of two primary areas of emphasis. There
is first ecclesiastical or religious Babylon, and this
is the false worship system that began under Semiramus,
wife of Nimrod, who was the political ruler of ancient
Babylon. Nimrod is a type or picture of
Antichrist, and Semiramus was the founder of the false
religious system that has culminated in the papal
worship system today that has its headquarters in the
Vatican in Rome, Italy. The pope is the leader of
religious Babylon. He is the beast out of the
earth in chapter 13 that has the two horns like a
lamb. The two horns are the two points on the
miter, the liturgical headdress of the pope.
In addition to
religious Babylon, there is a political Babylon that is
depicted as a Great City that reigns over the kings of
the earth. Political Babylon encompasses both a
political system and a commercial system that has its
headquarters in a Great City that symbolizes wealth,
luxurious living, and commercial enterprise. Thus,
Mystery Babylon is both a religious system and a Great
City, and both are symbolized by a harlot that rides
upon and controls an endtime power called the Ten-Horned
Beast. The Ten-Horned Beast is the final world
power that wields its influence over the whole
earth. It is depicted as the revived Roman Empire
that was apparently dead, but turns out to be very much
alive. The children's nursery rhyme of Humpty
Dumpty is a depiction of the Roman Empire that suffered
a mortal wound, but will be miraculously revived under
the auspices of its leader, Antichrist. Amazingly,
Antichrist follows in the same steps as the Roman Empire
in that he has also apparently died of a mortal head
wound, but he will miraculously reappear with his mortal
head wound healed. Political Babylon is
represented as a city, but it is also a nation that is
very powerful in the world. The Bible goes into
minute detail describing this city (i.e., nation), and
the identification of this city and nation is
unmistakable for those Christians who are open to the
truths of God given in his Word. Political Babylon
is the United States of America, and Antichrist is a
past leader of Political Babylon. He will return
to reign over Babylon again, but this time Babylon will
be merged with the Ten-Horned Beast. Antichrist is
the one who unites political Babylon with the Ten-Horned
Beast, and he reigns over the whole world for a very
short period of time. Of necessity, Antichrist
will also be closely associated with religious Babylon,
because Antichrist and the False Prophet will work
together for a period of time during the tribulation
period. The False Prophet is the one that causes
the whole world to worship the Antichrist. With
this brief introduction and background to the
understanding of Mystery Babylon, we will now begin our
exegesis of Chapter 17 of Revelation.
1.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come
hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
The seven angels are
described earlier as a figure of something else, and we
have shown earlier how the seven angels appear to be
representative of the 24 elders in the Church. The
figure of the seven angels is used in this passage of
Scripture because the remainder of this chapter and
chapter 18 involves a great deal of figurative
language. The great whore that sits upon many
waters is not a literal woman of harlotry, but she
symbolizes or represents something else. She
represents the ancient Babylonian mystery religion that
finds its greatest manifestation in the papal worship
system with its headquarters being at the Vatican in the
city of Rome, which is built on seven hills. She
also represents the Great City that reigns over the
kings of the earth. That city is New York City
(NYC) where the United Nations has its
headquarters. The waters are peoples, multitudes,
nations and tongues. NYC is the melting pot of the
world representing every nation in the world with its
population, embassies, and the United Nations Building
with virtually every tongue in the world being
translated in its meetings. Also, NYC is the
commercial capital of the world with the World Trade
Center headquarters located there.
Not only were the seven
angels figurative, but the seven vials were also
figurative. This is clearly indicative that the
following information will also be figurative, and the
language used establishes that this is true. A
literal woman cannot sit upon many waters.
Therefore, the woman symbolizes something else as stated
above. As will be seen throughout this exegesis,
the woman symbolizes both Political Babylon and
Religious Babylon.
Waters or seas
symbolize the Gentile nations of the world, and both the
papal worship system and the U.S.A working through the
United Nations exercise authority over the nations of
the world already, and this authority will mushroom when
Antichrist and the False Prophet come into power with
Satan as the source of their power and authority.
All three working together are the satanic trinity
symbolized by the number 666. Therefore, the woman
is depicted as sitting or resting upon many nations of
the world.
There will definitely
be judgment for both Babylons. The leaders, the
cities and the systems will be utterly destroyed by the
Lord God Almighty.
2.
With whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have
been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
The plans and purposes of both
religious and Political Babylon are to bring the whole
world under her authority and power. The Pope
has been working desperately to bring all religions
under his authority, and the Antichrist behind the
scenes in the U.S.A. has been working to bring all
nations under the authority and protection of the
United States of America, which is political Babylon
the Great. The eighth empire will be a
combination of the USA--with Antichrist as supreme
leader--and most likely a group of ten men who will
wield power over the member states of
the European Union, which currently has 27 members.
There are several different political
organizations associated with the European
Union, but these are democratic organizations, and it is
doubtful that the Ten-Horned Beast will be a
democratic organization. The Ten-Horned Beast will arise
suddenly and under dire world circumstances, along with
the rise of Antichrist as the Eleventh Horn ruling over
the USA (i.e., Babylon the Great).
The kings of the earth
have committed fornication with Religious Babylon and
Political Babylon, and the nations have become
intoxicated or greatly influenced or controlled by
both. The nations have become drunk with the wine
of her fornication. The false teachings of the
papal worship system and the emphasis on hedonism and
materialism in America have influenced the world to the
point where the world desires the same luxuries.
The whole world has been influenced by the hedonistic
lifestyle of Americans. The false teachings of the
papal worship system have also spread throughout the
world.
3.
So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet
coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns.
John was carried away
in the spirit into the wilderness. The wilderness
in the Bible is a picture of a desert place without much
water. Water symbolizes the Holy Spirit or
spiritual sustenance. The world will be a desolate
wilderness during the tribulation period, and John was
given a vision of what the world will be like during
this period of time.
The woman is the harlot
representing religious and political Babylon. She
is riding or controlling the ten-horned beast. The
Ten-Horned Beast is a culmination of the world empires
symbolized by the seven heads. The seven empires
were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome,
and New Babylon (U.S.A). The Ten-Horned Beast is
the eighth with Antichrist as its leader.
Antichrist was leader of the seventh, and he will also
be leader of the eighth. This will be shown later
in this same chapter.
Scarlet in the Bible
symbolizes both sin and blood. In this instance,
it would symbolize both. Political Babylon and
Ecclesiastical Babylon are both filled with sin and
decadence, and both will be responsible for shedding the
blood of the saints. Blasphemy is the act of
claiming for oneself the attributes and rights of
God. The beast is extremely decadent and full of
blasphemy. The seven heads are the seven empires
culminating in the eighth, and the ten horns represent
the ten nations that will make up the European Union in
the pinnacle of its power.
4.
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet
colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Purple and scarlet are
the primary colors utilized by the Vatican in its
clothing and decor. Purple symbolizes luxury or
elegance, and red symbolizes sin. The gold,
precious stones and pearls symbolize the wealth and
materialism found in both Babylons. The Hebrew
Word for blue in the Old Testament is translated as
blue, purple, and violet. Also, there is no Greek
word in the New Testament that is translated blue, so
this word for purple can just as easily be translated as
royal blue. Blue and red are America's
colors. We will explain this in more detail in
chapter 18 where political Babylon is arrayed or dressed
in red, white and blue.
The golden cup in her
hand is attractive and appetizing, but it is full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication.
The idea from ancient Babylon was to introduce these
abominations and filthiness a little at a time gradually
over time until the whole cup had been drunk. If
these heresies were introduced all at once, they would
be rejected, but if taken gradually a little at a time,
the cup would be fully consumed. The same
principle applies to the frog who will jump out of hot
water, but he will remain in water that is gradually
heated until he is cooked to death. The same
analogy applies to leaven or false teachings in the
church.
5.
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
A mystery signifies a
hidden system that is gradually revealed to those who
are the initiates. Nimrod was known as the god of
the Chaldean Mysteries. His name was Saturn.
Saturn and mystery are correlative Chaldean words that
mean hidden. As the religious system was hidden,
so is the god hidden. Antichrist has been hidden
in the world for over 40 years, but he will be revealed
or unveiled when the time for the initiation is to take
place. In the litany of the Mass, the worshippers
are even taught to pray, "God Hidden, and my Saviour,
have mercy upon us."
The mysteries of
ancient Babylon are hidden in the rituals and rites of
the Catholic worship, and the mass is heretical and
blasphemous; yet, it is practiced by millions of
Christians who have no knowledge of the significance of
these rites.
6.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the
saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:
and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
The papal worship
system is responsible for the slaughter of multitudes of
Christians during the period of the Reformation.
Foxe's Book of Martyrs is a documentary of the
atrocities of the great religious harlot in the name of
Christianity. This slaughter of Christians will be
repeated during the first half of the tribulation period
when the satanic trinity will be operating under the
guise of religious diversity. America will be the
heart of this persecution and martyrdom. America
under the leadership of Antichrist will slaughter
millions of Christians. Americans do not believe
this could be possible, but neither did Germans believe
that Germany under Hitler would slaughter and burn six
million Jews and Christians. The Catholic Church
was closely associated with Hitler and Nazism.
Hitler was frequently photographed with high officials
of the Vatican adorned in their vestments of purple and
scarlet. This will be repeated with the Antichrist
in America. It is highly significant that Antichrist is
a Roman Catholic. The Antichrist is not a Southern
Baptist as many think.
7.
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou
marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and
of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven
heads and ten horns.
The angel is about to
explain the mystery of the woman, and the beast that she
rides that has the seven heads and ten horns. The
beast is the revived Roman Empire with Antichrist as its
leader.
The purpose here is to
reveal that which is symbolized by the beast and the
woman. The remainder of chapter 17 describes the
beast and the Great Harlot as seen in the papal worship
system. The woman as the Great City is explained
in chapter 18. It is introduced in verse 18 of
this chapter.
8. The beast that
thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of
the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they
that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names
were not written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, when they behold the beast
that was, and is not, and yet is.
The beast represents
the revived Roman Empire with Antichrist as its
leader. The word beast is used interchangeably for
the empire and its leader. The description of the
beast applies to both the empire and its leader, the
Antichrist.
9.
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven
heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
The woman, religious
Babylon, sits on seven hills. Rome is famous for
being built on seven hills. Vatican City remains
an independent enclave within the confines of Rome.
10. And there are
seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the
other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must
continue a short space.
The seven kings are the
seven empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome, and New Babylon (Political). The
first five were fallen at the time this was written, and
Rome was the one that "is". The one that "is not
yet come" is the New Babylon (U.S.A.). America is
a relatively young nation at slightly over 200 years
old, so America "must continue a short space." The
leader of New Babylon also "must continue a short
space." Actually, he was leader for a very short
time of approximately 1000 days before he received his
mortal head wound.
11.
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
The Roman Empire "was",
but "is not" currently. Also, Antichrist "was",
but "is not" currently. The revived Roman Empire
"is the eighth" empire and Antichrist will be the leader
of this eighth empire. Also, the Roman Empire was
number six of the seven empires, and Antichrist was the
leader of number seven of the empires. Therefore,
both the revived Roman Empire and the Antichrist are "of
the seven". Also, both "goeth into
perdition". Perdition is destruction.
The prophecy in this
one verse is absolutely astounding in its conciseness
and accuracy in describing the ten-horned beast and the
leader of the ten-horned beast. In the Scriptures,
the empire and the leader of the empire are virtually
synonymous. Often, the Scriptures will be
describing an empire as a beast, and instantly revert to
the personal pronoun "he" in reference to the leader of
the empire. "He" is used in reference to the
beast, which symbolizes the empire and the leader.
12.
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings,
which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive
power as kings one hour with the beast.
These ten horns refer
to the leaders of ten nations that will unify with the
Antichrist in forming the revived Roman Empire. It
is no coincidence that it was the "Treaty of Rome" that
established the European Common Market. The
European Common Market is currently referred to as the
European Union. It currently has 15 primary
members, but it will wind up with ten members after
Antichrist comes on the scene as the new leader of New
Babylon. The current leader of New Babylon is the
"Raiser of Taxes", but he will be destroyed, and the
"Vile Person" (i.e., Antichrist) will take over the
leadership of New Babylon by "smooth flatteries"
13.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast.
These ten leaders will
need a leader for the European Union, and Antichrist
will fill the bill. Europe is desperately in need
of a leader right now, and it has been demonstrated
periodically since 1945 that Americans make the best
leaders for Europe. Germany is the economic
superpower of Europe, and it would be logical for the
leader of Germany to be the European leader, but Europe
can not bring itself to trust Germany in a leadership
role after the Nazi experience. The German word
for leadership is führershaft, and the word itself is
problematic for Germans, Europe and the whole
world. The problem of a leader for Europe will be
resolved in the very near future with a past leader of
the U.S.A. being revealed who will unify the U.S.A. with
the European Union, and he will lead the world into mass
destruction. The fact that Antichrist is associated with
Ireland, a member of the European Union, is highly
significant. Antichrist always considered himself to be
an elite European, and the Europeans revere him and
consider him to be European. The famous “Ich Bin Ein
Berliner” speech in 1963 a few months before the “mortal
head wound” confirms the association of Antichrist with
Europe. His Irish ancestry also confirms the European
association.
The European Union will
voluntarily "give their power and strength unto the
beast." Before his mortal head wound, Antichrist
was greatly loved in Europe, even more so than in the
U.S.A. It is common practice for Europeans to have a
picture of Antichrist hanging in their homes.
14.
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall
overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of
kings: and they that are with him are called, and
chosen, and faithful.
The European Union will
fight against the Lamb along with all the nations of the
world when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to the earth in
power and glory. Jesus Christ will destroy them by
the Word of His mouth.
The ones that return
with Jesus to fight against these kings are the called,
chosen and faithful. The called are all born-again
Christians. The chosen are those who qualify to
reign and rule with Jesus Christ in his coming
kingdom. The faithful are those who qualify to
reign and rule from the second level in the
kingdom. It appears that the faithful and the 24
elders are the same.
Conspicuously absent
from these groups of Christians is the group that is
called the faithful and wise. This is the group of
Christians that qualify as the Bride of Christ. It
appears that the Bride will not return to the earth with
Jesus when Jesus returns to confront His brethren, the
Jews.
15.
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest,
where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes,
and nations, and tongues.
This verse confirms the
figurative understanding of the meaning of waters. The
papal worship system has established itself among
peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues throughout the
whole earth.
16.
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,
these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn
her with fire.
The ten kings will wind
up hating the papal worship system, and they will wind
up destroying it.
17.
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will,
and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast,
until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Ecclesiastical Babylon
will be destroyed, but the ten kings will continue with
the Antichrist as their leader until the end.
God will use the beast
to destroy Ecclesiastical Babylon. God frequently
uses unholy powers to accomplish his purposes and even
to punish and correct his people. For example, God
will use the Antichrist to chastise the Jews and cause
them to return to God, and even Jesus Christ as their
Messiah at the end of the tribulation period.
18.
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,
which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
This chapter has
provided a detailed description of the figure and the
interpretation of it as ecclesiastical or religious
Babylon, but the woman also represents the Great City
that reigns over the kings of the earth. This
verse introduces us to the second interpretation of the
figure as political or commercial Babylon, which is
described in detail in chapter 18.
(Rev
18 KJV) And after these things I saw another
angel come down from heaven, having great power; and
the earth was lightened with his glory. {2} And he
cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the
habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul
spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
{3} For all nations have drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth
have committed fornication with her, and the merchants
of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of
her delicacies. {4} And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be
not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of
her plagues. {5} For her sins have reached unto
heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. {6}
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto
her double according to her works: in the cup which
she hath filled fill to her double. {7} How much she
hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much
torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her
heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see
no sorrow. {8} Therefore shall her plagues come in one
day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be
utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God
who judgeth her. {9} And the kings of the earth, who
have committed fornication and lived deliciously with
her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they
shall see the smoke of her burning, {10} Standing afar
off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas
that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one
hour is thy judgment come. {11} And the merchants of
the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man
buyeth their merchandise any more: {12} The
merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones,
and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk,
and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner
vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
{13} And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and
frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and
wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and
chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. {14} And the
fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from
thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are
departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more
at all. {15} The merchants of these things, which were
made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of
her torment, weeping and wailing, {16} And saying,
Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine
linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold,
and precious stones, and pearls! {17} For in one hour
so great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors,
and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, {18} And
cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,
What city is like unto this great city! {19} And they
cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and
wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein
were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason
of her costliness! for in one hour is she made
desolate. {20} Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye
holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you
on her. {21} And a mighty angel took up a stone like a
great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying,
Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be
thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. {22}
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of
pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all
in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be,
shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a
millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; {23}
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all
in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the
bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived. {24} And in her
was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of
all that were slain upon the earth.
Chapter 18 of the book
of Revelation gives a detailed description of New
Babylon, that city (i.e., nation) that reigns over the
kings of the earth. There are numerous Scriptures
in the Bible that refer to and describe this last great
nation that is so blessed and mightily used by God until
it turns its back on God, becomes corrupted and leads
the world astray. God's people are located in this
nation in abundance, but the nation becomes so evil that
God finally destroys it. Antichrist was once
leader of this great end-time nation until he received
his mortal head wound. He will again take over the
reigns of power just before he unites this nation with
the Ten-Horned Beast. Antichrist as the absolute
dictator of political Babylon is the eleventh and little
horn (Dan. 7:8) of Daniel that comes up among the other
horns. A little horn in Scripture symbolizes a
powerful nation and the leader of that nation, but the
power of the leader and the nation has been broken. The
“little horn” is little because its power has been
broken. The power and authority of Antichrist was broke
when he suffered his mortal head wound. The power and
authority of the USA will be broken or shattered just
before it is time for Antichrist to be resurrected and
take over the reigns of the government once again as the
“once and future king”. Jeremiah 50:12 confirms
that New Babylon will be a mighty nation that arises in
the last days of this age. Jeremiah 50 and 51
provide a comprehensive description of New Babylon, so
that anyone seeking to identify New Babylon out of a
pure heart will have no trouble in doing so. New
Babylon is a nation whose mother is in existence at the
time that New Babylon is totally destroyed by "arrows"
(i.e., missiles) that come out of the north. It is
the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world,
and it is the headquarters of Antichrist at the time
that he is leader of the Ten-Horned Beast. Babylon
is also a land of mixed or mingled people. It is
the "hammer of the earth" so it uses its power and
influence to shape and mold the rest of the earth. The
USA got its name as “hammer of the earth” because of the
numerous bombs dropped on rebellious nations in various
parts of the world. The U.S. led NATO bombing of
Bosnia-Herzegovina was described in the headlines as
“hammering the earth”. Thus, the U.S.A. is the “hammer
of the earth” in accordance with headline news.
Chapter 18 of Isaiah
also provides an unmistakable description of New
Babylon, but this chapter is much more difficult to
understand. This chapter describes New Babylon as
the nation that invents the airplane, and as a very
strong or mighty nation even from its inception.
Isaiah also describes Babylon as a nation where all of
its land has been strictly measured and marked off for
ownership. It is also a nation that utilizes its
rivers and waterways as the boundaries for marking off
the land. Please see my exegetical discourse on Isaiah
18 for a more detailed explanation of this very accurate
description of the U.S.A. as the “Land of Whirring
Wings”.
It should be clear from
this brief description that New Babylon is the United
States of America. Great Britain is our mother,
and she will be in existence when America is totally
destroyed by nuclear missiles that come over the North
Pole from Russia and China. America is a young
nation, and it has become the wealthiest and mightiest
nation on the face of the earth. God has mightily
used America, but it has turned its back on God, and
will be judged for it. America invented the
airplane, and it is a land that has every square mile
measured off and marked out. Its state and county
lines are frequently the waterways that cross and
crisscross the land.
We will now seek to
understand chapter 18 of Revelation verse-by-verse as it
reiterates and adds to some of the above detailed
descriptions of New Babylon.
1.
And after these things I saw another angel come down
from heaven, having great power; and the earth was
lightened with his glory.
This angel is quite
different from the angel in Rev. 17:1. This angel
does not speak from heaven, but he comes down from
heaven. He has great power or authority, and the
earth is lightened with his glory. This angel is
clearly Jesus Christ Himself. Such language is
nowhere used in Scripture concerning created angels or
angels in the figurative sense.
The coming down to
earth in His Glory clearly places this event at the end
of the tribulation period. The separation has
already occurred at the beginning of the tribulation
period where the Bride and her court are taken directly
to heaven. The rapture of the Church (those
remaining) has already occurred in the middle of the
tribulation period where Jesus Christ comes in the air
to take away the Church. We now have his coming in
power and glory to the earth with his glory lighting up
the earth. This lighting up of the earth with His
glory does not take place at the separation or at the
rapture.
2.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying,
Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become
the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul
spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Jesus Christ calls out
with a mighty voice that brings destruction to the Great
City Babylon. The proclamation about Babylon is
not simply the word of information about what has
happened to Babylon or what is going to happen, but the
Word of the Lord that effects its total and complete
fall.
The repetition of the
word fallen is not a stutter, and it is not repeated
solely for the purpose of emphasis. It is repeated
because there are two falls of Babylon that are effected
by the Lord Jesus Christ. The first is religious
Babylon, and the second is political Babylon. The
first is described in Rev. 17:16-17, and the second is
described in Rev. 18:8-10. The first takes place
around the middle of the tribulation period, and the
second takes place at the end of the tribulation
period. There are two distinct falls, so the word
fallen is stated twice.
The Lord Jesus Christ
also effects the statement that Babylon is the
habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and
the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Babylon has been turned over to Satan and his emissaries
according to the Word of the Lord.
3.
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of
her fornication, and the kings of the earth have
committed fornication with her, and the merchants of
the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her
delicacies.
The Lord explains why
He has turned Babylon the Great over to the emissaries
of Satan. It is because of her utter wickedness,
which has affected the entire world. The kings or
leaders of the earth have committed fornication with
her. This means spiritual adultery or
idolatry. Idolatry is the placing of anything
ahead of God in importance. America has worshipped
the god of materialism since the turn of the century,
and it has now affected all of the nations. The
nations of the world seek after what America now has,
but it will result in the destruction of America in
judgment, and judgment upon the world.
Unfortunately,
Christians have been caught up in this covetousness,
which is the same as idolatry. Christians are now
worshipping cars, clothes, houses, jewelry, food,
television, technology, and all forms of luxurious
living.
4.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come
out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her
sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
The children of Abraham
will be among the population of Babylon the Great.
This is logical for wherever we find great trade and
banking, we may expect to find Jews, and these are the
people being addressed in this verse.
America has more Jews
than any other nation—even Israel—and the Lord God
commands them to come out of her so they will not
partake in her sins and receive of her plagues.
The command for the
Jews to flee out of Babylon is confirmed in the
following verse:
(Jer.
51:6 KJV) Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and
deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her
iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S
vengeance; he will render unto her a
recompense.
5.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath
remembered her iniquities.
The sins of Babylon
have reached up to heaven. The Greek word for
reached is kollao and it means they are glued or welded
together as bricks are piled on top of each other to
form a building. The allusion is definitely to the
tower of Babel, which initiated the wickedness of
ancient Babylon.
Though God permits the
increment of sin, its final judgment is certain.
It may appear that people are getting away with sin, but
God's judgment is sure.
6. Reward her even
as she rewarded you, and double unto her double
according to her works: in the cup which she hath
filled fill to her double.
The sins of Babylon
will be recompensed two-fold over what she has
done. It is difficult for us to imagine the
destruction and devastation that will take place in
America, but it is certain. God has spoken it, and
it will occur.
America is friendly
toward the Jews now, but this will change greatly during
the last half of the tribulation period. America
will also be the focus of the persecution of the Church
during the first half of the tribulation period.
This focus will shift from the Church to the Jews when
the Main Harvest Rapture takes place.
7.
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived
deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for
she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no
widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Babylon is a nation
that has greatly glorified herself, and she has lived
deliciously or luxuriously. She has great wealth
and she has lived sumptuously. We in America live
sumptuously, yet we want more. This is pure
covetousness, which is called idolatry in the Bible.
"Hath glorified
herself" refers to attitude and not to attainment.
The similarity to ancient Babylon is "Let us make us a
name" (Genesis 11:4).
Unlike Hiroshima,
Berlin, London, North Vietnam and other war-devastated
places, America has never felt the sting of bombs upon
her soil. "I sit a queen, and am no widow" is a
metaphorical expression for a city that has not been
stripped of its inhabitants and its riches. "Shall
see no sorrow" means Babylon cannot envision herself
being stripped of her inhabitants and her wealth.
The inhabitants of Babylon will not be able to foresee
the coming destruction that is certain to engulf her.
8. Therefore shall
her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning,
and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with
fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
The destruction of
Babylon will take place in one day and even in one hour
as verse 10 attests. The plagues that befall her
will cause death, mourning and famine. She will be
utterly burned with fire, and it is the Lord God Who
judges her.
The plagues that
destroy her are clearly from a surprise nuclear attack
from Russia, China and other far-eastern countries that
will have nuclear submarines at the time. We learn
this from a study of Jeremiah 50 and 51, and
specifically the following verse of Scripture:
(Jer.
50:9 KJV) For, lo, I will raise and cause to
come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations
from the north country: and they shall set themselves
in array against her; from thence she shall be taken:
their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none
shall return in vain.
The arrows with none
missing its mark is a prophetic description of nuclear
missiles coming over the North Pole from Russia, China,
and from submarine launched nuclear missiles from
countries that have lined themselves up in an array
around the U.S.A. The fact that China has stolen our
nuclear secrets for smaller, compact nuclear weapons and
guidance systems for submarine launched missiles is
highly significant. The destruction of the U.S.A. by
nuclear weapons is at the end of the seven-year
tribulation period, so China has plenty of time to
perfect her submarine launched nuclear weapons.
9.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed
fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall
bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see
the smoke of her burning,
The kings of the earth
who committed fornication with her are those that will
share in her power and great wealth before she is
destroyed. This includes the European countries
that will make up the Ten-Horned Beast and possibly
other countries that will prosper during the reign of
Antichrist.
These countries that
lived luxuriously with Babylon will express their deep
sorrow and mourn over Babylon when they see the smoke of
her burning. The reason for this great mourning over the
loss of such great wealth is that the nations of the
world have heavily invested in America by buying up real
estate and companies. It is truly sobering to realize
how much of America is owned by foreign interests. This
great wealth will be lost in one hour and the foreign
owners will bewail and lament over their great loss.
10.
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying,
Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city!
for in one hour is thy judgment come.
These countries will be
afraid to come close to Babylon for "fear of her
torment." This torment will be the nuclear
radiation that will come from the numerous nuclear
warheads that caused Babylon to be burned.
This verse confirms
that a literal day and hour is meant for the time it
takes for Babylon to be totally destroyed. Nuclear
scientists have estimated that if the U.S.A. is ever
involved in a nuclear war with Russia, the war will be
over in one hour. This conclusion was reached
independently of a knowledge and understanding of this
verse. The same conclusion would apply to nuclear war
with any nuclear power. The number of nations becoming
nuclear powers is growing rapidly, and the Bible is
clear that more than one nation is responsible for the
destruction of New Babylon.
11.
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn
over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any
more:
The merchants of the
earth weep and mourn over her because she was their best
customer. Babylon bought the merchandise from the
merchants of the earth, and this falls in line with her
luxurious lifestyle. This is a perfect description
of America whose trade deficits are extremely large and
growing.
It is significant that America represents about 7 per
cent of the world's population, yet she has in her
possession more than half of the world's wealth.
She has 63 percent of the world's manufactured goods, 74
per cent of the world's automobiles, 52 per cent of the
world's trucks, 56 per cent of the world's telephones,
47 per cent of the world's radios, 46 per cent of the
world's electric output, 52 per cent of the world's
steel, 53 per cent of the world's petroleum, and
consumes 35 per cent of the world's energy.
We in America have
lived luxuriously and glorified ourselves. We have
forgotten that our blessings come from God, and we have
forgotten about God as the source of everything.
We are ungrateful, selfish, uncaring, egotistical, lazy,
arrogant, prideful, and just plain nauseating to
God. This is why the Church as a whole will be
rejected as the bride of Jesus Christ at the separation,
which is to take place very soon.
Over 50 per cent of
Americans profess Jesus Christ as their Savior.
This is higher than any other country in the
world. Is it any wonder that only a small number
of Christians will be accounted as worthy to escape the
coming tribulation period, which is called the hour of
trial?
12.
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious
stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and
silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner
vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
These are all luxurious
items that American merchandisers import for our jewelry
stores, clothing stores, and specialty and import
stores. No country in the world matches the stores
and malls that carry everything imaginable that is
produced in the world. Stores in our larger cities
have whole floors devoted to special categories of
goods, and many or most are imported. All of these
items mentioned are luxurious items that are only
purchased by people who are wealthy relative to the
world's standards. None of these items fall in the
category of being needed for survival.
13.
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and
frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and
wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and
chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Cinnamon is an import
of America, and odours are a fragrant powder burned in
religious worship. Ointments are simply perfumes,
and America imports more perfumes than any other nation
in the world. Frankincense is incense that is
burned for its fragrant aroma. The implication is
incense burned in pagan worship. America has
become a center for all the pagan worship systems of the
world such as Hinduism, Hare Krishna, Buddhism, etc.
America buys more
imported wine than any other nation. The oil is
olive oil and all of our olive oil is imported. We
also import more of this than any other nation.
Fine flour means that flour that is the finest.
America grows more wheat than any other nation, yet we
import fine flour. Another understanding of this
verse is that America exports more wheat than any other
nation so the ship owners of the earth have also gotten
wealthy from carrying our cargoes of wheat. Either
understanding points to America as the referent.
Beasts means cattle or
large four-footed domestic cattle. Sheep refers to
small four-footed domesticated animals such as sheep and
goats. The primary meaning of beasts is
possessions, and it is the figurative meaning. The
figurative meaning of sheep is God's people.
America imports large amounts of beef and mutton, which
is the literal interpretation of this verse, but
Americans have more possessions, and many of God's
people are domiciled in America.
Horses and chariots
during the first century A.D. would be the modern day
equivalent of automobiles. Interestingly, the
Greek word for chariots does not mean a two-wheeled
chariot as we normally think of, but a four-wheeled
carriage. It is ironic that the automobile was
invented in America, and America was the only exporter
of automobiles for many years. Today, America is the
world's largest importer of automobiles. Most of
the automobiles built in the world are built for
Americans. Most are Japanese, but the Japanese
utilize mass transit, bicycles and motorcycles, which
are two-wheeled "chariots".
14.
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed
from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly
are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no
more at all.
The word for “fruits”
means the vintage of late summer or autumn, and the word
for “lusted” means forbidden things. It means
material possessions that were sought after over and
above that which was needed. It is a picture of
covetousness of things that have now departed from the
people seeking after them.
“Things which are
dainty” are things that are sumptuous or
expensive. Things that are "goodly" are things
that appeal to the lust of the eyes. All refer to
the excessive luxury that so enamors Americans. We
are not satisfied with our needs being met, and a decent
place to live, and simple clothes to cover our
nakedness. We seek after the best and most
expensive foods, the best and most expensive homes, the
best and most expensive cars, the best and most
expensive furniture, the best and most expensive
clothes, the best and most expensive jewelry, et cetera,
et cetera, et cetera.
The second departed in
this verse is different from the first. The first
means they have gone away, and the second means that
they have been destroyed. America shall not find
them anymore because America shall be no more.
15.
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by
her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment,
weeping and wailing,
The merchants of the
earth who got rich because of America's unbridled lust
for possessions shall weep and wail over her
destruction.
These merchants will
not come close to America because of her torment.
This torment is clearly the nuclear radiation that will
engulf America after the all-out nuclear attack on
America by other nations that hate and resent her.
16. And saying,
Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in
fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with
gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
The Greek word for
clothed has reference to being draped around as clothing
or thrown around everywhere. When speaking of a
nation it would refer to its flag, and the colors of
red, white and blue are clearly linked to America.
The linen is white, and the scarlet is red. The
word for purple has the same meaning as the Old
Testament word for blue. No Greek word in the New
Testament is translated blue, but this word means
blue.
The Greek word for
clothed also has a secondary and figurative meaning of
palisade or defense. This simply means that the
red, white and blue American flag is not just used for
decorative purposes. It is also used as a symbol
of her defensive capabilities. The American
National Anthem clearly depicts the American flag as a
symbol of our defensive capabilities. The Star
Spangled Banner reflects the attitude described above in
verse 7 of being invincible. This same attitude
was rampant in the ancient city of Babylon the night
that Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall for
Belshazzer. It was that same night that the Medes
and Persians came in through the river gates after
diverting the flow of the Euphrates River, and Babylon
fell to Cyrus the Great. America will also fall in
a single day.
The Statue of Liberty
also reflects this attitude of freedom and invincible
liberty. The one arm raised on the Statue of
Liberty reflects the exaltation of man rather than
God. Two arms raised reflects the exaltation of
God. One arm raised with a clinched fist is the
universal symbol of defiance and rebellion. It is
also significant that the crown of the Statue of Liberty
is the very same one that is seen on the relief of
Ishtar, the Babylonian Mystery Goddess of love and
fertility.
The Greek word for
decked means a woman who is so profusely ornamented with
gold that she appears to be gilded. The same is
true for the precious stones and the pearls.
Figuratively, to be decked with gold is to have a
superabundance of blessings from God. The precious
stones have a special reference to the twelve tribes of
Israel because of the 12 precious stones on the
breastplate of the High Priest in the Old Testament, so
this figuratively means that America has a
superabundance of Jews from all 12 tribes of
Israel. This is clearly indicative that in
addition to the Jews who came out of the Southern
kingdom of Judah, there are also Jews from the 10 lost
tribes of Israel. It is my belief that the
American Indians are out of the ten lost tribes of
Israel.
We learned from the
parables of the kingdom that pearls are used
figuratively for the Church. This means that the
Church is also present in superabundance in America or
Babylon the Great. This is such a well-known fact
that no statistics or documentation is required to
substantiate the conclusion.
Briefly summarized,
this verse states that the Great City Babylon is
symbolically represented by the colors red, white and
blue and these colors typify her strong defenses that
appear to be invincible. In addition, she has been
greatly blessed by God, and God's people, including all
twelve tribes of the Jews, and all seven churches of the
Church, dwell in Babylon in large numbers. It does
not take a superabundance of imagination to see that
this is an accurate description of America.
17.
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And
every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and
sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
America will be totally
destroyed in one hour on a particular day. This is
literal and there is no reason to take this to be
figurative.
The maritime merchants
of the earth will also greatly mourn the destruction of
America, for they have gotten rich from her excessive
luxuries. It is ironic that even with all the
riches and commercial enterprise in America, we do not
have a large maritime fleet. Most of the ships
that carry the goods to and from America are owned by
foreigners.
The Greek word for come
to nought means to lay waste or become desolate.
The shipmasters, people who work on the ships, and the
ones who actually operate and steer the ships stood a
long way off and express astonishment at the destruction
of this great nation that has been laid waste and
desolate.
18.
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,
saying, What city is like unto this great city!
The individuals stated
above will be able to see the total destruction of
America, and they will express their dismay that such
wealth has been destroyed.
19.
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping
and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city,
wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea
by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she
made desolate.
These same individuals
will cast dust upon their heads, a sign of mourning, and
reiterate the fact that this great nation had made the
ship owners rich because of her excessive luxury, but
she was totally destroyed in one hour. Again, the
hour is clearly literal, and there is no hint that a
figurative interpretation should be made.
20.
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles
and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
This verse confirms
that America will be the focal point for persecution of
both the Church and the Jews during the tribulation
period. Heaven would refer to those who occupied
heaven during the time of persecution. The word
apostles is a special reference to the Church or those
who are persecuted during the first half of the
tribulation in Babylon. The word prophets is a
special reference to the Jews who are persecuted during
the last half of the tribulation period. The
reference to heaven first, and then to the apostles and
prophets seems to have the purpose of clarifying that
the apostles and prophets were not occupiers of heaven
at the time of the persecution. In other words
heaven is addressed not so much to distinguish those in
heaven, as to distinguish that the apostles and prophets
were not in heaven at the time of the persecution.
The revenge is exacted for the apostles (i.e.,
Christians) and prophets (i.e., Jews) who were
persecuted during the seven-year tribulation period.
21.
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great
millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with
violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,
and shall be found no more at all.
Babylon the Great
(America) will be totally destroyed. God will
judge her for her sins. This may be difficult for
Christians to accept, but this is because most
Christians love the world, and America is the prime
example for the world system of covetousness and
greed. The citizenship of Christians is in heaven,
and our loyalty should lie in heaven. This does
not mean that we rebel against the U.S.
Government. We are ambassadors here, and we are to
conduct ourselves in obedience to the law and the rulers
as long as it does not conflict with our obedience to
God. We are not to become involved in the
political system or strive for rulership in the
system. Christians who do this are getting caught
up in this world system just like Lot got caught up in
the affairs of Sodom.
The use of "a great
millstone" is a perfect analogy for the throwing down of
America, since America is the breadbasket for the
world. We grow and export more wheat than any
other nation in the world.
The Greek word for
violence comes from another Greek word that means an
attack. Babylon will be destroyed by an attack out
of the North and from submarines in array around her, as
explained earlier.
Babylon will not be
found again after she is destroyed. America will
cease to exist as a nation.
22.
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of
pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all
in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be,
shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a
millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
The full range of human
emotions is given expression in the form of music.
It represents all of the aspects of life such as joy,
sorrow, worship, jubilation, toil, and even
warfare. It is no coincidence that music is a
primary aspect of life in America, and not all of it is
good. Music is at the center of American pop
culture, and it a primary source of influence for young
people and adults. American music now contains
satanic songs of worship, rebellion, sex, and all forms
of debauchery. This music is now exported to
countries all over the world, and it is part of "the
Americanization of the world." Babylon is
described as influencing the whole world, and this is
definitely true for America. Pipers are
flautists. The cessation of all music demonstrates
the cessation of a culture and all aspects of life
associated with that culture.
The demise of all craft
is another expression for the death of a culture.
Work or craft is the expression of livelihood, and
without it all life ceases.
A millstone is the
symbol for the source of food or sustenance.
Without food, life also ceases. Also, the use of a
millstone in describing the cessation of life and
culture is very appropriate in the description of
America, as explained above.
23.
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all
in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the
bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy
merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy
sorceries were all nations deceived.
A candle is the source
of light for a home, so it is a picture of home life,
another primary aspect of a culture. It also
symbolizes the knowledge and wisdom that emanates from a
people. This verse is a continuation of the
description of the cessation of a culture.
The bridegroom and the bride are the picture of
procreation and proliferation of life, another primary
aspect of any culture or people.
Babylon's merchants are
described as the great men of the earth. In
context with the light of a candle and the bridegroom
and bride, America's culture has been spread throughout
the world. The use of the word sorceries in
deceiving all nations has reference to America's
idolatries, or the covetous and hedonistic lifestyles
that American pop culture has spread throughout the
world.
24.
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of
saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Ecclesiastical Babylon
has already been responsible for the deaths of both Jews
(prophets) and Christians (saints). The Great City
Babylon (America) will be the focal point of persecution
and martyrdom for Christians during the first half of
the tribulation period, and Jews during the last half of
the tribulation period. The reference to "all that
were slain upon the earth" has to be used in the
collective sense, so it means all types of people in the
world. Therefore, it would have reference to the
Gentiles who are saved during the tribulation period,
and subsequently martyred for not taking the mark of the
beast. This verse is referring to the persecution
and martyrdom of all three classes of God's people
during the seven-year tribulation period. These
are the Jews, the Church, and the Gentiles.
Doug R