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Rev 18:1-2 1 After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance. 2 He shouted with a powerful voice: “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detested beast. Context (NET)

Rev 18:18 18 and began to shout when they saw the smoke from the fire that burned her up, “Who is like the great city?” Context (NET)

Rev 18:24 24 The blood of the saints and prophets was found in her, along with the blood of all those who had been killed on the earth.” Context (NET)

Now it appears, that this babylon is a city ! Now what great city was it that has been responsible for this:

Hint !

Matt 23:37-38 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it! 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! Context (NET)

Rev 18:19-20 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were shouting with weeping and mourning, “Woe, Woe, O great city – in which all those who had ships on the sea got rich from her wealth – because in a single hour she has been destroyed!” 20 (Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment against her on your behalf!) Context (NET)

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I looked at several sources and I came up with Ecclesiastical apostasy which is about as specific as I could find. In addition, I think that Babylon may simply represent all that is evil in the world and it is given a name in order to sum up all that is evil and give it a "face".

In the past some have said that this is not Babylon but really Rome and some equate it with the Roman Catholic Church but I cannot accept that. First, the Catholic Church has not been around that long some date it around 325 AD others 600 AD under the reign of Gregory the Great, secondly, the Catholic church has done many humanitarian acts for mankind. Third, there are many godly and sincere people in the Catholic church.

While it is true that Jerusalem killed the prophets and rejected the "ones sent to them" this does not automatically make "mystery Babylon" to be "Jerusalem". In fact, they appear to not even be close to the same in that whatever this "mystery Babylon" is...it is a world religious and economic power. The likeliest explanation is that it was a type which pointed to that which was opposed to godliness and exalted itself above all else used to point to some power. That it might refer to Jerusalem is a stretch in that Jerusalem is referred to under other terms in the Revelation. Though one may be certain that this "whore" decked in her regalia is antithetical to the pure spotless bride of the Lamb who is the New Jerusalem.

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arguments can be made for Jerusalem but they are not sound imo

what's worth emphasizing is the woman is not the beast

Revelation:

16:12 Then 39 the sixth angel 40 poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water 41 to prepare the way 42 for the kings from the east. 43 16:13 Then 44 I saw three unclean spirits 45 that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 16:14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth 46 to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.

Compare this to Revelation 17 and 18.

dragon - Satan - the mystery
beast - tongue, nation, kindred, and people - babylon the great - it could be any nation from the east
false prophet - religion? the woman? the mother of harlots (daughters) on earth.

East Asia? What religion?



Time is getting shorter < 300 years to go, Amen.

Mystery Babylon, to me - - - tends to parallel Babylon 5, in spirit at least.

A place, where all religions can get together, and can draw up economic treaties - - that bind their individual countries - - without much a regard at all - - to those crazy religious folks.

Compromise. Treaties as between old time Israel, and the surrounding countries.

Or - - Babylon itself - - - hidden.


IMHO, who loses - - - yet is sometimes protected, is the meek ones. The Tigers and Bears and Tigers prowl - - - - - - shouting, and proclaiming themselves, at times - - King of the Hill.

Is a good time, to be a Simple Simon, I think.

Babylon is said, 1) to have made all the nations drink the maddenng wine of her adulteries, 2) to sit on many waters, 3) with her the kings of the earth committed adultery, 4) the inhabitants of the earth (code for the unredeemed) were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries, 5) to be drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus, 6) the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luzuries, 7) by her magic spell all the nations were led astray, 8) in her was found the blood of the prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.
It seems clear that Babylon represents every corrupt practices of every man made city on the planet. And once she is destroyed then the pure city, not made with hands, the New Jerusalem, is introduced as the bride of the Lamb!

The contrast is dramatic. The cities and greed typified by the detailed description of her commerce through out the world, by land and by sea portray her as impure and full of adulteries, but look! Here is the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven to show up the prostitute and replace her and all she stands for with the chaste, pure New Jerusalem, serene, dressed modestly in white raiment, (note the gaudy dress of the prosatitute) a fitting bride for the Lamb! All commerce to and from this city is for the glory of God!
Nothing unclean will ever enter her gates.

The amount of scripture devoted to this portrayal is astounding; from Rev. 17:1 through Rev 19:8, followed by Rev. 21:2-22.

It should be obvious this prostitute does not represent only one city at a certain point in time but sums up the commerce of the planet, driven by greed, corruption, and avarice, at any point in time.

Overlook the emoticon. I don't know how it got in. Sorry.

Jack, the smiley that was in your post resulted from your "8)". I disabled the smilies in your post, which you can do yourself when composing a post by checking the "Disable smilies" box located below your posting window. You can also change your default setting for smilies by going to your User Control Panel > Board preferences > Edit display options.

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it's always prudent to realize with ancillary topics that obvious to 1 is not obvious to another

there are a few reasonable conclusions that folks have drawn concerning the identity of this figure -- while they all have a provocative nature, it's secondary to the happy ending God Planned for his elect (as you alluded)

Paco, thanks for your droll but kind reminder.

I was looking at another source for "Mystery Babylon" and found an interesting article on Babylon, from the Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, vol. A-D, editor George Buttrick, et al, p. 337-338. The article states in the last section "Reputation of Babylon" that large and wealthy cities tend to be vulnerable for judgment due to their moral laxity. The last phrase states, "...refers [mystery Babylon], undoubtedly, not to Babylon at all but to Rome." p. 338.

Hello Jack,

Yes. I liked your comment... but - - again, to me - - the current - - Babylon 5 type TV shows - sort of - - exemplify "Mystery Babylon".

To me, it is a Mind Set..
Everyone in the TV show - - is sort of shown as "Moral" when seen through their own view... almost no matter what they do. They can conduct WAR within their borders, or can enslave others, or, can have a system that enslaves women and shoots non-productive citizens, or - - - - - can do almost anything at home.. but - - when they show up with cash - - - their cash is just as clean as the preachers/prophets of God, and so is sort of a City, if you will, where - - - Money is king - - and it has absolutely NO moral absolutes. As an example - -
I could sell gallons of Crude oil next to someone selling gallons of WHALE oil, right next to a fellow that is selling Baby oil... and - - we are all quite equal, and are all very moral folks - and we could all go out and have lunch together - - and about the only EVIL thing there I can do - - is to put my nose in the air, and JUDGE someone's product/business/lifestyle.

From the Bible -I think Babylon is exemplified very well, in the book of Queen Ester - - - - where the King passed a law saying - - on such and such a day, it is legal to kill such and such a folk. And - - this was all quite legal, and righteous, and - - Moral.

In effect - - There was no ABSOLUTE MORAL compass, that was recognized. So the Biggest Baddest Dude - - - naturally floated to the top, and the meek - - were fed on.

Bert

Mystery Babylon is definitely the catholic church.

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Really . And you have intentionally written "catholic church" in lower case?

Uninformative link deleted from quote.

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John

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We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes