Babylon of Revelation 18
Q & A
Babylon of Revelation 18, America?
Q: I checked through your list of questions and answers and cannot find anything you have written about Babylon mentioned in the book of Revelation. Yesterday I read that a book that says the United States is that Babylon.
A: You are right, so I am correcting that with this answer to your question.
Babylon? America? I have written about Babylon but throughout various other articles and studies in prophecy. But you are right, nothing specific, and for good reason, the City of Babylon does not exist, it was once a great and might city located in Iraq, today it is but a shadow of a former existence. Some ancient historian had written that it took three days to walk through it. All that is left of that grand city are stones buried under the sand. Pretty much like the Old testament Prophecy about her destruction, mention in Isaiah 13, a complete and total destructon, and while Ancient Babylon lies in ruin, she is not completely abandon, and not in quite the state this prophetic chapter says she will be in or become. No doubt, however, with a little historical research in religions, one can see her influence has spread around the world, not in religions only, but even in city structures, towers galore, the design of the Ancient City Babylon can be seen on every continent -- Her customs and religious attitudes and teachings spread to all civilization, as well. You might say that every city around the world has a little or a lot of Babylon the Great in them. But the City mentioned in Revelation 18, is just that, a City, not a country. Revelation 18:10 is clear -- it is a city, a particular city. Do we see this City today? That is the question.
The problem, for me, in researching this over the years, is that I have not been able to come to a firm conclusion as to who the End Time Babylon really is. Rome, the Roman Church? There certainly seems to be a Babylonian stamp on that City and the Vatican, the customs, and traditions all traceable back to the Mother Babylon -- some of the names have been changed but the same Order and operations started at the founding of Babylon the Great. I know some teach that it is Rome, but today's Rome or even Vatican City, while they fit the discription found in Revelation 17, the Woman sitting on the Beast, the discription does not fit Revelation 18, more of a commercial center, even a political hub. Two Babylons? Perhaps, but there is something else that is yet to come, that is going to change everything, and may be the very thing that eventually leads to the rise or resurrecton of this Daughter of Babylon, both in the religious realm and the commercial. In Revelation 6 we read about the opening of the 6th Seal, and anyone reading that account can see that this has never happened, it is still in the works, it is coming, and after it is opened this whole Earth will be changed. Perhaps it will be after this great calamity that the Babylon of Revelation 18 will rise being rebirthed in a world rebuilding itself -- Revelation 6:12-17 -- the coming Wrath of the Lamb
I once thought I had it all figured out, the Babylon mentioned in Revelation was to actually be the Original Babylon rebuilt. And for some time it looked like it just might be -- a resurrected Babylon the City. My brother and I used to discuss how the Bible talked about the original Babylon, and how it was going to be destroyed, and it seemed that it was, but not as completely as the Old Testament prophecy said, so we look forward to a resurrected City of Babylon -- the prophecy against Babylon was that no one would live there, only wild animals, and we could see that people still lived there, in that area, so, it seemed, Babylon would have to be destroyed again, but it would be rebuilt. And guess what, along comes Saddam Hussein, and he started rebuilding the Ancient city of Babylon, Walls, Gates and all of it and on the same foundations uncovered in archeological digs. He was attempting to make a modern copy of the Ancient Babylon. He even went to far as to tell everyone that he was a direct descendant of Nebuchadnezzar -- it looked like things were falling into place for the resurrection and final fulfillment of the actual end-time City of Babylon, that City our God and Savior would bring to a final end. That was back in the 90s, and Saddam is gone, and Iraq is floundering, but it remains to be seen what Iraq is to become. Maybe a new Saddam will rise up and complete what he started? The Old Testament set a prophecy against Babylon, a prophecy that seems to not be finished or only partially fulfilled --
Isa 13:19 Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, will be like when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isa 13:20 It will never be inhabited, neither will it be lived in from generation to generation. The Arabian will not pitch a tent there, neither will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.
And look at where this Babylon is -- it is in Arabia, not the United States, not Italy, not the Common Market, but Arabia, and this is a prophecy that is still to be completed. And it seems, to me, that the Book of Revelations, Chapter 18 is the prophetic word about that fulfillment, and how it will become a place where demons live, not people, just as it says in Revelation 18. But this calls for a rebuilding or a resurrected City Babylon.
If we compare Isaiah 13:10-12 with Revelation 6:12-17, the coming Wrath of the Lamb, we do see a parallel of events. This does make me think that these are the same events, and if so, then the world has only witnessed a partial fulfillment, with a greater and complete fulfillment yet future.
Othe Considerations
Still, the prophetic pronouncements against that place is to be fulfilled, in total completeness. It has never been a completely desolate place where on the owl and the desert dogs live. I know, this Babylon of Revelation seems to fit many different places, ,making it seem that everyone with an opinion is right. New York city, some say and have written whole book on naming that city. Then the most famous and favorite is Rome, even Jerusalem is hinted at being that place, the place where the Prophets of YaHWeH had been killed. Then, as you mentioned, some say it is the United States, and others say it is going to be a United States of Europe, a Resurrected Roman Empire. And then there is Washington DC, a city designed with every pagan symbol used by Babylon, Greece and Rome. Then we have the Muslims building major religious Cities in the desert. One is the ancient city of Medina, and it fits the physical description found in Revelation, but so do many other cities around the world.
To write about Babylon specifically, seems nearly impossible. Everyone has a different opinion, and I still have a wait and see approach. If we stay with just what the Word is saying, something has to happen for that City to be resurrected and none of the choices made by the various prophecy teachers agree with one another. The only thing I can see is that the prophetic word, all from the Old Testament writings, is about a specific site, and always has been, the original location along the Euphrates River. This location is, of course, in Iraq. It would seem impossible for that to be the place the Book of Revelation is referring, but look at what Saddam tried to do. Maybe a new power will rise with a desire to do the same, only to actually become a restored world power? Only the future will tell. It seems no one has a true meaning, or answer for the Prophetic Babylon. So far, aside from a resurrection of the ancient City itself, Babylon is all the great cities of the world, not just one but all of them. We will see, and when that generation of people witness the coming plagues, the rise of the Beast and the False Prophet, they will also see the rise of that Babylon, the one mentioned in the book of Revelation.
The idea that it is a Country, like the USA is faulty for the simple reason that we are told that it is a City. The whole context shouts city, not nation. Of course it would be in a nation, but the punishment to be brought down on that City is a local event. The United States of America is not Babylon any more than England or Russia. All of the Super Powers nations have good candidates for Great Cities.
(Rev 18:10) standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your judgment has come in one hour.' (Isaiah 13:8)
But, one of the characteristics is that the City mentioned in the book of Revelation, is a place where the prophets of YaHWeH are, or were, killed -- this, or there may be a repeat of events that have happened before. Prophets are those who teach His Word and are true to His word, to His covenant. The prophets are more than just preachers and teachers, for it is by the word we are told it is where the Saints are or have been killed as well, those who worship the God of the Bible. These are people devoted to the Word and stand up against popular wishes to warn their people about the evils of society. Prophets, both rich and poor, warning the people to return to YaHWeH were killed in Jerusalem and in Babylon, where the people were taken into captivity. Read again, and we see that all of the Blood of the world, all slain, all killed and murdered on the whole earth is on the head of this Great City Babylon.
(Rev 18:24) In her (Babylon) was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth."
Maybe we will see a repeat -- in fact that is what I fear, is that things will develop in the Middle East that would bring this about, the rebuilding of that Great City in Iraq, along the River Euphrates. When the ISIS killers attempted a take over of IRAQ, and were killing anyone not of their religion it look like that might actually be happening -- one can only imagine what it would be like today if they had succeeded in taking over Iraq and had become a dominate power in that region today. So, for me, the Babylon of Revelation is still future, or so it seems, a modern Iraq with a moder City of Babylon becoming, again, a world trade center, and a world religious center. Time will tell
I took a quick Google search to see how many are teaching that America is the Babylon of Revelation. Amazing, more than I care to count. Revelation 18:10 clearly states, not once but twice that this Babylon is a City -- it is not America. The context of Revelation 18 is clearly about a City, and a religion, and a great commercial center. Modern Iraq has been through a lot, but is poised to become something new and fresh, based on things old and decaying, but where will Iraq be in 10 or 20 years from now? According the Prophetic word, the place of ancient Babylon is to be desolate, but it is not, and the Modern Babylon is still to come, and is to suffer that exact same fate -- same City, same Babylon, it would seem to me.
Comments to: dan@servantsofyahshua.com