Who is Mystery Babylon ?

[savedbygrace57]

rev 18:

1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2And 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.

18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

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

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Hint ! Matt 23:


37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. cp rev 18:


19And 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.

20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
__________________

 

[Eventide]

The city of the great King...

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

 

[Sam21]

I see Babylon as a system and also an actual city, there will be an actual city at the end of the age that will be the center of human activity that corresponses to the ancient tower of Babel where man was united in his efforts to reject God and save himself.

 

[savedbygrace57]

Re: The city of the great King...

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

The Jerusalem which is above, the Mother of True Believers, thats the one that should be prayed for. ! Gal 4:

25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

 

[savedbygrace57]

I see Babylon as a system and also an actual city, there will be an actual city at the end of the age that will be the center of human activity that corresponses to the ancient tower of Babel where man was united in his efforts to reject God and save himself.

Jersualem is the city that was mainly responsible for the death of the prophets. Its amazing how God decreed Israel to become a Nation again, perhaps to fulfill this prophecy in revelation..

 

[Eventide]

Re: The city of the great King...

The Jerusalem which is above, the Mother of True Believers, thats the one that should be prayed for. ! Gal 4:

25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Why would anyone need to pray for the Jerusalem in heaven.. do you think that there is NOT peace in the Jerusalem which is above, and our Mother ?

 

[Sam21]

A distinguishing mark of babylon is that it is a city that will reign over the Rulers of the world, at the time Revelation was written Rome would have fit that pretty good, I cannot imagine Jerusalem ever being the ruling city of this age.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Jerusalem fits the bill of the Whore who "rode upon the beast" and Rome fits the bill for the beast. Remember that according to the thinking of the OT writers, the "end of the age" was not necessarily the end of the world. In their writings, the end of the age was the time when the Messiah would be given the throne of the kingdom. The NT writers spoke of themselves as well as their contemporaries as those to whom "the end of the ages has come" and they spoke of their time as the "last days." So for a reader of our time to make their words modern or post modern in application is to remove them from the historical context the writers (inspired by God's Holy Breath) intended.

 

[Lehigh3]

Jersualem is the city that was mainly responsible for the death of the prophets. Its amazing how God decreed Israel to become a Nation again, perhaps to fulfill this prophecy in revelation..

That's where you go wrong. God gave Israel the laws of blessings & cursings in Deuteronomy 28-30. The U.N. "ordained" the creation of the state of Israel! not God!

God judged Israel. Only the REMNANT was holy- & God called them by a new name (Isa.65 & 66)

Biblical Judaism ended in AD70. God left the building with "voices & noises" too according to Josephus. "Let us leave here hence!" wow, spookula!

Rabbinic Judaism (post AD70) is a man- made religion.

The Jerusalem that "now is"- was in bondage with her children- never changed until they accept their Messiah & become part of our New Jerusalem church.

FIRST SALVATION IS TO THE JEW THEN THE GREEK. Not to the Gentiles & then 2k+ yrs. later to the JEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[savedbygrace57]

sam:

A distinguishing mark of babylon is that it is a city that will reign over the Rulers of the world

Thats True, and I believe its fulfilled in the philsophy of how other nations believe that Israel is God's chosen People. The United States believes that, and perhaps other nations, so they are being ruled by that philosophy. They are drunk with that philsophy..

rev 18:3

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed[spiritual] fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

 

[reba]

FIRST SALVATION IS TO THE JEW THEN THE GREEK. Not to the Gentiles & then 2k+ yrs. later to the JEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have read that verse a million times. Anyone who studies even a little bit knows that verse.... This is the first time i have read/heard it in 'that' way. DUH

 

[sdktlk]

In order to discover HER identity it would probably be needful to examine very closely HER makeup. For, SHE is after all symbolic.

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: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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." (Rev 17:4-6)

What do the Scriptures say these things stand for?

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

In order to discover HER identity it would probably be needful to examine very closely HER makeup. For, SHE is after all symbolic.

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: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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." (Rev 17:4-6)

What do the Scriptures say these things stand for?

http://www.christianforums.net/f20/great-whore-revelation-33786/#post502847

 

[Elijah674]

That's where you go wrong. God gave Israel the laws of blessings & cursings in Deuteronomy 28-30. The U.N. "ordained" the creation of the state of Israel! not God!

God judged Israel. Only the REMNANT was holy- & God called them by a new name (Isa.65 & 66)

Biblical Judaism ended in AD70. God left the building with "voices & noises" too according to Josephus. "Let us leave here hence!" wow, spookula!

Rabbinic Judaism (post AD70) is a man- made religion.

The Jerusalem that "now is"- was in bondage with her children- never changed until they accept their Messiah & become part of our New Jerusalem church.

FIRST SALVATION IS TO THE JEW THEN THE GREEK. Not to the Gentiles & then 2k+ yrs. later to the JEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not HARDLY!

 

[sdktlk]

http://www.christianforums.net/f20/great-whore-revelation-33786/#post502847

Thanks, but that doesn't tell us 1) what does a woman symbolize in Scripture? 2) what does scarlet symbolize? 3) purple? 4) gold? 5) precious stones? 6) pearls?
7) cup? 8) hand? 9) blood?

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Thanks, but that doesn't tell us 1) what does a woman symbolize in Scripture? 2) what does scarlet symbolize? 3) purple? 4) gold? 5) precious stones? 6) pearls?
7) cup? 8) hand? 9) blood?

So what does a woman symbolize? Many think that the answer is a "church" or religious system. If the 2nd is in fact the case (maybe so, maybe not), apostate Jews symbolized by ancient Jerusalem fits the bill. Even if SCARLET is used to indicate corruption when contrasted with a "woman" in white, Jerusalem still fits. Anyway you slice it, it's hard to ignore the striking simularities between the scarlot woman of Revelation and the fallen city in Ezekiel 18.

 

[Elijah674]

So what does a woman symbolize? Many think that the answer is a "church" or religious system. If the 2nd is in fact the case (maybe so, maybe not), apostate Jews symbolized by ancient Jerusalem fits the bill. Even if SCARLET is used to indicate corruption when contrasted with a "woman" in white, Jerusalem still fits. Anyway you slice it, it's hard to ignore the striking simularities between the scarlot woman of Revelation and the fallen city in Ezekiel 18.

All the Rev. 17:1-5 ones are the church apostate denominations. They need not Unite back with their mother whore. They are already United! By that, it means they are as Prophesied as satan's church in inforcing false worship. (last stage 666) They need nothing more than that! See Matt. 6:24

The Word of God has them ALL 'THE ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH'. And all Babylon signifies is.. the Tower of Babel's mass confusion. Yet, their feet are in rome satanic concrete as to satans truth for the dead, + the sun worship of rome. Dan. 7:25

--Elijah

 

[Lehigh3]

In order to discover HER identity it would probably be needful to examine very closely HER makeup. For, SHE is after all symbolic.

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: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 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." (Rev 17:4-6)

What do the Scriptures say these things stand for?

The woman riding the beast was Jerusalem until the beast turned on her & burned her (literally) with fire.

The woman in Rev17 - her garments are the colors of the high priest.

There's much more - but that's it in a nutshell. The Jews had a symbiotic relationship with Rome. They could trade from the temple they were free to practice their law & religion- she rode the beast even though she was under Caesar's control.
The Jews rebelled against Rome & that's when Rome turned on her.
The Jews are ones who in the old covenant God was married to.
But God divorced her & would remarry true Israel (the righteous remnant) in a new & living way (moral & spiritual)

Israel had the BRIDEGROOM before- God was married to Israel before. But the BRIDEGROOM would be taken away & so was the kingdom.

 

[Sam21]

Jerusalem never ruled over any part of the Roman empire, they were subject to it, Paul was on a higher social plane then most Jews because he was a Roman citizen. The secret to understanding Babylon is the word babylon, original babel and then an empire of babylon and then another empire of babylon during the time of Daniel. Babylon was a CITY that was the headquaters for a huge empire that ruled other kingdoms, that was what the city of Rome was when Revelation was written. Except for a brief time when Solomon was king,Jerusalem has never been a city that ruled over other kingdoms.

 

[Stormcrow]

One of the things people need to know about the Book of Revelation is that most of its imagery and metaphors look like they were pulled directly out of the Old Testament.

The harlot metaphor for "Mystery Babylon" is no exception. If you feel so inclined, do a search for the word "harlot" in the OT, and notice how many times the word is used to describe the idolatry and abominations of both Israel and Judah. But there are two chapters in Ezekiel where this metaphor of the harlot is aimed directly at Jerusalem. First, here are a couple of passages from Revelation for use in comparing to the language in Ezekiel:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality." Revelation 17:1-2 (NASB)

4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." 6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly. Revelation 17:4-6 (NASB)

​

Now, here are the OT analogs of these verses:

How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. Isaiah 1:21 (NASB)

Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations Ezekiel 16:1-2 (NASB)

8 "Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold, you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine," declares the Lord GOD. 9 "Then I bathed you with water, washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. 10 "I also clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. 11 "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. 12 "I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 "Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey and oil; so you were exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14 "Then your fame went forth among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of My splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord GOD. 15 "But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. 16 "You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen. Ezekiel 16:8-16 (NASB)

"Behold now, I have stretched out My hand against you and diminished your rations. And I delivered you up to the desire of those who hate you, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of your lewd conduct. 28 "Moreover, you played the harlot with the Assyrians because you were not satisfied; you played the harlot with them and still were not satisfied. 29 "You also multiplied your harlotry with the land of merchants, Chaldea, yet even with this you were not satisfied."'" 30 "How languishing is your heart," declares the Lord GOD, "while you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot.

31 "When you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square, in disdaining money, you were not like a harlot. 32 "You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband! 33 "Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction for your harlotries. 34 "Thus you are different from those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give money and no money is given you; thus you are different."

35 Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord. 36 Thus says the Lord GOD, "Because your lewdness was poured out and your nakedness uncovered through your harlotries with your lovers and with all your detestable idols, and because of the blood of your sons which you gave to idols, 37 therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, even all those whom you loved and all those whom you hated. So I will gather them against you from every direction and expose your nakedness to them that they may see all your nakedness.

38 "Thus I will judge you like women who commit adultery or shed blood are judged; and I will bring on you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39 "I will also give you into the hands of your lovers, and they will tear down your shrines, demolish your high places, strip you of your clothing, take away your jewels, and will leave you naked and bare. 40 "They will incite a crowd against you and they will stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 "They will burn your houses with fire and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women. Then I will stop you from playing the harlot, and you will also no longer pay your lovers.

28 "For thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I will give you into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those from whom you were alienated. 29 ~'They will deal with you in hatred, take all your property, and leave you naked and bare. And the nakedness of your harlotries will be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotries. 30 ~'These things will be done to you because you have played the harlot with the nations, because you have defiled yourself with their idols. Ezekiel 23:28-30 (NASB)
​

There can be no question that Mystery Babylon is Jerusalem: judged by God in 70 AD in the same manner by which He judged the city - by the Babylonians - 657 years earlier to the very day, thus bringing an end to the Kingdom of God for them precisely as Christ prophesied.

Hope this helps.