Hello, Dear Ones.  This is the part of the Revelation that I have been dreading to teach.  Why?  Because I will admit from the very beginning that I do not have the answers.  I asked the question, “Why or what is Mystery Babylon?”  I simply and honestly do not know.  However, there are some things in chapters 17 and 18 that give us clues and that is what I want us to focus on in the next few lessons.  The meaning of these clues will become obvious as we study but there are some things that, quite frankly, will not be understood until they happen.  I will explain. 

 

    There are two major schools of thought on this “Mystery Babylon”.  One is that it refers to a specific city of the end times, and the other is that it refers to the economic and religious system of the last days.  I tend to lean towards the system rather that the city but will explain both theories.  It’s kind of like “I report, you decide!”  So, let’s get started, by looking at the city. This view comes mostly from chapter 18.  

Those that espouse this view believe that, in the last days there will be a city that is much like revived Babylon.  It can not (or doesn’t appear to be) the original city of Babylon because it simply does not exist today.  It was destroyed soon after God confounded the language and scattered the people all over the known world. You can read about it in Genesis. 

 

      When the scripture refers to a geographic location, this leads this view to believe that this city will be a great seaport.  It speaks of ships carrying merchandize and ships afar off watching the destruction of the city.  It also says that the leaders of many nations will gather there.  People who hold this view have “decided” that the city must be New York City.  It is definitely a large seaport.  One only has to go to the tip of Manhattan and stand on the edge of Battery Park and watch the numerous ships enter and leave the harbor.  They also point out the many Broadway plays and entertainment that goes on there giving way to pornography that might be prevalent in the last days.  

 

      Mystery Babylon is spoken of as a lady.  In the New York harbor stands a lady holding a torch and a book.  She is called the Statue of Liberty.  It is interesting that the design of the statue was taken from a statue of Isis, the fertility goddess.  (look it up in the encyclopedia!!!)  

 

      But I believe that the most damning evidence for naming New York City as Babylon is that the leaders of the world will gather there.  We all know that the United Nations headquarters are in this city.  Outside the large building and within the fences that surround it are flags from each of the nations whose leaders come there to make universal laws and regulations.  

   

     As we study chapters 17 and 18, you can almost pick out the verses which point to New York City.   BUT……… 

 

     There is another theory that is, most likely, the correct one.   This view is that Mystery Babylon is a combination of the economic and religions system of the last days.  We will explain when we look at verse by verse in these two chapters.  We really can’t separate these chapters as 18 is simply a continuation of 17. To understand this section of Revelation, you must think in code or hints rather than actual locations or events.  Yeah, I know, this is very confusing but please stick with me and we will figure it out together. If you have an opinion, I would love to hear it so please use the comment section below and let me know your thoughts.  

 

      Chapter 17 

    1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,  

    2 “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” 

In these two verses we see the alinement of the church and the system, both corrupt and evil.  Words such as fornication and prostitution symbolize idolatry and apostasy.  Cities in scripture, such as Nineveh, Tyre, and even Jerusalem are also called harlot cities.  This united church of the last days will consist of all religions rolled into one, Catholics, Protestants, pagan religions, Muslim, Buddhist, Islam, cults and all other isms, even independent bible churches.   

 

     Our Lord, Himself, called this religious system “The Harlot”. We’re going to look at just how this is going to come about in just a minute.  But first, keep in mind that the religious system controls Antichrist during the first half of the tribulation, yet it is hated by him.  During the last half, Antichrist destroys the harlot in order to set up his own religion with himself as god.  Babylon is synonymous with false religion.  Way back in Genesis, under Nimrod, Babylon became the origin of all false religion, this church is guilty of spiritual fornication, selling herself to the world for hire.  This is the church that said, “I am rich and increased with goods, and I have need of nothing.” Remember, the true church has been raptured. This is the harlot church that will remain after the true church has been raptured.      

 

The phrase “many waters” is explained down in verse 15 as being many peoples, nations, and languages.  Being “made drunk” indicates that the whole world is of one mind when it comes to idolatry.  All the churches have become worship centers for the false gods and goddesses.  

 

    Christians, open your eyes and ears and see what this world is coming to.  There are gangs of people, parading the streets of our cities, basically saying, He’s not MY god.  Our leaders have been trying for years to stop any mention of God in our schools, and in our workplaces.  And they have come a long way is getting their way.  They say, you can’t mention God because you might offend someone.  

This is our world today with all our learning and science, building our “Babylon” without the direction and inspiration of God.   

 

    3. So he called me away in the Spirit into the wilderness.  And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  
    4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full abominations and the filthiness of her fornication 
    5.And on her forehead a name was written: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 
    6. I  saw  the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of  Jesus.  And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. 

 

    When John was given the vision of the world to come, under the reign of the beast, he saw that this beast would be supported by two powerful allies one religious and the other economic.  This would be an unholy alliance of church and state.  This is the final world government.  There are things happening even today which point to this alliance. 

 

    As far back as 1993, the Presbyterian Church had a “re-imaging conference”.  In this conference, one speaker said “Sophia, Creator God, let your milk and honey flow.  Sophia, Creator God, shower us with your love”.  The Presbyterian Layman church magazine, its Jan/Feb 1994 issue reported that they were shocked at one of their churches celebration of the “Lady’s Supper” and made the following statement.  “The conference glorified lesbianism and…some conference speakers advocated adding books to the /bible to justify feminist and homosexual activism.” 

At this same conference, one feminist speaker declared, “I don’t think we need a theory of atonement at all…. Atonement has to do so much with death…..I don’t think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff….We just need to listen to the god within.” 

   

    Now, don’t think I am picking on the Presbyterians, listen to this. 

 

    The president of the World Council Of Churches, made up of all major denominations, addressed a meeting at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, attended by Greek Orthodox members and Catholic Church members.  Here’s what he said: “I can foresee the day when all Christians might accept the Pope as Bishop of a World Church. 

    An article in the April 5, 1993 edition of Christianity Today gave the WCC life and Work Slogan as “Doctrine Divides—Service Unites”.  What this is saying is that biblical doctrine divides people so it should be rejected.  The WWC teaches that the best of the non-Christian pagan religions is equal in value to the best of Christianity. 

As far back as 1974 a representative of the WCC said that their goal is to 

“de-Protestantize the Churches to prepare them to join in the coming world church” 

     

    The Anglican Church has softened its stance toward gay marriage and gay priests, but there is still much opposition. Some have called on the church to be more welcoming of LGBT individuals, some go so far as supporting gay clergy and granting them the rights to perform same-sex marriages, while others remain firmly committed to the traditional definition of marriage. 

 

    One of our largest protestant denominations, The Southern Baptist are not immured to these controversies.  Our own Southern Baptists Convention has addressed such controversial issues as Gay marriage and whether or not it should be allowed in the church, abortion, women in leadership positions as well as in teaching positions. And even the type of worship music to use in services. There are wide varieties of answers one gets when asked about these topics.  One Baptist church I was a member of had no problem having a woman in the pulpit, while another would not let women teach men in a Sunday school class.  This past year Southern Baptist elected an openly liberal pastor as president of the convention of Southern Baptist from all over America. Already there is contention among the representatives who attended the meetings.  At least one Southern Baptist congregation has withdrawn from the Convention because of this new liberal leadership.  I fear we have not heard the last of these controversial topics in our convention 

 

      FRIENDS:  PAY ATTENTION.  YOU THINK IT CAN’T HAPPEN? Think again.  It has already begun.  We are seeing the preparations for Satan’s church of the last days.  I have included all of this so that you can know that it is happening, even now.  

      We will continue, next time. Think about the answer to our question,”Who or what is Mystery Babylon?  FEED BACK, PEOPLE, GIVE ME FEED BACK.  WHAT IS YOUR OPINION?  And, WHY do you think that?  

 Blessings, Maggie