Revelation 14:8 – A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
What is Babylon? Or who is Babylon? To be sure there are many different beliefs. Pastor Byron MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Covenant Church in CA, author of The Morning Comes And Also The Night, best expressed a controversial revelation of Babylon. His view may be too hard for some to believe or grasp, but for others, when reading his point of view, it will be an “Oh yeah, of course, that all fits together” moment. His view cannot be fully explained in what I send out in the mornings. I suggest that you get the book and read it for yourself. Here is an attempt is made to give a brief explanation. Pastor MacDonald writes that the coming great Babylon is made of three key players. They are all called Babylon and are three distinct players, yet separate players. One is from the political world, another from the religious world, and one from the economic world. The political and religious parts are easy to identify as they are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The third member may also be spotted if one is willing and has an eye willing to see. As the Word says that knowledge in the last days will be increased (Daniel 12:4) so this revelation was a mystery that could only be understood as the Lord uncovered it.
Ancient Babylon is mentioned throughout the Bible. It was an ancient powerful city that brings us close to the beginnings of mankind, to the times after the Great Flood that came during Noah’s time. It is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10. Elements of the structure of Babylon were the political, the religious and the economic. These Babylonians were brilliant and accomplished and they lived in a sacred land. The name Babylon means “Gate of God.” Biblically, they were perhaps most famous for building the Tower of Babel. After the flood, they had become rebellious to God and their brilliant minds turned to evil. They decided to build a Tower that “reaches to the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). They had rejected God and they were determined in their thoughts that man had outgrown God and no longer needed Him. Sound familiar? It is from the prideful heart of the devil (Isaiah 14:13-14). God broke up their attempt at mutiny. At that time they all spoke the same language. The Lord scrambled that and they all began to think and talk in separate languages and so, not being able to communicate with each other, they all went their own way. Creator God easily and quickly dashed their plans by resetting their minds. They dispersed, end of their great plan.
Babylon long ago ceased to exist. It is said that all false religions find their root in ancient Babylon. Babylon has a history of being a world power. Babylon was judged by God for its rebellion and was destroyed. Yet, the spirit of Babylon, that is the spirit of Satan, lives on, even today. In fact today, it is building in the hearts of unredeemed mankind. Today we see the foolishness of the evil in mankind today as it proclaims that God is not real, that God is a creation of weak men, and that even if He once did exist, He no longer does, they say He is dead. We can see that the spirit of the Antichrist, alive in the days of Jesus and alive now, is the same ancient evil spirit as was in Babylon. The evil that drove men to unite against God is alive and thriving in the lives of people who reject Jesus. As in it was defeated by God then, so will it be in the Last Days.
Political Babylon is that being described in Revelation 17:9. The seven hills on which the woman sits is Rome. The Antichrist comes from somewhere within the revived Roman Empire.
Religious Babylon is identified in Revelation 13:11. Here the false prophet is described as being “like a lamb.” Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the earth (John 1:29). The False Prophet is a Christian religious leader. He is the duped pawn of the Antichrist that is used by the Antichrist to bring the Antichrist to world leadership.
Next we will look at the economic Babylon.
Through all the plots of the devil and all the efforts of the demons that follow him, God still rules. God limits what the enemy does and does not allow him to destroy us (Job 1:12). God has given to us full victory that the devil cannot take away (Romans 8:38-39). Family, remember what the end of the book says. It says that we win. Even now, the full victory is ours through Jesus. We shall live with God forever and nothing and no-one can steal that from us. That is our the victory gift from God, through Jesus, to us! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.