Mystery, Babylon

Before we begin, parents I will be using terms today that might not be fit for young ears.

Revelation 17:1-6 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 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: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 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.

Introduction

Eschatology – the study of the “last things.”

Futurism is a Christian eschatological view that interprets portions of the Book of Revelation, the Book of Ezekiel, and the Book of Daniel as future events in a literal, physical, apocalyptic, and global context.[1]

Futurists are closely associated with Premillennialism and Dispensationalism.

Premillennialism - in Christian eschatology, is the belief that Jesus will return to the earth physically (the Second Coming) before the thousand-year reign (Millennium) of Christ. This theology is founded upon the literal interpretation found in Revelation 20:1-6.

Dispensationalism - is a particular hermeneutic or analytical system for interpreting the Bible based on a literal translation of the bible. This contrasts with Covenant Theology used in biblical interpretation. Dispensationalism was first developed by John Nelson Darby around 1830 and considers biblical history as divided by God into dispensations (periods or ages). According to dispensationalism, each age of God's plan is thus administered in a certain way, and humanity is held responsible as a steward during that time.

By comparison, some interpret these passages as past events in a symbolic, historic context (Preterism and Historicism), or as present-day events in a non-literal and spiritual context (Idealism).

I am a Futurist who believes that Jesus Christ will return to this earth and reign for a literal one-thousand-year period following the Great Tribulation. As a Futurist, I believe that the last three chapters in our study in the book of the Revelation (14-16), mark the end of the seven-year Tribulation period.

The seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of Revelation contain the judgments of Babylon.

The destruction of Babylon, introduced in the fourteenth chapter of Revelation (14:8), and depicted in the seventh bowl judgment (16:18-19) will now be described in detail.

Whatever, whoever or whenever Babylon is, whether you view Babylon as a power in the days of John (Rome), or in the future (revived Babylon or Roman power) the importance of the Babylon requires two chapters for clarification to the seven churches.

Before we get much further in our study of the seventeenth chapter, it might be good to look at all the descriptors of Babylon, as used in the Revelation. Hindson provides the following list (I have added to this list as identified by underline):

1. Presented as a whore (17:1)

2. Controls many “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. (17:1)

3. Immoral and drunken (17:2, 6)

4. Sits upon a scarlet-colored beast (17:3)

5. Rich and prosperous (17:4)

6. Associated with Satan and the beast (17:7-8)

7. City that sits on seven mountains (17:9)

8. Leader of a ten-nation confederacy with Roman (European) roots (17:12-13)

9. City that reigns over many nations (17:15-18)

10. Center of commercial enterprise (18:3, 11-13)

11. Sailors cross the sea to get there (18:17-18)

12. An entertainment capital (18:22-23)

13. Burns up in one hour (18:9-10, 17-19)[2]

During the Tribulation period, the world becomes very religious.

During the Tribulation period, the world became very religious. Religions of the world became ecumenical, meaning that they promoted unity among religions and churches ushering in the “One World Church.” With the leadership of the False Prophet, the world united under the umbrella of worship of the Antichrist. This unified, one-world religion is described by God as “the great whore.” This one-world religion will be dealt with in this chapter.

Now that we have discussed the importance of Babylon, let us jump into chapter 17.

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me” – Once again we are not specifically told which of the seven angels is speaking. there are two references in the book of the Revelation with this saying. This angel is not identified with a title or name. He is just referenced as “one of the seven angels,” referring to the seven angels with the seven vials of the wrath of God. The key is “not in who” is saying these words, but the “words themselves.”

“Come hither” – Four times in the Revelation, John is commanded to “come hither.” (4:1; 11:12; 17:1; 21:9). The Greek does not necessarily mean to move from one place to another, although the angel will “carry away” John into the wilderness, but to draw John’s attention to what the angel is going to reveal to him. In this case, the future destruction of Babylon, which will happen soon, is revealed to John.

“I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters” – Later in this chapter we find that the “woman” is identified as Babylon for on her forehead was a name written, “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.” (17:5)

The words of the angel are distressing: There will be a judgment from God on “the great whore.” The imagery is one the seven churches understand without having it explained to them. Both the Old and New Testaments deal with the issue of Harlotry (Isa. 1:21; 23:15-16; Jer 2:20; Eze. 16:15-16; Hos. 1–3; 1Cor. 6:15; 6:16). Spiritual prostitution is a serious sin in the sight of God. Like the physical sin of immorality, God considers any action of worship other than Him to be spiritual prostitution.

“…sitteth” – speaks of a position of authority. In the Bible it speaks of resting upon and being supported by something. As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, He “rested upon” and was “supported” by the donkey on which he rode.

“…upon many waters” – The Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah, equated Babylon with “dwellest upon many waters.”

Jeremiah 51:12-13 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

The image of Babylon sitting on many waters was well known to those in the first century. The city sat on the Euphrates River with a vast canal system that gave the impression that water flowed everywhere in the city.

When I was in the 7th grade, our geography classes went on a “bus trip” to see the movie; “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” It was filmed in a very new technology called “Cinerama” and shown on three side-by-side screens. It made you feel like you were right in the middle of the action. This was one of the predecessors to IMAX. I learned that one of the ancient wonders was the “Hanging Gardens of Babylon.” These gardens were said to be built in Babylon, on a 400-foot terrace, and 75 feet above the ground. To keep the garden watered, there was an elaborate system of irrigation. Historians wrote that the gardens were so grand that people from all over the known world came to see this grand sight. I will never forget that beautiful image of the glory of the hanging gardens of Babylon.

The angel explains this phrase, “upon many waters” in verse 15: as being “many peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues.”

Revelation 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication” – (Vincent, 1887) says:

The figure of a harlot committing fornication with kings and peoples occurs frequently in the prophets, representing the defection of God’s Church and its attachment to others. See Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20; 3:1, 6, 8; Ezek. 16:15, 16, 28, 31, 35, 41; 23:5, 19, 44; Hos. 2:5; 3:3; 4:14. The word is applied to heathen cities in three places only: to Tyre, Isa. 23:15, 16, 17; to Nineveh, Nahum 3:4; and here.[3]

“…and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” – Four times in the seventeenth chapter, the woman is referred to as a “harlot or whore” (17:1, 5, 15-16). The great sin of the woman is “fornication” (14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3, 9, 19:2). The influence of her seduction extends to the whole world, “the inhabitants of the earth.”

Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness” – John is ushered, “carried away” in the “spirit” (not physically) or the scene passes before him, into the wilderness by the angel. It is in the wilderness, that John sees the “woman.”

“…and I saw a woman” – This woman clearly is the same one mentioned in the first verse.

“…sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” – It is difficult to determine whether the beast is scarlet in color or is clothed in that same color. It is interesting that “scarlet” is only used four times in the New Testament (Mt. 27:28; Heb. 9:19; Rev. 17:3-4; 18:12, 16). This color was associated with royalty and military cloaks.

The idea that the woman “sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” implies the influence that she has on the beast.

“…full of names of blasphemy”- Throughout history, Kings, Monarchs and Pharaohs have carried the title of god. The Emperor of Rome was considered divine. The Pope is considered the voice of God. This is blasphemous to God. The Antichrist is the beast the whore is sitting upon him. Moreover, everything about the Antichrist is a stench in the nostrils of God.

“…having seven heads and ten horns” – Once again, this is identical with the description of the Antichrist in 13:1. (See comments on Rev. 13:1, p. 257ff)

Revelation 17:4 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 the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour” – as we have discussed, purple and scarlet are the colors of royalty and power, and as such symbolizing the power of the whore over the one-world religion. In contrast, the Bride of Christ will be adorned in pure white.

“…and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls” – John further describes the woman as being “decked with gold, precious stones and pearls.” This speaks of the wealth that she wields and the wealth of the one-world religion of beast worship.

“…having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” – So seductive to the worlds religious leaders is the call of the great whore, her voice and message are so intoxicating that they willingly drink from the cup she offers.

“…abomination” – is translated from the Greek and means a foul and detestable thing, normally of idols and things pertaining to idolatry.[4]

“…filthiness of her fornication” – The woman is clothed in riches and beauty, but the cup she holds and passes out freely is obscene, offensive, excessive, and polluted.

Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

“And upon her forehead was a name written” – I am reminded of the call of the person selling programs at a baseball game. They cry, “Programs. Programs. You can’t tell the player without a program.” My whole career in the U.S. Coast Guard, I wore a nametag, displayed on every uniform I wore that said nothing more than “Crowder.” If you go to a convention of any sort, they issue you a “name-tag” so people will know who you are.

This practice is not new with the introduction of the woman. The faithful of God, have His name written in their foreheads” (7:3; 14:1). The worshipers of the beast received a “mark in their forehead, or in his hand” (14:9).

Historically, the marking of a harlot was a common practice. Marking their name on a piece of paper and then hanging it from their head so all could see identified the wearer as a harlot. In Rome, it was customary for a prostitute to wear a headband with the person’s name on it as a means of identifying the woman’s profession. A more permanent form of marking is branding, disfigurement, or tattooing.

Note: I have searched high and low to find the reasoning of “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” is all in caps. I am sorry to report that much avail, I have yet to identify why this change was made after the original 1611 translation:

Revelation 17:5- And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots, And Abominations Of The Earth.

“MYSTERY” – This word is a derivative of the Greek word “muo” which means to “shut the mouth.” Generally, the word is a hidden truth that requires spiritual insight and discernment. It refers to something that has been hidden or is not obvious to understanding, or there is a hidden purpose. ( (Strong, 2001)

The word “mystery” has two meanings in Hellenistic Greek. One meaning referred to something secret and known to only a select few. The word described heathen religions or “mystery religions” with their secret rites and practices. As used in the Septuagint (a Greek version of the Jewish Old Testament writings), a second meaning of the word describes what God reveals (as in Daniel 2:19). The Jews used the word to describe some secret plan that God would reveal at the end of the age. In the New Testament, the word refers to a truth formerly hidden but now made known to people (see Rom. 11:25; Eph. 3:3–4, 9; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:26–27; 2:2; 4:3). Here in Revelation, the “mystery” is that the true source and nature of evil is being shown.[5]

“BABYLON THE GREAT” – In the introduction to this chapter, I have presented several ideas concerning who the Babylon of Revelation is. Historically Babylon was a city founded by Nimrod in Genesis chapter 10 (Gen. 10:8-10). Wiersbe writes:

The city of Babylon was founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8–11). The name Bab-el means “the gate of God.” Ironically, the famous tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9) was an idolatrous attempt by man to defy God. When the Lord sent judgment on the builders by making mankind’s one language into many, the word bab-el came to mean “confusion.” Later in history, Babylon became a great empire before finally falling to Media-Persia. But from the beginning of Nimrod’s city in Genesis 10, an insidious anti-God “Babylonian influence” has been felt throughout history.[6]

“THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS” – The harlot will do everything in her power to seduce. Ancient Babylon propagated a false religious system and oppressed the Children of God. Idolatry, historically, can be found in the Old Testament. The worship of mother and child can be found in, Ashtaroth/Baal, Aphrodite/Eros, Venus/Cupid, and even Madonna/Christ.

John writes that the woman who sits upon the beast (Babylon) is the Mother of Harlots, meaning that Babylon gave birth to idolatry. She is the harlot and teaches her offspring profane, irreverent, and ungodly acts of spiritual prostitution to sway her customers away from God.

Babel (Babylon) was founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8-11) and later became a great empire. She seduced men into opposing God and persecuting His servants. Historically, Nimrod’s city was anti-God, which meant it was anti Jew. In 539 BC, Cyrus, king over Persia, destroyed Babylon and freed the captive Jews. Babylon’s anti-god influence has been felt throughout history. The readers of the Revelation would understand the anti-God “Babylonian influence” as well as the first-hand experience of anti-God Rome.

“…AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” – Babylon is the source of all evil and rebellion against God from the first book of the Bible. Other nations “drank from the same cup.” Her cup is filled with the atrocities, horrors and revulsion of all things anti-God in all the earth.

Revelation 17:6 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.

“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” – The harlot riding on the beast is intoxicated with the killing of the believers. From the beginning, there was something radically different in the religious world in their adoption of the Antichrist as their god. This world system of religion, especially during the Great Tribulation (last 3.5 years) led to the death of those that do not bend the knee to the Antichrist.

The Christians of John’s day were aware of the killing of Jewish martyrs in the war of 66-70 AD. Later the Christians could take their place in the coliseums by the hand of the gladiators or wild beasts in Rome.

During the bowl judgments of the Tribulation, the third angel says “…Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets…”

“…and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” – John did not admire her as in the modern use of the word. John was in awe of the woman. He was filled with amazement at how she was able to achieve all that she had accomplished.

Note: Now, John gives several pointers to his readers so that they will be able to understand the imagery of the harlot. There are those that believe that John was writing in code to the seven churches because the contents of the Revelation, if found by the Romans, would possibly put the Christian churches in danger. The imagery was either very understandable to the seven churches, or it needed to be deciphered for their total understanding.

When I was a boy, I sent off for a “secret decipher ring” so that I could get the message from the television serial. At the end of the show, there would be a secret message that only those that had the “secret decipher ring” could understand. I remember how happy I was to get the ring and waited until the next show. My mom read me the list of letters that were to be translated. I was so happy until I deciphered the “secret” from that show. It read, “Don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine.” It was a commercial and not a secret message from Steve Canyon (1958-1960).

Conclusion

[1] Hays, J. Daniel; Duvall, J. Scott; Pate, C. Marvin (2017). Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times. Zondervan. [2] Hindson, Edward (2002). The Book of Revelation: Unlocking the Future. (p. 174) Chattanooga, TN. AMG Publishers [3] Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament(Vol. 2, p. 544). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. [4] Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software. [5] Barton, B. B. (2000). Revelation. (G. R. Osborne, Ed.) (p. 199). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. [6]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 612). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.