Monday, October 26, 2020

What is Babylon in the Book of Revelation?

  • 0:06–1:19: Who the beast symbolizes.
  • 1:20–3:22: What the seven heads symbolize.
  • 3:23–5:51: Characteristics of the seven kingdoms.
  • 5:52–7:17: When did these seven kingdoms exist.
  • 7:18–10:36: The 6th kingdom.
  • 10:37–14:55: The 3th, 4th, 5th, and 6th kingdom.
  • 14:56–15:48: 1st and 2nd kingdom.
  • 15:49–16:58: How these six kingdoms match the traits of the beast.
  • 16:59–19:00: Summary of the first six kingdoms.
  • 19:01–23:21: Background to the 7th and 8th kingdom.
  • 23:22–28:32: The 7th kingdom.
  • 28:33–34:43: The 8th kingdom.
Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Pet 5:13a: "She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings". In this verse, Peter greets the Christian churches in Asia Minor, the western parts of present-day Turkey (1 Pet 1:1), on behalf of
"She who is in Babylon". Most scholars agree that this "she" is most likely a local church, probably the Christian church in Rome. The reason is that it's unlikely that there was any church in the historic city of Babylon at that time. And it's very likely that Peter wrote 1 Pet from Rome. Peter's Jewish readers would also recognize "Babylon" as the traditional metaphor for those opposed to God's people. Rome was at that time the geographic and political source of that opposition. Peter may have protected the Christians in Rome by using Babylon as a code word for Rome.

Babylon in The Book of Revelation is called "The Whore of Babylon" or
"Babylon the Great". Her full title is "Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes
and of Earth's Abomination" (Rev 17:5). It represents the ultimate evil in this world. Babylon is used as a code word for Rome in 1 Pet 5:13a. But in this case it's about rebellion and is described primarily in Rev 17–18. See it explained at:
The seven heads symbolize seven satanic kingdoms (empires) ruled by seven leaders. Five of them have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when comes he must remain but a little while (Rev 17:9–10). The beast (Antichrist) who was and is not, is the 8th leader but belongs to the seven (Rev 17:11a). 
"Mountains" in the Bible often symbolize kingdoms (Rev 17:9, Isaiah 2:2, Dan 2:35, Jer 51:25). These satanic kingdoms and leaders have the following characteristics:
  • Persecute Israel (Rev 12:13).
  • Persecute the Jews and born again Christian believers (Rev 12:17).
  • Blaspheme God (Rev 13:1b, 17:3).
The first five kingdoms existed before John's time.
The 6th kingdom existed in John's time.
The 7th and 8th kingdoms exist after John's time.

The 6th kingdom that existed in John's time was the Roman empire.
Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Dan 2:1, 31–33, 36–40) gives the kingdoms 3 to 6 
(Dan 7:3–7, Rev 13:1a, 2a), see Visions and Dreams by Prophet Daniel. 

The 7th kingdom is Nazi Germany (some believe it's the British empire).
Nazi Germany remained only for a short time (1933–1945) (Rev 17:10b).

One interpretation is that the United States is a revived Roman empire
(the 6th kingdom), see time 8:35–13:15 in America's One World Empire in End Times Bible Prophecy. The United States is this 8th kingdom and will turn into a nationalist nation ruled by Antichrist as its president, see time 13:16–30:13 also in America's One World Empire in End Times Bible Prophecy, and time 18:21–45:29 in The Deadly Wound That Is Healed (Rev 13:3). See also these videos: 
Testimony that Donald Trump is this end time Antichrist, see these videos:
He rules the entire world during the second half of the 7-year Tribulation period, 
see time 11:02–12:08 in 12 crucial questions and answers in these last days. 

If so, "New Babylon" isn't Rome but a major city in America such as New York, 
see time 2:20–3:21 in 12 crucial questions and answers in these last days.

If Donald Trump is the end time Antichrist and wins the election on November -24,
one possibility is the following scenario:
  1. Trump will act like a Roman dictator (Julius Caesar) and will be president of the United States for life with unlimited power.
  2. Putin as Gog (see Gog from Magog) with his coalition of countries attacks Israel. The attack comes when Israel is at peace with its neighbors
    (Eze 38:8b, 11, 14) probably in the winter 2024–25.
  3. Since Putin loses this war, it opens up for Trump as the end time Antichrist.
  4. Trump will confirm a peace agreement (see Abraham Accords) by involving more of the countries around Israel. When the new peace agreement is signed between Israel and its neighbours, the 7-year Tribulation period begins.
  5. Trump will in the first 3.5 years of the Tribulation period make himself world ruler with the fighting forces he will have at his disposal. He won't hesitate to use these forces including nuclear weapons when necessary.
  6. After the 3.5 years of making himself world ruler, he will sit in the temple and proclaim himself as God (2 Thess 2:4).
  7. During the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation period (the Great Tribulation) he will persecute anyone he perceives to be disloyal to him (not having the mark).
    It includes Christians and Jews on a large scale.     He will act as Nero did.
  8. At the end of the Great tribulation he will attack Israel and Jerusalem, and then Jesus returns.

For detailed information on Antichrist, see Who is the End Time Antichrist? 
See also The Roman Catholic Church and the Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.

This gives the following list of the seven heads, that is, the seven (eight) kingdoms:
  1. Egypt, see Moses; Part 2: The Time as Slaves.
  2. Assyria, conquered the Kingdom of Israel.
  3. Babylon, conquered Assyria and the Kingdom of Juda.
  4. Medo-Persia, conquered Babylon, see also The Book of Esther.
  5. Greece (Alexander the Great), conquered Medo-Persia,
    see time 1:46–7:06 in Lecture: Intertestamental Period pt. 2.
  6. The Roman empire, destroyed the temple and Jerusalem 70 AD.
  7. Nazi Germany, see The Holocaust.
  8. The United States (a revived Roman empire).
This 8th kingdom (a revived Roman empire with "New Babylon" as its headquarters
for Antichrist) will rule during the 7-year Tribulation period and is the world power
of Antichrist (Rev 17:11a). The ten leaders will rule as kings together with Antichrist over the world for one hour (Rev 17:12). These ten leaders will hand over their power and authority to Antichrist (Rev 17:13). At the end of the Tribulation period, Antichrist with a federation of nations attacks Israel, but is defeated when
Jesus returns (Rev 7:14).

 After the Flood, Babylon and its tower were built to prevent the people from being scattered over the whole Earth (Gen (1 Mos) 11:1–9), even though God's will was for them to multiply and fill the Earth (Gen (1 Mos) 9:1), see The Tower of Babel.
This was the actual city of Babylon. The same sort of behaviour occurs in this
"New Babylon" as well. The people will do the opposite of God's will, and will even persecute Jews and true believers in Christ (Rev 17:6).

"New Babylon" (perhaps New York) is a place of materialism, sensuality, and opposition to God. It's the commercial capital of the end time. It will be the place from which Antichrist controls the world economy. The fall of the city causes the greatest sorrow to the merchants (Rev 18:15, 19).

Rev 17 also speaks of the prostitute (Rev 17:1b, 3–5). She is a symbol of false religion and the fallen church resulting in sexual immorality, something common
in spiritual unfaithfulness (Hosea 1:2, Jer 3:6, 8). This will be a sign for 
"New Babylon" during the 7-year Tribulation period. The False Prophet will be head
of the fallen church. There will be a huge persecution of born again Christians 
(Rev 17:6), see The Book of Peter. False religion will have dominion over people around the world (Rev 17:15). However, Antichrist will turn against all religion, including false religion (Rev 17:16–17), in the middle of the Tribulation period, 
and demands that all worship him alone (Rev 13:8).

"New Babylon" will be the last place God deals with and destroys, before Jesus' second coming (Rev 18:8, 10, 17–24, 19:2), see The Return of Jesus.

In all this, as Christians who trust in the Lord Jesus, we must not live in fear:
"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
(2 Tim 1:7). Our calling is to be strong and courageous and stand with our Lord 
Jesus Christ in the strength of the Lord, see Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

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