Babylon according to the Bible
Apart from Israel, Babylon is the most frequently mentioned name in the Bible. In every instance of this name, it refers to a city in the land of the Chaldeans ........ of the geographical area of Mesopotamia where the Euphrates river flows. The Bible leaves no doubt about which location it's referring. All the Old Testament prophecies leave no doubt, whatsoever, that it is referring to the location from where Nebuchadnezzar reigned. All the self-proclaimed prophets have interpreted the Bible to indicate that Babylon is Rome. The Bible, when it refers to Babylon, means the Babylon of old! The Bible uses symbolism. But whenever symbolism is used, the Bible clarifies it. It is not for private interpretation to determine the meaning. If it cannot be clarified in the Bible it is BULL! The responsibility of all true Christians is to believe the word of God......... the Bible! The Bible reveals all, and its from the Bible that we will get our understanding of all prophecy.
Babylon is described as a harlot woman in the prophecies. This Great Harlot is destined to come to great prominence in Babylon. Iraq today, is often referred to in the Bible as Babylon or the Babylonian Empire. The Bible is the final arbitrator not man. It's the Bible........the Word of God.........that reveals its secrets to God's servants. God has made provision to thoroughly identify this Great Harlot. Zech 5:5 "Then the angel that talked with me went forth and said unto me, "Lift up now thine eyes and see what is this that goeth forth. 6: And I said what is it? And he said "This is an ephah that goeth forth." He said moreover, this is their resemblance through all the earth.7: And behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. 8: And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. 9: Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. 10: Then said I to the angel that talked to me, Whither do these bear the ephah? 11: And he said unto me,To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and when it is prepared she shall be set there in her own place. ( Shinar look it up.....it's Iraq) The basket or ephah is a measuring device used by the ancients. This woman represented full measure. In short, "This is the full measure of the iniquity of the people throughout the whole land."
The lead cover was lifted briefly, and then pushed down again to cover its mouth. The word "mouth" is used, to indicate that this evil woman is to remain silent until "a house is built for it." And where is the house to be built for it? Is it the Vatican? No, it refers to another house that is to be built in "the land of Babylonia" or the land of Shinar - where the tower of Babel was built by Nimrod (Gen 11:2). When this house is built, the basket and the woman will be "set there in it's place".
hmmmmmmm..........even more about Babylon Rev 18:2 3, 10, 11, 16, 17- 21 2:And 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. 3: For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. 10: Standing afar off for the fear of her torment saying: Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgement come! And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore... 16: And saying Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones and pearls! (by the way this is how Kings were described) 17: For in one hour so great riches has come to nought! And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, the sailors, and as many who trade by sea, stood afar off. 18: And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning saying, What city is like unto this great city? 19:And they cast dust on their heads, and cried and weeping and wailing, saying , Alas, alas that great city, wherin were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate! 20: Rejoice over her, thou heaven and ye saints and apostles and prophets! For God hath avenged you on her. 21: And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Jeremiah also prophesied of the destruction of this city, and recorded this event: Jer 51:61 "He said to Seraiah, "When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see and shalt read all these words; Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but it shall be desolate forever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of Euphrates. (hmmmmmm I didn't know the Euphrates was by the Vatican???) And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. This scripture is speaking of a city called Babylon near the Euphrates river. It means the actual city that has been featured in so many prophecies throughout the Bible. In fact I would suggest reading all of chapter 50 and 51.
There is nothing in the scriptures that identify Rome or the Vatican with the city of Babylon! Every assumption made to this effect is made by human reasoning that is not in accordance with the Bible. Jeremiah prophesies, that like the stone thrown in the Euphrates river, Babylon will sink........ and it will rise no more! The old city of Babylon wasn't ever utterly destroyed....... and it certainly hasn't sunk like a stone! Did Babylon sink when Alexander the Great destroyed it. NO!!! the city continued to be inhabited. The Apostle Peter mentions that his wife, and his son Mark, were in Babylon at the time he wrote the epistle (1Pet 5:13).
Rev 17. It describes a woman sitting on a beast. This woman also sits on many waters 1: which are peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues 15: The beast she sits on, which is a separate entity, is described as: Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the Abyss and go into perdition. This beast that had once existed, did not at that time exist! So the beast that did not exist in the days of John is not the Roman Empire which did exist at that time! This woman, who sits on the beast with seven heads, is described as Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. Of the seven heads she sits on, the Bible has this to say: Rev 17:9 "This calls for a mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills (mountains) on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come." Of the seven kings or kingdoms, five had already fallen, and one still existed, at the time of John. But the beast did not! Only one of the heads of the beast she sat on existed at that time. The woman who sat on this beast did exist at that time, and had existed for a long time prior to this. This woman, Babylon, and all that it entails, is guilty of all deaths: (hmmmm wonder where that Garden of Eden was located?) Rev 18:24 "In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed (slain, slaughtered by violence) on earth."
This scripture alone, rules out the Roman Catholic Church as being the great harlot. The Roman Catholic Church did not come into existence for hundreds of years after John penned the book of Revelation. In the days of Christ, this woman was already active. It had already infiltrated the ranks of the seed of God. The basis of God's seed was concentrated in the tribe of Judah at that time. John makes mention of this: Rev 12:1 "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars . And she being with child (with God's seed) cried travailing in birth and pained to be delivered ." This is speaking about the tribe of Israel that had a crown of 12 stars on her head. This was the tribe of Judah, and more importantly, the seed of David from whom Christ was born. In AD 70, this same woman fled into the wilderness for exactly 1260 days or 31/2 years.
Habakkuk, Zechariah, Malachi, Joel, Amos, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel all Old Testament Prophets who spoke of endtime events.........
