Tuesday: Mystery, Babylon the Great
Read Revelation 17:4-6. What do these verses teach us about the nature of this evil system?
As we have seen, Revelation 17:1-18 describes an apostate religious system that introduces into Christianity many of the teachings of Old Testament Babylon.
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“In order to search for an understanding of the nature of Babylon, we need to go back to its first reference in the biblical record, in Genesis. It all began on the plain of the land of Shinar, a region in the southern part of Mesopotamia, today south Iraq, called Babylonia. It is there that the Tower of Babel was built, a symbol of human self-sufficiency, self-preservation, and independence from God ([Gen.] 11:1-4).” — Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, “The Closing of the Cosmic Conflict: Role of the Three Angels’ Messages,” unpublished paper, p. 43.
The Tower of Babel, the site of ancient Babylon, was built in direct defiance to the Word of God. The Babel builders built this monument for their own glory, and God confused their languages. The Genesis account puts it this way, “Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9, NKJV).
So evil is this system that it is depicted as having been “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6, NKJV) — horrific images of just how corrupt Babylon is (see also Isaiah 49:26).
In essence, spiritual Babylon represents a religion based on human teachings, established on human ideas, and supported by human traditions. It is a form of human-made religion built by, perhaps, brilliant human religious leaders, but it stands in opposition to the power of the gospel and the church that Jesus built, a church built on love, not violence.
The book of Revelation describes these two systems of religion. The first reveals total trust in Jesus and dependence on His Word. The second reveals trust in human authority and dependence of human religious teachers. One is a Christ-centered faith with total dependence on Christ’s grace, sacrifice, and atonement for salvation. The other is a humanistic approach to faith that replaces the total dependence on Christ for salvation with a dependence on the traditions of the church.
| How can we protect ourselves from the subtle influences of Babylon, such as the tendency, easy as it is, to depend upon ourselves and not wholly upon God? |
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I have heard so many sermons and talks, both face-to-face and electronic, about Babylon that I sometimes wonder whether we are following Jesus or watching Babylon. Perhaps the ultimate irony was when I was watching a current affairs panel program where Christmas was mentioned. One of the participants made the observation that it was the season of the year when the Christians had a big fight with one another about it. They all laughed and thought it was a huge joke. It made me realise that sometimes we Christians give out the wrong message.
Babylon does not define us. We are followers of Christ, and that is what defines us.
The author of Hebrews says where our focus should be:
I totally agree! I am often reminded of the example of how banks train their employees to recognize counterfeit money. They only have them handle real/true money so much that when a counterfeit bill does come through, they instantly can tell the difference. We have to do the same. If we spend our time looking at all the conspiracies and all the things wrong with our church, we will soon become so confused that we won’t recognize the truth. John 17:17-19 says it perfectly. Gods Word has to be our focus.
We must recognize that we were lent everything we have! We take nothing from here to the world of the dead, but at the same time, we are given everything. We are given grace, the blood of a God who came to us and became human out of love! How much is anyone worth, then? Life in abundance is what is offered to us today. Let us choose love over man-created tradition, a love that never gives up on us.
I'll take a believer from any Judeo/Christian religion or even a non-Christian absolutist over someone who lives in today's secular world of relativism:
This describes the world in which we live. This is what we should fear and is, in my opinion, "The Image of the Beast". Man (Mankind) redefining truth to suit present-day mores and trends in such a way as to say, "I'm OK, so you're OK" with whatever you do and how you do it. Mankind, and what He decides is truth, replaces God and absolutes. This is a society on its way to destruction and chaos, with no absolutes and no discipline.
Hi, Jim. When you say,
I have no doubt that you are correct. However, to my mind, the definition you gave of relativism seems to have some truth in it. What we know, and even how we should apply the principles of God's law, are obviously affected by the characteristics of our society and the particulars of our history. It's the extreme that seems problematic.
It also seems to me that this problem is a societal consequence of the "fallen churches" having been teaching that God's law has been done away with, just so they can get around having to observe the 7th-day Sabbath. And this apostate religious system is not itself relativistic at all. It has its own dogmas, and Bible prophecy tells me that these "absolutes" will be ruthlessly enforced. Only a close connection with Jesus can get us through this. Joining popular Christianity in its "culture war" against secularism will do us no good, as I see it, though we must always stand up for what's right.
Have a blessed day!
Thank you for your comment. Strictly speaking about the term, “Relativism” as it is used, a noun, a foundational basis for formulating moral values, there is no other definition and absolutes, are completely unaffected by time, chance or societal trade winds. Absolutes are the 10 commandments and God the Creator/Savior/Sustainer of life and should not be confused with “Dogma”. The former are unchanging and the later sway to and fro with the winds of time.
True, Jim. And yet, even the application of the principles of the Ten Commandments depends on circumstances -- unless we wish to limit them to their literal application as a mere set of rules, contrary to the Sermon on the Mount.
An example of this might be the application of the principles of the 7th commandment. Whether a divorce and remarriage is justified, or constitutes a sin, depends very much on the particulars of the case. Jesus specified that only physical violation of the marriage vow can justify the abandonment of a marriage, with divorce and remarriage following. But He didn't lay out any hard and fast rules for cases where (for instance) one is forced to leave a spouse for his or her own safety, or for the safety of one's children, or where one has been wrongfully abandoned by the other party, who does not relent over a substantial period of time. These cases require judgment, and an examination of all the facts. There is no absolute rule, as I see it.
Babylon is a false system of worship. When we try to “earn” our way to heaven by doing good, or being good, that is also a false system of worship. That is relying on our own merits, rather than the blood of Jesus. As Maurice shared, we have to constantly “look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” not unto man or ourselves or systems of worship. Jesus is the only door to salvation.
Babylon is apostate Christianity. Revelation 17 is looking at a changed woman of Revelation 12. The two women are the same, but for a change in character. The dragon is eventually able to seduce the woman as is evident with his turning of his attention and energies toward the remnant. When remnant is mentioned in the OT, it is associated with apostasy.
The nature of this system is pure evil expressing itself, its tentacles infiltrating and compromising all aspects of human life. It is a ‘religious worldview’ not promoted by humans, but through the spirit of the antichrist using them for his battle to destroy human kind.
Can anyone imagine something so beautifully arraigned, so attractive to look at, covering up something so filthy and depraved as this ‘woman/system’ – the “mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth”? She is the mother of harlots, attracting those who seek wealth and power to be their guiding light through her multitude of offspring. No wonder that all the world goes after her, wanting to share in her ‘riches’!
I am convinced that one cannot compromise with this evil, physically manifested but spiritual system, even a little bit. The price the ‘kings’ of the earth and the inhabitants pay for their affiliation with this system is stunning, but not at all surprising.
This system’s attractiveness is a tremendous lure, entrapping anyone in its deceptive net, if it were possible even the elect. It receives its powers from those ‘ascending out of the bottomless pit’. Anyone caught in this great deception will believe wholeheartedly that they are the ones chosen to ‘save the earth’ from destruction by eliminating anyone who opposes them.
Rev. 17:16-18 are verses difficult for me to understand. They speak of the ‘harlot’ which, in the end, is being hated and ‘made desolate’ by the 10 horns who ‘received authority for one hour as kings to give it to the beast for making war with the Lamb and those with Him – Rev. 17:12-14. Maybe someone can help me understand this passage.
Rev. 17:17-18 has also caught my attention. It speaks of ‘God having put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, for the 10 horns to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.’ Can someone help me understand what is meant by ‘that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth’?
"In essence, spiritual Babylon represents a religion based on human teachings, established on human ideas, and supported by human traditions."
The Adventist Church does not have an "official" teaching as to what the Mark of the Beast is (according to the website).
If, as we have been taught, it is the Saturday/Sunday issue, then the mark comes FROM the beast. But that makes the Catholic Church the "Beast" and, as suggested, Babylon the Great.
However, Babylon the Great is stated to be destroyed BY the "Beast" and having prostituted itself out TO the Beast.
Revelation 18 is also clear that this whore has been around a LOT longer than the Catholic Church by pointing out she is responsible for the blood of not only the Prophets and the Holy Ones, but of ALL who have been slaughtered on the earth. That would take us back to Able.
Agreed that it is "human teaching" and not God's, as found in Scripture. That, too, takes us back to Eden and Adam's choice to follow his own ability to chose right and wrong.
Think "Big"! Babylon the Great is SO MUCH MORE than any "Christian" denomination as she's been around so much longer - and there are MANY more belief systems than "Christian"