BABYLON IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN
Second Angel’s Message
Revelation 14:8 - “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
The second angel’s message in Revelation 14:8 reveals false worship that is connected to Satan’s false church system. A very urgent message about the fall of Babylon is given. Who is Babylon? Revelation 14:6-11 is a prophetic message that is within the context of the last days. Babylon is not referring to the literal Babylon whose empire fell to the Medo-Persian kingdom in 539 BC as prophesied in Daniel chapter 2 and fulfilled in Daniel chapter 5. After the literal ancient Babylonian kingdom fell it never regained its prominence. Matter of fact, ancient Babylon is a heap of ruins with archaeological evidence of its past. So Revelation 14:8 is referring to Babylon symbolically. The symbol of Babylon is referred to as a woman, “she” as noted in verse 8. In general a woman in Bible prophecy represents either a pure true church of God or an apostate corrupt false church in which Satan stealthily controls. Jesus compares His true church, His woman, to a holy, pure, undefiled, and faithful marriage. 2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused [married] you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste [pure] virgin to Christ.” An apostate and corrupt church is one who has been “sleeping” around, unfaithful to Christ by compromising with sin and worldliness, but still claims to be the “true” church of God. The Bible reveals that sin and worldliness separates us from holiness and righteousness. 1 John 2:15, 16 says, 15“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” When professed people of Christ “fool” around with the world they literally give God a legal separation. James 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity [hatred] with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” A spiritual adulteress is a perfect description of Babylon.
In Revelation 17:4-6, it says, 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: 5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus...” Not only is this Babylonian woman a “filthy” spiritual adulteress, full of abominations, but she is also a murderer of those who are faithful to the truth of Jesus and a part of God’s true church. The Babylonian woman hates God’s true church with great passion. The name of this woman also reveals the real character of Babylon. Babylon is mysterious and secretive. The name “Babylon the Great” reveals that the corrupt woman spoken of in Revelation chapter 17 is the main leader of Babylon. She is the "Mother of Harlots," implying that she has daughters duplicating herself to spread her abominations and adulteress ways worldwide!
The meaning of the name Babylon is “confusion.” This describes the state of mind that all ministers, leaders, and people have who drink the Babylonian “wine of the wrath of her fornication” as revealed in Revelation 14:8. The Babylonian wine is the “adulteress” character and false doctrines of Babylon. Like real alcoholic wine, one sip of Babylonian wine will compromise your spiritual thinking. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived there