MYSTERY BABYLON
Revelation 17:3-5 tells us: So He carried me away in the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
We see that John is taken from the Isle of Patmos into the “Wilderness.” The Wilderness, as we saw earlier, was a place of temptation and testing for the Children of Israel. John saw another woman in the Wilderness. This woman was different from the one who brought forth the man child who was to rule and reign with a rod of iron. This woman was called “Mystery Babylon.”
Mystery Babylon represents the geopolitical religious, political, and economic systems of the world. There has been much written concerning Mystery Babylon and her “influence in world affairs. She is thought by some to be the Catholic Church. Others think she is the European Economic Community, the One World Church, or some other cult or religious organization. However, the scripture plainly tells us who she represents and gives us the interpretation of all the symbolism that surrounds her.
The word “Mystery” tells us that she is not actually Babylon, but a type of Babylon that has not yet been revealed. Mystery Babylon, however, does possess some of the same characteristics of ancient Babylon. Ancient Babylon was a type and shadow of Mystery Babylon. At the time John wrote the Book of Revelation Ancient Babylon had long since lost its prominence and influence in world affairs and had become nothing more than a bleak memory of the past. At the zenith of her power, Ancient Babylon was the center of world political, religious, economic and social systems as Egypt was during the time of the Pharaohs.
Revelation 17:17-18 says “And the woman which thou saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the Earth.” We can see that the woman is described as a city. We cannot say that the Mystery Babylon is Rome because Rome does not rule over the kings of the earth today. At the time John wrote the “Revelation,” Rome was the greatest and most powerful nation on earth, but she never has ruled over “all” the kings of the earth. Rome, like Egypt and Babylon, could be called a type and shadow of Mystery Babylon, but not the one John was writing about.
A city is more than just a conglomeration of people, edifices, and road systems assembled together in a certain geographic area. Cities are also made up of political, economic, religious, and cultural institutions, with rules and regulations that define its identity. As we will see later, Mystery Babylon like Ancient Babylon is an economic and multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-political System.
THE TOWER OF BABEL
To learn more about Mystery Babylon we must go back to the writings about Ancient Babylon in the Book of Genesis, and compare notes. In the Book of Genesis we can find types and shadows that will enlighten our understanding of many prophetic end time events.
Genesis 11:4-9 says “And they said, go to let us build a city whose tower may reach unto heaven; and let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. And the Lord said behold, and the people are one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be restrained from them to do. Go to, let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city, therefore the name of it is called Babel.”
The word “babel” means “confusion.” The word “Babylon” means “city of confusion.” According to the Book of Genesis all nations in the world spoke the same language at that time and became one in purpose and strength. They believed there was nothing that could prevent them from doing anything they wanted to do.
The tower they were constructing was their own effort to reach the “heavens” through their works. The tower was to be a temple of worship for them, but their worship did not include worship of the true God, but of the “works of their hands.” They were not interested in the God of Heaven, but in the idea “they” could make a name for themselves. The tower was a project that would give them the chance to reach their heavenly aspirations by their works.
In the Old Testament every place the word “confusion” is found it is dealing with perverse sexual sins. For instance, it says in Leviticus 18:23 “Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.” Relevant to spiritual matters this scripture can be compared to sins of idolatry or spiritual adultery.
The City of Babylon (confusion) was later built around the area where the Tower of Babel was being constructed where the Lord confused the language of the people. The city grew into a mighty nation later and was named Babylon. The City was named “Babylon” because it is the place where God “confused” the people by confusing” their language. The people could not continue to build the Tower of Babel because they could not understand what each other was saying.
The Bible tells us that God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. However, men without Christ are spiritually lost and “confused.” One night while I was praying in my den I saw what I thought were several demons running around me in a circle. I said to the Lord, “Lord what is that?” He spoke to me and said “That is a spirit of confusion.” This demon was running around me so fast it looked to me like several demons were running around me. Knowing I had not been confused about anything recently, I knew the Lord was trying to teach me something. The Lord also revealed to me that the Spirit of Confusion and the Spirit of Fear work together to carry out their “evil schemes.” The term “running around in circles” refers to confusion. I went into my office and started pulling my Bible reference books out of the bookcase, got my Bible, and started doing a study on the word “confusion.”
The story of Mystery Babylon began IN THE BEGINNING inside the Garden of Eden. That confusion is rooted and grounded in a system that has, since the fall of mankind, become self sufficient, self governed, and self motivated. The “mystery of confusion” will finally be made manifest during end time events that will expose Mystery Babylon and her adulterous, fornicating ways.
When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, Mystery Babylon took root and eventually blossomed into what the Bible calls the “kingdoms of this world.” The kingdoms of this world have a ruler over them called “the god of this world.” The Serpent beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden by “confusing” her mind as he questioned the validity of God’s Word.
The seeds Satan planted in Eve’s mind had some truth in them, however they were placed there to deceive and “confuse” her. The Bible says that after Adam sinned he became “afraid” so he hid himself from the presence of God. He was not only afraid, but he must have been thoroughly “confused” about what had transpired after eating of the “deadly fruit.” He had never experienced the emotions he was feeling after eating the “fruit” found on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
In the beginning Adam sinned causing fear and “confusion” to grip his heart. For the first time in his life Adam became “afraid” because he had disobeyed the commandment of God. Fear and confusion ruled Adam’s heart where “peace and safety” once dwelt. Adam had never experienced any of the emotions he was wrestling with in his heart after eating the forbidden fruit. Adam was experiencing something else he had never experienced before—guilt! Adam hid from the presence of God because great fear now ruled within his heart where the peace of God once reigned. Adam was completely “confused” by the “new emotions” he experienced after eating of the forbidden fruit. The Bible tells us that where envy and strife is there is “confusion” and every evil work. (James 3:16).
When Adam was confronted by God about his sin, he told God he was “ashamed” because he was naked. He did not know exactly what was going on in his mind or how to deal with all the negative emotions he was feeling. The right thing for Adam to have done would have been to repent and ask for God for forgiveness of his sin. Instead, he tried to blame his sin on his wife Eve. If Adam had felt any godly sorrow for his sin, he would have surly repented. The Bible says godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation. (2 Corinthians 7:10). Adam blamed Eve for his sin. Eve blamed the Serpent for her sin. Apparently Adam had taken on some of the same characteristics which had been planted in the heart of Eve by the Serpent.
Just as the Bride of Christ and the woman taken into the wilderness is referred to as a woman, Mystery Babylon is also referred to as a woman. The “mystery woman” is arrayed, or clothed, in purple and scarlet colors. She is draped with gold, pearls, and precious stones which refer to her wealth and her lust for materialism. Since Mystery Babylon is a harlot, her riches have been gained by prostituting her body (the world) and her soul has committed fornication against her God. She has a cup in her hand filled with the abominations and “filthiness of her fornication.” In other words, she drinks from the intoxicating, polluted, “confused” worldly systems established by the Serpent to sustain her abominable lusts and adulterous ways.
All the filthiness of sin that has and will be committed on earth from the beginning of time was established by the Serpent in Mystery Babylon. Mystery Babylon represents a system of confusion, fear and spiritual fornication established “in the beginning” by the author of confusion. Bitterness, envy, and strife were planted in the hearts of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Envy and strife began in Heaven when Lucifer rebelled and tried to usurp the authority of God. Lucifer was driven from the presence of God, and later became “envious” of the “new species” God had created on earth. Envy and strife became the “order of the day” for Adam and Eve when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Satan decided he would have this “new creation” as his own, so he planted the seeds of rebellion in the heart of Eve, and the rest is history.
The Serpent became the author of the fall of mankind and the father of every evil work the harlot would conceive. FOR WHERE ENVY AND STRIFE IS THERE IS “CONFUSION” AND EVERY EVIL WORK. (James 3:16). Mystery Babylon created by the seed of the Serpent is the MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. It is no wonder John wrote of her: She is drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Her architect, the Serpent, despises all that is holy and walks about the Earth as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The worldly systems he has established on Earth “drink the blood of the saints and martyrs of God” whom he despises.
In Old Testament days the Children of Israel were taken into captivity by their enemies, the Babylonians, because of their spiritual promiscuity, or “confusion.” Israel dwelt in the “land of confusion” for seventy years because of their rejection of the true God. After seventy years Nehemiah was sent back to Jerusalem to rebuild and restore the city unto its former glory. All these events were prophetic types and shadows written for our learning and admonition.
In a sense many in churches today still remain in Babylonian captivity. Although there are some Nehemiahs helping to restore and “rebuild” New Jerusalem for the glorious second coming of the Messiah, many Christians still remain in Babylonian captivity. The new temple has already been built in the New Jerusalem but the city itself has to be restored for the coming of the King. As we read earlier, the New Jerusalem is built upon the foundational doctrines of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
THE CITY
Mystery Babylon also represents an actual city and a nation. Babylon was a city which at one point in time ruled the known world. Every nation has a central system of government that is usually headquartered in the capitol city of that nation. Satan has to move his headquarters on Earth from time to time because cities and nations lose military, economic and political power which they use to control other cities and nations. Babylon, the city and the nation cannot be used by Satan because they do not exist anymore.
Today Babylon is just a tourist attraction in Iraq where a few small buildings have been rebuilt to resemble Ancient Babylon. It is similar to a small Disney World without the rides, the sides, and the large crowds.
The people who were building the Tower of Babel were also building a city around the tower. They would not only have their own religious system, they would also have their own government which would be run according to their own “religious ideologies.” That city later became known as the City of Babylon or “city of confusion,” because God came down and “confused” their language. According to John, Mystery Babylon is a city, that is “like unto that great city.” (Revelation 18:18). What city today would most fit the description of Ancient Babylon?
Rome at one time could have fit the description of Mystery Babylon, however today she cannot. The Romans did rule the known world at one time. At one time Rome was a multi-cultural, multi-racial, economic stronghold. Although called by different names, the Romans even worshiped many of the same gods the Ancient Babylonians worshipped. Rome is not the economic, cultural, military power it used to be. It is not even a nation anymore.
The European Economic Community which many people say will become the new Revised Roman Empire has been described as Mystery Babylon. However, the EEU is not Mystery Babylon. There is only one city and one country in the world today that fits the description of Mystery Babylon. That city is found in the United States of America. I will not go into all the proof I have, but I will give you sufficient information to compare her with Mystery Babylon, the city, the nation, and the government.
Mystery Babylon is a city where all the nations of the world come together as one, but much “confusion” is still found within her ranks. It is a city where all the governments of the world meet together to iron out their differences and try to become “united as one,” however confusion still remains and reigns within the city.