Understanding the Book of Revelation: Babylon is Fallen

                     Now we will delve into Chapter 18: the Fall of Babylon.

                In verse 1 the angel has great authority delegated to him by God, just as Satan gave beast great authority. The angel is going to announce the fall of the great city which is the city of the beast. The earth was illuminated by his splendor which comes from the glory of God when the angel was in God's presence in heaven. Just as Moses face shone with the glory of God after he had been in God's presence. The angel is similar in description to that in Ezekiel 43:1-2 in which the land was radiant with God's glory. The glory of the angel is appropriate to the greatness of his announcement and his authority to proclaim the word of God concerning the demise of Babylon. After her destruction she will be deserted, this is enlarged upon by the angel in 18:21-24. She is already inhabited by unclean spirits who provoke men into unclean acts. After man is no longer there the demons move around seeking rest (Luke 11:24).

                In verse 3 the angel gives the reasons for her destruction. She seduced the nations, kings and merchants to be unfaithful to God. The kings join in with her in her sins against God; they also share in her power and luxury. The merchants also get rich from her desire for greater and greater luxury. We see this now in the world: the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. What is condemned here is excessive luxury. The merchants will lament the loss of their profitable trade.

Verse 4 is clearly a warning to the saints. There are two meanings here: first to come out meaning to be separate from her in her sins and secondly to flee from her in order to avoid her judgment. Just as Lot fled Sodom before its destruction (Genesis  19:12 .); the Israelites fled Egypt; God's people fled Babylon (Jeremiah 51:45); and the early church fled Jerusalem to avoid persecution before her destruction; so God's people are told to leave Babylon before her destruction comes upon her. This is a personal command of God. This has an echo throughout scripture starting with Abraham who was told to leave his own country (Genesis 12:1). He was looking forward to a better country, a heavenly one, and God has prepared a city for him (Hebrews 11:8-16). This finds its fulfillment with the heavenly Jerusalem later in Revelation. It finds an echo in 2 Corinthians 6:16 in which God's people are called out, that is they are to be a holy people separate from the world and its sin. Note that the word church in the New Testament is ekklesia meaning an Assembly of God's called out ones. This should be read with the warnings to the churches at Pergamum and Thyatira in mind.

                In verse 6, we see that Babylon’s sins are piled up to Heaven, just as the tower of Babel was to be built to reach the Heavens. These people have not truly repented so therefore He remembers all of their sins. Double recompense, as seen in verse 6, was required according to Levitical law (Exodus 24:4, 7, 9). Here, it’s double for her double. She is just like the church in Laodicea. In Laodicea, they claimed they were rich and did not need anything. In verse 7, Rome claims to be queen and boast that they will not see sorrow. In verse 8 we are told that the judgment on Babylon will be sudden. In verse 7 she said that she will see no sorrow but on the day of judgment she will be filled with sorrow. She glorified herself but now she will see famine. She sat in luxury but now famine comes to her.

                The kings mourn their loss of power and luxury; the merchants and seamen mourn their loss of wealth through trading in the things of the world. Notice the merchants carry out their trade over the land while the seamen carry out their trade by the sea, thus covering the whole world. Jesus warns us that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. They are terrified because their security is gone; they know they are next because they committed adultery with her. They had committed adultery with her and were thus united to her in her fate. Their sorrow is worldly sorrow not godly sorrow which leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), their sorrow is totally self-centered. The merchants lose out on seven categories of trade:

-          ornaments

-          clothing

-          furniture/decorations

-          spices

-          food

-          transportation

-          employment

                The fruit they longed for are the things that are previously mentioned.

                In contrast to the mourning of the kings, merchants and sea captains those in heaven and God's people in heaven are called to rejoice over her because God has judged her for the way she treated the saints while they were on earth. God has paid them back for what they had done to his believers.

                Note the six fold repetition of never indicating the compete destruction of Babylon:

-          Babylon never to be found again.

-          The music of.... never to be heard in you again

-          no workman... will ever be found in you again.

-          The sound of the millstone will never be heard in you again

-          The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.

-          The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again

                The event in verse 21 is based on the scroll upon which Jeremiah had written all the disasters that would come upon Babylon, the staff officer Seraiah was to read it and tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates, and say “So Babylon will sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall” (Jeremiah 51:60-64).  This should also remind us that Jesus said:

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have

a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

-Matthew 18:6

                She persecuted the saints and got her just retribution. She is not just a persecutor but is responsible for the blood of all those killed on the earth. She is much more than just the apostate church. She represents that lust for power and wealth that causes nations to go to war for. She reigns over the kings of the earth and she is therefore, in her greed, responsible for all wars.

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Woman on the Beast

                When reading chapters 17 and 18 we need to keep in mind that John is talking about the city of Rome. A harlot, or prostitute, has no husband. God never had a true relationship with the city of Rome. Rome has a sinful relationship with the leaders of the earth so she can make a profit. Rome, at one point, had conquered many nations and geographically extended over a large area of the globe. Rome was very immoral. The emperors were forcing people to bow down to them and worship them. The emperor lived extravagantly as did most of Rome and huge quantities of luxurious items and slaves were imported into Rome, hence the mourning over her doom by the merchants and ship masters who had lost their trade. By then there was great immorality within Rome and this had spread to surrounding provinces, for example, Corinth. The letters to the Corinthians were written to correct many of the problems this involved. We find in Revelation the woman Jezebel is given as an example of this within the church at Thyatira. Rome also persecuted the saints which is mentioned in this chapter; remember that John was on Patmos for his faith. However there is a deeper meaning because John is using the general term Babylon and not specifically Rome so it does not just apply to those times but extends forward in time to cover all future ungodly empires of which the Roman is his current example, but reaching its climax with the empire of the Antichrist.

• In considering the identity of the woman the following points need to be considered:
• She is described as the prostitute who is to be contrasted with the bride (the church).
• Babylon the earthly city is to be contrasted to the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem.
• The great city is described figuratively as 'Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified' (11:8).
• She sits on many waters which are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
• She is to be distinguished from the beast upon whom she sits and who destroys her.
• She is the city of power, excessive luxury and great wealth.
• She persecuted the saints.
• She rules over the kings of the earth.
• She is associated with music, trade, farming, marriage, merchants and persecution.
• With her the kings of the earth commit adultery and the inhabitants are intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries
• In view of the emphasis of the book that only God is to be worshiped she should be viewed as the temptress who tempts men away from God.

In verse 2, the adultery committed is when the leaders and peoples of the world give in to their sinful lusts and desires. The beast that the woman rides on is scarlet, which is a deep red. The Antichrist and Satan will be one in appearance. Since the woman rides the beast, this indicates that Rome has a close relationship with the enemy. The Babylon is not only Rome, but those influenced by her and who followed her laws. Purple and scarlet were expensive cloths and would only be worn by the rich. Gold, precious stones, and pearls are also expensive and only the wealthy would have access to them. Rome was very rich due to its fornication, selfishness, and ungodly relationships. This also signifies that Rome is not built in a solid way like the New Jerusalem. With Rome, it’s all about outward display and ornamentation. 

The Golden Cup

                

                Then we see that she holds a golden cup. In verse 2 we found that 'the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries' now we see the gold cup in her hand from which the people drank which was 'filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries'. The woman has the allure of being attractive but her golden cup is full of filth, Jeremiah 51:7. The gold cup looks attractive from the outside and succeeds in enticing men away from God, who thereby become filthy. John is describing the spirit of the world and 'all that glitters'. He sees her as God sees her, as she really is. The world and its allure are described by John in 1 John 2:16 'For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world'. Some also point out that purple and scarlet is the ecclesiastical dress of the Roman Church, which on occasions also involves glittering jewel and of course the gold cup. The ecclesiastical side to the whore is also found in verse 6 where she is drunk with the blood of the saints. In her hand is a golden cup, another symbol of luxury and wealth, from which one would expect a pure and delightful drink. Although Babylon offers the cup to the world, in turn she becomes a golden cup in the hand of God to madden the nations (Jeremiah 51:7). She holds in her hand the cup of her own self-destruction as the consequences of her sins are turned back upon her.

Babylon 

                In verse 5 we see the title that this woman carries. The name 'Babylon' is the Greek form of the Hebrew Babel, which is derived from the Hebrew balal, 'to confuse', which produced the noun Balbel, which evolved so that the first l was assimilated into the second (Genesis 11:9). The Greeks typically added endings on names, so they changed it to Babylon. Babylon was built on the site of Babel; they wanted to build a city with a tower, Genesis 11:4, the tower represents man’s religion of self-effort. It also represents the union of politics and religion. Babylon means 'the city of confusion'. When the languages of people of Babel were confused all their wickedness was spread around the world so that all her religions and idolatry were also spread around the world. In being called mother it indicates that she has caused others to slip and fall and become ungodly.

                The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints because the saints didn’t approve of her fornication. The Romans held “games” at the Coliseum where saints would be tormented and killed, their blood staining the dirt. The saints are martyrs who lived a holy life for God unto death, separated and sanctified. The witnesses are those who are a living testimony of Jesus and faithful until death. 

The Beast

                The beast that the woman rides is the Antichrist. It was once because Caesar Nero was alive before John wrote this but is dead by the time Revelation is written. His spirit is about to come out of the abyss to reign in the slain and resuscitated body. He will perish and be sent to the lake of fire. If one has wisdom, we can know who the prostitute represents. Here, seven heads represents seven hills on which the woman sits. Rome was a city built on seven hills:

 

-          Esquiline: The Esquiline was the largest of the 7 hills of Rome. Its claim to fame comes from the Roman emperor Nero who built his domus aurea 'golden house' upon it. Before the Empire, the eastern end of the Esquiline was used for dumping refuse and the puticuli (burial pits) of the poor. Carcasses of criminals executed by the Esquiline gate were left to the birds. Burial was forbidden within the city proper, but the burial area of the Esquiline was outside the city walls. For health reasons, Augustus, the first Roman emperor, had the burial pits covered over with soil to create a park called the Horti Maecenatis 'Gardens of Maecenas'.The Colossus, Temple of Claudius, and Baths of Trajan were all located on the Esquiline.

-          Palatine: The Palatine hill was the central hill of Rome. It was about 25 acres and the residence of Augustus (and Tiberius, and Domitian), the Temple of Apollo and temples of Victory and the Great Mother are there.

-          Aventine: The Aventine Hill became the home of the plebeians. It was separated from the Palatine by the Circus Maximus. On the Aventine were temples to Diana, Ceres, and Libera. The Armilustrium was there, too. It was used to purify arms used in battle at the end of the military season. Another significant place on the Aventine was Asinius Pollio's library.

-          Capitoline: The Capitoline Hill has the least amount of area. When the Gauls attacked Rome, the Capitoline did not fall because of the geese who gave warning. The temple of Juno Moneta, possibly named moneta for the warning of the geese, is also on the Capitoline. This is where coins were minted, providing the etymology for the word "money". The assassins of Caesar locked themselves in the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter after the murder. Criminals were dropped from the hill onto the Tarpeian crags below.

-          Quirinal: The most northern of the seven hills, the Quirinal hill is where the second king of Rome, Numa, lived.

-          Viminal: A small, unimportant hill, with few monuments. Caracalla's temple of Serapis was on it. To the northeast of the Viminal were the thermae Diocletiani, Baths of Diocletian, whose ruins were re-used by churches (now the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Museo Nazionale Romano) after the baths became unusable when the Goths cut the aqueducts in A.D. 537.

-          Caelian: This is the most south-eastern hill. During the Republic, the Caelian was densely populated. After a fire in A.D. 27, the Caelian became home to Rome's wealthy.

               

                The seven kings are seven Caesars. Five have “fallen” indicates unnatural death. The first five were Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. The one who is was Nero and the one not yet to come who will only reign a short time is Galba. Galba only reigned for seven months. Nero will animate the eight king which is the Antichrist.

                Verse 12 tells us about ten kings who will rise up in power in the revived Roman Empire before the Great Tribulation. They will be one with the Antichrist in opposing God and persecuting His people. The war mentioned in verse 14 is the war at Armageddon. The ten kings and the Antichrist will leave the city of Rome poor, kill the citizens, and completely annihilate the city. It’s God’s will for this to happen. 

Understanding the Book of Revelation: The Antichrist and the False Prophet

The Beast Out of the Sea

                  In this segment I will be discussing Chapter 13, the Beast out of the Sea and the Beast out of the Earth. The beast out of the sea is the Antichrist. The sea is the Mediterranean Sea. When saying he will come out of the sea, it is telling us he will come from two sources: his spirit from the abyss and his body from one of the Gentile nations around the Mediterranean. The sea signifies Gentile nations (Revelation 17:15, Isaiah 57:20). The ten horns and seven heads are those of the dragon (Revelation 12:3); the beast is therefore one with the dragon. The ten horns are the ten coming kings (Daniel 7:24) and the seven heads are the seven Caesars (Revelation 17:10). The ten heads correspond to the ten toes in Daniel 2:42-4. The Roman Empire, Antichrist, and ten kings (represented by the ten crowns) are one with Satan. The seven Caesars, symbolized by the seven heads, claimed deity and ordered their people to worship them, which is a blasphemy against God.

 

                A leopard, characterized by swift and crucial movements, was the symbol of Alexander the Great, king of Greece. The bear, characterized by its destroying feet, was the symbol of the monarchy of Medo-Persia. The lion, characterized by its devouring mouth, was a symbol of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The Antichrist will have their characteristics. He’s the totality of all evil powers in human history. Giving his power, throne, and authority to the beast, he makes the beast one with him so he can resist God and persecute God’s people on earth. Verse 3 refers to one of the Caesars who will be resuscitated, causing the earth to marvel. He is one of the Caesars who was assassinated or murdered because it says his face was slain. During the last three and a half years he will terminate all Jewish worship and service to God (Daniel 9:27), persecute the saints, and destroy Jerusalem. The saints that he will make war with are the believers that remain on earth.

The Beast Out of the Earth

                13:11 brings our attention to the beast out of the earth. This other beast is the false prophet mentioned in Revelation 16:13, 19:20, and 20:10. Since the earth signifies Israel, the false prophet will most likely come from the Jews. By saying that he looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon this verse is indicating his falsity. He is the ultimate of all the false prophets that we were forewarned about. He helps persuade people to worship the beast from the sea.  He will be able to do what Elijah did in 1 Kings 18:36-38 by bringing fire out of the sky. People won’t be able to distinguish the truth from the lies. In his being able to give breath to the statue of the beast of the sea he is doing something that has never been done before in human history. Psalm 115:5 tells us that no idol made by human hands has ever been able to speak. 

              

Understanding the Book of Revelation: Who Are the Two Witnesses?

 The Temple Measured

                 Chapter 11 reveals the two witnesses to us and the seventh trumpet, which produces the seven bowls that we will see further in chapter 16. In verse 1 John is given a reed like a rod to measure the temple. This is most likely meant to preserve the temple during the time of supernatural calamities and physical danger or for the reformation of the temple, while in Ezekiel the measuring of the temple was for the rebuilding of it. The altar mentioned here is the incense altar because the altar of sacrifice is in the court outside of the temple. The court is on earth. The holy city is the earthly Jerusalem. At the end of this age the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews for one week (7 years) during the last week of the 70 weeks (490 years) God appointed the Jews in Daniel 9:24-27 to end sin. During the last three and a half years, or forty two months, he will break the covenant and end the worship of God (Daniel 9:27). He will blaspheme God and persecute His people. He’ll destroy Jerusalem. This will be the Great Tribulation. 

               

The Two Witnesses      

          1,260 days is three and a half years. The two witnesses here are Moses and Elijah. The reason they wear sackcloth is because it’s funeral clothes. It’s a warning to mankind not to worship the Antichrist so they can escape eternal damnation. In verses 5-6, the actions are the same as what Moses and Elijah did. Moses had turned water to blood and brought plagues among men. Elijah caused the rain to stop due to his great faith. By saying they have the power to do these things again tells us they won’t do it but it lets us know their identity. Malachi 4:5 predicted Elijah’s mission.

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and

dreadful day of the Lord comes.”

                The prophet Zechariah, in Zechariah 4, received a vision of two olive trees at either side of a golden light stand. 4:13 says they are the two anointed to serve the Lord. In Matthew 17:1-3 both Moses and Elijah appeared before the Lord on the mount of transfiguration. Moses represents the law and Elijah represents the prophets (Luke 16:16). Olive trees produce oil for the lamps (like mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13). Oil signifies the Holy Spirit. Lampstands produce light through use of the oil. During the church age the churches are the lampstands for God’s testimony. During the 42 months the witnesses are the source of the Holy Spirit and the testimony. The Antichrist will kill these two witnesses and their bodies lie in the city of Jerusalem. It’s spiritually called Sodom and Egypt because even after the 1948 restoration they’re as sinful as Sodom and as wordly as Egypt. The torment that they brought upon the earth was the testimony that they spoke because mankind didn’t want to accept it. The three and a half days is included in the 1,260 or else it would extend past the Great Tribulation. In standing back on their feet they have been resurrected. Jerusalem then suffers an earthquake.

                The earth is no longer ruled by Satan and God’s judgment will now occur on the dead. The Ark of the Covenant is the center of all God’s accomplishments. The earthquake that then occurs is the fourth quake predicted in Revelation. The first occurred at the sixth seal, the second was before the seven trumpets, the next was at the rapture of the two witnesses, and now there is one during the seventh bowl which is the most sever calamity of the seventh trumpet.