New Babylon...the Mother of harlots
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Revelation 17: 18, 18:24
that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.
your merchants were great men of earth
the nations n peoples of the world were deceived by your sorcery
in her was found the blood of prophets
n of saints
n of all who were slain
Babylon's hold on the world
is through military n economic power
n also through her occult practices
n immoral n sensual living styles.
But she practices freedom of choice
unlike the beast who rules by force n terror.
Her greatest influence is her seductive power of worldliness
n her strong belief in governing her own destiny
Through trading n business with her,
the merchants became wealthy n great men of influence on earth
using their wealth to exert power, prominence n influence.
revelation 18:9
the kings of the earth
who committed acts of immorality with her
n lived sensuously with her
weep over her destruction
her torment makes them fearful
"Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon!
in just one hour, your judgment has come.
the merchants also weep
because no one buys their cargoes any more.
the fruit u long for has gone..luxurious n splendid things,
n men will no longer find them.
"Woe, woe, the great city, the strong city
in just one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!"
every ship master, every passenger n sailor
also weep, when they saw the smoke burning
"What city is like the great city?"
"Woe, woe, the great city,
in which all who had ships at sea
became rich by her wealth,
for in one hour she has been laid waste!"
Babylon is a great n strong city.
center of world trades
all sea routes lead to Babylon the great
like all roads lead to ancient mighty Rome.
her merchandise range from wine n olive oil
n fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep
to gold,silver,precious stones n pearls,
n fine linen n purple n silk n scarlet,
n every kind of citron wood
n every article of ivory
n every article made from very costly wood
n from bronze, iron n marble,
n spices n incense n perfume
to horses n chariots (military weapons, military satellites, nuclear weapons, planes n submarines)
to slaves n human lives( great man power n intellect, high technologies)
With her destruction, the world is plunged
into food crisis
into financial crisis
For the big companies of the world,
Babylon is wealthy. Because of her destruction,
the world is plunged into economic crisis n depression,
from unemployment to bankruptcies to poverty
Revelation 1:8
in one day
her plagues will come
pestilence n mourning n famine
Babylon is a shadow of ancient Rome.
with her splendor n might n riches
n her sins of sorcery, idolatry, horoscope, occult practices.
n her homosexual, shameful, sinful and unnatural lifestyles
n wicked luxurious pleasure living.
revelation 18:7,23, 19:2
she glorified herself n lived luxuriously
For your merchants were the great men of the earth,
for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
the great harlot corrupting the earth with her immorality.
But the sin of new Babylon is greater
piling up to heaven.
Her sins..pride, self-glorification, self-gratification, self-sufficiency
Her fall impacts the whole world.
She is so strong, formidable n seemingly invincible that she boasts:
"I sit as a queen n I am not a widow,
n will never see mourning."
It's unimaginable that she could fall.
Babylon looks so invincible like the Titanic that can never sink,
"not even God can sink the ship."
n like the Roman Empire, it's impossible Babylon the great can fall.
Babylon's destruction will not be progressive.
the sinful city will be instantly destroyed.
It will be burned up with fire.
One thing is certain..it is instant n burning with great torment
n it's fearful even to see from a far distance.
Revelation 17:12,13,16-18
the ten horns are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet;
but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
They have one mind to give their power n strength unto the beast.
the ten horns n the beast shall hate the harlot n make her desolate n naked,
n will eat her flesh n will burn her up with fire.
for God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose
by having a common purpose
n by giving their kingdom to the beast,
until the Words of God be fulfilled.
Everything happens according to what God wants to happen.
even for the ten horns n the beast to burn up the great Babylon.
So it's the ten kings that destroyed Babylon so completely
according to what God puts into their hearts.
How did the ten horns do it? in just one hour, almost instantly?
maybe they hit her with missiles carrying nuclear bombs?
one thing is certain...
Babylon was totally burnt overnight;
that invincible, mighty, wealthy, self-sufficient, ultra-modern,
never-sleep, high-tech capital city of the world,
that sits upon many waters (peoples n multitudes n nations n tongues),
with her tall buildings n the hanging gardens (one of the wonders of the world),
plus her overhead bullet trains that run on magnetic current
n her futuristic cars that run without gasoline,
plus her high-tech microchips n wireless devices,
merchandise that the world craves for, n only she can produce…
all these r gone in one hour.
Revelation 18: 14
The fruit that your soul longed for gone from you,
n all things which r rich n splendid have also gone,
n you shall find them no more at all.
to the kings n nations n merchants of the world;
this is sad for money-making n for power n influence.
This is the first destruction of the great city Babylon the Great.
This is at the beginning of the rule of the beast.
After her destruction, the world economy goes into recession.
Then the beast n the 10 horns starts to rebuild Babylon city n to revive the economy,
but the city shall no longer see its golden years of luxury n splendor.
The hanging gardens can no longer be restored;
it can no longer be as "clothed in fine linen,purple n scarlet n adorned with gold n precious stones n pearls"
n lives so luxuriously n sensually as before.
The final destruction of Babylon is by God Himself at the end of Tribulation.
Revelation 18:21
a strong angel threw a great millstone into the sea,saying,
"Babylon will be thrown down with violence.."
This violence is from the greatest earthquake ever seen.
Revelation 16: 17-19
Then the seventh angel poured out his bowls. "It is done!"
There were noises n thunderings n lightnings;
n such a mighty n great earthquake.
the great city was divided into three parts
the cities of the nations fell And great Babylon was remembered before God
that is God remembers the sins of old Babylon
when she was the Mother of Harlots.
Babylon cannot be Rome
or the Roman Catholic Church.
Rome was a foreshadow
of the more wicked Babylon,
the great worldly city of idols,
a rebellious city, a materialistic society,
a wicked n self-pleasing city with no morals,
with occult practices, where many demon spirits rule;
spirits of pride n self-glorification,spirits of rebellion n independence,
spirits of greed n power,spirits of arrogance n anger,
spirits of sexual lusts,spirits of unnatural behaviors,
spirits of gambling, spirits of fun n pleasure,
spirits of lawlessness,spirits of madness n suicide
Revelation 18:2,3
She has become a dwelling place of demons
n a prison of every unclean spirit
n a prison of every unclean n hated bird
for all the nations have drunk of the wine
of the wrath of her fornication,
the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her
n the merchants of the earth have become rich
through the abundance of her luxury.
2 Timothy 3:14
in the last days
men will lovers of themselves
lovers of money
boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful,
unholy,traitors, headstrong,
haughty, lovers of pleasures."
Babylon the great is a great city,
the mother of harlots.
Harlotry in Ezekiel 16:30 symbolizes idolatry.
Worldliness n deception through occult practices is a killer of faith n souls.
Many God's people are deceived by her idolatry.
It's through deception that the devil
is able to steal, kill n destroy.
Great deception will come upon the world.
The world is drunk with lust for her.
She makes her victims drunk (Jeremiah 51:7)
The harlot's gold cup is
"full of abominations n of the unclean things of her immorality."
Revelation 14: 8
n another angel followed, saying,
"Babylons fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
after the harlot comes the beast
Revelation 14: 9
then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
"If anyone worships the beast n his image, n receives his mark
he shall also drink of the wine of God's wrath
he shall be tormented;n the smoke of the torment ascends forever
they shall have no rest.."
A call is made to God's people to disentangle from the world system.
The materialistic Babylon will exert an almost irresistible influence
on believers to participate in her sins.
[Without Babylon the harlot, there'll be no anti-Christ.
Without lust, there'll be no corruption.
Ephesians 4:22-24:
22:the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23:but be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24:put on the new man in you in righteousness n holiness
Until men's hearts are so corrupt with deceitful lusts,
so intoxicated with lust for the harlot n the unclean things of her immorality,
becoming lovers of pleasures, lovers of themselves,
becoming proud, headstrong n haughty,
becoming selfish, uncaring n wicked of heart
like the Israelite in the wilderness
Exodus 32:7: "have corrupted themselves" n lusted after the garlic n onions of Egypt
Exodus: 32:10: "that My wrath may burn hot against them"
until then, when the hearts of men are so corrupted n so drunk
n intoxicated with the pleasures n immorality of the harlot,
the anti-Christ will not appear.]
Revelation 18:4
"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not participate in her sins
and receive of her plagues;
for her sins have piled up as high as heaven."
What are God's people doing inside this sinful city without the mark of the beast?
The reason is the mark of the beast does not exist yet, or else how can they survive
in that headquarters city n do business there without the mark?
This is at the beginning of tribulation, when the beast is just coming up.
In the beginning, the harlot controls everybody, including the beast n the ten horns.
The great harlot sits on the beast. She also sits on many waters.
She rules over the kings of the earth.
For a short time, she also rules over the ten horns n the beast.
The kings commit sexual immorality with her.
All who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.
They all give their hearts n souls to her great charm.
They were intoxicated with her beauty n luxury n humanistic thinking.
They are their own gods, governing their own destinies.
They are so united as a body, n their unity gives them such power
to do what they want, even building the tower of Babel that reaches to the heavens.
The beast in the mean time needs her influence she has over the world.
The beast needs her high technology to make the microchip for his mark,
n also all the infrastructure n commercial networks of her influence.
So the beast supports her by allowing her to sit on him for a while.
The beast uses his power to lift her up.
So the beast n the harlot coexist for a while. But eventually,
Revelation 17: 16
"the beast n the ten horns.. will hate the harlot n will make her desolate n naked,
n will eat her flesh n will burn her up with fire."
But the beast, being brutal n cold without mercy, does not look so attractive to the people.
The beast rules by fear n intimidation, like Hitler with his weapons n soldiers n Gestapo police.
It will be at this point that the false prophet comes in to make the beast looks
more attractive to the people, by his great deception n signs n wonders
through the power of deception that Satan gives to him.
If Babylon is the great capital where all sea routes lead to,
you will find many Jews there doing business, managing big companies there.
Like what happened to Lot n his family n to Sodom n Gomorrah,
the voice from heaven is calling God's people to come out before her destruction.
The mercy of God endures forever, even when His people are living sinfully with the world.
Babylon...the capital without God powerful in economics n world tradesrich in technologies n wealth like the Titanic n Roman Empire, it' unsinkable; it's too mighty to fall.
But the future Babylon will not be the old Babylon city rebuilt, nor be Rome or the USA. It will be a city alright, the headquarters of Anti-Christ, using it to control the whole world, through military power, commerce, deception, controlling spirits, false religion and even through deceptive supernatural powers given by Satan through his false prophet.
it's unthinkable that it can fall
Be alert and be watchfulof the things that take place around you.
God alone knows what all our future would be like.
The world's hope and future r in His hands.
We don't know what tomorrow holds for us,
but everything that is happening now
are all signs of the future.
In today's world, it is hard to judge
right from wrong, black from white,
for the devil is making things look
as if it is complicated and so dark;
that's why the light of Christ must shine,
so that all human beings will see
the truth and walk in the light.People fight against each other
because they've different point of view,
but who is searching for peace?
who is fighting for peace?
We don't have to choose
or take sides in this world,
because the only thing
that we need to know and believe in
is Jesus Christ.
Nothing else matters,
because when we are so,
so very close to Jesus that
everything will be clear,
and we won't be puzzled anymore.
The world now is chaotic,
but in God's eyes,
it's crystal clear.
What others say...
"Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come." -Revelation18:3
The ancient city of Babylon began shortly after the Flood and is an expression of man's direct rebellion against God and His command to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth" (Gen. 9:1b). Thus, the kingdom of man began in Babylon as a direct act of rebellion against God. God intervenes and scatters rebellious mankind by confusing their languages and thus, the name of Babel was given to Nimrod's city because of God's judgment upon them (Gen. 11:1-9). Dr.Dyer explains: "Babel was humanity's first united attempt to short-circuit God's purpose. This first post-Flood city was designed expressly to thwart God's plan for humankind. The people wanted unity and power, and Babel was to be the seat of that power. Babylon, the city of man trying to rise to heaven,was built in direct opposition to God's plan."
Babylon was again at the forefront when God sent the Southern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) into the seventy-year captivity in the sixth century BC. It was at this time that God gave Daniel many of His prophetic visions. Babylon is the first of four great kingdoms to arise during the "times of the Gentiles" (Dan. 2 and 7).
Babylon will likely become the capital for the Antichrist during the coming seven-year tribulation.
Isaiah 13:19 says, "And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah." The context of Isaiah 13 is "the day of the Lord," the most common Old Testament term for our more widely know term of the tribulation. . Revelation 18:16, 19 echoes such a sudden destruction from the hand of God, "'Woe, woe, the great city, . . .for in one hour she has been laid waste!'"
Babylon is pictured in Revelation 17-18 as the source of ungodly religion, government,and economics. Virtually all unrighteous, end-time aspects of society are derived from a Babylonian source. The true character of Babylon is revealed to John in Revelation 17:5 as a mystery that is exposed as:
"BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"
As the mother of all false religion, Babylon is the source from which arises false Christianity in our own day and certainly during the tribulation. All the streams of apostate Christianity-Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, and Liberal Protestantism-will converge into ecclesiastical Babylon.
In Revelation 17, John describes a vision with two parts. The first part of the vision is a woman identified as Babylon. She is a city of extreme wealth that controls 'peoples, multitudes,nations and languages' (Revelation 17:5, 15).These will all continue their deceptive roles, but will experience God's judgment during and at the end of the tribulation.
most Bible interpreters have thought that Babylon was some kind of code word for some other entity, like the Roman Empire, Roman Catholicism, apostate Christianity, or even the United States.
Dr. Robert Thomas said, “this city will become the focal point for a religious system opposed to the truth of Christianity. The system will thrive for a time in gaining influence over the commercial and political entities of its time, until the beast and the ten kings determine that it no longer has a usefulness for their purposed. They will then dismantle it."
Gary DeMar, scoff at the prospects of a future rebuilt city of Babylon that plays a role in end-time prophecy. "Should we expect a reconstituted Babylon in the future based upon events described in the Book of Revelation,"asks DeMar? "Is Revelation's Babylon the same as the Babylon of the Old Testament? . . . Not at all."DeMar believes or see no correlation between current events and God's preparation for the coming tribulation period.