When I first sat down a little over a week ago to mentally map out how I wanted to proceed with the next two chapters of our study in the Book of Revelation, I came close to having a small panic attack. I considered the hundreds - no, thousands - of interpretations that have been made over the centuries which have, frankly, become more and more bizzare in modern times, and I thought to myself - how on earth am I going to make an accurate presentation of this important section of the Apocalypse? So I closed up my Bible, saying, 'No I can't do this', and went to bed pretty much determined to end this course there and then. I just felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task and of the critical need to be accurate.

The following morning I took my own advice, and instead of sifting through all the different interpretations that have been made (something I said, at the very beginning of this course, I wouldn't do) I reminded myself that the symbolism would almost certainly have been understood by the people to whom this revelation was originally addressed...the seven first century congregations (churches, assemblies) of Asia Minor that we learned all about in the second and third chapters. 'They would have known', I said to myself, and I remembered how this rule of thumb had served me well in all the previous 16 chapters we have thus far studied. I re-opened my Bible, re-read the text, and everything started becoming clearer.

With that said, Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah and welcome to Part LX (60) of our study of the Book of Revelation, and to two longish chapters (17-18) on Babylon the Great which we shall break down into at least four parts. Because I want to do this thoroughly, we may spend up to a couple of months looking at this topic, because reflections of the events in it are happening right now in this Penultimate Judgment so that by the time we have finished round about the end of December, you will be able to look at the last few years' of study and recognise the same symbolic types and be able to accurately lable them.

Today we're going to survey the whole of chapters 17 and 18 in outline and then, in the weeks that follow, divide these up into at least four segments and make an in-depth study. Since there's so much material in these next two chapters it's important that we maintain a clear overview, and rather than read this to you in the New King James Version (NKJV), which we normally do, I am going to use the more modern and readable New International Version (NIV) and then for the detailed studies we'll return to the NKJV.

Revelation 17

"1 One of the seven malakim (angels) who had the seven bowls came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.'

"3 Then the malak (angel) carried me away in the Ruach (Spirit) into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead:

MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

"6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones), the blood of those who bore testimony to Yah'shua (Jesus).

"When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. 7 Then the malak(angel) said to me: 'Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

9 "'This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

12 "'The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Master of masters (Lord of lords) and King of kings - and with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.'

15 "Then the malak (angel) said to me, 'The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For Elohim (God) has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until Elohim's (God's) words are fulfilled. 18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth'" (Rev.18:1-19:1, NIV).

"1 After this I saw another malak (angel) coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:

"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

"4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

"'Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and Elohim (God) has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.'

9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

"'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!'

11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more - 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendour have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:

"'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!'

"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

"'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) and apostles and nevi'im (prophets)! Elohim (God) has judged her for the way she treated you.''

"21 Then a mighty malak (angel) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: '

"With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of nevi'im (prophets) and of the qodeshim (saints. set-apart ones), and of all who have been killed on the earth'" (Rev.18:1-24, NIV).

So where exactly are we now on the prophetic timeline? These next two chapters are still part of the 'Great Woe' or 'Big Trouble'...but only just. This concerns the 'very end of the End', it occurs at the time of the gigantic worldwide earthquake of the seventh bowl or vial (see Rev.16:17-19). The Æon or Age is hastening to the end we have so much longed for, the final dénouement or unravelling of the Grand Plot with all its complicated twists and turns. The history of the world as we have known it for the many millennia is coming to an end. In spite of all the warnings, in spite of Yahweh's extraordinary patience and longsuffering and that of His qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) too, human beings still, in spite of all their deserved punishments and torments, adamantly refuse to repent; consumed with demonic rage, having finally forfeited their free will and become Calvinist-like fatalists, they would rather curse Yahweh and go to hell than be saved.

And so it is that the final part of the Book of Revelation is dominated by two female figures - one a filthy prostitute and the other a pure Bride, both of whom are personifications of the two groups of people who remain alive on the earth at this time. Each is symbolically represented by two cities, the one evil and filthy, the other qadosh (holy, set-apart) and pure. This part of the Book of Revelation, then, is literally (if I might borrow the title of one of Charles Dicken's famous books), A Tale of Two Cities - of Babylon and Jerusalem, respectively. Again, we're not talking about the two literal cities in modern-day Iraq and the Republic of Israel, respectively - the first one doesn't exist anymore (even though Saddam Hussein had started rebuilding it) and the second one is itself, symbolically, a 'Babylon', a den of inquity, which Paul compared to Hagar, the slave-woman, contrasting the earthly Jerusalem (which we are not a part of) with the heavenly New Jerusalem (which is the true home of Yahweh's people):

"...the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother" (Gal.4:24-27, NIV).

So this is not a 'thumbs up' to the zionists - we are not interested in the earthly Jerusalem more or less than any other metropolis in the world, other than to pray for their inhabitants and to gather the saved out of them to end-time Cities of Refuge. How many saved people will we find in these cities when all's said and done? Not many, as Jeremiah prophesied:

"'Return, faithless people,' declares Yahweh, 'for I am your Husband. I will choose you -- one from a town and two from a clan (also JB, Moffat, NEB, ISRV, RNAB; or 'tribal family' - Amp.V; 'one from here, two from there' - NLT) [1] -- and bring you to Zion" (Jer.3:14, NIV).

Can you think of a single city in the world today that, with hand-on-heart, you could honestly declare to be righteous or holy? The thing is, cities in the Bible are generally regarded as bad places. The first (and therefore significant) mention of cities is in connection with the genealogical line of Lamech and the manufacture of weapons for mass destruction. Aside from Jerusalem, Yahweh never commanded the building of any city. Cities have a tendency to concentrate people, and therefore sinners and sin. Generally speaking, sinners' first choice is not to spread out into the countryside. The first city-builder was the antichrist, tyrant and war-monger Nimrod. Cities do not foster community but rather anonymity; vice and crime are the result. There is more lust, prostitution, anger and violence in them than in rural communities.

The most wicked revolutionary movements of modern times were all birthed and festered in cities. Paris birthed the Paris Commune and an early short-lived form of communism; Petrograd (becoming Leningrad, and later reverting to St.Petersburg) and Moscow birthed the Soviet Bolshevik Revolution; and the Berlin of inter-war Weimar Germany birthed modern liberal moral decadence on a grand scale. London (specifically, the 'City of London') birthed global financial control and oppression, Washington DC global militarism, and Rome global false religion. And the list goes on and on. Modern Jerusalem is a combination of all these.

Cities (save one) are not part of Yahweh's design, with people packed close together like sardines; the one He has ordained will be ruled directly by the resurrected Christ but even then it will not be laid out like a modern city with millions crammed together in densely populated high-rise apartment blocks. Yahweh's Millennial design is that every man have his own plot of land and house:

"Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Every man will sit under his own vine
and under his own fig tree,
and no one will make them afraid,
for Yahweh Almighty has spoken" (Mic.4:3-4, NIV).

The two sins singled out in chapters 16 & 17 of the Book of Revelation are greed and pride and both are linked to the idolatry that comes from an inordinate fondness of money. Since, as Christ taught, it is impossible to worship both Elohim (God) and Mammon/Money (Lk.16:13), it's easy to forget the Creator of heaven and earth in a prosperous city. Self-made men worship their own creator...themselves. Arrogance shows in architecture often with buildings as monuments to human ambition and achievement.

And at the risk of offending those conservatives who worship the 'American Dream', Trump Tower, with its gold-plated toilets (to name but one of its many decadent features) in New York city, is a perfect example of what I mean. I have far greater respect for former Uruguayan President, José Mujica (2010-15), himself originally a farmer, who chose to live in a small house and run a small secondhand car - no big presidential palaces for him, truly a man of the people. Though he was a communist revolutionary (and as everyone knows, I loathe communism almost as much as I loathe corporate capitalism), he was a modest man who lived by his principles, as Christians/Messianics should. Modern millionnaire communists and Marxists, who remind me of so-called 'Christian' Prosperity Teachers (who, more often than not, are occultists, whether they know it or not) should take a page out of his book. This is a reason why I believe politicians should be paid a very moderate salary with no perks to discourage dishonourable men and rogues from seeking office.

So the orginal spiritual atmosphere of the Tower of Babel by the Euphrates River, sitting on the route between Asia, Africa and Europe, was very much like our modern 21st century cities. As pointed out, Babel or Babylon was founded by Nimrod, the mighty hunter of animals and war-momger, so that his city was founded on the spirit of the city-state, like our city-ruled nations today. Whether Washington DC, London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Beijing, Cairo, Jerusalem or Moscow, the spirit of our ruling cities or capitals is that 'might is right' and the Darwinist notion of the 'survival of the fittest'. That is the force that steers modern Babylon.

The story of Babel's tower is well known to you. It was intended as the tallest man-made structure in the world, as an impressive statement both to men and Elohim (God), like the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (currenly the tallest in the world), the original World Trade Center in New York, the Shanghai Tower in China, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, and many, many others! The expressed intention of its builders was to 'make a name for [them]selves' (Gen.11:4), an idea that lies at the very foundations of atheistic humanism, and man's attempt at self-deification. Evolutionists are today boasting that they are taking over human evolution (as they suppose) to make gods out of us...or at least of the ruling élites (the rest of us, in their feudalistic dream, will be little more than slaves). They are truly that vain - they are the 'new gods' and we are their new 'serfs'. We all know how Yahweh judged that arrogant presumption all those thousands of years ago in Babel by granting its inhabitants the 'gift of tongues' (I'm being facetious). The removal of Babel's common speech brought unintelligible bedlam, which is where we get the word 'babble' and the ancient Greek word batalogeo from. Note well that at the first Messianic Shavu'ot (Weeks) or 'Pentecost' this did not happen, for the same gift of supernaturally being able to communicate with people of different languages when needed for evangelism brought unity, not separation (Ac.2:44).

Babylon later became the capital of a large and powerful empire, especially under Nebuchadnezzar, a ruthless tyrant who destroyed babies, animals and even trees when conquering new territory (Hab.2:17; 3:17). In the meantime, King David of Israel had established Jerusalem, the old Canaanite city of Jebus, as his new capital. Notice the big differences between these two cities of Babylon and Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not in a strategic position for trade like Babylon, since it wasn't by the sea, a major river like the Euphrates, or on a main road. It was dedicated, not for trade and empire, but as the City of Elohim (God), a spiritual centre, the place where Yahweh put His Name and chose to live among His people - at first in the tent or tabernacle assembled by Moses in the wilderness and later in the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem.

Babylon would eventually become Jerusalem's greatest threat, with Nebuchadnezzar ultimately destroying the Holy City with its temple, transporting its riches and deporting its people into 70 years of harsh and bitter exile. Yahweh allowed this to happen because the inhabitants had made it an 'unholy' and spiritually filthy city like all the others in the surrounding nations. Jerusalem ceased being the City of Elohim (God) once it was hijacked by demons invited in by the people through their disobedience and sinning. You might even say it reverted to becoming a sort of Canaanite 'Jebus' all over again when sanctified Israel reverted to becoming unsanctified Jacob. Remember, Israel is a blessing and privilege obtained through overcoming, not an automatic right by birth. The same is true of Jerusalem. When either choose to rebel, they become Jacob and Jebus/Canaan (respectively) once again.

We know this is true because of Paul's testimony. Jerusalem, once the City of Sarah the freewoman, became the City of Hagar the bondwoman through rebellion and has remained so ever since. It is essentially the old Canaanite city of Jebus once again spiritually-speaking. Let me remind everyone, and especially those modern zionists who are so convinced that the Jerusalem of the 1948 'State of Israel' to this time is in some sense the restoration of biblical Zion and Jerusalem which are in some sense therefore 'holy'. They're not and those who take issue with this are contending against Scripture which reads:

"...it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the [New] Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother" (Gal.4:22-26, NIV).

Please understand this, and understand it well: modern Jerusalem has not been given another parole as it was when the exiles returned from Babylon. It's spiritual status - and therefore name - has therefore changed. In effect, it has become another Babylon, another Canaanite Jebus. How do we know that? By what goes on within its walls or municipal boundaries. In the Israeli Republic as a whole today (2023), there are an estimated 175,000 messianics of believers in Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). That's less than 1 per cent of the entire population in some 300 or so congregations. In Jerusalem itself, about 74 per cent are Jews, 18 per cent are Moslem, 2 per cent Christian and 1½ per cent Druze. Breaking down the Jewish population into different groups, we have 40 per cent who are secular and non-religious (Hiloni), 23 per cent are the traditional or cultural/nominal (Masorti), 10 per cent are religious (Dati), and 8 per cent are ultra-religious or ultra-orthodox (Haredi). And even if all Messianic Jews were truly born-again commandment-keepers, this would not make modern Jerusalem a 'Christian' or 'Messianic' city any more than Lot's family and clan, who were a tiny minority, made Sodom a holy city!

So when the southern Kingdom of Judah was sent into Exile in Babylon for 70 years this was a temporary chastisement rather than a permanent punishment and was totally different to the situation in AD 70. Through the nevi'im (prophets) Isaiah and Jeremiah, Yahweh promised both the restoration of Jerusalem and the eventual ruin of Babylon. Let's start with Isaiah:

"Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
the glory of the Babylonians' pride,
will be overthrown by Elohim (God)
like Sodom and Gomorrah.
She will never be inhabited
or lived in through all generations;
no Arab will pitch his tent there,
no shepherd will rest his flocks there.
But desert creatures will lie there,
jackals will fill her houses;
there the [screech] owls will dwell,
and there the wild goats will leap about.
Hyenas will howl in her strongholds,
jackals in her luxurious palaces.
Her time is at hand,
and her days will not be prolonged" (Is.13:19-22, NIV).

Recall also what the navi (prophet) Jeremiah said:

"Flee from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
It is time for Yahweh's vengeance;
He will pay her what she deserves.
Babylon was a gold cup in Yahweh's hand;
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.
Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.
'We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to his own land,
for her judgment reaches to the skies (heavens),
it rises as high as the clouds'" (Jer.51:6-9, NIV).

"'Come out of her, my people!
Run for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of Yahweh.
Do not lose heart or be afraid
when rumours are heard in the land;
one rumour comes this year, another the next,
rumours of violence in the land
and of ruler against ruler.
For the time will surely come
when I will punish the idols of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced
and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will shout for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north
destroyers will attack her,'
declares Yahweh" (Jer.51:45-48, NIV).

And sure enough, that evil city, after Alexander's death, eventually became a desolate heap of rubble, totally uninhabited, except by wild creatures of the desert, exactly as foretold. Well, it is no coincidence that there are profound similarities between the books of Daniel and Revelation. Both contain visions of the end times that are in remarkable agreement. Yet the revelations were given to Daniel during the time of Nebuchadnezzar (he had been a young man during the first of three deportations). Daniel had 'seen' the future course of world empires right up to the time of Christ and then beyond, to the very end of history, the reign of Antichrist, the Millennial rule, the resurrection of the dead and the Day of Judgment.

Both books talk about a city called 'Babylon' but - and this is an important question - are they talking about the same place? Well, those who think it will be rebuilt (let's call them 'Restorationists') have thus far been disappointed (they obviously don't believe in the prophecies). Their theory got a boost not that long ago when they learned the late President Saddam Hussein of Iraq was rebuilding it in the 1980's. What they didn't realise at first was that this dictator had no intention of restoring it as a living city inhabited by people...it was more a showcase for his own prestige than anything else. He had laser lights installed projecting his profile alongside Nebuchadnezzar's into the clouds to convince people he was some great and mighty one! But as we know, he ended up on the end of a hangman's noose and Iraq has been a shattered nation ever since the two American invasions in what came to be known as the 'Gulf Wars'. I would therefore not only say that that it is highly unlikely that ancient Babylon, even fully rebuilt, could ever become a strategic centre again, but I would remind you that the Bible tells us, as we've read, that it will never be rebuilt. So the 'Restorationists' are clearly in error.

Now the 'Preterist' school of interpretation applied 'Babylon' to the metropolis of Rome and I have to say that there are some good grounds for doing so but only if we understand this as a shadow of the final 'Babylon' to come. Readers from the First Century AD who, misunderstanding Christ's prophecy, were expecting Christ to return in their own generation, would almost certainly (and understandably) have identified the Roman imperial power as their chief oppressor. One of Peter's epistles, written for a very similar purpose, may already have made this coded link:

"She who is in 'Babylon', chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark" (1 Pet.5:13-14, NIV).

And finally, the reference to 'seven hills' in Revelation 17:9-10, would probably have clinched it for the Preterist school (since Rome has seven hills...but then so did Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul as does modern Lisbon, to name but two) were it not for the fact that in Revelation the 'hills' clearly represent kings. So we have to be careful, remembering as we must that Scripture can use the same symbol to mean different things, depending on the context. Thus the 'lion' can be symbol of either Christ (Rev.5:5) or Satan (1 Pet.5:8). If I could remind you what the Book of Revelation says:

"...The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction" (Rev.17:9-11, NIV).

Please notice the word "also" here which means that 'Babylon' is a double symbol having two different meanings, which is rather unusual in the same prophetic sentence, but it's there nonetheless. We'll dissect this further when we come to this segment next week.

Certainly Rome's decadent character (like the Weimar Republic's Berlin of the 1920's and early 30's) would also fit the description in Revelation provided one understands that it is not the city itself that is necessarily being referenced in the final tinmeline episode but its character. Rome's seductive attraction of goods and finance in return for favours rendered, and her dominion of petty kings, fits the picture well. Yet it is very doubtful if this is the total fulfilment. Rome was certainly a 'Babylon' but it was only a foreshadowing of the Babylon which dominates the end of history, which is where Revelation firmly places it.

To those who claim that this end-time Babylon is the United States of America I will only say this: the USA as a world power has really only been around since the end of the Second World War (1945), though some would argue the end of the First World War (1918) (though I don't agree with them as the USA was self-isolating until 1941 and stayed out of world affairs). The American 'Empire', if we can call it that, is therefore a little over 70 years only and those who follow world affrairs closely, as I do, are aware that this Empire - and latterly also its allies in NATO - is already in rapid decline, having been defeated in Vietnam, Afghanistan and (now, 2023) the Ukraine, and is being fast replaced by new powers in a multipolar world. Is it a Babylon, like Europe? Absolutely. But I think you'll see, by the time we're finished, that 'Babylon' cannot here primarily refer to the USA.

Since we're looking at various theories advanced by Bible students and scholars, let's consider one more, and that concerns the revival of the Roman Empire in Europe, something I've talked about before. Some Christians into prophecy got really excited when 10 nations (Rev.17:12) signed the Treaty of Rome on 25 March 1957 forming the European Economic Community (EEC) as the basis of a future superpower. Interest in this theory lost traction when more nations joined, of which there are now 27 in what is now called the European Union (EU), and those numbers are constantly changing, with even one country (the United Kingdom) leaving it in 2020 (see Brexit), so there are now too many 'horns'. The diehards of this theory then point out that the EU flag has the 12 stars of Revelation 12 on it which in reality was a concession to Roman Catholicism.

Certainly, like Mussolini who tried to recreate the Roman Empire by force, and Hitler whose goal was the creation of a United Europe led by Germany, there is a case to be made that the leaders of the European Union (and the powers behind them) have tried to restore the Roman Empire but through economic and political rather than military conquest. However, this cannot - as we shall see presently - be the sense in which 'Babylon' is being used in the Book of Revelation...at laast not its primary sense. There is no doubt in my mind that the EU was/is a kind of shadow of a revived Roman Empire which is now in rapid decline and could well soon break up (as Rome once did anciently) to become a rump 'Western' Roman Empire. The 'Eastern' Roman Empire, originally centred on Byzantium (or Constantinople, presently in Turkish hands) is today, beyond much doubt, based in Moscow. But this is a whole subject in itself that I have discoursed on at length elsewhere. Let's just say that religiously, politically and economically we are seeing a replay of the Old Roman Empire in a modern setting.

Now the reluctance by many to let go of literal Rome as the main candidate for end-time Babylon can also be seen in the 'Historicist' school of interpretation. Remember, the Historicists take the whole Book of Revelation as an overview of the whole of Christian history, with the Protestants and Adventists insisting the 'scarlet woman' is the Roman Catholic Papacy and Vatican because of their claims to political as well as religious power. This particular interpretation caused havoc and violence in the Northern Ireland troubles between Protestant Unionists and Catholic Republicans when I was younger in the late 20th century - indeed my own Regiment was stationed there. What happened? Well, Catholics 'returned the compliment', as it were, and simply reversed the rôles, accusing the Protestants of being the 'Whore of Babylon'.

But here's the main point - and please mark it well: there is NO hint in the Book of Revelation that 'Babylon' is in any way a religious centre. You heard the text yourself earlier. We're told explicity what 'Babylon' is, the emphasis being entirely on business and pleasure - those are the chief occupation of the 'inhabitants' of this symbolic 'city'. In other words, 'Babylon' here principally concerns commerce and entertainment with everything else being spin-offs of these.

Of all the exegetical (interpretive) schools the 'Futurists' are perhaps the closest to being correct here. They view the city as a new metropolis rising to dominate others during the end time. So why, then, is this 'Babylon' called a "MYSTERY"? What's mysterious about commerce and entertainment? The 'mystery' or 'secret revealed' (as some translations render it, as we'll see next week), I'd like to suggest to you, is that this end-time 'Babylon' is the fresh recreation of a man rather than the literal re-establishment of a former city, whether of Babylon itself or of Rome though these may manifest in a secondary or shadowy sense as, for example, the western EU (or 'West' as a whole) and eastern Russian parts - of Rome and Byzantium, respectively. More about that next time.

'Babylon' is clearly going to be (and is fast becoming even now) the exclusive centre of commerce, a place for getting and spending money. Notice the people who are principally affected by Babylon's downfall - the traders (Rev.18:11-16). Though finance and trade are the principle ingredients of this latter-day 'Babylon', it also embraces culture as witnessed by the reference to music (Rev.18:22). This is a unified economic and cultural system and you'd have to be blind not to be able to see this in operation in our own society today in the form of a conglomeration of corporate businesses which pretty much run everything, including the politics of the nations which all seem to act in concert when it comes to policy-making. Money today steers everything, as the end-time Book of Revelation 'Babylon' clearly does too.

The Book of Revelation tells us that this financial 'Babylon' will be both corrupt and corrupting, and be characterised by "materialism without morality, pleasure without purity, wealth without wisdom, and lust without love" as David Pawson so eloquently puts it [2]. And so the simile of the whore, harlot or prostitute is particularly appropriate, giving anyone what they want in exchange for money.

Alright, we have considered who the 'woman' most likely is, but what about the 'beast', 'animal' or 'monster' with 7 heads and 10 horns that she rides? There can be little doubt that these are a federation of political figures even though we're not told who they are and are given few details about them. They are powerful men but without territory to rule. Their authority comes directly, and exclusively, from the 'beast' whom we have already identified as the Anti-messiah or Antichrist to whom they will give absolute allegiance. They will be blatantly anti-Christian and will 'make war against the Lamb' and those who are 'with Him' (Rev.17:14), presumably because their consciences will be pricked.

The Beast's system or 'Babylon' is, however, doomed, no matter how much fabulous wealth and political power they hold. Both 'she' and they will fall. Their days will be numbered and already are. And the astonishing way in which this collapse of power is brought about is entirely credible in the modern world, and we're seeing a shadow and prelude to this in the current Penultimate Judgment (2014/16-2023).

Notice that the woman rides the beast. A queen is riding on the backs of kings, a reversal of gender contrary to creation. On the primary level (you may well be able to see many more levels which we don't have time to go into today) this is another way of saying that economics will rule politics, that the power of money will override other authority. Since by the turn of the millennium (2000) the bulk of the world's business was in the hands of 300 colossal corporations, this scenario is not at all difficult to imagine. Today (2023) corporate monetary power steers everything.

This isn't, moreover, something new. Kings and potentates have always been beholden, to some extent, to bankers and money-lenders to finance wars, construction and all the trappings of power, though they have never been more beholden as now. Ambitious politicians, hungry for power, resent this financial clout, and yet have no choice but to submit to it. They are even prepared to bring economic disaster on their own people if such will enable them to take over the reins of power. What happened in nazi Germany and is again happening today are good examples of this.

Now this is something I want the bankers and corporatist élites to pay close attention to, though I expect some of them already know this: the 'kings' will be jealous of the 'woman' who rides them and will resolve to destroy her. 'Babylon' will be razed by fire. It will be the biggest economic disaster the world will ever have seen. Many, many people will 'weep and mourn' over the ruins of this global commercial colossus.

And here is the irony: the devilish system will destroy itself. Yahweh will have caused the catastrophe but not by any physical action. He will use the fallen, carnal, fleshy, Adamic nature which sits on the throne of the hearts of both the corporate élites and those with political power, to accomplish His purpose by getting the politicians to turn on the financiers! (Rev.17:17) Their own corrupt hearts will do the rest. The corrupt and devilish system will consume itself and end it in the same way that all Empires have fallen, a classical example of which was the fall of the Roman Empire. It was destroyed from within by corruption, internal division and finally invasion by Germanic tribes. Read Gibbons' book, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire for more insights.

So it will be Yahweh, silenty working behind the scenes, encouraging the kings, presidents and prime ministers to make an alliance with the Beast against the 'City'. The Antichrist will have political control and the false prophet religious control; the 'kings' will then offer them economic control in return for delegated powers to themselves. But their enjoyment of such privileges will be extremely brief - 'an hour', we're told (Rev.17:12).

Indeed, so sure is 'Babylon's' downfall that it is pictured in the Book of Revelation as having already happened. So believers can be absolutely certain of this. So why is Yahweh telling us all this - and not just us, but everybody since the seven congregations in Asia Minor were first told nearly 2,000 years ago? Ah, now that's very interesting. Consider, if you will, the relation between Yahweh's people and this final 'Babylon'. 'We are given three important guidelines which you must pay close attention to if you are still determined to remain in the system and not gather out of it:

• 1. First, there will be many martyrs in the 'city'. The 'whore' is 'drunk with the blood of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones), the blood of those who bore testimony to Yah'shua (Jesus)'. This tells us the believers will be 'there' (not 'raptured' away), as we see throughout the Book of Revelation (Rev.1:9; 12:17; 14:12; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4). There is no place for holy, set-apart believers in a 'city' devoted to immorality because this satanic community does not want a conscience;

• 2. Second, the believers are told to 'come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues, for her sins are piled up to heaven, and Elohim (God) has remembered her crimes' (Rev.18:4-5). This is almost identical to Jeremiah's plea to the Judeans in ancient Babylon (Jer.51:6) who were, of course, not 'raptured'. Please note this, and note it well: THEY HAVE TO COME OUT - YAHWEH DOES NOT SUPERNATURALLY TAKE THEM OUT. They have to make a conscious decision to leave the system and do so using their own two feet, so clearly not all believers will be martyred; some will escape with their lives, though they may have to leave their money and possessions behind if they have not had the prophetic insight beforehand to leave in advance with their wealth and be joined with other believers going 'off-the-Babylonian-grid' and entering into Yahweh's system of communal living which we call the Holy Order. Alas, far too many Christians and Messianics, not wishing to sacrifice any of their creature comforts, will want to remain in the Babylonian system until the very last minute by which time it will almost certainly be far too late. (Do you remember how Israel wanted to 'go back' to Egypt because they msised their creature comforts?) And that is why we, here, have been calling for the last 30 or so years for the elect to gather for the Last Exodus. So the last thing you want to be doing is putting roots down in the Babylonian metropolis! And

• 3. Third, when Babylon falls, a celebration is commanded: 'Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) and shlichim (apostles) and nevi'im (prophets)! Elohim (God) has judged her for the way she treated you' (Rev.18:20). This is done in chapter 19, verses 1 to 5. Very few seem to realise that the famous 'Hallelujah' chorus in Händel's Messiah oratorio is a celebration of the collapse of the world economy, the closure of stock exchanges, the bankruptcy of banks (with no government bailouts) and the disruption of trade and commerce! Only the Remnant of Yahweh's people - who understand what's going on and have been obedient to 'get out' - will be singing 'HalleluYah' or 'Praise the Lord' on the day the whole rotten system falls apart! So when Christians and Messianics lament the prospect of economic collapse they show their complete ignorance of Yahweh's Plan and their unconscious allegiance to Babylon! They want Babylon's perks more than they want their own salvation and holiness. They want the 'system', or at least some form of it, because they are addicted to it. This is how, in part, the carnal believers and the Remnant-Elect will be 'separated out' because people will go to the place they want to be. This is how, in part, the the goats will be separated out from the sheep (Mt.25:32-33).

If your plans, hopes and dreams are located in the Babylonian metropolis - the world financial system - your ambitions are misplaced. The focus of Yahweh's people - His Remnant - will be first on the Kingdom (as Yah'shua/Jesus taught they should be) and in building the alternative society. But that takes courage and determination. You have to make a decision before enslavement and martyrdom become inevitable. This is the nitty-gritty, feet-on-the-ground part of the Message of the Book of Revelation so your question has to be: is my heart like Lot or like his wife's? For now there's still time to get out but I wouldn't gamble on it for too much longer. At the very least learn the lessons of this the Penultimate Judgment, then make some life-changing decisions and see if Yahweh doesn't start answering your prayers! Because if your heart is set on making Babylon your home, you're not going to hear Him because you'll be tuned to the wrong spiritual frequency. The whole urgent thrust of His calling is 'GET OUT!'

Chapters 17 and 18 end with the harlot disappearing and as she does the Bride appears! The 'wedding supper of the Lamb' is about to take place. Yah'shua (Jesus) is going to get 'married' allegorically - or rather, He's coming back the second time to get 'married' (Mt.25:1-3). Where will He get 'married'? The Bride has 'made herself ready', gathered out from Babylon in the 'wilderness', by acquiring a dress of pure white linen. That's where the 'wedding' happens, not in Babylon! What is this 'white dress'? We're told it's a symbol or picture of 'the righteous acts (works, deeds) of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones)' (Rev.19:8). The guest list is completed and 'blessed' are those who are on it.

And that's where we must end today before we stray off into Chapter 19! Now I think - I hope - you will agree that in making this overview we have raised some pretty important - if not potentially life-saving - questions, one of which has to be: what am I currently doing to get out of 'Babylon' and to 'gather' with the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones)? That's a very serious question. Have you even considered the importance of this question because preparing for this end-time scenario requires a lot of preparation, both spiritual and physical. You'll not be able to escape out of Babylon by the skin-of-your-teeth and expect to find a ready-made City of Refuge 'come out of the sky'. The inhabitants of the 12 Cities of Refuge have also got to build them and start learning the practical skills to do so. This takes time. I mentioned right at the beginning of this sermon that the Millennial Zion will essentially be an agrarian society. There aren't going to be many arm-chair believers stuck in front of computer screens. Theirs will be an active hands-on life. 'Babylon' has gone to considerable effort to get people away from the land and into cities to there become dependent on the 'system' to live. We all know how that has ended up. So the next stage is finding pioneers and in my experience those who have been coddled by 'Babylon' want 'others' to do all the hard physical work. This will, I hope, immediately tell you what the Remnant people will be like. Armchair believers will perish along with 'Babylon' when it goes under.

In the next four weeks (health permitting and Yah willing) we will go through chapters 17 and 18 in much more detail. This will leave us two to three months - until the spring - to finish the whole Book of Revelation course off. A lot will have started changing politically and economically by then. So until next Sabbath, Yahweh bless you and may you be guided in giving serious prayerful consideration as to what your part is, or might be, in the Last Exodus and the Final Gathering. In Yah'shua's (Jesus') Name. Amen.

Endnotes

[1] Many translations like the NKJV and ESV simply say 'family' which can give the wrong idea that the regular family unit is in view and not a larger family clan
[2] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (Collins, London: 2007), p.1308

Acknowledgements

[1] Tom Wright, Revelation for Everyone - The New Testament for Everyone Commentary Series, Vol.19 (SPCK, London: 2011)
[2] E.W.Bullinger*, Commentary on Revelation (Kregel Classics, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1984)
[3] David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary (JNT Publications, Clarksville, Maryland: 1992)
[4] ESV Study Bible (Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois: 2011)
[5] The NIV Study Bible (Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1995)
[6] Ed. J.R.Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (MacMillan, London: 1909)
[7] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (Collins, London: 2007)

*E.W.Bullinger was a brilliant Anglican clergyman and scholar whose works merit careful study by serious students of the Bible. He was, however, seriously in error in at least three main areas, namely, (1) he believed the 'Church' has been raptured before the Book of Revelation opens, (2) he believed that the 7 churches in Revelation 2-3 are 7, literal Jewish churches or assemblies yet to come, and (3) he believed in a pre-tribulation, pre-millennial rapture.

• 1. White horse - military aggression
• 2. Red horse - bloodshed
• 3. Black horse - famine
• 4. Pale Green/Blanched/Pallid/Sickly-looking horse - disease, epidemics

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• 5. Persecution & prayer
• 6. Tremour & terror

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  INTERLUDE I (Ch.7)
  (The 144,000 Redeemed)

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• 7. Silence in heaven, listening to prayers which are then answered in a final catastrophe: a severe earthquake I

• 1. Scorched earth
• 2. Polluted sea
• 3. Contaminated water
• 4. Reduced sunlight

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• 5. Insects and plague (for five months) (1st Woe)
• 6. Oriental invasion (200 million army) (2nd Woe)

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  INTERLUDE II (Ch.10-11)
  (The Malak with the Little Scroll)
  (The Two Witnesses)

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• 7. The Kingdom comes, the world is taken over by Yahweh & Yah'shua (Jesus) after a severe earthquake II (3rd Woe)

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  INTERLUDE III (Ch.13-14)
  (The First & Second Beasts)
  (The Lamb & the 144,000)
  (The Messages of the Three Malakim)

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