Babylon the GreatAn Introduction to Chapters 17-18

• “These are two of the most difficult chapters of Revelation to interpret and expositors vary widely in their understanding of this section of the book.” Hampton Keathley

• “Any interpretation of Revelation 17 and 18 is difficult because expositors have not agreed as to the detail of their interpretations. In general, however, it is helpful to consider chapter 17 as dealing with Babylon as an ecclesiastical or spiritual entity and chapter 18 as dealing with Babylon as a political entity.” John Walvoord

• Babylon is the result of apostasy against God’s plan of salvation, the first international, political and religious ecumenical movement in the history of man, and one which has never ceased to exist in one form or another. Jerusalem is the result of God’s call of a man and a nation to perpetuate His plan of salvation and nationalism for the world. Keathley

• Bab el‑

• Bab el‑

• Bab ili‑

• Bab el‑

• Bab ili‑

• Nimrod = “Let us revolt or rebel.”

• Genesis 10:6-10 The sons of Ham were Cush…(8) Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. (9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD." (10) The beginning of his kingdom was Babel…in the land of Shinar.

• Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

• Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.

• Genesis 11:4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."

• Genesis 14:1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar,

• Genesis 14:1-2 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar,

• Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

• “This was a product of God’s judgment against Israel for her continued disobedience as He had predicted through the prophets, but nevertheless, the first kingdom that man had started, Babylon, literally attacked and destroyed the kingdom of God on earth. From this point in history, there has not been a king from the line of David sitting on the throne of David in Jerusalem.” Keathley

• “When they were initiated they were given a cup containing a mysterious drink made of wine, honey, water and flour. This represented the doctrines of the cult, but these also made the parti cipant intoxicated and prepared for what the participant was about to see, hear and do. These rites involved consecrated male and female prostitution and the most sordid sexual immorality carried out in connection with its idolatrous worship. The fornication is both physical and spiritual (Rev. 17:2 5).” Keathley‑

• A priestly order that promoted worship of the mother & child cult.

• A priestly order that promoted worship of the mother & child cult.

• Practiced the sprinkling of holy water.

• A priestly order that promoted worship of the mother & child cult.

• Practiced the sprinkling of holy water.

• Established an order of virgins dedicated to religious prostitution.

• Ezekiel 8:14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

• Ezekiel 8:14 Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

• Jeremiah 7:18 "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me.

• Jeremiah 44:25 thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: 'As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, "We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!'

• Revelation 2:12-13 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: (13) 'I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is;

• Jeremiah 50:39-40 "Therefore the desert creatures will live there along with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it, And it will never again be inhabited Or dwelt in from generation to generation. (40) "As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors," declares the LORD, "No man will live there, Nor will any son of man reside in it.

• Isaiah 13:19-20 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (20) It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there.

• Jeremiah 51:24-26 "But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes," declares the LORD. (25) "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth," declares the LORD, "And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a burnt out mountain. (26) "They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD.

• Jeremiah 51:8a Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her!

• Jeremiah 51:8a Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her!

• Isaiah 13:1&6 The oracle concerning Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw… (6) Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

• Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.

• Isaiah 14:4-7 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, "How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased! (5) "The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers (6) Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution. (7) "The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy.

• “The historical situation concerning Babylon shows much of the prophecies mentioned above have not been fulfilled and must await a final and complete fulfillment. The prophecies regarding Babylon are an illustration of dual reference with a partial (near) fulfillment versus a complete (far) fulfillment.

• When the Medes and Persians conquered the city they came suddenly and gained immediate control, but they did not destroy the city. Instead Cyrus the Mede beautified the city in 540 B.C. Hundreds of years later many Jews still lived at Babylon and a Jewish Talmud actually originated from there. In the twelfth century A.D. Babylon had grown and several mosques had been erected.

• Later a city by the name of Hillah was built there and in 1900 it had a population of ten thousand. The land around Babylon is fertile today and dates are grown in abundance. Other cities around the area of Babylon were built from the ruins of ancient Babylon; in fact the city of Hillah was built entirely from the ruins of Babylon. Bricks with the word “Babylon” stamped on them have been found as far away as Bagdad.

• It is obvious from this historical information that the city was not destroyed suddenly nor completely. Instead, it continued to be inhabited after it was conquered and the land around her did not become des olate, but continued to be populated and fertile. This is a fact of history. Her ruins were used in building other cities and there was no disturbance in the sun or moon, nor did universal peace follow.” Keathley

• “The description of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18 declares it will be destroyed suddenly (“in one day her plagues will come” [vs. 8]; “for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste” [vs. 17]). The destruction will be complete and final, “it shall be found no more at all” (Jer. 51:63 64); “So will Babylon, the great city, ‑be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer” (Rev. 18:21).

• Babylon will be destroyed with fire from heaven as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Rev. 18:18; 16:17 21). Universal peace will follow the ‑destruction. Keathley