Many think Babylon is America, or Rome, or perhaps Jerusalem. However, Babylon may not be a physical place, it could be a spiritual place or state of mind/behavior/attitude/belief/confusion/wickedness/evil/sin or perhaps Satan's earthly kingdom, etc. Contrasts can be found throughout the Bible, Good vs. Evil, God vs. Satan. Jesus uses comparisons extensively in His teachings such as the 10 Virgins, Prodigal Son, Rich Man Poor Man, Wheat and Tares etc and He also uses parables to show us things that others cannot see.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is mostly a spiritual book, John was taken in spirit and shown things in the spirit. John uses spiritual terms extensively in Revelation and often times he tells us what they mean. For example, sea means the masses (of people), a beast means a kingdom, candlestick means church, etc.
Paul tells us in Eph 6: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Paul clearly lived in the world but he also saw, lived in and fought in the spiritual realm. Many of us Christians only see the literal meaning and cannot see the spiritual meaning of many Biblical passages. This is especially true when it comes to prophesy which is largely spiritual. So, we miss out on the true meaning.
Babylon is a spiritual place. John calls it a "city", a "great city" to be exact. John also calls Jerusalem a "great city", see below. Note, it isn't the current Jerusalem that is called "great" it is the new Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:10 NKJV
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
Now here is the opposite, the evil "great city" which will be destroyed.
Revelation 18:10 NKJV
standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
So, we have two "great cities" one good (new Jerusalem), one bad (Babylon). So, John clearly is telling us of two great cities. He compares and contrasts them. Since Babylon is the evil city, can we assume that everywhere in Revelation where John is discussing an evil Great City, that he is referring to Babylon? How about here?
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Does the above fit Babylon? Does it make sense that the two witnesses of God would be killed by Babylon? It is called a great city and it is called "spiritual." So what is spiritually Sodom and Egypt? It isn't Jerusalem as many so-called experts declare. The Lord was crucified in literal Jerusalem but He was also killed in spiritual Babylon which is the same place the "two witnesses" will be killed.
We are told in Rev 18:4 to, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." Are we to leave a physical wicked city (like New York, Rome, Bangkok, or Las Vegas, etc) or are we to come out of sin, come out of the way of the world? There are many wicked cities in the world, is only one of them Babylon?
The key to understanding what Babylon represents is given above in Rev 11:8. It is spiritually Sodom and Egypt. We all know what Sodom represents and we all see the impact this spirit is having on our churches and faith today. What about Egypt? What did/ or does Egypt represent? How about riches, love of money, and excesses? Are these not idols? How many of us spend more time earning money so we can acquire possessions rather than working for the kingdom? Do we find spiritual Egypt defined by John? How about here?
9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' 11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is mostly a spiritual book, John was taken in spirit and shown things in the spirit. John uses spiritual terms extensively in Revelation and often times he tells us what they mean. For example, sea means the masses (of people), a beast means a kingdom, candlestick means church, etc.
Paul tells us in Eph 6: "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Paul clearly lived in the world but he also saw, lived in and fought in the spiritual realm. Many of us Christians only see the literal meaning and cannot see the spiritual meaning of many Biblical passages. This is especially true when it comes to prophesy which is largely spiritual. So, we miss out on the true meaning.
Babylon is a spiritual place. John calls it a "city", a "great city" to be exact. John also calls Jerusalem a "great city", see below. Note, it isn't the current Jerusalem that is called "great" it is the new Jerusalem.
Revelation 21:10 NKJV
And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.
Now here is the opposite, the evil "great city" which will be destroyed.
Revelation 18:10 NKJV
standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
So, we have two "great cities" one good (new Jerusalem), one bad (Babylon). So, John clearly is telling us of two great cities. He compares and contrasts them. Since Babylon is the evil city, can we assume that everywhere in Revelation where John is discussing an evil Great City, that he is referring to Babylon? How about here?
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Does the above fit Babylon? Does it make sense that the two witnesses of God would be killed by Babylon? It is called a great city and it is called "spiritual." So what is spiritually Sodom and Egypt? It isn't Jerusalem as many so-called experts declare. The Lord was crucified in literal Jerusalem but He was also killed in spiritual Babylon which is the same place the "two witnesses" will be killed.
We are told in Rev 18:4 to, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." Are we to leave a physical wicked city (like New York, Rome, Bangkok, or Las Vegas, etc) or are we to come out of sin, come out of the way of the world? There are many wicked cities in the world, is only one of them Babylon?
The key to understanding what Babylon represents is given above in Rev 11:8. It is spiritually Sodom and Egypt. We all know what Sodom represents and we all see the impact this spirit is having on our churches and faith today. What about Egypt? What did/ or does Egypt represent? How about riches, love of money, and excesses? Are these not idols? How many of us spend more time earning money so we can acquire possessions rather than working for the kingdom? Do we find spiritual Egypt defined by John? How about here?
9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' 11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
. That place wasn't even a city until 1870. As others point out, the Spirit of Babylon goes back for millennia.
