MYSTIC BABYLON,
THE GREAT HARLOT
Isaiah 1:21
• “See how the faithful city
has become a harlot! She
once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell
in her-- but now murderers!”
Jeremiah
• 2:20 "For of old I have broken your yoke
and burst your bonds; And you said, 'I will
not transgress,' When on every high hill
and under every green tree You lay down,
playing the harlot”
• 3:1 "They say, 'If a man divorces his wife,
And she goes from him And becomes
another man's, May he return to her
again?' Would not that land be greatly
polluted? But you have played the harlot
with many lovers; Yet return to Me," says
the LORD.”
Jeremiah
• 3:8 "Then I saw that for all the
causes for which backsliding
Israel had committed adultery, I
had put her away and given her a
certificate of divorce; yet her
treacherous sister Judah did not
fear, but went and played the
harlot also.”
Rev 17:1
• ‘great whore’ – ‘harlot’
• Greek = porneis
• Morally speaking one of the
lowest class of people, also
associated with tax collectors
[publicans]
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• Q. 1) God’s final three-point
message of love and mercy is
being taken to the entire world in
our day, Revelation 14:6-12.
What is the second part of that
message?
–Revelation 14:8
–“BABYL0N is FALLEN.”
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• Q. 2) What is God’s command
regarding Babylon, and to
whom is it given?
–Revelation 18:3
–“Come OUT of her MY
people.”
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• 3) Some say that Babylon refers
to the literal Biblical city of
Babylon restored. What does the
Bible say regarding this?
–Isaiah 13:19-21
–“And Babylon…shall
never be INHABITED.”
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• 4) What reasons does God give
for telling His people to come out
of Babylon?
–Revelation 18: 2 - 5
–Babylon is become the
habitation of DEVILS
–Babylon is become the hold of
every foul SPIRIT
• All nations have drunk of her WINE
• Kings of earth have committed
FORNICATION with her
• That you be not PARTAKERS of her
SINS
• That you receive not her PLAGUES
• Her sins have reached unto HEAVEN
• God has remembered her
INIQUITIES
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• Q. 5) Under what symbolism
does God picture Babylon in
Revelation 17:1-5?
–A WHORE riding a BEAST
Symbol of spiritual Apostasy
• 6) What is “Babylon the great”
called in Revelation 17:5?
–“The mother of HARLOTS.”
A Universal Religious System
• 7) Let us review other evidence that
“Babylon” refers to the papacy.
–A. Beast she rides is same as that in
Rev. 13:1 – Papacy.
–B. She persecutes as did the beast of
Rev. 13.
–C. Rev 17:18 says she is the power of
Babylon that was ruling in John’s day
– Rome. Papal Rome assumed
Pagan Rome’s authority and power.
A Universal Religious System
• Q. 8) What is the source of the
name “Babylon”?
–Genesis 10:9,10: Genesis 11:5-9
–“Therefore is the NAME of it
called BABEL because the Lord
did there CONFOUND the
LANGUAGE of all the EARTH.”
BABYLON
Founded by Nimrod (Gen 10:10; 11:1-9)
Bab-ilu (Babylonian = ‘gate of gods’)
Hebrews derogatorily associated it with
Balal = ‘confuse’
Babylon is a symbol of EVIL
Jerusalem is a symbol of GOOD
Time of John = Imperial Rome – 1 Pet
5:13 [next slide]
• 1 Peter 5:13
•“The church that is at
Babylon, elected
together with you,
saluteth you…”
The word
“Babylon”
(from “Babel”)
means
confusion.
False Doctrine Intoxicates
• Q. 9) What is it that causes the
confusion of spiritual Babylon?
–Revelation 17:2,4; 18:3
–“The inhabitants of the
EARTH have been made
DRUNK with the WINE of her
fornication.” next slide
17:2
• ‘made drunk’
• A harlot LURES one astray. The
people turned away from God’s word
to commit adultery with Satan.
• ‘drunk’ = powers of reasoning
‘numbed’
– Therefore led astray (Matt 24:24,25)
– Next question ….
False Doctrine Intoxicates
• Q. 10) In Revelation 14:8, what
specific reason does God give
for punishing Babylon and
calling people out?
–“Because she MADE all nations
DRINK of the WINE of the wrath
of her FORNICATION.”
False Doctrine Intoxicates
• Q. 11) What are some of Babylon’s
teachings (wine) that are unscriptural and
thus bring confusion and make people
spiritually drunk?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A. Ten commandments not binding.
B. Sunday sacredness
C. Second chance
D. Secret rapture
E. Eternal torment
F. Immortality
G. Counterfeit baptism
Papacy- Past, Present and Future
• Q. 12) How does God
describe the beast in
Revelation 17:8?
–“The beast that WAS, and
is NOT and yet IS.”
Revelation 20:1-3
• Then I saw an angel coming down from
heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit
and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of
the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the
Devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years; and he cast him into the
bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a
seal on him, so that he should deceive the
nations no more till the thousand years were
finished. But after these things he must be
released for a little while.
Revelation 13:3
• “And I saw one of his heads
as it were wounded to
death; and his deadly
wound was healed: and all
the world wondered after
the beast.”
Papacy- Past, Present and Future
• Q. 13) A mountain in prophecy
represents a king or nation (see
Jeremiah 51:24-25). What nation or
powers are represented by the
seven mountains of Revelation 17: 911?
–“The seven HEADS are seven
mountains, on which the WOMAN
sits.”
7 heads = 7 mountains
• Rome = ‘city of 7 hills’ Jer 51:24,25
• On Rome the woman sits. Therefore
she has CONTROL.
• Verse three tells us she sits on the
BEAST
• Beast therefore supports her and she
controls the beast
Revelation 17:9-12
• FIVE ARE FALLEN
• Five what? Verse 10 tells us Kings.
• What about this idea?
– Augustus
– Tiberius
– Caligula
– Claudius
– Nero
FIVE FALLEN
Vespasian – One is
Titus – One to Come
Nero (reborn) – 8th
Try this!
• EGYPT
• PERSIA
ASSYRIA
GREECE
BABYLON
• ROME – one is..
• Division of Rome – one to come…
• Beast (?) - 8th
Or this…
FIVE FALLEN
One is = wounded
Christian Rome
• BABYLON
• PERSIA
One to come = Christian
• GREECE
Rome revived
• ROME (imperial)
• ROME (papal) 8th = beast,
when the 10 horns
support
Papacy- Past, Present and Future
• Q. 14) What do the ten horns
represent?
–Revelation 17:12
–“The ten HORNS are ten
KINGS.”
10 Horns
• 17:12,13
• 10 horns = Europe (Dan 2)
• In John’s day these 10 had not yet
come.
• No crowns – a time when monarchies
are out of fashion. Since 1914 over
200 royalties have abdicated.
Fallen Churches Refuse Reform
• Q. 15) “The power is gone,”
they say. What is the reason?
–Revelation 14:8
–“Babylon is FALLEN.”
Fallen Churches Refuse Reform
• Q. 16) Some feel we should try
to reform the churches that have
fallen. What does God say?
–Revelation 18:4
–“Come OUT of HER my
people that you receive NOT
of her PLAGUES.”
Fallen Churches Refuse Reform
• Q. 17) God calls Christian people who are
living in Babylon “my people”, Rev. 18:4.
Jesus refers to Christian people who are not
in His church as “other sheep”. What does
Jesus say will happen to His “other sheep”
that are not yet in His fold?
–John 10:16
–“Them also I must BRING, and they
shall HEAR my VOICE; and there
shall be ONE fold, and ONE
shepherd.”
GOD’S TRUE CHURCH TODAY
• Q. 18) In Noah’s day those who were to
be saved had to enter the ark. Believing
was not enough! In Jesus’ day those who
were to be saved had to enter Jesus’ fold.
After being called out of Babylon, what
must we enter today if we would be
saved?
–Acts 2:47
–“And the Lord ADDED to the CHURCH
daily such as SHOULD be SAVED.”
GOD’S TRUE CHURCH TODAY
• Q. 19) If I remain in Babylon,
how will God count me, and what
does He say will happen to me?
–Revelation 18:4
–I will partake of her SINS; and
receive of her PLAGUES.
In Noah’s day, only 8 eight entered the
ark which God provided to save them.
Today our ark of safety is the church.
Will you come into this ark of safety?
• Q. 20) What will your
decision be?
Lesson 21 – Quiz
• 1. ______________ is a symbol in
Revelation which means religious
CONFUSION.
• 2. ______________ represents
churches fallen from grace, not willing to
accept reformation.
• 3. Knowing that the fallen churches
(Babylon) have no desire to reform, God
calls His ______________ out of them.
Lesson 21 – Quiz continued
• 4. Revelation pictures Babylon in
symbolism as a woman riding on a
______________.
• 5. God is calling His people out of
Babylon into His true church of these
last days so they can overcome sin in
their lives, be protected from the
______________ and live with Him
forever.
Lesson 21 – Quiz
BABYLON
• 1. ______________
is a symbol in
Revelation which means religious
CONFUSION.
BABYLON
• 2. ______________
represents
churches fallen from grace, not willing to
accept reformation.
• 3. Knowing that the fallen churches
(Babylon) have no desire to reform, God
PEOPLE
calls His ______________
out of them.
Lesson 21 – Quiz continued
• 4. Revelation pictures Babylon in
symbolism as a woman riding on a
______________.
BEAST
• 5. God is calling His people out of
Babylon into His true church of these
last days so they can overcome sin in
their lives, be protected from the
______________
PLAGUES and live with Him
forever.