In this week’s study, I continue in Chapter 17, discussing the Mystery Babylon. Once again I go into a rant about the 2024 WEF spearheaded by Klaus Schwab.
A speaker at the World Economic Forum (WEF) conference in Davos, Switzerland recently called for “ecocide” laws that would punish crimes against nature in the same way genocide is prosecuted. Jojo Mehta, the co-founder and CEO of Stop Ecocide International, compared the side effects of farming, fishing, and energy production to mass murder and torture. Her organization is currently working with diplomats, politicians, corporations, NGOs, and academics to advocate for the recognition of such acts of “ecocide” as serious crimes.
I believe we can say with some confidence that the great harlot of Revelation 17 represents all forms of idolatry. This includes both the false beliefs themselves and the people who follow them. Ultimately then, the harlot represents all of the unbelievers of the world.
This idea that harlotry symbolizes the unbelieving world fits well with the observation above that a harlot is like a trap. Regarding unbelievers, Paul wrote in 2 Tim 2:25-26 “Yahweh may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
Of course, many other kingdoms have been linked with idolatry, but for the sake of describing this future kingdom, Revelation uses the specific idolatrous kingdom of Babylon. It then goes on to make 2 points about the harlot, in relation to her connection with Babylon
(1) She is called the “Mother of Harlots”
What could this mean? The imagery is that of one harlot who gave birth to other harlots. Keep in mind that harlotry represents idolatry. Also, giving birth symbolizes being the origin or source.
From this, we see that her connection with Babylon is in some sense an idolatry that became the source of other idolatries. In this case, Babylon must refer to some idolatrous kingdom in the distant past that gave birth to other forms of idolatry that have propagated since then.
(2) She is “drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses of Jesus”
What could this mean? Being “drunk with the blood” of people can only mean being responsible for their murders, and her two groups of victims are “saints” and “witnesses of Yahshua Messiah”. These two groups are also identified as the end-times martyrs (Rev 6:9, 11, Rev 12:7, Rev 14:12) during the great tribulation (Rev 12:11, 17, Rev 13:7), especially since we observe that this harlot and Babylon will be destroyed by Yahweh at the conclusion of the end times to avenge the saints (Rev 18:20, 24, Rev 19:2).
From this, we see that the harlot’s connection with Babylon is in some senseresponsible for the murder of saints up through the end times. In this case, Babylon must refer to idolatrous kingdoms that will cause the murders of saints and Christians,
We observe then that Revelation is using the Babylon metaphor to describe a kingdom with dual associations with idolatry, such that it refers both to the ancient past (as the source of idolatries) and also to the future (as murderers of end-times Christians).
These Two Babylons are discussed below:
Babylon #1 – The Mother of Harlots
Babylon #2 – The Murderer of Christians
Have any questions? Feel free to email me at keitner@netzero.net
