Commercial Babylon
"After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.' " (Revelation 18:1-3 - New American Standard)
Chapter seventeen of Revelation dealt with Religious Babylon. This represented the great united world religion that will exist during the first part of the Tribulation. This system will eventually be destroyed by supporters of the Anti-Christ and replaced by the worship of the Anti-Christ. Some commentators believe that chapter eighteen describes the same religious system.
However, most commentators take the position that chapter eighteen is dealing with commercial Babylon. This will be a city which reaches a position of world wide influence and power during the Tribulation. This will likely be the capital of the world government. Some believe that this city will be on the site of ancient Babylon in modern day Iraq. Others believe that it will be Rome. Rome is more likely but it could be any city selected by the Anti-Christ as his capital.
We are not told who this angel is. His description indicates that he is an angel of great authority and responsibility. There is much that we do not know about the positions and duties of angels.
This angel speaks in the past tense announcing the fall of Babylon. John freely mixes past, present and future tenses in this chapter. This should not be considered strange in prophetic writing.
Babylon was the capital city of the great Babylonian Empire. in the book of Daniel, it is the first of the five great Gentile powers. It represents the wicked immoral system of this world as opposed to the kingdom of God. In this chapter it represents the capital of the great world government of the Anti-Christ.
This city will be a place of much occult activity. Its ruler will be possessed by Satan. Demons will come and go constantly. It will be given over to witchcraft, astrology, drug addiction, immorality and corruption.
All nations will submit to the power of this city. The authority of the Anti-Christ will be world wide. All the world's rulers will visit this place and partake of her immoral pleasures. The large multi-national corporations will supply all for which this city lusts. Wealth will flow in from all the nations, and will be spent on luxuries. While the rest of mankind suffers under the terrible disasters of the Tribulation, this city will enjoy prosperity and unrestrained revelry.
Chapter seventeen of Revelation dealt with Religious Babylon. This represented the great united world religion that will exist during the first part of the Tribulation. This system will eventually be destroyed by supporters of the Anti-Christ and replaced by the worship of the Anti-Christ. Some commentators believe that chapter eighteen describes the same religious system.
However, most commentators take the position that chapter eighteen is dealing with commercial Babylon. This will be a city which reaches a position of world wide influence and power during the Tribulation. This will likely be the capital of the world government. Some believe that this city will be on the site of ancient Babylon in modern day Iraq. Others believe that it will be Rome. Rome is more likely but it could be any city selected by the Anti-Christ as his capital.
We are not told who this angel is. His description indicates that he is an angel of great authority and responsibility. There is much that we do not know about the positions and duties of angels.
This angel speaks in the past tense announcing the fall of Babylon. John freely mixes past, present and future tenses in this chapter. This should not be considered strange in prophetic writing.
Babylon was the capital city of the great Babylonian Empire. in the book of Daniel, it is the first of the five great Gentile powers. It represents the wicked immoral system of this world as opposed to the kingdom of God. In this chapter it represents the capital of the great world government of the Anti-Christ.
This city will be a place of much occult activity. Its ruler will be possessed by Satan. Demons will come and go constantly. It will be given over to witchcraft, astrology, drug addiction, immorality and corruption.
All nations will submit to the power of this city. The authority of the Anti-Christ will be world wide. All the world's rulers will visit this place and partake of her immoral pleasures. The large multi-national corporations will supply all for which this city lusts. Wealth will flow in from all the nations, and will be spent on luxuries. While the rest of mankind suffers under the terrible disasters of the Tribulation, this city will enjoy prosperity and unrestrained revelry.
posted by David Frank Wilson | 6:20 AM
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