Grace Institute: General Epistles & Revelation: Revelation: Chapters 17-18

Revelation Survey of the New Testament: General Epistles & Revelation Winter 2007

The Fall of Babylon (17:1-18:24)

Chapters 17 and 18 are a parenthetical interlude. While the timeline of Revelation moves straight from the final bowl judgment into the return of Christ, before the advent is revealed, John sees two visions: a vision of a woman riding a beast (chapter 17) and a vision of an angel in heaven poetically describing the fall of Babylon (chapter 18).

Description of Babylon (17:1-18)

The Vision (17:1-6)

One of the angels pouring out a bowl judgment calls on John to come and see the judgment of the “great harlot.” This vision is an expansion of the seventh bowl judgment, the destruction of Babylon (16:17-21). So John is carried away in the Spirit out of the throne room of heaven into a desert wilderness. There he sees a scarlet beast with seven heads, ten horns and full of blasphemous names (17:3b). The number of horns and heads reveal this beast to be the antichrist of Revelation 13 and Daniel 7.

Riding this beast is a woman clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious jewels. These are symbols of wealth. In her hand is a gold cup which holds her abominations and her immorality. On her forehead is written a mysterious name: Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots, Mother of Abominations. John describes this woman as drunk on the blood of the saints.

The Interpretation (17:7-13)

John is perplexed by this vision. But the angel guiding John through this vision will explain the mystery of the woman and the beast (17:7).

The beast was, is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss. This probably refers to the fake resurrection of the antichrist (see Identification of the Beast , Chapter 13). This pseudo-resurrection will cause non-believers to wonder.

The beast's seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and also seven kings. Of the seven kings, 5 have fallen, 1 is currently reigning, and one is yet to come. There will also be an eighth king, who is actually a restoration of one of the first seven kings.

The beast's ten horns represent ten kings who will reign with the beast, but who will all give their power over to the beast.

While the angel has interpreted the beast for John, there is much conjecture as to the identification of the woman identified as Babylon and the beast on which she rides. Here are some of the more popular understandings:

• Babylon as the Actual City of Babylon – In Genesis 11, Babylon was the location where the entirety of humanity gathered to build a city in rebellion to God. Babylon was also an oppressor of God's people when taking Israel captive in 583 BC. This vision suggests a resurgent Babylon will arise from whence will come the beast. This was a popular viewpoint while Saddam Hussein was ruling Iraq because Hussein was in the process of rebuilding the ancient buildings of Babylon [1].
• Babylon as the City of Jerusalem – Jerusalem has already been shown to be a focal point of the events in Revelation (11:7). Jerusalem can be said to rest upon seven hills. The church was actively persecuted by the authorities in Jerusalem. The beast will try to set up his throne in the temple in Jerusalem.
• Babylon as America – Because America has defeated the lands of ancient Babylon, America has inherited the title. Only the United States currently has the military and economic might which can be said to “rule” over the rest of the world [2].
• Babylon as Rome – The Roman Empire is consistently presented in Revelation as oppressing authority which the church will overcome. The beast is described in Daniel as arising out of a kingdom readily identified by scholars as the Roman Empire. The city of Rome famously sits upon seven hills. Scholars have identified the seven kings as seven emperors ruling up to the time of the writing of Revelation (although different scholars use different emperors to fit this). The Roman Empire was, is not, but will come again in a resurgent empire which will astound people in its rise. Peter, in his first epistle, cryptically calls the city of Rome, Babylon, suggesting this was a well known pseudonym.
• Babylon as the Roman Catholic Church – Because the Catholic Church is headquartered in Rome, all the same arguments for Babylon as Rome apply to this interpretation. The Roman church, however, is considered to be the resurgent Roman Empire, with the Pope being identified as the beast. This was the viewpoint of the reformers and most Protestants up until the most recent century.
• Babylon as a General World System – Babylon is a symbolic picture of a coming one-world political and religious system united under the rule of the beast. This system has its roots throughout history as the pervasive system of evil which will ultimately be culminated in a centralized city and actual person. This viewpoint could be combined with any of the above viewpoints as well.

Of these, the city of Rome seems to be the most natural reading. But this resurgent Roman Empire will come in the spirit of those who built the tower of Babel and the ancient Babylonian Empire. The woman symbolizes this political authority which is ruled by the antichrist and his ten subject kings.

The Victory (17:14-18)

While the exact identification of Babylon is up for debate, her final destruction along with the beast is not. The beast will wage war with the lamb, but the lamb will be victorious, for while revealed as a lamb in the first advent, in the Second Advent Christ will be revealed as the Lord of lords and the King of kings.

The city is said to sit on many waters, which the angel identifies as the many nations of the earth. While the woman is useful to the beast for awhile, he and the ten kings hate the harlot and will ultimately destroy her as he leads her to war against the lamb. This, according to the angel, is all part of God's ultimate judgment plan for Babylon.

Destruction of Babylon (18:1-24)

Destruction Announced (18:1-9)

After the angel interprets the vision, another angel comes from heaven and cries out with a loud voice, “Fall, fallen is Babylon the Great!” This angel is announcing the coming destruction of Babylon, as she will be judged for her immorality. Those belonging to God are exhorted to come out of her (18:4) for she is about to be judged for her arrogance (18:7). The coming judgment will include pestilence, famine and an ultimate destruction of fire, all found in the seventh bowl judgment in chapter 16.

Destruction Lamented (18:10-20)

Those who have benefitted by the power and wealth of Babylon will lament her destruction.

First the kings of the earth who allied themselves with her will weep and lament for her destruction (18:9-10), saying:

Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come. (Revelation 18:10)

The merchants who benefitted from the economic prosperity of Babylon will weep and mourn, for without her prosperity there will be no one to buy their luxury goods (18:11-17a). They too will proclaim:

Woe, woe, the great city… for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste. (Revelation 18:16-17a)

Finally the merchant marine will weep and mourn at the destruction of Babylon, for they and their ships had become wealthy by trading with her. They complete the lament, saying:

Woe, woe, the great city… for in one hour she has been laid waste. (Revelation 18:19)

In all three woes, the emphasis is on how quickly her destruction came upon her. “In one hour” the city has been destroyed as the beast leads her towards her ruin by waging war against the lamb.

But one group does not lament her passing. The angel calls on all those in heaven, the saints, apostles and prophets, to rejoice at the destruction of Babylon (18:20).

Destruction Described (18:21-23a)

The destruction of Babylon is illustrated by another strong angel who throws a millstone into the sea. Babylon will be violently destroyed (18:21) and no longer will musicians, artists or entrepreneurs be heard any longer (18:22).

Cause of the Destruction (18:23b-24)

Babylon has been destroyed because of two factors:

• She deceived the nations by her sorcery (18:23b)
• She persecuted the saints (18:24)

Footnotes

1. “Babylon: Why the Confusion.” (Internet web site: http://www.zionministry.com/babylon.html , accessed March 20, 2007)
2. “America, the Babylon: America's Destiny Foretold in Biblical Prophecy.” (Internet web site: http://www.americathebabylon.com , accessed March 20, 2007).

[Next: The Revelation of Jesus Christ]