Mystery Babylon: Chapter 10

Babylon the Great is Fallen, is Fallen

How is the faithful city become an harlot!" (Isaiah 1:21)

When we look at Revelation chapter eighteen we are immediately confronted with a great proclamation: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen," verse two. We pick up this same language in Revelation 14:8 "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

Apparently this is not a call for her immediate destruction, but it is a summons for her spiritual destruction. In Revelation 18:2, immediately after declaring that she is fallen, we read "and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Babylon the great is still very much in existence at this time, the only difference is that she has fallen wholly and corporately into spiritual decay and adultery. She has become a habitation for "unclean" (a biblical term for the unsaved) animals. How could this harlot be representative of the world (the entire kingdom of Satan) as a whole, and yet only now has the announcement come that she is fallen? Didn't the entire world FALL back in the days of the Garden of Eden? One might argue that the declaration of her fall is in association to the destruction of the world at the last day. This cannot be, as we have already explained, Babylon the Great is very much in existence after her fall, although in a state of spiritual decay and filthiness.

God is declaring that the church (woman) in the wilderness, now "Mystery Babylon" is now being called into spiritual judgment. She will no longer be allowed to possess or maintain any genuine attributes of Christ. She, as the worldwide corporate church, has fallen into irreversible judgment.

The Greek word 24*"fallen" ("pipto;" verb form) carries several meanings according to biblical context. It can be used in a literal manner as well as in a spiritual fall. For example:

"... I beheld Satan as lighting fall [pipto] from heaven." Luke (10:18)

"... every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth [pipto]." (Luke 11:17)

"After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen [pipto]..." (Acts 15:16)

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell [pipto], severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shall be cut off." (Romans 11:22)

"But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell [pipto] in the wilderness?" (Hebrews 3:17)

"... but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall [pipto] into condemnation," (James 5:12)

"... Babylon the great is fallen [pipto], is fallen [pipto], and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (Revelation 18:2)

As a result of her spiritual fall, Babylon the Great has become a habitation of devils. Revelation chapter eighteen is not teaching the physical destruction of the world. This Mystery Babylon is not being physically destroyed at her fall, but she has become (meaning to transcend into something else) a source of astonishment and amazement to those who knew her once faithful character. She has transcended into a spiritual harlot.

When we examine the seventh vial judgment (Rev. 16:17-21), which parallels the seventh trumpet judgment (Rev. 10:7), we discover that both have the literal destruction of the world in view. Surprisingly, the seventh vial judgment makes mention of this "great city," which we discovered was quite probably the corporate church of Jesus Christ ... ("And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth," Rev. 17:18). Remarkably, we see that as the world is destroyed, God distinguishes the corporate church (that great city) from the unsaved world. The corporate church, of which symbolically two thirds will be judged and one third saved (symbolical figures only; Zech. 13:8-9) is pictured as being destroyed right along with the world at Judgment Day, since the corporate church consists of all unsaved Christian "appearing" people. However, the corporate church is distinguished from the unsaved secular world as we read in Revelation 16:19 by the fact that God declares "the cities of the nations fell" in reference to the destruction of the world at Judgment Day. But, in the same verse and in addition to this, God also declares that at this same time "the GREAT CITY [corporate church; Babylon the Great] was divided into three parts" and "Great Babylon came into remembrance." Why doesn't God include this great city in the phrase "the cities of the nations fell"? Possibly because this great city is NOT a literal city of the world as are the "cities of the nations." It is Judgment Day! When God destroys the cities of the nations (along with this earth and this universe), He will also physically destroy and judge the corporate church, that imitation great city. But, because true believers are the rightful proprietors of this great city, God will not judge the Christians (the true Church) along with the great city. And so God says "...the great city was divided into three parts..." (Rev. 16:19). Why? Because God will not judge the true Church, therefore He separates or divides the great city. Recall that Christ said He would separate the wheat from the tares at Judgment Day? Thus God will save His true remnant out of this doomed earth. Zachariah spoke of this corporate church long ago as it symbolized "two parts," one consisting of two parts, and the second consisting of the "third part" or the true Church.

"And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left therein," (Zechariah 13:8). The third part shall forever remain with God because they are God's elect, both those who are alive at His return along with those who died in Christ during past centuries.

The corporate church (great city/two parts) has become a harlot and is judged spiritually during the great tribulation, and finally judged physically at the last day along with the rest of the unsaved world.

Back : Chapter 9 - The Woman Reigneth Over the Kings of the Earth

Next : Chapter 11 - The Merchants of the Earth

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