THE GREAT
CITY OF BABYLON
Key verse 17 :1
One out of every six verses in the third section of Apocalypse
(Chapter 4 to 22), this section predicts the future, talks about Babylon. This
fact thus highlights the great importance of this issue. Babylon is the famous
politico-religious system that the Anti-Christ will put in place when he comes
onto the scene. Ch 17 deals mostly with the political aspects of this system,
whereas Ch 18 deals with the economic and political implications that it will
have, even though these issues are all inter-related.
1) A presentation of Babylon’s system : Genesis describes this city as the door leading to the heaven’s. The kings of the Earth will give themselves over to acts of debauchery with Babylon. The author of this Book denounces the spiritual principle that Babylon seeks to keep. This principle is namely the ganging together of those holding the political and social power. To the Anti-Christ, this act of adultery will be translated into a universal Church service dedicated to the person of impiety. The Church of Christ is compared to a pure virgin who separates herself from the World an who prepares herself for the bridegroom’s arrival. In sharp contrast, the false religion of men is compared to a woman who has broken her committment to God to engage herself in spiriual adultery with the World going so far as to commit acts of prostitution. Therefore, in this biblical story, her guilty flirtation comprises the political rallying of the religious power (2). She is idolized and has been given power over the others (3b). She will try to become royal and she will try to be glorified by taking God’s place in the hearts of men. After having commiting all of these sins, the worst of these crimes : the mass consomption of the blood of Jesus’s disciples, will come about given that their existance is inadmissible before her eyes.
1) A presentation of Babylon’s system : Genesis describes this city as the door leading to the heaven’s. The kings of the Earth will give themselves over to acts of debauchery with Babylon. The author of this Book denounces the spiritual principle that Babylon seeks to keep. This principle is namely the ganging together of those holding the political and social power. To the Anti-Christ, this act of adultery will be translated into a universal Church service dedicated to the person of impiety. The Church of Christ is compared to a pure virgin who separates herself from the World an who prepares herself for the bridegroom’s arrival. In sharp contrast, the false religion of men is compared to a woman who has broken her committment to God to engage herself in spiriual adultery with the World going so far as to commit acts of prostitution. Therefore, in this biblical story, her guilty flirtation comprises the political rallying of the religious power (2). She is idolized and has been given power over the others (3b). She will try to become royal and she will try to be glorified by taking God’s place in the hearts of men. After having commiting all of these sins, the worst of these crimes : the mass consomption of the blood of Jesus’s disciples, will come about given that their existance is inadmissible before her eyes.
2) The mystery surrounding Babylon explained : This mystery
is double (7-8). It is a great mystery for the unbelievers, whereas for thoses
who beleve it reflects the real figure of Satan. The woman and the beast that
carries her (the Anti-Christ) are interdependent. The Antichrist needs a
religious system to sit down on and to support his authority. Babylon refers to
a political system divided into seven parts (9). It is like a confederation of
States that will commit itself to the biggest conflict in history and it will
be victorious for awhile (1H), up until the Lamb comes to vanquish and destroy
it.
3) Babylon’s power destroyed (16-18). Babylon
will be ruined by mankind (16). Similar to the time of the Great Reform, after
the gret euphoria of the scandalous union between the prostitute and the
Anti-Christ, the people will realise that they have been exploited by the big
prostitute and they will rebel against her. She will be forever judged by God
(17). The Word of the Lord will determine how long Babylon and the Anti-Christ
(Ch 19) will have on Earth.
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