BABYLON IS FALLEN
The Church of God in its current and final era, has largely adopted the "Futurist" method of interpreting prophecy. Any prophecies not understood, of which there are many, are assigned a place in the future, the realm of the "yet to be fulfilled".
Scripture, however, says that this era, called Laodicea, is "blind" (Rev 3:17), and of course God does not lie. This blindness is nowhere more evident than when it comes to fulfilled Bible prophecies.
Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24 and 28 reveal four 2520 year periods of punishment that the nation of Israel would endure. The first two periods apply to the northern Kingdom of Israel, and the latter two periods apply to the southern Kingdom of Judah, the people who became known as the Jews. See the page "DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS AND TIMES" for an explanation of this.
The time period referred to in Leviticus 26:24 started from the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem when it was ruled by King Jehoiachin. As shown on the chart on the "HOME" page, from the time that Nebuchadnezzar defeated Jehoiachin and took the city in 575BC, until the last year of the Second World War, 1945, there were exactly 2520 inclusive years.
After the Holocaust ended in 1945, the Jews experienced the most remarkable turnaround a people have ever known; just three and a half years later (Rev 11:11), in 1948, they were standing on their feet again, in their own country and capital city, as fully explained in the article "THE TWO WITNESSES".
To make this total reversal possible, the most destructive war of all time, World War II, was fought.
As a result of this war, the force figuratively called a "beast" in Revelation 13:1 lay defeated.
The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation reveal that this "Beast" constituted a succession of powers depicted by seven heads, ten horns, and a little horn that is also called an eighth head (see Rev 17:3 below). These powers ruled over and trampled down both Jerusalem and the Jews for 2520 years, as predicted in Leviticus 26:24. That all came to an end after 1945.
That doesn't mean these powers no longer exist. Daniel 7:11-12 says:
"I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn (the little horn/eighth head) was speaking; watched till the beast was slain (its dominion over Jerusalem and the Jews came to an end - in 1945), and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame (at Christ's second coming). As for the rest of the beasts, they (also) had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were (likewise) prolonged for a season and a time (until their full demise at the return of Christ - Rev 19:20)".
The eighth head of the "Beast" was Roman Catholicism/"Christianity", described in Revelation 17 and 18 as "Babylon the Great". It was the last "Beast" power to have "dominion" over Jerusalem through the British occupation of the Holy Land.
In past centuries, the nations that made up this eighth head (first and foremost European nations, but also including many other, mainly Western countries that identify as Christian) were strong of mind and purpose, as seen in their many enduring achievements. However, in the years since WWII they have lost their moral compass.
European weakness, like the weakness of all Western nations, stems from the abandonment of its original source of strength, Christianity.
This form of Christianity, of course, was not the genuine article, but it still contained many of the elements of Christian living.
Countries that were once brimming with religious fervour, as is evidenced by their countless churches and cathedrals, and depicted in all forms of art, have now sunk into a moral abyss. Where once there was a Christian work ethic, decency, and a focus on God and family, a worldly spirit now prevails. An addiction to entertainment, drugs, partying, deviant sexual behaviour, and every other godless pursuit imaginable, has taken hold in society. Modern technology has greatly facilitated this decline into debauchery which has now spread to all formerly Christian nations of the Western world.
In addition, the weakness of Christian nations has of late reached an embarrassing level as millions of so-called "refugees" have overrun them, demanding "asylum", housing, financial assistance etc. In Europe, this process began already in the 1960's when "guest workers" were brought in, mainly from South and East Mediterranean regions. Their effect on society was immediate, and mostly not positive, as they brought with them the religion, social problems and crime levels that plagued their countries of origin.
The European "Beast" powers of old would not have tolerated this situation. As an example, we witness today the country of Italy being flooded by Africans, when these people would have been running the other way in the days of the old Roman Empire. Now, however, they can sense the weakness of the Christian nations and are taking advantage of it. Even when these people have their asylum claims rejected, there is an unwillingness to forcibly remove them. Instead, failed asylum seekers are frequently offered money to go back home voluntarily.
This lack of national fortitude can also be seen in the widespread breakdown of the justice system. If a nation is overwhelmed with lawlessness, the administration of the law becomes very difficult. If those in authority have a blurred vision of what constitutes right and wrong, they are not in a position to effectively police the transgressions of others. The result is that often the most lenient of sentences are handed down for the most serious of offences, to the utter dismay of upstanding citizens.
In recent times, we have also witnessed widespread rioting and destruction of property in Western nations. Some favourite targets have been statues and monuments commemorating founders of nations and other high achievers. An entire generation of people have been raised to hate anything and everything that concerns their Christian heritage.
As Christianity bites the dust, so does our traditional culture, because it was founded on Christian values. Instead of being conquered by a foreign invader, we are bringing about our own destruction. Astonishingly, many politicians and media outlets are actually encouraging this demonic mindset.
The abandonment of God and His standards by the traditionally Christian countries has had far reaching effects unforeseen by those who thought this would be "progress".
This enormous shift in attitude commonly sees the Western nations today labelled by many commentators as "post-Christian".
The Scriptures, however, identify this phenomenon as "Babylon is fallen".
With these things in mind, let's have a look at Revelation 17 and 18.
My comments are in (brackets).
Revelation 17
1 "Then one of the seven angels (most likely the seventh one; see "The Real Seven Plagues") who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot (the great false Roman church and, by extension, its Orthodox and Protestant daughters) who sits on many waters (many nations),
2 with whom the kings of the earth (leaders of Christian nations, Christianity being in control of Jerusalem and the "earth" of Israel at the time of this judgment) committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth (church members) were made drunk with the wine of her fornication (her false teachings)”.
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (having taken control of the "Beast") which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (all the powers that historically ruled over Jerusalem and the Jews: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Seleucid Empire, Rome, and Mecca/Medina (the seven heads) and ten Islamic dynasties that emerged from the seventh head (the ten horns), which are listed on the page "The Two Witnesses").
4 The woman (who is "the eighth" head of Revelation 17:11; she is also the "little horn" of Daniel 7:8 and 7:25 that ruled Jerusalem for three separate periods of time, displacing Islamic powers) was arrayed in purple (Catholic Bishops wear purple) and scarlet (Catholic Cardinals wear scarlet), and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (all manner of physical riches these churches possess), having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication (teachings and practices that misrepresent God).
5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT (the Roman Catholic Church, continuing in many ways the religion of original Babylon), THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (her Orthodox and Protestant daughter churches) AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (the teachings and practices of false Christianity).
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (from the Inquisitions, the Holocaust, and many other persecutions throughout the centuries). And when I saw her, I marvelled with great amazement.
7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 The beast that you saw was ("was" indicates it is partly made up of national powers that had come and gone at the time John wrote Revelation - see verse 10), and is not (powers yet future at the time John was writing - see verses 10 and 11), and will ascend out of the bottomless pit (cf. Rev 9:1-3 where "smoke" (representing demons) rises from the "bottomless pit" (their place of restraint), and gives power to "locusts" (the armies of the eighth head of the "Beast") which fight the armies of the seventh head of the "Beast" during the Crusades) and go to perdition (ultimately meet their demise). And those who dwell on the earth (in Israel, the land these powers all rule over) will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world (those who are not among God's faithful people, and therefore don't understand that these events were prophesied to occur), when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (the past, future and present manifestations of the "Beast" at the time John was writing. These are listed in verse 10).
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains (kingdoms) on which the woman sits.
10 There are (They are) also seven kings (kingdoms that rule over Jerusalem and the Jews). Five have fallen (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire), one is (Rome - at the time John wrote this), and the other has not yet come (Mecca/Medina, or Islam). And when he (it) comes, he (it) must continue a short time (to be precise, 24 inclusive years as a united force, from 638AD until 661AD, when the time of Islamic fragmentation, depicted by the ten horns, began - see the page "The Two Witnesses").
11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself (itself) also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition (the eighth head is the woman who rides the "Beast". The original seat of government of the sixth head of the "Beast", i.e. Rome, over time became the seat of government of the eighth head of the "Beast", i.e. the "woman", which is the Roman Catholic Church. It is not counted as a new head, as it is in many ways a continuation (a healing) of the sixth head (Rev 13:3,12). When the 2520 years were finished, the eighth head went into "perdition", or in other words it "is fallen").
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings (ten successive Islamic dynasties ruling Jerusalem, also depicted as ten toes in the statue of Dan 2) who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for (or "at") one hour (with each of these ten powers having their particular time, or "hour", in history. The page "The Two Witnesses" lists the ten horns by name, as well as the length of their reigns) as kings with the beast.
13 These (all these powers) are of one mind (the mind of Satan), and they will give their power and authority to the beast (expend their efforts on opposing God).
14 These will make war with the Lamb (fight against God's city and His people), and the Lamb will overcome them (one by one), for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him (during this long period of persecution) are called, chosen, and faithful” (by enduring in the faith until the end of their lives).
15 Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot (Islam hates Christianity), make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire (Islamic forces have fought Christian forces for well over a thousand years, in various locations, making long-term conquests in Europe, especially the Iberian Peninsula, Greece and the Balkans region).
17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfil His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast (to Satan), until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city (Rome) which reigns over the kings of the earth (the leaders of Christian nations)”".
Revelation 18
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, (Babylon's second fall, after original Babylon's fall) and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird (the entire "Christian" world has fallen from its Christian foundation, turned its back on God's law, and instead turned to the worst of transgressions and abominations. Seeing no difference between the holy and the profane, they have become "educated", "advanced" and "secular", which in practice means they have given themselves over to a strong demonic influence. As a result, the virtues of Christianity have been abandoned, as manifested by the normalisation of depravity now witnessed in all Western countries. In addition to this, seeing no difference between true and false religion, they have allowed themselves to be overrun by enormous numbers of foreigners with erroneous belief systems. Witness the mass immigration of non-Christians into all the former Christian countries of Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, etc.)!
3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; the kings of the earth (the political leaders of Christian nations) have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth (the religious leaders of Christianity) have become rich through the abundance of her luxury” (the churches became physically very wealthy, but they also held high positions in society; clergymen were revered by all).
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues (a warning for true Christians of all eras).
5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen (I am the bride of Christ, the King), and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’
8 Therefore her plagues (see the page "The Real Seven Plagues") will come (to a head) in one day (1945 marked the end of her power and her 1260 years of persecuting the people of God (Dan 7:25), 2520 inclusive years after the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The official date for the end of WW2 in Europe is May 8, 1945. See "The Two Witnesses" for the significance of this date) - death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her (Germany and Italy were bombed into submission and left in ruins. However, all of Christendom suffered enormously in the World Wars).
9 “The kings of the earth (Christian political leaders) who committed fornication (accepted her religion) and lived luxuriously with her (through the implementation of Judeo/Christian principles) will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come’ (at a time appointed by God - see v8).
11 “And the merchants of the earth (the religious leaders) will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise (accepts their teachings) anymore (as the years since the war have rolled on, traditional Christianity has been largely abandoned. With fewer and fewer people being interested in it, its churches have become sparsely attended and many church buildings have been sold off for other uses):
12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all (all her many and varied doctrines, teachings and edicts are cast aside and ignored).
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing (the Catholic Church in particular became very rich, but is now losing much of its wealth in court cases and settlements with the victims of its crimes. Christianity in general was rich in the sense of position, influence, and access to leaders, but that amounts to very little now and can no longer stem the tide of secularism. By extension this also refers to the physical wealth that Christianity brought. The dominant economic position that the Christian countries held for centuries is now being lost),
16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (the downfall of the Roman church, Christianity in general, and together with them, the Western democracies, is undeniable. Many people are bewailing this)!
17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster (religious leaders), all who travel by ship, sailors (ordinary people), and as many as trade on the sea (evangelise the world), stood at a distance
18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like (What has become of) this great city (Rome and by extension all Christendom, especially the Western democracies)?'
19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate’ (her religious power has been taken away).
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore (no one dances to their tune anymore). No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore (their religion is generally no longer believed), and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore (their evangelising has petered out).
23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore (God’s truth has ceased from them), and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore (they generally are no longer seen to represent God). For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery (false teachings and practices) all the nations were deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints (the people of God who were victims of Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant persecution in all the countries they controlled and influenced), and of all who were slain on the earth (those killed in the Holy Land during the times it was controlled by "Christian" forces)”.
Since the Second World War, the Christian Western democracies have morally collapsed. Perversion has become a lifestyle choice, depravity is now celebrated, the breaking of God's law has been legalised, dishonesty has become the norm, and money is worshipped like a god. The standards once laid down by our Creator have been replaced by vague humanist ideals, which are often contrary to God's law, and in reality are nothing more than man's self-righteousness.
We think we know better than God. The situation today is much the same as it was in Isaiah's time. We tell God, "Don't come near us, for we are holier than thou" (Isa 65:5).
Isaiah 3:8 says: "they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not". Today, we too are proud of our evil deeds. But Isaiah 5:20 warns: "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter".
That pretty much sums us up: We call evil good and good evil.
The author of all this chaos is Satan the devil. His goal is to entice people to sin. And sin weakens individuals, churches and nations.
Think of the greatness the "Christian" nations attained in the past. In the 1500's, the printing press made the Bible widely available and many people, even whole nations, began learning about God. Although their form of Christianity was generally not the genuine "faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3), it still contained a lot of God's truth. Witness the high-quality nations that were built on this foundation. Witness the achievements in design and invention, the standards in architecture, art, music, dress, manners etc. Look at the quality of workmanship. God's high standards were applied to all endeavours and the evidence can still be seen when visiting the old city centres and museums of Europe. Today, on the other hand, we are the "plastic generation" - a "throw-away society".
Worse still, our physical decay mirrors our moral decay.
Consider also the endless scandals involving child sexual abuse within traditional Christianity:
In the USA, many Catholic dioceses have filed for bankruptcy as they fight abuse charges. Staggering amounts of money have been handed over in compensation settlements. In Australia, the Anglican Church was forced to sell off more than a hundred of its properties to pay its victims. Many other "Christian" organisations have also been found guilty of similar crimes.
When the churches were powerful, they were able to conceal their abominations. The reason we are hearing about these things now is because they have lost their power to control what is made public.
The fact that Christianity is in free fall has been made abundantly clear in recent years as we witness all across the Christian world thousands of church buildings being closed, sold off, or remodelled into homes, bars, shops, libraries, theatres and even mosques.
For centuries people feared God. Today that fear is gone. "Babylon the Great" has fallen because the majority of people have abandoned the God of the Bible.
One of the most remarkable aspects of all this fulfilment of prophecy is that the final generation of the Church of God has seen all these things occur in its lifetime, and yet has failed to recognise the Scriptural significance.