| From Fear and Fascination to Faith and FactsMy first | | | | avenged, but God avenged all the blood shed on the |
| encounter with the book of Revelation was fear. | | | | earth on Mystery Babylon, (v. 24).Jesus predicted the |
| Who didn't get a few chills running down their spine | | | | same for Jerusalem. In Matthew 23:34-37, Jerusalem |
| about the number 666, the "mark of the beast," the | | | | is charged with the blood guilt of all the righteous |
| seven plagues and this dramatic portrayal of the | | | | blood shed on the earth up to that time. Jesus would |
| endtime? That fear kept me from wanting to know | | | | send more wise men, scribes and prophets whom he |
| more about this book, though I was drawn to it.Then | | | | said they would scourge in their synagogues and |
| I stumbled across a study that made an intelligent | | | | persecute from city to city until he destroyed |
| versus fanciful media-hyped approach to the book. It | | | | Jerusalem. It therefore matches perfectly with this |
| addressed it as a coded message, but written to the | | | | description.4. The "Mystery Babylon" Was Once a |
| first century church who were part of its history and | | | | Queen.This identifies the city as having a covenant |
| time. That evidence focused on the date of the | | | | relationship with God. Neither ancient Rome, nor any |
| book. It raised and answered the question, was it | | | | other modern city could appropriately be styled as |
| written pre or post A.D. 70?Thirdly, an investigation | | | | God's wife. Through the Old Covenant, God was |
| of the internal evidence and alignment with other | | | | married to Jerusalem, (Jeremiah 2:14). Because of her |
| texts as commentary overruled the temptation to | | | | unfaithfulness, God threatens divorce. While Mystery |
| rely on imagination and the media. This was one of | | | | Babylon claims to be a queen, she is widowed. |
| the most enlightening and satisfying decisions in my | | | | (Revelation 18:7)5. The Antithesis of the Two |
| quest to understand the message of Revelation. | | | | CitiesThe contrast of the two cities in Revelation are |
| What follows are a few keys that were convincing | | | | a strong clue to the identity of Mystery Babylon. |
| to me.What Is A Mystery?A mystery is not | | | | After the great city, Mystery Babylon is destroyed, |
| something which cannot be known, but simply that | | | | God blesses a New Jerusalem. That implies an Old |
| which is not known until it is revealed. The seven | | | | Jerusalem. This is the same antithesis running |
| points in this article are now a mystery, but if you | | | | throughout the New Testament expressed in |
| read further, they will become manifest to you.In | | | | covenantal terms. (See Galatians 4:24-26; Hebrews |
| Revelation, "Babylon" is a code word for the mystery | | | | 8:6-13; 12:18-23). The new Jerusalem however is not |
| city. The book is not about ancient Babylon nor | | | | an earthly city but one which comes down out of |
| modern day Iraq. Babylon was used as a sign to | | | | heaven prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, |
| disguise in military-type code, the identity of the city. | | | | (Revelation 21:1-3).Paul writes that the church is the |
| Why? It's because this city was marked for | | | | bride of Christ, 1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-31, |
| destruction. The political climate of the day made it | | | | Hebrews 12:22, 23). The new holy city Jerusalem, |
| extremely dangerous to speak openly of destroying | | | | takes the position as bride while the former |
| this city, (Acts 6:14) especially by Christians who | | | | adulterous wife receives death by fire.6. Come Out |
| were viewed as its chief enemies. The preaching of | | | | of Her My PeopleThe call to God's people to come |
| Jerusalem's impending destruction led to Stephen's | | | | out of Mystery Babylon" (Revelation 18:4) further |
| martyrdom, (Acts 7).Its connection with ancient | | | | aligns with the ancient city of Jerusalem. Prior to its |
| Babylon was its moral decay and idolatry. Ancient | | | | destruction, Jesus warned that his disciples should |
| Babylon's fall was precipitated by their pride and | | | | flee the city to avoid its plagues of destruction, |
| disrespect for God, the persecution of God's people | | | | famine and death. (Matthew 24:15-17; Luke 21:20-22). |
| and the profaning of the temple's holy vessels . Thus | | | | 7. Trodden Down of the GentilesIn Luke 21:24, Jesus |
| Belshazzar's feast led to the demise of his kingdom. | | | | remarks that Jerusalem would be trodden down of |
| Hence the term Mystery Babylon.1. "The Great City, | | | | the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles were |
| --Where The Lord Was Crucified)Further identifying | | | | fulfilled. Unfortunately, today, many believe the |
| Mystery Babylon as the great city (Revelation 17:18; | | | | Gentiles are rulers over the people of God. This is |
| 18:10), leads us to clue number one. The great city of | | | | impossible as that period ended in A.D. 70 when |
| Revelation is identified as the city spiritually called | | | | Rome destroyed Jerusalem. It was the time when all |
| Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was | | | | things written were fulfilled, coming to pass before |
| crucified." (Revelation 11:8)Besides the actual city, | | | | that generation passed away, (Luke 21:22, 32). As old |
| there is only one city in the Bible ever referred to as | | | | Jerusalem was once called the faithful and holy city, |
| Sodom. It is Jerusalem, (Deuteronomy 32:32; Isaiah | | | | John prophesied that it was measured for |
| 1:10). The description, where also our Lord was | | | | destruction, (Revelation 11:2).Old Jerusalem Is A |
| crucified is strong evidence pointing to Jerusalem. | | | | Perfect MatchEverything said about Jerusalem in the |
| Further, it could not be that a prophet perish outside | | | | gospels, is symbolically described for Mystery Babylon |
| of Jerusalem, Luke 13:33. Jerusalem was called the | | | | in the book of Revelation. There are more contrasts |
| city of the great King. (Matthew 5:35) To the Jews it | | | | and parallels but these should at least get one |
| was the greatest city in the world.2. The Golden Cup | | | | thinking.Fanciful and colorful charts as those |
| of AbominationsThe imagery of the filled cup of | | | | presented by John Hagee and others will forever fail |
| iniquity indicates that God's period of longsuffering | | | | to properly identify the Mystery Babylon as long as |
| had run its course. Genesis 15:16 shows why God | | | | they are pointed in the future and toward some city |
| expelled the Amorites from the land in order that | | | | or nation that has no antithesis with old Jerusalem. |
| Israel might inherit Canaan. The reason he did not do | | | | Further, a modern or present day Jerusalem, does |
| so immediately was because the iniquity of the | | | | not descend from heaven and can never be the holy |
| Amorites was not yet full. Their cup of sin yet had | | | | city of Revelation 21.The message and meaning of |
| room for more and did not run its course until the | | | | Revelation seems best and most easily understood |
| time of the Exodus.Jesus spoke to the people of | | | | when one values the shortly to come to pass, time is |
| Jerusalem warning them that they would fill up the | | | | at hand time parameter of the message keeping it |
| measure of their father's guilt in killing the prophets. | | | | within a contemporary, historical setting of its first |
| See point #3. Paul says they had filled up the | | | | century hearers, (Revelation 1:1, 3. It may not |
| measure of their sins and would experience the | | | | frighten us as much, but it certainly encourages us |
| coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 2:14-16).3. God Would | | | | with the message of faith, confidence in God's |
| Avenge All The Righteous Blood Shed on Earth By | | | | sovereign power and victory over the forces of |
| Jerusalem.Mystery Babylon was guilty of shedding the | | | | evil.William Bell is the author of "The Re-Examination, |
| blood of the apostles and prophets, (Revelation | | | | a critique of futurist eschatology showing Christ's |
| 18:20). However, God avenged the blood of the | | | | return in the first century. |
| apostles and prophets. Not only was their blood be | | | | |