I will admit I’m no bible scholar but I am a Christian and I study the bible.
Their is a debate among Christians that has been going on for Centuries. The debate is who is the great white harlot of Babylon that the Apostle John mentions in Revelation. Many Scholars have different theories. The book of Revelation describes that future times and whoever the Harlot is will be like the ancient cities of Babylon and Rome. I will first be starting off with Babylon. During the Chaldean or Babylonian Empire Babylon was the central city of the Empire. The Babylonians at their peak controlled much of Central and Western Asia. Babylon was the center of it, with trade, wealth, military power, and it was known for its beauty. However Babylon had a lot of immoral going on inside of it. In Babylon their was greed, sorcery, idol worship, killings, sexual immorality and other bad stuff. The prophet Danial said that Babylon would be destroyed. After Daniel made this prophesy the Persians destroyed Babylon. The result was Babylon was never a powerful nation or city again. Rome during the Apostles time was the commercial center of the Roman Empire. At its Peak the Roman Empire had conquered the whole world. Its Empire stretched from North Africa to Modern France, and expanded well into Asia. Rome like Babylon had a lot of bad stuff, their was paganism, sorcery, idol worship, some cults that lived in the Northern empire even did human sacrifice, adultery, sexual immorality, mass killings of Jews and Christians. John used these two cities to describe what would happen.
Now the second half of Revelation tell us what will happen. Their will be a powerful nation that has influence on a world system (NWO). The Bible tell us that the leader of this organization and/or Nation will be the Beast. The Beast will have a false prophet. People will be led into believing the false prophet. The Nations will love the beast and he will make them feel secure. However the bible tells us that the Beast is of the devil. He will then make people have a mark (probably a card in today’s times the bible doesn’t say) to buy or sell. He will then start to mass murder the Jews and Christians (like Rome Did). The bible tell us that he will gather an army over 200 million to attack the nation of Israel. This is interesting cause After AD 70 Israel did not exists, but earlier prophesies said Israel would become a Nation again never to be driven out again. In 1948 Israel became a nation again. Back in John’s time a 200 million army was impossible. In today’s time it would be easy with close to 200 nations that exists in the world today. The Bible tells us that these nations invading Israel will suffer a huge defeat. After that we learn nations rebel against the Beast. In the mean time people have been led astray by the Great Harlot of Babylon as what the nation and organization that produces the beast is. Jesus says Come out of her my people.
The book of revelation tells us that this wealthy power will be destroyed Just like Babylon and Rome were, whoever the Harlot of Babylon is, she will never be a power, no longer be wealthy, never be the same again, and Revelation hints that people may never live or be tied to Babylon again. The Bible tells us that people will mourn and weep over Babylon’s destruction. We also learn that despite this mankind will not repent. So the question that is often asked who is Babylon.
They are three answers I get the most and that scholars have wrote the most about so I will be covering them.
The first is Babylon is the United States of America. Scholars who believe this, point out that America is a world superpower, is the wealthiest nation on earth is a military power, and has great influence on the United Nations. Scholars also point out that Babylon sits on 7 mountains, while some say the Mountains are kingdoms. Well they are 7 mountain chains in the USA: Appalachians, Ozarks, Rockies, Sierra, Cascades, the Black Hills, and the Alaskan Range. Scholars also point out that the United States is not mentioned in the Bible, but Europe, Africa and Asia are. Religious leaders also talk about how America started and what it has become. America when first started the leaders believed in God (most of them), the settlers believed in God, God was allowed in Government and public life. But over time Americans committed slavery, human trafficking,, While Slavery has been outlawed since 1862 in America. Religious Leaders point out, how their is human trafficking that goes on, murder, greed, idol worship in the form of money, idolatry, sexual immorality, we have taken God out of our public lives as a nation, our government has taken God out, we have also armed Israel’s enemies such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Arabia, Syria and Egypt. Plus the United States has great influence on the UN and the UN influences America. As a super Power lot of the world is tied to America when America’s economy is in recession so is the world.However, some scholars point out America can’t be Babylon because it is not mentioned in the Bible. This offers two views, one is America will be destroyed, or another power will rise and take its place as a super power.
The Second, is Babylon is the Roman Catholic Church. This theory was made popular by Jack Chick of Chick publications. He claims that the RCM is Babylon cause all nations are tied to her through priests and that the Pope influences all nations. and the Vatican though independent is near Rome which sets on 7 hills. Chick claims that the Catholic church came out of the pagan religions in Ancient Babylon and Rome and has deceived many. Chick’s idea has influence a lot of evangelists and some continue to preach that the RCM is Babylon.
The third and one of more common theories is Babylon is the United Nations. Now this might make some sense because majority of nations are tied to the UN. they are over 170 members in the UN so that is over 85% of the world’s countries. The UN makes treaties and if the country’s law makers approve they become laws of the land. Here is something that is interesting the UN hates Israel. The book of Revelation claims that the Great Harlot hates Israel and will form an army to attack it but will be defeated. The UN could easily get over 200 million that John mentions. Also the past 10 years the UN seems to want to rule the Word. The first being the carbon tax or global warming treaty. The UN a few years ago tried to get poorer nations to cut their industries and return the UN would give them food and if they didn’t they would have to pay a higher tax for their carbons. Another treaty is their gun treaty. This treaty would regulate weapon sells to countries and it can regulate countries gun laws. What is ironic is one of the writers of this treat is Iran who has said they want to destroy Israel. The UN two years ago said they wanted to create an Order of Security, many saw this as the precursor to the New World Order. We also have learned that the UN does not seem to be helping Christians struggling in Countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran were Christians are often executed for their faith. Another thing people who think it is the UN points out that the UN has world currencies that it recognizes the Dollar, Euro, Ruble, and Paso in the world money bank.
My take
Here is my opinion I do not know who Babylon is and I think maybe we are not supposed to know till the time comes. But what I do know is that Jesus is coming back for his people who accept him as their Savior. We know that before Christ returns nations will be against nations, evil will be called good and good will be called evil. Kind of like it is now. Nobody knows when Christ will return it could a few years from know or centuries. Babylon could already be here or it may be revealed later on. I really do not know who or what is Babylon. The theories I covered are NOT my theories these three theories are the ones that come up the most.
As Bad as things are we do have hope if we accept Jesus as our savior and repent we become knew creatures and we get to enter the promise land. What is also known is some of the prophecies in the Book of Revelation or coming true
tornadocam 