In my last two posts I sought to establish that Revelation’s Mystery Babylon is not a geographical city located in a specific locale but is a world-wide consortium of wealthy business leaders and politicians who control the world’s economies with a pervasive system that dominates private transaction. Revelation calls them the great men of the earth. Through this economic leverage they also effectively control war and peace and the worlds religious entities. In this post, I’ll give you several biblical proofs that this MB has a strong identity with the city of Jerusalem.
First, Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal capital, is described as a harlot countless times in the scriptures, prostituting herself to gods other than Jehovah. Ezekiel 16:32 is an example. No other city comes close to being described as such. MB is called the “mother of harlots”. Second, there are only two cities called great (Gr.-mega) in the New Testament, Jerusalem (both old and new) and MB. (Revelation 11:8, 16:19, 17:5). Third, only twice in the entire bible is a city given a double portion of judgement for her sins, once for Jerusalem, and once for MB. (Isaiah 40: 1-2, Revelation 18:6). Fourth, and most importantly, Jesus said this: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!” (Matthew 23:37). He had just finished stating: “that on you (Jerusalem) may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” (Matthew 23:35). Here, the word “generation” (equivalent with Jerusalem) means “wicked class of people”. Revelation 18:24 states: “and in her (MB) was found the blood of the prophets and of all who were slain on the earth.” This blood judgment will be carried out on MB (Jerusalem) in our near future just as prophesied by Isaiah 4:4. The comprehensive blood judgement on MB described in Revelation fulfills the prophecy that Jesus pronounced over Jerusalem. Their blood guilt covers all of human history from Genesis to today-all who were slain on the earth!
It’s this wicked class of people that was concentrated in Jerusalem during the ministry of Jesus that is still dominant and present in our day comprising Mystery Babylon. That Jewish leader class based in Jerusalem singled out for judgment by Jesus was dispersed into the world in 70 AD when Jerusalem was destroyed. Over the last 2000 years their descendants and influence have metastasized into the world’s gentile population in the Diaspora. Now, together with mostly gentiles this wicked class of people thrives in wealthy political and economic dominance worldwide. You can probably name many of them. “Your merchants are the world’s great men”. Their goals haven’t changed and are driven by the god of this world. Power, wealth, control, and lust for the luxuries of this world drive their ambition. No, geographical Jerusalem is not MB, but the historical location during Jesus’s ministry of that wicked generation was certainly Jerusalem. That’s why the only physical city that can be even somewhat associated with MB is Jerusalem. It’s a Jerusalem spread across the globe made up of powerful individuals who think only they have the wisdom to direct human affairs.
If you are a typical citizen of this world, whether Christian or not, whether you are aware or not, you are probably ensnared in the pervasive economic system of Mystery Babylon. So, what do we need to do to come out from under her control as God commanded? I’ll address that in my next post- part 4.
Maranatha, Jim