In this article we'll consider the woman described in Revelation 17 and 18.
Revelation 17:4-6
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Some groups believe she represents Ancient Rome, others believe she is the Roman Catholic Church. Some think she represents a future global religious, political or economic system, others think she represents all human systems throughout history that have been opposed to God.
I used to believe she represented all false religion.
Then, one day I over heard someone say “doesn’t Babylon represent Jerusalem?”
This really caught my attention and made me think “that would tie Revelation in nicely with the rest of the bible”.
Today we’re going to consider this possibility.
Is there enough evidence to prove that “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” represents first century Jerusalem?
Point 1. the “great city”
Revelation 17:18
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Let’s compare this to…
Revelation 11:8
...the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Where was Jesus crucified? At Jerusalem.
Point. 2 the “harlot”
The imagery of a "harlot" is heavily drawn from the prophets, who used the same term for apostate Judah/Jerusalem:
Isaiah 1
1 The vision of Isaiah…which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem…
21 How is the faithful city become a harlot!…
Jeremiah 3
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem…
3…thou hast played the harlot with many lovers…
Ezekiel 16
15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot…
35 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:
38…I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged…
Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all portray Jerusalem as a “harlot” because of her spiritual adultery.
Point 3. adorned like the priesthood and temple in Jerusalem
Revelation 17:4
The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls...
Let’s first compare this to the holy garments worn by Levitical priests
Exodus 28
6 And they shall make -- the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen…
15 And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment…
17 And thou shalt set in it…stones…
The tabernacle of Moses, first and second temple were also adorned with gold, precious stones, and fine linen
Ex. 26
1 Moreover thou shalt make -- the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet…
1 Kings 6
22 And -- the whole house he overlaid with gold…
The red and purple garments, gold and precious stones worn by “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” identifies her as Jerusalem—the centre of temple worship and the Old Covenant system.
Point 4. Her fall matches the fall of Jerusalem
In Matthew 24 and Luke 21 Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, using language that mirrors Revelation 18.
Matthew 24
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple…
2 And Jesus said… there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel…
16…let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Luke 21
20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
21 Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains…
22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Revelation 18
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
10…Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Revelation’s judgments on Babylon is clearly connected to the Olivet Discourse that was about the coming judgment upon Jerusalem in AD 70.
Point 5. She’s drunk on the blood of the martyrs
Revelation 17
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
Revelation 18
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Jesus said similar things about Jerusalem
Matthew 23:31-37
31…ye are the children of them which killed the prophets
32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers
35...that upon you [Jerusalem] may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth...
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee…
38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate.
This direct accusation of prophet-killing matches Revelation’s description of the harlot.
Revelation 18
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
This is a crucial verse because only Jerusalem was guilty of killing prophets and apostles (cf. Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34).
God’s judgment is seen as vindication for the blood of the righteous, including Jesus and His followers.
Revelation 18
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Jesus said that Jerusalem would bear the guilt for “all the righteous blood shed upon the earth” (Matthew 23:35).
This is the final confirmation that the woman equals first-century, apostate Jerusalem.
Not Rome, not the Catholic Church, not a present or future global religious, political or economic system.
Let me reiterate the five points I made in this article:
Point 1- the woman in Revelation 17&18 is described as “the great city”and according to Revelation 11 “the great city” is Jerusalem.
Point 2- The woman is called a harlot. Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel all referred to apostate Judah/Jerusalem as a “harlot”.
Point 3- the woman is adorned in purple and scarlet, gold and precious stones like the priesthood and temple at Jerusalem.
Point 4- The judgment that came upon this woman in Revelation 18 matches the judgement that came upon Jerusalem in 70AD as foretold by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse.
Point 5- the woman in Revelation is judged because she shed the blood of apostles and prophets. The only one guilty of killing apostles and prophets, according to the bible, was first century Jerusalem.
Thank you for reading this article and considering that “Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” represents first-century apostate Jerusalem.
Feel free to leave comments, God bless.
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