The Judgment Of Babylon
(Chapters 17–19:10)
These chapters are given to supplement the previous references to “Babylon” in chapter 14:8 and chapter 16:19. Mention has been made of this great world power and its judgment, but now a full exposé of its character and ways is given. These extra details help us to identify who this great corrupt power is that will play such a prominent role in end-time prophecy. The parenthesis essentially presents a comparison of the two prominent women in the book: the false church—“the great whore” (chap. 17:1-19:5) and true Church—“the Lamb’s wife” (chap. 19:6-10).
The Great Whore
Chap. 17:1-6—The chapter begins with a description of a “great whore” riding “a scarlet coloured beast” with “seven heads and ten horns.” This corrupt woman is papal Rome with all the so-called Christian denominations under its wing—the final state of Christendom after the true Church has been called away to heaven. It is Satan’s counterfeit church. The “whore” is undoubtedly the Roman Catholic Church. This is obvious by:
• The Geographical Evidence—She is identified with the seven-hilled city of Rome – “seven heads” (vs. 9). No other notable city in the world has been so described.
• The Historical Evidence—She has been the great persecutor of Christians through history. No other religious system in Christendom has been guilty of martyring the saints as Rome (vs. 6).
• The Political Evidence—She has controlled the governments in Europe in history. No other religious system in Christendom has wanted to control the governments of the world as Rome (vss. 1, 15, 18).
• The Ecclesiastical Evidence—Whoredom is a figure used in Scripture for those who forsake God for idolatry. No other religious system in Christendom has had the extent of idolatry as Catholicism (vs. 2).
• The Worldly Evidence—No other religious system in Christendom has arrayed itself with such pomp and glory as the Roman Catholic Church (vs. 4).
• The Commercial Evidence—No other religious system in Christendom has had such commercial connections and amassed such wealth (chap. 18:9-19).
John is called to see “the judgment” (not the glory) of the great whore. Her destruction, which occurs in the middle of the prophetic week, marks the end of Christendom. The corrupt woman’s influence over the multitudes in the West is seen in her sitting on “many waters” (vss. 1, 15). Her guilt of prostituting the truth and intoxicating men with her evil doctrines and practices is depicted in her “fornication” (vs. 2). Though she professes great spiritual possessions, she is spiritually destitute. This is indicated by the place of drought in which she dwells—“the wilderness.” She sits on the “beast,” indicating that she will have control of the confederated nations of the West. Her worldly glory is seen in her garments of “purple and scarlet” with “gold and precious stones and pearls” (vs. 4). She is identified as “Mystery Babylon” indicating the depths of her idolatry. She is “the mother of harlots.” This means that she has many daughters under her wing who have her character. As a “Mother” she has given birth to the other denominations in Christendom, for they have all come out of her clerical corruption and thus bear the marks of her character in varying degrees. These will all be gathered under her wing in the first half of the prophetic week and will constitute the false church (vs. 5).
The Beast With Seven Heads and Ten Horns
Chap. 17:7-14—As mentioned, “the beast” with “seven heads and ten horns” is the revived Roman Empire as indicated in Daniel 2:40-45; 7:7-8, 19-27. The “ten horns” are the “ten kings” (kingdoms or nations) of which the empire will be composed (vss. 7, 9-14). These are the confederate nations of the West.
Firstly, as to its history (vs. 8), there are four phases mentioned through which the Roman Empire passes:
• “Was”—existing as it was in John’s day.
• “Is not”—defunct in 476 A.D.
• “Shall ascend out of the bottomless pit”—revived in the last half of the week.
• “And go into perdition”—judged by Christ at His Appearing at the end of the week.
Vss. 9-11—The “seven heads” have a double application. They not only refer to the seven-hilled city of Rome, but also refer to seven forms of government (“mountains”) through which the empire would pass through time. In history it has had kings, dictators, military tribunes, consuls, and decemvirs (a counsel of magistrates) at the head of the empire. These “five” forms of government are “fallen” and are passed off the scene. The “one” which “is” refers to the sixth form of government which controlled the empire at the time when John wrote the Revelation. It was an imperial government (rule through a succession of emperors). The “other” that was coming in the future is the seventh. This will be the government of the empire under the whore, the Catholic Church, which this chapter describes. The angel tells John that it will only continue “a short space”—i.e. the first half of the prophetic week, because that “head” (form of government) will be wounded to death (Rev. 13:3; 14:8). Then there will arise out of its demise an “eighth” form of government (a Satanic rule) under the personal Beast (Rev. 13:4-8; Dan. 7:8, 20-21 – “the little horn”). Thus, the “deadly wound” that the seventh head will receive will be healed in the form of the eighth. This man (the little horn) will take the office of the Roman prince and will immediately breach the terms of the covenant that the empire will have made with the Jews (Dan. 9:27b – the second “he”). This final form of the empire will go “into perdition” because it will be in power when Christ appears and judges it.
The Fall of Babylon
Chap. 17:15-18—The instrument of the harlot’s destruction is the “ten kings,” the federation of ten nations over which she will rule in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week. These nations will have had enough of Catholicism and will “hate the whore.” And, with the help of the personal Beast, who will take over the leadership of the empire, they will “make her desolate.” This is the “fall” of Babylon. We know that this will happen in the middle of the prophetic week because the new diabolical leader (the Beast or “little horn”) who rises to power, continues in the office of the Roman “prince” (Dan. 9:27b – the second “he”) for “forty and two months,” which is the last half of the week (chap. 13:5; Dan. 7:25).
Chap. 18:1-8—There follows in this chapter a description of the false church under Catholicism (the harlot) in its fallen state, as having been made desolate by the ten horns. The proclamation: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” refers to this. As mentioned in chapter 14:8, it refers to the religious side of the empire becoming defunct: However, Babylon, as an empire (politically and militarily), will not be gone. It will continue on under a satanic form of government under the personal Beast and will meet its full and final destruction at the end of the prophetic week when Christ appears and judges it. This is described at the end of this 18th chapter under the figure of “a great millstone being cast ... into the sea” and that “great city Babylon” being “thrown down” (chap. 18:21-24).
What once was the “habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22) is now seen as “the habitation of devils [demons], and the hold of every foul spirit” (chap. 18:2). Her wickedness is fully exposed as having prostituted professed truth (which is really error) and intoxicated the nations with her doctrines and practices. It is depicted as spiritual “fornication,” which is idolatry (vs. 3). God always calls His children out of what is corrupt and evil. Saints in past centuries heard this call and separated from the Romish abominations, and thousands of them sealed their testimony with their blood. A large number of God-fearing believers will hear this call and will separate from that wicked system in the first 3½ years of the prophetic week (vs. 4). They will suffer persecution and martyrdom on account of their convictions (chap. 6:9-11; 17:6; 20:4a). Her corrupting “sins” of commercializing and prostituting Christian things, and exalting herself instead of exalting Christ, whom she professes as Lord, have “reached unto heaven” and have called for the just judgment of God on her (vss. 5-8).
Chap. 18:9-20—An account is then given of her worldliness and commercialism. A universal lamentation is depicted from the various classes of commercial businessmen in the world who have had intercourse with that wicked system and have profited from it financially. The merchants mourn primarily because their hope of gain will be gone. It appears that she has been a controlling factor in the world market. No less than twenty-eight things are mentioned in which she traffics. It is significant that the first is “gold” and the last is “souls of men!”
“God has judged your judgment on her” (vs. 20) means that the right-hearted saints, a long time before this, have passed judgment on that wicked system in their hearts, and have separated from it. Now God vindicates their judgment by this great fall.
The Destruction of Babylon
Chap. 18:21-24—Another judgmental blow is given to the “great city Babylon.” This is not the fall of Babylon, which we have just noted, but the destruction of Babylon. As mentioned, its fall occurs in the middle of the prophetic week, but its destruction will be at the end of the prophetic week. As a result, this great power is found “no more at all.” The angel throwing “a great millstone” into “the sea” indicates the finality of this judgment. This refers to the final end of Babylon as a great political and military power––in its final form under the personal Beast––being judged by Christ at His Appearing (chap. 16:15-21). The imagery used here is similar to Isaiah 24:1-12, which also refers to the Lord’s judgment on Babylon at His Appearing.
Hence, details in this parenthesis have brought us once again up to Christ’s Appearing.
Two Celebrations in Heaven
Just before heaven opens and Christ comes forth in power and judgment at His Appearing (chap. 19:11-21), there will be two celebrations in heaven.
Chap. 19:1-6—The first celebration is the unrestrained joy in heaven over the judgment of “the great harlot.” “Hallelujah” is mentioned four times in this connection:
1. The first is on account of the attributes of God Himself which have called for this judgment (vs. 1).
2. The second is on account of His holy judgments being executed on evil (vss. 2-3).
3. The third is in connection with expressed worship of God Himself (vss. 4-5). The fourth is heaven’s joy in anticipation of Christ’s kingdom glory being secured and the desires of His heart fulfilled (vs. 6).
Chap. 19:7-10—The second celebration has to do with unrestrained joy in heaven being expressed in anticipation of the public display of Christ and the Church. There are two things here:
• “The marriage of the Lamb” (vs. 7). This is the time when Christ will present the Church “to Himself” as a “glorious” thing, “not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27). It is a private and intimate affair that will be for His joy. Note: it is not called the marriage “of the bride,” but “of the Lamb,” because the whole purpose of the event is to “give honour to Him,” not to the Church, which is the bride (Eph. 5:23-32). The bridal robes of the Church which are “fine linen, clean and white” are given to her. This is a reference to the results of the judgment seat of Christ, when “the righteousnesses of saints” will be rewarded to them. This is in contrast to the harlot who took garments of glory that didn’t belong to her and lavishly arrayed herself with them (chap. 18:7).
• “The marriage supper of the Lamb” (vs. 9). If the “marriage” is for the satisfaction and enjoyment of the Lamb and His wife, the “supper” is for the guests to enjoy. These are the Old Testament saints and the martyred Tribulation saints who will be resurrected prior to the Appearing of Christ. These could be classified as the friends of the Bridegroom (John 3:29).
Vs. 10—John took his focus off the Lord Jesus Christ for a moment and fell down and worshipped one of his fellow servants and was rebuked for it. In the correction that John received there is an important principle that applies to all prophetic Scriptures—in fact, to all of the Word of God. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” This means that the underlying object of every prophecy has the testimony of the Lord Jesus and what pertains to His glory in it. Every verse may not speak about Christ directly, but “the spirit” of every passage pertains to what will ultimately glorify Him. Recognizing what is due to Christ’s honour and glory unlocks the understanding of the prophetic Scriptures.