It is not a little interesting to ask why the Greek, or Eastern Church, broke loose from the Roman, or Western Church. We can trace in it God's hand preparing the way for the fulfillment of His own word.
Scripture presents the Romish Church as being allied with the Roman Empire, and standing together up to a point. This is seen in the prophecy that the woman (apostate Christendom taking its character from the Romish Church) is to sit upon the scarlet-colored beast (Romish Empire); that is, they are intimately connected: either the Empire carries the apostate profession, or the apostate profession controls the Empire, or it may be a mixture of both.
On the other hand, Gog and Magog (Russia) have a very great role to play in the future, and that as distinct from the Roman Empire.
That being the case, it would render things vastly more complicated if both the Roman Empire and all that Russia stands for were dominated by one vast, subtle, imperious, highly organized religious system.
We know that other countries besides Russia have been affiliated to the Greek Church, but we should be prepared to see whole countries seceding from the Greek to the Romish Church, if it suited their purpose, or if forced to do so by the dominating power of the revived Roman Empire.
The great Greek Church country has been Russia, and in that way she has been set free, we believe, from Rome for a distinct purpose.
Symbolic “Babylon” in Scripture, we believe to refer definitely to the preponderating influence of the Romish church.