I will explain what the Lord has shown me recently, I blogged a blog eight months ago and in the blog I stated that Rev. 17:18 was speaking of Rome,(from my perspective) within two months God had Revealed to me who Babylon was, who the Beast is and who the Harlot is. My opinion is my opinion, I never allow it to supersede God's revelation, in other words I do not hold on to the pride of my opinion. If you want to know who the Harlot, Beast and Babylon is read on.
To start with it is not a City, it is not Rome, Babylon proper, Jerusalem, NYC, it is not the RCC, Mecca or America. HINT: The Harlot and Babylon are two different entities. There is also NO MYSTERY BABYLON, I do not understand why we continue to say this, the Angel in 17:7 says this: Rev. 17: 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
Since the Angel says I will explain the Mystery of the woman (Harlot) and the beast she rides (Seven Headed Beast) why do we insist that it is still a Mystery and why do we not understand that in Rev. 17:8-18 the Angel explains the Mystery to us ? Why do we miss what is in plain site ? Mystery (Musterion) in the Greek means Secret by Gods Silence, once God reveals the Secret/Mystery, it is no longer a Mystery.
The Seven Headed Beast is explained by the Angel first, many people say it sits on 7 hills, when the passage has nothing to do with hills or location, it is speaking of Seven Rulers who arise, we understand this because in the very next verse it speaks about the Seven Kings. So she sits on Seven Mountains which = Seven Rulers just like the Seven Heads = Seven Kingdoms. Then the Angel says Five have fallen, ONE IS, and one is YET TO COME. This is where we have to use our intelligence a wee bit. Who are these Kings ? Well we see in Rev. 13 when this Seven Headed Beast is described that the Beasts of Daniel are included, the Lion (Babylon) Bear (Persia) and Leopard (Greece) along with Rome of course as the fierce Beast/Dragon. So we are searching for the other three heads, who can they possibly be ? What is the commonality of the Beasts/Heads that are mentioned ? They each Conquered, Enslaved or Ruled Israel, that is what made them a "BEAST", so we need to go through history and find the other three common Beasts/Heads. Well lets see, after a little thought we should get this fairly easily, Egypt and Assyria Conquered/Enslaved Israel, and the Anti-Christ and his 10 Kings will according to prophecy Conquer Israel (Abomination of Desolation). So lets add this up, and see what the Angel has revealed to us.
Five Kings have fallen (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece) ONE IS (Rome of course was Ruling Israel when John wrote Revelation) and one is YET TO COME (The Anti-Christ and his 10 Kings). We understand the Beast with Seven Heads now. This is why the USSR, China, the United States and even the British Empire or Ottoman Empire can not be a Beast or one of the Seven Heads, they never Conquered Israel, while Israel/PEOPLE were in the land. The Brits ruled Palestine as did the Ottoman Empire, but God dispersed Israel all over the World, this was why Ezekiel prophesied that Israel would be as "Dead Men's Bones" but we know those dead men's bones came Alive again in 1948, so after Rome, and up until 1948, there could be no Beast, because there was no Israel in the land. The Seven Headed Beast is revealed.
Now what does the Angel say about the Harlot/Woman ? Well firstly it says the Water she sat on is Peoples, Nations, Tongues and Multitudes. So right off the bat we understand she is Worldwide. A key is in Rev. 17:16 the Kings in league with the Beast destroy her, but why after all these years of being co-mingled together do they burn her and destroy her ? Because she is ALL FALSE RELIGION, and the Anti-Christ right after the Abomination of Desolation will demand to be Worshiped as the ONLY GOD !! The Anti-Christ will come after Israel, who flees to the Wilderness where God protects them for 1260 days (Rev. 12), he then comes after Christians who became Christians after the Rapture to Behead them, and he will destroy Islam, Buddhism and all Religions. He demands worship as the ONLY GOD !! Remember, the Harlot is Judged, this is a Chapter that Judges her. False Religion has the blood of the Saints AND the Martyrs on its hands.
Ever wonder why the Harlot is HATED by the Kings but when Babylon is destroyed the Kings Cry and Lament her demise ? Because they are TWO DIFFERENT ENTITIES !! Babylon is False Government and the Harlot is False Religion. People then say "but what about Rev. 17:18" that verse calls her a city ? Well the Angel was only reminding John what he SAW, and the vision was what ? A woman with four things imprinted on her head, MYSTERY, Babylon the Great, Abominations of the Earth and Mother of Harlots. The Angel just reminded John that she was BABYLON the Mother of FALSE RELIGIONS. Not a City, but a MEMORY which is repulsive to God the Father. Proof of this is in Rev. 16.
There really is no Rev. 17 and 18, Rev. 16 comes right before Rev. 19. Rev. 17 is only the Harlot {False Religion} being destroyed and that happens in Rev. 6 and 7, and Rev. 18 is only Babylon or the Last Beast Head of the Seven Headed Beast coming against Israel, getting the plagues of God rained down on them via the Trumpets and the Vials of God. Rev. 17 and 18 are just an enhanced retelling of things already told, thus in Rev. 16 we are told, IT IS DONE !!
In Rev. 16 the 6th Vial gathers the Nations against Israel (Anti-Christ/10 Kings which is Europe and the Kings of the East) and we know who meets them at Meggido don't we ? Jesus our Lord. After he lands on the Mt. of Olives (Zechariah 14) and splits it into (Earthquake). Rev. 16 tells it like this:
Rev. 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. (IT IS DONE !! No Rev. 17 or Rev. 18 exists per se.)
18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts (Earthquake splits Jerusalem), and the cities of the nations fell: (BABYLON) and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
So we see here that BABYLON is only a MEMORY, God sees the Nations that come against Israel as BABYLON, and gives them the fierceness of his wrath. Of course Jesus lands on the Mt. of Olives and destroys those Nations that come against Israel, that is their demise. God Judges False Religion or the Harlot in Rev 17:16, she is no more after this. This happens when the Anti-Christ places an Image of himself in the Temple and demands all to Worship him, at the MID-WAY POINT or in Rev. 6 and 7.
Babylon is destroyed by Gods plagues, Babylon is the Nations that come against Israel (the World) and God destroys her with His Plagues, which are the Seals/Trumpets and Vials. Babylons commerce is no doubt destroyed, that is what plagues do. Babylon is the habitation of Devils, Satan has been cast to earth and Apollyon and his horde of demons have been released from the pit in Rev. 9. The BOTTOM LINE IS :
The Harlot is FALSE RELIGION
Babylon is FALSE GOVERNMENT that tries to destroy Gods people, come after His authority, and deny His Godhead. It is not a City, it represents all that God sees as EVIL.
