An Apologetic on “Babylon: The Great of Revelation”

 

 

In Don Preston's article, May 11, 2006, titled Babylon: The Great of Revelation, Don concludes that Babylon must refer to Jerusalem because only Jerusalem killed Old Testament prophets. He quotes, "--and prophets in Revelation must refer to Old Testament prophets. Rev. 16-6;17-1-6;18-20,24 tell us that Babylon was drunk with the blood of the prophets. This is a critical point! The term "the prophets" appears 88 times in the New Testament. The overwhelmingly normal usage of the term refers to Old Testament prophets."

He also quotes in this article; "Everyone agrees that the book of Revelation predicts the fall of Babylon, what they do not agree upon is the identity of Babylon. Some say it is Rome, Roman Catholicism, a modern day worldwide church, or apostate Christianity as a whole. One thing is certain, the interpretation of Revelation and thus much of the Bible, hinges upon who Babylon is or was.

"In Revelation the coming of Christ, the New Creation, judgment and resurrection are associated with the fall of Babylon. To mistakenly identify Babylon is to incorrectly interpret these issues. Whatever one makes Babylon to be these issues are inextricably linked with her fall!" (End of quote).

We agree that the interpretation of Revelation and thus much of the Bible hinges upon who Babylon is or was. So is Babylon Jerusalem as Don Preston teaches?

Don's argument is rather weak because for one example, Rev. 18-20 evidently refers to New Testament apostles "and prophets." It reads, "Rejoice over her (thou) heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets*; for God hath avenged you on her." And Revelation 11 speaks of the two witnesses "as prophets," which is evidently in the New Testament era. Besides other gifts Paul speaks of "prophets" in 1 Cor. 12-27-28. Then explains in detail these gifts which include "prophets" in 1 Cor. 12-29 to 14-40 given the New Testament church. We read in Ephe. 4-11-12, "And he gave some apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." This clearly speaks here of the New Testament church and the gifts given to it by the Holy Spirit. So to argue that these are only Old Testament prophets seen in Revelation is quite implausible.

Furthermore, to identify "Mystery Babylon" of Revelation with Jerusalem is also implausible as shall be seen. For Jerusalem does not fit with the description given in Revelation chapter 17 as the "city on seven hills or mountains." It is seen there that these seven hill/mountains represent "kingdoms." And Jerusalem did not "come out" of the Roman Empire. Yet the little horn of Daniel, which is identified with Revelation's Babylon, is said to "come out" or from the Roman Empire. That final kingdom being the beast seen in Revelation. Also this "Mystery Babylon" called a "woman" is seen as a whore in Revelation chapter 17. The term "whoredom" and "fornication" identifies corrupted Christians (Rev. 2-14,20,22). So it simply does not fit to identify Babylon with Jerusalem, but it certainly fits with the apostate church prophesied to come in scripture.

Going to Rev. 17-5, the word translated "Mystery" there is incorrect. The verse reads; "And upon her forehead (see Rev. 13-1) a name written, Mystery; Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots and of the abominations of the earth." The Greek word is "musterion" and simply means "a secret". It occurs in the Septuagint only 9 times; of the king's secret which had gone from him (Dan. 2-18,19,27,28,29,30,47 (twice) and Dan. 4-9).

Continuing in Rev. 11-8-9a, all critical texts read; "And their dead body*(sing.) on the street of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom, and Egypt, where their* Lord also, was crucified. And the peoples (lit., some of the peoples) and tribes and tongues and nations, look upon their corpse*(sing.) three days and a half, (Rev. 11-9b)"and do not suffer their corpses* (plural) to be put into a tomb."

Here in verse 8 we see these two witnesses "as one", "their dead body" rather than "bodies" as being two individuals. Which is also given this way in the first part of verse 9, where they “look upon their corpse?" The verse literally reads, "their dead body on the street of the great city." It does not "name" the "great city", but makes clear it is figurative. This city is named figuratively as "Sodom and Egypt," to indicate its spiritual standing. Like Sodom seen in Genesis chapters 18-19 and 2 Peter 2-6. And like Egypt seen in Exo. 1-1-15.

Now we ask, if this "great city" be "Jerusalem", why did John not write; "--the great city Jerusalem that has become as Sodom and Egypt." The following words of John’s verse continue to indicate that this is not Jerusalem. "---where their* Lord also, was crucified." The translators of scripture changed the word "their" to "our" in their translation of this word. The critical texts and the G.L.T.Tr. A WH. and R.V. properly reads (Greek) "auton" translated "their" instead of "hemon" to mean "our." The proper translation is "where their Lord also, was crucified," not literally but "spiritually" as the text tells us concerning these witnesses and the city on which they stood.

As can be seen in Heb. 6-4-6, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit,---If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify* (spiritually) to themselves the Son of God afresh* (again), and put (Christ) to an open shame" (to public disgrace).

And this is the meaning of Rev. 11-8:"And their dead body* on the street of the great city (a great city), which is called spiritually Sodom, and Egypt, where their* Lord also, was crucified." Crucified spiritually by those who had fallen away (the fallen away prophesied), by those who had partook of the Holy Spirit; in this city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. V.9, "And the peoples (lit. some of the peoples) and tribes and tongues and nations, (in this city) look upon their corpse* three days and a half, and do not suffer their corpses* to be put into a tomb."

We see in Rev. 11-1-2 further evidence that John begins to indicate this very fact to us. That "Jerusalem" is "not the city" being spoken of here in this chapter and in Revelation. "And there was given to me a reed like a measuring rod; and (the angel) said Rise, and measure the temple (Naos) of God, and the alter, and those who worship therein. But the court that is without the temple (Naos) cast without, and measure it not; because it is given up to the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they thread underfoot forty and two months."

We see here that John was to measure, figuratively speaking, the Naos (temple) of God, but not its outer precincts. The problem that arises here is that the partial and full preterists see this verse as being the temple in Jerusalem before its fall. For they believe that the book of Revelation was written several years prior to the fall of Jerusalem (mid 60's), and not in 90-95 A.D. as most scholars and Christians hold to. But the problem with the Preterist approach is even if we were to agree with the mid 60's writing of Revelation, where the temple mentioned here is the Jerusalem temple prior to its fall, why is it called "the Naos of God."? At that time God no longer seen the temple in Jerusalem, nor the city as "holy," for he had rejected it. When the Jewish nation rejected his Son, Jesus Christ their Messiah shortly before his crucifixion and many years prior to Jerusalem's fall. This is seen in Matt. 23-37-39 and Luke 19-41-44. "---Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23-38). "---because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19-44).

If this were the temple in Jerusalem that John writes here, it would not be called "the Naos of God." No, it is written this way to indicate to us that this "Naos of God" considered "holy" here is not the temple in the city of Jerusalem. This can be seen in the words of the following verse; "---and the holy city shall they thread underfoot forty and two months." We see here "the city" is considered "holy" as is also the Naos (temple) of God that resides in it. Therefore, this cannot be Jerusalem and its temple, for God had rejected it it at the time of Christ's crucifixion nearly 40 years prior to Jerusalem's fall.

Again we note that John did not write in this verse, "and the holy city of Jerusalem" shall they thread underfoot--." No, Rev. 11-1-2,8-9 that speaks of the Naos (temple) of God and the holy city is not the temple and city of Jerusalem being spoken of here. It is another temple in another city to exist when the prophecy would come to its fulfillment with the two witnesses accompanying that prophecy.

The literal Greek in Rev. 17-18 is; "Kai (and) h (the) gunh (woman) hn (whom) eideo (thou sawest), estin (is) j (the) poliv h (city) megalh (great) j (which) ecousa (has a) basileian (kingdom) epi (over) twn (the) basilewn (kings) thv (of the) gjhv (earth)." So the literal translation reads; "And the woman whom thou sawest is the city great, which has a kingdom* (religious and political-Rev. chap. 13, beast of the sea and earth) over (dominating over) the kings of the earth."

History shows us that it was not Jerusalem who dominated over the kings of the known world at that time, but rather it was Rome. Rome was the dominant power not the Jewish nation. Jerusalem and the nation were "subjects" of Rome and under Rome's dominion. And she certainly was not "worshipped" by the world, or known world at that time.

Rev. 17-18 tells us who "Mystery Babylon" is, and it is not Jerusalem. It is the beast of the sea, the political beast kingdom to come. Which is also the beast of the earth, the religious beast kingdom, the “woman” who rides upon the beast of the sea? For she gives all authority unto the beast of the sea she rides. To indicate she is "a part" of the beast kingdom's makeup. And this "Mystery Babylon kingdom" is called "the woman" the "great city" which has "a kingdom" who dominates "over the kings of the earth."

There is much more that can be said concerning this issue but space and time will not permit. So in closing regarding this issue and the many other issues concerning eschatology, we have a website that you can visit if you wish as to these important issues. We give an in-depth study on these issues letting scripture speak the final word. Our address is; http://www.twospiritshendora.com . We also have a blog set up if you wish to present your comments.

God bless,

 

Twospirits