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Babylon is first century Jerusalem. Babylon is "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth (Rev.11:18). The great city is also spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified (Rev.11:8). Babylon (Jerusalem) receives the vengeance of God for killing the apostles and prophets (Rev.18:20; Matt.23:34-37).
Yes, I believe Mystery Babylon is America. In the prophecy, it is the richest and most powerful nation in the end time. When judgment comes... the merchants of the World watching the smokes rise will weep... asking who will now buy their merchandise?
Babylon is a city. It is that "great city" (Rev.17:18). The "great city" was also spiritually Sodom and Egypt (Rev.11:8). This city is where "our Lord was crucified," Jesus was not crucified in America, but in first century Jerusalem. The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was a great blow to first century merchants. The loss of trade with Jerusalem, and especially the temple complex, which attracted money and Jews from around the world, was a major blow to the merchants who profited from this trade.
I believe the "mystery Babylon" to be the mystery tradition(religion) of Babylon which has come up through the ages and has been transfered into the most popular forms of religion in the world today, especially "Christianity". I believe the majority of the symbolism in the bible points to the Phariseean traditions which were brought out of Babylon during the Babylonian captivity ... Where it then transfered into Christianity starting in the 5th and 6th centuries during the the rise of Roman Catholicism, thereafter it was transfered into the Muslim(see The Mary/Fatima Connection) religion and later on after the reformation into the protestant denominations.
Now the reference to the city on many waters, some say that refers to Vatican city, some say New York, others say Jerusalem. We are told it sits on many waters. If that is a literal reference then Vatican city and New York would fit perfect. But if we are to understand it symbolically in the same way that we understand the sea out of which the beast rises on who's back she rides, then the many waters could represent the nations of the world and thus the specific world hegemony of the time of the prophecies fulfillment. That hegemony obviously being ruled by the Roman Catholic church(the political system itself, which the beast represents, being a revision of the roman empire) who it appears is the center of all the symbolism where the mystery Babylon is concerned.
This mystery Babylonian tradition will be destroyed by the ten Kings who give their power to the beast. That is when they destroy these dominant religions and force all men to worship the image of the beast. That destruction could be manifest in the physical world as the sudden destruction of the Vatican ... It could be New York, it could be both. It could be the sudden destruction of the world powers which are under the control of the current world religions, in the last days when the man of sin, the son pf perdition, finally leads the world into a single global government and religion(the worship of the beast).
Yes, I believe Mystery Babylon is America. In the prophecy, it is the richest and most powerful nation in the end time. When judgment comes... the merchants of the World watching the smokes rise will weep... asking who will now buy their merchandise?
Actually I think China is now the richest and most powerful nation, but it's not Babylon anymore that the US is.
Revelation 16:19
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
If the cities of the nations fall no one will be buying or selling anything. This I believe to be the climate in which the Son of perdition will come to power. In order to establish a world government, a world economy must be established, hence the mark of the beast beast system.
Sorry for the double post ...
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