Babylon the Great – The Church System
Could it be? Is it possible that the church, the institutional system, is an aspect of Babylon the Great spoken of in Revelations? This idea is a hard truth to swallow, but our spirits live on truth because it establishes our beliefs and thus our faith. Galatians 3:11 Faith isn’t worth much if it is in the wrong truth, therefore our duty is to seek out the truth.
1. Babylon the Great is the Mother of Harlots
Revelation 17:5 MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Babylon symbolizes a woman who played the harlot against God. The only ones who can play the harlot are those who profess to be united to God in the first place. You can’t cheat if you aren’t in a relationship.
Throughout the Word, God calls His people a harlot when they break their covenant with Him; they have left Him in their heats to follow other gods, other gospels, other Jesus’, other truths, while still carrying His name. He abolished the old covenant and established a new. Because Revelations talks about a time in the future, then the harlotry must be in regards to the new covenant, the only active one that means anything.
2. This woman is also referred to as the great city.
The great city is Jerusalem. Jerusalem symbolizes where God’s people reside. Matt 23:37
Revelation 17:18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.
Revelation 11:8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
We begin to see that this woman is headed toward a downfall so much so that she will become like Egypt and Sodom and God will deal with her as He dealt with them.
3. The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints.
Revelation 17:6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
Those who drink the blood of the saints are of the church.
We have this example in the Pharisees. They called themselves children of Abraham; Jesus called them children of the devil. Talk about a mistaken identity. What happened with people in the church in Jesus’ day is happening today. The church started out in accordance to God’s ways, but then went its own way. Even to murdering the prophets, sound familiar? Matthew 23:31, 35, 37 John 8: 44 We can kill someone physically, but another way to kill them is the truth they stood for. We kill it by twisting it and not heeding it making it void and meaningless.
John marveled with great amazement, this truth is indeed shocking.
4. Babylon the Great has become a dwelling place of every foul thing.
Revelation 18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.
The great city, the woman, played the harlot and turned symbolically into Babylon. Her downfall is so severe that she becomes a dwelling place of demons, where no good thing dwells.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
Babylon can’t be the world. The world has always been full of demons and lies because it is under the devil’s control. Only God’s people are separated out. So the world couldn’t become a dwelling place, it already is one. Therefore what has become inhabited is somewhere that wasn’t before – where God’s people dwell, church system. Furthermore, He is telling us to come out of something. We can come out of the church system.
Church system (institution of God’s people) = Jerusalem = the great city = Harlot = Babylon the Great
Now what?
Because of what the church system becomes God is going to destroy it. He warns His people who can still hear His voice to get out while they can. If you look at the church, it isn’t headed in a good direction. There is a disconnect between the Word and what we see in the churches. We like to rationalize and justify the downward spiral of the church, but the Word foretells its future and the Word stands forever.
Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues
It has grown so corrupt with deception and lies that even the elect are going to have trouble standing firm on the truth. Matthew 24:24 Think about how deceptive that must be? Churches are incredibly persuasive. Religious leaders have a power over people because people trust them. Just ask the lobbyists. They led the masses to crucify Jesus who days before they were praising. They led the people of Lystra who were worshiping Paul and Silas to turn to stone them leaving them for dead. Acts 14 Never underestimate the persuasion they have. God knows their influence and who is behind them that is why He tells us to get out. It isn’t safe. We have to trust Him, putting aside our justifications.
Psalm 74:3-4 Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs.
Right before this verse the writer talks about Mount Zion which is a name to describe God’s people in the future. Hebrews 12:22-23. The sanctuary, the meeting place of God’s people is going to suffer perpetual desolation. A New Jerusalem will take its place. Revelation 21:2 It seems that time is upon us. He wants His people out of the old so they don’t receive her plagues
You may think now is not the time, but when? Who will you listen to tell you to get out? If you don’t and decide to stay a little longer, I pray your teacher is God and you can clearly hear His voice above all the others. Deception and lies are only going to continue to grow worse. 2 Timothy 3:13. Many are going to go astray. Things aren’t going to get better. If we think we or our church is above deception then we are most deceived. The church served a purpose for a time, but like most man-made institutions it has gone sideways. Ezekiel 8
Where do we go? To Him, to His Word. He will be our Shepherd, He will write His truths on our heart, He will teach us, guide us, and protect us. He has given us all we need, His Word, Himself, and when you get there you will find others.
People are leaving the church because they feel something is amiss. Could it be that they have heard His call in their hearts? Those that know their Shepherd’s voice will follow Him.
There is much to say on this topic but I pray this encourages you to search out His truth from His pure Word.
Living Light 
July 24, 2008 at 1:12 am
Don’t you think this is a bit out of context? God is coming back for His true church. All churches are not false. Rethink this seriously flawed conclusion you’ve made: “HOW can they believe in whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they be sent?”
July 24, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Thank you for your thoughts . . .
Dependency on pastors and churches to teach, lead and save us instead of God is a significant part of the downfall of the church system. Churches have positioned themselves as the in-between man usurping a believer’s reliance on the Word of God and God. People now feel they need the system. They tell them what to do to be saved, that they are saved, what to believe, what to do, and how to serve God.
God saves us. Romans 8:29-30 Proverbs 17:18 Hebrews 7:22 God sanctifies Ezekiel 31:13 God teaches us 1 John 2:27. God shepherds us. Psalm 23:1, Ezekiel 34. Yet few really trust Him to do these things.
I think at one time the structure of the church was needed. However, it has morphed into what it wasn’t intended to be. With the church positioned as it is, people rely on the church as a source of truth and to give them understanding of the truth – there is only room for one at the top – God. These days in the church the Word is interpreted, not read. Our reliance is to be on God’s Word and His spirit to teach us because then we are following Him and not man’s doctrine. There will come a time when people will want a multitude of teachers and not God’s truth 2 Timothy 4:3-4 A time will come when deception will be pervasive and so convincing that even the elect would be deceived Matt 24:22, 24 A time will come that God’s sanctuary will be overtaken. Daniel 8:13 I believe these times are upon us. We are told to watch, watch, watch, because things are going to change from what they were. We have to be ready to trust God and follow Him when they do.
Ezekiel 34:31 You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord God.
August 3, 2008 at 9:05 pm
I agreed with you
November 20, 2013 at 7:59 am
A rolling stone is worth two in the bush, thanks to this article.
February 22, 2009 at 11:27 pm
I so agree with this… We love our brothers and sisters, but just something doesn’t sit right about the system / structure of “the church”.
It has really blinded us to many deeper spiritual truths and subtly become our “source of truth”, instead of us receiving the “Bread of life” directly from the Holy Spirit.
No, not all churches are bad… Where there is deep love, this is God also!
Keep in the Spirit, sis! 🙂
March 15, 2009 at 5:27 am
Hi Rachel,
I think that that what you and I call church today are most certainly intermingled in Mystery Babylon. But the the church alone cannot be Mystery Babylon. She is far greater than this, she is I believe the combination of those nations which were called forth in Christ. Nations like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brittain for example. All of these nations were called forth in Christ and have a Christian foundation. Today those nations have become harlots, apart from the true church. In fact she, as a result of her ways, produces harlots, has become a mother of harlots. She lives it, breathes it, exports it.
I believe in the same way that the apostle Paul says in Romans 9:6 “they are not all Israel, who are of Israel”. So today we have a Church which are not all in Christ.
Remembering that the wheat and the tares must grow together until the end of the age.
This is why you, along with many others see something awful in what we call “the church”
But not all are tarred with the same brush. Those whom He calls, He calls. They could be in the church, out of the church, you name it. His elect are His elect wherever they serve Him.
By and large however, the western Christian church has been infiltrated by men with a godly confession who choose to live according to the flesh.
Therefore what you call the church, all of these are not in Christ. Yet all of the church will be saved, found without spot or blemish, as promised. But it will be those of the true church who are of the promise , who walk according to the Spirit and not after the flesh.
Here is a link to an article which I believe explains fairly well who Mystery Babylon is.
http://www.theendtime.com/index.php/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_the_Anti-Christ/Mystery_Babylon
Blessings,
Tim.
March 15, 2009 at 4:41 pm
Tim,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I truly enjoy hearing others ideas and perspectives because it enhances my own. I’ll check out the article.
Rachel
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November 30, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Hi Rachel, I am sure you have grown in the Lord since writing this artical. However, there is nothing I enjoy more than scripture study & discussing the Lord. -There are 12 major prophesy points to identify the son of perdition, whom is the head of mystery babylon. perdition has the same meaning as perjury/lieing. son of perdition, from the beginning, has perceived himself to be a god the same as the kings of Rome, whom set up his office. even though before he was, Jesus & the apostles said perdition was already at work, still he & vatican city are the mother of denominational church. -another point, the stoneing death of Stephan was the end of the seventy week prophesy in Daniel. the covenant of mercy was no longer with the Jews, but the gentiles. From 1789 to 1929 God gave the gentile to repent & come back to His truth, but we would not. Noah’s day was 120yrs.. Jews had 490yrs.. Gentiles had 140yrs.. 1948, with Jewish state reastablished, says gentiles did not hold God’s covenant, so He prundaway the wild olive branches & grafted back the cultivated branches. Jews still deny Jesus. Now, the world is only standing because of God’s long suffering.
December 1, 2011 at 8:03 am
Hey Rachel, the first paragraph realy stricks home & I meditated on it until, as Jesus said, “The Holly Counselor will bring to your mind what I have said” both old & new testemint speak of a man receiving a little scrole that he must eat, “it is sweat in the mouth” I perceive the sweat to be the joy of God allowing me to receive truth. “Bitter in the belly” I perceive to be the sorrow for being so wrong toward God.
December 1, 2011 at 8:25 am
Hey Rachel, another concederation is Mark saying “the abomination that makes desolation” / “he sets up his palital tents” “in the valley of Jehosaphat” when this topic has been studied and the Lord sends truth, multitudes upon multitudes of delusion will be dispelled.
December 1, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Hi Eldon, thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. Interesting about being sweet to the mouth and bitter in the belly – I like your thoughts on it. The abomination of desolation .. could it be Satan’s reign in the hearts of those who are suppose to be God’s people? God’s people are to be His temple but we can see how corrupted those souls have become by the prevailing lies. When lies reign so does Satan.