Years ago, when I was a young man, beginning to read the Bible for the first time in my life, while I was a member of my country’s armed forces, I began with the last book of the Bible! Imagine, reading the final chapter before reading the first. That’s simply not the way to read any book. Nevertheless, I was captivated by the Apocalypse and wanted to learn all I could about it. Over a period of two years I found many folks who were more than willing to unveil its mysteries to me, and I ended up in what many Christians termed a cult. Its leader was very dogmatic about what the Bible says, and his word, i.e. the leader’s word was to be trusted at all costs. I spent close to four years in that fellowship, and it almost cost me my faith. It would be years before I would attend another church.
The good thing that came out of my experience in that church was: I was no longer a Biblical illiterate. I read the whole Bible twice, and I knew my way around the Scriptures, but I was still confused about many things, including the meaning of the Apocalypse. The “great leader” was no help there, and I found little in the commentaries that could stand up to the test of the rest of Scripture. For example, what does Rome have to do with Babylon? What does the Vatican have to do with Babylon? What does 2000 years and counting have to do with: shortly come to pass, or the time is at hand (Revelation 1:1, 3; 22:10)?
The Almighty One of Revelation 18:1-2 declared that Babylon the Great had fallen! However, this is only one of seven times that Babylon’s fate was declared in the Apocalypse. It is mentioned first in Revelation 14:8 by an angel flying in the midst of heaven, and his declaration follows the preaching of the Gospel (Revelation 14:6-7, cp. Matthew 24:14). It is mentioned for a second time in Revelation 16:19 by the angel who poured out the seventh vile into the air (cp. Revelation 16:17), and this brought the wrath of God to an end (cp. Revelation 15:1). The remaining five mentions of Babylon’s fate are all in chapter 18 of the Apocalypse, and each one simply declares the fact that Babylon had been judged: first by the Almighty One (Revelation 18:2), then by the kings of the earth (Revelation 18:10), next by the merchants of the earth (Revelation 18:17), followed by those involved in the shipping of the earth’s goods (Revelation 18:19), and finally by the Almighty One once again (Revelation 18:21-23). It may be significant to say that the number seven is used often in the Apocalypse, and that number is used to show completeness. Therefore, Babylon was judged completely, i.e. wholly and finally, according to the Apocalypse.
The text goes on to say Babylon had become: “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird” (KJV). Interpretation of this is divided. Some conclude Babylon had become a wilderness or desert, literally inhabited by demons and foul creatures and unclean birds. However, others conclude these are metaphors for unclean men who inhabit resurrected Rome and preach false doctrine. While I agree that the phrase is filled with metaphor, nothing in the text points to a resurrection of Rome or anything far into the future, from a first century AD perspective. These things, according to the authors of the New Covenant Scriptures, were to occur soon, i.e. during the first century AD. They would shortly come to pass, because, when John received the message of the Apocalypse, he was told “the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:1, 3; 22:10)
When the elect were called out from among those the Lord desired to judge (Revelation 18:4; Matthew 24:15-22), all that remained were demons and foul spirits, and unclean and hateful birds (Revelation 18:2). This occurred in 66 AD, when the Roman armies surrounded and even broke into Jerusalem, but for no good reason retreated.[1] At that time the disciples of Jesus fled Jerusalem and Judea.[2] What was left were evil men who murdered and tortured the people within the city, most of whom were pilgrims come to worship during the Holy Days. Famines developed, and many people became cannibalistic. All these things are represented in the metaphors mentioned in Revelation 18:2.
Jerusalem’s troubles, viz. becoming the stronghold of demons and foul spirits, and unclean and hateful birds occurred (Revelation 18:3; cp. Isaiah 13:21-23; 34:11-15), because she had caused those who ruled her to cooperate in her evil deeds. Thus, she added to the force with which she could achieve her will. The saints were persecuted by her without any real objection from her governors. Her evil doctrine against the Gospel of Christ had spread throughout the Empire (cp. Acts 17:6), so much so, that it could be said that all nations had drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Wine changes behavior, and Jerusalem by and large controlled the empire’s worldview of the Gospel.
___________________________________________
[1] See Josephus: Wars of the Jews 2.19.4 to 9.
[2] See Josephus: Wars of the Jews 2.20.1.
Smoodock's Blog 