Hislop's The Two Babylons
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I’m teaching an Adult Bible Fellowship class this Sunday on Revelation 17. It has been an interesting study of the identify of the “great prostitute”—“Babylon the Great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”
Of course, several commentaries say this refers to a worldwide religious system, even to be identified with the Roman Catholic Church (and I remembering hearing this taught). However, I can’t find much evidence to support this view from the text, and it seems to have been based primarily on Hislop’s book The Two Babylons. Some sources seem to indicate the book has been thoroughly discredited, such as Ralph Woodrow’s article “The Two Babylons: A Case Study in Poor Research Methodology” (Christian Research Journal [Vol. 22, Issue 2—2000: , p. 54-56), which can be found here: http://put_url_here: http://newprotestants.com/2babylons.htm .
Do you know anything more about The Two Babylons? Can you give me evidence to support the view that the prostitute represents a worldwide religious system rather than a political and economic one (see ch. 18)?
Of course, several commentaries say this refers to a worldwide religious system, even to be identified with the Roman Catholic Church (and I remembering hearing this taught). However, I can’t find much evidence to support this view from the text, and it seems to have been based primarily on Hislop’s book The Two Babylons. Some sources seem to indicate the book has been thoroughly discredited, such as Ralph Woodrow’s article “The Two Babylons: A Case Study in Poor Research Methodology” (Christian Research Journal [Vol. 22, Issue 2—2000: , p. 54-56), which can be found here: http://put_url_here: http://newprotestants.com/2babylons.htm .
Do you know anything more about The Two Babylons? Can you give me evidence to support the view that the prostitute represents a worldwide religious system rather than a political and economic one (see ch. 18)?
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Anyone? Bueller?
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Greg Long, Ed.D. (SBTS)
Pastor of Adult Ministries
Grace Church, Des Moines, IA
Adjunct Instructor
School of Divinity
Liberty University
After reading your question, my Dad pointed out to me the following:
Babylon represents the “city of man” as opposed to the “city of God,” which is Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom and the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and New Earth. Babylon can also represent all the great cities of the world - man’s false religious systems, governmental systems and economic systems. Babylon further represents man’s rule with Satan as oppossed to God’s rule. This leads to man’s worship of himself and finally, worship of Satan through the Antichrist. So Babylon in Revelation will be the final world system.
Love,
In Christ,
Matt
Babylon represents the “city of man” as opposed to the “city of God,” which is Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom and the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and New Earth. Babylon can also represent all the great cities of the world - man’s false religious systems, governmental systems and economic systems. Babylon further represents man’s rule with Satan as oppossed to God’s rule. This leads to man’s worship of himself and finally, worship of Satan through the Antichrist. So Babylon in Revelation will be the final world system.
Love,
In Christ,
Matt
Christ Saves Sinners is my evangelistic website.
Thomas Ice writes an article titled, “[URL=http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/Ice-BabylonInBibleProphec.pdf] Babylon in Bible Prophecy[/URL] “, where he believes that Babylon will literally be rebuilt and destroyed. Thomas Ice’s argument seems very convincing to me.
Love,
In Christ,
Matt
– Corrected Link –
Love,
In Christ,
Matt
– Corrected Link –
Christ Saves Sinners is my evangelistic website.
Babylon may represent all the great cities of man, as opposed to the city of God, of which there will be an ultimate city of man. In Revelation, the ultimate city of man may be rebuilt Babylon or may be represented by the characteristics of Babylon yet carry a different name.
I read in The King James Study Bible that the harlot of chapter 17 is the same as the city of Babylon in chapter 18:
In Christ,
Matt
I read in The King James Study Bible that the harlot of chapter 17 is the same as the city of Babylon in chapter 18:
[Revelation] 18:1-3. That the city Babylon in chapter 18 is the same as the whore or harlot in chapter 17 is shown by : (1) the parallels between the two (cf. 17:1-6, 15-18 with 18:2, 3, 6-8, 12, 18-24); (2) the identification of the harlot as the “great city” in 17:18; (3) the summary of Babylon’s judgment in 19:2, 3; (4) the fact that the imagery in both chapters comes from the Old Testament references to Tyre, Nineveh, and Babylon (cf. Is. 13, 14, 23; Ezek. 26-28; Jer. 50, 51). The phrase after these things shows that chapter 18 is a further revelation concerning Babylon: the results of her destruction.Love,
In Christ,
Matt
Christ Saves Sinners is my evangelistic website.
Matt,
Thanks for the help. I agree that there is a clear parallel between the prostitute John is shown in Rev. 17-18 and the pure Bride he is shown in Rev. 21:9ff. It’s interesting that many commentators miss this. In fact, a few (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown; Seiss) see a parallel with the woman of Rev. 13, but of course they interpret that woman to be the church (rather than Israel, which it clearly is) and so they interpret the prostitute to be apostate religion.
However, it seems to me that John uses “Babylon” as a code word for Rome. The beast upon which the woman is seated has seven heads which represent seven hills, which is an obvious allusion to Rome. And then in 17:18 the angel makes it explicit: “The woman that you saw is the great city that has (present tense) dominion over the kings of the earth.” That must be referring to Rome. Also, “ ‘Babylon’ was a common euphemism for “Rome” in the Pseudepigrapha (2 Baruch 11:1, 67:7; Sibylline Oracles 5:143, 159) and in rabbinic writings. Midrash Rabbah on Song of Songs 1:6.4 states directly, “One calls Rome ‘Babylon.’” Yechiel Lichtenstein on 1 Ke 5:13 remarks that “Rome is called ‘Babylon’ since it is always described as the worst kingdom” (The Jewish New Testament Commentary).
But I think you put it very well in your first post (I just add the word “Rome” because I don’t know if Babylon refers to a rebuilt Babylon or is a code word for Rome).
Thanks for the help. I agree that there is a clear parallel between the prostitute John is shown in Rev. 17-18 and the pure Bride he is shown in Rev. 21:9ff. It’s interesting that many commentators miss this. In fact, a few (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown; Seiss) see a parallel with the woman of Rev. 13, but of course they interpret that woman to be the church (rather than Israel, which it clearly is) and so they interpret the prostitute to be apostate religion.
However, it seems to me that John uses “Babylon” as a code word for Rome. The beast upon which the woman is seated has seven heads which represent seven hills, which is an obvious allusion to Rome. And then in 17:18 the angel makes it explicit: “The woman that you saw is the great city that has (present tense) dominion over the kings of the earth.” That must be referring to Rome. Also, “ ‘Babylon’ was a common euphemism for “Rome” in the Pseudepigrapha (2 Baruch 11:1, 67:7; Sibylline Oracles 5:143, 159) and in rabbinic writings. Midrash Rabbah on Song of Songs 1:6.4 states directly, “One calls Rome ‘Babylon.’” Yechiel Lichtenstein on 1 Ke 5:13 remarks that “Rome is called ‘Babylon’ since it is always described as the worst kingdom” (The Jewish New Testament Commentary).
But I think you put it very well in your first post (I just add the word “Rome” because I don’t know if Babylon refers to a rebuilt Babylon or is a code word for Rome).
[Matt H.] Babylon [Rome?] represents the “city of man” as opposed to the “city of God,” which is Jerusalem in the Millennial Kingdom and the New Jerusalem in the New Heaven and New Earth. Babylon [Rome?] can also represent all the great cities of the world - man’s false religious systems, governmental systems and economic systems. Babylon [Rome?] further represents man’s rule with Satan as oppossed to God’s rule. This leads to man’s worship of himself and finally, worship of Satan through the Antichrist. So Babylon [Rome?] in Revelation will be the final world system.
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Greg Long, Ed.D. (SBTS)
Pastor of Adult Ministries
Grace Church, Des Moines, IA
Adjunct Instructor
School of Divinity
Liberty University
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