The Destruction of Babylon and the Beast System
Bible Study Guide
The destruction of Babylon and the beast will cap off a long stretch of dark chapters. It’ll end a period of the earth’s most dismal and destructive days. But there is rejoicing just over the horizon.
I want to commend you if you’ve held on up to this point in our Bible study journey.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a brief moment for a mention and a suggestion.
This passage opens with John seeing a mighty angel coming down from heaven. I’m sure you’ve noticed the in-depth role that angel’s have played in the revealing of Revelation. Angels have been woven into the fabric of God’s Word, from Genesis to Revelation. They play an important role as God’s closest messengers. They act upon His every command that comes from Him directly to them.
No where in the Bible, do they play such a pivotal and active role than in the book of Revelation.
If you’ve noticed God’s messengers as I have, you’re probably as fascinated by them as I am. In that case, I would highly recommend you pick a copy of Dr. David Jeremiah’s book titled, Angels. It’ll delight your senses, fascinate and enlighten your mind, and it’ll bless your understanding about God’s most special spiritual servants.
Babylon and the Beast Have Fallen!
(Verse 1-2) This angel was certainly ranked high in God’s hierarchy of angels. His might gave him the ability to illuminate the entire earth. This is obviously something that was given to him by God.
It could very well be that this angel wasn’t actually shouting. This mighty angel in all his God given authority may have been speaking at a normal level. It may have sounded loud to John, in all his smallness. Remember, John is doing his best at recording everything he hears and sees. It has to be difficult for a 90 year old man to record heavenly things into human terms and understanding.
God, long ago prophesied through His prophet Isaiah the fall of Babylon the city. Notice the similarities in the text.
“Look, here comes a man in a chariot
with a team of horses.
And he gives back the answer:
‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen!
All the images of its gods
lie shattered on the ground!’” (Isaiah 21:9)
In fact, God spoke twice through Isaiah of the fall of Babylon and the beast. These were in chapters 19 and 47. He spoke of the fall of the physical city of Babylon. The one that sits about 60 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq.
These opening passages can easily direct our minds to a physical city of Babylon. There is a small problem with that. There is no physical city of Babylon. It fell under the Medi-Persian army thousands of years ago. God said it would never exist again.
Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild it by building his own palace on top of the ruins of the old city. Look at what happened to him. Today, his palace is empty and ransacked and the ruins of ancient Babylon sit desolate.
So what is John recording here in Revelation 18? Is it a physical city or something else?
Is This Babylon the City?
The city of Babylon is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. The first being Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem is God’s holy city. Babylon, you could say is Satan’s unholy city. It’s the city that has opposed God from its beginning.
It was here that Noah’s grandson, Nimrod built the Tower of Babel in order to reach heaven and exalt himself up to God. It was also in this city where the occult found it’s roots with the wife and son of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz.
It’s clear that the demonic forces of Babylon were in complete opposition of God. The Bible speaks of Babylon often in both its physical form as a city and it’s spiritual demonic system that opposes God.
Understanding the Spiritual Babylon System of Satan
Here’s the key to understanding Revelation 18. Babylon, although once an evil city, after it’s destruction by the Medi-Persian army, has no longer physically existed. But the spiritually demonic forces that found its original home in the city of Babylon have continued to this day.
It has become a spiritual system ruled by Satan that has enveloped mankind in both the spiritual, political and economic realms. The physical Babylon died centuries ago. But the spiritual Babylon of evil opposition to God has infiltrated mankind since.
It exists today lead by Satan. It’ll continue to exist until the end of the Tribulation. This is when Christ will return to destroy all of it.
(Verse 3) John records that this spiritual force of Babylon has permeated into every nation in the world. Rulers, kings, presidents and all worldly leaders have fallen under her spell.
They’ve created wealth and luxuries for themselves using her corrupt evil practices. The merchants of the world who’ve transported the luxuries of the rich, powerful and corrupt have benefited from her corruption and evil waysf.
A Warning to Escape From Babylon and the Beast System
(Verses 4-6) A warning is recorded here. It’s calling all people to run from the grips of Babylon and the power of her evil corruptions and temptations. This echoes a call spoken of ages ago by God through His prophet Jeremiah.
“Flee from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
It is time for the Lord’s vengeance;
he will repay her what she deserves.
7 Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand;
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.
8 Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.” (Jeremiah 51:6-8)
Here again, God spoke through Jeremiah of the destruction of the physical city of Babylon after they held God’s people in captivity for seventy years. But here in Revelation, it speaks of Satan’s evil spiritual system of Babylon that has carried on throughout history.
This is the very system that even Christians today are tempted by. It’s all a part of Satan’s plan to destroy God and all His people.
John records in his warning that those under the drunken influence of the spiritual Babylon and the beast system have sins piled up to heaven. They will have an equal heap of wrath piled upon them waiting to be delivered.
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.” (Romans 2:5)
A Boastful King and Queen Quickly Humbled
(Verses 8-9) King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was the first king of the first global empire to attack God’s holy city and disperse His people. He was a boastful king and proud of his accomplishments. But God quickly humbled him.
So also the reference here to the queen, the woman on the beast, the harlot is a reference to the evil spiritual Babylon and the beast system. Notice the similarities again to God’s Words through His prophet Isaiah.
“You said, ‘I am forever—
the eternal queen!’
But you did not consider these things
or reflect on what might happen.
8 “Now then, listen, you lover of pleasure,
lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.
I will never be a widow
or suffer the loss of children.’” (Isaiah 47:7-8)
Unlike the King of the city of Babylon who was quickly humbled, the queen will meet her total destruction in only a day.
Continue to the next Bible study guide to see the final destruction of Babylon and the beast.
Hang tight. The darkness is almost over. The One who is the Light of the world is about to make a most welcomed and grand appearance. Oh, did I mention every single eye will see Him.
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!
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