Bible Discussion Thread

Babylon the Great as stated here is not the U.S, neither the ancient City of Babylon.BABYLON THE GREAT HERE IN REVELATION IS SYMBOLICALLY USE TO THE EMPIRE OF FALSE RELIGION.

Revelation was written at the end of the first century C.E and describes events that would reach down to our day. The city of Babylon was taken by the Persians under Cyrus the Great in 539 B.C. Later Alexander the Great planned to make Babylon the capital of his eastern empire, but after his death Babylon gradually lost importance. Today the city (near Baghdad Iraq, is an uninhabited ruin.

In the symbolism of Revelation, Babylon the Great is referred to as a "great city", a "kingdom" that rules other kings.(Rev.17:18) Like city, it would have many organizations within it: and like a kingdom that includes other kings in its domain, it would be in international in scope. It is described as having relations with political rulers and contributing much to the wealth of men in commerce, while itself being a third element that "has become a dwelling place of demons" and a persecutor of "prophets and of holy ones".- Rev.18:2,9-17,24

History of ancient Babylon was outstanding noted for its religion and its defiance of Jehovah God- the God of Hebrew.(see Exodus 6:3 and Psalms 83:18)

At Gen.10:8-10, " Nimrod...displayed himself a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah...And the beginning of his kingdom came to Babel [later known as Babylon].

At Daniel 5:22,23- Belshazzar-Babylonian king exalted himself against the Lord of heavens and 'have praised mere gods of silver and of gold," etc...."that are beholding nothing or hearing nothing". but the God who gave breath and everything to Belshazzar , he have not glorified.

Ancient cuneiform inscription reads; "there are Babylon 53 temples of the chief gods,55 chapels of Marduk,300 chapels for the earthly deities, 600 for the heavenly deities, 180 altars for the goddess Ishtar, 180 for the gods Nergal and Adad and 12 other altars for different gods"- Quoted in THE BIBLE AS HISTORY (New York, 1964), W. Keller,p,301.

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA COMMENTS: "Sumerian civilization [which was part of Babylonia] was dominated by priests; at the head of the state was the "LUGAL"(literally 'great man'), the representative of the gods."-(1977).Vol.3,p.9.

REASONABLY, therefore, BABYLON THE GREAT as referred to in REVELATION is RELIGIOUS.Being like a city and an empire, it is not limited to one religious group but includes ALL RELIGIONS that are in OPPOSITION to Jehovah, the true God.

ANCIENT BABYLONIAN RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS AND PRACTICES ARE FOUND IN RELIGIONS WORLDWIDE.

"Egypt, Persia, and Greece felt the influence of the Babylonian religion...The strong admixture of Semitic elements both in early Greek mythology and in Grecian cults is now so generally admitted by scholars as to require no further comments. These Semitic elements are to a large extent more specifically Babylonian."- THE RELIGION OF BABYLONIA AND ASSYRIA (Boston, 1898) M. Jastrow, Jr.pp699,700.

THEIR GODS: There were triads of gods, and among their divinities were those representing various forces of nature and ones that exercised special influence in certain activities of mankind. (Babylonian and Assyrian Religion, Norman, Okla.; 1963, S.H.Hooke,pp.14-40).

" The PLATONIC TRINITY, itself merley a rearrangement of older trinities dating back to earlier peoples, appears to be the rational philosophic trinity of attributes that gave birth to the three hypostases or divine persons taught by the Christian Churches... This Greek philosopher's [PLATO] conception of trinity...can be found in all the ancients [pagan] religions."- Nouvea Dictionnaire Universe (Paris, 1865-1870), edited by M.Lachatre, Vol 2,p.1467

USE OF IMAGES: [In Mesopotamian religion} the role of the image was central in the cult as well as in private worship, as the wide distribution of cheap replicas of such images shows. Fundamentally, the deity was considered present in its image if it showed certain specific features and paraphernalia and was cared for in the appropriate manner."- Ancient Mesopotamia-Portrait of a Dead Civilization ( Chicago, 1964), A.L. Oppenheim,p.184

POSITION OF THE PRIESTHOOD; "The distinction between priest and layman is characteristic of this [Bayblonian} religion."- Encyclopedia Britannica (1948),Vol 2,p.861

BELIEF REGARDING DEATH; "Neither the people nor the leaders of religious thought [in Babylon] ever faced the possibility of the total annihilation of what once was called into existence. Death was a passage to another kind of life."- The Religion of babylonia and Assyria,p.556.

PRACTICE OF ASTROLOGY,DIVINATION,MAGIC,AND SORCERY: Historian A.H. Sayce writes: " In the religion of ancient Babylonnia...every objecy of force of nature was supposed to have its "zi" or spirit, who could be controlled by the magical exorcisms of the Shaman, or sorcere-priest." "The Chaldeans{Babylonians} made great progress in the study of astrology through an effort to discover the future in the stars. This art we call 'astrology."-says The Dawn of Civilization and Life in the Ancient East.

BABYLON THE GREAT IS LIKE AN IMMORTAL HARLOT, ONE LIVING IN SHAMELESS LUXURY;
Rev.17:1-5 says, "Come hither; "I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters[means PEOPLES]:With whom the kings [means political leaders] of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. ...And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Rev. 18:7 adds that "she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury."

*It is true that the dominant religious organizations have made it a practice to consort with political rulers for power and material gain, though this has resulted in suffering for the common people? Is it not also true that their higher clergy live in luxury, even though many of the people to whom they should minister may be impoverished?

WHY CAN RELIGIONS THAT PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIAN PROPERLY BE VIEWED AS A PART OF BABYLONIAN THE GREAT HARLOT, ALONG WITH THOSE WHO KNOW NOTHING OF THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?

JAMES 4:4 (please read the verse in your copy). So though they know what the Bible says about God, they make themselves enemies of God if they CHOOSE friendship with the world by imitating its ways.)

Also at 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:14,15 (read in your copy) The god of this world is Satan and "Satan keeps on transforming himself into an angel of light" and so Satan's ministers also transforming themselves as ministers of righteousness... THUS< JEHOVAH"S chief adversary, Satan the Devil himself, is really being honored by all who do not worship the true God in the manner that He has appointed, even though they may claim to be Christian. See also 1 Cor.10:20 and Matthew 7:21-23

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO GET OUT OF BABYLON THE GREAT WITHOUT DELAY:

Just as Rev.18:4,21 then compare Luke 21:36, (anyone serious of worshiping God of the Bible in spirit and truth) or people of God must get out of Babylonian type worship as NOT to receive the PLAGUES for her.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE BIBLE TRUTH BUT LIVED AND DIED IN THE PAST AS PART OF BABYLON THE GREAT?

ACTS 17:30 SAYS: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Also read Acts 24:15 and Job 34:12.