What is "Babylon the Great"?

Question

It could not be the ancient city of Babylon. Revelation was written at the end of the first century C.E. and describes events that would reach down to our day. The Encyclopedia Americana says: “The city [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 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 a city, it would have many organizations within it; and like a kingdom that includes other kings in its domain, it would be 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."

So what is it, and why are we told to "Get out her, my people" at Revelation 18: 4,5? Just wanted you to think about it.

I thought this was interesting. It refers to false religion, a.k.a. Babylon the Great.
“The Platonic trinity, itself merely 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’s] conception of the divine trinity . . . can be found in all the ancient [pagan] religions.”—Nouveau Dictionnaire Universel (Paris, 1865-1870), edited by M. Lachâtre, Vol. 2, p. 1467.

Answer 1

The world empire of false religion.
It's also described as a harlot sitting atop a great beast. The beast turns on the harlot and devours her.

The beast represents the political factions
The harlot represents the religions not approved by God.

Answer 2

Ahh ... you are mistaken. Babylon is not an uninhabited ruin. The bible says that one day it will be utterly destroyed, but that time has not yet come. Saddam Hussein spent untold billions salvaging the city and built one of his largest palaces there. Now here's the best part. A recent Washington Post commentary suggested moving the U.N. from NYC to Babylon! Babylon the Great will once again become the center of the world just like the bible predicts.

To come out of Babylon is to remove yourself from the Babylonian system of world government/religion – that of the Antichrist. We are close to the end.

Answer 3

Definition: The world empire of false religion, embracing all religions whose teachings and practices do not conform to the true worship of Jehovah, the only true God. Following the Flood of Noah’s day, false religion had its beginning at Babel (later known as Babylon). (Gen. 10:8-10; 11:4-9) In time, Babylonish religious beliefs and practices spread to many lands. So Babylon the Great became a fitting name for false religion as a whole.

Answer 4

"Babylon the Great" is the end time, revived Roman Empire system of world government controlled by Rome and enforced through its apostate religion. People in the system now are told to get out of her because of the wrath that will rain down on her when a unified Europe nukes her back to the stone-age. Those in her religious system will suffer greatly under "the" Anti-Christ-(the Lawless One).

Answer 5

I didn't suspect you were a Jehovah's Witness until I read your last comment, equating belief in the Trinity with the "Whore of Babylon." What the WBTS doesn't understand is that Plato's concept of the trinity and Christianity's concept of the Trinity are completely different. So, in short, the WBTS has again lied to you.

Beausobre, in his "History of Manichæism," explains the resemblance of the Platonic and Christian Trinity:

"Such, according to Chalcidius, was the Platonic Trinity. It has been justly regarded as defective. 1. It speaks of a first, a second, and a third God; expressions which Christianity has banished. Still, as appears from what I have said, Plato really acknowledged but a single God, because he admitted, properly speaking, but a single First Cause, and a single Monarch. 2. This theology is still further censured for the division of the Divine Persons, who are not only distinguished, but separated. The objection is well grounded. But this error may be pardoned in a philosopher, since it is excused in a great number of Christian writers who have had the lights of the Gospel. 3. In the last place, fault is found with this theology on account of the inequality of the Persons. There is a supreme God, to whom the two others are subject. There was the same defect in the theology of the Manichaeans. They believed the consubstantiality of the Persons, but they did not believe their equality. The Son was below the Father, and the Holy Spirit below the Father and Son. But if we go back to the time when Manichaeus lived [about the middle of the third century], we shall be obliged to pardon an error which was then very general.... Huet, who acknowledges that Origen has everywhere taught that the Son is inferior to the Father, excuses him on the ground that this was the common doctrine of those writers who preceded the Council of Nice. And Petavius not only does not deny it, but proves it at length in his First Book on the Trinity." (Histoire du Manichéisme, Tom. I. pp. 560, 561.)

To answer your question, the Whore of Babylon is false religion. I suppose you've been taught that "Christendom" is this "Whore," but this is impossible, given the text. "She" is a CITY that sits on 7 hills -- to my knowledge, this applies to two modern cities only: Rome and Jerusalem. There are strong arguments for either being the Whore. I suspect we won't know until the Tribulation begins.

Answer 6

I've always perceived it to be a metaphor for Rome.

Peter talks about it at the end of 1 Peter......"Greetings from Babylon" I believe he says.

But we know he was in Rome in his final days before being executed by Nero.

Answer 7

Biblical xenophobia is blind to the passage of time.

A lot of religiously inspired race hatred is still around today.

Babylon the Great is simply an example of it.

Answer 8

The bible was probably refering to the real city of Babylon, which was not far from Isreal.