Posted on 04/09/2014 9:44:02 AM PDT by PhilipFreneau
Was "Babylon The Great" a Symbolic Name for Jerusalem? Part II: Mother of Harlots and Sins of Sodom.
Jerusalem was completely destroyed in 70 AD, and over 1.1 million people were slaughtered or starved to death; both as a result of an internal civil war, and a later siege and assault by the Roman armies. Yet there is barely a direct mention of the magnitude of destruction and death in the New Testament, with the exception of these passages in Luke:
"And when [Jesus] was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." (Luke 19:41-44 KJV)
"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Luke 21:20 KJV)
Jesus said the destruction would occur in the generation of his disciples, which is exactly when it occurred:
"Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled." (Luke 21:32 KJV)
The purpose of this series of posts is to show how there was a substantial and fairly detailed reference in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem under the pseudo-name of Babylon the Great. In Part I we discussed how Babylon the Great and old Jerusalem were both responsible for the same blood: in particular the blood of the prophets. We now look at the similarities of whoredom by both cities.
Whatever the sins of Sodom, the sins of Jerusalem were worse, according to Ezekiel. He begins with a general statement of why God adopted the Israelites as his children:
"Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, And say, Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee; thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare." (Eze 16:2-7 KJV)
And the Lord turned Jerusalem into a prosperous and beautiful kingdom:
"I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom." (Eze 16:10-13 KJV)
Babylon the Great was similarly adorned:
"And the woman [Babylon the Great] was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication . . . And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! (Rev 17:3-4, 18:16 KJV)
Both Babylon the Great and Jerusalem were called the great city in the Revelation. This is Jerusalem:
"And their dead bodies [of the two witnesses] shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." (Rev 11:8 KJV)
Note that Jerusalem is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt. The Jerusalem-Sodom comparison is referenced in the prophets, and will be discussed below. But the Egypt comparison is not so clear. We know that the children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt; but how does that relate to Jerusalem? Paul explains it here:
"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Gal 4:24-26 KJV)
We never think much about the children of Israel being in bondage in the days of Christ; but Christ indicated they were in bondage in part of his mission statement:
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" (Isa 61:1 KJV)
Now on to the Sodom comparison: first, we should note that Jerusalem rebelled against God and played the harlot:
"And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them," (Eze 16:14-17 KJV)
In comparison, Babylon the Great was called the Mother of Harlots:
"And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. " (Rev 17:5 KJV)
But Ezekiel implied that Jerusalem was also a mother of harlots, and her sins were worse than Sodom's!
"And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters that dwell at thy left hand: and thy younger sister, that dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. " (Eze 16:46-48 KJV)
This was Isaiah regarding Judah and Jerusalem:
"How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." (Isa 1:21 KJV)
Here Isaiah claims Jerusalem is like Sodom and Gomorrah; and only by the grace of God were any saved. Isaiah then instructs the rulers of Jerusalem as if the city really is Sodom or Gomorrah:
"Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." (Isa 1:9-10 KJV)
Paul quotes verse 9 in this passage where he explains the destiny of the children of Israel:
"Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For [Jesus] will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. " (Rom 9:27-29 KJV)
In the judgement against Jerusalem and her daughters, Ezekiel prophecies that Jerusalem will not return to its former estate, until Sodom is restored. That is unlikely. Does anyone even know where Sodom was located?
"When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate." (Eze 16:55 KJV)
In the matter of judgement, both Jerusalem and Babylon the Great were made desolate. This is Babylon:
“… for in one hour is she made desolate.” (Rev 18:19)
This is Jerusalem:
“Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.” (Jer 7:34)
Compare the last verse with this one in the Revelation referencing Babylon the Great:
“And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee ... And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee:” (Rev 18:23-24)
In summary, we have already seen in Part I the similarities in blood vengeance on Jerusalem and Babylon the Great: and now we see that both are called the great city; both are mothers of harlots; both are made desolate; and neither shall ever hear the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, again.
I must conclude that the destruction of Babylon the Great in the Revelation is referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Philip
No. But Cincinnati.
>>>1.1 million people? Don’t think so, Rome was the largest city in the world at that time but only had a population of roughly a million.<<<
I don’t recall all the details, but I believe there was some sort of major festival being held in Jerusalem that brought people in from all nations. Anyway, Josephus said 1.1 million were killed, and 90,000 were enslaved. Who are we to argue with him?
Philip
>>>Can you explain this “civil War” a bit?<<<
Josephus wrote about it, extensively. The civil war began long before the siege. Eventually the city was divided into three parts (Rev 16:19) by three warring factions (Josephus, Wars V.1.1.) They burnt up each others food supplies, resulting in a horrendous famine, starvation and cannibalism (Deu 28:52-53.) I seem to recall that many Jews were killed by their own countrymen when they tried to leave the city.
Philip
Wasn’t it John and his band of bandits that were robbing and killing people and not a civil war?
>>>There is at least one city which is arguably ‘on seven mountains’. That is Mecca, which is certainly a wicked city that has filled the world with poison.<<<
Ancient Jerusalem also sat on seven mountains; or at least there were seven mountains within it’s confines: Mt. Goath, Mt. Gareb, Mt. Zion, Mt. Ophel, Mt. Moriah, Mt. Acra, and Mt. Bezetha.
Philip
>>>I think it could mean the US, or perhaps western civilization in general.<<<
Ask yourself, how many prophets were killed in the U.S., or in or by the hand of the Vatican, and you realize that none of the prophecy fits the U.S. or the Vatican: only Jerusalem.
Philip
I consider it “spiritual” Babylon.
>>>The Lord warns us if he did not intervene we would not exist.<<<
But God did intervene 2000 years ago when he sent his Son to save the world. The pure river of water of life, that began on the day of Pentecost, has permeated the entire world. It is the giant herb that came from the smallest of seeds.
Things sometimes look bleak, now that Satan has been released and has had time to deceive the nations. But his days are numbered.
Philip
Jerusalem is the head of the secular state of the Jewish people, and has little - if anything - in common with the nation of Israel which was destroyed in 70 AD. There is no Temple, no Sanhedrin, no unity in worship, they are not traceable to the 12 tribes, no identity I can see as a people of G-d. Still, it is amazing that they exist at all.
Some scriptural support for your opinions would be helpful. For example, the "seven mountains" which the woman sits upon, also represent the beast, which carrieth the woman:
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space." (Rev 17:9-10 KJV)
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. " (Rev 17:7 KJV)
In the Revelation the beast (Roman Empire) supported (carried) the woman (Jerusalem.) In real life the Roman Empire allowed Jerusalem to be mostly autonomous, even keeping most of her own laws; that is until Jerusalem rebelled. Then the "ten horns of the beast" destroyed Jerusalem and made her desolate.
I haven't fully researched the ten horns; but they appear to be either the governors of ten Roman provinces, or ten Roman legions. I lean toward the legions since they actually destroyed Jerusalem and made her desolate. There are others who believe they represent the ten provinces from which the legions were sent. Either choice is suitable for fulfillment.
BTW, heavenly New Jerusalem, which is also called the Church, sits on the mountain of God, which is called mount Sion. This is the best reference:
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…" (Heb 12:22-24 KJV)
It is the same as this one in the old testament:
"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Mic 4:1-2 KJV)
It is always important to understand that the throne of the Lord is in heaven, as David explained in multiple ways, with this one the most to the point:
"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven . . ." (Ps 11:4 KJV)
As mentioned in the original post, Ezekiel 16:55 is an important prophecy regarding the future of earthly Jerusalem.
Philip
That is the traditional chrstian position. However, it works only if chrstianity is true. This is an untested assumption for most chrstians who believe what they do because their "bible" or their church tell them to.
There is no Temple, no Sanhedrin,
There are sanhedria (battei din) all over the world, though Judaism is very fractured at present. The Beit Din HaGadol (Great Sanhedrion) will be restored in the future.
no unity in worship,
It takes some 'ovnayim for any chrstian to accuse another religion of not having "unity in worship!" So . . . are you Catholic or "church of chr*st?"
they are not traceable to the 12 tribes,
So who are they traceable from? The "Khazars," I suppose?
I find that most chrstians who maintain that the Jews can't trace their ancestry back to the Twelve Tribes are the same people who claim every Jew is lineally descended from the "evil" Jews of the "new testament" and are therefore guilty of "deicide."
no identity I can see as a people of G-d.
You hold this opinion because of your dogmatic beliefs. Your dogmatic beliefs are not necessarily true.
Still, it is amazing that they exist at all.
I'm sure it's all just a big, meaningless coincidence. Y'know, like the existence of the universe and everything.
While we are at it, think about it this way: the beast made war with the saints for forty and two months, the same length of time Nero was persecuting the early Christians. Nero also had power over "all kindreds, tongues and nations," since the Roman Empire was considered to be "all the world" in those days:
"And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:7-8 KJV)
"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." (Rev 13:5 KJV)
"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." (Luke 2:1 KJV)
Jesus Christ's prophecy that the gospel must be preached in all the world was fulfilled in those days, in both ways he instructed:
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Mat 24:14 KJV)
"And [Jesus] said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15 KJV)
"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:" (Col 1:5-6 KJV)
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" (Col 1:23 KJV)
Those are a lot of coincidences.
Philip
Ancient Jerusalem was built on ONE hill. Ir David sat on one hill only. In Hezekiah’s time it expanded to TWO hills. Not until the modern era did Jerusalem move beyond those TWO hills.
There is a Sandedrin, and there will be a Third Temple. But when that happens Praeterists will come with a new excuse.
“I’m sure it’s all just a big, meaningless coincidence.”
I don’t think he meant it was a coincidence, more like it was somewhat miraculous that the Jewish people had survived so long without a homeland, since very few other nations survived in such a position.
Whose definition of 'completely destroyed' are you using?
Christ said that Matthew 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, "see ye not all these things? (verse 1 'buildings of the temple) verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
This word 'thrown' is a companion to the word translated in the English 'foundation' of the world by Christ and Paul. Thrown is kinship word to the katabole/kataballo overthrow/casting down. That Roman general did not cast down all stones that existed then of temple in the days Christ walked this earth, many of then still sit one atop another yet today. It is yet to happen and thus Matthew 24:2, Mark 13:2 and Luke 21:6 have not happened.
Praeterists don’t need an excuse - we just believe what the Bible says. I cannot understand why folks who claim to be literalists on everything else do not believe Jesus when He says the present generation will see it all. And Josephus has documented everything which Jesus predicted.
The word Babylon means confusion. God is not the author of confusion. Harlotry can be physical or spiritual.
Those are a lot of coincidences.
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