Two Babylon’s
In the Old Testament and specifically in the book of Daniel, we read about Babylon and how it waged war against ancient Israel. And in the New Testament in the book of Revelation, we read how spiritual Babylon will wage war against spiritual Israel (God’s faithful) in the Battle of Armageddon.
There are two Babylons mentioned in the Bible because the prophecies given by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc., have a double application—one to be fulfilled locally; the other to be fulfilled on a worldwide scale in the last days when spiritual Israel ( the church) will take the place of the literal Israel as God’s true chosen people.
There is a clear parallel that exists between what happened to ancient Israel and the events concerning spiritual Israel in Revelation 16:12-16.
| Ancient Israel | Spiritual Israel | |
| Jeremiah 50:33,34 | Persecuted by Babylon | Revelation 17:6 |
| Daniel 3:13 | Forced to worship image | Revelation 13:15 |
| Daniel 4:30 | Called “Babylon the Great” | Revelation 17:5 |
| Jeremiah 51:13,14 | Babylon sits on many waters | Revelation 17:1 |
| Isaiah 44:27,28 | Rescued—dried Euphrates | Revelation 16:12 |
| Jeremiah 51:6-8 | Called out of Babylon | Revelation 18:4 |
| Isaiah 45:1 | Rescuer called the anointed | Daniel 9:25 |
| Isaiah 41:2, 25 | Both rescuers from east | Matthew 24:27, Revelation 7:2 |
End-Time Controversy
The special point of future controversy will be the fourth of the Ten Commandments – the seventh day Sabbath since it is the commandment that has been broken by the Christian world. The Bible predicted in Daniel 7:25, that the little horn (papacy) will attempt to change God’s law. And this happened when early in the Christian Era men began to set aside God’s seventh day Sabbath and worship instead on the first day of the week. It should be noted that there is not a single verse in the Bible that supports Sunday observance.
The crisis will come when spiritual Babylon prevails upon the state to enforce the Mark of the beast which is Sunday observance by civil law and seeks to punish all dissenters. “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16–17).
The Bible describes God’s end time saints saying, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12 also 12:17). Deceived by Satan’s lies, the world will bow to the beast and its image, and carry out its decrees (Revelation 13:8). But the saints, on the other hand, will refuse to obey its man-made commandments. Instead they will obey the commandments of God through His enabling grace by faith (Romans 8:3, 4).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
Disclaimer:
The contents of this article and website are not intended to be against any individual. There are many priests and faithful believers in Roman Catholicism who serve God to the best of their knowledge and are seen by God as His children. The information contained herein is directed only towards the Roman Catholic religio-political system which has reigned in varying degrees of power for nearly two millennia. This system has established an increasing number of doctrines and statements that directly go against the Bible.
It is our purpose to lay the clear Word of God before you, the truth-seeking reader, to decide for yourself what is truth and what is error. If you find anything here contrary to the Bible, do not accept it. But if you desire to seek for Truth as for hidden treasure, and find herein something of that quality and feel that the Holy Spirit is revealing Truth to you, please make all haste to accept it.
