Mystery-Babylon Inc.
Mystery-Babylon Inc.
By Pete Garcia
The original writing of this through The Omega Letter was back in September 2011. Has been updated here in 2019 to reflect my understanding of the subject to date.
The Name of Mystery: Babylon the Great (Babel-Centric)
Recently came across a conversation on Jan Markell’s radio interview with biblical scholar Dr. Ron Rhodes about his new book New Babylon Rising. He pointed out that both the ESV translation of the verse Revelation 17:5 put an intriguing interpretational perspective on this. Something I had not considered up until now, primarily, because I almost exclusively use the NKJV of the Bible.
And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” Revelation 17:5
It isn’t that it is Mystery Babylon, so as that her identity could be interpreted as anyone’s guess, but that there is a Mystery about Babylon. The mystery as it was revealed in the New Testament, and even more recently, is that she is the wellspring of ALL false doctrine and religions. Dr. Rhodes goes on to conclude that after the Rapture the Church (1 Thess. 4:13-18) and the Gog-Magog War (Ezekiel 38-39), the world’s two most exclusive religions, Biblical Christianity and Islam will be removed. The Rapture will remove the true Christians from the earth. The Gog-Magog War will effectively destroy Islamic militancy forever. Thus, the world will be ripe for both delusion and ecumenism. This ecumenism will find itself source goes ALL the way back to Mother Babel.
This is the religion that the Vatican is currently promoting these days, albeit ineffectively. Once the Rapture removes the Church, this will unleash one last Islamic attempt to wipe Israel off the map. With the US and her allies in complete disarray, there will be no one to oppose this Islamic tidal wave from forming and moving from all directions towards Israel. Such will be the fervor, that there will be a reverse migration out of Europe by all the Muslim military-age males to join this Islamic Crusade to free the Holy Land from the Jews. Thus, they will be coming out of the North, the South, and the East against tiny Israel. However, God’s supernatural protection of Israel will so utterly consume the militant Muslim population, that Islam will effectively be neutered forever.
However, this creates a major, political, theological, and spiritual vacuum, which the Antichrist and the False Prophet will rush in to fill. Politically, the Antichrist will create some form of political alliance with Israel. His partner, the False Prophet, will in conjunction with an alien intervention/revelation, and aided by a sentient (e.g., demonically-supercharged) artificial intelligence, form a new ecumenical religious system that will be filled with lying signs and wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-11). It will be powerfully deceptive. Those people who remain after the Rapture and after the Gog-Magog War will be swept up into this new religion like a tsunami. Those who refuse to go along with this will feel the sharp edge of the sword to the neck. This new version of an ancient Babylonian ecumenism will become the most intolerant belief system ever devised.
When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; 10 they cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. Revelation 6:9-11
Back to Babylon
Before going any further, the picture above is an image from AIG and shows the Middle East map with the territorial homelands of the ancient world powers. The reality that in a century or two after Noah’s flood (Gen. 6-9), southern Iraq would still have been underwater. In fact, it wasn’t until the 20th-century under Saddam Hussein’s reign that he began draining southern Iraq to get rid of the “Marsh Arabs.” They were indigenous peoples to the area who had no allegiance to Hussein, thus presented a threat to his dictatorial regime.
Southern Iraq is where theologians, academics, and historians had long considered the site of the original Tower of Babel and later, the area known as Babylonia. Even Saddam Hussein attempted to restore “Babylon” there. Having spent time in Iraq and literally flying the entire length of the country, from Kuwait to north of Mosul, I can assure you, that most of southern Iraq would have still been underwater even a couple of centuries after Noah’s flood. That would have been exactly when Nimrod (Noah’s great-grandson) would have come to power. In short, Nimrod could not have built his city-states in southern Iraq simply because it would have still been underwater at that time.
The Khabur River (upper far left corner) then represents where Nimrod’s Babel was likely to have been built. Far north of the traditional view in what is known as the Khabur River Triangle, in what is today, southeastern Syria. Having said that, let us look at what Scripture says:
Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin′eveh, Reho′both-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nin′eveh and Calah; that is the great city. Genesis 10:8-12
The Iraqi city of Mosul is built over where the ancient city of Nineveh used to lie. Mosul is in northern Iraq (formerly southern Assyria), just south of the Syrian and Turkish borders near the Kurdish city of Erbil. The reddish crescent shape overlay represents what should be the Shinar Valley, which begins in the south between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and extends into Syria, following what is traditionally known as “the fertile crescent.”
Thus, if the English Standard Version is correct, and it may well be, I think then that Babylon may well be the literal city of Babylon rebuilt in the ancient homelands of ancient Babylonia of ancient Mesopotamia in the Shinar. This would put Babylon back in what used to be Iraq somewhere along the Euphrates River, however much further north, possibly even in what used to be Syria. Since the Apostle John quoted (as given to him) heavily from the Old Testament in scribing the Revelation, we see that this reference to Babylon hearkens back to Jeremiah 50-51, which was then, speaking to a literal Babylon in the last days. However, if the KJV (or its successors) are correct, and it is Mystery Babylon, then we must consider Rome as the next likely culprit.
Mystery-Babylon (Rome-Centric)
Here is the original version of the article that I wrote years ago. I came to this approach both from my dream, but also the King James Version. It is the second view of this topic that some may find more palatable, depending on where you stand on the subject of Mystery Babylon. I frankly believe now that it is a literal place in the Middle East that will rise up rather quickly after the Rapture. I used to struggle with the idea that a city like that could rise up quickly, but two things changed in my understanding:
1. The gap in time between the Rapture event and the official start of the 70th Week.
2. That Satan will throw his full resources and logistical power behind two-man (Antichrist and False Prophet), so I think this could happen rather quickly
I hope you will join me on this second excursion, and as always, a caveat to this interpretation: as the Apostle Paul succinctly put it, ‘for now we see through a glass darkly’. (1st Corinthians 13:9-12)
2011: A couple of weeks ago, I had a very vivid dream about this very subject. In fact, I woke up from it (3 AM -ish) to scribble down some notes. Normally, I do not remember my dreams, so it is a rare thing indeed for me to have one as vivid and have the self-discipline to get up and actually write it down while simultaneously wiping the crusties from my eyes.
Most scholars assumed that Mystery Babylon was simply the accompanying religious system that the Beast uses to promulgate his/their madness upon the peoples of the world. Yet, neither government nor religion causes people to be astonished since they have been ever-present with mankind down through the ages. It has to be something that either the world has never seen before, or it is something that has not been seen for a LONG time and is present again. Two verses jump out at me that I think although they are of different topics, they are very much connected.
“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.” Revelation 13:18
“And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Revelation 17:9
Both instances call the reader to reckon a special understanding of what John was speaking about. One has to deal with a specific number that will be utilized by the entire world in all manners of financial transactions as a matter of loyalty and worship. The other, is describing Mystery Babylon, and in this, John marveled at it:
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” Revelation 17:6
Greek Lexicon for the Textus Receptus version: megas thauma = great admiration
– a wonderful thing, a marvel
– wonder
– to wonder [with great wonder i.e.] exceedingly
The NIV states that John was ‘astonished’. The ESV records it as ‘marveled greatly’. The NASB states it as ‘wondered greatly’. Thus, based upon that context, along with the other translations, we dismiss number one from the possible definitions from Greek Lexicon here since John is not proposing that this is a positive/wonderful thing.
Apparently, this is something that really blew John away, which is saying a lot, considering all he had already been witness too. The angel goes on to tell him about what the Mystery is:
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. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder… Revelation 17:7-8
So what is Mystery-Babylon? Unlike the beast, she is not a government. She rides the beast:
– She sits on many waters; meaning she is global. Verse 15 confirms this. (vs. 1)
– Kings have committed fornication with her, and the people of the world have been made drunk by the wine of her fornication; meaning mankind has not only gotten drunk but has received “the bite”, by her addictive lies. (vs. 2) (“the bite”= alcoholic term for hopelessly addicted)
– She sits upon the ‘scarlet covered beast’ full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns, meaning, she fully embraces a plurality of gods and beliefs, and implemented by the antichrist’s governmental system. (vs. 3)
– She herself, is wrapped in purple and scarlet, holding a golden cup full of abominations, meaning she will be greatly lavished (this system) with great wealth and holds to this diabolical lie that tolerates everything, except Jesus Christ. (vs. 4)
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Revelation 17:5
– She is called ‘Mystery’, which means she is not literal Babylon, but a symbolic picture of representing the ‘Babylonian’ system of control in which has enslaved the world from the beginning.
– She is called “Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth”, meaning she is the originator of all false doctrines. Every evil and insidious religion, doctrine, belief system have their roots in her, regardless of where they are, or who started them. We know this because, Satan is the “Father of Lies” and if it is not of God, it’s from Satan.
And what was the first lie? Genesis 3:4-5 says:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Every religion and belief system, not based around the Gospel of Jesus Christ, inherently promotes this notion that we can be as gods. It is bathed in pride and sprinkled gratuitously with the idea that man can achieve salvation without God’s help. It was the lie that led to God destroying the world by a global flood. It led God to separate mankind at Babel. It led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. It led to God having to come down here in person, and sacrifice Himself so those who believed could be saved. Mystery Babylon is the lie that man can be as a god. She rides the revived Roman Empire while shrouding herself with the Babel globalist’s mantra of, one race.
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18
It’s not until Revelation 17:18 that the woman finally described as ‘that great city’ who controls all the kings of the world. Only two cities are called ‘that great city’ in the Bible; Nineveh and Babylon. She is a system of control over the rulers of the earth. At the Tower of Babel, mankind united under the world’s first dictator, Nimrod. Mankind, united outside of the will of God, is a disastrous thing to behold indeed. God knew back at the Tower of Babel, that mankind under the leadership of a single man, would have reaped apocalyptic judgment back then. It was God’s mercy, not cruelty that separated mankind to prevent us from destroying ourselves many thousands of years ago.
Conclusion
It is likely, that since the global infrastructure for global worship is already in place via the Roman Catholic Church network (more so than any other single religion) that this could easily and readily be put in place through the church as the mechanism of implementation.
Granted, any church still remaining beyond the rapture will likely be incorporated into this system, but the Roman Catholic Church already has a global reach and doctrinally doesn’t have any qualms about re-writing their doctrine to stay relevant during this time.
*Not saying that all Roman Catholics are a part of this system, rather, the system itself is what I am referencing.
The papacy has already shown a great willingness to compromise doctrinal beliefs to accommodate Islam and Protestants alike in a misguided effort to promote ecumenism. With Biblical Christianity removed at the Rapture, and militant Islam wiped out by the Gog-Magog War, there will be a short period of time (the gap) that allows for an ecumenical system to arise that will absorb ALL other belief systems into it, much like the old Roman Empire used to do.
As the EU waffles, the US sinks, and the ‘Arab Spring’ disintegrates, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will take on more significant responsibility in stabilizing the region, ultimately fulfilling the role of the revived Roman Empire. When the US collapses, what’s left of our government may cede control of our military assets to NATO and the European Union, of which to prevent them (military weapons) from falling into the hands of rogue ‘terrorists’.
Within the UfM, contains the previous ancient dynasties of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, and Assyria (Syria). The “Arab Spring” will shake up the current power holders in the Middle East and fill the vacuum with leaders who are willing to take the war to Israel. In lieu of their biblically prophetic defeats, most likely the UfM will be there to reorganize the pieces, just like they did with the Sykes-Picot Agreement at the end of World War I. And since Rome (now the EU) is the geo-graphical hub for the Old War, it seems logical that it would also serve as its headquarters for both the religious and economic center that can control and direct this resurrected empire.
Perhaps this was why John was astonished. At the time he recorded this (95AD), the Church in Rome was Christian. He could also be astonished at the fact that the Roman Empire still exists at the time of the end. Either way, as the old saying goes, ‘All roads lead to Rome’.
To be continued.