Babylon Study • Connected to God’s Image and the Ten Commandments
Our examination of Commandment 7 brought us to spiritual unfaithfulness: whose voice we follow, what we receive, and to whom we become joined. That examination now leads us into Babylon.
We will begin in Revelation, keeping its descriptions together, then work backward through the earlier passages. As the connections unfold, we will examine the woman, the city, her influence, and the instruction to come out of her.
What Is John Shown?
Revelation 17 begins with an angel announcing the judgment of the great harlot. John then sees a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.
Her clothing and adornment appear costly, but her golden cup contains abominations and uncleanness. Her forehead bears the name Babylon the Great, with a description identifying her as a mother of harlots and abominations. She is also associated with the blood of the saints and Jesus’ witnesses. Read Revelation 17:1–6.
Her appearance, what she carries, and what she does must all remain within our examination.
The Passage Explains the Image
The angel identifies the waters where she sits as peoples, crowds, nations, and languages. He also explains:
“the woman whom you saw is the great city”
— Revelation 17:18, LSB, excerpt
The woman and city are explicitly connected. The beast carrying her, the kings, and the peoples have their own descriptions and relationships within the account. Read Revelation 17:7–18.
Our starting point is the explanation provided within the passage. We will follow those relationships carefully as we consider what Babylon represents.
Her Influence Reaches Others
Revelation 18 describes nations drinking her wine, kings participating in her immorality, and merchants becoming wealthy through her luxury. Later, it describes nations being deceived through her sorcery. Read Revelation 18:3, 23.
These details give us more to examine than a city’s outward appearance. They concern influence, participation, gain, and deception.
We must ask how those relationships operate and what draws others into them.
Why Must God’s People Come Out?
A voice from heaven calls:
“Come out of her, my people”
— Revelation 18:4, LSB, excerpt
The verse gives the purpose: avoiding participation in her sins and receiving her plagues. Read Revelation 18:4–5.
That instruction makes the study personal. Recognizing a name is only the beginning. We must examine the practices and loyalties in which we participate.
Where might I accept something because it appears established, impressive, or beneficial? Am I willing to examine what I support with the same care I bring to what I oppose?
We carry these questions forward as we follow the passages and take our understanding before YHWH (יהוה).
Threads to Follow
Woman, mother, and city: Examine the relationships expressed in Babylon’s description.
The cup and its influence: Follow the connections between what she offers and what others receive.
Working backward: Compare Revelation’s imagery with the earlier prophetic passages, eventually returning to Babel in Genesis 11.
The books were opened…
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