What is Mystery Babylon?
Before we answer this we have to understand what was Babylon?
Babylon was a the place/government/power/culture/religion... where God's people were taken, and held in captivity. God had to lead, freed and thus save his people out of Babylon.
What is Mystery Babylon? Mystery Babylon is another power/culture/government/religion/place that follows Babylon... where God's people are held in Captivity.
After the Jews crucified Jesus, did they (Judea) become like a Babylon? Did they become like a place that held God's people captive? Perhaps the answer is yes. So perhaps Judea 33AD - 73 AD does fit Mystery Babylon. Perhaps Judea 33AD - 73 AD became the first example of Mystery Babylon. I am not certain.
But does only Judea 33AD - 73 AD fit Mystery Babylon? No.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England, and other state religions etc... also fit into Mystery Babylon.
What I think is the most important message of Revelation 17 and 18 is that God's people are still held captive in (Mystery) Babylon today. The Mystery is determining where and what is this Babylon today? God's people yesterday, today, and tomorrow have to be brought out (or saved out) of (Mystery) Babylon.
To say that Mystery Babylon, once existed but is no more, or to say that it is yet to exist, this is the bigger error.
I see Revelation as providing believers of all generation hints and clues on how to avoid the deceptions and the institutions of the great deceiver.
Before we answer this we have to understand what was Babylon?
Babylon was a the place/government/power/culture/religion... where God's people were taken, and held in captivity. God had to lead, freed and thus save his people out of Babylon.
What is Mystery Babylon? Mystery Babylon is another power/culture/government/religion/place that follows Babylon... where God's people are held in Captivity.
After the Jews crucified Jesus, did they (Judea) become like a Babylon? Did they become like a place that held God's people captive? Perhaps the answer is yes. So perhaps Judea 33AD - 73 AD does fit Mystery Babylon. Perhaps Judea 33AD - 73 AD became the first example of Mystery Babylon. I am not certain.
But does only Judea 33AD - 73 AD fit Mystery Babylon? No.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England, and other state religions etc... also fit into Mystery Babylon.
What I think is the most important message of Revelation 17 and 18 is that God's people are still held captive in (Mystery) Babylon today. The Mystery is determining where and what is this Babylon today? God's people yesterday, today, and tomorrow have to be brought out (or saved out) of (Mystery) Babylon.
To say that Mystery Babylon, once existed but is no more, or to say that it is yet to exist, this is the bigger error.
I see Revelation as providing believers of all generation hints and clues on how to avoid the deceptions and the institutions of the great deceiver.
The "robbers" as the zealots were called, would also kill anyone trying to leave, further enslaving the people. The robbers used false prophets to keep the people in line, just as Jesus predicted. These false prophets reassured the people just as the false prophets did in Ezekiel's day. The Ezekiel false prophets assured people they were safe when Babylon was preparing to strike and wipe them out in total devastation and desolation. Thus, the next desolation would come in 70 AD when not one stone of the city (not just the temple) would be thrown down.
John depicts the Harlot (Jewish system) "riding" or being supported by the Roman beast. The imagery is clear. Rome was the 4th beast of Daniel. It had 7 heads or Caesars with Vespasian being the 7th. The 8th, which was part of the first 7, was Titus - the destroyer. He would not reign until 81 AD thus he was not counted among the first 7 in Rev 13 but was later mentioned in Rev 17 as he would be on the scene then. Rome actually allowed the Jews to continue their worship and traditions, unlike the rest of the Roman empire which had to declare Caesar as their King and god. In exchange for this privilege, the Jews had to pay Rome a double tribute as compared to the rest of the empire. This amounted to a 4% of the people's wages. This extra 2% was a key contributing factor in their revolt. Can you imagine if we only had a 4% tax today?? I digress...
There is absolutely NOTHING in the Bible that deals with our times in terms of future events other than our eventual transition to the spiritual realm and heaven and the descriptions of this realm which in the future we shall all experience. Any similarities of the RCC or other institutions are just a continuation of how man keeps getting it wrong. Time is like a worm moving about in a bowl of spaghetti. Eventually similar events occur and history repeats as the adage goes, "Those who don't learn from history are destined to repeat it."