The Unholy City

Let's compare the following:

New Jerusalem And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying,  Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9) ====================== New Jerusalem is  a city of gold, precious stones and pearls (Revelation 21:10-11 & 18-21). ======================

Babylon the Great And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and talked with me, saying to me,  Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot sitting on many waters. (Revelation 17:1). =================== The harlot is  "..gilded with gold, precious stones and pearls,  having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her FORNICATION" (Revelation 17:4). The Old Testament harlot, which is the type of the New Testament harlot, is also mentioned Ezekiel‬ ‭16:13, 37-41 - and it's not surprising that the same language used to describe the judgment of the Old Testament harlot is used to describe the judgment of the New Testament harlot.  ===================

In the book of Revelation, only:- 

(1) Jezebel of the church at Thyatira & her followers; as well as 

(2) the kings of the earth; and 

(3) the harlot 

are said to commit fornication.

The kings of the earth and the unholy city

The kings of the earth who committed fornication with Babylon the Great wept and wailed over her demise (Revelation 18:9) when she was destroyed by the 10 kings who will "hate her, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire." (Rev 17:16).

MENTIONS OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH

Revelation 1:5-6 Reigning over the kings of the earth "Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. " Revelation 21:24-27 (New Jerusalem) And the nations of those who are saved will walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. And its gates may not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no way enter into it anything that defiles, or any making an abomination or a lie; but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Revelation 17 Reigning over the kings of the earth 17:18 And the woman (harlot) which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. 17:1-2 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come here; I will show unto you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Revelation 18:9-10 “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall mourn for her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing far off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come. ”

Revelation 16:13-14

"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that day, the great day of God Almighty."

Revelation 19:19

"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth and their armies, being gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army.

Psalm 2:1-6 

  "Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate on a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers plot together, against the LORD and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands in two and cast away their cords from us. 

  He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall mock at them.Then He shall speak to them in His anger, and trouble them in His wrath. Yea, I have set My king on My holy hill, on Zion."

Revelation 6:15-17
  “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath has come; and who shall be able to stand?"

Ancient Babylon	Babylon the Great/ the harlot
“ O you who live on many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, and the measure of your unjust gain. ” (Jeremiah 51:13)	“And he says to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.” * (Revelation 17:15)

Babylon the Great is a universal body ("peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues"), symbolized by many waters. Another word for universal is catholic.

The wording of the prophecy regarding the judgment of Babylon the Great draws from the prophecies regarding the judgment of the ancient city of Babylon:

Ancient Babylon: The type

Babylon the Great/ the harlot: The anti-type

Jeremiah 50:29 " Make the archers hear against Babylon. All you who tread a bow, camp against it all around; let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; according to all that she has done, do to her. For she has been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel. " Jeremiah 51:13 " O you who live on many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, and the measure of your unjust gain. " Jeremiah 51:63-64 " And it shall be, when you have made an end of reading this book, you shall tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of Euphrates.    And you shall say, In this way shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring on her. And they shall be weary. So far are the words of Jeremiah. " COME OUT OF HER Jeremiah 51:6-8 & 45   6 Flee out of the middle of Babylon, and each man deliver his soul. Be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance; He will give to her a just reward.   7 Babylon has been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, which made all the earth drunk. The nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are insane.   8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed. Wail for her; take balm for her pain, if perhaps she may be healed.   45 My people, go out of her midst; and let each man deliver his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD. "

Revelation 18:6 "Reward her as she has rewarded you, and double to her double, according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix double to her. " Revelation 17:1  " And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials came and talked with me, saying to me, Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot sitting on many waters. " Revelation 18:21 " And one strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, So on an impulse the great city, Babylon, will be thrown down and not at all will be found any more. " COME OUT OF HER Revelation 18:3-4 "..because of the wine of the anger of her fornication which all the nations have drunk. And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth became rich from the power of her luxury." Revelation 18:4   "And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you may not be partakers of her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues."

Isaiah 1 (talking about Jerusalem of old, which is the Biblical type, the example to all):

21 How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

24 Therefore says the LORD, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies:

25 And I will turn my hand upon you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your tin:

27-28 Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

Matthew 23:29-38 shows us that God holds those who are supposed to be His elect equally responsible for the blood of all prophets and saints when they shed the blood of the innocent among His elect.

Revelation 17:6 ("Babylon the Great"): " And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with a great marveling. " Revelation 18:24 " And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all those who were slain on the earth. "

Many Christians (rather conveniently) have made the assumption that because Jesus was speaking to the Jewish leaders in Matthew 23:29-38, "Babylon the Great" is therefore referring to the city of Jerusalem which was destroyed in 70 A.D.

They forget the warning of Paul in Romans 11:21-22; the exhortation of Jesus in Revelation 3:18; and the warning in Revelation 2:21-22 to Jezebel of the church at Thyatira and those who commit (spiritual) adultery with her.

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