Revelation 14:8 (KJV)
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Full disclosure: I believe the Babylon of the book of Revelation is Roman Catholicism. It was taught to me by my pastor, Fred Scudder, at the very first Independent Baptist church service I ever attended. It was reinforced by my teachers in Bible college. For most of my years in the ministry, it was the nearly unquestioned understanding among Independent Baptist pastors, authors, prophecy teachers, and evangelists.
I remember Wally Williams traveling with a week-long multimedia teaching series on Revelation. He never doubted that Babylon referred to Roman Catholicism.
That said, I think we need to be careful when studying Revelation not to become too rigid in our assumptions.
- Some believe Babylon is Islam.
- Some believe it was the Roman government that fell in the fourth century.
- Some believe it was Jerusalem that fell in A.D. 70.
(The latter two positions generally lead to the conclusion that the events of Revelation have already taken place and that the book is primarily fulfilled prophecy rather than prophecy awaiting fulfillment.)
Some have even suggested that Babylon could be the United States. The United States is not clearly identified in biblical prophecy. As great a superpower as this nation seems to us, it does not receive a clear mention in God's revealed plan for humanity. What if it is there, but we are unwilling to recognize it as fallen?
I still hold to what I was taught.
But I do not want to hold my interpretation more tightly than I hold the Scriptures.
God is always right, and His Word is always right.
It is the Word of God that I trust—not my understanding of it.
#BabylonIsFallen #TrustTheScriptures #RevelationStudy #ProphecyAndTruth #GodsWordStand #TheBibleIsRightAlways
Babylon Is Fallen: What I Believe, Why I Believe It, and Why I Want to Stay Humble About It
What do you believe Babylon represents in Revelation 14:8? Roman Catholicism? Islam? Jerusalem? Something else entirely? I'd enjoy hearing your thoughts in the comments.
Whether you agree with my conclusion or not, let's remember that God's Word is always right, even when our understanding is incomplete.
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