EB: 2 Biblical Principles for Interpreting Revelation 17-18

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Chapter 2 Biblical Principles for Interpreting Revelation 17-18

A) Endtime Babylon’s literal & metaphorical meanings

B) Endtime Babylon’s partial and complete fulfillments of destruction Makes OT prophecies relevant

C) Various views on Revelation 17-18

Primary Points

Endtime Babylon has both literal and spiritual meanings.
Not all of Endtime Babylon’s attributes can be fulfilled in a physical way. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a biblical metaphor to accurately interpret its full meaning. That biblical metaphor is the anti-God world described throughout the NT.
But God always expects us to understand the foundational literal or physical meaning of the symbolism in biblical prophecy.
Every single biblical prophecy in human history was fulfilled in either a literal or physical person, place, or event. The prophecies in Revelation 17-18 will not be an exception. Therefore, Endtime Babylon’s metaphorical meaning does not exhaust the literal and physical meaning of the prophecy.
The rather complex mystery of Babylon the Great (Rev 17:5) in this prophecy is that it represents three layers of meaning and scope: 1) The metaphorical anti-God World; 2) A literal nation; 3) All concentrated in a literal city.
Unfortunately, much of the Church today is only focused on the metaphorical meaning of Revelation 17-18. However, when the prophecies of Endtime Babylon’s physical destruction are being fulfilled, no one will care at all about its metaphorical meaning, and only its physical meaning will have any value. Which is why its physical meaning is the focus of Endtime Babylon.
Because Revelation repeatedly mentions Babylon, unfulfilled predictions about ancient Babylon become prophecies about Endtime Babylon.
Many interpretations of Endtime Babylon ignore the fact that its clearest and most repeated description is that it will be the world’s economic super-power when the Endtimes begin.
In this book 12 attributes of Endtime Babylon will be derived from the biblical text of Revelation 17-18 and Jeremiah 50-51.
America matches these 12 attributes in such an obvious, unique, and unprecedented way, that it is by far the best candidate to fulfill these prophecies today, and any time in the foreseeable future.

A) Endtime Babylon’s literal & metaphorical meanings

A primary problem with efforts to identify Endtime Babylon is that many want to claim it means only one thing. But part of the reason that a biblical mystery (Rev 17:5) is obscure, is that it is often communicated in symbols that have both literal and spiritual meanings. Accordingly, the Greek Lexicon gives one meaning of mysterion as including: “allegorical significance.” ^{^[1]} Therefore we do not expect Endtime Babylon to have just one meaning that excludes all others. Rather, it will have a few layers of complimentary literal and metaphorical meaning.

For example, the multi-layered meaning in Revelation 17 is demonstrated regarding the seven heads on the beast (17:3). The Angel explains: The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings (17:9-10 NIV). Therefore, the symbolic heads mean two simultaneous things. However, the biblical text always brings us back to a physical or literal meaning for prophetic Scripture. For example, it is explained that the seven heads refer to seven literal hills and seven literal kings.

The multi-layered nature of Endtime Babylon is also reflected in the name it is given: BABYLON THE GREAT (17:5). This is the name given Endtime Babylon in its first and second mentions in the Revelation (cf. 14:8; 16:19). The name Babylon the Great is repeated a fourth time in 18:2. Clearly, this is an important name for this entity. It is also a complex one.

Babylon in Revelation 17-18 means several things. First, it is referred to as a literal great city eight times (Rev 16:19; 17:18; 18:10 (twice), 16, 18, 19, 21). This includes the last verse of chapter 17 where we read: The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (v. 18 NIV). It seems Endtime Babylon will be centered in one literal city in the Endtimes.

But in the last verse of chapter 18 we read: In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth (v. 24 NIV). That cannot be describing one literal city. This cannot be describing even one literal nation or empire. Such statements tell us that there are spiritual, transcendent, cosmic, and symbolic meanings to Endtime Babylon. Because a literal interpretation cannot explain all of Endtime Babylon’s attributes, it is necessary to apply a biblical metaphor to accurately interpret its full meaning. That biblical metaphor is the anti-God World described throughout the NT as the values and systems empowered by the sinful nature and Satan. This will be discussed further in chapter 4.

Therefore, it is admitted that there is a very rare metaphorical meaning to the biblical prophecy in Revelation 17-18. Unfortunately, many Bible scholars want to claim that the prophecy will only have a spiritual meaning and fulfillment, and will not have any literal, physical, or practical meaning for the Church in the Endtimes. This is a serious and even dangerous mistake.

A primary strategy for this claim is to label the book of Revelation (and chs. 17-18) as “apocalyptic” literature. Based on this label, it is further claimed that such a genre is intended to be interpreted primarily, (perhaps even exclusively), in a metaphorical way. Therefore, the physical or literal meaning of Revelation is either completely ignored or greatly diminished. There are several errors in this approach. As noted elsewhere:

First, the distinctions between prophetic and “apocalyptic” Scripture are not as clear or important as many would claim. ^{^[2]} Second, these same scholars of “apocalyptic” literature all label significant portions of Daniel in this way. And yet, the “apocalyptic” prophecies of the large statue (Dan 2:31) and the four great beasts (Dan 7:3), were all physically fulfilled in the emergence of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires. In other words, Daniel is proof that even prophetic Scripture that some would label “apocalyptic,” needs to be expected to be fulfilled in a physical way by a person, place, or event. (CET, ch. 12, sec. A.3)

Therefore, it is admitted that the prophecy in Revelation 17-18 will uniquely have a metaphorical and spiritual meaning and fulfillment. But God always expects us to understand the foundational literal or physical meaning of the symbolism in biblical prophecy. How do we know that? Because virtually all biblical prophecy ultimately refers to a physical, and often literal person, place, or event. Accordingly, it was explained in Christ’s Endtimes Teaching:

[There is] a second rule for interpreting the meaning and fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Expect a biblical prophecy to be fulfilled in a physical way by a person, place, or event, when there is no biblical or reasonable basis to do otherwise.

This rule of interpretation is generally denied or diminished in Amillennialism. As noted by Erickson above, “The amillennialist tends to expect no literal fulfillment of prophecy at some future time.” It is also true that this view tends to expect no “physical” fulfillment of prophecy at some future time. Unfortunately, Amillennialism seems to completely ignore how God has fulfilled biblical prophecy in the past.

OT scholar J. B. Payne has provided what is probably the most detailed study of biblical prophecy available. In his Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy he identified 592 OT and NT prophecies that have already come true in history. Every single one of these almost 600 biblical prophecies was fulfilled in a physical way by a person, place, or event. None of these prophecies were fulfilled in merely a metaphorical or spiritualized way…

This is true even in the many instances when God communicates a biblical prophecy in metaphorical language…

Metaphorical interpreters need to be asked, “When did God abandon His repeated practice of fulfilling biblical prophecy in a physical way?” Contrary to the popular metaphorical view, God has not changed the way He will fulfill biblical prophecy. (CET ch. 12, sec. A.4)

Every single biblical prophecy in human history was fulfilled in either a literal or physical person, place, or event. The prophecies in Revelation 17-18 will not be an exception. Therefore, Endtime Babylon’s metaphorical meaning does not exhaust the literal and physical meaning of the prophecy. ^{^[3]}

Accordingly, several descriptions of it reflect a physical place. It is referred to as a city (polis) 6 times (cf. Rev 16:19; 17:18; 18:10 twice, 19, 21). However, Endtime Babylon also represents a nation. Accordingly, an unfulfilled prophecy in Jeremiah clearly implies Endtime Babylon will be more than one city, but also a nation of cities. God says, “I will light a fire in the cities of Babylon that will burn up everything around them” (50:32 NLT). Again, this prophecy has never been fulfilled, but will be in Endtime Babylon. The cities referred to imply a nation.

Like ancient Babylon and Rome, Endtime Babylon will be a nation/empire centered in a city. Therefore, the entire nation (cities) of Endtime Babylon will reflect its attributes and suffer its destruction, although all of this will be centered in one particular city. More arguments for this will be offered in chapter 6 (sec. B).

There are other references to Endtime Babylon which reflect its physical, rather than merely metaphorical character. The Antichrist and 10-nation Coalition will physically attack Endtime Babylon and will permanently remove all people from her and … burn her down with fire (Rev 17:16) such that no one will ever work there again or be married there again (cf. 18:22-23). People live in a physical place. But contrary to a metaphorical view, this is not predicting the complete depopulation of the entire world. Rather, it is describing the physical destruction of a particular place and people.

Accordingly, God commands in the prophecy: “Move out from Babylon the Great My people … so that you will not experience her being struck hard with a sudden and severe disaster” (18:4 ^{^[4]}). This is referring to real people physically escaping a physical place because of a very real and physical destruction. This will be discussed further elsewhere (cf. ch. 16, sec A).

In fact, Endtime Babylon will be a physical (although limited) place for eternity as the smoke from her will go up for ever and ever (19:3).

Therefore, we see that Endtime Babylon has both literal and metaphorical meanings. Accordingly, the rather complex mystery of Babylon the Great (Rev 17:5) in this prophecy is that it represents three layers of meaning and scope: 1) The metaphorical anti-God World; 2) A literal and physical nation; 3) All concentrated in a literal and physical city.

Unfortunately, much of the Church today is only focused on the metaphorical meaning of Revelation 17-18. However, when the prophecies of Endtime Babylon’s physical destruction are being fulfilled, no one will care at all about its metaphorical meaning, and only its physical meaning will have any value. Which is why its physical meaning is the focus of Endtime Babylon. ^{^[5]}

B) Endtime Babylon’s partial and complete fulfillments of destruction Makes OT prophecies relevant

The concept of multiple fulfillments of biblical prophecies is widely recognized by Bible scholars. Many of them have both near/partial and final/complete fulfillments. This is discussed further elsewhere. ^{^[6]} This principle certainly applies to biblical prophecies about Babylon. There are many predictions about its attributes and destruction, particularly in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Some of these OT prophesies about Babylon have had near/partial fulfillments in the past. But Bible scholars agree that some of Isaiah’s and Jeremiah’s predictions about Babylon have never occurred yet in history. Accordingly, MacArthur writes:

The Old Testament predictions of Babylon’s total destruction (e.g., Isa. 13:1–14:27; Jer. 50–51) … was only partially fulfilled when the Medes and Persians sacked the ancient city of Babylon. As is the case with many Old Testament prophecies, those predictions had both a near and a far fulfillment. Henry Morris noted that Babylon, indeed, will be permanently destroyed, as recorded in the very next chapter (18:21), but this has not happened yet. The prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah also refer to this future destruction. ^{^[7]}

The Prophet Jeremiah died around 570 B.C. About 30 years later the near/partial fulfillment of his predictions about the fall of Babylon came true. The Persian king Cyrus invaded the city in 539 B.C. Babylon became an important capital in the Persian Empire. About 200 years later, Babylon surrendered to Alexander the Great in 333 B.C. Alexander also sought to restore the city and lived and died there. ^{^[8]}

But the Prophet Jeremiah predicted there will be a time in the future when Babylon will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation… Her dwellings [will be] set on fire (50:39; 51:30 NIV). These things have never happened. Babylon was never burned. Babylon exists even today with a small population. ^{^[9]} And yet, the Prophet says, Everything the LORD has planned against Babylon stands unchanged. Babylon will be left desolate without a single inhabitant (51:29 NLT). This prophecy remains unchanged because it has not been fulfilled yet. Accordingly, even 200 years after the city of Babylon had fallen into ruins, the book of Revelation predicted the future destruction of Endtime Babylon.

There is a reason that an Endtime city/nation is referred to as Babylon six times in the NT book of Revelation. It makes prophecies about Babylon in the OT to be relevant in the Endtimes. Unfulfilled predictions about ancient Babylon become prophecies about Endtime Babylon.

Because of the nature of many biblical prophecies having more than one fulfillment, we have precedent to interpret the unfulfilled predictions about ancient Babylon in Isaiah and Jeremiah, as applying in appropriate ways to Endtime Babylon. Therefore, it is not only Revelation that gives us information about the attributes and destruction of Endtime Babylon. Isaiah chapters 13-14 and 47 and Jeremiah 50-51 do as well.

For example, notice that in both Isaiah and Revelation God says the following about Babylon:

“You said, ‘I am forever — the eternal queen!… I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’” (Isa 47:7-8 NIV)

“In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’” (Rev 18:7 NIV)

God said the above in Isaiah about ancient Babylon around 700 B.C. About 800 years later, after ancient Babylon was in ruins, He described Endtime Babylon in the Revelation in exactly the same way. Therefore, an ancient prophecy about Babylon was brought right into the book of Revelation predicting the far future application of the same prophecy. Therefore, Isaiah and Jeremiah also give us information about the attributes and destruction of Endtime Babylon in the future.

For example, the parallels between Jeremiah 50-51 and Revelation 17-18 are obvious. Both describe Babylon as follows: 1) With the name Babylon (Jer 50:11; Rev. 17:5); 2) Compared to a gold cup (Jer 51:7a; Rev 17:3–4; cf. 18:6); 3) Dwelling on many waters (Jer 51:13; Rev 17:1); and 4) Making the nations drunk (Jer 51:7b; Rev 17:2; 18:10).

Both describe Babylon’s destruction as: 1) Suddenly (Jer 51:8; Rev 18:8); 2) By fire (Jer 51:30; Rev. 17:16; 18:8); 3) Never to be inhabited again (Jer 50:39; 51:62; Rev 18:21); and 4) Illustrated with a rock sunk in water (Jer 51:63–64; Rev. 18:21).

Both describe the response to Babylon’s destruction as: 1) Commanding God’s people to flee beforehand (Jer 51:45; Rev 18:4); and Heaven’s rejoicing (Jer 51:48; Rev 18:20). ^{^[10]}

It should not surprise us that so much prophetic Scripture is being condensed and culminating in the final chapters of the Bible. And it requires an understanding of much of that prophetic Scripture to understand Revelation 17-18.

Therefore, OT prophecies, particularly regarding Babylon’s destruction, will be used in the following chapters as confirming revelation about the identity and destruction of Endtime Babylon.

C) Various views on Revelation 17-18

A primary topic in Endtime Babylon will be its correct identification. Let us begin by noting the most popular interpretations of Endtime Babylon in Revelation 17-18. These are listed in a suggested order of their popularity in scholarly Evangelical sources today:

1) A spiritual metaphor for the anti-God “world.”

2) 1st century Rome or Jerusalem/Israel.

3) A future “one-world government.”

4) A worldwide false religion, perhaps Roman Catholicism, Islam, New Age, or a future religion that does not exist today.

5) A future rebuilt city of Babylon in Iraq.

6) America, the spiritual prostitute, and the economic, cultural, and military superpower of the world, centered in New York City.

These are the most recognized interpretations of Revelation 17-18 throughout the Church’s history and today. This book will argue that a combination of interpretations 1 and 6 are correct. At a macro and metaphorical level, Endtime Babylon represents the entire anti-God World. But the prophecy is also describing a physical nation and a city within that nation. It will be argued in the Endtime Babylon series that this is America with its financial and cultural capital of New York City. The weaknesses of the other views will be thoroughly discussed, particularly in chapter 8. In the process, the likelihood that Endtime Babylon is America will become even more evident.

The alternative views will be briefly described here. Perhaps the most popular interpretation of Revelation 17-18 is view 1, a metaphorical approach. The metaphorical meaning of Endtime Babylon will be discussed further in message #4. However, as also noted above, almost 600 biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled in history, and every one of them was fulfilled in a physical way by a person, place, or event. Therefore, we should identify a literal nation and city that will physically fulfill the prophecy in Revelation 17-18.

Another popular view is that Revelation 17-18 has already been largely fulfilled in the 1st century city of Rome or Jerusalem. But most of these scholars recognize the phenomenon of the near/final and partial/complete fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Accordingly, while some see many important reflections of Rome or Jerusalem in Endtime Babylon, they agree that it will be finally and completely fulfilled in the Endtimes in some way.

Interpretations 3-5 above are common especially among Pre-tribulationists who value a more literal interpretation of Scripture. But all of these views ignore one important thing. The clearest and most repeated description of Endtime Babylon is that it will be the world’s economic super-power when the Endtimes begin.

It is not primarily described as a political or government institution, but an economic one. As will be argued, Endtime Babylon will certainly be promoting a “religion.” But it will not be a formal institutionalized faith. Rather, the “religion” Endtime Babylon will be promoting is the worship of wealth.

Finally, when one understands the economic and cultural power that Endtime Babylon will exercise at the beginning of the Endtimes, the idea that it will be fulfilled by some rebuilt metropolis in the desert of Iraq seems highly unlikely.

Accordingly, it is again confidently claimed that an unbiased interpretation of Revelation 17-18 will reveal the superiority of understanding it to be America.

BDAG, 1.C gives “allegorical significance” as a meaning for mysterion. For biblical examples of a NT “mystery” being explained with a metaphor see Eph 5:32; Rev 1:20; 11:8. Accordingly, Mounce writes of Babylon the Great (Rev 17:5), “The name is to be understood in a mystical rather than literal sense” (311). This is true, but the author is mistaken to conclude this is its only meaning and that it does not also refer to a literal city/nation. ↑
Contrary to the distorting emphasis many scholars place on Revelation by labeling it an “apocalypse,” Osborne writes:

It is impossible to distinguish ultimately between prophecy and apocalyptic, for the latter is an extension of the former… John calls his work a prophecy five times (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18, 19)… Revelation is a symbolic book, but that does not mean the symbols do not depict literal events, like the “great tribulation” (7:14), as well as the various depictions of the “three and a half years”… or the “beast” for the Antichrist. (13-16)

Even the influential Amillennialist, Gregory Beale, writes: “Too much distinction has typically been drawn between the apocalyptic and prophetic genres” (37). ↑
It was stated here that Endtime Babylon’s metaphorical meaning does not exhaust the literal meaning of the prophecy. It is not surprising that Beale promotes the idea that Endtime Babylon is only metaphorical in his commentary. But the modern father of Pre-tribulationism, John Walvoord, also comments regarding Babylon in Rev 17-18 :

The interpretation that this is a reference to pagan political Rome, as advanced by the historical school of interpretation, or that it refers to a future literal city of Babylon, is wrong. According to verse 5, the city is a mystery, not a literal city. The entire context of chapter 17 supports this interpretation, distinguishing between the city identified with the woman and the political power referred to as the beast and the ten horns. (Rev, 266).

Like Beale, Walvoord completely ignores the overwhelming precedent for biblical prophecy to be fulfilled in a physical, if not literal way. ↑
The suggested translation of Rev 18:4 will be supported in ch. 16, sec. A. ↑
Andersen helpfully points out a primary approach to Rev 17-18 in Pre-tribulationism and effectively refutes it when he writes:

Traditionally, most pretribulationist interpreters have differentiated the Babylon the Great of Revelation 17 from the Babylon the Great in Revelation 18, arguing that Revelation 17 speaks of an apostate church symbolically as a prostitute, and that Revelation 18 describes a literal city.

Revelation 17:18 directly states that the prostitute of Revelation 17 is the great city (more accurately, the great “polis,” or state) of Revelation 18: “And the woman whom you saw is the great state, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.”… This one verse is sufficient to show that the prostitute of Revelation 17 is to be interpreted literally as a specific political entity, and not symbolically as a religious system.

Remarkably similar terminology is used to describe Babylon the Great in both Revelation 17 and Revelation 18. Both chapters call this entity as “Babylon the Great” (Rev 17:5; 18:2), the same term that is used in Revelation 14:8 and 16:19. Both chapters refer to Babylon the Great as “the great polis” (Rev 17:18; 18:16, 18-19). Both chapters picture Babylon the Great as a wanton woman who holds a cup full of abominations (Rev 17:4; 18:6-7), is clothed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls (Rev 17:4; 18:16), and has committed acts of immorality with the kings of the earth (Rev 17:2; 18:3, 9).

Both chapters state that the nations of the earth drank of the wine of her immorality (Rev 17:2; 18:3; cf. 14:8). The judgment of Babylon the Great described in both chapters is also the same: it is future (Rev 17:16; 18:8), is accomplished in one hour (Rev 17:12; 18:19), consists of burning her “utterly” with fire (Rev 17:16; 18:8), and is orchestrated by God (Rev 17:17; 18:8)… There is a shift in scene, but not in subject…

The difference between the two chapters is this: Revelation 17 portrays Babylon the Great and its fall by means of heavenly signs and symbols, whereas Revelation 18 portrays the impact of Babylon the Great’s fall on the earth in a largely non-symbolic fashion…

It is common for biblical prophecy to first represent a prophetic entity from a heavenly perspective using symbols, and then give the interpretation in literal terms, from an earthly point of view (so Ezek 37; Dan 7–8; Rev 1:20; 12:3, 9). (pp. 2-3) ↑
For more on the multiple fulfillment nature of biblical prophecy see Additional Studies on the Endtimes, chs. 1-3; online at http://www.trainingtimothys.com. ↑
MacArthur, Rev, 167. Likewise, Thomas notes:

The OT prophecies of Babylon’s destruction in Isaiah 13 and Jeremiah 51 are yet unfulfilled and are awaiting the future (Seiss)… Until the present, Babylon has never undergone the destruction prophesied for her in the OT (Isa. 47:11; 51:8). The present devastation of the region is the result of slow decay, not of sudden destruction (Bullinger). (Thomas, 1352, 1356)

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states:

It has troubled some scholars that Chapters 50–51 predict the violent destruction of Babylon, whereas its defeat by Cyrus in 539 BC took place without a battle and with no damage to the city. But as with other predictive prophecies, if a fulfillment does not occur in one period, it is to be sought for in another and future one.

Wiersbe writes of the near/far application of Jeremiah’s prophecies against Babylon:

Jeremiah’s prophecy about Babylon has both a near and a far fulfillment… Remember, the prophets often looked at “two horizons,” one near and one far, as they spoke and wrote about the future (at Jer 50:1) ↑
The online world History Encyclopedia gives the following history of Babylon from biblical times to the early Middle Ages:

The Neo-Babylonian Empire continued after the death of Nebuchadnezzar II and Babylon continued to play an important role in the region under the rule of Nabonidus and his successor Belshazzar (featured in the biblical Book of Daniel).

In 539 BCE the empire fell to the Persians under Cyrus the Great at the Battle of Opis. Babylon’s walls were impregnable and so the Persians cleverly devised a plan whereby they diverted the course of the Euphrates River so that it fell to a manageable depth. While the residents of the city were distracted by one of their great religious feast days [cf. Dan 5:1-31], the Persian army waded the river and marched under the walls of Babylon unnoticed.

Under Persian rule, Babylon flourished as a center of art and education. Cyrus and his successors held the city in great regard and made it the administrative capital of their empire (although at one point the Persian emperor Xerxes felt obliged to lay siege to the city after another revolt)…

When, after 200 years, the Persian Empire fell to Alexander the Great in 331 BCE, he also gave great reverence to the city, ordering his men not to damage the buildings nor molest the inhabitants… After Alexander’s death at Babylon in 323 BCE, in the Wars of the Diadochi, his successors fought over his empire generally and the city specifically to the point where the residents fled for their safety (or, according to one ancient report, were relocated).

By the time the Parthian Empire ruled the region in 141 BCE, Babylon was deserted and forgotten. The city steadily fell into ruin and, even during a brief revival under the Sassanian Empire, never approached its former greatness.

In the Muslim conquest of the land in 650 CE whatever remained of Babylon was swept away and, in time, was buried beneath the sands. (online at https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/)

But as noted above, still has inhabitants even today. ↑
Regarding the fact that OT prophecies about Babylon have not yet been fulfilled, Bible scholar Charles Dyer explains:

Jeremiah … described a city that is destroyed suddenly and completely. A city in full blossom is plucked up never to reappear… Obviously, this was not the case [in history]… The city of Babylon has been occupied throughout history, and even today, as noted, three settlements are within the ancient walls. The fact remains that Jeremiah’s words, “She will not be inhabited, but she will be completely desolate” (50:13), are yet to be fulfilled. (“The Identity of Babylon in Revelation 17–18: Parts 1 & 2,” Bibliotheca Sacra 144 [1987]). ↑
NT scholar Richard Bauckham writes of the relationship between the Revelation and OT Prophets concerning Endtime Babylon:

It is a remarkable fact that John’s great oracle against Babylon echoes every one of the oracles against Babylon in the Old Testament prophets. It seems that John not only writes in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets, but understands himself to be writing at the climax of the tradition, when all the eschatological oracles of the prophets are about to be finally fulfilled. And so he interprets and gathers them up in his own prophetic revelation. (The Theology of the Book of Revelation, Cambridge, 1999, Kindle ed., 106-111). ↑

Chapter 2

Biblical Principles for Interpreting Revelation 17-18

Contents

Primary Points