This blog entry is a brief thought about WHY the Apostle John used the term BABYLON in the NT book of Revelation. But first, let me show you where the title to this blog comes from:
4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, 5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17)
Did you notice where that text gives hints about BABYLON being a RELIGION? See the phrase “abominations of the earth”?
Furthermore, it’s obvious when you read Revelation chapters 17-18 that BABYLON = COMMERCE. But don’t take my word for it, read it for yourself:
3 … the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality. … 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more … 17 And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, 18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ (chapter 18)
So, burn this into your mind:
BABYLON = COMMERCE
WHAT FACTS might the Apostle John have relied upon to connect BABYLON with COMMERCE? If you are a Jewish Merchant, then you may know the answer to that question. But since I don’t expect any non-Jews to know, let me tell you WHY: MODERN COMMERCE ORIGINATED WITH THE JEWS. I don’t know what COMMERCE was like BEFORE the Jews invented their own version of it, but I DO know what it is like SINCE they invented it. And let me tell you, it ain’t pretty! According to Jacob J. Rabinowitz (Jewish Law), the Jews have been exercising their powers of commerce over mankind since at least the 3rd century BC. Mind you, I’m not talking about your Jewish neighbor down the road who owns a shop in town. NO! I’m talking about “the great men of the earth” who RULE THE NATIONS with their evil use of MONEY and POLITICAL/LEGAL POWER. I’m talking about high-level financiers and corporate law-makers. Based on what I’ve discovered, I believe it’s safe to say that COMMERCE RULES THE WORLD. Maybe I’ll get into this in another blog. But suffice to say that FOR THE PAST TWO MILLENIA, THE WHOLE WORLD HAS BEEN UNDER THE POWERS OF TALMUDIC COMMERCE.
And ‘where in the world’ do you suppose this commerce ORIGINATED? You guessed it!
BABYLON
WHY Babylon? Ever hear of the BABYLONIAN TALMUD? Babylon was the seat of a very great civilization. A lot of POLITICS happened there over the course of many centuries. Babylon, if you recall, is where the remnants of Israel’s southern kingdom got taken after BABYLON conquered and destroyed them for DISOBEYING God’s law and CORRUPTING their government and society. BABYLON was the LAND OF CAPTIVITY for Judah (the Jews). A LOT went on in BABYLON over the centuries while Israel was in that land. Many great KINGS ruled that region and implemented their LEGAL and POLITICAL INTRIGUE. I’m sure the Jews learned a thing or two about COMMERCE while living in Babylon, eh? And I’m doubly certain that the Jews learned how to PROTECT THEMSELVES while living as captives in a foreign land. It’s very likely that their best defense was BUREAUCRATIC, using THE LAW and COURTS. You can read about it in a later set of volumes that record some of their legal and political ideas, known as THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD.
Granted, Egypt and the Mycenaeans also practiced Talmudic Commerce, but for John’s purposes in the book of Revelation, BABYLON appears to be the source of this Jewish legal ‘tech’. So, that is why I think the Apostle John ‘affectionately’ calls commerce BABYLON. He likely was very familiar with what we know today as TALMUDIC COMMERCE. He probably didn’t like that Jewish COMMERCE either. All inferences to it in the NT are pejorative. And don’t forget that the Apostle John was a LAW-ABIDING JEW himself. Don’t forget that the Apostle James was also. You can read all he says in derision of it in his letter to the DIASPORA JEWS. See the connections here? And don’t forget that Jesus Himself was a law-abiding Jew too. So was Paul. So were ALL TWELVE APOSTLES. So, WHO more than ANYBODY would know what JEWISH COMMERCE WAS, but a fellow Jew, right? But don’t take my word for this. Go do your own research to see if I’m telling you the truth. Truth or Fiction: MODERN COMMERCE ORIGINATES IN TALMUDIC LAW. I believe the main Tracts are called Gittin and Ketubot. Here’s another hint: THE MORTGAGE, MONEY LENDING & THE MERCHANT’S MARKET.
And let’s not forget how much The Almighty LOVES commerce! He loves it so much, that He commanded ancient Israel to UTTERLY DESTROY the Canaanites. Remember from an earlier blog that CANAANITE = MERCHANT? And what world do MERCHANTS operate in? You guessed it, COMMERCE! Here, read it for yourself:
7 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. 3 Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. 4 For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. 5 But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire. 6 For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7)
The OT has many texts like this about the CANAANITES (= MERCHANTS = COMMERCE).
Let me conclude this blog by quoting one of the great Prophets of old:
And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day. (Zechariah 14:21b)
That’s talking about the time when Jesus returns as God’s MESSIAH, and wipes the earth clean of COMMERCE and all COMMERCE-CONTROLLED governments. NO MORE POLITICAL OPPRESSION AND LEGAL/JUDICIAL CORRUPTION! And NO MORE CORPORATE SLAVERY! Imagine not getting fired for taking time off to take care of your family, your loved ones? Imagine going to court and getting RESTITUTION instead of the government getting paid for YOUR injury? HOW BACKWARDS is COMMERCE! That’s how God wants to take care of all of us. After all, isn’t that what we’re waiting for? Isn’t that what all good people want? That’s the whole point of why Jesus showed up in the first place. That’s what life would be like with God ruling over you INSTEAD OF GREEDY, EVIL, POWER-MONGERING MEN.
See you in the next blog …
Reality Bible 