Chapter Thirty-Six -The Great City Devastated

SUDDEN, shocking, devastating-such will be the demise of Babylon the Great!  It will be one of the most catastrophic events in all history, marking the start of the "great tribulation,such as has not occurred since the world's beginning until now, no, nor will occur again." -Matthew 24:21.

False religion had been around for a long time, it has existed without a break since the days of bloodthirsty Nimrod, who opposed Jehovah and set men to building the Tower of Babel. When Jehovah confused the tongues of those rebels and scattered them over the earth, Babylon's false religion traveled with them.  (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:4-9)  Since then, political empires have risen and  fallen, but Babylonish religion has endured. It has taken many shapes and forms, becoming a world empire of false religion, the prophesied Babylon the Great.  Its most prominent part is Christendom, which grew out of a fusion of early Babylonish teachings with apostate  "Christian" doctrine. Because of the long, long history of Babylon the Great, many people find it hard to believe that it will ever be destroyed. 

It is therefore, appropriate that Revelation should confirm the doom of false religion by giving us two detailed descriptions of her fall and subsequent events leading to her total desolation. We have already seen her as "the great harlot" that is finally  devastated by her erstwhile  lovers of the political realm.  (Revelation 17:1; 15, 16) Now, in still another vision, we are to view her as a city, the religious anti-type of ancient Babylon. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Six -The Great City Devastated - Babylon the Great Takes a Tumble

From the book of Revelation