Babylon the Great -Continue

 Ancient Babylon was outstandingly noted for its religion and its defiance of Jehovah

Genesis 10:8-10: "Nimrod. . .displayed himself a mighty hunter in opposition to Jehovah. . .And the beginning of his kingdom came to be Babel [later known as Babylon]." 

Daniel 5:22, 23: "As for you  [Belshazzar king of Babylon] . . . against the Lord of the heavens you exalted yourself, . . .and you have praised mere gods of silver and gold, copper, iron, wood, and stone, that are beholding nothing or hearing nothing or knowing  nothing: but the God in whose hand your breath is and to whom all your ways belong you have not glorified." 

An ancient cuneiform inscription reads:  "Altogether there are in Babylon 53 temples of the chief gods, 55 chapels of Marduk, 300 chapels of the earthly deities, 600 for the heavenly deities, 180 altars for the goddess Ishtar, 180 for the god's of Nergal and Adad and 12 other altars for different gods." -Quoted in the Bible as History (New York, 1964), W. Keller, , p.301.

The Encyclopedia  Americana comments:  "Sumerian civilization [which was part of Babylon] which was dominated by priests' at the head of the state was the lugal (literally, 'great man'), the representative of the gods." - (19770, Vol3, p. 9.

Reasonably, therefore, Babylon the Great is referred to in Revelation is religious. Being like  a city and an empire, it is not limited to one religious group but includes all religions that are in opposition to Jehovah, the true God.

Next time: Babylon the Great - Continued

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