Babylon Fall In Bible And History

.. istry began in 1831.

Before the time of disappointment in 1844, had been joined by around 300 other ministers. 135,000 people are estimated to have expressed their commitment to the movement. This was a significant part of the population of the United States (ref.#8).Thus 1831 would mark the beginning of the call of the first angel (Rev. 14:6, 7).

As the movement was coming to its climax, the Protestant churches began to denounce the new ideas, placing themselves in the position of corrupted Babylon. The second angel's message, therefore, began shortly before the time of disappointment in the fall of 1844. The third angel predicts God's final wrath for those who accepted the beast's mark. It began when the significance of his message was discovered from the Scriptures by those who earnestly studied and prayed after the disappointment."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.

" (Rev. 14:8) The Historical interpiters believe that Babylon was the Roman church which developed new doctrines adulterated by combining Biblical truth with pagan beliefs. The effects of the Counter Reformation and the refusal of the Protestant churches to continue searching the Scriptures for new truth, was bringing them into the camp of spiritual Babylon. The verse just quoted, the angel simply says "Babylon is fallen.

" Can be contrasted to the message of the powerful angel of Revelation 18 who cries out mightily in a loud voice with the same message. The angels continue to fly and the messages continue to be increasingly urgent until the climax in chapter 18.There the final call is given to come out and the punishment of plagues predicted by the third angel is given to Babylon who is pictured as the woman on the beast. It is in this sense that Protestantism may be said to have fallen. Reminder of what happened in 1844 The advent preachers were wrong about Jesus coming in 1844, and the churches of the time justly pointed out their error.

The churches failed, however, to recognize the leading of God and refused to see that the temple to be cleansed was in heaven (Heb. 8). In other words, these Protestant churches rejected the idea that something important had happened.At the same time the vast majority of the people who had been moved by the Holy Spirit to repent and prepare for the judgment quickly returned to their old ways without further study to understand what had happened to the calculations and events predicted. In contrast to the futuristic view of Babylon's fall the historical interperters holds the view that the Old Testament prophecies relating to the fall of Babylon have already been fulfilled.

They contend that the prophecies regarding Babylon's fall do not relate to one specific historical situation but to an ideal fall of the city. The definite historical beginning of the ideal fall of Babylon is indicated in the prophecies of the coming of the Medes (Isaiah 13:17; 21:2, 3; Jeremiah 51:11, 28). Cyrus is named as the leader in the expedition against Babylon (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). Because of these definite historical allusions the historical school of interpreters cannot see how the fall of Babylon could be an eschatological event.While the futuristic interpreters distinguish between the Babylon of Revelation 17 and that of chapter 18 the historical interpreters, as a rule, do not.

Whatever interpretation is given to the harlot of Revelation 17 is also given to the metropolis of chapter 18. Among the interpreters who reject any reference to literal Babylon in Revelation, three views prevail. Some hold that Apocalyptic Babylon is the figurative application of that name to a totally different city, Rome. Others hold that Apocalyptic Babylon is the apostate church.A third group holds that the term Babylon in Revelation applies to a system or civilization rather than to any specific geographical center. However diverse their explanations of the Apocalyptic Babylon may be, these interpreters are convinced that no reference to literal Babylon is intended.

They feel that the notion that literal Babylon is to be rebuilt is in conflict with the Old Testament prophecies, which indicate Babylon is to be destroyed and never again inhabited. Conclusion Revelation has been very difficult for many to understand for many biblical scholars, however in researching the two mainstreams of thought regarding the fall of Babylon of Revelation I have come to my own understanding that the fall of Babylon has yet to come. And I am reassured of this because Revelation gives details related to the collateral damage caused by the fall of Babylon. Which seems that these are warnings and descriptions of things to come.

Also I believe that Christ warns of the fall of Babylon in the Parable of the Ten Virgins.Predicted by a story Jesus told This pattern of events traced in Jesus' story of the ten virgins. All carried oil in their lamps, but five foolish ones didn't carry extra oil with them. The foolish virgins ran out of oil and were not admitted to the wedding.

All are claiming a place in the wedding but some won't be as ready as they had imagined. The wedding represents the time when the members of the kingdom of God are identified in judgment and become the bride of Christ.In Luke 12:32 we see Jesus coming out from the wedding and into the wedding feast. Thus the wedding begins before Christ returns in glory. It ends at that time when we go to celebrate the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev.

19:9). Many of the references seem to indicate that fall of Babylon will strongly affect the social and economic structure of the world. They imply that the creativity, skill and naturally industrious nature of man will suddenly come up missing.And darkness will descend on mankind as the light of the world; the "candles" shine no more "at all in thee"(Rev.18:23). Jesus related the light of a candle to the inner spirit of man, comparing it to either evil (darkness), or goodness (light) (Luke 11:33-36).

Revelation states that when Babylon falls, she is to be "utterly burned with fire (Rev.18: 8:9)." At Pentecost, tongues of fire sat over the heads of the apostles, but they were not harmed. Instead they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4).

The firebrand that destroys Babylon will not be made of the natural material we humans might first consider.The fire that destroys Babylon is the fire of the Holy Spirit. And as its power floods the earth, whether directly or through man, it will finalize the removal of man's bondage to the physical world and set him eternally free. What a wonderful day this will be, when we will be set free! Bibliography 1. Jones, Alonzo Trevier.

The Great Empires of Prophecy.Chicago: Review and Herald Publishing Company, 1898. 2. Goodspeed, George Stephen. A History of the Babylonians and Assyrains.

New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1917. 3.King, Leonard W. A History of Babylon. London: Chatto and Windus, 1919.

4. Hislop, Rev. Alexander.The Two Babylons or The Papal Worship.

New York: Loizeaux Brothers, Bible Truth Depot, 1944. 5. Winckler, Hugo. The History of Babylonia and Assyria. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1907.

6. Parrot, Andre. Babylon and the Old Testament. New York: Philosophical Library, 1958. 7.

Saggs, H.W.F.The Greatness that was Babylon.

New York: Hawthorn Books Inc. Publishers, 1962. 8. Maxwell, C. Mervyn. God Cares Vol.

2. Boise, Idaho; Oshawa, Ontario, Canada: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1985.