A Study on Revelation Chapter 14: Part 3 – The fall of Babylon 

In Rev 14:8 we read about the fall of Babylon.

Rev 14:8 And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has caused all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

The expression of "to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" means that Babylon will be held responsible for the wrath that mankind will received from God during the final tribulation period as punishment for committing spiritual fornication, which is the worship of idols and false gods (such as Star gods, Ascended Masters, Lucifer or Satan, etc). Babylon will be held responsible for leading people away from the one true God, and will be judged and destroyed for doing so.  Spiritual fornication, or spiritual adultery, was the same reason why God divorced Israel around 587 BC.

Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery, I put her away and gave her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

Jeremiah 1:16 I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

Who or what does Babylon represent? There are many who teach that Babylon represents America, others teach it is New York city, others the Vatican, but I will show that Babylon the Great represents a demonic one-world religious and political system that will come into full power towards the end of the final tribulation period. Revelation chapter 17 describes Babylon as a religious system.

Rev 17:3-5 And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. On her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Being a woman and being arrayed in purple and scarlet signifies that Babylon represents a religious system. Notice in the following passage that the red beast upon which she rides will ascend out of the bottomless pit, which is hell, and all those who are not true believers of Christ will admire the beast that carries her.

Rev 17:7-8 And the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
     
Babylon is also drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus because she is responsible for their death.
     
Rev 17:6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
 
Because the woman is carried by the beast, she will assist in the execution of all those who do not worship the image of the beast.
 
Rev 13:15-17 He [the Antichrist] was granted power to give a [god-like] spirit to the [god-like] image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell unless he has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
 
Babylon the Great will not only be a religious system, but will also be a political and commercial system that will enforce regulations to prohibit all who do not receive the mark of the beast from buying or selling. Babylon will be controlled by several kings that will come in and out of power, and she will reign over the kings of the Earth, and have dominion over peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Rev 17:9-18 The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but will receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he isLord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to be in agreement, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.  And the woman who you saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

The beast that carries the Babylon was, and is not, but will come into power after it ascends out of the bottomless pit, and then it will go into perdition. In chapter 18 we see that when Babylon falls, she will become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird (demonic spirits); thus Babylon will become utterly demonically possessed and God will command His people to "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." The political and commercial aspect of Babylon's system is described here with the statement: "The merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."
     
Rev 18:1-5 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

On Judgment Day, after Christ is victorious at the Battle of Armageddon, God will judge and destroy Babylon.

Rev 16:13-19 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

Babylon the Great will not only be a one-world religious and political system, but she will be demonically empowered by the beast from hell that carries her. Babylon will have great influence and power, and will rule over all the nations of the world. She will sit on seven mountains, which represent political kingdoms, and will have several kings that will rise and fall from power within her, ultimately ending up with 10 demonic kings that will come into full power at the end, and will fight against Jesus and his army at the Battle of Armageddon. Mystery Babylon was birthed into existence in the city of Babylon when Nimrod ruled on the Earth thousands of years ago, and she has not only maintained her existence since then, but has been steadily gaining membership and power for thousands of years. Babylon the Great will continue to rise to full power during the final tribulation, but will meet her ultimate demise on Judgment Day. Those that teach that Babylon is America, or the city of New York, or the Vatican are completely missing the mark and are failing to consider all the important facts as stated in Revelation chapters 16, 17, and 18. 

A Study on Revelation Chapter 14: Part 2 – The Tribulation Saints

After Christ Raptures the Firstfruit saints and they are seen singing a new song before the throne of God, an angel is seen flying in the midst of heaven preaching the everlasting gospel to those still dwelling upon the earth, commanding them to fear and worship God because the hour of His judgment has come. 
  
Rev 14:6-7 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

This passage that shows Raptured saints in heaven before the throne of God while the everlasting gospel is still going to be preached to all those still dwelling on the Earth is irrefutable proof that God plans to save a great multitude of people left behind after the Rapture. These tribulation saints that Christ was not able to Rapture, will now have to endure the "hour of trial" that is about to begin. Rev 3:10-12 is a message being directed towards the bride of Christ who will not have to endure the final "hour of testing" as they will be those that have entered into the "ark".

Rev 3:10-12 Because you have kept the word of my endurance, I also will keep you fromthe hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold fast that which you have, that no man take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God; and I will write on him my new name.

This "hour of trial" is not a literal hour; the Bible uses the expression of "an hour" to represent a period of time, as seen in John 4:23.

John 4:23 But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship him.
  
It will be during this final tribulation period when Christ will test everyone living in the world as to whether they will choose him as their Lord and Savior and refuse the mark of the beast, or whether they will succumb to Satan and accept his mark. God will, however, use the Raptured saints to assist in propagating the gospel of Salvation to those left behind and help them turn to God and resist the mark of the beast.

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come .

Isaiah 60:1-5 is another passage directed towards the bride of Christ.
 
Isaiah 60:1-5 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

Tribulation saints will now begin a period of testing and refining, as God will use the Holy Spirit to open their eyes of understanding and purify them, and will begin separating them from the unsaved, as someone would purity silver by removing its impurities, which is called dross.
 
Proverbs 25:4-5 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.
 
Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
 
Isaiah 1:22-25 Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.
 
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
 
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
 
God will test the heart of every person left behind.
 
Proverbs 17:3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but the LORD tests the hearts.
 
God will use this final tribulation period to separate the wheat from the chaff, and will gather the wheat into His barn, and burn away the chaff.
 
Matthew 3:12 [Speaking of Christ] whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

 
When this final tribulation period begins after the removal of the bride of Christ, God will throw down Babylon the Great, which is a powerful kingdom that Satan has been establishing throughout the world for thousands of years along with the wicked, and God will now begin to pour out His wrath upon them.
 
Rev 14:8-10 And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."

 
I will end Part 2 here and continue with Part 3.