Jeremiah 51:7-13 Babylon had been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reached unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. The LORD had brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD had raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD had both devised and done that which he spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwelled upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
‘A golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.’ Compare this with Revelation 17:4-5.
This identifies Mystery Babilon as a religious system on earth. Playing the whore in symbolic language always refers to religious fornication and idolatry (Rev. 17:1-4; Isa. 17:1-14; 23:1-18; 57:3-7; Jer. 3:2-9; Ezek. 16:1-63; 20:30-32; 23:7-49; Hos. 4:12-19; Nah. 3:4; literal fornication must also be understood in some of these). She is not a political power for she is not classed as one with “the kings of the earth.” She only causes the kings and inhabitants of the earth to be drunk with the wine of her fornication (Rev. 17:2, 4). Since fornication here refers to religious harlotry then her influence over the nations is through religion.
Revelation 17:11-13 clarifies the beast as the 8th and last kingdom as well as the second of the future empires to oppress Israel in the times of the Gentiles and the last world power to do so. There are fourteen facts from Revelation on the beast as a kingdom: Is the 8th kingdom (Rev. 17:11). Is to be dominated by the great whore [religious system] until Antichrist comes to power over the 10 kingdoms (Rev. 17:1-7, 12-17). Succeeds 7 world empires (Rev. 17:9-11). Five empires had fallen before John’s day – Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece (Rev. 17:10). The 6th kingdom (Roman Empire) was in John’s day (Rev. 17:10). The 7th kingdom (made up of the 10 kingdoms inside the Roman Empire territory) is not yet come (Rev. 17:10-17; Dan. 7:23-24). The 7th must continue a short space before the Antichrist comes (Rev. 17:10). The 7th becomes the 8th kingdom when the Antichrist gets full power over the 10 kingdoms (Rev. 17:9-17). The 8th is one of the 7 kingdoms, that is, the 5th that had fallen before John’s day This is in harmony with the facts that the beast was before the 6th and 7th and is not during the 6th and 7th, and becomes the 8th after the 6th and 7th (Rev. 17:8-11).
‘Suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. Babylon’s future destruction as described in Revelation 16:17-21; 18:8, 17, 19.
End times: Prophetic Scriptures 