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Author	: Bill Kochman
Publish	: Feb. 28, 1998
Update	: May 28, 2025
Parts	: 12

Synopsis:



Continuing our discussion from part seven, as you may already know, one tactic which the Seventh Day Adventists and certain other Christians use to supposedly validate their belief that Babylon the Great is really a description of the modern Roman Catholic Church, is to insist that the Book of Revelation is an unfulfilled prophecy concerning the far future. In other words, said prophecies will be fulfilled in our current time. Such people adopt what is referred to in theological circles as the Futuristic perspective. Part of this belief likewise proposes that the Book of Revelation was given to the Apostle John after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Therefore, in their minds, Babylon the Great cannot be a code name for Jerusalem, and must be referring to something else which will be destroyed in the far future; meaning in our near future.

While I will be discussing the actual dating of the Book of Revelation later on in this same series, there is actually a solid, indisputable reason why I personally reject the notion that the Book of Revelation is a prophecy concerning the far future. That is to say, regarding our current time. That reason is made perfectly clear in the following two verses:

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things WHICH MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"


"And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things WHICH MUST SHORTLY BE DONE."


Here we see God the Father Himself clearing saying that these are things "which must shortly come to pass." Let me ask you something. Why do you think God spoke that verse to His Son both at the very beginning, and at the very end of the Book of Revelation? As I thought on this matter for a moment, the answer became very clear to me. Because He wanted to make certain that the First Century Christians understood that the prophecies in this Book would SOON be upon them. That is why He has John tell them at the beginning of the Book, as well as at the end of the Book. When God repeats something, it is very important.

Please also note that when God the Father says "things", He is NOT just referring to some things, or to a few things. He is talking about everything that is written between those two verses. Those are the things which must shortly come to pass. Everything without exception, including the rise of the Beast and the False Prophet, the persecution and tribulation of the Saints, the Seven Plagues and the Seven Vials of Wrath, the destruction of Babylon the Great, the Return of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon, etc. Even if we currently do not fully understand it -- and I most certainly don't -- we are still required to accept God's Word for what it is, and for what it says. We cannot try to twist it so that it conforms to what we personally want to believe.

To reiterate, all of these events would shortly come to pass, and not two thousand years in the future. They would happen soon, from their perspective in the First Century. Why so? Because these prophecies were directed to the Church of the First Century, and NOT to us two thousand years later. That being the case, it makes perfect sense that when these two verses say "must shortly come to pass" and "must shortly be done", they are speaking in human terms, and using a human time frame which the Disciples of the First Century would certainly understand.

As I explain in the seven-part series called "Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?", it makes absolutely no sense that God would choose to reveal these things to the Disciples of the First Century Church, if these prophetic events were not going to happen for some two thousand years. What purpose would that possibly serve? But the fact of the matter is that there is a clear urgency in the messages and prophecies which are contained in the Apocalypse. It was important to get this message to the First Century Disciples. It was expedient that the First Century Church understood what was about to happen to them in the very near future.

So, let me ask you another question. If these prophecies are about "things which must shortly come to pass" -- meaning during the First Century -- and if God gave them to John to share with the First Century Church, how can they possibly be referring to the Roman Catholic Church, which would not even exist for several hundred more years? They obviously cannot be referring to the RCC, and they obviously were not referring to the RCC.

So, rather than accept the misguided doctrines of men which try to push these events into the far future, should we not just accept the Scriptures for exactly what they say, and not try to twist or pervert their meaning so that they fit our personal belief system? In my view, to believe and teach the Futurist point of view with regards to the Book of Revelation as many modern, Futurist-leaning Christians erroneously do -- and as I likewise did for many years as well -- is to directly contradict what God has clearly spoken at both the beginning and end of that amazing prophetic book.

In fact, it is NOT just those two verses alone which have me convinced that the Futurist perspective is incorrect. Quite simply, when Jesus very clearly states "I come quickly", not just one time, but FOUR TIMES in the Book of Revelation -- once in chapter three and three times in chapter twenty-two -- personally, I believe that He means exactly what He says. My friends, let's be honest here. "I come quickly" does not mean "I will see you in another two thousand years". Again, there is a clear sense of urgency to the message contained in the Book of Revelation. Please consider the following four verses where these words were spoken by the Lord:

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown."


"Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."


"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."


"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."


Please also remember that it is God the Father who gave the revelation to His Son, Jesus, who then gave the message to the Angelic Messenger, who then passed it on to John. Thus, Jesus is speaking in these verses under the direction and permission of His Father. Why is this point so important? Well, let me remind you of something which Jesus said in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark:

"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."


"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, NEITHER THE SON, but the Father."


You see, as the previous verses make very clear, during the time that Jesus was in the flesh, He actually did not know how soon He would be returning to the Earth. Apparently, it is something which the Father even kept from Him. However, not even four decades later, in the Book of Revelation we find the Lord urgently saying "I come quickly". This is an urgent message for the First Century Church to hang on, and to get their hearts and lives right with the Lord -- as per the seven letters to the churches -- because He's definitely coming soon. What a huge change from what Jesus said in the Gospels!

Well, believe it or not, but as mind-blowing as it may be, in the Book of Revelation, the Lord is saying the very same things that He told the Apostles in three of the Gospels. I am referring to the fact that He said "This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." We see the very same exact message in the Gospels, and in the Book of Revelation, because it is Jesus who is actually speaking in both places. Consider the following three verses:

"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."


"So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done."


"So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled."


To clarify, the prophetic events of which Jesus speaks in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, are the very same events which are spoken of in the Book of Revelation. That is to say, the tribulation to come, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, the coming of the Lord, etc. But they are described in the Book of Revelation in considerably more detail.

As I explained a moment ago, in the verses I just shared with you, the Lord says that ALL THINGS would be fulfilled before that current generation passed. The phrase "all these things" in the Gospels has the same meaning as the phrase "things which must shortly come to pass" in the Book of Revelation.

Think about this. If those events were already "at the doors" -- again, an indication of urgency -- when Jesus described them to the Apostles in those Gospels around 30 AD, think how much closer those same events were a few decades later when the Apostle John received his visions and revelations. They must have been ready to burst through the doors very quickly! With good reason Jesus twice said to John "things which must shortly come to pass". What things? The events which Jesus described in three of the Gospels, and then again in the Apocalypse. They are the same events described two different ways. And to reiterate, it is also with good reason that the Lord said "I come quickly" four times in the Apocalypse.

To really focus in on what is being said here by the Lord, let me emphasize the key words which Jesus is speaking in these various chapters. I have typed them out in the exact order in which they appear in the Gospels and in the Book of Revelation. The message is very plain to see. It just isn't possible to miss the real sense of urgency in all of these verses, unless we purposely and willfully reject what they are truly saying, because it doesn't go along with what we want to believe:

". . . it [meaning the destruction of Jerusalem and Christ's Return] is near, even at the door . . . This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled . . . it is nigh, even at the doors . . . this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done . . . the kingdom of God is nigh at hand . . . This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled . . . things which must shortly come to pass . . . Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown . . . the things which must shortly be done . . . Behold, I come quickly . . . behold, I come quickly . . . Surely I come quickly. Amen."

Yet despite such clear Scriptural evidence, these Futurist Christians purposely and insistently push these events into the future, instead of leaving them in the past where they really belong, because they have convinced themselves -- or perhaps have been convinced by others -- that the picture of the destruction of Babylon the Great represents the future destruction of Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, and that the Return of Christ is also a future event. Regarding this latter point, let me again refer you to my seven-part series entitled "Jesus Christ's Return: Have We Been Deceived?".

Now, concerning the fact that we are told that Babylon the Great is "clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls", if the Apostle John's description does not actually describe the Roman Catholic Church, as quite a few of my Christian brethren have erroneously chosen to believe, then who does it describe? Patience, my friends. I will soon be providing you with a very direct answer to this intriguing question -- that is, if you haven't already figured it out -- and it may possibly surprise some of you.

If there is one thing which I hope you recognize by now after reading the first seven parts of this series -- assuming that you've even made it this far -- it is that from part one and forward, I have continually directed you to the Scriptures -- as it obviously should be -- because it's there, in the Bible, where we will find the answers which we seek. Why should it be any different with regard to the description of Babylon the Great? After all, as I've explained a number of times before, it has long been my firm belief that the Bible in large part interprets itself. We simply have to be willing to invest the required time and diligence to seek out the answers, instead of constantly relying on the opinions and doctrines of men.

To reiterate, if we truly want to grasp the meaning of some of the mysterious prophecies which are found in God's Word -- including the identity of Babylon the Great -- rather than just blindly accept the misguided interpretations and questionable doctrines which are espoused by certain of the churches, preached by popular Bible teachers, or even shared by some of our online friends, we really need to do the work ourselves by digging into the Scriptures, and asking God to reveal the truth to us by His Spirit. We simply need to let the Bible interpret itself as much as possible. I shared a few verses with you regarding this subject in part one of this same series. Following are a few more for your personal consideration:

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."


"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come."


"Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."


With regards to the appearance of Babylon the Great, to my own surprise, a number of years ago, I came across a number of Old Testament verses which not only amazed me, but which also peeled away another layer surrounding the mysterious harlot of the Book of Revelation, revealing who she really seems to be. Not only that, but everything I've shared with you thus far in this series is further confirmed by this Scriptural discovery.

But before sharing this new information with you, allow me to remind you again that some of the key words which are used by the Apostle John in the Apocalypse -- or Book of Revelation -- to describe the appearance of Babylon the Great are the following: fine linen, gold, purple, scarlet and precious stones. Is it possible that there is something or someone else mentioned in the Scriptures which likewise matches this description? As you will now see, the answer is in fact a resounding "YES!". So let's dig into it!

What I discovered is that the Old Testament clearly informs us that the curtains, vail and hanging -- meaning a covering or screen -- over the door of the tabernacle which God had instructed Moses to build, were made of fine linen, and were blue, purple and scarlet in color. We are also told that the hanging over the gate of the court was likewise of the same fabric, and the very same colors. Consider the following group of verses which confirm these points:

"Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and PURPLE, AND SCARLET: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them . . . And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and PURPLE, AND SCARLET, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made . . . And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and PURPLE, AND SCARLET, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework."


"And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and PURPLE, AND SCARLET, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four."


As I was working on another important series regarding these very same events, and reading "The Wars of the Jews" by the Jewish general and historian Flavius Josephus, I discovered that in Book 5 Chapter 5, he describes how the temple is divided into two parts -- the inner part and the outer part -- by a pair of golden doors, and that in front of the doors there is a veil or curtain that is likewise blue and scarlet and purple in color. Josephus also mentions "fine linen" as we also see in the description of Babylon the Great. Last of all, Josephus describes this veil as a "Babylonian curtain". Amazing! Consider the following excerpt:

----- Begin Quote -----

"But then this house, as it was divided into two parts, the inner part was lower than the appearance of the outer, and had golden doors of fifty-five cubits altitude, and sixteen in breadth; but before these doors there was a veil of equal largeness with the doors. It was a BABYLONIAN CURTAIN, embroidered with blue, and FINE LINEN, and SCARLET AND PURPLE, and of a contexture that was truly wonderful. Nor was this mixture of colours without its mystical interpretation, but was a kind of image of the universe; for by the SCARLET there seemed to be enigmatically signified fire, by the fine flax the earth, by the blue the air, and by the PURPLE the sea; two of them having their colours the foundation of this resemblance; but the fine flax and the PURPLE have their own origin for that foundation, the earth producing the one, and the sea the other. This curtain had also embroidered upon it all that was mystical in the heavens, excepting that of the [twelve] signs, representing living creatures."

----- End Quote -----

Furthermore, the Book of Exodus also reveals that the holy garments which were to be worn by Aaron -- the first high priest -- and his descendants were also made of fine linen. These garments included a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle. Their colors were to be gold, blue, purple and scarlet -- the same colors as the tabernacle and the curtain in the later temple -- as is evident by the following set of verses:

"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aarons garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priests office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priests office. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work . . . And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen . . . And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it . . . And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:"


Exodus chapter twenty-eight likewise describes how various chains of pure gold were to be incorporated into the holy garments of the high priest. It also describes in intricate detail the design of the breastplate which was to be worn by the high priest. This holy breastplate was to include twelve precious stones, each of which was to be enclosed in gold, or surrounded by gold, and each one representing a tribe of Israel. Consider the following verses which verify these points:

"And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate. And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward. And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod."


Later, in Exodus chapter thirty-five, Moses shares these very same instructions with the children of Israel, so that they can donate all of the supplies which would be necessary to carry out the Lord's orders concerning the construction of the tabernacle, and the design of the high priest's garments. These instructions are then carried out in Exodus chapters thirty-six through thirty-nine. Even the mitre which Aaron wore upon his head was made of gold and fine linen, and bore the colors blue, purple and scarlet. Upon doing a count, I discovered that the phrase "and purple, and scarlet" is used nineteen times in these various chapters.

Now, let me ask you something. Do you honestly believe that it is a mere coincidence that some of the key words which are used to describe Babylon the Great's appearance -- fine linen, gold, purple, scarlet and precious stones -- are the very same words which are used to describe the appearance of the tabernacle, as well as the holy garments of Aaron the high priest? Personally, I do not believe that it is just a mere coincidence. It is intentional. God was fully aware of the colors of the Jewish religious hierarchy, and no doubt John was too. Is it possible then that John actually knew who and what was being described to him in said prophecies regarding Babylon? Good question.

In fact, the Apostle Peter was likewise aware of the colors which were worn by the Jewish religious hierarchy, because as you may recall, he entered into the high priest's palace at the time of Jesus' betrayal. Furthermore, considering how many times the Apostles were dragged before the Sanhedrin, they were probably all more than aware of the colors of the high priest's garments. Consider the following set of verses as examples:

"But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end."


"And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest."


"And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"


As I mentioned earlier, if we really believe that the deep prophecies which are contained in the Book of Revelation were "things which must shortly come to pass", and if the Roman Catholic Church did not even exist at that time, and would not exist for several hundred more years, then there is just no way that Babylon's description can be referring to the Roman Catholic Church. As such, it must be referring to something or somebody else which already existed at that time in history.

Do not forget that the tabernacle represented the spiritual core of the Israelites' religion, just as the high priest was the ultimate human authority within their religion. While the high priest would continue to occupy that position up to and including the New Testament era, as we know, in the days of King Solomon, the tabernacle -- or tent -- was replaced with an actual temple. But the point is, Judaism and the temple compound represented the very heart and soul of the Jewish people. And so making an annual pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem was the desire of all observant Jews. In fact, it was a sacred duty.

Well, that temple, as well as the high priest, along with all of the other priests, were all located within the city of Jerusalem, which God, through His Prophets, through His own Son, Jesus, and through the Apostles -- in particular John -- ultimately declared to be an unfaithful wife and a whore! In my opinion, the temple compound was in effect the spiritual heart of the harlot! I hope you can see that. On a related note, in part two of this series, I shared the following verse with you:

"What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh."


While God's faithful bride is spiritually joined to Him, in the case of Babylon the Great, she has become one with the world instead, and is committing spiritual adultery with it. You may recall that I shared the following verse with you in part three:

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."


Even in her manner of dress and her loud, proud, haughty and defiant attitude, Babylon the Great is the exact opposite of the bride of Christ -- and Christian wives in general -- who is supposed to dress very modestly -- no fancy clothes or expensive jewelry such as gold and pearls -- and be of a meek and quiet spirit. Consider the following group of verses:

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."


"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:"


Please go to part nine for the continuation of this series.

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