Revelation 17-18 Show Us The Near Future

Babylon Will Fall

I hear people say “The world is falling apart.” I take a different view. I believe things are falling into place. We are marching toward the culmination of Jesus’ destruction of wickedness and evil upon the earth. Revelation 18 offers details of the true nature of the end times civic and commercial Babylon, as well as the complete and total annihilation of it. This one world government is coming into sharp focus in our day and will for a short time have complete control over all aspects of life for those “who dwell on the earth.”[1]

It appears to me that the current race to implement the United Nations agendas across the earth, the rapid development of AI, transhumanist technology such as Elon Musk’s Neuralink, and the virulent Anti-Israelism evidenced across the earth, is proof that we are on the cusp of a drastic change in how we live our lives day by day. At stake is our freedom and liberty as Americans, our rights of self-determination under a form of government where we are meant to have input, and the very ideals of Americanism. Add to this the creation and expansion of BRICS[2] and the push by the US Government working in conjunction with the Federal Reserve to implement a new government-controlled cryptocurrency, and you have the makings of a totalitarian global regime.

An idiom among religious scholars that has been used over the years is, “All roads lead to Rome.” This claim is meant to support the belief that all religious expressions will ultimately find a connection to Roman Catholicism. I believe this is true. All religious expressions of man save orthodox, biblical Christianity will be melded into the Great Harlot in the time of the Tribulation.

It is clear to me that a new idiom is useful: “All roads lead to Babylon.” The things we are witness to today are what we see detailed in the Scriptures concerning this end-of-time entity. This emerging all-encompassing global government will attempt to control all economic movements but will fail to do so concerning Christians who become born-again. God will protect His people, and they will be His evangelists in that time. I think of the recent movie, The Shift in this context. Despite all odds, despite the overwhelming wickedness upon the earth, Yahweh will still have a witness in the form of believers who will not hold their lives so dear that they cower in fear. Luke recorded Paul saying in Acts 20:24 – “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” I believe that will be the mindset of believers then and I see it increasingly becoming the mindset of believers living today.

We read a familiar phrase in Revelation 18:1, “After these things.” This statement tells us that John is receiving a new vision. After the destruction of the Great Harlot one world religion by the “ten kings” that serve the Antichrist in Revelation 17, John sees another angel approaching. This angel is seen to be coming down from heaven and in some way is known to have great authority. We are given no hint as to why John sensed this other than that the earth would be illuminated with his glory.

Immediately some people will think that perhaps this is Jesus because of the mention of glory. Two things seem to stand against that interpretation. First, this entity is called an angel. Second, this angel is a messenger that announces judgment upon Babylon. We see this in verse 2. It seems more accurate to see the mention of glory within the context of this angel having been in the presence of Yahweh and therefore, the glory of Yahweh was shining upon him, and second, the glory accompanied the angel because he had great authority. The two seem to go together. The pronouncement of the destruction of Babylon the Great, the city that enslaved all mankind in her economic web, is finally stopped.

We find in verse 2 the driving force behind Babylon – demons, unclean spirits, and unclean birds. We are told that economic Babylon is a dwelling place of demons and unclean spirits. This is why John wrote in his first epistle that, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This all makes sense. What doesn’t make sense to some people is that John sees unclean and hateful birds. What do birds have to do with anything? I think this is meant to be understood in the context of Matthew 13, the so-called Kingdom Parables.

Matthew 13 contains parables that Jesus spoke to His followers. The first parable He spoke concerned what we call the sower and the seeds. You will recall that some of the sower’s seeds fell beside the road and the birds came and ate the seed. Most commentators focus on the hardness of the road where seeds could not sprout and call this person one who has a hardened heart. I think that is true, but we miss an important detail – that birds came and ate the seed before it could sprout. The birds in this parable represent the evil one and his followers. We cannot discount the fact that the gospel seed was snacked away immediately from the one hearing it. Jesus tells us this in Matthew 13:19 – “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.” 

After this explanation of the sower and his seeds parable, Jesus tells another parable about the wheat and the tares. This sets the context for the parables that follow. Matthew 13:24-25 says:

²⁴ Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.

The enemy of Yahweh is responsible for the false converts in the body of Christ. In this same chapter, verses 31-32, Jesus spoke another parable about the mustard seed.

³¹ He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; ³² and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

Some commentators interpret this as a good thing. They say this parable shows us the unstoppable expansion of the Kingdom of God. I don’t believe that’s what this parable is saying at all. The context has already been given in the sower parable, and the tares and wheat parable. That context is what will transpire right before His return.

This is what I wrote in my commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

I've heard this parable taught from the perspective that the church is going to branch out and fill the world…But guess what? Jesus is not congratulating the church here. He is saying that although the church started well, as a small seed that He planted in the world it will grow to become something it was never meant to be.

Do you see that? How tall does a mustard bush grow? By the way, the mustard seed grows into a bush. There is no such thing as a mustard tree. Jesus says that from this seed that should have just been a bush, grew a great tree. And listen, here's the key. The birds of the air come and nest in its branches.

What do the birds represent? Birds…represent evil people. So, what does this parable tell us? This parable is telling us clearly, that Jesus says although the church started well, it will be corrupted. Evil people will make their homes inside the church. That's the symbolism of nesting in the tree and listen, they're comfortable there. They make their homes there. Is that not a picture of the current apostate church?

This is a sad indictment…This is not saying oh what a wonderful thing it is that the church has grown so large. No, it's saying the church will become corrupt in the last days. All you need to do is study the Book of Revelation to see that one of the movers and shakers in the last days is going to be the corrupt organized global reaching religiosity that masquerades as the Church.

Jesus is saying that this is not a good thing. It becomes what it was never meant to be. The lost are comfortable in the church. That grieves my heart to read that and to say that, but it is the testimony of the Scriptures.[3]

When the apostate church, the Great Harlot of Revelation 17 is destroyed, adherents will simply change their allegiance to the Antichrist. Understand this – it is the global leadership of the Great Harlot that will be destroyed, not its followers. Revelation 13 makes it clear that when the False Prophet declares to those who dwell on the earth that they must worship the beast or be cut off from all opportunities to engage in economic activity, they will be willing to do so. These are the tares, the leaven, and the birds of the Kingdom parables. They are the evil doers and the evil workers mentioned throughout the Bible. Jesus told us these things would occur. Now is the time for all believers to stand in the gap for our King. The body of Christ will have power and authority for the harvest to the extent it is willing to separate itself from those who mean it harm, even those who are within its walls but who preach a different Gospel.

Dr. Mike Spaulding

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[1] Throughout Revelation, that phrase refers to unbelievers. The consistent use of that phrase in the context of Revelation reveals that it is the proper usage.

[2] BRICS stands for its founding member nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Other nations recently invited to join this alliance are Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, and the UAE. The BRICS member nations now control approximately $45 Trillion in investable wealth and represent approximately 45% of the global population, contributing 36% of the global GDP, surpassing the G7’s 30% share.    

[3] Mike Spaulding, Matthew 10-18: A Commentary for the Remnant Body of Jesus Christ, (Elida, OH: Transforming Word Publishing, 2020), pp. 245-246.

Photo courtesy of Meranda D from Pixabay