Who is Babylon in Revelation
Quick Summary
Babylon in Revelation is not about the ruins of an ancient city on the Euphrates. It is a symbol John uses to describe worldly powers that exalt themselves against God.
In the first century, it was a code name for Rome—the empire of Caesar, cloaked in luxury and brutality. But Babylon also has a longer shadow: it is every empire, economy, or culture that asks for allegiance that belongs only to Christ.
Revelation unmasks Babylon’s glittering façade and shows its inevitable collapse, calling Christians to resist compromise and live as citizens of the New Jerusalem.
Babylon in the Old Testament Background
The name “Babylon” doesn’t enter Revelation out of thin air. It carries centuries of biblical freight. In Genesis 11, humanity’s pride gathers at Babel, building a tower “with its top in the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). The story of Babel already hints at human ambition grasping at godlike status.
Later, Babylon rises as a world power. Under Nebuchadnezzar, it destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC, tore down the temple, and dragged God’s people into exile (2 Kings 25).
The prophets call Babylon arrogant, violent, and doomed:
Isaiah 13–14 taunts Babylon’s king who exalted himself.
Jeremiah 50–51 prophesies Babylon’s sudden fall.
Daniel portrays Babylon as a proud kingdom humbled by God.
By the time John writes Revelation, the literal city of Babylon had declined into near obscurity. Yet the name lived on as a theological symbol—a shorthand for oppressive human power in rebellion against God.
For more on the historical Babylon, see: Where is Babylon in the Bible?
Babylon in Revelation’s Vision (Revelation 17–18)
Revelation paints Babylon in vivid strokes. She is pictured as a woman, “clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls” (Revelation 17:4). She rides a beast with blasphemous names, and in her hand is a golden cup “full of abominations.” On her forehead is written:
“Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations” (Rev. 17:5).
Babylon is not only wealthy—she is intoxicated with power, “drunk with the blood of the saints” (17:6). She seduces kings and merchants, weaving together politics, economy, and idolatry.
In chapter 18, her judgment comes. An angel cries:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons” (Revelation 18:2).
Merchants mourn the loss of their trade. Shipmasters weep as their cargo can no longer be sold. Kings who once boasted in her power stand far off, shocked at how quickly she collapses. Three times the lament is repeated: “in a single hour your judgment has come” (18:10, 17, 19).
For John’s original hearers, this was unmistakable. Rome was Babylon. Rome sat on seven hills (Rev. 17:9). Rome demanded emperor worship. Rome’s wealth dazzled, but it was built on conquest and exploitation. By calling Rome “Babylon,” John strips away its veneer of glory and reveals it as just another arrogant empire heading toward destruction.
See also: Life Under Roman Rule: The World of Revelation
Babylon as a Timeless Symbol
Babylon is not confined to the past. John’s genius is in giving us a name that reaches across centuries. As G. K. Beale observes, “John uses Babylon as a trans-historical symbol for the final manifestation of the world system” (NIGTC: Revelation, p. 850).
In other words, Babylon is Rome in the first century—but it is not only Rome. Babylon shows up in every age where wealth is idolized, where rulers exalt themselves as gods, and where the vulnerable are crushed for profit.
Robert H. Mounce puts it this way: “The mark of Babylon is always compromise with the world when faithfulness to Christ is costly” (NICNT: Revelation, p. 262). Babylon is the lure of ease, prestige, or safety that tempts the church to soften its witness.
That means Babylon is not only in history books. It is in Wall Street excess, in authoritarian regimes, in any nation that wraps injustice in patriotic colors, and in cultural systems that promise fulfillment apart from God. Babylon is the seduction of consumerism, the idol of nationalism, and the intoxication of unchecked power.
Babylon’s Fall and the Hope of New Jerusalem
The fall of Babylon is not simply about judgment; it is about hope. Revelation 18 shows the world lamenting her fall, but Revelation 19 shows heaven rejoicing:
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power to our God, for his judgments are true and just” (Revelation 19:1–2).
Babylon falls to make room for the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21). One city falls, another descends. One represents humanity’s attempt to rule without God; the other is God’s dwelling with humanity.
For persecuted Christians in John’s time, this was a word of endurance: Rome may look invincible, but its days are numbered. For us, it is still a word of endurance: whatever form Babylon takes in our world, it too will fall. Our allegiance belongs not to Babylon but to the Lamb.
See also: Who Wrote Revelation?
Meaning for Today
So, who is Babylon today? We should resist naming one nation or one institution too neatly. The danger is not simply “out there”—it is also in us. Babylon is every place where we let wealth rule us, where we give our hearts to status, where we excuse injustice for the sake of gain.
Revelation presses us to ask uncomfortable questions:
Where am I being seduced by Babylon’s wealth or approval?
Do I confuse national pride with God’s kingdom?
Have I grown numb to the exploitation of others because I benefit from it?
Babylon’s glittering façade is always enticing. But Revelation reminds us that behind the gold cup is poison. Her promises are empty, her wealth is fleeting, and her collapse is sure.
The call of Revelation 18:4 is still urgent: “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins.” We are citizens of the New Jerusalem, and that means we live now as people who resist Babylon’s pull and anticipate Christ’s kingdom.
FAQ
Was Babylon a real city?
Yes, Babylon was once a real empire that conquered Jerusalem in 586 BC. By John’s time it was a ruin, so in Revelation the name is symbolic.
Is Babylon only Rome?
For John’s first readers, Babylon clearly pointed to Rome. But the symbolism is broader, representing every worldly system opposed to God.
Why does Revelation use symbols like Babylon?
Symbols were powerful and subversive. John could critique Rome under Caesar’s nose by using biblical imagery, and at the same time connect the present empire to a larger biblical story of pride and downfall.
How do Christians “come out of Babylon”?
By refusing to let wealth, power, or approval compromise their faith. It means living distinctly as citizens of God’s kingdom, even when it costs something.
What is the difference between Babylon and New Jerusalem?
Babylon is the city of human pride that falls; New Jerusalem is the city of God’s presence that endures forever.
Related Content
Commentaries Cited
G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary).
Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation (New International Commentary on the New Testament).
