Revelation 17:1-18 - "The Seat of the False Prophet"

John is shown a vision which symbolizes two additional judgments which are spread out over the tribulation. Chapter 17 focuses on the ruin of "religious Babylon," an ungodly spiritual system which is at first supported, then ruined by the efforts of the beast. Chapter 18 will describe the fall of Babylon in a political or economic sense. In Revelation, Babylon refers to the entire worldwide political, economic and religious kingdom of the Antichrist. Throughout history, Babylon has been the center of rebellion and false religion. It was the birthplace of idolatry. In Genesis 10:8-10, the devil seduced and deceived Nimrod, who was the leader in building the city of Babel and the Tower of Babel to worship false gods rather than the true and living God. Nimrod established a system of idol worship that detested God and worshiped Satan which launched false religion all over the earth after God confounded their language and thus they were scattered all around the world (Genesis 11:1-9). In the end, it will be the same deception, there is nothing new under the sun. The final world religion is depicted as a harlot in Revelation 17, and pictures Babylon as causing the entire world to become intoxicated with her pleasures, her whoredom, and unbridled indulgence in all manner of fornication, rebellion, hatred and idolatry toward God. "Fornication" means spiritual prostitution to the Antichrist's false system.