I recently got into an argument about whether Jerusalem was the Whore of Babylon. There are number of claims they used that I hope to summarise simply (for your convenience), and provide a response.
I have previously written to identify the Whore of Babylon. It contrasts two cities to determine which today could fit the description of the Whore. I had not included consideration of Jerusalem. So here I have attempted to respond to some of the claims. Many of the claims are not worth rebutting as they make nonsense claims not remotely supported by Scripture.
All the prophets die in Jerusalem
Jesus says in Luke 13:33 that prophets must die in Jerusalem. We see the two witnesses of Revelation die in Jerusalem. Revelation 16:6 and 18:20,24 state very plainly that the Whore is guilty of the blood of all the prophets, and all those slain on the earth. Case closed?
Not quite.
Firstly, Jerusalem is not in fact guilty of the blood of all those slain on the earth. Therefore, the correct understanding of these passages are either symbolic, hyperbole, or both.
Secondly, the many of the most prominent prophets did not die in Jerusalem. Moses died on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-6) in Moab, outside the land of Israel. Moses was told he could not enter the promised land (Numbers 20:12), and could not possibly have died in Jerusalem. Was Jesus wrong? Moses was considered the greatest prophet besides John the Baptist.
John the Baptist also was not killed in Jerusalem. He was killed in royal city of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea in what is now the country of Jordan, at least according to Josephus (Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 18. 5. 2) and archaeological studies. Was Jesus wrong? Or is a literal understanding of his statement in Luke 13 erroneous? Either way, it is not good evidence that the Whore represents Jerusalem.
Daniel died in Ecbatana in Parthia according to Josephus and ancient Jewish writings (Targum Sheini on Esther, 4, 11), although later Jewish authorities said Susa.
Jeremiah died in Egypt at the hand of exiled Jews.
Ezekiel, Amos, Joel, Hosea, none of these died in Jerusalem.
Without researching any more, it is clear that all the Old Testament prophets, even the most significant ones did not die in Jerusalem, nor were killed in Jerusalem. Many were. But many were not.
Not even half the apostles died in Jerusalem, and certainly the majority of saints in history have died, not in Jerusalem or even Rome.
Whatever Jesus meant by his statement in Luke 13, it is factually incorrect to say all the prophets died, or even all the prophets killed, were killed in Jerusalem. And then, when the condemnation against the Whore includes the judgement that she is guilty of all those slain on the earth, it is incredibly difficult to attribute that to Jerusalem, even symbolically. Therefore, this argument should be dismissed as a conclusive argument for Jerusalem being the Whore of Babylon.
I have written extensively on how this should be understood in Why Rome is not the Whole of Babylon.
Prophets have warned many nations, including Nineveh. There is no reason to think that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 who witness during the time Jerusalem is dominated by gentiles, prophesy against Jerusalem, but rather against its conquerors.
Whore
Advocates for the Jerusalem theory cite Isaiah 1:21, 57:8 and Jeremiah 2:2,20, where God calls Jerusalem a whore as evidence that Revelation 17 & 18 speaks about Jerusalem. There are two main problems with this:
- Just because Jerusalem is called a whore, doesn’t mean that Jerusalem is the “Mystery Babylon, Mother of Harlots” (Revelation 17:5).
- A Whore does not imply or require a covenantal relationship with God. Nineveh was condemned because she “treats nations and clans like merchandise by her prostitution and sorcery,” (Nahum 3:4). Actual real-world Babylon is called the mistress of kingdoms and a prostitute (Isaiah 47).
Advocates of this view typically focus solely on the this and the idea that the Whore is accused of slaughtering all those who live on the the earth (see end of this page), and ignore the other criteria. It should be obvious looking at the above sections, that this does not describe Jerusalem in any literal way.
Nations mourn at her destruction
Revelation 18 reveals the destruction that comes on the Whore, and how the nations and merchants mourn at her destruction because she made them rich. This is not in accordance with descriptions of Jerusalem being a cup of trebling or burdensome stone (Zechariah 12:2-3) and it is simply untrue that nations have been made rich through Jerusalem’s spending since Solomon died.
Jerusalem, a cup of trembling and burdensome stone, is not mourned at her fall.
City, or nation
Advocates of the view that Jerusalem is the Whore, have to switch to and fro. On the one hand, they argue that it represents Israel or Judah, and therefore includes their sins. However, this runs counter to their view that “mega polis” cannot be anything but a city.
The LSJ and other Greek lexicons say that ‘polis’ can be a city, but it can also mean a state, nation, or even community. This makes sense. We refer to various cities as representatives of their nations. When we report that London, Washington DC, Tehran, London, Brussels, Canberra, or Rome, do something, we recognise that it is a place-holder for the nation, and is not about the city itself. As mentioned above, even advocates of Jerusalem utilise this in their arguments as they switch between the Whore being a city vs a nation on a regular basis. Thus, we look for a city or nation that actually rules over the world, and there are only a few that qualify today: Washington DC, New York, Rome, London, Brussels. Washington because it is the head of the USA. New York because it also represents the USA, but is also the home of the United Nations which literally rules the world. Rome because of the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, and Brussels because of its influence in European politics.
Mystery
The Whore is labelled a mystery. This is indeed odd if Jerusalem or Rome were in view as these are not mysterious at all – Jerusalem was called a whore by God many times in the Old Testament. To disclose Jerusalem as a whore is hardly a mystery.
Bodies and Souls of men
It cannot be reasonably concluded that Jerusalem trades in the bodies and souls of men, except in an extremely abstract interpretation, and even then, interpreting it in that way would indict many more nations ahead of Jerusalem.
Rides the Beast
Jerusalem also cannot be said to rule nations in any real sense. Some have tried to make this to be secret Jewish cabals, but this argument is tenuous at best, as many of these “Jewish cabals” don’t support the existence of Israel. They have to switch from “Jerusalem” being the Whore, and secret Jewish cabals being the Whore.
Even if that were the case, Jerusalem does not ride the Beast. Regardless of how one defines the Sea Beast or Scarlet Beast, Islamic empires, the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church, the UN, none can be said to be dominated or controlled by Jerusalem, either now or in the past, and is unlikely to in the future.
Great merchants and ships
Jerusalem is a land-bound city. At this point, advocates for Jerusalem switch to this being representative of Israel. However, not only does Jerusalem/Israel not have great merchant navies, they do not buy or sell in such quantities that make nations and many, many merchants rich.
Jesus returns to defend, not destroy Jerusalem. Jews are promised restoration, not destruction.
Paul writes that “All Israel will be saved“. And God frequently speaks of regathering Jews to the land of Israel after a period of desolation. God promises that they will mourn when they see him who they pierced, when he returns and delivers Israel. Identifying the destruction of the Whore of Babylon as Jerusalem’s destruction conflicts with God’s declared plans for his people. In Revelation 18, God declares the following judgement:
In this way, Babylon the great city
Revelation 18:21-22
will be thrown down violently
and never be found again.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians,
flutists, and trumpeters
will never be heard in you again;
no craftsman of any trade
will ever be found in you again…
Jesus comes to defend Jerusalem, not destroy her.
“In that day,” declares Yahweh, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will open my eyes to watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5 Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through Yahweh of hosts, their God.’“
Zechariah 12:4-5
In that day Yahweh will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who stumbles among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of Yahweh before them. 9 And it will be in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.“
Zechariah 12:8-9
“Jerusalem will be inhabited in security.” (Zechariah 14:11) stands in stark contrast with “Babylon, the great city, [will] be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.” (Revelation 18:21).
The Great City
The argument goes that in Revelation there are two cities called “the great city”. Since they are not referred to as “a great city” the logic used is that these two must be the same. While prophecy is mostly Jerusalem centric, many prophecies against other nations have been proclaimed, such as against Egypt, Tyre, Sidon, Assyria, Babylon etc.
It is indeed true that Jerusalem is called the great city in Revelation 11. However, other cities such as Nineveh are also called “the great city” (Genesis 11 & Jonah). The context provides the identification rather than a generic name.
It is exceptionally weak to say that a reference to a particular great city in a particular context must be the same great city in a different context especially as in the first context that city is under siege and gentile rule, and in the second context, the great city rules over the nations of the world: In Revelation 11, the Beast is treading down the great city Jerusalem that has been given over to the gentiles. The two witnesses, witness against the Beast (not Jerusalem). Jerusalem cannot be described as ruling the cities of the world (Rev 17:18); Jerusalem is under gentile rule in Revelation 11.
When looking at the context of both cities, it should be obvious that they are two different cities.
Scarlet & Purple
These colours are not associated with Israel proper and never have. It is true that it has been representative of the priests of Israel (Revelation 17:4-5; Exodus 25:2,4; 26:1,31,36; 27:16; 28:1-2,4-12,15,17-23,33) it certainly isn’t the case now, and is required at the time of the return of Christ. There are no priests in Israel now, and thus, since the temple mount is dominated by gentiles in Revelation 11, there are no sacrifices, nor priests mentioned.
Extensive work has been done on the nature of the purple John mentions. There are many nations that fit these colours. In fact, of the cities mentioned above Washington, New York, Rome and London, all use these colours in great abundance, unlike Jerusalem.
Earthquake for judgement
Revelation 11:13 speaks of an earthquake in Jerusalem “And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake.“
Revelation 16:18-19 describes an earthquake that comes on the Whore of Babylon. “And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the wrath of His rage.”
As can be seen, the earthquake of the Whore is so severe, it is larger than any earthquake in the history of the world. Contrast that with the earthquake of Jerusalem in Revelation 11, which only has a comparatively small earthquake. The Whore’s earthquake causes the cities of the nations to fall. Zechariah 14:4 depicts an earthquake in Jerusalem splitting the city in two. The Whore’s earthquake splits the city into three and will not be inhabited again – something that is not true of Jerusalem in the past, or the future.
Christ’s return
Revelation 11 depicting the death and resurrection of the two witnesses, and the earthquake that destroys a tenth of the city, says that it is the second woe (v. 14). Unlike the destruction of the Whore, which culminates in the battle of Revelation 19 and Zechariah 12-14 and depicts the actual return of Christ, the earthquake of Revelation 11 depicts no war or return of Christ at the second woe.
Sexual Perversion
The Whore is depicted as sexually promiscuous and making the nations drunk with it.
It is true that Tel Aviv is openly homosexual, and that Jews own many of the major pornographic websites, that lure and trap many in sexual perversion. However, this is true of a minority of Jews and not representative of Israel nor Jerusalem. Revelation 11 names Jerusalem symbolically as Sodom and Egypt, not as Babylon. The USA is the largest produce of pornographic material and even requires nations to promote sexual perversion (disguised as equality) to have free trade with the USA. It is one of the largest exports of the USA.
Israel was not alone in receiving judgement for perverse sexual practices; nations around Israel were also judged for sexual perversion, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Cannanites, Nineveh, to name a few. Therefore, comparisons between the sexual perversion of Jerusalem/Israel with the Whore, is insufficient to establish the Whore’s identity as Jerusalem.
Some believe that the sexual perversion is an allusion to a spiritual unfaithfulness. Throughout Scripture, it is not Jerusalem that is called spiritually unfaithful, but Israel and Judah. Even so, Ezekiel 16 does mention Jerusalem by name as the unfaithful partner, but this is not the norm of Scripture. It is an unbalanced use of Scripture to cite only Jerusalem for this offence when Scripture repeatedly says this is about Israel and Judah. Perhaps some see this as semantics, but the nation of Israel/Judah are the covenant partners, not Jerusalem.
Being an unfaithful wife, is not the same as being a prostitute. There is no allusion in Revelation that the Whore of Babylon is unfaithful to God; or that the Whore has any covenantal relationship with God.
The other consideration here is that the New Covenant is in effect; an unfaithful church or formerly unfaithful Christian nation, is more likely the object of ire. Revelation begins with a series of judgements against several churches for their unfaithfulness. including sexual perversion. Included in this, is a condemnation for those who falsely call themselves Jews (Revelation 3:9). If an allusion to spiritual unfaithfulness is in view here, the initial context suggests that it is the apostate churches or apostate nation that is in view.
Two women
Advocates argue that there is a contrast between two women in Revelation, and therefore there is some meaning here.
““Come, I will show you…” This is a phrase that is used of two women in this book. In this verse the angel says, “Come, I will show you the judgement of the great whore…” In chapter 21:9 he says, Come, I will show you the woman, the Lamb’s bride.”
Similarity of phrase does not necessarily indicate a similarity or contrast. Rather it is a literary device use to bring particular notice to something, not that they are necessarily related or to be contrast.
The problem with their argument, is that another woman is also found in Revelation 12. She is not regarded as unfaithful – and this woman is Israel. However if two things are to be contrast, at the start of Revelation, several unfaithful and sexually promiscuous churches are judged, and at the end of Revelation a faithful bride is revealed. This makes more sense than a comparison to Israel given (a) the promises of restoration and providence, (b) the faithful woman of Revelation 12, (c) the judgement God pronounced in Revelation 3 on those who falsely claim to be Jews.
Those who attempt to connect Jerusalem with Babylon argue that the unfaithful Jerusalem (Isa 1:22) is contrast with the New Jerusalem, the faithful bride (Rev 21). However, Revelation makes no such comparison. They are seeking to import an analogy from elsewhere, without Scripture making this connection. Once typecast, they us that to contrast with the bride.
However, as already mentioned, Israel and Judah have been called brides, and God has promised to be faithful and restore her; after all gentile Christians are grafted in to her. Even if that weren’t the case, there is no hint that Jerusalem is the Whore of Babylon who rules the nations at the return of Christ.
For I am with you,’ declares Yahweh, ‘to save you;
Jeremiah 30:11
For I will make a complete destruction of all the nations where I have scattered you,
Only I will not make a complete destruction of you.
Conclusion
There are many more arguments used. Their main method of justification is to find some word or phrase or illustration, and equate them, without Scriptural justification beyond that the same word or phrase is used, and more importantly, without actual comparison of the activities and attributes of the Whore that are far more suited to other cities and nations.
If you want an actual verse by verse comparison of the attributes and activities of the Whore to cities today, you can find it at https://endtim.es/whore-of-babylon/
“This is what the Lord says:
Jeremiah 31:35-36
The one who gives the sun for light by day,
the fixed order of moon and stars for light by night,
who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar—
the Lord of Armies is his name:
36 If this fixed order departs from before me—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
only then will Israel’s descendants cease
to be a nation before me forever.
The New Jerusalem has 12 gates “the names of the twelve tribes of Israel’s sons were inscribed on the gates.” (Revelation 21:12). By itself this should, demonstrate that Israel is not the Whore of Revelation.