The Final Battle: The New Jerusalem Versus The Whore Of Babylon

A STUDY OF JERUSALEM AND BABYLON

Jerusalem, The Wife Of The Lamb
The city of Jerusalem is the highlight of any pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is not just a city that has some 4,000 years of history, making it one of the oldest cities on earth, but it is mentioned 806 times in the Bible with names as beautiful as “City of God,” “Joyful City,” and “Desired One.” Jerusalem in Hebrew is Yerushalayim and is often translated as “City Of Peace.” Yerushalayim comes from the root word shalom which means means peace, completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. 

Jerusalem is situated on the southern Judean plateau which at its highest point is 2,500 feet above sea-level.  Just 37 miles west of Jerusalem is the Mediterranean Sea, and 22 miles to its east is the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. This explains why in John 5:1 Jesus “went up to Jerusalem,” and in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the poor man that fell among thieves was going “down from Jerusalem” (Luke 10:30). This idea of ascending to Jerusalem does not merely refer to geography though; Jerusalem was the site of the temple of God, therefore a place of spiritual ascent. Jerusalem is not just a city in the Levant, it is also a holy group of people who in Rev. 21:9 are called “the wife of the lamb.” The city is described as being 144 cubits thick. The walls of this city have 12 foundations and on them were the names of 12 apostles of the Lamb. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” asks the Psalmist, “or who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). This city is situated on a mountain. There is not a physical temple in this city because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (Rev. 21:22). The pillars who hold up this spiritual temple are the overcomers who make up the Church of Philadelphia who have the name of God and the name of the city of God, the new Jerusalem written on them (Rev. 3:12). The beloved apostle, John, in Rev. 21 describes being taken away in the spirit to a mountain, great and high where he sees the holy city Jerusalem descending to earth. In the old testament there are numerous references to Yahweh’s holy mountain. In Isaiah 66:20 it identifies the holy mountain as being Jerusalem. “Then they shall bring all your brethren from the nations as a grain offering to the LORD, on horses, in chariots, in litters, on mules and on camels, to My holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD.”

Psalms of Ascent

In fact, 15 of the biblical Psalms (120-134) bear the label “song of ascent.” They’ve also been called “songs of steps” and “pilgrim songs.” Many scholars believe that these psalms were sung by worshippers walking up the road to Jerusalem at the time of the three great pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Tabernacles and Pentecost. The notion of “ascending” to Jerusalem persists today. For example, Jews who immigrate to Israel are said to be making “aliyah,” or “ascent.”

Many Christian tours recite the Psalms of Ascent as their buses climb the road to Jerusalem.  What a fitting way to prepare one’s heart for the special experience of visiting the city that God chose for Himself (Psalm 132:13-14).  The Psalms of Ascent end with verse 3 of Psalm 134 which is the pilgrim’s prayer that they would be blessed by God while in Zion.

Song of Solomon is perhaps the best allegory in the bible for the relationship between Christ and his bride, Jerusalem. It’s always important to understand the meaning behind the names of biblical characters in order to understand the meaning of the bible story. Solomon for example, is derived from the Hebrew name שְׁלֹמֹה (Shelomoh) which comes from the root word שָׁלוֹם (shalom) “peace”. Like Christ, Solomon was a king of Israel, the son of David, renowned for his wisdom. In Song of Songs, Solomon is describing his love for the Shulammite. Shulammite is the female version of the name Solomon. It’s interesting to note that both Shelomoh(Solomon) and Shulammite share the same root word as Yerushalayim(Jerusalem) which all derive from the word shalom. The books of Esther and The Song Of Solomon are the only books in the bible that God’s name is not mentioned signifying that there is something hidden within both books. Both Esther and the Schulamite are associated with the city of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem In The Bible

Jerusalem is mentioned in the Bible as early as Genesis 14:18, where it is referred to as Shalem, the city ruled by Melchizedek. Later it is called Jebus, which was captured from the Jebusites by King David and made the capital of Israel.  David also bought a certain threshing floor there from its owner and kept it as the site of the future Temple. That site is also referred to as Mt. Moriah in 2 Chron. 3:1, which indicates that King Solomon built the Temple on the same mountain where Abraham had earlier bound Isaac.

Zion was another name given to the hill where the Jebusite fortress stood, and was later applied to the Temple Mount, or Mt. Moriah, just to the north of the fortress. Zion has also come to be used as a synonym for the city of Jerusalem as a whole.

  1 Kings 11:13
¹³ “However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.”

Why Do The Nations Rage?
…5Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, “But as for me, I have installed my king upon Zion, My holy mountain.” Psalm 2:6

Jesus instructed His disciples not to leave Jerusalem. This was close to Pentacost.

Acts 1:4-5
⁴Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Ezekiel 16 Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem… “For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account ofⁱ the covenant with you. I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”

Isaiah 4:2-3..In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruits of the earth shall be excellent and comely..And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy.

Zephaniah 3…On that day they will say to Jerusalem,’ Do not fear Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you,  the mighty warrior who saves, He will take great delight in you;  in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

Rev. 3:12.. He who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.

Jerusalem The Mother Gives Birth To Children

“For this is what the LORD says: ‘…As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; you will find comfort in Jerusalem.’ When you see this, your heart will rejoice and your limbs [literally, “bones”] will flourish like grass” (Isa. 66:12-14)

Gal. 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

Jerusalem below is in bondage we are told.  It is a place filled with those who are in bondage to sin.  This Jerusalem above has many children.  These children are called the Sons of God, the children of the Father of us all.

Eph. 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The woman that is the mother of us all is a “comely and delicate woman”(Jer 6:2).  She stands on the moon, and is clothed with the sun.

Rev. 12:1-2 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  (2)  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

This mother is with a child.  The name of the mother of all of us has been revealed as Jerusalem.

Heb. 12:22-24  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,  (23)  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,  (24)  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Gal. 4:28-29 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.  (29)  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

Eph. 2:18-22  For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.  (19)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  (20)  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  (22)  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Babylon The City, Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth

In Revelation, the Apostle John tells the tale of TWO WOMEN. One is dressed in pure white, revealing the purity of true faith and doctrine. This pure woman of Revelation 12 is committed to Christ. She’s absolutely loyal to Him and her heart burns with a love for Jesus. Nothing can break her loyalty to the One she loves so much. Revelation 17 pictures another woman. Now we have the opposite picture. Who is this woman in scarlet riding on a Beast?

Mystery Babylon is a CHURCH: In the Bible a WOMAN symbolizes a CHURCH. This is an extremely important point that must absolutely not be overlooked as it proves beyond all shadow of a doubt that this “WOMAN” with mystery Babylon written upon HER head and riding a Beast (Kingdom) has to be a “Church.” Below are several scriptures that prove this is undeniable fact. The only question that then remains is which Church? Note that an unfaithful Church commits spiritual adultery.

When the Church apostatized it was compared with a corrupt Woman

• Jeremiah 3:1-25 “…If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? …but you have played the HARLOT with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2 …you have polluted the land with your WHOREDOMS and with your wickedness. 3 …you hadst a WHORE’S FOREHEAD, you refusedst to be ashamed… 6 The LORD said also unto me… Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the HARLOT… 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed ADULTERY I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the HARLOT also… 20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.”

• Ezekiel 16:26-32 “You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger… 28 You have played the WHORE also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; 31 In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an HARLOT, in that you scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”
• Revelation 17:1-3 “…Come hither; I will show unto you the judgment of the great WHORE that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed FORNICATION, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her FORNICATION. 3 …I saw a WOMAN sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy… 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON the great, the MOTHER OF HARLOTS and abominations of the earth.”
• Revelation 18:1-4 …“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair of demons. She is a haunt for every unclean spirit, a hideout for every unclean bird, and a hold for every detestable beast. All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy through the extravagance of her luxury. Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her my people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues.”
• Revelation 18:23 …The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
• Jeremiah 50:42 …They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not show mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, everyone put in array, like a man to battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

SOURCE: mystery-babylon.net    cc.org