Several false prophets, ignorant preachers, spiritual leaders, Biblical scholars and other commentators have opined that America is the “Mystery Babylon the Great” referred to in the Book of Revelation. I am no preacher or Biblical scholar; I’m a corporate attorney trained to dissect words, and in my “untrained” theological mind, America is NOT “Mystery [sic] Babylon” for the following several reasons:

1. Revelations 1: 29: “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.”

These are the words of God, and they basically advise John that he will be seeing the past, the present, as well as the future. In short, not everything John witnessed were future events (this is critical).

2. Rev. 17: 5: “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

Significantly, and contrary to what many Biblical scholars have erroneously written, the word “mystery” is not an adjective or other modifier; it is a noun, separated by a comma, such that calling Babylon the Great “Mystery Babylon” is incorrect and extremely misleading. The woman is called:

Mystery (noun)
Babylon the Great (noun)
The Mother of Harlots (noun)
Abominations of the Earth (nouns)

Consequently, she is not a mysterious Babylon that John might not know or understand. She is a mystery, period, and when John stands amazed (Rev. 17:6-7: “and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration”), the angel responds: “I will tell thee the mystery of the woman…” The angel proceeds to explain below.

3. Rev. 17:18: “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”

Three things are critically important with this explanation. First, the angel said that the woman “is that great city.” The angel does not say the woman “was” or “will be,” but rather explicitly that the woman “is,” using the present tense. Second, the angel’s explanation ties into what God himself instructed John to write about in Rev. 1: 29 above when he said to write about the “things which are.” Third, the use of the word “that” is instructive because it refers to something that is limited to a specific class, which would be indicative of something that can be easily identified at the time of John’s vision. Finally, the angel states the woman “is that great city, which reigneth…” The angel does not state that the woman is a city which will reigneth, but rather “reigneth” in the present tense, again consistent with God’s instruction to write about the present in Rev. 1: 29. Therefore, the “great city” was in existence when John wrote the book of Revelation. This is the most twisted and linguistically mutilated verse of the Book of Revelation when discussing the “Mystery [sic] Babylon.”

4. Rev. 18. There are several verses that describe the city of Babylon and its destruction. Without reciting each of them, it is critical to note a few things historically. If, indeed, the “great city” was in existence at the time of John’s revelation, the most logical choice is Rome, which was not only in existence at the relevant time, but to this day continues to be a major exporter of the luxury goods listed in Rev. 18:12:
“The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble.”

Note the last word “marble.” Italy is the largest exporter of marble in the world; from Wikipedia: “Marble production is dominated by 4 countries that account for almost half of world production of marble and decorative stone. Italy is the world leader in marble production.” The United States was and is not a major exporter of marble. Indeed, if you Google the major exports of Italy, virtually all of the merchandise listed in Rev. 18:12 are present. The same can be said of America, however, except for the fact America is not a major exporter of marble. Again, glossing over this word is error, especially when considering the fact America did not exist when Rome ruled the world. Furthermore, the reference in Revelation 18:17 to ships at sea and merchants observing the destruction of the city from afar are consistent with Rome, which extends to the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

5. Rev. 18:24: “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”

The Vatican and Holy Roman Empire are historically more responsible for the deaths of prophets and saints than likely all countries that have ever been in existence. The Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Hugenots, Jews, and even the apostles themselves fell victim to Rome and the Roman Catholic Church before, during and after the Middle Ages. This is historical fact. America, despite her faults, wasn’t even in existence when the last of the prophets referred to in the Bible lived. God has not forgotten the cries of those martyred for their faith throughout the centuries; justice upon the Papal cruelty and Roman Catholic Church in particular has yet to be done. See in particular Rev. 18:7: “for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” If I lived in Rome, I’d head for the hills, no pun intended. (And I’m not even speaking of the reference to “seven hills” in Rev. 17:9, or the symbolism of the woman being a spiritual prostitute, both of which describe Rome and the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church.)

6. Rev. 18:23: “for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by their sorceries were all nations deceived.”

Biblical scholars have opined that this is a reference to America (or New York) and American merchants, simply because today American merchants are considered to be the richest in the world. Even assuming this is a direct reference to a country or city with the richest or most powerful merchants, the term “your merchants” would encompass trading partners and other third parties that do business with “Babylon the Great.” For example, Swiss banks and countries have “merchants” as clients, including commercial clients. Stated another way, Italy’s “merchants” include not only Italian merchants, but those foreign trading partners and other third party clients that buy and trade Italy’s merchandise or goods. Thus, “Babylon’s merchants” would certainly include America’s most powerful corporations, and is completely consistent with the interpretation that Rome and Italy are or is “Babylon the Great.”

7. 1 Peter 5:13: “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son.” Even the Catholic Church believes that Babylon in the New Testament was a code word for Rome. Secular historians and Christians have never suggested Peter was in Iraq at the time this epistle was written. Thus, there is an historical basis that Rome and Babylon were referred to interchangeably during the time when John saw his vision. BTW, this does not include the Babylon in Iraq that reportedly is also going to go down in flames, see Isaiah 13:19. Thus, there are at least two Babylons that will receive judgment.