Who or What Is "mystery Babylon" in Revelation 17?
1) Direct Answer
Mystery Babylon is the great end-time apostate church system—a religious city that rules the nations, joins with political power, and mothers other churches after her kind. It is an unfaithful “woman,” a system of worship that mixes the things of God with the world.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- It is a woman—an unfaithful church: in prophecy a woman types a church (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27). Here she is a harlot, meaning spiritual fornication—uniting with the world and idols (Revelation 17:1-2; Jeremiah 3:1-9).
- She sits on many waters—global reach: “The waters… are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:1,15).
- She is a mother system: “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS…” (Revelation 17:5). She has daughters—other churches that take her ways.
- She is rich, ceremonial, and intoxicating: “arrayed in purple and scarlet… decked with gold… having a golden cup… full of abominations” (Revelation 17:4). Her “wine” makes the nations drunk (Revelation 18:3).
- She persecutes the true saints: “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6).
- She is a ruling city on seven mountains: “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth” and “that woman… is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:9,18).
- She rides the beast—church controlling state power—until the horns turn and destroy her (Revelation 17:3,16-17).
- God calls His people out: “Come out of her, my people” (Revelation 18:4).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- A pure woman portrays the Bride of Christ; a harlot portrays a fallen church. So this is not merely a nation; it is a religious system.
- She is centered in a specific great city known for seven mountains and worldwide influence over kings and peoples—so it’s a church-political power, not just a local congregation.
- She is a “mother,” so her daughters are other systems patterned after her—sharing her mixture of tradition with the world.
- The name “Babylon” reaches back to Babel—confusion and man-made religion (Genesis 11). “Mystery Babylon” is that same spirit in its religious form at the end: organized worship mixed with politics, wealth, and idolatry, drawing power from the beast and intoxicating the nations.
- The final word from Heaven is separation: leave the mixture and cleave to the Word, because her judgment comes suddenly (Revelation 18:8-10).
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice, the Bible paints it plainly: a mother church-system, ruling from a great city, riding worldly power, rich, ceremonial, persecuting the saints, and spawning daughters after her order. The call of God is simple—come out to the pure Word of Jesus Christ before her plagues fall.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Revelation, Book of symbols
56-0617 §37
...aniel heard seven thunders; they uttered their voices. Daniel grabbed his pen and started to write, and the Angel said, "Don't you write it!" Amen. Are you ready? Let's get into it just for about the next five minutes. Will you? Listen. "Don't you write it!" John saw the same thing, and it had already be written outside of the Bible; and had seven seals on the back of the book, that no man could open those seals; that was them voices. Here's the Bible, written, which is a mystery itself. But on the backside of the...
Seals 2: Breach between the Church Ages and the Seals
63-0317E §15
But now, we will read the first verse. I'll read the first two or three verses of it. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat upon the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look upon it. ^^ (What a book!)^^ And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to o...
Revelation, Chapter 5, part 1
61-0611 §37
Now, we turn quickly, because I know there's a baptismal service. What is this seven-sealed book? Oh, what a great thing! Did you notice how it says here, "It was seven seals on the back of the book"? It's something... Oh, may God help us now and give us courage, and maybe sooner or later I can get it to you. Look, this is not written in the Word. It's sealed on the back of the Word. The book was sealed by these seven seals. The whole mystery of the book is sealed up in these seven seals. This is one of the most gr...
Seals 3: The First Seal
63-0318 §23
If we was talking about this kind of book, it would be like putting a strap across it-seven straps. But it isn't this kind of a book; it's a scroll. Then when the scroll is unwound, that's one; then laying right in the scroll is number two, and right here it says what it is-but it's a mystery. But yet we have probed in it, but remember, the book is sealed and the Book is a book of mystery of revelation. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, see, a Book of revelation. And now you know down through the age, man has p...
Is this the sign of the end sir?
62-1230E §81
I believe that the seventh angel of Revelation 10 is the seventh church age messenger of Revelation 3:14. Remember... Now, let me read, look, where I can read. Now, this was the seventh angel. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel [7th verse], when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets. Now, you notice, this was a angel; and it's the angel of the seventh church age, because it says here it is the seventh angel of the seventh churc...