Babylon and Its Modern Influence: 'Come Out of Her, My People!'

“Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

THE ABOVE words from the last pages of the Scripture are a serious call and a challenge for everyone to seriously consider. Who or what is Babylon? What does it represent today?

From the pages of Genesis to the book of Revelation, Babylon stands as a towering symbol of rebellion, pride, and counterfeit religion. But Babylon is more than just an ancient empire—it represents a spiritual system that has influenced the world from the earliest civilizations to our modern age.

To understand Babylon—and what it has become—is essential for those who seek to obey God and come out of deception. We must go back to its ancient roots as the center of human civilization, religious confusion, and defiance against God.

Babylon: The Center of Early Civilization

Babylon first appears in Genesis 10:10 as part of Nimrod’s kingdom—“the beginning of his kingdom was Babel…” It was at the tower of Babel where mankind defied God’s command to fill the earth (Genesis 11:1–9). In Hebrew, Babel (בבל) is associated with the verb 'balal' (בלל), meaning "to confuse" or "to mix". There, God confused the languages and scattered the people, yet the spirit of Babylon persisted: a syncretism of organized power, man-made religion, and rebellion against God's rule.

As a city, Babylon rose to global dominance under King Nebuchadnezzar, becoming a center of wealth, art, military strength, and false worship. Babylon was not just a political force—it was a religious power. Its priests claimed divine knowledge. Its temples, particularly those to Marduk and Ishtar, promoted mystery rites, child sacrifice, sun-day worship, astrology, and idolatry.

The Babylonian 'Mystery Religion'

Babylon was home to what is often referred to as the “mystery religion”—a secretive spiritual system that blended truth with error and served as a counterfeit to God’s truth. The worship of the queen of heaven. This was cited by the prophet Jeremiah as Israel didn't escape from her influence:

"The women also said, 'And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?'"(Jeremiah 44:17–19).

The use of sacred prostitution, sunrise worship, god's rebirth, and the belief in the immortality of the soul all trace back to Babylon. These ideas later migrated westward into the empires that followed--Egypt, Greek, and Roman.

Babylon vs. Israel: A Spiritual Conflict

The Bible paints a stark contrast between Babylon and Israel. Babylon represents confusion, idolatry, and human pride. Israel was called to represent God’s law, worship, and truth. But when Israel rebelled, God allowed Babylon to conquer Judah, destroy Jerusalem, and take the people captive—including Daniel and his companions.

Yet even in Babylon, God preserved a faithful remnant. Daniel refused to defile himself with the king’s food or worship false gods (Daniel 1:8, 3:17–18, 6:10). Through his obedience, God exalted Daniel in the court of the very kingdom that tried to erase his identity.

The “Head of Gold”

In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue made of various metals, representing world empires. The head of gold was Babylon—wealthy, powerful, and glorious. But Daniel makes it clear: this kingdom would fall. And it did. Babylon was conquered by the Medes and Persians in a single night (Daniel 5).

Yet while the physical kingdom fell, the spiritual legacy of Babylon lived on—especially in the Roman Empire.

From Babylon to Rome—and Beyond

Many Babylonian religious practices passed into pagan Rome, and later into “Christianized” Rome through syncretistic compromise. Pagan temples were renamed churches. Sun worship influenced church traditions. Titles such as “Pontifex Maximus,” originally Babylonian and Roman, were adopted by bishops of Rome.

The papacy inherited many features of Babylonian religion under a Christian name.

This system is described in Revelation as a "woman"—symbolizing a religious body—called:

“And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:5-6).

She rides a beast—political power—and is dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones.

Notice that this spiritual Babylon is called the "Mother of harlots". Meaning she has "daughter (s)" or other "harlots" that closely followed her ways. This connections was also described in Isaiah 47 (Psalm 137).

She is also described as "drunk with the blood" of saints and martyrs. This is an obvious reference to the persecutions she led with the true believers of God.

This is not ancient Babylon—but a modern, global, spiritual Babylon that deceives the nations.

Babylon Today: Mystery and Power

Modern-day Babylon is a composite of religious confusion, false worship, and political control. It encompasses not only apostate Christianity, but also economic and political systems driven by greed, pride, and rebellion against God.

Revelation 18 describes it as a commercial hub, a place of luxury and merchandise—but also a dwelling place of demons and every unclean spirit.

"For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” (Rev. 18:3)

Babylon today masquerades as righteous, yet teaches doctrines that nullify God’s commandments. It promotes unity at the cost of truth. It blends paganism with Christianity. It embraces power, wealth, and prestige—but persecutes those who obey God’s Word.

"He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Revelation 13:16-17)

The Call to Come Out

God has a powerful message for His people in these end times:

“Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

God is calling His people to separate—not just physically, but spiritually—from Babylon’s teachings, customs, and compromises. This means rejecting false doctrines, refusing to adopt pagan practices, and living by every word of God.

It also means resisting the Beast system—political and religious powers united in opposition to God’s truth (Revelation 13). Babylon and the beast will persecute the saints, but their end is certain.

Revelation 18–19 shows Babylon’s sudden and final destruction. The saints rejoice as God judges her for her sins.

The Future of Babylon—and the Kingdom to Come

The world is heading toward a final showdown between the kingdom of man (Babylon) and the Kingdom of God. Babylon will rise one last time in a global system of power and persecution. But it will fall—never to rise again.

"And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!'" (Revelation 18:2)

Jesus Christ will return to crush the kingdoms of this world and establish His eternal government (Daniel 2:44, Revelation 11:15). The faithful—those who refuse the mark of the beast and keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12)—will reign with Him.

Let us not be deceived by Babylon’s splendor. Let us stay faithful to God’s truth. The call to come out of Babylon is not just for ancient Israel—it’s for us, now!

“Flee from the midst of Babylon, and every one save his life!” (Jeremiah 51:6)