The three facets of Mystery Babylon (Spiritual, Political, Commercial) are defined by the Bible and are evident to us today. Holy Scripture clearly shows us these parts in the Revelation 18:2-3;

• “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils (Spiritual), and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth (Political) have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth (Commercial) are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”

This theme is repeated in the three “woes” of Revelation 18:10, 18:16 and 18:19.

• Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!
• Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!
• Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!

This theme is not only found in the Revelation. Isaiah 2:7-8 also describes the three parts:

• “Their land is also full of silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures – (Commercial)
• “Their land is also full of horses, and there is no end to their chariots – (Political*)
• “Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands – (Spiritual)

The three part theme is continued in chapter two: “And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself:” (Isaiah 2:9) This is Political Babylon. Have you ever seen a humble politician? “And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.” (Isaiah 2:16) This is Commercial Babylon. The ships of Tarshish are frequently equated with commerce in Scripture. “In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold.” (Isaiah 2:20) Obviously, this is Spiritual Babylon.

The apostasy of Israel and Judah also fell into the three part pattern of Mystery Babylon. The Prophet Zephaniah records the Lord’s statements against Judah in chapter one. He speaks against their spiritual apostasy in Zephaniah 1:4-5. In Zephaniah 1:8 the Lord describes their political apostasy, and in verse 11 their commercial apostasy is denounced.

• There is nothing new under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 1:9

We still deal with these three parts of Mystery Babylon today, but we are assured that the Lord will eliminate and punish this system in the Last Days.

* Until the invention of the horse collar in medieval times, horses were not draft animals and were only used for war.