Who or What is "New Babylon"?

New Babylon is not a government, but it does have ultimate political authority over its government. It is not a church or religious organization, but it is a collection of people claiming to be Christians. In other words, its nature is just like the predominately Christian democracies of the world today where elected officials govern at the consent of the governed. The woman riding the beast like a horseman is an image of the singular power of the collective will of such people over their government and leaders; it is the people, not their government.

With that in view, the “great harlot” who is the “mother of harlots” would seem to be both the forerunner and preeminent of such nations – a predominately Christian, democratically governed nation with unrivaled power in the world…a Christian superpower, much like its predecessor, the “Holy Roman Empire”. If that is not enough to resolve the mystery beyond all doubt, let us consider some of the more obvious identifying features of this unfaithful “woman”:

1. It sits on the back of the political beast, representing distinction from and authority over the government.
2. Being the “mother of harlots,” it has spawned numerous other political systems like its own, though it remains “the great harlot” targeted for God’s wrath.
3. As a “great harlot” in God’s view, it is not only a highly immoral people, they have particular obligations to God commensurate with their own professions to be His people, as well as the extraordinary blessings they have enjoyed.
4. It has an attitude of moral superiority and infallibility, wrongly believing it has God’s favor.
5. It asserts political power through the cooperation of government leaders around the world.
6. It is a great consumer with an insatiable appetite for all the finest things in the world.
7. It supports its extreme materialism through vast imports from around the world.
8. It spreads great wealth to businessmen and ship owners around the world through its vast consumption.
9. As “the mother of abominations,” it is a great exporter of immorality around the world.

Who or what, then, could this “woman” be? Where might one find an unrivaled political power with great wealth ruled by the consent of predominately Christian people? Where might one find a nation known for getting other nations to join in its international agendas? That is known for its vast imports of international goods? That not only indulges itself in all sorts of debauchery, but also glorifies immoral behavior around the world?

Oh, come now, must I say it???? Could not the woman in John’s vision just as well have been dubbed “The United States of America, Mother of Christian Democracies and Moral Decadence in the World”? Yes, it could have been written that way, but, admittedly, the woman in John’s vision was dubbed ‘Babylon’, not ‘America’. If nothing else, this allows skeptics to pass on acknowledging what is otherwise obvious, including the fact that neither the Greek nor Roman empires, both heirs of the Babylonian beast of Daniel’s day, were named in prophecies about them, either. Unfortunately, just like when Jeremiah prophesied about Jerusalem’s forthcoming annihilation, the real proof will be in the destruction prophesied to befall this “New Babylon,” and even then, few will care what the God of the Bible has to say any more than they did before.