What Is Babylon in Revelation?

Genesis 11 portrays Babel’s human self-exaltation and confusion. Daniel 3 depicts coercion to worship an image. These biblical backgrounds inform the reading of Revelation’s Babylon as a symbol of false and coercive worship.

Revelation 17 depicts a woman associated with political powers and intoxicating wine. In the historicist reading these images portray religious deception and improper church-state union. The interpretation must be distinguished from the symbolic language itself.

Revelation 18:4 calls God’s people out. This means the warning must not deny the sincerity of believers within the religious systems being criticized. The call is to examine teachings by Scripture and follow Christ, not to attack individuals.