The phrase ''come out of her my people'' which is a voice coming out of heaven calling God's people to come out of Babylon has been interpreted by many as a call for Christians to come out of apostate Christendom. This is found in Revelation 18 where we read:
''1And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.'' (Revelation 18:1-4)
In this passage we read about the future destruction of Babylon, a political and economic system which will be very influential in the last days. As God pours His judgements upon this evil system, he warns His people to come out of it so they do not participate in Babylon's judgement. Most Protestant interpreters of Bible prophecy teach that this is a reference to God warning Christians to come out of a one world ecumenical Church headed by the Vatican or the Roman Catholic Church. If we understand that everything in the book of Revelation refers back to prophetic portions of the Jewish Tanakh also know in Christian circles as the Old Testament, we will understand that this particular portion of Revelation is not directed to Christians as members of a particular apostate system, but to Jews who will be in a literal Babylon during the time of its destruction.
This portion of Revelation is found elsewhere in the Bible. In the book of the prophet Jeremiah we read:
''45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.
46And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.
47Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.
48Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD.
49As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.''
(Jeremiah 51:45-49)
Notice that right in the beginning of this passage we find the words ''my people, go ye out of the midst of her'' which are echoed in Revelation 18. In the following verses Jeremiah describes the destruction of Babylon for causing the slain of Israel to fall. The entire context of Jeremiah speaks about the 70 year captivity of the Jews in Babylon. In chapters 50 and 51 we read about God's judgement upon Babylon for not having mercy upon Israel.
It is interesting to note that Jeremiah prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah and its capital Jerusalem and yet we find that in chapters 50 and 51 he is referring to Israel which was the northern kingdom. Judah, not Israel was taken to captivity for 70 years as seen in Jeremiah 25:1-12. Why is Jeremiah prophesying that God will destroy Babylon and will warn Israel to come out of her when it was the kingdom of Judah which was taken to captivity to Babylon? The entire context of Jeremiah 50 and 51 is talking not only about Babylon's soon to take place conquest by the Persians which took place in 539 BC when Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon, but about a future destruction as well.
This is what we see in Revelation. God is destroying Babylon and as he prepares to do it, He warns his people to come out of it. The people referred to in Revelation 18 are not Christians coming out of apostate Christianity, but Israelis who will be in Babylon during the time of its destruction. Jeremiah was referring to a literal Babylon because many times he also uses the phrase ''the land of the Chaldeans'' and the word ''Euphrates'' to refer to Babylon.
It is interesting to note that even today Iraqis and Assyrians in Iraq are referred to as Chaldeans, therefore, we are talking about a literal Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates in modern day Iraq. This all sounds like a future Babylonian captivity that the people of Israel will experience. Not another 70 year captivity like Judah experienced, but a short one in order to receive God's correction for unbelief once and for all.
By now you might be thinking I am crazy for making such a prediction. Well, I am not making a prediction since I am not a prophet neither the son of a prophet, I am just declaring what the Bible seems to be telling us what will befall Jews and Israelis during the reign of the Antichrist. But will the Antichrist take modern Israel to captivity to Babylon like Nabuchednezzar did to the kingdom of Judah in the past? In Isaiah we read:
''1For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.
2And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
3And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,
4That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!'' (Isaiah 14:1-4)
Note that in verse 1 God's restores Jacob, Israel to their own land with strangers joining them. In verse 2 we read that Israel will possess the land and will take people as captives whose captives they were. This suggests Israel will go into captivity. In verse 3 we read that God will give Israel rest from the sorrow of their bondage.
The interesting thing about this passage is that in verse 4, the people of Israel will take a proverb against who? Against the king of Babylon who will be the oppressor of Israel. This same king of Babylon is empowered by Lucifer (Satan) in verses 12-15 and is called the Assyrian in verse 25 whom God will destroy in His mountain. The Antichrist will be ruling from the Temple Mount , the glorious holy mountain of Daniel 11:45 where he will plant the tabernacle of his palace during the days of the Tribulation and it will be there where God will destroy him.
This king of Babylon is none other than the Antichrist himself who will make Babylon the political and economic capital of his kingdom according to Revelation 18. We find yet another passage supporting a future Babylonian captivity of Israel. The prophet Micah in chapter 4 described the last days when the Lord will be the ruler over Zion and the world. Please, pay close attention to the end time language used by Micah in this passage. We will add a small commentary under each verse.
'' 1But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.
In this verse we immediately see the phrase ''in the last days'' when the mountain of the house of the Lord (the Temple Mount) will be established to be exalted where people will go to.
2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
This verse clearly talks about the Millennium when the nations will go Jerusalem to learn the ways of God.
3And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Here we see that God himself will judge the nations and cause them not to go to war anymore
4But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
This verse talks about God's provision for everyone in the Millennium during a time of peace
5For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
This verse seems to suggest that the nations will still have their gods during the Millennium whereas Israel will walk in the name of the Lord for ever. This sounds really confusing since the Bible says that Jesus will be king over all the earth but we read of a last rebellion during the end of the Millennium when mankind will turn against God once more. (Revelation 20:7-10). This must be because of the fact that some nations will still follow some false religion as pointed out by Micah.
6In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
7And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
In these two verses we read about God restoring Israel after being taken into captivity and ruling over her in mount Zion forever
8And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Here we read about Jerusalem receiving the kingdom
9Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
Here we read about Israel's lacking a king and being in pangs as a woman in travail. This is a reference to the tribulation when Israel will go through great suffering
10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
Now we get to the verse I want to talk about. Israel is referred to as being in pain as a woman in travail. Again a reference to the Tribulation.
The people of Israel will go out of the city (Jerusalem) to captivity (read Zechariah 14:1-2) and will be taken to where? To Babylon where they shall be delivered when God redeems them from their enemies. ''Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.'' (Zechariah 14:3).
11Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.
I think the passage from Zechariah 14:1-3 quoted above is the best commentary for this verse.
12But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
Here we read that God will gather the nations that come against Jerusalem and Israel so He can destroy them. Again, Zechariah 14:1-3 comes to mind.
13Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
Finally we read about modern Israel's exaltation above the nations. Did you notice the end time language of this entire chapter? The fact that this entire chapter is talking about the last days and the Millennium, I think it is wrong to place verse 10 which talks about the people of Israel going to captivity to Babylon into the Babylonian captivity that took place when Nabuchednezzar conquered the kingdom of Judah in 586 BC taking many Jews as captives. Since the entire chapter is talking about the future, the Babylonian captivity of verse 10 also must be future, not past as have suggested some commentators.
It should also be pointed out here that the following chapter of Micah (ch. 5) mentions the Antichrist as an Assyrian who is associated with the land of Nimrod invading Israel. The chapter talks
about Jesus, the man born in Bethlehem as mentioned in Micah 5:2 as being the peace of Israel when the Assyrian comes against Israel. The land of Nimrod where the Antichrist comes from is also within the borders of Northern Iraq where the people of Israel will be taken to by the Antichrist who becomes the king of that region. This not only supports the view presented in this article, but also shows that a European Antichrist expected by those who read the prophecies with a Western mindset is nowhere to be found in the Bible.
Conclusion
In this very short but straight forward article we have seen that Revelation 18 is not talking about Christians coming out of apostate Christianity as preached by many but is referring to Israelis and Jews coming out of a literal Babylon after being taken captive by the Antichrist who will be the king of Babylon (Iraq) and who will persecute Israel. The people of Israel will flee the nation and will end up being taken captive to Iraq as a result of the Antichrist's plan to destroy Israel in order to fulfill the desire of the Islamic-Arab nations whose dream is to seek the destruction of the nation of Israel. As God pours his indignation upon the capital of the Antichrist's kingdom, He warns his people to flee Babylon so they won't be afected by God's wrath which will destroy Babylon forever.
God bless you!
Rodrigo Silva
10-17-08
