Why I Disagree with Vernon McGee's View of Two Babylons in Revelation 17-18
As a former Roman Catholic, I really want to believe that my former religion is really the Great Whore of Revelation. I like reading through Vernon McGee's commentaries for its useful content but I always find the idea of having two Babylons in Revelation 17-18 to be very confusing. I don't even think that Iraq would be rebuilt in the Tribulation Period for this reason - Iraq is now in shambles. The city of Babylon was never to be rebuilt as Jeremiah 25:12-13. We can't be talking of a literal Babylon but another city that greatly fits Babylon.
Many Protestant theologians have identified the Roman Catholic institution to be the Great Whore. The reasons have been with the various symbolisms of the Whore in Revelation 17-18 to be matching exactly with the Roman Catholic institution. It's not just because Rome is a city built on seven hills - it's also because she's influenced the world for ages. Reading Revelation 17-18 back and forth has me convinced that all her plague and sins can't just be accomplished in just seven years after the Rapture has occurred!
How does Revelation 17 describe the Whore of Revelation? She is a great city and a harlot. The Vatican is the richest city on Earth. Revelation 17:4-6 has a description I believe would exactly fit the Roman Catholic institution. Purple and scarlet are colors of the Old Testament priesthood - she uses these powers in her fake priesthood. The Old Testament priesthood doesn't match the Roman Catholic priesthood. Did you know Old Testament priests were required to be married in Leviticus 22? The miter of the Old Testament is nowhere near the miter of the Catholic priest. The golden cup of the harlot matches the very golden cup used in the Vatican. It's a symbol of great power. Do you see the Pope's golden cup? The Roman Catholic institution claims itself to be the true Church supposedly founded in 33 A.D. but many of her practices are far from the Bible. She tries to find justification from the Bible but the verses are taken straight out of their context.
I heard that Peter used the word "Babylon" for Rome in 1 Peter 5:13. McGee doesn't think of it to be the case though. What's ironic is that many Roman Catholics try to use this verse to justify Peter's papacy. But I don't think Peter would call Rome "Babylon" if he liked it. Peter may have referred to the church at Rome founded by Paul and ot him when he said about the church in Babylon. He said the church at "Babylon" salute them but he couldn't be in Rome. Maybe, he did end up in Rome later but I believe that Peter was crucified downward in Golgotha. Otherwise, Peter would have not said he's not worthy to die like his Lord. The word Babylon always connotes a negative sense. It was the very foundation of post-Flood paganism. I dismiss "The Two Babylons" by Alexander Hislop as unscholarly and full of logical fallacies yet I don't deny that I believe Rome is second Babylon. I may no longer use Chick Publications' "Babylon Religion" as a source but I still believe that Babylon in Revelation 17-18 refers to the Roman Catholic institution.
Revelation 18 further reveals the judgment of that great city. Do you know that the Vatican actually has more money in the world? You can think of how not even the greatest of prosperity preachers can own a huge city that big. Sure, Joel Osteen or Creflo Dollar have their own jets but are their mansions bigger than the Vatican? Does Osteen or Dollar own a city? It's stupid to criticize born again Christians by mixing them with the heretical prosperity heretics. The Vatican itself has caused the nations of the world to be drunk by the wine and wrath of her sexual immorality. I don't deny that there are scandals among Baptists and Protestants but how many were hidden from public view by Rome? A lot of these remain hidden. Martin Luther had to visit Rome to find out just how dirty it was such as sexual orgies inside the Vatican. The merchants are waxed rich by her delicacies. Just think the power of the Roman Catholic empire as a religious empire. How many kings are terrified by her power and how much wealth did they amass? It's no wonder why many theologians call the Pope as an antichrist or even believe that the final Pope will be the Antichrist and that the False Prophet will spring out from the clergy. In my case, I think the Pope will be the False Prophet but let's be careful not to be more interested in the Antichrist than Christ.
The call of the Elect is really there. Revelation 18:4 has it saying, "Come out of her, My people that ye be not partakers of her sins hath ye receive not her plagues." Her sins are as high as Heaven. Do you think seven literal years is enough to reach that much iniquity? Right now, I feel the Vatican is already incurring the judgment of the Lord Jesus. Yet, the Lord Jesus hasn't sent His judgment yet for this reason - He's still calling out His Elect out of Babylon. The members of the Elect hears and they respond. Remember what Jesus said in John 6:44? There are the Elect members in the sinister world system who are called out of her. I guess that's why I left Rome. I didn't want to believe in John Calvin's doctrine of unconditional election in contrast to the perseverance of the saints. John 1:18 has it that Jesus will save His people from their sins. The call is there warning the Elect to separate from Rome because He's going to judge it. People hear it but only the Elect are called out of her. That's why I'm thinking when I was reading more of Reformed theology.
The very idea that the Vatican lives like a queen and glorifies herself is no secret. It's throughout the centuries that kingdoms tremble before her pretentiousness. Her claims have it where she supposedly has apostolic succession and temporal power granted by our Lord Jesus. She claims that her Popes have succeeded Peter. How often is it that members of the Roman Catholic institution proudly brag their true roots from biblical history, that they are in the right because there are billions of Roman Catholics. However, Matthew 7:13-14 says that so few find the truth most of the time! She has the attention of the world but God has set her for judgment. Yet the time is not yet now because God is still calling the Elect out of it. There may still be members of the Elect inside her who are yet to respond to God's irresistible grace.
I really think that the Vatican getting destroyed at the Tribulation period will definitely be a great cause of sorrow. For centuries, the Vatican has had merchants of the Earth and the kings of the Earth having ties with her. How often do you see world leaders seek the Pope's blessing? How often is the Pope treated like he's God on Earth whenever he has a papal visit? I remembered the great sensation when the late John Paul II visited the Philippines. One restaurant owner even preserved the very utensils that the late pontiff used to eat. How often do you hear that the Pope is called the god of the Earth? The Popes have greatly declared themselves as such yet many Roman Catholics stubbornly still either deny it, believe it, or say it's taken out of context. I guess those Roman Catholics who continue to stick by it may not be part of the Elect in Revelation 18:4 then! People will probably remember their fond memories of it yet it's ironically destroyed by the Antichrist. Why the Antichrist will eventually destroy it is probably due to him finally taking over Israel. It has probably stone attention from him and we know the Antichrist is not someone who wants competition as he exalts himself to be God in the desecrated Jewish temple. I guess the final Pope as the False Prophet will agree to it because he has finally given the keys to the great and terrifying shepherd.
I don't see any reason why McGee had to split it to both religious and commercial Babylon. The Roman Catholic institution is both religious and commercial in its power throughout the centuries. Its rival cults too are both religious and commercial entities which some of them are said to be her harlot daughters. So many follow her believing she's the true Church founded by Jesus Christ. Yet, the true Church only exists among those who follow God's Word and not the Pope. The Church exists among every Bible believer such as today's Baptists and Protestants. There's no real official apostolic succession - all except in succeeding the apostolic mission of preaching the Gospel. The pastors are successors of Peter in the sense they continue his work and not how the Pope falsely claims to be such. This is why I even further think McGee's view isn't really that sound for a preacher who has plenty of sound sermons and lectures. It's like I agree with Charles H. Spurgeon yet I disagree with his purely historicist view of prophecy.