Explaining What Scofield Meant

In his note on Revelation 18:2, C. I. Scofield makes a definite distinction between two Babylons in the Revelation. His exact categories are “ecclesiastical Babylon” and “political Babylon.” He describes ecclesiastical Babylon as apostate Christendom, centred in the Papacy, while political Babylon is identified with the Beast’s confederated empire, the final form of Gentile world dominion.

This distinction is important because the two Babylons meet different ends.

Ecclesiastical Babylon is the religious system portrayed under the figure of the great harlot in Revelation 17. She represents apostate Christianity united with worldly political power. For a time she is supported by the Beast and his confederation, but this alliance does not last. According to Revelation 17:16–17, the Beast and the ten kings eventually turn upon the woman and destroy her. Scofield understands the purpose of this destruction to be the removal of the competing religious system so that the Beast himself may become the supreme object of worship (cf. 2 Thess. 2:3–4; Rev. 13:15).

Political Babylon, by contrast, is the Beast’s confederated empire and represents the final concentration of Gentile world power. Whereas ecclesiastical Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon, political Babylon itself is destroyed by Christ at His return in glory (Rev. 16:14; 19:17–21).

Scofield adds another important qualification when interpreting Revelation 18. He does not advocate the rebuilding of literal ancient Babylon on the Euphrates, regarding such a view as inconsistent with Isaiah 13:19–22. Rather, he understands the “city” characterised by luxury and commerce in Revelation 18:10, 16, and 18 as connected with the ecclesiastical centre which he identifies as Rome. Significantly, the kings who had hated and destroyed ecclesiastical Babylon are afterwards pictured mourning over the destruction of Babylon in its commercial aspect.

Thus Scofield’s interpretation contains several closely related ideas that should not be confused. Revelation 17 presents ecclesiastical Babylon; political Babylon is the Beast’s confederated empire which destroys her; and Revelation 18 particularly displays the commercial wealth and worldly splendour associated with Babylon before the entire political order of the Beast is overthrown at the coming of Christ.

This is the precise sense in which Scofield speaks of “two Babylons.” They are not simply “religious Babylon” and “commercial Babylon.” His stated distinction is ecclesiastical Babylon and political Babylon, with the commercial features of Babylon receiving particular prominence in Revelation 18.

The Beginning of Babylon

To understand Babylon in Revelation, it is necessary to go back to the early chapters of Genesis. Babylon does not suddenly appear at the end of Scripture. Its roots reach back to Babel, where mankind first attempted to establish a united civilisation in deliberate independence of God.

Genesis 10 associates the beginning of this kingdom with Nimrod. Genesis 10:10 says, “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” The next chapter records the building of Babel. After the Flood, men settled in the land of Shinar and determined to establish a city and tower for themselves. Genesis 11:4 says, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.”

The significance of Babel was greater than the construction of a tower. It represented organised humanity seeking unity, security, and greatness apart from dependence upon God. Instead of filling the earth, mankind gathered together and sought to make a name for itself. God therefore intervened, confused their language, and scattered them over the earth (Gen. 11:7–9).

Babel introduces a principle which continues throughout Scripture and reaches its final development in Revelation. Human government, commerce, culture, and false religion are repeatedly organised without submission to the true God. What begins in Genesis with Babel reaches its mature and final expression in the Babylon of Revelation.

There is, however, a distinction that should be maintained. Scripture plainly connects Babel with Shinar and later biblical Babylon, but some elaborate accounts concerning Nimrod establishing a fully developed Babylonian mystery religion go beyond what the biblical text itself states. The essential point does not depend upon such traditions. Scripture itself establishes Babylon as an early centre of human organisation and pride in opposition to God.

The Woman and the Beast

Revelation 17 presents one of the most striking prophetic pictures in Scripture. John sees a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast. Revelation 17:3 says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.”

The woman and the Beast must be distinguished. They are associated, but they do not represent the same thing. The woman represents the religious Babylonian system. She is called, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” in Revelation 17:5.

In the classic Scofield interpretation, she represents ecclesiastical Babylon, apostate Christendom in its final form. Her sitting upon the Beast pictures the close relationship that will exist for a time between apostate religion and the political order of the last days. The woman benefits from the power of the Beast, while exercising enormous religious influence over the nations.

The Beast, however, represents the final form of Gentile political power and, personally, its final ruler. Revelation 17:9–12 interprets the seven heads and ten horns in terms of kings and kingdoms. This is connected with the final development of the Gentile world-power prophetically anticipated in Daniel 2 and 7.

The alliance between the woman and the Beast is temporary. Political power eventually turns against the religious system that had been associated with it. Revelation 17:16 says, “And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.”

This fits naturally with the events of the Tribulation. The Beast will tolerate and use the apostate religious system for a time, but ultimately he will permit no rival object of allegiance. Second Thessalonians 2:4 describes the man of lawlessness as taking his seat in the temple of God and displaying himself as being God. Revelation 13 likewise describes the demand that the inhabitants of the earth worship the Beast.

Thus ecclesiastical Babylon is ultimately destroyed by the political power with which she had allied herself. The woman does not destroy the Beast; the Beast and his confederated kings destroy the woman. Political Babylon itself, however, does not escape judgment. The Beast and his armies are finally destroyed when Christ returns in glory (Rev. 19:19–21).

Is Babylon a Literal Rebuilt City?

One of the principal questions surrounding Revelation 17–18 concerns whether “Babylon” refers to a literal rebuilt city on the Euphrates. Dispensational interpreters have not been entirely unanimous on this question. Some understand the prophecies to require the restoration of literal Babylon in modern Iraq as a great commercial and political centre during the Tribulation. They point particularly to the detailed description of the city and its commerce in Revelation 18 and to Old Testament prophecies concerning Babylon.

This, however, was not Scofield’s position. Scofield rejected the idea that Revelation 18 requires the rebuilding of ancient Babylon. He regarded Isaiah 13:19–22 as teaching such complete desolation of historical Babylon that its restoration to the position described in Revelation would be inconsistent with that prophecy.

Revelation itself also gives Babylon a symbolic dimension. Revelation 17:18 says, “The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” Scofield identified this ecclesiastical centre with Rome, an interpretation strengthened in his system by the reference to the woman sitting upon “seven mountains” (Rev. 17:9) and by Rome’s historic association with ecclesiastical power. Revelation 18 then brings the commercial splendour, luxury, and worldwide economic influence of Babylon prominently into view.

It is therefore important not to make “Babylon” mean exactly the same thing in every prophetic context. In Scofield’s scheme there are two Babylons: ecclesiastical and political. Ecclesiastical Babylon is the apostate religious system associated particularly with Rome; political Babylon is the final confederated Gentile world-power headed by the Beast. Revelation 18 especially reveals the commercial character, enormous wealth, and worldwide influence connected with this final Babylonian order.

Other conservative dispensational interpreters have argued for a literal rebuilt Babylon, so the question should not be treated as though dispensationalism permits only one interpretation. What is fundamental to the dispensational understanding is not the geographical identification of the city but the prophetic distinction between Israel and the Church, the future Tribulation, the personal Antichrist, the final form of Gentile world-power, the visible return of Christ, and the establishment of His earthly kingdom.

From Babel to the Coming Kingdom

There is a remarkable movement from Genesis to Revelation. Babel begins what Revelation’s Babylon brings to completion. At Babel mankind sought corporate greatness without God. Through succeeding centuries the Babylonian principle appeared repeatedly in false religion, political power, material splendour, and human self-exaltation. In the last days these tendencies reach their fullest expression.

Ecclesiastical Babylon represents religion corrupted through union with the world. Political Babylon represents organised Gentile power in its final rebellion against God. Revelation 18 displays the extraordinary commercial prosperity and luxury attached to that world-system. All of it, however impressive it may appear for a season, is destined for judgment.

The contrast with the closing chapters of Revelation could hardly be greater. Babylon falls, but another city descends from God. The city of man gives way to the city of God. The kingdom of the Beast gives way to the kingdom of Christ.

Babylon therefore represents more than an ancient empire. From Babel onward it embodies the recurring attempt of fallen man to establish greatness, unity, religion, prosperity, and government independently of God. Revelation records the final collapse of that system.

The message of Babylon begins near the beginning of the Bible and reaches its conclusion near the end: what man builds in independence of God will ultimately fall; what God establishes under the authority of His Son will endure.