Your comments and questions are always welcome. To send comments and questions please click here.
There is also a religious side to Mystery Babylon. Some believe, after the rapture occurs, that many of the religions of the world will band together and form a one-world religion to worship God in any way you may like. It will not be a Christ centered religion but a one God under many different names religion…a type of freedom religion. After all, God is everywhere and goes by many names in different parts of the world. This will be their rationale.
The United Religions will probably place its headquarters at the Vatican and the Pope (false prophet) will be appointed to lead it. Although Rome will probably be the world headquarters, the United States will be its powerful ally. Charles C. Ryrie describes religious Babylon as follows:
Babylon will likely build on the remnants of the professing Christian church that existed before the Rapture. Professing Christians who will not be raptured will remain to form the base of this “church”. Tribulation saints, of course, will oppose this false church. The harlotry of this system will extend to “many waters,” which means to many people and will include alliances with leaders of the earth. In other words, the power of this church will be enhanced by political alliances.
God looks at this religious system as a harlot because it has become interwoven with the world. They have a form of God, but in reality, are no more than a religious order. They saw themselves as the future Bride of Christ, but allowed themselves to be polluted with worldly lusts and the pleasures therein.
Religious Babylon is not a physical country with a standing army, but a literal system that will have worldwide influence in many powerful countries. Both the antichrist and the religious system will use each other to gain position and power. But in the end, the false prophet, as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, will betray religious Babylon and promote the antichrist as God.