I asked my friend Alan to provide us his perspective on Babylon. Much is said about Mystery Babylon these days. A mystery is anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown. We often assign a very simple explanation to a term used in Scripture but the following provides a deeper understanding to this mystery:
Babylon is confusion; and it’s almost just that simple. The consistent idea that runs through the subject of ‘babylon’ is that of ‘negation of unity’; to negate ‘oneness’. And now, let me try to make sense of that.
Babylon, as a historical place, has been greatly misunderstood by not recognizing that the word ‘babel’ [lbb] (Gen. 11:9), which Strong’s designates as # H894 comes directly from the action verb #H1101 [llb], and llb is translated in Gen. 11:7 & 9 as ‘confound’. Let’s consider Gen. 11:6 for clarification:
KJV Genesis 11:6 “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”.
This verse is emphasizing that when in unity, there is nothing that a people cannot accomplish. A unified (one) people can accomplish greatness, or they can manifest chaos and degradation. Unity is the key. Hence, verse 7: KJV Genesis 11:7 “Go to, let us go down, and there confound (bll) their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech”.
KJV Genesis 11:9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel (lbb) Strong’s # H894
[literally, ‘in confusion’; mixed up; no purity of purpose;]
because the LORD did there confound ( llb ) Strong’s # H1101, literally [ “…to mix; to mingle; to confuse and confound;”] the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth:”
The verb ‘balal’, Strong’s #1101, literally means to ‘mix’ by way of negating the singularity, or unity, of a people or place or thing. To ‘mix’ a thing is to corrupt its purposeful unity, and thereby negating that thing’s ability to perform to its maximum potential. Consequently the verb ‘balal’ gets used numerous ways in scripture that tend to hide the basic meaning of its use.
For instance, the verb ‘balal’ is translated in Ex. 29:2 as ‘tempered’; “…cakes unleavened, tempered (mixed) with oil,” In Numbers 28:5 it is translated as ‘mingled’. And in Hosea 7:8 ‘balal’ gets translated as “…mixed himself” in reference to what caused Ephraim to weaken, and lose his ability to unite with the purposes of God.
Many times the two-letter version of this verb concept of ‘negation through mixing’, recognized simply as ‘bl’ [lb], is translated as ‘not’; or more accurately, ‘negated from being able to accomplish its purpose’. This is why I say that the word ‘babel’, also recognized as ‘babylon’, should be understood quite simply as “…in confusion”; it is ‘in confusion’ because it has a mixture of understanding and purpose to which it is focused, and/or dedicated. Babylon is confusion because of mixing carnal and soulish appetites and ideas with the singularly Spiritual Oneness of the Heart of Our Father. Babylon has a dual eye, rather than “…let your eye be single”. “Babylon is fallen”: [Rev. 18:2]. This verse is not a prophecy, in my opinion, but rather a declaration of Spiritual fact. Babylon is a fallen condition; fallen because of the mixture of the mind of adam with the Mind of Christ.
The problem with my ‘definition’ of Babylon is that many believers in Christ are looking forward to God overthrowing Babylon someday, and the world becoming a better place. However, my understanding is that in Christ Babylon is already overthrown, and must be superseded by focusing on the singularity of Our Christ Identity. Babylon will continue to exist as long as ‘adam’ has a mixture of understanding and purpose in his agenda. Only by focusing on the singularity of our Christ Identity can we supersede the chaos and confusion of this world. Ps: the word ‘world’ is also based on this verb ‘balal’. The ‘world’ is always referring to ‘confusion’.