Babylon, as depicted in Revelation 17 and 18, symbolizes a pervasive and seductive system of evil, established in opposition to God's purpose. This system, named Babylon the Great, is not a physical nation or city today, for God ensured the ancient city and nation of Babylon no longer exist. Yet, its spirit endures, infecting every person who comes into contact with it, save for Jesus Christ, Who alone resisted its deadly allure. This spiritual Babylon represents the world apart from God, driven by false values, loves, and knowledge, appealing to carnal desires, ambition, and the senses. The founding of Babylon, as seen in Genesis 11, emerged shortly after the Flood through Nimrod, a descendant of Noah, revealing a pattern of city-building for safety and control, much like Cain's earlier actions. These cities symbolized fortified areas to protect against external threats while trapping and controlling those within, driven by desires for power and renown. Babylon's influence grew over centuries, becoming a significant power by the time of Jeremiah's prophecies around 586 BC, with its fall prophesied for 539 BC. Even now, thousands of years later, God uses the same symbolism to warn of Babylon's enduring impact on end-time events. God counsels His people to flee from Babylon's ways, as seen throughout history from Cain to the interactions with Israel in the prophecies of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Babylon's spirit, perpetuated by satan, the constant deceiver, reflects his mind and way of life, continuously enticing humanity with lusts of the flesh, eyes, and pride of life. The harlot woman of Revelation embodies this world system, intoxicating and enslaving those who partake of her wine, eroding spiritual powers and leading to immoral judgments. God portrays Babylon as a prostitute, committing spiritual fornication with governmental and business leaders, corrupting them and, in turn, influencing the people to follow their faithless examples. This self-centered culture promotes over-indulgence and luxury, fostering an attitude of needing no God, as seen in nations rejecting Him for wealth and comfort. The prophecy in Psalm 2 indicates a conspiracy among rulers against God's purpose, forming the Beast of Revelation, an alliance of nations guided by Babylon's spirit, aiming to establish a new world order that enslaves mankind until Christ returns.

God urgently commands us to come out of Babylon, lest we receive of her sins, for impending doom awaits her. The punishment prophesied to fall on Babylon is horrific, with total destruction in her future. We are commanded to come out, just as Israel came out of Egypt, a type of this sinful world, during the Days of Unleavened Bread. The church, a spiritual body scattered worldwide, must heed this call wherever its members are located. The question remains: come out of where? Since the church is not confined to one nation, and Babylon is named as a great city in Revelation, it is unclear if this refers to a literal location or if God uses the ancient city of Babylon as a point of reference for something broader. The urgent warning to come out of her serves as a heads-up from God to escape while it is still possible, as living conditions are destined to worsen significantly. Yet, we do not know precisely where modern Babylon is located, nor where to relocate. There is no God-assigned place universally agreed upon as a safe haven, and fleeing to another area might leave us worse off than remaining where we are. History shows times when the church had to move to preserve lives, such as the first-century church fleeing Jerusalem to Pella or remnants of the true church seeking safety in mountainous areas during the Middle Ages. Given this unanswerable reality, the present meaning of "Come out of her, My people" is understood as spiritual, urging us to turn from Babylon's prideful, self-centered way of life and abandon the idolatrous and immoral beliefs of the surrounding culture, regardless of our earthly location. Until God clearly signals that "come out" means a physical departure, we are to stay put, preparing spiritually to flee if it is His will. He will ensure we reach a place of safety if that time comes. Whether chosen to stay or to flee, we must be ready for either, trusting that He will supply our needs for whatever we must endure. The timing of these events, as seen in Revelation 17 and 18, is immediately before Christ's return, planned and directed by God Himself, who knows the end from the beginning. Thus, we do not know when or where to flee, as all the facts are not yet in, and we must remain where we are, even as conditions grow worse, until everything is in place as God has determined.

Babylon, though destroyed as a nation in 539 BC by the Medes and Persians, continues to exert a profound spiritual and cultural influence. God warns in both Jeremiah 51 and Revelation 17 and 18 to flee from Babylon, emphasizing the urgency to escape its pervasive impact. This influence is not tied to a physical nation but exists as a way of life embedded in our minds, character, entertainment, and banking systems, carried with us wherever we go unless we actively come out of it. God commands us to distance ourselves as much as possible from this corrupting spirit, which has impressed its vile ways upon us through centuries of cultural infiltration. Revelation 18:8 foretells Babylon's disastrous end, with plagues, death, mourning, and famine striking in a single day, utterly burning it with fire. Yet, God mercifully warns those in the church to get out to avoid suffering these same plagues. This escape involves spiritual preparation and overcoming the remnants of Babylon's influence, as the prophecy does not clearly indicate a physical location or timing for departure. We must remain vigilant and ready, diligently working to reject the deceptive allure of this cultural system. Babylon's spirit, symbolized as a woman riding the beast, represents a multinational, anti-God way of life dominating the Western world, including nations like the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Israel. This system, a syncretization of Babylonian and Israelite ways, controls through gentle persuasion and, where necessary, coercive power, ensnaring citizens into bondage. God urges us to escape this intoxicating influence, which drugs us spiritually, deadening our perspective and rendering us helpless to its allure, so that we may align with His purpose and avoid the disastrous fate awaiting Babylon.

In the course of human history, the influence of Babylon has been a persistent source of evil, beginning not in its original form but in the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve's disbelief under satan's sway. This alien spirit spread through generations, but it was in Babylon, first under Nimrod and later under Nebuchadnezzar, that its anti-God concepts were refined and imposed on concentrated masses, forcibly extended to others. God dealt with these early Babylons decisively, scattering the first by confounding their communication and using the Medo-Persian Empire to overthrow the second, though their influence remained somewhat localized. Now, in the prophesied Last Days, Babylon emerges again with a worldwide reach, wielding dominant armies, economic and educational systems, entrenched religions, and powerful mass communication networks. These networks disseminate its influence into the minds of men, always opposing the Creator and His people. Revelation 18 urgently warns to take action against this pervasive force, as Babylon's communication—through visible examples of misguided conduct and subtle, inaudible spiritual influences from its invisible leader, the prince of the power of the air, and his demonic hordes—poses a constant threat. God admonishes His people to come out of Babylon, yet there is no physical escape from its omnipresent influence, spread through satan's powers of communication. The battle to resist is primarily internal, fought right where one lives and conducts life. God assures that what He commands can be done; coming out of Babylon is not a physical departure from a geographical area but a spiritual and psychological rejection of its influence. While changing physical location, such as moving from cities—depicted as concentrated centers of evil—to rural areas may help, the stain of Babylon can be carried anywhere. Even in less concentrated doses, its influence can still invade through modern media like the Internet and television. God portrays Babylon as a dangerous place, inhabited by predators symbolized as unclean and hateful birds, reflecting disgusting and revolting human activities. Though its influence spreads globally, its core is depicted as a single city, the very generator and distributor of all evil on earth. The call to come out of Babylon remains a critical spiritual imperative, achievable through steadfast trust and discipline, as God never assigns an impossible task.