To the degree that she glorified herself. Revelation 18:6-20.

We ended our last look into Revelation 18 on verse five. So what does verse five say?

For her iniquities (her crimes and transgressions) are piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and [her] crimes [and calls them up for settlement].
[Jeremiah. 51:9.] (Revelation 18:5 AMP)

If you are unfamiliar with the Amplified Bible’s logic, things in brackets [ ] are meant to give you deeper insights into the verse at hand. Not that the brackets are inappropriate but occasionally, I struggle to understand the point they are trying to make. The other thing that affects my understanding is that Revelation 18:5 is NOT a standalone verse, as the context is lacking. The context begins in verse two and immediately begins referring to Babylon. As I said in my previous post, Babylon is little more than a ghost town, much like an old, forgotten mining community that you find in our American deserts. I realize that what I am telling you is in opposition to Dr. Andy Woods, but Babylon, the physical city, will never rise again.  If what I am saying is valid, then Babylon represents something else.

Ah, the next question is, what is that something else?

In the previous post covering Revelation 18:1-5, I gave examples of how Babylon references Israel. I am not going to cover all those references here but merely say that the references to Babylon are indicative of Israel.

In the passage above, there is a clarifying statement [and calls them up for settlement] that is apparently found in the words of the Prophet Jeremiah. So let's pursue Jeremiah for a moment.

We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, for her guilt and the judgment against her reach to heaven and are lifted even to the skies. [Gen. 18:20, 21.] (Jeremiah 51:9 AMP)

• “We would have healed Babylon,”

  If it’s not Babylon, to whom is the speaker referring? 

  I could say that the speaker is Jeremiah; if that is the case, then I have to assume that Jeremiah and company are the ones that attempted to heal Babylon.

  Why would they do that, as Babylon was perceived as the enemy?

  Any healing would have to be through a conversion to being Jews, and we know that wouldn't happen. The other possibility would be that Jeremiah and company would infuse thousands of dollars into Babylon so that they could see how horrible their techniques and prisons are. I am being facetious because you know that neither of those things happened. So the healing assumption doesn't work unless I apply this reasoning to Israel, and then I can see Jeremiah's heart as he hopes the words he speaks can bring about healing to Israel.

  I opened my MacArthur Study Bible to read the introduction to the prophecies of Jeremiah, and here is what I found.

  He was known as the weeping prophet because of his conflict over predictions of judgment against Israel by the invading Babylonians. For these prophecies, he was threatened, tried for his life, put in stocks, forced to flee from Jehoiakim, publicly humiliated by a false prophet, and thrown into a septic waste pit.  Once the invasion of Judah was inevitable, he pled with Jewish leaders not to resist the Babylonian conqueror to prevent Jerusalem’s destruction.

  And, he called on delegates of other nations to heed his counsel and submit to Babylon. When Babylon invaded Egypt in 568, 567 B.C., Jeremiah was taken captive to Babylon. Jeremiah was from Judah, the Southern kingdom, and the last to go into captivity. My MacArthur commentary tells me that Judah was engrossed in blatant idolatry. I bring this bit of history into the equation as it is difficult, at best, to heal an invading nation.

  I began to look through my commentaries to see what they had to say, especially since my first assumption is that “We represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” One comment, in particular, caught my eye when it said, remove the word would.

  My immediate reaction was why, and based upon what?

  I began looking into the Strong’s concordance a short time later, and I found this.

  The word translated as “We would have healed” by most is the Hebrew word râphâ'  or  râphâh; they both mean the same thing. It is a primitive root; properly to mend, to cure, cause to heal, make whole.

  So Jeremiah 51:9 could be read like this.

  “We tried to heal Babylon, but she cannot be healed. So let us leave her and let each of us go to our own country. God in heaven will decide Babylon's punishment. He will decide what will happen to Babylon. (Jeremiah 51:9 ERV)

If I contrast Babylon with Israel, this statement, “she cannot be healed,” is immensely harsh. If you are a Bible student, then you know that the entirety of the Revelation shows us God’s punishment upon Israel for their sins and their rejection of God; and it is also a punishment against the nations for similar reasons.

So what do we see next?

Revelation 18:6 CEV  Treat her as she has treated others. Make her pay double for what she has done. Make her drink twice as much of what she mixed for others.

If this is Israel, then watch this.

Jeremiah 16:14-18 NASB "Therefore behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when it will no longer be said, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,' (15) but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.' For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. (16) "Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen," declares the LORD, "and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. (17) "For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes. (18) "I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations."

The people in the land of Israel have been brought back from the land of the North and from all the countries where He had banished them. And, He has restored them to their land.

If Revelation 18:6 is speaking about Babylon, don't you find it peculiar that Jeremiah 16:18 uses comparable language specifically against Israel?

Revelation 18:7 NASB "To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

But we are not to make accusations with two or three witnesses. So how about this.

"Yet you said, 'I will be a queen forever.' These things you did not consider Nor remember the outcome of them. "Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, Who dwells securely, Who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I will not sit as a widow, Nor know loss of children.' (Isaiah 47:7-8 NASB)

Does the context of Isaiah 47 cover Israel?

Absolutely, and yet the impulsive translation writers titled this chapter “the humiliation of Babylon;” and yet, look at this verse.

"Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; Sit on the ground without a throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For you shall no longer be called tender and delicate. (Isaiah 47:1 NASB)

It appears that God is talking to the virgin daughter of Babylon. Now, I have to figure out who might fill this role.

Babylon had no virgin daughter, although some might argue that the conquering nations, such as the Medo-Persian empire, could have filled that function, or perhaps the Chaldeans were entitled to carry that name. If that is your belief or understanding, then prove it by your Biblical witnesses. There aren't any. So the characterization of the virgin daughter of Babylon falls upon Israel. (Consider that I use that term lightly as they were NOT the unified nation of Israel when they went into captivity – the kingdom was split into the Northern kingdom of Israel and the Southern kingdom of Judah. Judah is where we found King David, and then even that was not without struggle.)

Consider what Jeremiah 14 tells us.

“The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them--neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters--for I will pour out their own wickedness on them. "You will say this word to them, 'Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely infected wound.”
(Jeremiah 14:16-17 NASB)

Consider how the captives of Babylon - those of the faith camp, had false prophets telling them, God will deliver us quickly from this vile place. In opposition to those claims was Jeremiah the prophet, who told the captives, which included himself, to build houses, plant gardens and eat the fruit, and take wives for your sons and daughters because we will be here for a long time. (Read Jeremiah 29 in your spare time.)

Is it possible that this seventy-year span is where Israel became the daughter of Babylon?

Perhaps, but there was to be an end to the captivity. The daughter would then be freed to marry herself to whoever; this seems like a redundant statement considering how Israel had married themselves to many nations and their gods. So why should their time in Babylon be any different?

'Then it will be when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation,' declares the LORD, 'for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it an everlasting desolation. (Jeremiah 25:12 NASB)

Consider that Daniel chapter 9 tells us that Daniel ascertained by books that the seventy years had been completed.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans--in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. (Daniel 9:1-2 NASB)

That means that Israel's freedom from Babylon's captivity; and the eventual, everlasting desolation of Babylon was only a short time away.

And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come, and her days will not be prolonged. (Isaiah 13:19-22 NASB)

In 2022, many of us are focused on Damascus, as this city has a drastic prophecy declared against it; yet there it stands, receiving air shipments of weapons for usage against Israel. Hmm.

Revelation 18:8 NASB "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

As I read through the Revelation and Daniel’s prophecies, it seems that so much of the damage that Israel is to sustain can quickly come in an hour, but do we talk about it? No, for it is too uncomfortable and challenges previous false teachings. One of the dramatic moments in time that gets spoken of frequently is Revelation 18:9-20. This monumental passage speaks of Babylon being destroyed in an hour.

Verse eight above tells us that Babylon is destroyed in a day, and yet here, in verses 9-20, it is destroyed in an hour. I am not sure the amount of time matters, as devastating loss is still a loss.

"And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour, your judgment has come.' "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more--cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. "The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you, and men will no longer find them. "The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every ship-master and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?' "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!' "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her." (Revelation 18:9-20 NASB)

I have introduced several things for you to think about, so what did Revelation 18:7 say?

“To the degree that she [Israel] glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.”

Since we have a comprehension that Revelation 18 is also referring to Israel as well as a "spiritual" Babylon, you may not be aware that many Jews, to this very day, will say we have NEVER been in captivity or slaves to anyone.

Are you serious? What about Egypt, and what about Babylon? Perhaps Israel should have tried repentance and mourning. Now, here comes perspective. Though an analogy of Israel, Babylon is speaking about an empire, perceived as a beast and shown to be a harlot that motivates the current financial greed, idol worship, and blatant adultery against God.

What does verse 8 tell us? Not only will the “governmental and economic” system collapse in a day, but so will Israel. Ezekiel tells us that only a third will survive what is coming. Ezekiel 5:12 is the passage that tells me that only one-third of Israel survives, and quite possibly makes it into the millennial kingdom.

'One-third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. (Ezekiel 5:12 NASB)

Merely because the verse says that one-third will die by plague does not mean this will happen in a day. In contrast to what we think it means, an interesting aspect of the word plague is that it is the Hebrew word deber and means pestilence - in the sense of destroying. In a sense, our first introduction to plagues was those placed upon Egypt to force Pharaoh to let God’s people go. 

Webster’s dictionary describes plagues as acute, malignant, and contagious diseases. The black plague was associated with filth and rats in the dark ages. The plagues upon Egypt included boils, gnats, and frogs, among other things.

Since our word deber originated from another word, dâbar, perhaps we need to include this definition to clarify our understanding. The Hebrew word dâbar is assumed to properly mean arrange, but this does not make sense in the context of plague or pestilence. One of the other meanings is to subdue. If you use the word subdue in conjunction with contagious diseases, you should be able to make the connection between the C19 injections and this unprecedented population reduction program, that eventually, for Israel, kills off one-third of its population.

The earth was lit up by his radiance. Revelation 18: 1-5.

 We ended Revelation 17 talking about the scarlet-clad harlot who rides the beast and how the nations allied with the beast/antichrist will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and will burn her up with fire.

The harlot is this cluster of people who think they have the right to lord over the rest of us, as they impose medical mandates and mask rules, all for the purpose of gaining more riches and an unlimited supply of food while many of us starve. According to scripture, these people are using the nations that fall under the category of beast nations. If these are Islamic nations, who are being driven into battles with each other, then these same nations will, in time, destroy the beast; this is the majority of the message in Revelation 18, so let’s dive in.

Revelation 18:1 NET. After these things I saw another angel, who possessed great authority, coming down out of heaven, and the earth was lit up by his radiance.

Jesus is the radiance of the Father’s glory, but this is NOT Him. This angel is a messenger, as many of them are. An intriguing piece of information: the first time we see an angel mentioned by name is in Daniel 8:6, Gabriel. What a surprise, as it is Gabriel who brings the message to Mary of the impending birth of Jesus (Luke_1:19). 

In Daniel 10:6 Gabriel shows up once again to give Daniel a much-needed explanation. Here I want you to pay attention to what this angel looks like.

Daniel 10:5-6 NASB I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was girded with a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. (6) His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a tumult.

Gabriel reflects an amazing amount of light and produces some of his own. We have nothing that tells us that this angel in verse one is Gabriel; I am only giving you some interesting information, and, it is what this angel says that makes the difference, as the message changes everything.

Revelation 18:2 NLT  “He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.”

As I sit here typing out this post, I can see the pictures taken by American service members of the town and the location of Babylon in my mind’s eye. It looked very similar to several of our California desert communities. Contextually, in what seems to be chronological telling of the events during the time of wrath, Babylon is fallen. In case you missed my point, as far as I am concerned, Babylon fell several thousand years ago.

The passage (Revelation 18:2) emphasizes the word fallen (piptō) by using it twice. This is meant to draw your attention to the importance of what is being said. In Greek, the word Fallen. or Piptō, means to descend from a higher place to a lower, to fall, to be thrust down, and metaphorically to fall under judgment or condemnation. 

I have gone over the subject of Babylon several times in the last couple of weeks, but there are always new readers. Israel is called Babylon, and so is the physical place where we find Daniel, formerly of Israel.

There is a fascinating reference to Babylon, the great city, in Revelation 16. There it speaks of a great earthquake splitting the city into thirds.

The obvious thing about Babylon is that it is little more than a spot on the map; in other words, it doesn't exist anymore except when it represents spiritual debauchery.

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. (Revelation 16:19 NASB)

Is it any coincidence, in speaking of this same period, that the Prophet Zechariah says,

Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
(Zechariah 13:7-8 KJV)

Revelation 11 speaks of the two witnesses God places back on the earth. Upon their death, they lie in the streets of Jerusalem but pay attention to how it is described.

And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. (Revelation 11:8 NASB)

Our Lord was crucified in Jerusalem, and here it is being called the great city, just as Babylon was in Revelation 18:2. The allusion to Sodom and Egypt is associated with the sexual and religious perversions that will be predominant sins ending this age (Matthew_24:37-39; Luke_17:26-30).

This may come as a shock, but we have been talking about Israel all this time.

Revelation 18:3 NLT  For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

• “For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality.”

I want to touch on something before we continue. Israel, having come out of Egypt, at least that is how their migration is described, did not leave that junk behind; they brought it all with them. And what they did not bring with them, they adopted.

I will let you in on an aspect of my struggle to create a bible study that is based on the word and a bit more relational. I have always understood that Balaam said something to Balak, which was then used to bring down Israel. So, I did a word search for Balaam. Did you know that his donkey spoke to him, and he was not shocked, and Israel killed Balaam in one of their battles? Proof that even if God talks to you, you don't have His protection, as some would try to imply. The Revelation has one of the most significant clues, proving that Balaam fed Balak information that eventually brought down Israel. The craziest thing is that Israel was more than willing to bring about its own downfall.

Revelation 2:14 MKJV  But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.

Typically, if I use a cross-reference, I will find a word that links a revealing statement like this back to its origin. However, this one is tough as everything seems to allude to something being said but not the specifics. The passage that is the most defining in terms of how Israel went down is Numbers 25:1-3.

While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD’s anger to blaze against his people. (Numbers 25:1-3 NLT)

Yes, this next one is long, but I want you to see a few things in it. I will highlight them.

Numbers 31:6-16 MKJV  And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe. He sent them and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand.  (7)  And they warred against the Midianites, as Jehovah commanded Moses. And they killed all the males.  (8)  And they killed the kings of Midian, besides the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam, the son of Beor, with the sword.  (9)  And the sons of Israel took all the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods.  (10)  And they burned with fire all their cities, their homes, and all their towers.  (11)  And they took all the spoil and all the prey of men and animals.  (12)  And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moses and to Eleazar, the priest, and to the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are beside Jordan, at Jericho.  (13)  And Moses and Eleazar the priest, and all the rulers of the congregation, went forth to meet them outside the camp.  (14)  And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.  (15)  And Moses said to them, Have you saved all the women alive?  (16)  Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit sin against Jehovah in the matter of Peor, and the plague was on the congregation of Jehovah.

Here is an example of what the cross-reference gives you.

Balaam. Num_22:5; Num_24:14; *Num_25:1-3; *+Num_31:8; >Num_31:16, Jos_13:22; Jos_24:9, Psa_68:21, +2Pe_2:15, *Jud_1:11.

While most of these speak about Balaam, none tell us how he instructed Balak to destroy Israel.

If Babylon refers to a physical city, which it doesn’t, how and where are these present-tense sins taking place? 

For most, including many of those who call themselves “Christians” because they will not read the Bible with an intent to learn, this means there is no physical place for this to happen. 

So, when God says come away from her, my people, you have to answer the question as to who He is talking about and where they are coming out of. Try to get a Jew to confess that Israel is neck-deep in sexual and spiritual sins, and it won’t happen.

If you wish to take this quest for a physical Babylon back to Babel, then you have to include Nimrod and the plains of Shinar. (Search for scriptural references to Nimrod, and you will find three.) 

Why am I pointing out this lack of information?

Because there are those, who feel they are biblical purists and will not accept extra-biblical information. That kind of position seems rather odd when virtually everything we are asked to understand about Babylon is extra-biblical.

• Genesis 10:8-9.

  Here we learn his ancestry and that he was a mighty hunter. Don't be deceived by the simplicity of the word hunter, as this has some horrifying darkness attached to it.

• 1Chronicles 1:10, and again, we have a bit of Nimrod.

• And finally, the Prophet Micah. In Micah 5:6, a somewhat confusing and dark statement says, “They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances.” A statement like this masks the context and forces us to find out who and what is doing the shepherding. 

Not much in the way of information is there. Yet, Babylon, the extension of Babel, the creation of Nimrod, seems to have an extensive history, including Babel’s tower, a wife, a son, and a false religious system. What we can gather about this religious system we learn from Josephus, how Nimrod persuaded people to ascribe their happiness to him rather than God.

Ah, but this is another example where we move into extra-biblical information, and, as one brother in Christ stated, we should NOT expose ourselves to extra-biblical information. 

Are you kidding me?

We merely pick and choose which extra-biblical information we choose to cling to, such as Jesus being a carpenter when the reality is that NO ONE said Jesus was a carpenter. A similar statement was made about Joseph that goes like this – they said, isn’t this the son of Joseph, the tekton. Tekton is the Greek word for craftsman, which includes poets, and yet no one perceives Joseph as being a poet, but then neither was Jesus. So we have reasoned that this hostile statement about Joseph being a carpenter applies to Jesus because Jewish tradition says that the Son followed in the father’s career path. Considering that both Joseph and Mary were informed about Jesus’ role on earth and who His real Father is.

Revelation 18:4-5 NLT  Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.  (5)  For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.

An examination of Babylon, and the sensuality we are informed of, can easily be compared to Israel, who, soon after coming out of Egypt, started offering their children as sacrifices on the altar of Moloch, at the base of Mount Sinai; all this immediately moves the conversation over into the spiritual side and enforces the idea that Babylon is an all-encompassing spiritual entity.

But, the entity did not stay in the plains of Shinar, did it?

It, alongside the people of Israel, got brought into the present-day country of Israel.

An obvious question. Who are God's people?

The answer to this lies in understanding that the overall context of the Bible is a Jewish book, which tells the story of a specific people, that came through Abraham and his son, Issac. So yes, nations also came through Ishmael, but it is clear that most of these nations became the enemies of Israel and God.

• “Come away from her, my people.”

  So “my people” are talking about the Jews and, through adoption, followers of Christ.

• “Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.”

  “Her” is equal to Israel, and the entirety of Revelation is about the punishment against the nations and Israel.

Let’s camp here for a moment. I have been trying to convey that Israel represents a considerable aspect of Babylon on several levels. The Prophet Jeremiah explains.

Jeremiah 51:1-9 AMP THUS SAYS the Lord: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon and against those who dwell among those rebelling against Me a destroying wind and spirit; (2) And I will send to Babylon strangers or winnowers who will winnow her and will empty her land; for in the day of calamity they will be against her on every side. (3) Against him who bends, let the archer bend his bow, and against him who lifts himself up in his coat of mail. And spare not her young men; devote [to God] and utterly destroy her entire host. (4) Thus, they shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans and wounded in her streets. (5) For Israel has not been widowed and forsaken, nor has Judah, by his God, the Lord of hosts, though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel. (6) Flee out of the midst of Babylon! Let every man save his life! Let not destruction come upon you through her [punishment for] sin and guilt. For it is the time of the Lord's vengeance; He will render to her a recompense. [Jer. 50:28; II Cor. 6:17; Rev. 18:4.] (7) Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, making all the earth drunken. The nations drank of her wine; therefore, the nations have gone mad. [Rev. 14:8; 17:4.] (8) Babylon has suddenly fallen and is shattered (destroyed)! Wail for her [if you care to]! Get balm for her [incurable] pain; if [you do] so she may [possibly] be healed! [Jer. 25:15; Rev. 14:8-10; 16:19; 18:2, 3.] (9) We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, for her guilt and the judgment against her reach to heaven and are lifted even to the skies. [Gen. 18:20, 21.]

Did you pick up on the idea that this conversation initiated about Babylon? This place is a skeleton of what it once was, and then inserted the character and nature of Israel in as the target of God’s wrath and vengeance.
Yes, Babylon encompasses the monetary and governmental systems, and finally, it replaced a system of worship based upon Elohim with the worship of everything but God.