Does Babylon exist today? Has Baal worship (the ancient pagan Canaanite deity of the Old Testament and repeated snare to the Israelites – e.g., Balaam and Jezebel) disappeared? If not, what names does Babylon and Baal go by today, and what form of worship does this ancient principality take on in the Western world?

And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.”

1 Kings 18:21

Editor’s Note: If you are new to the website, it is good to understand God’s Economy, Financial Slavery and the Storehouse Vision in order to put “Come out of Babylon” in context and why it it’s important…

Tale of Two Kingdoms

The Bible reveals that everything in world history falls into two kingdoms. One good, and one evil. The Kingdom of God (also referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven) and the Kingdom of Babylon (also part of the anti-Christ kingdom). So biblically, Babylon is not only Nebuchadnezzar’s ancient physical kingdom in 600 B.C. located in modern day Iraq, but it is also the symbolic collection of all the Kingdoms of the earth throughout history that were run in the pride and sin of men. We see this in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2) of the hybrid statue representing Babylonian empires throughout history (Head of gold=Ancient Babylon, Silver torso=Medo-Persian Empire, Bronze thighs=Greek Empire, Iron legs=Roman Empire, and the feet and toes partly iron partly clay=final anti-Christ kingdom).

That prophetic statue in his dream ends up being smashed by the “rock hewn without hands”, which grew into a “great mountain” representing the Kingdom of God, who’s king is Jesus.

The “Tower of Babel” of Genesis 11 was the beginning of Babylon, as it was the first city, and it was built on the notion that it’s leaders could build a tower to the heavens and be “like God”. A similar mistake was made by Lucifer, who in his pride trafficked God’s worship unto himself. He was cast out of Heaven for this (see Isaiah 14:12–14 and Ezekiel 28:12–18), becoming Satan.

Is the strongman of Bel/Ra/Baal (the chief deity of ancient Babylon/Egypt/Canaan) holding the United States and God’s people in economic slavery today?

Baal

Who was Baal? In essence, Baal was and is simply the all-time chief deity of self-interest. Worshiping Baal is just a vehicle of worshiping what one selfishly wants out of life. Fear and control. “Looking out for number one”. Money, pleasure, control, fame, vanity, power. When we attempt to manipulate, cajole, sacrifice, or control things and people to achieve our objectives (to get what we want), we are in effect worshiping a type of Baal – just as the ancient peoples did (though today it would likely be guised in an intellectual wrapper and not necessarily be considered “spiritual”).

Divorse Mammon

Closely tied to Baal worship is the god of mammon (Matt 6:24 – called mammōnás in the Greek, having origins in Chaldea-Babylon as a god of wealth) and the “Golden Calf” of Egypt. The Israelites molded a golden calf at Mt. Sinai in defiance of the true God. Aaron and the people said:

These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!

Exodus 32:4

The Golden Calf

Sadly, this golden calf was made from the gold and silver gifts given by the Egyptians to the Israelites out of righteous fear of Jehovah – the God of the Israelites. The perverse irony is that the Israelites decided to make a golden calf in the image of one of the very Egyptian gods Jehovah judged through Moses and Aaron with the 10 plagues. Why would the Israelites make such an idol and worship the gold and silver?

Opposite to this was the intended purpose by Jehovah of this Exodus “wealth transfer” – to create the Tabernacle. It is also interesting to note that all that gold and silver could never be used in the desert. God’s people couldn’t “buy their way out” or “take care of themselves”. They had to trust God for everything – cloud by day, fire by night, water from the rock and manna from heaven. No currency, no gold, no silver was usable for those 40 years. That very generation who forged the golden calf died in the desert and never reached the promise land. They failed the test:

God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments… he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna… that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God

Deut 8:2-3

Why? The ancient Egyptian kingdom was a great world power, technologically (pyramids), militarily (chariots), essential resources such as food and water (the Nile River). Not unlike the United States today. However, Egypt was not humble. They were prideful. Pharaoh’s believed he was was a god – meaning his rulership provided everything needed for himself and the Egyptian Kingdom: food, resources and power. Not dissimilar to Presidents, Prime Ministers, and billionaire “kings” and “merchants” of the earth today (Rev 17-18). It was this same pride and self-worship that led to the idolatry of “Golden Calf” worship.

Behold, I am against you Pharaoh, the great monster who lies in the river, saying, ‘The Nile is my own; I have made it for myself.’

Ezekiel 29:3

This same type of mistake (pride, self-preservation) was repeated when Jeroboam erected two Egyptian golden calves for the ten tribes of Israel to worship for their provision and prosperity.

Jeroboam thought to himself, “… these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem… They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam. After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “… Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” … And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other

1 Kings 12:26-30

Later in Israel’s history, even though God appointed Jehu as king to kill Queen Jezebel and “Destroy Baal from Israel”, he did not walk uprightly in the ways of the Lord, and he did NOT tear down this Egyptian golden calves worship system (read 2 Kings 10:29-31).

This story of Jehu has a parallel in the church and government today. Even if we try to ‘kill Jezebel’ (sexual immorality and abortion) and ‘tear down the alters to Baal and Molech’, are we still making the mistake of Jehu – to hold on to our idols of money and worshipping the work of our hands? In a sense trying to mold ourselves a ‘golden calf’ as provider. That way we can worship a little bit of Jehovah and a little bit of chasing after money or pursuing our own interests.

Babylon

Babylon is simply that metaphorical “city” or “nation” (Revelation 18) where people worship a type of “Baal” (Bel was the equivalent god to Baal in Babylon – starting with Nimrod’s Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 culminating in its future destruction in Revelation 18). In other words, those who trust in themselves rather than trusting in God. The power of man and desire for self vs. the power of God and desire of His loving kindness.

The woman you saw [harlot Babylon] is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth… When those kings who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her, standing at a distance, fearing her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.

Revelation 17:18 – 18:10

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and the bodies and souls of men…

For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is has been brought to ruin.

Revelation 18: 11-19

Do we trust in ourselves and our money, or do we trust in God? Even as believers, if we trust God for our next breath and heartbeat (or going to heaven in the afterlife), why wouldn’t we trust Him in all of our daily affairs too, including providing for us, meeting our needs, and fulfilling our Godly desires?

One of Baal’s names is “Lord of the Harvest”. Do Christians today attempt to worship ‘a little bit of Jehovah and a little bit of Baal?’

Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it.”

Judges 6:25

Do we as believers say we trust in God, but we can’t stop worrying about our finances? About our immediate financial needs or our future financial security? Job security? Retirement income?

Or, perhaps we as believers say that we trust in God, but since we have diligently worked to make more than enough money to supply our needs, do we have pride in our work and a wrong image of God?

‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others…

Matthew 25:24 Passion Translation

Meaning, do we take pride in our jobs/position/businesses/careers, income, such that we go back to Jesus saying “look what I did” to provide for myself and my family? Yet, in doing so we are more like the servant who buried his “talent” or “mina” in the ground and says to the master, “you are someone who left me here on the earth with my god-given talents such I could make a way for myself.”

That servant was described by Jesus in the parable as “wicked and lazy” and he is cast into the “outer darkness” because he wasn’t multiplying eternal treasures for the advancement of Jesus’ Kingdom.

Does our image of “god” include such a taskmaster/clockmaker theology: “God helps those who help themselves”?

We explore the possibilities, the deception that masks the problem, as well as our personal and corporate responsibilities of repentance and transformation.

So how does Baal worship tie into Babylon? First, we need to go back to the tower of Babel (Babylon) and the worship of Bel (Baal). The issue was pride in the work of man’s hands and the people trying to make themselves god:

Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves

Genesis 11:4

Fast forward to Nebuchadnezzar, king of ancient Babylon. Here is his same mistake:

Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?

Daniel 4:30

Here is an example from the 1st century church:

You who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”… Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:13

The issues? Pride. Self-effort. Control. Forgetting about God. Relegating God to a religious system or putting Him in a “box”. This is the essence of Baal worship and at the heart of every type of “Babylon” throughout history (Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome and really any anti-Christ system). This is why God’s people are commanded to come out of this metaphorical “city” and depart from depending on its systems of worshiping self-serving gods and idols:

Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

Revelation 18:4

Another name for Baal is “Husband”, which implies a false marriage (Jesus being the true groom). If we are so entangled, we should divorce Baal. This is also a type of Ezra’s repentance when the remnant of Israel were called out of Babylon to rebuild the temple. They discovered their sin:

For we have forsaken Your commandments: ‘The land… is an unclean land… do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity’

Ezra 9:11-12

We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them

Ezra 10:4

May we gain understanding, divorce Baal, divorce Mammon, and come out of Babylon!

Come Out of Babylon Teachings

Coming Out of Babylon Resources:

Devotionals

Who are we Trusting – Devotional: God or Mammon (download)

God’s Economy – Devotional: exit Babylon & enter in (download)

Tools

10 Practical Steps to Come out of Babylon

Transitioning out of Babylon – Balance Sheet Tool (Excel Template)

Podcasts

Come Out of Babylon

Practical Ways Out of Babylon

Practical – Part 2

Divorce Baal / Mammon Decrees

Divorce Baal and Mammon – legal agreement to spiritually divorce mammon and remarry Jehovah

Divorce Baal Resource Page – Resource page and legal documents from HAPN and Apostle John Benefield, which is where the legal documents originated…

Who is Baal? Coming out of Babylon. Ties to Mammon (download)

Baal god of 1000 faces – Dutch Sheets 1-page teaching (download)

Outstanding Sermons on problem of Baal and Mammon Worship

Trial by Fire – Peter Marshall US Senate Chaplin sermon (3/11/1944)
Mammon and Midianites Part 1 – Raymond Mooi, Malaysia (10/17/08)
Mammon and Midianites Part 2 – Raymond Mooi, Malaysia (10/17/08)