(By Kelly Mcdonald Jr) In recent years, I have seen an increase in the number of online articles claiming that the United States of America (henceforth US) is the woman of Revelation 17, named “Mystery Babylon”. Are these claims warranted? Is there proof?  We must remember that Scripture is our final authority for Biblical interpretation. Let’s look at three reasons why it is not possible for the US to be Mystery Babylon.

#1 – Mystery Babylon is described as a city.

“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Rev 17:18, KJV).


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The woman of Revelation 17 is called a great city that reigns over the kings of the earth. The US is a country, not a city. Additionally, it does not reign over the kings of the earth. Sovereign nations around the world make decisions on a daily basis without consulting the US. Just recently, 128 countries voted against the US measure to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

#2 – Mystery Babylon is responsible for killing God’s people.

“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Rev 18:24).

The US has historically been a haven for those fleeing religious persecution. Among the first settlers of this country were the pilgrims, who were fleeing persecution in Europe. There has never been a top-down government persecution of Christians. The US has been a haven for Christians and a launching pad for the gospel into the rest of the world.

#3 – The United States does not have kings.

“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” (Rev 17:10).

The woman of Revelation 17 is clearly described as riding on a beast with seven heads. These seven heads represent seven hills (or mountains). They are also seven kings. The US has never had any kings. We have not had a monarchy for our head of state since we separated from the King of England during the Revolutionary War. The US has a divided government between three branches of government that (ideally) hold each other accountable.

The US is certainly not a perfect country (and I remind you that no country is). At the same time, it is certainly not a country void of doing tremendous works for God in the world. The US has commissioned more missionaries and resources (such as money) to preach the gospel than any other country in history. In 2010, the US sent out 127,000 of the world’s 400,000 missionaries. Brazil was second at 34,000. The US is also among the most charitable countries in the world.  The Bible and even current events point to the fact that the US is not Mystery Babylon.