Babylon the Great represents the world empire of false religion —
especially Christendom. God's people must 'get out of her' (Revelation
18:4) by leaving false religion and joining Jehovah's organisation. The
harlot's destruction at Armageddon will remove all false religion from
the earth.
This argument works by letting the angel's own interpretation in do the heavy lifting. Read the verse aloud from the NWT: 'The woman whom you saw means the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.' The angel does not say 'world empire of false religion' — he says 'the great city.' Then connect the clues the text itself provides: (1) She sits on seven mountains (17:9) — Rome was universally known as the city on seven hills. (2) She has a kingdom over the kings of the earth (17:18) — Rome ruled the known world when Revelation was written. (3) She trades in luxury goods and even 'bodies and souls of men' (18:13) — Rome's slave economy. (4) In her was found the blood of prophets and saints (18:24) — Rome persecuted both Jews and Christians. The Watchtower must override the angel's plain statement to insert 'false religion' where the text says 'city.' Ask: why would the angel give John a specific explanation and then mean something completely different? Most commentators — Protestant, Catholic, and secular — recognise Babylon as Rome or a Roman-type world power, not an abstract concept like 'false religion.'
The angel in explicitly identifies Babylon the Great as 'the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.' The Watchtower's 'world empire of false religion' interpretation requires overriding the angel's own explanation with a meaning the text never states.
Babylon the Great can't be literal Rome because she is destroyed at Armageddon — Rome fell centuries ago.
Revelation uses Babylon as a symbol for Rome precisely because the original Babylon had already fallen. Just as calls Rome 'Babylon,' Revelation uses the name for the world power of John's day. Whether the prophecy also has a future fulfilment does not change what the angel says it represents — a city with political dominion, not a religious organisation. Even the Watchtower acknowledges refers to Rome.
The harlot rides the beast — religion rides the political system. That proves she is false religion, not a political power herself.
The imagery of riding the beast shows the harlot exercising influence over political powers, not that she is religious. Rome's emperors controlled a vast network of client kings — the 'kings of the earth' who 'committed immorality with her' (17:2). The relationship is political and economic, not religious. Notice that the merchants weep over her destruction because 'no one buys their cargo any more' (18:11) — the language is commercial, not liturgical. If Babylon were 'false religion,' why would merchants mourn lost trade?
Revelation 18:4 says 'get out of her, my people' — this must mean leaving false religion for true worship.
The call to 'come out' echoes — 'come out of her, my people' — which literally meant fleeing the city of Babylon before its destruction. It also echoes and . In the original context, God's people were leaving a city and political system, not a religion. The early Christians understood this — many fled Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 CE, and the call in Revelation would have been understood as separating from Rome's corrupt political-economic system, not from 'religion' as a category.
The woman is dressed in purple and scarlet — these are religious colours. She must represent false religion.
Purple and scarlet were the colours of Roman imperial power and wealth, not exclusively religious colours. Roman emperors wore purple. Roman senators had scarlet-bordered togas. The description of luxury — gold, precious stones, pearls — fits a wealthy imperial capital, not a religious institution. lists her trade goods: gold, silver, silk, marble, spice, wine, cattle, horses, chariots, and slaves. This is a commercial inventory, not a religious one. The text describes economic and political power, which is exactly what the angel says in 17:18.
Do not attack the Watchtower's interpretation as absurd — JWs have heard it taught consistently and it feels natural to them. Instead, simply read 17:18 and let the angel's words create the tension. Also avoid getting into debates about whether Rome means the Catholic Church — that plays into the JW framing. The point is that the text says 'city,' not 'religion.'
Read Revelation 17 and 18 straight through in one sitting, then return to 17:18 and read the angel's explanation in the NWT until you can quote it: 'the great city that has a kingdom over the kings of the earth'. Note the clues the text supplies: seven mountains (17:9), rule over the kings (17:18), the cargo list (18:11-13) and the blood of prophets and saints (18:24). Read as an example of Rome being called Babylon. Practise the doorstep question aloud. Expect 'get out of her' (18:4), and read and 50:8 so you can show the call first meant leaving a city. Stay clear of the Catholic Church question.