And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Revelation 17:3-5

The word "Babylon" comes from "Babel" (as in the tower of...) which means confusion. The people's language was confused.

Strong's Hebrew: 894 Babel baw-bel' from 1101; confusion; Babel (i.e. Babylon), including Babylonia and the Babylonian empire:--Babel, Babylon. see HEBREW for 01101

We find confusion (Babel) of words when we discuss the concept of "church". This leads to mixed metaphors and wrong conclusions.

King James and his mistranslated word "church" are largely to blame (described more fully in a couple chapters). "Church" is used (incorrectly and impossibly) to describe six separate, different things - women, citizens, members, the body of members, the building and the religious service. How could you distinguish apples from oranges if you called them by the same name?

Instead of "church", lets agree, for a few minutes, to use the words "woman" and "citizen(s)" as the Bible does, for the two most confused terms. You can keep using "church" for the building and the service. We aren't concerned with them.

There is the chaste woman who becomes the bride (City of Jerusalem) and there is the harlot (City of Babylon).

1. Jerusalem, the City of God and
2. Babylon, the City of Satan.

These are the two women.

We used to refer to these (incorrectly) as the true and false churches. For now we are calling them women or cities.

There are also people, you and me. We used to refer to us (also, incorrectly) as the church. Lets set that nomenclature aside for now and call us "ekklesia" or citizens of the kingdom (more detail to follow).

Now we have eliminated the mixed metaphors, eliminated confusion, stepped out of Babylon, and can correctly understand.

Notice, in the verses above, there is no mention of church. Rather than a false church, this is a city in revolt committing treason and war against the King; a treasonous usurpation of Yahweh's Kingdom and authority.