With her wealth the city of Babylon expressly set out to entice people to find their happiness in her values—and so to tear God’s people away from their Lord. That amounted to spiritual adultery. Her appeal and allurements were so strong that she set the standard for all (spiritual) prostitutes; hence the tag “mother of prostitutes” (see John 8:44 regarding Satan as the “father of lies”). Because she takes from the Lord God the honour that is his (as the living God he alone can give happiness and purpose in his world), her conduct is abominable to him.
5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”