Revelation
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Revelation Chapter 18
Many people believe that the Babylon (whore) or chapter 17 and the Babylon of chapter 18 is the same Babylon and it may look that way on the surface but if we jump down to verse 9, we shall see that the kings of the earth are very upset at the destruction of this Babylon because it affects their economy whereas the kings of the earth were instrumental in destroying the previous Babylon (whore) of chapter 17. Here is a reminder of what was in chapter 17:
We see the 10 kings destroy the mystery Babylon but God destroys commercial Babylon. It stands to reason that the place where the first rebellion against God that occurred after the flood of Noah would be the location of the last great rebellion against God. Whatever the first Babylon was like, will be like the last Babylon. We saw that the first Babylon was united, full of pride, and the beginning of religions that took the human race away from the real God instead of toward the real God. It was destroying the souls of men and women. These false religions spread into all the world. Since the language changed, the religions also changed names but were basically the same. Becoming rich, powerful, making a name for themselves and rebellion against God led to human sacrifice, idolatry and association with demonic activity. The suffering of all mankind resulted. Slavery, use of drugs, divination, torture, sexual immorality were part of this evil. In the latter days, this city will kill true people of God who try to preach the gospel of Jesus. The blood of the saints in within this Babylon as well as the Mystery Babylon of chapter 17. I realize some believe this is the same thing and if that is the case we still will benefit from reading what happens to Babylon whether it is one or two, they both end in severe destruction. I want to add here that the word saints are those that are saved after the rapture of the church that happened before the tribulation begins if the pretribulation rapture is true. I believe in that myself but I realize that not all hold that teaching perhaps because they see saints suffering here. It is true that saints are all believers, not any great person a church declares them to be saints. Saints are all born again believers in Jesus. The great latter day tribulation is meant to bring the nation of Israel back to God. The church as we know it should be in heaven at this point. John is in Heaven in this vision and so are many others around God's throne. Back to chapter 18:
As the nations committed fornication with mystery Babylon (false religion), we see that they sin even more by selling their souls for trade and prosperity. They get rich but for nothing. They were dependent upon this system of trade and were very upset to see it destroyed. People will sell their souls for two reasons, false religion and riches. Now it is not wrong to trade with foreign nations. Nations have been doing that for years. When nations are willing to abandon all fear of God, all sense of right and wrong and trade with an evil nation just to increase in riches when it harms their spiritual standing with God, then it is fornication in a spiritual sense. In previous chapters discussing the mark of the beast, we notice that no one can buy or sell without that mark. We see then that in order to increase in riches one has to sell their soul or give up their freedom to worship God and in turn pledge allegiance to the beast. This is what all these kings have done. They have forsaken the God of eternal life and holiness for temporary success and power here on earth. In return they will see its destruction and be without anything either in this life or in eternity. We are reminded here of the words of Jesus:
To choose to take that mark will be to choose to serve the devil and all the evil he represents. During the tribulation there will be a price to pay for serving God. One may have to literally give up all he has for he can not buy nor sell without the mark. To take the mark is to deny Christ. We cannot serve God and the riches of this world. This is why we must not be deceived into believing the false prosperity doctrine. That doctrine is totally opposite of what Jesus taught. Be very careful of pulling out a few pet scriptures to back up a doctrine. Read the scriptures in context and see what else is discussed. Do that even with scriptures I use. I am human and can make mistakes. Check out everything. I have heard that one prosperity preacher goes so far as to tell people not to give to poor preachers because God is not blessing them. He said to give to the rich ones because that is a sign that they are in God's favor. This is nonsense and the very opposite of what Jesus taught. Jesus mostly teaches of spiritual blessings, not material blessings. We are never to lose our compassion for the poor. There are martyrs throughout church history who lost their homes, possessions and even their lives because they chose to believe in the truth of God's word rather than please those that were in position to take away their possessions if they would not recant what they believed. What are the people who believe these doctrines going to do when the economy collapses? What are the prosperity preachers going to tell them when they lose all they have if God was to allow our stock markets to fail like they did in 1929? After his release for prison, Jim Bakker said this about the prosperity doctrine: ******************** I’d always quoted 3 John 2, saying, ”Above all things God wants you to prosper.” I loved that Scripture. It looks great on a TV screen when you’re raising funds, and I interpreted it as God wants you to be rich. But when I got to the words of John, I said, ”Now this don’t make sense.” So I took the word prosper apart in the Greek and found out it’s made up of two words—the first word means good or well and the second road. It’s a progressive word, so it’s like a journey. So, here’s John saying, basically, ”Beloved, I want you to have a good journey through life as your soul has a good journey to heaven.” It was a greeting! Building theology on that is like building the church on ”Have a nice day.” I began to look up all the Scriptures used in prosperity teaching, such as ”Give and it shall be given unto you.” When I put that Scripture back into its context, I found Christ was teaching on forgiveness, not on money. He was teaching us that by the same measure that we forgive, we will be forgiven. I had gotten my sermons from other people. The Bible warns about the shepherds who get their messages from each other. I think today the reason we have another gospel and another Jesus being preached is because men have gotten their sermons from each other and from motivational teaching. A lot of what’s being taught today is simply motivational teaching with a few Scriptures put to it. - Source: The Re-education of Jim Bakker, ChristianityToday.com, Dec. 7, 1998 End of Bakker's comments. ******************* It is sort of like having someone's house burning and he goes in to get a treasured possession and in doing so loses his life. What good did it do? I say all these things knowing that I too may have to make these kinds of decisions. It is time to prepare ourselves with prayer and seeking God diligently so that we are spiritually prepared for what may lie ahead in the near future. We must focus on God's real blessings, not on our possessions.
James tells us:
God is a God of mercy although we see His wrath a lot in Revelation. He puts up with a lot though before He finally has no other choice but to stop evil and bring judgment.
So again we see that there are still those that believe even in this late stage of the tribulation. This doesn't mean that there was no rapture but that God's spirit was actively saving people all during the tribulation for that was the whole purpose of it. The people mentioned here is probably more Jews (Israel) that were saved at one point during the tribulation. They were to come out of Babylon. Perhaps it means to come out of the entrapment of loving this world's goods and wealth so much that it hinders our walk with God. We can't love God with all our hearts and be consumed with gaining wealth at the same time. Perhaps the explanation though is a simple one, flee the literal latter day rebuilt city of Babylon. If this is speaking of the religious aspect of Babylon, then naturally we all are instructed to leave any false religious system. It's surely not wrong to make a living and have a good business but if it is getting in the way of obedience to God, it is not worth it. If we have to deal dishonestly and tell ourselves that, "Business is business," then it has become our god instead of God. Babylon is going to be destroyed. Whether it is a spiritual false religious system or a great commercial system of getting rich at any cost, it is coming down. Here are the sins of Babylon:
It could be that the literal rebuilding of Babylon and its religion system could have such demonic attraction that all false religious system moves here to have her headquarters in this place. This may become a great world trade center but be evil and wicked to the core. All evil rebellion against God both in the past and present will have its final end here.
Referring this Babylon to a queen would make it seem like the two Babylons are the same thing but still we must remember that one was destroyed by the 10 kings and one was destroyed by God. One was hated by the beast and the kings and the other was mourned by the same kings. Her words, " I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow" can be applied to any of us who continually seek to be comfortable and seek the wealth of this life thinking that to gain is godliness.
This destruction shall be quick and sudden like an earthquake that occurs with no possible way to stop it.
Many think this commercial Babylon is America. This may very will be but there are a couple of things missing. It is true that we have forsaken God and have gotten rich but we are not in the vicinity of the Old Roman Empire where the 10 kings abide. We do see that these 10 kings look upon the destruction of Babylon and mourn so that might indicate that it is in a different location rather than Europe or Asia. Still America or the United States has not yet killed anyone for their faith in Jesus Christ. Verse 24 makes it clear that both mystery Babylon and commercial Babylon is filled with the blood of saints. This could not mean in a spiritual sense for if they believed the doctrine of Babylon and forsook the Lord, they would no longer be saints. The martyr of saints has always been literal.
Whatever this is we see that they will have gold, silver, jewels, fine cloth, wood, ivory, iron, marble, spices, perfumes, food, cattle, horses, chariots (probably automobiles) slavery and poor lost souls deceived into believing in this system. It is time for all of us to identify with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and forsake all other things. We can leave Babylon now in our hearts whether or not literal Babylon is rebuilt. Although America once had slaves, it has long since abandoned the practice of slavery. There are nations that still practice slavery but not the United States. This is not to say that America will not face destruction or judgment for her sins. None of us will get by with any sin. Many faithful preachers like David Wilkerson and others are prophesying the destruction of America and I believe them but unless there are some changes made in America like the introduction of slavery and the persecution of God's true believers, I don't see America as being this Babylon described here. We are never promised riches in this life but spiritual riches and our treasure laid up in heaven. Some may be allowed to have wealth on the earth but it is not a guarantee to all according to the words of Jesus. He said that in the world you shall have tribulation. We are not promised the easy life here and now. Tell that to Christians in 3rd world countries where they are suffering because of the gospel they believe in. Instead we are promised to be faithful in whatever we are given both materially and spiritually.
If we abandon of sense of right and wrong to get rich, we will lose it eventually anyway.
America is a country, not a city is one reason I hesitate to think this is America but still it is something to consider. Right now other countries hate America so I can't see anyone wailing over our destruction. Then again, things change. The United States at this present time does not fit the description of this Babylon in chapter 18 or 17. Here are a few things that may change that:
A strong desire for riches and the so-called good life leads to all other sins. Our greed causes us to forget the poor, the suffering and God. Riches can become an idol that keeps us out of heaven. Look what Jesus said to the rich man:
The main thing we receive from God in this life is spiritual blessings that can't begin to compare with material blessings. God may allow some of us to have material things and a good business but this is not given to everybody. Some of us could not handle it and it would become an idol. To teach that material blessings show God's favor above His favor to a poor person is a false teaching. It is not found in the whole context of scripture. The more we have the more temptations we have to set our heart on our possessions. Read the warning of Jesus to the Laodicea church:
Here is what Jesus said to the poor church:
They were poor in the riches of this world but they were rich in the things of the spirit. Brothers and sisters, lets get out of this prosperity teaching now. Please run from it and seek God with all our heart, soul and mind.
Its destruction causes some to weep but the holy people of God has cause to rejoice. God has judged the city that sought to destroy all things that were holy and pure.
It appears that this revival of sorcery and witchcraft may be leading up to this Babylon. Whatever this system of government is, the majority of the people will go along with it and be deceived by it. The lone ranger who stands up against it will be the target of ridicule or death. Don't be afraid to go against the flow and not join in false unity and is not the unity of spirit and of truth. The majority are not always the ones who are in the right. Remember Jesus' words about the straight and the narrow?
Here is the description that describes both Babylons' pictured in chapters 17 and 18. They shed the blood of prophets, saints (all faithful believers in Jesus Christ and I would include Jews in this) and all that were killed for not going along with the worldly system that was set in place by the antichrist and the 10 kings. If coming out of her means the literal city of Babylon, God will probably direct His people on how to do that. If coming out of Babylon means forsaking the love of the world or this world's system of seeking wealth, the love of pleasure, idolatry, fornication both spiritual and physical, then it must be done without delay. God has given us the Holy Spirit to give us power over all filthiness of flesh and spirit. If Babylon means a false religious system of some kind that teaches we can make it to heaven and still keep our sin, we must leave that kind of religion or church. If it teaches that salvation depends upon the religious system itself, either by joining it, paying into it, or doing works to obtain salvation, leave it. The only way of salvation is to turn from sin and trust in the shed blood of Jesus to cleanse us from sin and bring us into the body of Christ. If our traditional churches begin to teach we can have God's favor and still commit sin, we need to run. Our focus must remain on Jesus Christ. The one the bible describes, not a substitute. Let's read His words. In writing all of the above, I have to add that I personally have never been part of any apostate church. I've been in both denominations and independent and have not seen it. So we know those kind may exist but we have to be careful not to false accuse according to what we read on the Internet or some other source. Unless we go and attend one that preaches wrong, we don't know for sure and to accuse just may be the old accuser of the brethren speaking through us. So I write here in general. I don't have any certain popular preacher or congregation in mind. Gossip and hearsay is not my thing. DC
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