barrykind
Advanced Member
Member # 35
|
posted
Mystery Babylon Mother of Harlots
Babylon the Mother of Harlots?
Revelation prophecies speak of Mystery Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, a woman in scarlet, purple and gold who rides on a strange beast and makes war against the saints of God and overcomes them for a period of time spoken of prophetically as 42 months, or 1260 days. As days in prophecy relate to years, this ruling power is shown to have uninterrupted reign for 1260 years. Symbolically a woman is a Church as we will see as we look at the prophecies. There is a vast distinction made between the true pure remnant Church of God and the Harlot Church also called Babylon.
In the Old Testament Babylon was a pagan nation who took God’s people into captivity and defiled the Temple of God. They worshipped idols and their king, and trod the Word of God underfoot. This great city was finally destroyed, just as the prophets had predicted. Isaiah 45:1-3 “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; 2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:”
A King from the east named Cyrus diverted the waters of the river Euphrates, which ran beneath the walls of the great city of Babylon from one side to the other. There were large metal gates which went down to the river bed, but on the night when the people of Babylon where in a drunken state, having feasted and again defiled God by using the sacred implements from His Holy Temple to drink from, they forgot to lock these gates and the armies of Medo-Persia marched under the walls of Babylon and defeated that great city without resistance.
Is Babylon of Revelation literal or symbolic?
The Bible tells us that Babylon will never be rebuilt. Jeremiah prophesied that this city would be desolate forever. Jeremiah 51:26 “And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 51:39-43 “In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. 40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats. 41 How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations! 42 The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. 43 Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.”
This tells us then that Babylon spoken of in Revelation is not the literal city which will be rebuilt, but rather it is symbolic of a ruling power who has defiled God by worshiping idols, breaking His Commandments and persecuting God’s true followers.
As with all Bible prophecy the rule laid out in Isaiah 28:10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” is applied. There are several chapters in Revelation that deal with mystery Babylon depicting her as a harlot woman, a beast with seven heads and ten horns, and the antichrist beast power that wars against God’s faithful people. Each of the prophecies build upon each other and give further details. The chapters are not in chronological order.
Revelation 12 begins by showing us a woman clothed in the wondrous creations of God about to give birth to the male child, Jesus the Saviour, and the dragon with seven heads and ten horns, ready to devour Him. Revelation 12:1-3 “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” The symbology used here is the same as used by Daniel in explaining his vision in Daniel 7, which related to the reigning world power that would follow Babylon, Medo-Persia and Greece, which was the Iron monarchy of Rome. Daniel 7:3-7 “And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: (Babylon) I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. (Medo-Persia) 6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (Greece) 7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.” (These beasts have a total of seven heads and ten horns).
This same beast power is again described in Revelation 13:1-7 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.” As you can see the extra details we are given here is that the beast (which is symbolic for a ruling power) speaks great blasphemies against God and against His tabernacle. This information parallels Daniels prophecy which described a ‘little horn’ which spoke ‘great things’ coming up from among the ten horns (the ten kingdoms of divided pagan Rome). Daniel 7:8 “I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
Daniel goes on to tell us that this ‘little horn’ power would be different from the rest and would destroy three of the ten kingdoms when it came into power.
We do not have to guess that these beasts represent kingdoms and that horns represent kings because the angel Gabriel gives Daniel the interpretation. Daniel 7:23-26 “Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.”
Daniel tells us that the ‘little horn’ which is synonymous with Mystery Babylon and the Harlot Woman, is a ruling power which is different from the powers before her. He tells us that she came to power, after emerging out of the ten kingdoms of the divided Roman Empire, and that she would destroy three of the ten kingdoms. This means that we have the distinct advantage over the Bible writers who were prophesying about the future, in that we can simply look up our history books and find out who it was that destroyed the three roman kingdoms and hence identify who the Bible is speaking of as Babylon.
The three Roman kingdoms which were destroyed were the Vandels, the Ostrogoths and the Heruli. Which power destroyed them? History shows that it was the ruling Religious-Political power of the Papacy. In his book ‘God Cares’ Dr. Mervyn Maxwell, a theologian and historian summarises the overthrow of these three kingdoms. “The Catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Herulis in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538.”
Prophecy shows that Satan gave power to pagan Rome and through Herod tried to destroy the Son of God, as seen in Revelation 12, which also speaks of Satan’s fall from heaven taking one third of the angels with him. Revelation 12:4 “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Later in the chapter more details of the war in heaven are given. Revelation 12:7-9 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Revelation also shows that Satan would give his power, seat and great authority to the Beast or Babylon. Revelation 13:2 “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” We know that Satan was working through the pagan Roman system, but did he give the Papal ruling power its seat? History again verifies this part of the prophecy. When Emperor Constantine built the new city Constantinople, which he named after himself, he left Rome and handed the seat of office in Rome to the Papacy. In the Vatican there is a tapestry on the wall about 75 feet long, and underneath the tapestry it say’s “The donation of Constantine to the Pope” What did he donate? He donated the city of Rome and the Church became a kingdom (beast). It was no longer just a religion it was now also a political power.
How did the Christian Church go from being God’s chosen people to a ruling system known as Babylon?
The early Church held firm to the faith of Jesus and the doctrines of the scriptures and many were persecuted and killed for their faith over the following centuries. Christianity was an outlawed religion, but the more faithful Christians were martyred for their faith the more the Church grew. Satan then managed to pull off one of his most successful war plans on the Church, instead of opposing them through inciting the persecution, he took on the guise of a sheep and sought to destroy Christianity from within. In 321 A.D. Constantine who was a pagan became Caesar in Rome and when he begun to see the balance of power shift from paganism to the Church he passed the first law enforcing Sunday worship. This meant that Christians began breaking the fourth Commandment and observing the day to worship God, on a day that had previously only been used by the pagans to worship the sun god. Two years later Constantine joined the Roman Catholic Church and began mingling paganism and Christianity. He legalised Christianity, but brought so much paganism and idol worship into the Church that the pure faith of the early Church became lost. The new Babylon emerged, guised as Christianity. As well as idolatry and changing the Sabbath, this new system of paganistic Christianity incorporated many of the pagan beliefs. The pagan deities with the trinity of Father, Mother and Child, took on the names of Father, Mary and Baby Jesus, with the sun god clearly displayed behind their heads in much of the early Christian artwork. Sun dials became a prominent part of their architecture. Tradition and introduced religious doctrines began to replace the Holy Scriptures, and in fact the Bibles were left carefully chained inside the Churches so that they would not be accessible to any of the common folk. The promotion of one man as head of the Church, who became known as God on Earth, and the ordination of priests as mediators who purported to forgive sins, were just some of the anti-biblical doctrines introduced which sought to raise man higher and the standing of Jesus lower. They also invented paid indulgences and purgatory as a holding place for the dead, where if enough money was paid to the Church, the dead loved ones could progress closer to heaven, again a teaching deeply entrenched in paganism. The Papal power also had an army at its disposal to destroy any person or kingdom who would not bow down to her authority. Here are a few supporting historical quotes.
First Sunday Law enacted by Emperor Constantine - March, 321 A.D. “On the venerable Day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed.” Source: Codex Justinianus, lib. 3, tit. 12, 3; trans. in Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol.3 (5th ed.; New York: Scribner, 1902), p.380, note 1.
This was done through paganism and in favour of Sun worship. “The Church made a sacred day of Sunday ... largely because it was the weekly festival of the sun; for it was a definite Christian policy to take over the pagan festivals endeared to the people by tradition, and to give them a Christian significance.” Source: Arthur Weigall, The Paganism in Our Christianity, p. 145. Copyright 1928 by G. p. Putnam's Sons, New York.
Doctor Alexander Hislop, in his classic work, The Two Babylon’s, page 105, says this: “To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals [that’s the Sabbath and Sunday] amalgamated, and ... to get Paganism and Christianity now far sunk in idolatry in this as in so many other things, to shake hands.” He says further: “A glance at the main pillars of the Papal system will sufficiently prove that its doctrine and discipline in all essential respects have been derived from BABYLON.”
“The Pope is of great authority and power, that he is able to modify, declare, or interpret even divine laws. The Pope can modify divine law, since his power is not of man, but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth...” — Lucius Ferraris, in “Prompta Bibliotheca Canonica, Juridica, Moralis, Theologica, Ascetica, Polemica, Rubristica, Historica”, Volume V, article on “Papa, Article II”, titled “Concerning the extent of Papal dignity, authority, or dominion and infallibility”, #30, published in Petit-Montrouge (Paris) by J. P. Migne, 1858 edition.
“The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth.” — Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, “Cities Petrus Bertanous.”
“He is a heretic who does not believe what the Roman Hierarchy teaches.” — The American Textbook of Popery, p 164 (quoting from the “Directory for the Inquisitors”).
“The church may by divine right confiscate the property of heretics, imprison their person, and condemn them to flames. In our age, the right to inflict the severest penalties, even death, belongs to the church. There is no graver offense than heresy, therefore it must be rooted out.” — Public Eccliastical, Vol. 2, p.142.
When confronted with heresy, she (Catholic Church) does not content herself with persuasion, arguments of an intellectual and moral order appear to her insufficient, and she has recourse to force, to corporal punishment, to torture.” — The Rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, H.M.A. Baudrillart, quoted in The Catholic Church, The Renassance, and Protestantism,p 182-183.
Revelation chapter 12 depicts a pure woman (Church) fleeing persecution for 1260 days (1260 years). Revelation 12:6 “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
There were many faithful people within the Papal system, who lived up to the light God had given them and faithfully served him as best they knew how. When the printing press was invented, and Bibles became readily accessible in the native tongue of the people, there was a huge awaking through the power of the Holy Spirit. Catholics began to realise that the rules and regulations in the system they were in bondage to where not Biblical. They found out about the amazing love of God and that they could be saved by Grace, and not works as the Church had been teaching. They discovered the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation and many were able to conclude that the little horn power being spoken of in the prophecies was in fact the current ruling religious-political system of government.
During the protestant reformation, it is estimated that 50% of the people rejected the catholic faith, in favour of the beautiful light that the scriptures had now opened up to them. The Papal system reacted by pronouncing a death decree on all ‘heretics’ (one who choses to follow their conscience). During these terrible dark ages it is estimated that between 50 and 100 million faithful saints were persecuted, tortured and killed. Many fled Europe to the shores of a new land called America, and wrote into its constitution that state and religion should never be joined. Watch this short video of a true story to see how this persecution resulted in SUN-day keeping as the Sabbath today.
The official start of the Papal reign was 538 AD, so according to the prophetic timeline their uninterrupted reign should have finished in 1798. What happened in 1798? Just as predicted, right on time, Napoleon’s General Berthier was sent to Rome to kidnap the Pope and exiled and imprisoned him in France. In 1799 the Pope became ill and died. Hover mouse here for an article excerpt from page 3 of the London Times dated 12-3-1798.
Revelation 13:3 “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.” The prophecy told us that the wound would be healed. For a while there was no head of the Roman Church, but in 1800 they elected a new Pope and the healing of the deadly wound began.
The new Pope had no real power until 1929 when the Italian leader Benito Mussolini signed the concordat in Rome giving 108 acres of the old city, (the Vatican) back to the Pope, and they once again became a religious political power. American Presidents and dignitaries from many nations have bowed before the Pope, but have never bowed before the head of any other Church. No other religious leader in the world commands the audiences of world leaders the way the Pope does. No other religion has political ambassadors assigned to them.
Note in the two passages below that God also referred to His Old Testament Church as a WOMAN but pay special attention to the very significant phrases used by God when SHE was guilty of idolatry. The Papal Church is also guilty of much idolatry, which by God’s definition would make HER a HARLOT. The Roman Catholic Church is often called the MOTHER Church as many of today’s Churches originated from her and this is why they are called daughter Churches. Unfortunately, many of the daughter Churches inherited many of her false doctrines and practises, which is why God calls her the MOTHER OF HARLOTS.
Jeremiah 3:1-25 “…If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? ...but you have played the HARLOT with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. 2 …you have polluted the land with your WHOREDOMS and with your wickedness. 3 …you hadst a ***** 'S FOREHEAD, you refusedst to be ashamed… 6 The LORD said also unto me… Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? SHE is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the HARLOT… 8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed ADULTERY I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the HARLOT also… 20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.” Ezekiel 16:26-32 “You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger… 28 You have played the ***** also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. 30 How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; 31 In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an HARLOT, in that you scornest hire; 32 But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!”
Before continuing, it is exceptionally important to observe the colours the Levitical priests wore and especially the significance of the colour blue. Exodus 28:4-6 “And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. 5 And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. 6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.” Now note the significance of the colour blue. Numbers 15:38-39 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that you seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to go a whoring:”
The following verses show how those who do not have their names written in the book of life will wonder after the beast, mystery Babylon. Notice also the colours that the Harlot woman (Church) is wearing, scarlet, purple and gold. These are the same colours that God gave to the Jewish priests to wear, except as we just noted, He also gave them BLUE, which was to remind them of His law. Revelation 17:3-8 “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman [Church] sit upon a scarlet coloured [sin] beast [kingdom], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 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: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”
The colours of this woman, signify that she has forgotten God’s Ten Commandment law, and also lines up with this verse Daniel 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.”
Did you note that she is called the ‘Mother of Harlots’, signifying that there are other daughter Churches, who have somehow been polluted by some of her doctrines. Are there other Churches who followed her lead in abandoning the original Ten Commandments of God and ignoring the Commandment that says Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it?”
The following quotes are just a small example of how the Papal Church constantly mock Protestants for keeping their day Holy in place of God’s. For more quotes, see Catholic Church Sabbath statements.
“Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the Church ever did, happened in the first century. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. ‘The day of the Lord’ was chosen, not from any direction noted in the Scriptures, but from the (Catholic) Church’s sense of its own power…People who think that the Scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically become 7th Day Adventists, and keep Saturday holy.” — St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Algonac, Michigan, May 21, 1995.
“Most Christians assume that Sunday is the biblically approved day of worship. The Catholic Church protests that it transferred Christian worship from the biblical Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday, and that to try to argue that the change was made in the Bible is both dishonest and a denial of Catholic authority. If Protestantism wants to base its teachings only on the Bible, it should worship on Saturday.” — Rome's Challenge www.immaculateheart.com/maryonline Dec 2003.
The end of time call out of Babylon
The book of Revelation shows us that at the end of time, God will again call His people out of Babylon, before he destroys her. Revelation 18:1-5 “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
This again shows that just like God called His faithful people out of the ‘little horn’, Babylon during the dark ages, again at the end of time God will draw His people out of apostate Churches who do not follow all of His Commandments. Satan has so successfully deceived so many into avoiding the precious Commandment that defines worship of God, that they miss the relevance of a major part of the Biblical and historical picture.
The three angels messages given in Revelation also depict the end time message that will be given to all the world, calling them out of Babylon and into God’s Remnant Church and telling them not to worship the beast (the Papacy), or his image (which will be a new religious-political power in Protestant America). Revelation 13:11-12 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth [unpopulated area, with the timeline being around 1798, just when America was emerging as a Nation, and in the place where many of the persecuted saints had fled to]; and he had two horns like a lamb [a Christian nation], and he spake as a dragon [it would eventually be influenced by Satan and reject God and His Commandments]. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.”
The three angels give this message. Revelation 14:6-7 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
Revelation 14:8 “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 14:9-11 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
The message ends with the sharp contrast of those who take the mark, to the true followers of God who keep His Commandments. Revelation 14:12-13 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”
These angels tell Christians not to take the Mark of the Beast. What is the Mark of the Beast power, the Papal system? Let’s let them answer that question. “Sunday is our mark or authority...the church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact.” Catholic Record of London, Ontario, September 1, 1923.
The prophecies tell us that in the end times there will be many deceptions. Spiritism will be on the rise and there will be many false signs and wonders that will fool many Christians into inadvertently choosing the wrong system of religion. Revelation 13:14 “And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”
There will be a huge persecution of the true believers who follow God’s Commandments and don’t bow down to the false system of worship, and with the deceptions that are going on, those who take the mark of the Beast will most probably view those who do not, as terrorists who are a threat to peace. The true believers will not be allowed to purchase anything and many will be jailed or killed. Revelation 13:15-18 “And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”
Armageddon - The destruction of Babylon
When probation closes and the decisions that everyone have made are set firm forever, the wrath of God will finally be unleashed upon the wicked who have taken the Mark of the Beast. The seven last plagues will be poured out upon them. Revelation 15:1-2 “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. 2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.”
Revelation 16:1-12 “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. 3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. 7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. 8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.”
We saw earlier that the original literal Babylon was located upon the literal river Euphrates which was dried up just before her destruction. This time the waters, which are peoples, multitudes nations and tongues (Revelation 17:15), will dry up their support for the Papal system of Babylon. They will finally realise that they have chosen the wrong side, and it is Babylon’s fault that they are incurring the wrath of God.
But even as all of the support for spiritual Babylon is drying up, Satan will send out more deceiving spirits doing miracles to incite the world to further rebel against God. Revelation 16:13-14 “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
Just as Satan is trying to incite this final revolt, Jesus will return in His glory with all His angels. Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
As Jesus returns the final judgement of heaven is pronounced on the wicked. Armageddon is the battlefield of the wicked against Jesus, our Holy King from the East who will pour out His final plague and the judgement that the wicked should be destroyed.
There is actually no place on earth that bears the name Armageddon, and there is only one mention of it in scripture. The Greek is most commonly thought to be a transliteration of the Hebrew har megiddo, literally, “mountain of Megiddo.”
The Mount of Megiddo is located in Palestine on the plain of Esdraelon or Jezreel, a valley southwest of Nazareth and fourteen by twenty miles in size. It is beside Mount Carmel on which Elijah said to the people 1 Kings 18:21 “… How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”
This place represents the consequences of their decisions. Revelation 16:16-21 “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”
Revelation 17 again speaks of the destruction of Babylon. Revelation 17:1-18 “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great ***** that sitteth upon many waters: 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 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. 4 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: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 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. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the ***** sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the ***** , and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.”
We see that justice will be served. Just as those who chose to align themselves with the apostate Church persecuted God’s remnant Church, she will now face the consequences of her actions. Revelation 18:6-9 “Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,”
These verses represent the earthly destruction of Mystery Babylon, but there is one final battle to be fought. After Jesus returns and the saints live and reign with Him in heaven for a thousand years, the New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven to Earth. Revelation 21:1-3 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
The second resurrection then takes place, the resurrection to damnation. Satan will then be loosed once more to go out and deceive the wicked who have been raised. Revelation 20:6-8 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” Now that the thousand years are over and all the books have been studied, God’s final eternal judgement will be executed. As the wicked surround the city, wishing to destroy the saints of God. God will rain down fire and brimstone from Heaven, just as he did on Sodom and Gomorrah and will destroy in Hellfire all of the wicked. Revelation 20:9 “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
--------------------
The HEART of the issue is truly the issue of the HEART!
John 3:3;Mark 8:34-38;James 1:27
Posts: 3529 | From: Orange, Texas | Registered: Jun 2002
| IP: Logged | 
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[thumbsup2]](graemlins/thumbsup2.gif)
![[Cross]](graemlins/cross.gif)
![[hug]](graemlins/hug.gif)
![[wave3]](graemlins/18.gif)
