12 - THE NAME BABYLON

The name Babylon has its origin in the term Babel (see Gen. 10:9, 10; 11:1-9). Babel means “confusions” (see Gen. 11:9). Hence Babylon is appropriately applied to the many apostate denominations that profess to derive their doctrines from the Bible, and to the various sects with teachings and creeds that conflict widely with one another and God’s Word. However, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still in these religious bodies.

The angel told John the revelator that this harlot, “Babylon the great” – “is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Rev. 17:18). This great symbolic city has three main parts, which split at the end: “The great city was divided into three parts” (Rev. 16:19). These parts are the religious or religiopolitical powers symbolized by the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (Rev. 17:13).

In Revelation 12:2-5 the dragon is identified as the power that attempted to destroy Christ as soon as He was born at Bethlehem. Bible readers know this power was pagan Rome in the person of King Herod; a Roman vassal. Hence the dragon of Revelation 16:13 is a figure of paganism.

The beast is the power that meets the specifications given in chapter 13:1-8. these can apply to no other than papal Rome.

A comparison of Revelation 19:20 and 13:11-17 shows that the false prophet is the same as the power that makes an image to the beast. It was pointed out in chapter seven that many Bible scholars believe this power is apostate Protestantism particularly as found in the United States of America.

Here, then, is the threefold union that constitutes Babylon: the dragon, symbolizing all forms of paganism and heathenism, including infidelity and atheism; the beast, representing all forms of Catholicism; the false prophet, symbolizing apostate Protestantism. All forms of spiritism are included under paganism or apostate Protestantism.

God is calling His true followers out of all these false religions into His remnant, under His threefold-message movement. That call comes through clearly in Revelation 18:2-4: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…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.”

“Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). God is calling His people out of Babylon, out of all other organizations that do not serve Him wholly, that they might separate themselves from her transgressions of His law. He is calling them to join His remnant, who keeps all the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

God is also calling His true followers out of this false system so that they will not receive of her plague – the seven last plagues (see Rev. 16). These are a part of His punishment that will fall upon all who are in spiritual Babylon. This smiting takes place during a little space of time before Christ’s Second Advent. Thus the call out of Babylon was not fulfilled in the work of Luther and the other Reformers.

This call to separate from the worldwide false system of Babylon is God’s last call. Il is now accomplishing its task. In the near future it will reach its full consummation. All the true children of God in Babylon will heed the cal of their Saviour. They will come out and take their stand with His remnant under His last-day, threefold-message movement.

Satan has led, and is leading, countless millions to accept his false doctrines under the misconception that they are following Christ. He makes the counterfeit to resemble the genuine so closely that it is impossible to distinguish between them unless we understand and heed the truths of God’s last-day message of Revelation 14:6-12 under the leading of His Holy Spirit. There is no escape from Satan’s threefold message.

God has given us a rule by which we can distinguish His true doctrines from the false: “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isa. 8:20). Any religious teaching that is not in accordance with the law of the Ten Commandments and the rest of Scriptures should be avoided.

Obedience to God’s commandments and having the truth in us are inseparable. “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4). God’s “law is the truth” (Ps. 119:142). The church of God is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). The true church is built on the truth, and upholds the truth to the world.

In addition to one or more commandments of the Decalogue, there are five other commands in the Scriptures that are disregarded by the vast majority of professed Christian: Render to God all the tithes (Mal. 3:8-10), or one tenth of net income. Be separate from the world and its sinful ways (2 Cor. 6:17). Eat and drink to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31), which includes the abstinence from all alcoholic liquors (Prov. 20:1), tobacco, and pork and other unclean foods (Isa. 66:17). Refrain from wearing ornaments that suggest vanity and pride (1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Peter 3:1-4). Observe the ordinance of humility, or the washing of one another’s feet (John 13:12-15). Te remnant who keep the commandments will be obedient to all these requirements.

The impure woman, the figure of the false system, is “decked with gold and precious stones and pearls” (Rev. 17:4). The pure woman of Revelation 12, who is a figure of Christ’s true church, is not described as wearing of ornaments is to be avoided by the Lord’s true children.

The harlot called Babylon the great has a golden cup in her hand filled with wine, representing her false doctrines. Here is a list of some of the ingredients in this wine, by which nearly all are confused, befogged, and stupefied, and the truths they pervert: the first day, which is a man-made Lord’s day, instead of Christ’s true seventh-day Lord’s day (Luke 23:46, 54-56; 24:1-3); sprinkling or pouring for baptism instead of the true mode of immersion (Acts 8:38; Rom. 6:3,4); the natural immortality of the soul instead of the Biblical conditional immortality (1 Tim. 6:15, 16); confessing to a priest instead of confession to God (Jer. 14:20); the daily mass instead of the continual intercession of Christ, our true High Priest (Heb. 7:25, 26); the impenitent consigned to hellfire when they die instead of the Biblical doctrine that the wicked are reserved in the grave until the day of judgment to be punished (2 Peter 2.9); the heinous doctrine of eternal torment for the unsaved instead of the Bible doctrine that after the wicked are punished in the lake of fire for their sins they will be destroyed soul and body (Rev. 20:9; Mal. 4:1); the idea that the righteous go to heaven when they die, instead of the Biblical doctrine that the righteous are taken to heaven by way of resurrection or translation at the second coming of Christ (Acts 2:29; 34; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Consider how many people believe these errors and you will see how many of the inhabitants of the world have been made drunk from partaking of this particular wine of her fornication, as prophesied in Revelation 17:2. as for me, I do not, and will not, accept any of these errors from her golden cup. I will drink only from the pure Word of God. Will you say amen with me in this?

The night following the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg was a terrible one. Some fifty thousand dead and wounded were strewn over the battlefield. About nine o’clock a little light appeared on the field of battle. It was from a lantern carried by an old Quaker who was searching for his son, a soldier in the Union army.

Slowly the old man moved along, peering into the faces of the dead and wounded. Once in a while he would stop and call, “John Hartman, thy father calleth the.” Some poor boy nearby would say to himself. Would to God that were my father. A little farther on and the old man would hold up the lantern and call, “ John Hartman, thy father calleth thee.” He heard men groan. He heard men curse.

Suddenly he caught a response, barely audible. But the ears of love were keen. “Here, Father! Here Father” This way, Father.”

At last he found his son. Moving several dead bodies, he uncovered his wounded, blood-soaked son. Lifting him to his shoulder, he carried him home and to healing.

Whatever your name is, your heavenly Father is calling you. Have you accepted His call? He wants to carry you to His heavenly home. I invite you to accept His call and go home with Him.