Come Out of Her my People.
“I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive any of her plagues” – Revelation 18:4 NASB
Every marriage must rely on trust. And in our union with Christ, we must likewise remain faithful to Him and His Word. The book of Revelation speaks about the true bride of Christ, but there is another “woman” who is trying to seduce believers away from God’s Word. Revelation contains a shocking message about Babylon—the other woman. Babylon is fallen, and people must escape her charms or perish! Thus begins the second part of the three angels’ messages expanded from Revelation 14:8. We need to understand the stunning real identity of spiritual Babylon and how to avoid being hypnotized by her fatal beauty. What could be more important in these last days?
Today’s text contains the last appeal God makes to those in Babylon before its destruction. Just as Noah stood on the gangplank of the ark begging the people to come inside, so the door of grace is still open. However, in Revelation 18, it’s about to close.
Historically, when Ezra and Nehemiah gave the call in the 5th century BC for God’s people to come out of Babylon captivity and return to Israel only a remnant responded. The majority stayed. The problem is that it is comfortable in Babylon, just like it was for Israel of old. The parallel with today is important. They had spent seventy years in Babylon, they had nice homes and good jobs. Life had become comfortable. Why should they leave? It wasn’t pleasant in Jerusalem. The city lay in ruins, there was no housing, and jobs were hard to find. To follow Ezra almost 1600kms and go back to those conditions didn’t make sense.
In the same way today, the merchants of the earth have “become rich through the abundance of her luxury” (18:3). Life is easy. However, it requires sacrifice to follow Jesus. The 144,000 that we discussed in both Revelation 7 and 14, (a symbolic number) are that group of people in the last days who stand with absolute fidelity for God. They have proclaimed the message of the three angels (Revelation 14:6-12) in all the world, and now that message is amplified “with great authority and the whole world is made bright with its splendor” (Revelation 18:1). The 144,000 are those who are not defiled by the woman (Revelation 14:4) and do not share in her punishment which is “God’s wrath poured out unmixed” (v10). The opportunity for grace is soon to terminate.
As a pure woman symbolizes a pure church that is faithful to Jesus, so an impure woman represents an impure, or fallen, church that is unfaithful to Jesus (James 4:4).
We identified the harlot (church) that is called “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots” in Revelation chapter 17. We noted that there is only one church that identifies herself as the “mother” church. This church has passed on the “wine” of her infidelity to her offspring. You might like to review studies 215 – 226.
For what sins does God indict Babylon? Why is she “fallen.” (18:2).
To fall means to turn away from Bible truth and the worship of the true God (2 Peter 3:17, 18). Thus, God is indicting Babylon for (1) conferring with devils by inviting false spirits into its midst through spiritism and for (2) deceiving virtually the entire world through lying, demonic spirits. Lies are an abomination in the Bible (Proverbs 12:22). Babylon’s wine, which contains false teachings, disorients and benumbs those who partake and it makes them spiritually drunk. In contrast, the church is the bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7, 8) and loves Him and is loyal to Him only—which Jesus said means keeping His commandments (John 14:15). Therefore, the papacy is censured here for turning away from her husband, Jesus (James 4:4) and for forming illicit relationships with civil governments (union of church and state) for her support. In addition, Babylon traffics in the “souls of men” (Revelation 18:11–13); thus, God denounces Babylon for treating people as merchandise rather than as precious children of God.
What are some of the false teachings contained in Babylon’s wine that make people spiritually drunk and confused? Amazingly, some of the most prominent doctrines of Protestantism today are not found in the Bible at all. They have been brought into the Protestant churches by the Mother Church of Rome, who received them from paganism. Apart from the false gospel that mixes faith and works as equal partners in salvation, a few more of these false teachings are that:
1). The law of God has been amended or repealed. God’s law can never be changed or repealed (Luke 16:17).
2). The soul is immortal. The Bible mentions “soul” and “spirit” nearly 1,000 times. Not once is either referred to as immortal, neither is there any mention of either being able to exist outside the body. People are mortal (Job 4:17), and none receives immortality until Jesus’ second advent (1 Corinthians 15:51–54). The spirit is the breath (synonymous words in the Greek). The soul is the whole living person e.g. “8 souls were saved in the ark”
3). Sinners burn eternally in hell. The Bible teaches that sinners will be consumed (put out of existence or destroyed), both soul and body, in the fire (Matthew 10:28). An eternal hell of torment is not taught in the Bible. Everlasting destruction (noun)(2Thessalonians 1:9) is not everlasting destructing (verb).
4) Baptism by immersion is not necessary. Baptism by immersion is the only baptism recognized by Scripture.
5). Sunday is God’s holy day. The Bible teaches, without question, that God’s holy day is the seventh-day Sabbath—Saturday.
6) The secret rapture is a catholic doctrine from the counter reformation. The word secret is never associated with the second coming. The Bible teaches it to be audible, universally visible and powerful.
These false teachings, once believed, tend to bring “confusion” (which is what the term “Babylon” literally means) and make understanding Scripture much more difficult. God says “come out of her MY people. Note: God’s people are still there and are being called out!
Lord help me to remain strong in your word and help to stay away from from Satan’s lies and deception