Revelation 18 tells us about the judgment of the Harlot
Church, Babylon. God charges her with the sin of committing adultery with the
world, and then leading the world into a false sense of sharing in God’s
blessings. Indeed, the priests of the Lord have the right to bless, however,
they are also charged to be holy, and God is holy. Babylon has not only given
her blessings to the unclean, but has bonded with them by allowing the nations
to make a profit from her.
Before God judges Babylon, the Harlot Church, He sends this message; “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” (Rev 18:4-5). Remaining in the polluted and compromised church would pollute one’s faith, and cause compromise with the world and sin. John admonishes us “Do not love the world or anything of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and all its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 Jn:15-17)
Babylon has found a way to use her position as the Lord’s betrothed to market herself to the world; she does not address the nations’ sins nor offend them with the gospel of salvation, but instead accepts and practices their ways. This takes the stigma of sin away, and the dividing wall between saint and sinner is gone. Then, Babylon agrees to enter into financial contracts with the world, which puts her in the market place, benefiting those she buys from. Not only do these things pollute the Harlot Church, but further, she adopts the ways of the world to run the Church as a business.
In speaking of those with the spirit of the anti-Christ, John writes “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.” (1 Jn 4:4-6). It is clear that satan is using the temptations of the world to entice Christians to walk in their flesh, defile themselves with worldly ways, and eventually, to sin. All this will cause many Christians to side with the Beast and take his mark, and to side against the Lamb and His faithful ones, who are holy and unspotted from the world.
Jude gives us this advice; “Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”(Jude :23) Babylon does the opposite, causing those who have stained their clothing to feel at ease, despising the fear of the Lord and forbidding correction of those who are playing with fire. Therefore God condemns her, for she works against Him, and the sacrifice of the Lamb is made null and void in her. Though she feels she is above reproach and will suffer no harm, God will make an end of the Harlot Church, Babylon.
Babylon has become the “home for demons and a haunt of every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.” Those who compromise with the world do so at the risk of being influenced by satan. His plan was to pollute God’s Church and make her ineffective on this earth. However, while satan is perfecting his evil, the Lord is perfecting holiness in those who have godly fear. They are the overcomers and will rule and reign with Him. While the Harlot Church grows rich in worldly wealth, the overcomers grow rich in spiritual wealth.
Babylon’s cup is filled with glory and wealth. Her corruption from the world brought the world’s ways into the midst of her. This is seen in the Church marketing their ministers for fame, selling their truthes for money, and promoting through worldly means anything she can profit by. She inhibits the growth of her people so as to make them dependent on what she can sell to them, and furthers those who will in turn add members to her. In this way Babylon’s wares include the souls and bodies of men.
The Harlot Church made herself such a comfortable place that it will be difficult for Christians to leave her system of acceptance of their sinful ways for a life of holiness. Those who remain in her, therefore, will partake of her judgments as well. The very reason Jesus sent His Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers was that the Holy Spirit makes men holy. God’s judgment will separate true believers from the marketplace mentality embraced by the Harlot Church, Babylon. God’s judgment of Babylon also causes the line to be drawn between the Harlot Church and the world. Her destruction is evidence that she does not have God’s favor, nor could she stand in His stead and bless their evil ways; she did not have God’s blessings to give away. Therefore when the unholy union between the Church and the world is broken those that benefited from her will weep.
Before God judges Babylon, the Harlot Church, He sends this message; “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” (Rev 18:4-5). Remaining in the polluted and compromised church would pollute one’s faith, and cause compromise with the world and sin. John admonishes us “Do not love the world or anything of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and all its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 Jn:15-17)
Babylon has found a way to use her position as the Lord’s betrothed to market herself to the world; she does not address the nations’ sins nor offend them with the gospel of salvation, but instead accepts and practices their ways. This takes the stigma of sin away, and the dividing wall between saint and sinner is gone. Then, Babylon agrees to enter into financial contracts with the world, which puts her in the market place, benefiting those she buys from. Not only do these things pollute the Harlot Church, but further, she adopts the ways of the world to run the Church as a business.
In speaking of those with the spirit of the anti-Christ, John writes “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.” (1 Jn 4:4-6). It is clear that satan is using the temptations of the world to entice Christians to walk in their flesh, defile themselves with worldly ways, and eventually, to sin. All this will cause many Christians to side with the Beast and take his mark, and to side against the Lamb and His faithful ones, who are holy and unspotted from the world.
Jude gives us this advice; “Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”(Jude :23) Babylon does the opposite, causing those who have stained their clothing to feel at ease, despising the fear of the Lord and forbidding correction of those who are playing with fire. Therefore God condemns her, for she works against Him, and the sacrifice of the Lamb is made null and void in her. Though she feels she is above reproach and will suffer no harm, God will make an end of the Harlot Church, Babylon.
Babylon has become the “home for demons and a haunt of every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.” Those who compromise with the world do so at the risk of being influenced by satan. His plan was to pollute God’s Church and make her ineffective on this earth. However, while satan is perfecting his evil, the Lord is perfecting holiness in those who have godly fear. They are the overcomers and will rule and reign with Him. While the Harlot Church grows rich in worldly wealth, the overcomers grow rich in spiritual wealth.
Babylon’s cup is filled with glory and wealth. Her corruption from the world brought the world’s ways into the midst of her. This is seen in the Church marketing their ministers for fame, selling their truthes for money, and promoting through worldly means anything she can profit by. She inhibits the growth of her people so as to make them dependent on what she can sell to them, and furthers those who will in turn add members to her. In this way Babylon’s wares include the souls and bodies of men.
The Harlot Church made herself such a comfortable place that it will be difficult for Christians to leave her system of acceptance of their sinful ways for a life of holiness. Those who remain in her, therefore, will partake of her judgments as well. The very reason Jesus sent His Holy Spirit into the hearts of believers was that the Holy Spirit makes men holy. God’s judgment will separate true believers from the marketplace mentality embraced by the Harlot Church, Babylon. God’s judgment of Babylon also causes the line to be drawn between the Harlot Church and the world. Her destruction is evidence that she does not have God’s favor, nor could she stand in His stead and bless their evil ways; she did not have God’s blessings to give away. Therefore when the unholy union between the Church and the world is broken those that benefited from her will weep.
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