Laying Out the Information

This topic may be introduced by the following Bible passage:

"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wreath of her fornications." Revelation 14:8 [10]

Ever since the construction of the Tower of Babel as the beginning of Nimrod's Kingdom and his religion of Paganism which is a man-made, man-ruled religion for a man-devised salvation, spoken of in Genesis 10:8-10 and 11:1-19 [19], the word "Babylon" has stood for confusion in the Bible and Hebrew language.[20] Babylon the head of gold and Rome the iron legs and feet mixed with clay, is all Babylon, a full body all in one, the complete image, all its parts contributed to the character of Babylon. [25] Babylon refers particularly to confusion in religion. The true God of heaven made war against Babylon and its false god of self-elevation, and frustrated Satan's attempt to form a one-world religion and political system designed to destroy the truth about God and thereby destroying God's people on earth. To do this God simply confused man's languages and scatter them abroad in order to buy time to carry out his plan of salvation.

Satan almost succeeded in having his way in the days of Noah when men's hearts imagined only "evil continually" [100], but the flood destroyed them all. And as we have seen above, Satan was making great progress at Babel through Noah's great grandson Nimrod, but God again frustrated his plans. Still, Satan used the false religion of Babel which has come to be called Paganism to conduct a great spiritual war against God's people Israel throughout the Old Testament period and very nearly succeeded in having his way time after time. In the days of Pharaoh, God's people were in mortal danger by a king who wanted to destroy God's people by slavery and killing male babies, Ex. 1:22. This was also the means by which Herod thought to destroy the Messiah soon after his birth, Matth. 2:13-15. Today similar sins are committed by means of abortion. But more planned evils came along, particularly when Nebuchadnezzar, a later king of Babylon took Judah and Israel captive. Nevertheless God has always preserved a "remnant" to Himself in every age - a few faithful people who would live by faith in His Word. As Jesus told Satan in the wilderness of temptation-

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

The source of man's weakness and failure is that man is inclined by his carnal nature to trust himself instead of God, to glorify self instead of God, and to follow his own way, which is actually Satan's way, instead of God's unselfish way. And so it is, the beast's doctrines do not glorify God, only itself. Any doctrine that makes God look bad, is a bad doctrine. All sins are acts of selfish disbelief in what God says. Without exception in any instance since man's creation Satan has always found it necessary to first separate man from belief in God's Word before he can separate man from God by acts of sin. Satan works to do this in two ways:

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2.Timothy 4:2-5

Here we find good counsel for preachers and teachers of our own age. "Preach the Word!", ... all its words in a studied out fashion. Do not pick around some subjects and leave others out. God did not put anything in His Word that we can ignore. The message of too many pulpits is based on the culture at large, politics, travel, or almost anything except the Word of God. Paul says, the time will come when people do not appreciate straight Bible truth, John 14:6, but will choose teachers to speak smooth words. To many people today, preaching sound doctrine amounts to doctrinal nit-picking. Believe me, the time Paul spoke about is our time today! This is not the time in history where we should hear smooth things; we need to be aroused by the cutting truth of the Word of God.

Some preachers expect their church goers never to read literature which challenges their teachings. God's Word says to compare what is preached with the Word and hold fast that which is found in its pages. We grow up either in Christ or sideways into false teachings. We are living in a time when Satan is busy sowing seeds in people's mind which leads to skepticism and infidelity. Error is taught so insidiously that faith of many is rapidly undermined causing people not to be ready to receive Christ when He comes again - thus robbing them of salvation. People come to church to have their faith built-up, but too often, instead it is undermined by the wind of all sorts of doctrines. Men and women have excellent gifts, great abilities, the best qualifications, but one sin, one defect, will proof to the character what the worm-eaten plank does to a ship - it leads to utter disaster and ruin.

Perhaps we begin to realize that it is good people, people of faith, who can be carried this way and that way by the winds of doctrines. If we remember again that there are two kinds of angels: unfallen and fallen angels.[114] The heavenly messengers. When we read God's Word, we listen to messengers. Depending on what we have cherished in our heart, our messengers will be sent to aid us (heavenly messengers), or they are sent to mislead us (demons). The spiritual world is a very real world! Each time we hear or read the Word, we are connected to either of these two sides but are rarely permitted to look behind the veil. Yet, we still make choices. The Spirit which we choose to accompany us is the one which will accompany us.

We may think of us that we are unbiased, rational, discerning, fair-minded, even-handed, wise people. But likely very few of these traits apply to us. We are fallen beings. We have fallen natures. Yet, we are worshipping beings. We are bent toward evil by nature. It is our inclination to play games in our thinking and hope for the best. Because the consequences seem to be deferred, we tend to walk right through the `mine-field' of sin, setting off explosions of which we are not even aware.

There is a reason why the pews are empty and the amusement houses are crowded. There is a reason why Christians do not abide by the pure principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here we expound on those reasons.

We shall first demonstrate how Satan works harder inside the church than on the outside. Our purpose will be to study the workings of Satan to produce the cleverest counterfeit of God's great system of truth ever known. It traces all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and has always divided the world into two mighty camps - true religion and false religion. Trusting God's Word and trusting men.

The Bible presents the situation this way:

"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." Rev. 16:19.

What is the wrath of God and the Lamb? Soon we shall reveal what that means.

This verse is part of the 7th plague. We find the 1st plague in Rev. 16:2, 2nd - v.3, 3rd - v.4, 4th - v.8, 5th - v. 10, 6th - v. 12 and the 7th in verse 17.

That verse 19 explains that the city was divided up into three parts must mean that it was united before. What are the three parts? To see that clearly we must compare this, in fact the whole book of Revelation, with Old Testament scriptures, as we know that the Apostle John refers back to Old Testament scriptures over 1000 times in his last book.

The explanation of what the three parts are into which the city was divided we read, chapter 16, verse 13:

"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." Rev. 16:13.

Next we want to show the Three Pictures of Babylon - where and how they parallel each other in the Book of Revelation and a Comparison to Chapter 12 showing the moral fall of the whole system:

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

1. Does the dragon make war with the woman? No! He makes war with the remnant of her seed.
   
2. The beast is explained some more in Rev. 13:1-10 and

3. the characteristics of the false prophet in Rev. 16:14.

It is their intention to gather the anti-God forces together to battle against God, against the few remaining people of God from the vastness of earth's human population - which will cause their numbers to grow like in the days of the old pagan Roman Empire.

However, there are more important parallels, in particular the three parts of Babylon. We must know what the three parts of Babylon are. This time in Rev. chapters 16 and 17.

The rise of the antichrist, for example, was possible because men believed in the monopoly of truth. But truth is independent of men, it is of God, Hebr. 1:3; Jh. 14:6. Therefore, since there is no man who has a monopoly of truth, so there are no places where we must go to find it. The believers in Antioch did not need to go to Jerusalem to learn the truth or to find out if what they had was the genuine article. The fact that truth was first preached in a certain place does not prove that it can be found only there. In fact, the last places in the world you want to go with an expectation of finding or learning truth are the cities where the gospel was first taught in the first century after Christ. Cities like Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, or Alexandria. - This is how the papacy arose in part. It was assumed that the places where the apostles, or some of them, had preached must have the truth in its purity and that all men must take it from there. It was also assumed that the people of a city must know more of it than the people in the country or in a village. So, from all bishops being on an equality as at the beginning, it soon came about that the "country bishops" were rated as secondary to those officiating in the cities. When that spirit took hold, the next step was necessarily a strife among the city bishops to see which one should be the greatest; and the unholy struggle went on until Rome gained the coveted place of power.

Since the Book of Revelation is grounded in Old Testament themes we may ask, Do we find there such a combination of three forces working against God? Actually we find two examples, one in the Old Testament and the other in the New.

Please read for yourself in 1 Kings 22. We find three key personalities in this chapter working against God.

1. King Ahab,
2. Queen Jezebel
3. the prophets of Baal

Of these three opposers of God's people, who was the more dangerous?

It was the 2nd, Queen Jezebel, who did not shrink back to kill the people faithful to God and destroy their altars.

The second story we find in Mark 6. Again, do we have here a king, a queen and a third person, the daughter, who oppose and kill John the Baptist, the forunner of Jesus Himself.

In this case too, it was the queen (Herodias), who was the more dangerous of the three.

For a while Israel was the faithful bride to God, obeying His commandments and keeping the covenant - they did not worship idols for a while and exercised faith. But things changed. Israel got involved in "abominations", Ezekiel 16:2. Apostasy ensued soon.

"Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." Ez. 16:8.

"And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was." Verse 14.

Israel was to reflect God's glory, not her own. They were to speak of God, how He led them and cared for them. Instead they ran after the doings of neighboring nations who knew not God. Now they became spiritually speaking involved in ...

abominations
the life of a harlot and in
fornication

They earned the displeasure of the Lord even more so when they engaged in illicit relationships with the surrounding kings and kingdoms instead of bringing their cares before the Lord.

"Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. Ez. 16:28-29.

Each step in their apostasy separated them further away from God and closer and deeper into estrangement from the one who intended them to live in a land of "milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8). The Lord explained the details of their estrangement.

"Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 31:32.

"That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths." Ez. 23:37-38.

God's now estranged people had daughters who were instrumental in these abominations.

"Thou art thy mother's daughter, that loatheth her husband and her children; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which loathed their husbands and their children: your mother was an Hittite, and your father an Amorite." Ez. 16:45.

"And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged ..." Ez. 16:38a.

She has shed blood, the blood of the prophets who tried to call her to her senses, Matthew 23:37.

"... and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare." Ez. 16:38b-39

Israel did not come to her senses. So God let those kings and rulers whom she committed adultery and fornication with destroy her.

The same situation exists today.

We find God's New Testament bride described this way.

"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." Rev. 12:1.

The woman is spiritual Israel, the 12 tribes. After the ascension of Jesus, His pure church had to flee into the wilderness for 1260 days (prophetic years), Rev. 12:6. This church is spoken of as a `wife' to God in a marriage relationship; just like old Israel was. But, you see, God's church, it says, has to be clothed first with God's salvation, His righteousness, before her husband will come . . . as we read . . .

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10.

That means, salvation comes once God's people are "saved ... from their sins." Matth. 1:21. And then, when they overcome their sins, their sinful desires and habitual practices . . . then her husband comes to take her home.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." Ephesians 5:25.

Who does Christ's righteousness depend on now, if we can keep it? It depends on us, if we seek Jesus, are faithful and do not fall over and over into our old or new sins. We want to follow Christ means we read His word and follow it how? "What is written in the law? How readest thou? . . . Understandeth thou what thou readest?" . . . As it reads, Luke 10:26; Acts 8:30.

This law of God, being clearly pointed to and uplifted by Jesus throughout his ministry and by His death on the cross, was never meant to be altered in any way, shape or form.

Why? Because after the death of Him who gave us His last Will, so to speak, in His sermons and words he spoke, as they are written by His followers Matthew, Mark and Luke, that last will cannot be altered; just like you would not want anyone to alter your will after you are dead. And so, what the defenders of this beast power say is utterly unsupported by the scriptures for they say, Followers of Jesus changed from observing the Jewish Sabbath to recognizing Sunday as a holy day of worship gradually and spontaneously, motivated by the growing recognition - thus without support of God's commanded direction to do so, but because of apostasy - that (fallen from the truth) Christianity was distinct from Judaism. [Martin Albi, `The American News', Aberdeen, SD, August 21, 2011.]

The faith of the apostles was distinct from Judaism because they believed that Christ was the true Messiah, the Savior of all, and not because of the day they kept holy. Pagan persecutions, continued later by authors and members of the apostate church top clergy, caused some more to be unfaithful because of fear.

Having cast aside fear and instead decided to follow Jesus, you now make a willful decision not to live anymore like you lived before, so you can escape the wages of sin, which are what? the wages are death, the second death, from which there is no resurrection, and rather face the wrath of man than God.

Chapters 1 and 2 of the Book of Acts talks about the early church in her pure state. Soon after apostasy set in and the NT church lost its purity until a time, when her spirituality hit rock bottom and the world was plunged into the `Dark Ages.' She became like Babylon - the apostate religious system of old. But as we read, a remnant had fled into the wilderness. God always has a remnant who carry on a true faith. John the Revelator shows the change as follows:

"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,
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." Rev. 14:6-7.

This angel's message is known as the First Angel's Message and it teaches the following:

We find the following description:

"And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 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." Rev. 17:1-2.

Just like Israel, the bride of God at Mt. Sinai, became sinful and a harlot, so too the NT church. To be seated upon many waters means that she is in control (seated) over many nations (worldwide waters Rev. 17:15).

What does she do?

"How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers. . . . Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them (the apostate church ignores the weak and the poor). Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies." Isaiah 1:21-24.

She commits the same sins Israel committed, she fornicates. She is involved in politics, awful deeds and has similar ideologies and practices as old Israel had. She is the mother of harlots, that means she is married and has daughters - that is, she has daughter churches, who are like their mother in key aspects.

Who are we talking about?

Could this be the Muslims? The Hindus or Buddhists?

No! Not at all.

The woman that apostatized in OT times was a nation. The woman which apostatized in NT times is a church.

She is decked like Israel was in gold and jewelry - and she is like Israel was found to be filled with sin.

Her followers will not be ready when Christ comes because the devil doesn't sleep.

She experienced a drastic change from the woman on the moon (Rev.12:1-6) to a harlot.

These images represent two gigantic, competing religious powers -- one God's true church and the other a system of error.

Everyone of us, yes of all human beings, must eventually and finally belong to one side or the other. We will follow either God's system and obey His commandments, or follow a false system, and keep the commandments of men. [130]

We find in the Bible several identifying points to help us understand the meaning of the symbol of the fallen, scarlet woman.

First, we want to find out who the beast symbolizes upon whom the woman rides. This beast has two characteristics which are explained quite clearly.

"And here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Rev. 17:9

"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet." Rev. 17:12

When these words were written by John the Revelator about the year 97 A.D., the Roman Empire had yet to be divided into its ten divisions [150]. The ten horns represented those ten divisions, but John specified that they had not yet come into power in his day - by that time they had "received no kingdom yet". Receiving that kingdom was to take place around 478 A.D., many years later in history.

So we see clearly that the beast symbolized the old Pagan Roman Empire [200]. In Revelation 12:3, the same power is represented by a dragon with seven heads, and ten horns who tried to put Jesus to death when He was born -- an obvious reference to Herod, the Roman puppet king, and underling of Caesar.

The reason why the Bible has so much to say about ancient Rome and its influence throughout the ages since, is because that power was used so mightily by the devil to destroy God's truth. Not only did Rome try to kill Jesus when he was born, but it was the Roman tribunal by the name of Pilate who sentenced Jesus to be crucified and Roman soldiers nailed Him to the cross.

Later, the same nation, through its pagan emperors, killed hundreds of thousands and millions of Christians throughout its vast realm, who held to the faith of the Apostles. The early Christians suffered terribly but the devil could not stamp out the truth, even through the cruelty of Pagan Rome persecution.

In fact persecution brought more people to seek Jesus Christ. The witness of every martyr through death became the cause for new converts to the Christian faith [250]. Since Pagan Rome failed to destroy the gospel of Jesus Christ, the devil must try a new scheme. What he could not accomplish by force [251], he would try to do by strategy. He would join the church.

Corrupting the Church of the Apostles caused it to unite with paganism resulting in the corruption of the truth, introducing errors and confusion. He would do this by causing the leader of his own church, Emperor Constantine, profess to have become a Christian.

We read:

"Now since Mithras was `The Sun, the unconquered,' and the Sun was the `Royal Star,' the religion looked for a King whom it could serve as the representative of Mithras upon earth. ... The Roman Emperor seemed to be clearly indicated as the true King. In sharp contrast to Christianity, Mithraism recognized Caesar as the bearer of the divine Grace, and its votaries filled the legions and civil service. ... It had so much acceptance that it was able to impose on the Christian world its own Sun-Day in place of the Sabbath, its Sun's birthday, twenty-fifth of December, as the birthday of Jesus." [300]

It was Constantine the Great who opened up the Christian Church to a multitude of raw heathens, who brought strange, unbiblical doctrines and customs from their sun-worship into the Church [400]. The resulting contamination of biblical truths with errors is symbolized as the fallen woman dressed in scarlet in the Book of Revelation.

For the Jews, their `stumbling stone' was a system of self-salvation via works. They preferred that system to Christ. Paul shows in Romans 9:33 that in giving His Son to save them, God laid down a stone of stumbling. "Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on Him shall be ashamed." If their mistake was a commitment to saving themselves by their own works, the predominant error today is seeking a salvation that has no boundaries, a wide road to heaven. But Christ cannot be found on a wide road. Jesus will take us where we have never been before. We are going to see how worldliness crept into our lives, and how the standards we have been called to uphold are there to protect us, not squeeze us in.

But the real stumblingstone is Jesus Christ. People reject truth because their commitment to it is only superficial. They have other motives for being at church. They may want their children to know that God is part of their cultural heritage; and they want them to receive moral and ethical education - keep them from substances of abuse. For them going to church and even making modest contributions for its support is part of their life style. But behind it all, truth may not be welcome to them. And so the process begins; people begin to modify faith and round up the corners. The requirements of following God are quietly explained away as some defect in a group of believers heritage. They claim to be more mature, to have grown past the `closed minds' of the obedience preachers. They claim to have a more enlightened faith. And so their attitude changes. Those who say, `Thus saith the Lord' are seen as too narrow and straight-laced. While prosperity may increase for those who have a profession of faith, difficult times shall purge the church. The greatest method for advances of the Church of Jesus has always been adversity's trimming and pruning. It is for us to remove all those things which separate us from Christ. Study His Word daily, pray and set our course toward His Land. Instead of just seeing difficulties we look beyond and understand the solemn time in history in which we live.

Taking a closer Look at the Woman on the Beast

As we read that the scarlet woman first of all is riding a beast which scripture identified as Pagan Rome, she represents a church. Simple review of Roman history makes it plain that one church became the mistress in Rome. She, like the emperors, used the armies of Rome to destroy her enemies and was given power and authority by the emperors who donated their capital city by 538 A.D. as the seat of their head elders, the popes. It was in this year that Emperor Justinian proclaimed the pope to be "the head of the world."

The second identifying mark is described as follows,

"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." Rev. 17:6.

"And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth." Rev. 17:5.

We ask, `Why is this woman called `Babylon the Great'? That ancient city of Nebuchadnezzar's time fell in 538 B.C. It ceased to exist long before the Apostle John wrote his prophecies. So we reflect on this question and realize that this woman is called Babylon because the church, led by the head of the newly emerged world church, absorbed so much of the religion of the ancient Babylonians from (538 + 538) 1076 years before, that she made those teachings her own. [See here detailed account on Simon Magus in German and here a short account in English.]

Babylon means "confusion," and that is what the mingling of Babylonian sun worship and Christianity has become when pagan Rome became Papal Rome. Today it applies to any and all religious bodies that claim the Bible as their guide, yet in fact follow a mixture of truth and error, a condition God cannot accept. For those clinging to false doctrines [450], that will lead to spiritual disaster. The Bridegroom (Christ) and His bride (His church) are noted for the possession and following of truth, never the confusion of truth and error mixed. Passing from Babylon to Medo-Persia to Greece to Rome, the doctrines of paganism were finally absorbed by the woman, whose clerical leaders reside in Rome, from the beast she was riding, Pagan Rome. Thus the Bible teaches that the devil will succeed in leading the world to believe that God will accept truth and error mixed.

And we look a little closer at this woman and we look inside the cup she is holding high, what do we find? The cup is filled with "abominations and filthiness of her fornication."

How can a church commit fornication and adultery? So we remember the church is the bride. She is "betrothed," or as we say, "engaged" to Christ the bridegroom. However she will not be married until the time of the Second Coming of Christ. But when this bride allows her love to become divided and turns from loyalty to her husband's loving fellowship and rejects His principles of righteousness and instead, accepts the love and permissive ways of another, she commits fornication or adultery. She becomes a harlot. She does not keep herself pure.

The Apostle James describes individual Christians who become involved in these very acts of disloyalty.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4.

So when the church turned from Christ's commandments and took Pagan doctrines, and traditions of men in order to be popular and powerful, she committed spiritual adultery, for by doing so she sought the ways and friendship of the prince of this world, namely Satan, and the text says, because of that she became the very arch enemy of God.

The text says that the adulteries are contained in the golden cup. That means false doctrines, contrary to what Christ taught, are in the cup: because unscriptural, man-made, devil-inspired teachings and laws constitute those adulteries.[456]

Bowing before images, confessing sin to men for forgiveness, the head of the church sitting upon a throne intended to show himself as God, traditions instead of Bible teachings, are part of the contents of the cup.

The Most Important Message of the Book of Revelation

This presentation tries to make it plain, based on the Bible, that, what we believe about God, Christian doctrines, do matter. Any church which holds on to false doctrines or unbiblical teachings, unsupportable by the Bible, falls immediately into the family of Babylon.

Revelations most important message is this:

"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven having great power; and the earth was lighted with his glory. 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. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornications, 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. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:1-4

This is the most urgent message of God to His people for the time shortly before Christ's second coming. The timing of the final fall of Babylon is vital to recognize. The Apostle Paul warns that, before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work through the lawless one "with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2.Thess. 2:9-12. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete. The change is a progressive one, and the perfect fulfillment of Rev. 14:8 is yet future. {GC 390} Right now, the types of laws being passed shows that these religious bodies depart further and further from the truth and ally themselves more closely with the world. The result is that the difference between Christ's Church and the worldly churches and organizations widens and the deep gulf will result in separation. And the Bible says,

"These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 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." Rev. 17:13,14.

Soon the time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." 2.Tim. 3:4.

The voice which speaks is a voice from heaven itself. It is God who calls His people to come out of Babylon because spiritually it is fallen. It is filled with false doctrines and traditions of men. The adversary is gaining control. Just like he tried to gain control of Jesus when he tempted him to interpret scripture wrong during his temptation (Luke 4:1-13). As we just read, Babylon is doing that and encouraging people to do it when she encourages people to drink of her habit forming wine. But God sent us a warning.

God's people are scattered in the sphere of influence of all churches. But throughout the church age, especially the age of the Church of Thyatira, God's church was represented in two divisions, the many who had a sort of faithful walk with God and those who earnestly sought the Lord - just like in Bible times there were Benjamin and Judah who walked closer to the Lord, and the Ten tribes who had more members, most of whom had a sort of knowledge of the Lord. Today that is the case to. There are the many Sabbath keepers, who sort of walk with the Lord, and there are the sincere. So it comes at no surprise that most Christians have no idea what it means to obey the Lord; but there is one group of people who are taught very strictly what it means to obey, these are often found in the nunneries or even in the monasteries of the world of Roman religion especially. The little nuns learn during their initiation processes what it means to perfectly obey from the time they get up early in the morning, till they go to sleep. If they fail by just a second, the mother superior will teach them stringent lessons of perfect obedience through stiff and unutterable punishments which they learned through the centuries to impose - for you see they learn obedience in the devil's church. He is much harder on his followers then is gentle Jesus. Therefore, God says, "Come out" when falsehood is being presented - when the thought leaders of those churches are "drunk" with the wine of false doctrines, when they revel in the limelight of their short lived popularity and popular recognition. Modernism, ecumenism, and evolution are riddling many Christian churches today, and those who do not agree with it are wondering what to do. God settles it for them. He says, "Come out." A believer cannot support truth and error at the same time. You cannot honestly subscribe to a doctrine you do not believe in.

The only way we can love Jesus personally is to love His truth. He is "the Truth", John 14:6. The way we relate to truth is the way we relate to Jesus who is the truth.

Someone may say,

What difference does it make if I don't know what Babylon is, just as long as I love Jesus?

The answer is this,

If you love Jesus, you will want to do what He asks you to do. The call to "Come out" is a call from heaven. It is not from us. Jesus is leading all those who follow the voice of His Word:

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd ... But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:16,26,27

While Jesus is not with us today - personally - he is with us through His Holy Spirit asking people to follow the shepherd, walk in His light, keep His commandments, to obey His eternally changeless, reliable Word.

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1.John 1:7

In our Christian walk we are not to seek what is the least spiritual, has the least of the Cross of Jesus in it, is the least humiliating to our sinful nature.

God's People Inside these Religious Systems

Many, many people born among those within the realm of this religious system are innocent of the deeds of those in power. They were never asked if they wanted to belong to it, they were just baptized before they could decide for themselves and added to the ranks - and that is why it is a system; systematic addition of followers who could not consciously cast their vote. In time that system, and all the religions it invented, discouraged and forbade their adherents to try to reason their faith out and think for themselves, they are to let the priest, imam or elders do their thinking for them. Later on, looking at all their family, friends and giant edifices, they would just assume that they are part of the truth of God. But the Apostle John relates to us the command of God given to those who are part of this giant Babylonian system.

We read,

"Come out of her, my people." Rev. 18:4.

That simply is God's loving challenge to separate from error. He wants all of His people everywhere to separate from doctrines and belief systems that are not totally based on the Word of God. He says we must come out so that we will not partake of Babylon's sins and receive her yet future plagues (we may experience a taste of them about now). He says there is no redemption without separation. That is so because it cost Jesus so much to give us an opportunity to separate from sin so we do not have to experience what He experienced on the Cross. We should not delay being willing to give Him all our sins, to forgive us, so we can live a new life in Christ. It is not enough to know about Jesus, read about Him - we must follow Him.

God calls His people out because ...

1. There is only one body of Christ, because false doctrines represent sin, a false Christ
   
2. There is an insurgent program being hatched against all of God's people.
   
3. He wants His people to show forth His praises, His virtues.
   
4. Separation is of God. We cannot start it or stop it.

That is why it is so hard to move people to accept God's call for He gives it before people see and feel those plagues. But if we wait for that, it will be too late, therefore this warning message. God is telling us that no one can support truth and error at the same time. You cannot honestly subscribe to a doctrine you do not believe.

That reminds me of school friends who belonged to these systems and occasionally stated, that they do not really believe what is being taught.

Nevertheless, this call to come out is a serious and a shocking call - but it is God's call, not ours. We are just going over these scriptures and show to you what they say. We are the messengers, you are the receivers. Only lately can we point out some shocking history these powers are involved in.

So we reflect once more and realize how millions have been unknowingly following the commandments of men. It was not their fault that they ended up believing wrong doctrines. God says that His people are in Babylon, which stands for confusion. But after reading these lines you are no longer in the dark. Now you can respond to the call to "Come out" (2.Cor. 6:17,18; Rev. 18:4). However, if you do not, you will be at fault and charged with personal responsibility for loving and supporting error.

God calls us to forsake the errors which are part of Babylon, and lay hold of the truth and praise God that He has given us help before it is too late so everyone who responds to God's invitation by deciding to follow His call, can adopt this scripture which says,

"But if we walk in the light, as he Jesus is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1.John 1:7.

How many will be ready for the Coming of the Lord in might and power? What will the Lord find on earth?

13:6 "Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
13:7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:
13:8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible." Isaiah 13:6-11.

What a list we find here:

1. destruction
   
2. fainting and melting of hearts
   
3. birthing pains, sorrow
   
4. enflamed faces
   
5. desolation of the land, destruction of sinners
   
6. pitch black midnight darkness, no sunlight in the day, coldness
   
7. evils of iniquity, arrogance, haughtiness

When wickedness and falsehoods are present in churches such judgments are coming and truth loving people will leave, for there is no more safety in such institutions.

The Early Rain

The Bible says, "Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month." Joel 2:23.

There is to be in the churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of their heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. "Why," they say, "should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?" Because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties, of the messages of God, but persistently said, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." Rev. 3:17.

Just look at the increasing number of her churches and chapels in Protestant countries. Look at the popularity of her colleges and seminaries in America, so widely patronized by Protestants. Notice her infiltration of our government centers like she has always done throughout her history; at the frequent defections to the ranks of the RCC, since they do not discern her character. These things should awaken anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His word.

So let us not resist the light shed on our path, for we are not to walk in darkness but in the light of Bible truth, which will enable us to see the unfolding of events as long proclaimed and come true in our days. It is part of the early rain experience to learn to recognize the time we live in. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.

The Biblical Meaning of the Wrath of God and the Lamb

Is the wrath of God something like the wrath of the devil? (John 3:36; Col. 3:4-6; Rev. 14:10,19; Rev. 12:12) Or is the `wrath of God' as the wrath of man? Isn't God a God of love? So, what kind of wrath could come from love? Is God love plus something else or is He only love? What is the answer?

The answer is certainly that everything that comes from our kind heavenly Father comes because of His love for us. But this love is made up of two things, justice and mercy. It is the devil who continually tries to rip these two apart, because if God is only justice, they will hate Him because they think that God is like the devil; but if people think that God is only mercy, they think He is like St. Claus, which would end up in rebellion and presumptuous sinning and they would then be lost. That is why the devil always tries to rip God's justice and mercy apart, but God joined them together forever and where did He do that?[500]

When did He do that?

At the Cross of Calvary. At the Cross justice and mercy met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Ps. 85:10) . . . that day, long ago when Jesus died on the Cross.

How do you see the justice of God on the cross?

By the wrath of God falling upon His own self, upon His own Son - and the Father was there too suffering with His Son, 1.Peter 2:24.

Thus, the wrath of God falls on His own self, and that was the lesser of the two evils.

What were the two evils?

One was for the wrath of God falling on Jesus.

Was that a lesser evil than something else?

Was there an alternative? Do you think for this whole world to just disappear in annihilation, would that be a greater evil than for His Son to die on a cross and die there a horrible death?

What is the answer? The answer is, `Yes!' Why?

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

God counted His death a lesser evil than destroying this whole world - that is love - love and mercy wrapped up in Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth.

So, we see that the wrath of God is nothing like the devil's wrath. No. That could never be, we cannot mix that up. The `wrath of God' is not caused by hot anger as we know it on this sin filled earth. The devil's wrath always seeks to destroy even his very own with no mercy at all. In fact the devil may be harder on his friends than he is on his enemies for he only loves himself. The devil and his angels don't even love each other, because love comes only from God. - Just think of the centuries of abject slavery and paganism among the many tribes on the earth; how they suffered - that reminds me of the book I read just recently, "Cannibal Valley" by Russell T. Hitt, Harper & Row, 1962.

The wrath of God reveals itself in for how long God has tried to reveal to man his goodness, mercy and love, yet man turned away from it. God wants to save all but he will not jeopardize the peace reigning in heaven by granting unrepentant sinners access there. That will never happen. God will not start the cycle of sin all over again, no, not ever, (Nahum 1:9). It cost the redeemed much to live their faith on earth during the reign of sin - much heart ache, self-control, love in spite of adversity, toil and hoping against many odds and exercise of faith in Jesus, the lamb who bore our sins on His Cross so we could be forgiven and receive His righteousness as a free gift. Thus God's people are justified by faith which means that we finally learn that we have nothing to recommend us. It has to do with laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself, for only when men see their own nothingness, are they prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ.

In that sense the "wrath of God and the "wrath of the Lamb" (Rev. 6:16) are the same, - the sad realization that some men and women will reject the free gift of salvation for a short life in sin. They do not even want to consider God, His Testament for fallen humanity or faith. They do not wish to spend time with God, reading His word - and so they sadden their Creator - a reaction which is called the "wrath of God and the "wrath of the Lamb" in the Bible. The `Lamb,' "Immanuel (Mt. 1:23), which for years was ill treated, beaten and rejected by the human stewards until, finally, God goes away, leaves them alone, since that is what the stewards want.

God assumes the "wrath" Himself rather than put it on Satan because otherwise man would worship in fear of the wrath of God.

It is something like this:

All heaven beholds with indignation human beings, the workmanship of God, reduced by their fellow men to the lowest depths of degradation and placed on a level with the brute creation. Professed followers of that dear Saviour whose compassion was ever moved at the sight of human woe, heartily engage in this enormous and grievous sin, and deal in slaves and souls of men. Human agony is carried from place to place and bought and sold. Angels have recorded it all; it is written in the book. The tears of the pious bondsmen and bondwomen, of fathers, mothers, and children, brothers and sisters, are all bottled up in heaven. God will restrain His anger but little longer. His wrath burns against this nation and especially against the religious bodies that have sanctioned this terrible traffic and have themselves engaged in it. Such injustice, such oppression, such sufferings, are looked upon with heartless indifference by many professed followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. And many of them can themselves inflict, with hateful satisfaction, all this indescribable agony; and yet they dare to worship God. It is solemn mockery; Satan exults over it and reproaches Jesus and His angels with such inconsistency, saying, with hellish triumph, "Such are Christ's followers!" 2.Tim. 3:12,13}

The slave master will have to answer for the soul of his slave whom he has kept in ignorance; and the sins of the slave will be visited upon the master. God cannot take to heaven the slave who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God or the Bible, fearing nothing but his master's lash, and holding a lower position than the brutes. But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do. He permits him to be as if he had not been, while the master must endure the seven last plagues and then come up in the second resurrection and suffer the second, most awful death because a guilty conscience is a very heavy burden. Then the justice of God will be satisfied.

So, we should understand that finally the `wrath of God' is wrapped up in the seventh plague which is discussed here and in which the voice of God said, "it is done", Rev. 16:17, just like Jesus said on the cross, "it is finished", (John 19:30).

Thus the love of God is revealed in His justice and mercy on the Cross.

Therefore,

What Is Finally Ahead For God's People?

What is the goal of Bible based faith? The Apostle Paul says it this way,

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 2.Cor. 2:9.

He says that God, like loving parents, has wonderful things for us in store. In fact they are so spectacular that we really have difficulty realizing the things He does describe for us. So let us study those things prepared for God's people which are revealed in the Word of God of which the Apostle Peter said,

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2.Peter 3:13.

"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." Revelation 21:1.

But what about Satan? We must identify Satan, for it is important that we understand just who the characters are in this agelong conflict.

The Origin of Satan

What is the background of the leader of this rebellion against God?

Who was he before he was called Satan, before he became the devil, before he rebelled?

Certainly God did not create a devil. It is unthinkable that there would be a devil factory in heaven; but what happened?

The prophet Isaiah identifies the author of rebellion as "Lucifer, son of the morning." Isa. 14:12.

Son of the morning! Only a brilliant angel would have such a title. But something happened. A change came about. The brilliant son of the morning became a devil - made of himself a devil - and that devil fell from heaven.

The prophet gives us some details.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! . . . Thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: . . . I will ascend the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Isa. 14:12-14, KJV.

It all started in the heart, in the mind, where all wrong begins. This brilliant being became dissatisfied with being an angel, even the highest angel. He coveted (trespassed the 10th commandment) the throne of God. He wanted to be like God. He wanted to be like God - in power, but not in character.

The prophet Ezekiel has recorded for us the words spoken by God to Lucifer:

"Thou art the enointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God . . . Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. . . . Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness." Eze. 28:14-17.

Dear reader, do you get the picture? This brilliant angel, so honored that he stood next to the throne of God, became proud of his beauty, proud of his brightness, and began to think that even as heaven's highest angel he was not honored enough. He was loved and adored by the other angels. But that seemed not enough to him. He wanted unlimited power, unlimited control. He did not want to be an angel at all. He wanted to be God!

Evidently Lucifer did not resist these thoughts. On the contrary, he encouraged them. And there, in the heart of the son of the morning, sin entered the universe. It had never existed before. And no one but God - because He knows all things - knew what sin was or how lethal it would be.

Sin is mysterious. It cannot be explained, for to explain it would be to excuse it. And it cannot be excused.

Lucifer could not plead that he was deprived, that he was discriminated against, or that his environment was to be blamed. Heaven had given him everything it had to give. But he wanted more!

At first he may not have understood the strange feelings in his heart. But certainly it was explained to him. Tenderly the Son of God must have pleaded with him to turn back. Loyal angels must have urged him not to continue his fearful course. But he was too proud to repent. He began to spread his discontent among the angels until a third of them had sided with him (Rev. 12:4). Dissatisfaction turned to open revolt, to open rebellion. Lucifer, son of the morning, had become the devil. And he, along with his angels-turned-demons, was banished from heaven.

Was God in any way responsible for all this?

Was this brilliant angel created with some hidden flaw? Had God, even unwittingly, created a devil?

Never! God does nothing unwittingly. And God does nothing imperfectly.

As we read, just above, Lucifer was perfect from the day he was created.

The morning star was created perfect. But he was not created as a robot. He was created with the power to choose. To him had been given the dangerous gift of freedom. God knew the risk He took. He knew that sometime, somewhere, someone might choose to sin, choose to rebel. And Lucifer did.

What could God do now?

Destroying Lucifer and his angels would be misunderstood. It would appear to support the rebel charge that God was arbitrary and cruel - a tyrant who had no love for his subjects.

The plant of sin must be allowed to grow until all the universe could see its deadly bloom. The character of Satan must be unmasked. God must place Himself on trial before His subjects and let them see who it is that cares.

It would take time - millenniums of time. But there was no other way. For if a trace of rebellion remained, if in even one mind there remained a question about God's character, it would one day rise to threaten the security of the universe again.

Men and angels and watching worlds must see the horrible lengths to which sin would go. They must see demonstrated again and again the ruthless, lying, uncaring nature of sin. They must see enough of it - so much of it - in all its shameful ways and reality - that the whole universe will turn away in settled horror - never to touch it again!

That is why we have now a period of probation, the concepts of which we all must know.

Was there no way that all this could have been prevented?

Was the tragedy of sin inevitable?

Did rebellion have to happen?

No. It did not have to happen. God had a number of options.

1. He could have filled the universe with empty worlds, with galaxies without a spark of life, with stars that spin obediently in their orbits because they cannot do otherwise.
   
2. But stars could not worship. Stars could not love.
   
3. Empty worlds could not heal the loneliness in the heart of a loving God.
   
4. Galaxies, no matter how dazzling in their brilliance, could bring no joy to worlds where not a single eye was turned their way.
   
5. How could a God of love, His heart bursting with the urge to share - how could such a God be satisfied with a vast, lifeless, untouched emptiness all about Him?
   
6. How could such a God be silent when He knew that the sound of His voice could call the limitless, silent wilderness of space to life?
   
7. He could. of course, fill His kingdom with robots, programmed to obey and worship and even to talk of love.
   
8. But God would not be fooled by His own creation.
   
9. True, there would be no risk. Rebellion would be impossible in robots like that.
   
10. But so too would happiness and satisfaction, peace and joy be impossible.
    
11. God would still be lonely.
    
12. If the Creator, knowing all things, knew who would rebel, then He could have called to life only those He knew would be loyal subjects.
    
13. He could have uncreated anyone who would ever disturb the peace of the universe.
    
14. But would that be true freedom?
    
15. Would such a manipulation of creation be any more excusable than manipulating the minds and choices of His subjects? Hardly!
    
16. How could God be happy knowing that the universe was secure only because He squelched even the possibility of rebellion by leaving all rebels unborn?
    
17. There was only one option. God could place within every created being the power to choose, to be loyal or not to be loyal.
    
18. That risk was tremendous but the possibilities were fantastic.
    
19. He took the risk. He created angels, and heaven rang with song.
    
20. He filled the spinning worlds with the happy sounds of life.

Is there life on other worlds? Yes, we believe there is! Lots of life. Yet there are many, even in churches, who do not believe the plain words in Genesis. As a result, they believe that God has not planned to tell us the truth on how life came about, not realizing that what they hold up as true, is not true. But "by their fruits ye shall know them." Mt. 7:20.

On the Last Day

On the last day, when Christ comes again, then will the separation of the goats from the lambs be obvious to all. It says, "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." Mt. 25:32. This is the day when the words come true where it says, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom." 2.Tim. 4:1. Yea, it also says, "... and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Mark 14:62. But they that pierced Him would not listen, and they crucified Christ.

But by faith we behold the prophets words what it will be like on earth when He comes again. Now the signs of His humiliation have passed away, and they look upon the face of God - the face they spit upon, the face which priests and rulers struck with the palms of their hands, Lk. 22:64. Now the truth in all its vividness is revealed to them. When they see Christ coming again in might and power, they are filled with regret. Not because of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men, but because God has conquered. While they daily slighted God's people, now they lament that the result is what it is; but they do not repent of their wickedness. They would leave no means to try and conquer the King if they could. Ministers and people see that they have not sustained the right relation to God. They had many times still scornful condemnations on their lips - a fruit of hatred still in their heart. They see now that they have rebelled against the Author of all just and righteous law, Neh. 9:26. The setting aside of the divine precepts gave rise to thousands of springs of evil, discord, hatred, iniquity, until the earth became one vast field of strife, one sink of corruption, Dan. 9:5.. This is the view that now appears to those who rejected truth and chose to cherish error. No language can express the longing which the disobedient and disloyal to God's commandments feel for that which they have lost forever - eternal life. Men whom the world has elevated and lauded for their talents and eloquence now see things in their true light. They suddenly realize what they have forfeited by transgression Ezra 10:6-12, and they fall at the feet of those whose fidelity they have despised and derided, and confess that God has loved them.

The people see that they have been lead astray. They accuse one another of having led them to destruction; but all unite in heaping the bitterest condemnation upon the ministers. Unfaithful pastors have prophesied smooth things, deceits (Isa. 30:10); they have led their listeners in the pews "... to make void the law ..." (Rom. 3:31), now they utter, "... our hope is lost ..." (Eze. 37:11), they cry you are the cause of our ruin (Eze. 27:27; Lk. 6:49), and they turn upon the false shepherds (Dan. 11:17,18). In the very end things will turn from evil to worse evil; the swords which were raised against God's people are now employed to destroy their enemies, (Judges 7:22; 1.Sam. 14:20; Zech. 13:7). Everywhere will be strife and death for we read about God's judgment of Gog,

"Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief (`rosh') prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him . . . And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother." Eze. 38:2, 21.

In this 6000 year old Armageddon conflict, "A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. ..." Jer. 25:31-38. It has been a great controversy, a conflict between what God says, and up against the power of the evil one, to find ways to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decision by what they believed to be true. The wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God - for you see, we are here either on one side or the other. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law, Mark 1:22. Now the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. As we just read, "the Lord has a controversy with the nations"; "He will give them that are wicked to the sword." Isaiah expressed the time of these events in his song of praise as follows, "A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh." Just think of the many gospel invitations to come back and faithfully keep God's pure, eternal, holy law, our guiding light (Ps. 19:8; Ps. 119:10, 44, 105; Rom. 6:23) - for at the very end ". . . the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain." Isa. 26:21, and so, "The Lord hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation." Jer. 50:25; Ps. 148:8.

In the last scenes of this earth's history, war will rage. The powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. When He shall come back to the earth again, He will shake "not the earth only, but also heaven." Hebr. 12:26. "The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." Isa. 24:20. "the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down." Isa. 34:4; Rev. 6:14. "... the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2.Pet. 3:10. But "the Lord will be the hope of his people" Joel 3:16.

Unfolding God's Wonderful Worlds

So we turn to the Bible to read some of its observations and how it may show God's wonderful, unfolding plan for His people.

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." Isaiah 35:1.

This scripture is certainly one of hope and joyful expectation. Can we find some more encouraging news?

"By faith Abraham . . . looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Hebrews 11:8,10.

That is some 3900 years ago, Father Abraham looked for `a city' which God would build. Now, he must have thought of a sea of what we might call tents or huts. But what is God's city going to look like?

"And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 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." Rev. 21:2,3.

Whenever the space shuttle returns from its mission, that is certainly a spectacular event. But since it is so small, we cannot really fathom it for what it really represents for mankind. God, having given man such wonderful abilities to tinker and think and build and try out and improve and reach up above our earth, yet man, unmindful of serving God alone, is really trying to go where God reigns. If only man would learn to truly thank God for the knowledge He imparted for design and material composition through his creation to make it all possible. And so we continue reading how that may play out in the end. We read,

"And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. . . . And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. . . . And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass." Rev. 21:14, 16, 21.

How large is this city? What are its dimensions so we can visualize it?

How long are 12,000 furlongs? [600]

Thus we use 1500 miles, which would correspond to the distance between San Francisco and Denver from the west to the east and Los Angeles to Seattle from north to south.

This city would be truly a giant city, something like 2,250,000 square miles in size.

And such a city, the Bible says, shall be prepared in heaven by God and descend from heaven to become the new citadel of God, the center of His government, and the home town of God's people whom He loves and of which there will be room for millions and billions of people.

In fact, it will be the talk of all the universe, for we read,

"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Philippians 3:20,21.

"And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isaiah 33:24.

There will be no parking lots, hospitals, prisons, doctors offices and sundry institutions we see on earth today. In that city . . .

"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." Isa. 35:5,6.

These are sure assertions for God cannot lie. They will come to pass and all those who accept salvation from sin by the blood of Jesus will be citizens in heaven.

While we can hardly fathom all of this, we can believe it.

Check this out,

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21:4.

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Isa. 11:9.

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. . . . And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands." Isa. 65:17, 21,22.

Finally we will be able to live life to its fullest. There will be no bills to pay, no taxing chores to fulfill, it truly will be a land of happiness for happiness is being happy as long as there is something happening - forever.

Jesus promises us this,

"And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 8:11.

That means as you walk among the gardens, one day you see someone and you talk to him and you ask, `Who are you,' and he answers, `I am Moses.' And you say, `Wow.' Moses, I always wanted to meet you and ask you, `Was it scary walking through the parted waters of the Red Sea? How long did it take you? Did you all run?'

Oh, Moses, I have so many questions, can you take some time and tell me all about it?

`Sure,' Moses will say, `we got plenty of time now for each other.'

Sometime later you see this other man and you go up and say, `Hello, who are you?'

And the answer comes back, `I am Paul and who are you?'

And you start talking and talking and finally you say, `Wow, Paul, I always wanted to know how it was when you preached in those many cities back there in 55 AD.'

And Paul will say, `Never mind that. I want to know how you were able to pass through those times just before Jesus came to take us all home. - And so you talk and talk.

Who would want to miss such and other situations?

None need to. We all can have such a life to its fullest just ahead of us. It is not just a dream, but a true promise of God.

"And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord." Isa. 66:23.

"And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads." Rev. 22:4.