Original Documents


The Fall of Babylon and the Scarlet Woman

Change God
Master Key
Woman on the Moon
Revelation 1& & 18
Laying Out the Information
Angels Who Give Messages
The Most Important Message of the Book of Revelation
God's People Inside these Religious Systems
What Is Finally Ahead For God's People?
Notes & References
Its over
When written?

The `Good News' of the Gospel is, Christ loved us so much that He died for all sins of all men already, on the cross. It is up to us to respond and accept His sacrifice and remain faithful to all He asks us to do in the Bible, Romans 5:18.

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, the word "Babylon" has stood for confusion in the Bible and Hebrew language.[20] It 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. Particularly when Nebuchadnezzar, a later king of Babylon took Judah and Israel captive. But 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:

1. Withholding from man, if possible, what God has said in His Word, the Holy Bible, either by keeping people too busy to read it or by not allowing a copy of the Bible to come into their grasp.
2. By inspiring disbelief or distrust in what they do know God says.

Is it any wonder that the apostle Paul cries out to Timothy as he foresees the fall of the church?[110]

"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!" The message of too many pulpits is based on politics, travel, or almost anything except the Word of God. Paul says, the time will come when people do not appreciate straight Bible truth, 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. 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 there came one of the seven angels which had the 7 vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come over here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore that sits on 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. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. 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." Revelation 17:1-6
No ugly woman is described here. She is bedecked with make-up and eyeliners. Even after describing her character and blood shed of the saints, John says he wondered at her beauty with admiration. She is very attractive and appealing.[120]

But who is this woman? How has she fallen into the state of sin and adultery? Was it a physical fall or a moral fall?

Revelation chapter 8 teaches that a moral fall is described in that portion of scripture.

"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." Rev. 14:8
Contrast that with these words ...

"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.
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.
We find the three parts are, a) the dragon, b) the beast and c) the false prophet. We find the dragon talked about in Rev. 12:17.

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."
b) The beast is explained some more in Rev. 13:1-10 and

c) 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.

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.

The pertinant background to the scriptures already cited in the OT is found in Ezekiel 16 and some verses in Jeremiah. The Bible represents God as being `married' to His people; Israel. When did God `marry' Israel? It was on Mt. Sinai when God called Israel to "be a peculiar treasure" to Him (Ex. 19:6). The marriage was agreed to when Israel said, "we will do" (Ex. 19:8).

Jeremiah refers to Israel, the bride, this way,

"I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." Jer. 6:2.
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.
But things changed.

"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.
The complaint is this:

"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.
It gets worse.

"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.

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

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

The everlasting gospel Obey the commandments. Law, Work and Grace
Fear God Be so that little children will gather around as you tell them about God's love. Live obedient lives.
Give glory to God We are to reveal or reflect the character of God, be healthy, so He can dwell in us.
Worship Him In faith and obedience. [The power that drives or motivates faith and obedience is love.]

As time went by, men arose teaching perverse doctrines, the doctrines of fallable men. Eventually this led the church to espouse opposite doctrines than those stated in the First Angels Message. We find these new, apostate doctrines described in Revelation 17.

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?

She commits the same sins Israel committed, she fornicates. She is involved in politics 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
What does this reference to seven mountains, or hills, remind you of? Which city is built on seven hills? Of course we know that Rome has historically been known as the "City of seven hills". But there is more:

"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet." Rev. 17:12
Woodcut in the NT of 1522 showing the papal tiara. 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 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, 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,' Luther's `Catechism' period woodcut: `Remember the Sabbath day'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.

Woodcut in the NT of December 1522 showing the same papal tiara reduced to a single layer because of interposition by Duke Frederik. 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.
This church is described as a persecuting power. History confirms her carrier.

"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. 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.

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 forniaction."

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.

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.

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 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. 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. 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. 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.

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.
Amen.

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.
John the Revelator points to the following,

"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.
His words almost seem to be too good to be true. We look around at our world today and we see how it is polluted, unkept, mistreated, wasted, a giant house of the cycle of life and death, full of beauty, yet also full of pain, and we wonder, `Oh, God, how much longer ...'

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.
Reading this we say, `Wow.'

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.
No, it will never turn into a city like we have them on earth. God makes it perfect.

"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.
What ails us now on earth will pass away never to occur again.

"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.
All I can say is, Wow.

"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.
Words which are confirmed at the very end,

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

Notes & References

[0010] There are at least six important reasons to study the book of Revelation: 1) The Book of Revelation was never sealed like the book of Daniel was,

"And he said, Go they way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." Dan. 12:9
"And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." Rev. 22:10
The agelong conflict between Jesus Christ and Satan, plus the devil's strategies and last-day devious plans, are exposed in the book of Revelation. Satan cannot easily trap people who are aware of his lying deceptions in advance, so he hopes people will believe the book is sealed.
2) The very name `revelation' means unveiling, opening, or revealing - which is the complete opposite of being sealed.
3) Revelation is the book of Jesus in a unique way. It begins with the words, `The Revelation of Jesus Christ.' It gives even a word picture of Jesus in Rev. 1:13-16.
4) Revelation is primarily written for the people living at the end of time - just before Jesus returns, Rev. 1:1-3; 3:11; 22:6,7,12,20.
5) A special blessing is pronounced upon those who read it and heed its counsels, Rev. 1:3; 22:7.
6) Those who consider the Book of Revelation still closed may do so because they are not acquainted with the vast body of literature from Reformation times which deals with its imagery. Their current denominational views may hide for them the true identity of the most prominent representative images or `personalities' it deals with since it runs against what is politically `correct' today. But we are dealing with God's Word. Human viewpoints need to submit to God's viewpoint. We must realize where the great struggle between God and Satan lies, the great controversy about the claims of the Law of God. We must know God's Exodus 20 law by heart and check ourselves if we obey all its precepts. That is the first step after accepting Jesus who died for the sins of the world, sins as they are defined by these 10 laws. If your minister or pastor does not see this, `Go out from Babylon,' the Bible tells us.
7) Rev. describes God's end-time people and church with stark clarity. It tells precisely what God's church must be preaching in the last days, Rev. 14:6-14, which quotes directly a portion of the 4th commandment. The angels messages tell of awesome consequences connected with false worship.

[0020] The forces in the world are seeking to undo what has been decided by God in the beginning. 1) God divided the nations, therefore all the nations have to come together. 2) There are numerous religions in the world, therefore all of them have to come together. That means they must immerse a true religion into a whole host of false religions - bringing them together so that the true religion can be changed into a false religion before they can all unify. The working of this fallen power is largely hidden from view by virtue of her power to cause and control. These are not idle understandings. The fallen power controls today what we see, hear and eat. This concept is so momentous that people cannot imagine or believe it, but when you dig for evidence you can find it.

[0100] A condition, Jesus says, which will prepare the way of a 2nd destruction of the earth at His Second Coming, according to Matthew 24.

[0110] The `Emerging Church', hesitant to let God be God, aspires to please cultural feelings, and attempts to redress God's church into a `just love', no doctrine leaning movement.

[0114] "Satan has great advantages. He possessed the wonderful intellectual power of an angel, of which few form any just idea. Satan was conscious of his power, or he would not have engaged in a conflict with the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Satan closely watches events, and when he finds one who has a specially strong spirit of opposition to the truth of God he will even reveal to him unfulfilled events, that he may more firmly secure himself a seat in his heart. He who did not hesitate to brave a conflict with Him who holds creation as in His hand, has malignity to persecute and deceive. He holds mortals in his snare at the present time. During his experience of nearly six thousand years he has lost none of his skill and shrewdness. All this time he has been a close observer of all that concerns our race." {2T 171.2}

[0120] To interpret this fallen woman with the Jewish nation is also diminishing the Word of God. While Jews live in countries all around the world, they certainly do not represent a religious world power since 70 AD. They do not wear the colors of the fallen woman nor did they make themselves drunk with the blood of the saints to an extent the other power here characterized did.

[0130] The first time the sun and moon take on symbolic meaning is in a dream of young Joseph where the sun is understood to represent his father Jacob and the moon his mother Rachel. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren, and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, `What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?' And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying. Jacob appeared to regard the dreams of his son with indifference. But he had been often instructed by the Lord in dreams himself, and he believed that the Lord was teaching Joseph in the same manner. He reproved Joseph, that his true feelings might not be discovered by his envious brothers.

[0150] The 10 divisions, nations of Europe were historically interpreted as: 1. Ostrogoths (Theodoric/Yugoslavia), 2. Visigoths (Spain), 3. Franks (France), 4. Vandals (Carthage), 5. Suevi (Portugal), 6. Alamanni (Germany), 7. Anglo-Saxons (Britain), 8. Heruli (Odovacar), 9. Lombards (Italy), 10. Burgundians (Switzerland).; The four divisions of the Near East after Alexander the Great included: 1. The kingdom of Lysimachus covering the region of today's Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and western Turkey (Thracia); The kingdom of Cassander covered Albania and Greece (Macedonia); 3. The kingdom of Seleucus ruled over the largest area covering eastern Turkey, Syria down to the border of Egypt, all of Mesopotamia to India (Syria); 4. The kingdom of Ptolemy covered Egypt (Egypt).
How thoroughly were they uprooted? "In the northern plain, in Picenum and Aemilia, and in the neighborhood of Rome, the whole population .. disappeared." [Charles Oman, The Dark Ages, pg. 476-916 4th ed, (London:Rivingtons, 1901), pg. 106 quoted in God Cares pg. 143, G, Cares also wrote, "It is impossible to discuss Roman Catholicism without admitting that Catholics accept their Romanism."]

[0200] To defeat this historical interpretation of the Book of Revelation, the Jesuits began to teach the idea that all its prophecies were fulfilled anciently in the days of the destruction of Jerusalem. They looked upon Jerusalem, built on two hills, as if it must fulfill this prophecy considering that more people dwelled on additional, surrounding hills thus making more or less seven hills. This method of interpretation became known as Preterism. While their interpretation seems stretching one's credulity, many prefer it because it does away with the unpopular view, in many circles, that the biggest ancient church is talked about in this book and Protestantism too. But the problem of sin and how God will finally completely remove sin from his creation is one still raging. It spans the entire world history and did not stop with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. For this reason alone the Preterist view is inadequate in its scope and is found out as a fraud seeking to diminish God's Word.

[0250] John Fox's `Book of Martyrs' can be read online here. See also Olivier Bernier, Words of Fire, Deeds of Blood, 1989; James W. Thompson, The Wars of Religion in France 1559-1576, Chicago, 1909.; The woman of Rev. 17 is no ugly woman. Bedecked with make-up and eyeliners, she represents a power whose long period involves great abominations. She failed to remain close to God and desired to be close to evil. Soon her time is up. All her fashions will not save her. All her mak-up and all the niceties of this world will not help her. Why? Because there is only one thing God's people have to make up and that is to develop such a character which allows the Lord Jesus to live in our heart. Reminder: Tarry not over the wine of Babylon for that is were these abominations come from. There is no greater delusion then that, to think you are all right with the Lord when you are all wrong.
While we know the world is in great danger on these points, some of God's people may not be far behind. That is why we read, "The people of God are represented in the message to the Laodiceans as in a position of carnal security. They are at ease, believing themselves to be in an exalted condition of spiritual attainments. "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong! The message of the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God. While those addressed are flattering themselves that they are in an exalted spiritual condition, the message of the True Witness breaks their security by the startling denunciation of their true condition of spiritual blindness, poverty, and wretchedness. The testimony, so cutting and severe, cannot be a mistake, for it is the True Witness who speaks, and His testimony must be correct." {3T 252.4}
Truth seekers: There is no where else to go then to before the Lord. There is no story then that of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. The Almighty God was Jehovah, but He came down in the fallen seed of David (Jh. 1:1-14; Mt. 1:1; Rm. 1:3; 9:5; Gal. 4:4) but lived a life without sin, and in that He bound heaven to earth. Jesus Christ took on man's nature so that men might become partakers of the divine nature. 2.Peter 1:2-4.

[0300] Dr. Gilbert Murray, MA, D. Litt., L.L.D., F.B.A., Professor of Greek at Oxford University, "Religion and Philosophy", in `History of Christianity in the Light of Modern Knowledge', p. 73,74.
History teaches this about Mithraism: "This ignorance is, at first sight, a very surprising thing; for had it not been for the birth of Constantine in A.D. 272, we might all be Mithraists at the present moment. When Diocletian - perhaps the greatest constructive statesman in the long line of Roman Emperors - set to work to reorganize the empire in 303, he must have felt very keenly the need of something which would bind together the heterogeneous mass of Europeans, Asiatics, and Africans over whom he ruled. The value of a common religion for such a purpose was generally recognized among the statesmen of the age, and had he wanted a precedent, he might have found one in the example of Persia, which, from that time to the invasion of the Mohammedans in the 7th century, was to dispute with Rome the possession of the civilized world. Ardeshir, whom Gibson calls Artaxerxes, had restored the Persian Empire some 50 years before, and had found it necessary to restore, at the same time, the religion of Zoroaster, which had fallen into disuse. He is said to have left behind him a will, in which he tells his son Sapor that: "The throne and the altar are inseparable, and ought to support each other. A sovereign without religion is a tyrant, and a people that have none may be looked on as the most monstrous of all societies. Religion may exist without the state, but a state cannot exist without religion." [Malcolm, Histoire de la Perse, Paris, 1821, t. i, p. 137. Cf. Darmester, the Zend-Avesta, pt. I, p. xli.] -- This view was, doubtless, in Diocletian's mind when he met his colleagues at Carnuntum on the Danube in 307. He had already introduced the Persian dress, ceremonial, and distribution of offices into his court, and now he followed this up proclaiming "Mithras, the Unconquered Sun-God," the Protector [Fautor, The inscription, and references to the comments upon it, are given in Cumont, Textes et Monuments relatifs aux Mysteres de Mithra; Bruxelles: Lamertin, 1896-1899.] of the Roman Empire. Why he did this, there can hardly be much doubt. There was no lack of choice before him in the matter of religions; for, as one of the satirists had said, there were in Rome at the time more gods then men. There was the religion of the Greek (not the Egyptian) Isis, whose stately rites, ceremonies, and processions had gained such a hold on the people that the Catholic Church had to make some of them her own. [See PSBA, Vol. XXXIV, May 1912, p. 125ff.]

[0400] These include items like the famous pagan temple, `The Pantheon' in Rome; statues showing the Apostle Peter dressed as Jupiter (before that it was Zeus); the use of the `winged serpent' on a chariot carrying the soul to heaven in Rome (the winged serpent comes from the Egyptian `Book of the Dead'), is shown on items from King Tut's Tomb, and the serpent sun god coming out of the mouth of a dragon was used in connection with the Mayan sun god `Quetzalcoatl' on the Island of Cozumel, 1000 A.D. (See also imagea in BAR, Sep 1985, p. 60-64); In a similar way the serpent became the symbol of healing and is/was used on a door handle in the New St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.; the Persian derived Mithra also was honored as the ruler of the Zodiac and is so shown on the front page illustration of a book on astrology, printed with the approval of Pope Clement VII in 1526.; The pope is also shown enthroned under a canopy displaying the astrological figures of the Zodiac in the Vatican Museum.; the Egyptian sun-god Osiris and later Serapis, god of the dead, were eaten in the form of a round disk wafer, a symbol of the sun.; Spanish explorers discovered that the Central American sun god Quetzalcoatl was made into an image by mixing maize, which was then consecrated by their priest and given to the people to be eaten.; The juice of the grape was thought to be the blood of Bacchus, god of wine and revelry. The Roman mass has its origin, not in the Christian community, but in the initiation rites of the ancient mystery religions which were themselves traceable to the fertility cults and mystery ceremonies of Babylon.; A `Golden Door' in the chapel of St. Ignatius in San Francisco uses several symbols identifying the wafer god. Among these are the Unicorn, Peacock, and the Phoenix - well known symbols of the occult for the sun, Lucifer, or Satan.; On the stele of Ur-Nammu of Ur (ca. 2112-2095 BC) the solar blaze is the sun-god Shamash. Placed within a crescent is the moon-god Nanna. Paganism enters the church: King Tut, identified in death with Osiris the sun and god of the dead, holding his crooked augur. This is also shown on an ornament found in the Tomb of Tutankhamon where, cradled securely in the womb of a crescent moon we can see a solar disc with the image of the young king.; Mesopotamian figure holding a crooked divining staff, representing a serpent or lightening bolt. The placing of Mary holding her infant baby in a crescent moon is a remnant of the fertility cults of the ancient mother-goddess, traceable to the Babylonian queen, Semiramis, whose title was `Mother of God" and "Queen of Heaven."; Many other symbols entered the church: the serpent crosier, the trident, votive hands, the `Fleur-de-lis', the keys of Peter, bead circles, pine cones and fir trees, the bishop's miter as an adaptation of the fish-god attire in Babylon, Neptune, part fish part man, as the Nile goddess Isis, the sun disc behind the head, the solar blaze (See Facade of the Temple of Apollo in the Pergamun Museum in Berlin), the face in the sun as shown at the top of one of the giant serpentine pillars of Bernini's canopy in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican.;Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and war, holds the serpent crosier, symbol of power. These were held commonly by bishops and officials of the church during the Middle Ages.Paganism enters the church: Such serpent crosiers were commonly held by bishops and church officials during the Middle Ages. holding the globe in the hand (symbol of rulership common to Isis, Hercules, Mithra, the black virgin of Montserrat), the sign of the cross represented the sun as in the Egyptian Ankh sign, used at times by the Coptic Church, the sign of the cross with hares, (on a pilgrim flask, Byzantine shops, BASOR, Oct 1970, p. 47), in `sacred' reliquaries and it can be seen on the top of St. Peter's Basilica and other places in Rome.; the solar wheel as demonstrated by the court of St. Peter at the Vatican. [A painted image of the entire city of Rome and its streets by Danti Ignazio, ca. 1590, as well as the great Aurelian Wall and the unfinished basilica of St. Peter as it appeared in the 3rd century A.D. can be seen in Susan Wright's, The Renaissance - Masterpieces of Art and Architecture, N.Y. 1997, p. 74.];
Other symbols include: the shell, the (Egyptian) evil eye, the tiara or triple crown (Babylon, Krishna, Assyrian winged bulls), the sacred heart, winged spirits, relics and bones, serpentine columns.

[600] Well, books tell us that, 40 rods = 1 furlong = 220 yds = 660 ft and 8 furlongs = 1 mile = 1760 yds = 5280 ft. So we do the math: Each side of the city would be 12000 / 8 = 1500 miles long. - Since these measurements do not have the same uniform values according to all sources, let us compare them to what the Germans say they should be and then compare the answers to get an idea for reliability. So we have, 1 furlong in German is 1 Feld Wegs which is 1 Greek Stadion = 185 meter and 12000 furlongs = 12000 x 185 = 2,220,000 meters. Since 1 mile = 1609 meters, we calculate 2,220,000 / 1609 = 1380 miles according to the German numbers. - Thus we get 1500 miles vs. 1380 miles long for each side of the city. Not a bad estimate considering we do not have absolute, known numbers for these ancient measurements.

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