Babylon: October 2017
Table of Contents
Babylon
In the Babylon of Scripture we are presented by God with a great object lesson of the conflict between God, man and Satan for personal glory. We do well to ponder the lesson. Concerning glory, God says, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isa 42:8).
God has raised up instruments to use for Himself and for the display of His glory. Man with Satan spurring him on then takes the credit for what God has done and claims the glory for himself, thereby seeking to rob God of His glory. God made Job righteous and he claimed the honor of being righteous. God raised up political Babylon through Nebuchadnezzar and he then boasted, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Dan 4:30). God raised up the church to be His instrument of light and love to the world and for the honor and glory of His Son. Man and Satan striving to have God’s glory for themselves corrupt it for personal glory until Scripture declares of her, the false church, that she “was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls ... and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:4-5). How does the conflict end? “For of Him, and through Him and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:35).
The Head of Gold
In the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream, recorded in Daniel 2, we see a panoramic view of the nations that comprise the “times of the Gentiles.” We know, of course, that the church period is completely left out in this image, as the mystery [or secret] of the church was hidden in God until the New Testament. The church period is not reckoned in prophetic time. Thus the image details to us, in succession, the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires, with different metals used to identify them. Finally there are the feet of iron and clay, which denote the form of the revived Roman Empire — an empire which will fall under the judgment of God at the end of the tribulation period.
We might wonder why the Babylonian Empire should be styled as the head of gold — a metal whose value far exceeded any of the other empires. It certainly was not the largest empire during the times of the Gentiles, nor was it necessarily the strongest. Why then was Daniel, in interpreting the dream, led to say to Nebuchadnezzar, “Thou art this head of gold” (Dan. 2:38)?
We might mention that in saying this to Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was not referring merely to Nebuchadnezzar as the present king, but to the Babylonian empire as it might exist until its downfall.
Authority and Position From God
Perhaps the most important reason why Babylon was called the head of gold was because its authority and position came directly from God. All succeeding empires came about because of conquest, or simply because previous kingdoms fell into ruin. But Babylon was specially raised up of God, not only to take Israel captive, but to lead the way into the times of the Gentiles. This is clear from more than one scripture, but especially through the mouth of Jeremiah. He was commanded by the word of the Lord to say, referring to Jehovah, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given unto whom it seemed meet unto me. And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant ... And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son” (Jer. 37:5-7).
Absolute Power
Secondly, his power was absolute, and was thus comparable to God’s power. He was not bound by any previous law, nor was he answerable to any but God. Concerning Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel could say to Belshazzar, “All people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down” (Dan. 5:19). King Darius of the Medes and Persians was able to ordain a law, but was not allowed to change it, even to save a man like Daniel (Dan. 6:8, 15). Babylonian kings were not bound by any such restriction.
A Good Government
While the foregoing are probably the main reasons for the Babylonian Empire being termed the head of gold, there are one or two other reasons that come before us. Another consideration is that there was generally good government in the Babylonian Empire. We say generally, for as with all absolute monarchies, there were self-serving motives that sometimes resulted in oppression. For this reason Daniel reminded Nebuchadnezzar that he should “break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor” (Dan. 4:27). But in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar concerning his ultimate humiliation, he was compared to a great tree “whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all” (Dan. 4:21). It would seem that for the most part, the Babylonian Empire was a good place to live, and where all could dwell in relative prosperity and peace.
Size and Beauty
Finally, there was the size and beauty of the city of Babylon. It was undoubtedly the largest city of the ancient world, and surpassed in beauty any city before it. It is also questionable whether any city built since then has had the charm of Babylon. With its immense walls, its hanging gardens, and the palace of the king, it was one of the wonders of the ancient world. No other empire could boast of such a beautiful city.
For all these reasons, the Babylonian Empire was constituted the head of gold. Yet when the stone (a type of Christ Himself) struck the feet of the image, the whole image was broken to pieces, and became like “the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away” (Dan. 2:35). All human glory must pale before the glory of God’s beloved Son, who “has ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things” (Eph. 4:10).
W. J. Prost
Some Types Used in the Word of God - Egypt and Babylon
There is a wide moral difference between Egypt and Babylon which it is important to understand. Egypt was that out of which Israel came; Babylon was that into which they were afterward carried. (Compare Amos 5:25-27 with Acts 7:42-43.) Egypt expresses what man has made of the world; Babylon expresses what Satan has made, is making, or will make of the professing church. Hence we are not only surrounded with the circumstances of Egypt, but also by the moral principles of Babylon.
This renders our “days” what the Holy Spirit has termed “perilous” (2 Tim. 3:1). It demands a special energy of the Spirit of God, and complete subjection to the authority of the Word, to enable one to meet the combined influence of the realities of Egypt and the spirit and principles of Babylon. The former meet the natural desires of the heart, while the latter connect themselves with, and address themselves to, the religiousness of nature, which gives them a peculiar hold upon the heart. Man is a religious being, and peculiarly susceptible to the influences which arise from music, sculpture, painting, and pompous rites and ceremonies. When these things stand connected with the full supply of all his natural desires — with all the ease and luxury of life, nothing but the mighty power of God’s Word and Spirit can keep one true to Christ.
Their Destinies
We should also remark that there is a vast difference between the destinies of Egypt and those of Babylon. Isaiah 19 sets before us the blessings that are in store for Egypt. It concludes thus: “And the Lord shall smite Egypt: He shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the Lord, and He shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance” (Isa. 19:22-25).
Very different is the close of Babylon’s history, whether viewed as a literal city or a spiritual system. “I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts” (Isa. 14:23). “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation” (Isa. 13:20). So much for Babylon literally. Looking at it from a spiritual point of view, we read its destiny in Revelation 18. The entire chapter is a description of Babylon, and it concludes thus: “A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Rev. 18:21).
With what immense solemnity should those words fall upon the ears of all who are in any wise connected with Babylon; that is to say, with the false, professing church. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). The power of the Holy Spirit will necessarily express itself in a certain form, and the enemy’s aim has ever been to rob the professing church of the power, while he leads her to stereotype the form when all the spirit and life have passed away. Thus he builds the spiritual Babylon. The stones of which this city is built are lifeless professors; and the mortar which binds these stones together is a “form of godliness” without the “power.” Let us see to it that we fully understand these things.
Christian Truth (adapted)
Babylon and the Beast
Babylon — the mystic Babylon of the Revelation — may be brought to boast in a crucified Christ, and be Babylon still. For what is it as delineated by the Spirit? Is it not a thing worldly in character, as well as abominable and idolatrous in doctrine and practice? Revelation 18 gives us a sight of Babylon in its worldliness, as chapter 17 more in its idolatries. Babylon of old, as in the land of Chaldea, was full of idols, and guilty of the blood or of the sorrows of the righteous. But it also had this mark: it displayed greatness in the world in the time of Jerusalem’s depression. So with the mystic Babylon. She has her abominations in the midst of her, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus stains her; but still more fully is she disclosed as great and splendid and joyous in the earth during the age of Christ’s rejection. She is important in the world in that day when the judgment of God is preparing for the world; she can glorify herself and live deliciously in a defiled place.
It is not that she outwardly ignores the cross of Christ: she is not heathen. She may publish Christ crucified, but she refuses to know Christ rejected. She does not continue with Him in His temptations, nor consider the poor and needy Jesus (Luke 22; Psalm 40). The kings of the earth and the merchants of the earth are her friends, and the inhabitants of the earth are her subjects.
Is not, then, the rejection of Christ the thing she practically scorns? Surely it is. And again, I say, the prevailing witness of the Spirit about her is this — she is exalted in the world while God’s witness is depressed, and in defiance of that depression, for she knows of it. Babylon of old well knew of the desolation of Jerusalem; Christendom externally knows and publishes the cross of Jesus.
Babylon of old was very bold in her defiance of the grief of Zion. She made the captives of Zion contribute to her greatness and her enjoyments. Nebuchadnezzar had done this with the captive youths, and Belshazzar, with the captive vessels. This was Babylon, and in spirit this is Christendom. Christendom is the thing which glorifies herself and lives deliciously in the earth, trading in all that is desirable and costly in the world’s esteem, in the very face of the sorrow and rejection of that which is God’s. Christendom practically forgets that Christ is rejected on the earth.
The Medo-Persian power is another creature. He removes Babylon but exalts himself (Daniel 6). And this is the action of “the beast” and his ten kings. The woman, mystically Babylon, is removed by the ten kings; but then they give their power to the beast who exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, as Darius the Mede did.
This is the closing, crowning feature in the picture of the world’s apostasy. But we have not reached it yet. Our conflict is with Babylon and not with the Mede — with that which lives deliciously and in honor during the age of Jerusalem’s ruins (that is, of the rejection of Christ).
J. G. Bellett (adapted)
Historical Account of Babylon
Babylon, which was eventually the capital of the Chaldean kingdom, was undoubtedly the grandest city ever built by man. Its founders took advantage of the huge spur of tertiary rock, which projects itself from the long inclined plain of the Syrian desert into the alluvial basin of Mesopotamia, and on this vantage-ground it stood, exactly crossing the line of traffic between the Mediterranean coast and the Iranian mountains. It was also on that point where the Euphrates changes from a vast expanse into a navigable river, and where there was an abundance of alluvial clay out of which to make bricks.
Nimrod
The founder of Babylon was Nimrod, also the founder of the Assyrian monarchy (Gen. 10), and the original strength of both kingdoms consisted of four cities each (Gen. 10:10-12). Babylon occupies a large place in the Word of God, and is there viewed as the representative of man in his pride, glory, power and idolatry. It was out of Egypt that Israel was redeemed, but it was into Babylon the people were sent for their sins; they were slaves in the one and captives in the other. The historical connection of Babylon with the national history of Israel, and of the mystical city with the professing church (Rev. 17-18), are subjects of very great importance, the former of which is largely developed in the Old Testament Scriptures. “The times of the Gentiles” took their rise from the downfall of Judah and the ascendancy of Babylon.
Historical and Figurative
Historical Babylon as the dominant power on the earth, acting in proud independence, has crumbled into dust — “For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land, and ... thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the scepter of the rulers” (Isa. 14:1-5). Thus restored, Israel in the day of her gladness, celebrates the doom of Babylon. Religious Babylon, the mystical city of Revelation is no less doomed to judgment, and the church thus celebrates the event — ”Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are His judgments: for He hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication” (Rev. 19:1-2).
Power and Conquest
Nimrod’s love of power and conquest, together with his self-will and independence of God, stamped their features on Babylon’s after history. All this culminated in Nebuchadnezzar, “the head of gold,” who, proudly surveying the magnificent city, exclaimed, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty” (Dan. 4:30). Alas! Alas! God has doomed all flesh, and the glory of man to wither as the grass. When Israel sank behind the clouds of wickedness and idolatry, there arose Babylon — the “golden city”; when the church became a ruined corporate testimony, then the mystical Babylon arose. But Israel will rise and shine, and Babylon will sink to rise no more; the church too will shine through the everlasting ages, while the mystical Babylon will sink into gloom and darkness.
Nebuchadnezzar
Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar attained its highest degree of magnificence, size and strength. When the Babylonians, aided by the Medes, threw off the yoke of Assyria (circa 612 B.C.), the new and vigorous kingdom spread her wings, and extended her power over the known kingdoms of the east. Egypt, her southern rival, was completely overthrown, followed by the subjugation of Judah. Then, on the destruction of Jerusalem, the divine center of earthly government, Babylon found her power all victorious, and an absolute monarchy founded on the plains of Shinar.
Babylon stood in a large plain, and formed a square of about fifty-six miles. The Euphrates flowed through the center of the city from north to south, spanned by a wonderfully built bridge, on one side of which stood the magnificent Temple of Belus, of enormous dimensions, containing numerous images of pure gold, and which was plundered by the famous Persian king Xerxes. On the other side of the bridge stood the grand palace of Nebuchadnezzar, likely the largest and most magnificent ever built. The hanging gardens, one of “the seven wonders of the world,” were truly a work of art. They were constructed as terraces, and rose to the height of the walls. Every kind of fruit, flower tree, and vegetable, were grown to perfection in these gardens, and must have immensely delighted Nebuchadnezzar’s Median Consort Amyte, on whose account they were built, in order to remind her of her own country’s beautiful gardens and forests. The walls of the city are said to have been about 335 feet high, and about 87 feet broad, thus allowing abundant space for chariots to run on the top of the walls, and even to turn at any point they choose. There were also 100 gates of solid brass, and enormously strong, twenty-five on each side of the city, besides numerous other gates inside, and all of brass and of great strength. From each gate to the other opposite there was a straight street the whole length or breadth of the city. These in turn were intersected, until there were 676 squares in all.
The Overthrow
The capture of the city by Cyrus is detailed in the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. The ancient historians who describe the overthrow of Babylon are neither as exact nor reliable as the Hebrew prophets already named. The cities Babylon and Nineveh — the respective capitals of the Chaldean and Assyrian monarchies — are doomed in the prophetic word to perpetual desolation. This actually took place, for we are told that “Babylon, the glory of kingdoms ... shall never be inhabited ... neither shall the Arabian pitch his tent there ... but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures” (Isa. 13:19-21). [So completely was the city obliterated that later historians who did not accept the Biblical accounts of Babylon began at one point to doubt that she had ever even existed. It was not until the middle of the 19th century that serious archaeological research was able to discover the site and recover some artifacts.
The site of this ancient city lies in present-day Iraq, about fifty miles south of Baghdad. At one point Saddam Hussein harbored a grandiose scheme to rebuild the city, but was deposed and eventually executed before he could do such a thing.] How blessed it is to turn from the ruin of human greatness, to that which cannot be moved! “Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Heb. 12:28).
Walter Scott (adapted)
Babylon the Great
We have seen the history and character of political Babylon, right from its beginnings in the early part of man’s history on this earth. But at the end of the Bible in Revelation 17-18, we have a great religious system which is called “Babylon the great” — a system which is destroyed by the Roman beast and the kingdoms comprising his empire. We may well ask what this system is, and how it comes to be associated with the name of Babylon?
When the Lord Jesus comes for His saints, to take every true believer home to be with Himself, a large void will be left in this world, as millions of people are suddenly taken away. But knowing that this event will occur one day, Satan will be ready, while of course not knowing when the Lord will come. He will have everything in place, thinking that now that the church is gone, he will have everything his own way. One of these plans will be the rise of the Roman beast, and later the Antichrist. But he will also engineer the rise of religious Babylon.
Religious Babylon
Of the rise of religious Babylon, very little is said in the Word of God, for she already exists. Her description shows that she cannot be anything else but papal Rome; her character is depicted in the strongest possible terms, and also her judgment. Her reputation has already been mentioned in two other places in the Word of God (Rev. 14:8, 16:19), but here in the 17th and 18th chapters we have a more complete record of her ways and her final overthrow. Her behavior is so serious that the Lord devotes a good deal of time in detailing her exalted position and subsequent downfall. What then is the awful character of this system?
Her Character
First of all, she assumes a very religious outlook, but with thoroughly worldly associations. More than this, she assumes the position of the true church, and takes the place of being God’s testimony in the earth. She is Satan’s imitation after every true believer has been called away, and she will deceive many. For the first half of the tribulation period — a time of three and a half years, she will actually rule over the political world in the west, for it is recorded that “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” (Rev. 17:3). The Roman beast, the head of the revived Roman Empire, will be ruling the various kingdoms associated with him, but the religious system will in turn rule him, and direct his course, at least for a time. Her pride and self-satisfaction are overwhelming. The woman “sitteth upon many waters,” indicating that she will have widespread influence. Another has put it most aptly, “The revived Roman Empire, with its confederacy of kings, in seeking to overthrow all fear of God and establish the worship of the image of the beast, will apparently find in the corrupt Papacy a ready instrument to attain these evil ends, for this evil system is, and always has been, marked by the grossest idolatry.”
Persecution
Secondly, she will be a strong persecutor of the godly ones in that day, as she has persecuted the true saints of God down through the ages. Anything that is left at that time, which claims any profession of Christianity, will be part of “Babylon the great,” and will take part in the whole evil system. Any who oppose her will be savagely persecuted, as were the people of God for hundreds of years under papal Rome.
Riches
Thirdly, the system will be fabulously rich. The Papal system has always been noted for its wealth, and more than once in the past has been the object of avarice and ultimate plunder by civil authorities. Perhaps the most glaring example of this was in England in the years 1536-1541, when Henry VIII carried out what was called “the dissolution of the monasteries.” During this time, he disbanded monasteries, convents, and priories, appropriating their assets and income. It seems, however, that the wealth of this religious system will reach a zenith during the tribulation period, for not only will she be a religious organization, but will also be characterized as a city, heavily involved in commercial activities. The catalyst for all this may be the rapture of the church, again leaving a void that Satan will quickly fill. It is a sad commentary on evangelical Christendom today that many of its religious leaders, although true believers, are staggeringly rich, some with a net worth into the millions of dollars. Here in Revelation 17-18, this false system is not only wealthy, but is evidently immersed in world-wide business. When she is overthrown, much of the world’s commerce will be adversely affected. How all this will happen we cannot be sure, but again, it seems that momentous changes will take place in a short time after the church is called home.
Her Overthrow
Her overthrow comes about when the political system of the Beast tires of the tyranny of “the woman” who rides upon and directs it, and overthrows her. We read concerning the civil powers — the kingdom of the beast, that “these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Rev. 17:16). This will likely happen about the middle of the tribulation period, and will pave the way for another strong religious leader, the antichrist. While it is the political system that destroys the woman, with all her commerce, it is clearly the Lord’s will, for we read, “She shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her” (Rev. 18:8). Many will mourn over her, for the fall of this system will have a tremendous effect on trade, and the merchandise in which she was involved will no longer be available. Yet such will be the hatred against that system, that she will be totally destroyed, in spite of the resultant loss of costly goods. But more than trade and commerce will suffer. Along with the destruction of business, orderly family life and craftsmanship will be disrupted, and even the arts such as music, will be “heard no more at all in thee” (Rev. 18:22).
What is most solemn, however, is that among all of the commodities with which she traded, we find “the souls of men” (Rev. 18:13). It is noteworthy that they are at the bottom of the list, showing no doubt that men and their eternal welfare are traded around like material goods and animals, and are of the last importance.
Her Character
When we see from these chapters the real character of this religious system, it is not hard to see why God has applied the name Babylon to it, whether as the woman who controls the temporal power, or as the city that controls trade and commerce. Right from the beginning Babylon was noted for its pride, its wealth, its rejection of God’s claims, and the persecution of the people of God. All of this reaches its peak in a religious system — the final state of Christendom when all that is true has been taken out of it at the rapture.
God’s Witnesses
However, God will not leave Himself without witness. Although every true believer will be safely at home with Christ by the time all this takes place, there will be those godly Jews who will preach the gospel of the kingdom, and those who will believe their message. They will stand for the Lord’s claims during that awful time, and the command to them is, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). Separation from evil has always been God’s principle of holiness in this world, and He will have His saints during this time, who are called upon to sever any connections with this corrupt organization. Only in this way will they be preserved, and avoid the judgment that falls on that which is so abhorrent to God.
While the time has not yet come about for all this to happen, yet the same voice is a warning to us in this day of God’s grace, as we see the beginnings of all these things in our world. The character of Babylon is fast overtaking Christendom, as we see outright godlessness, luxury, and pride blatantly associated with the name of Christ. The only way to be faithful to the Lord, and to be a testimony to this world, is to separate from it, whatever the cost.
W. J. Prost
The Beginning and End of Babylon
Babylon means confusion, for at Babel man made his first organized attempt to act in independence of God, and therefore God confounded it. Babylon afterward became the head of the Gentile powers which desolated Jerusalem, and consequently is often spoken of as representing the whole. The prophets also frequently denounce it in strong language on account of its shameless idolatry. The ideas therefore suggested by Babylon, whether civil or religious, are all in antagonism to God’s city. It began in independence of God; it continued as the oppressor of God’s people; it fell while using the vessels of God’s temple to do honor to its own idols.
The city of Babylon has long been a ruinous heap, where the “wild beasts of the desert” couch, and the “houses are full of doleful creatures.” But the system which Babylon represents still survives. Politically, it is independence of God, as seen in the beast; religiously, it is idolatry, as seen in the woman. Both agree in hatred and persecution of God’s people. The civil and religious aspects are often, as in Babylon itself, intertwined together, but all the evil elements are united in the mystical Babylon of the Revelation. In every point of view it is ripe for judgment.
The Church
The church may be looked at in its relationship either with Christ or with the world. In the former view no figure can be more exquisitely appropriate than that of the bride or wife. In the latter view no figure can be more expressive than that of some striking object in which skill and beauty are displayed, such as a magnificent temple or city. Thus the church is presented by John in the book of Revelation under the two symbols of the Lamb’s wife, and the “great city, the holy Jerusalem.” On the other hand the counterfeit church, the apostate body which has professed to be the bride of Christ, is presented under two corresponding figures — as the harlot or false wife in contrast with the true, and as the unholy city in contrast with the holy, the city of earth in contrast with the city “descending out of heaven,” man’s city in contrast with God’s city, the city of the beast’s throne in contrast with the city of the Lamb’s throne. These two aspects are successively placed before us in Revelation 17 and 18.
The Woman (Harlot)
In chapter 17 the woman is seen as seated on the scarlet-colored beast. She had been willing to commit fornication with the kings of the earth, to prostitute the religious power she wielded to pursue worldly ends, and advance the schemes of worldly sovereigns. She was willing to do this for the beast, even when acting under Satan’s inspiration. But a new religion has now sprung up, the worship of a man, and all trace of Christianity must be obliterated. These sovereigns, therefore, now turn their hatred against the woman, who, though frightfully perverting, has still been called by the name of Christ. Vast as her influence has been, and perhaps still is, over the peoples, they resolve on her utter destruction. “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest and the beast [not “upon” the beast], these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Rev. 17:15-18).
This is all clear enough, and most instructive. God can use any instruments He will to carry out His purposes. Satan’s malice only drives the remnant of God’s people into the wilderness, where He meets them and speaks comfortably unto them, while it gathers the armies of the world to the place where He designs to execute judgment upon them. The beast and ten kings in this chapter, though hating and blaspheming God, are just His tools, with no knowledge or will of their own, to accomplish His unfailing designs. He has purposed to destroy the harlot, and these wicked kings, though leagued together to “make war with the Lamb,” are the blind instruments He uses. Vanity of vanities! They rebel against His authority, deny His truth, blaspheme His name, combine against His purposes, and yet He “hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will.”
The Queen
We have now seen God’s judgment of Babylon as the harlot, the one who falsely took the place of the Lamb’s wife. Revelation chapter 18:1-19:4 shows us its judgment as a city, or religious system in the world. Here we learn man’s thoughts about it, and see how different the feelings created by its desolation in earth and in heaven.
In this corrupt system, indeed, there are, and always have been, true children of God, for His grace can overleap all barriers. But God calls them to come out of it, warning them of its true character and its coming judgment. “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities” (Rev. 18:4-5). Here the people called to quit this evil system are God’s people, as Lot was in Sodom, and God will never let His own perish. But how different the fate of Lot — saved “so as by fire,” and with loss of everything — from that of Abraham, beholding the judgment from the heights of Hebron. Such is the difference between those who walk in separation from evil, and those who go on contentedly with it, because they are assured of their own salvation.
The kings leagued against the Lamb are the instruments by which the false church is stripped of its glory and riches, and rendered desolate; but in this they are ignorantly carrying out God’s purposes, as Nebuchadnezzar of old. So the voice from heaven bids them — ”Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works” (Rev. 18:6-8).
The True Church
The church was called to be separate from the world, and to wait for the Lord. “Our conversation,” says Paul, “is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). But it soon left this waiting attitude, and said in its heart, “My Lord delayeth His coming.” Presently, as we see in the sketch of ecclesiastical history furnished by the seven churches, it settled down in the world, “where Satan’s seat is.” The next step is soon made. Having ceased to be a widow, she began to be a queen. Abandoning her proper heavenly hope, she appropriated the earthly hopes of the Jews, which were more pleasing to her worldly tastes. Heedless of the apostle’s warning, she forgot that, if unfaithful, she would be cut off. Her widowed character was dropped, and the splendor and glory promised to Israel, but utterly unsuited to the church, were claimed and appropriated for herself. She became, not only a great power in the world, but a power before which all others must bow. True, her pretensions aroused resistance, and the monarchs who crouched before her at one moment would defy her at another. But such were her claims, claims she has never abated, while her splendor and luxury exceeded all limits. For this she is now suddenly visited. The very power she has leaned upon turns with fury against her, and becomes her destroyer. “In one hour so great riches is come to naught.”
No wonder there is joy in heaven. “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets [or ye saints, and apostles, and prophets], for God hath avenged you on her” (Rev. 18:20). For “In her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth” (Rev. 18:24).
The End of Babylon
The close moral connection between the head of the Gentile monarchies and the mystical Babylon of the Revelation is further shown by the resemblance of the figures describing their overthrow. Jeremiah, binding up his prophecy against Babylon with a stone, cast it into the Euphrates, saying, “Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her” (Jer. 51:64). So, in the chapter before us, we read, “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Rev. 18:21).
Judgment is God’s strange work, but it is needful to clear the ground for blessing, as the follow chapters signify for what a mighty and blessed event this judgment prepares the way. The four and twenty elders who join in this thanksgiving are here named for the last time. They are, as we have seen, a company representing the redeemed, who have been raised or caught up when Christ came for His saints, and are now forever with the Lord. They add their Alleluia to the chorus of joy at the judgment of the harlot, and then go to in the marriage of the Lamb.
T. B. Baines (adapted)
Protestantism - Five Hundred Years
On October 31, 2017 it will be 500 years since Martin Luther fastened his famous 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle church. In these theses Luther, a relatively insignificant monk, proposed a series of questions and propositions for discussion — questions which seriously challenged the doctrines of the then-dominant Roman Catholic church. The theses were written in a questioning, rather than an accusing, tone, for Luther’s intention was reform of the church, not separation from it. But his questions and subsequent teachings eventually formed the backbone of the reformation.
The name of “Protestant” did not actually come about until several years later, and derives from the protests made by German princes at the Second Diet of Speyer in 1529. The Diet had voted to end the toleration of those who followed the teachings of Martin Luther within Germany, but by this time there was a concerted movement that supported Luther. Unable to overturn the edict, a number of the princes drew up a protest and presented it to the emperor. Among other terms, it contained the words, “We are determined by God’s grace and aid to abide by God’s Word alone.” The term “Protestant” found its way into the English language about 1553. Within only a few more years, this German “protest” had spread to England, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, parts of Eastern Europe and even outposts in Spain, Italy, and other centers of continuing Catholic strength. Within less than a century, Protestants had established European beachheads in the New World.
The Reformation
The reformation was truly a work of God, as He graciously raised up faithful men to bring back the truth of the gospel, and to overturn the Roman Catholic doctrine of salvation by works. All this really began about 100 years before Luther, with those like Jan Hus of Bohemia and John Wycliffe of England. But the real impetus for the reformation came in the early 16th century with men like Luther, Calvin, Farel, Zwingli, Bucer, and others.
In saying this, it is most important to distinguish between the reformation and Protestantism, for while the reformation was a work of God, the movement called Protestantism was not. But Protestantism has molded the world since it began, having spread widely among most of the Western nations, and ultimately to other areas of the world as well. (There are probably more “Protestants” in so-called “third-world” countries today than in Europe and North America.) It comprises a wide variety of groups, ranging all the way from Lutherans, Baptists, Anglicans and Methodists to somewhat peripheral groups such as Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah Witnesses. Their doctrines vary greatly, but they fall under the umbrella of Protestantism in unitedly rejecting the authority of the pope. Why then do we say that the reformation was a work of God, but Protestantism was not?
The Protestant Witness
First of all, by its very name, the appellation “Protestant” implies a witnessing against something, in this case the authority of the Pope. While it is true that we have a responsibility to witness against evil, what we witness against should never outweigh what we witness for. Scripture not only tells us to “cease to do evil,” but also reminds us to “learn to do well” (Isa. 1:16-17). It is here that Protestantism fell short, for while they rejected many of the evil doctrines of Roman Catholicism, they did not, for the most part, search the Scriptures in order to learn the whole truth of God. They believed the Word of God for salvation by faith, but did not go far enough to embrace the truth of the church.
The Breakup
The result of this was that Protestantism proceeded to duplicate many of the errors of Rome, while continuing a united front against the authority of the Pope. The movement broke up into national churches, or churches formed on the teachings of an outstanding leader. Churches were also formed to emphasize certain doctrines — doctrines which were accentuated at the expense of other equally important truths. Presbyterians emphasized the rule of elders; Congregationalists emphasized rule by majority vote. The Christian Missionary Alliance church was formed expressly to undertake foreign mission work, while the Salvation Army sought to rescue alcoholics and the homeless. The Anglican Church continued with most of the wrong teachings of Rome, but replaced the Pope with the reigning sovereign of Britain.
Later more serious errors crept in, as systems like Seventh Day Adventism and Christian Science claimed that the writings of their leaders were inspired, and thus were as reliable as the Bible. Needless to say, bad doctrines abounded, as both the Person and work of Christ were attacked. All of this was instrumental in forming what Paul terms “a great house” that contained “not only vessels of gold and of silver” [true believers], but also “of wood and of earth” [unbelievers] (2 Tim. 2:20).
The Mixture
It is easy to see that this mixture of believers and unbelievers had a very deleterious effect. Outward form took the place of reality, and men could exercise a great deal of influence without even being saved. As we might expect, there was also a failure to separate from the world. National churches were quite naturally involved in national pride, while the mixture of believers and unbelievers in most churches fostered a worldly attitude, dragging any true believers down to the level of the world. Churches became involved in politics, and worse still, in war, as each claimed that God was with them.
Along with all this, many churches received support from secular governments, and thus were beholden to them. Church leaders were expected to make political pronouncements, and to take part in the affairs of the nation of which they were a part. Of course, all this has had its problems too, In commenting on a recent book, “Protestants: The Faith that made the Modern World,” by Alec Ryrie, Time magazine notes that “one moral of [the book] Protestants is that attachment to political issues has tended to leave Protestant movements ‘running out of steam’ religiously.” All this only echoes the comment of a well-known brother, to the effect that “when the church loses the sense of her heavenly calling, humanly speaking, she loses everything.”
Viewed by God
God’s comment on Protestantism is found in Revelation 3:1, where He says, “Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” The name was there, but not the reality, for many were mere dead professors. But all was not lost. The Lord notes that there are “a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments” (Rev. 3:4), and we thank the Lord for those who are true, even in systems that may be largely composed of unbelievers. Also, we pay tribute to the many who, not knowing the whole truth of God, lived up to the light they had in Protestantism. Many were mightily used of the Lord, especially in hymn writing. Such individuals as Isaac Watts, Horatius Bonar, Thomas Kelly, and Mary Bowley, to name a few, all lived and died in Protestant churches, yet wrote some of the most scriptural and uplifting hymns.
The Heavenly Calling
Also, God did not leave Protestantism without a strong witness to the truth of the church. Almost 200 years ago, He raised up men who were used to bring back the truth of the church, and to act on it. The result was a movement that affected all of Christendom, as truths such as the heavenly calling of the church, the leading of the Holy Spirit in the assembly, the imminent return of the Lord Jesus for His church, and many others, were clearly brought out. Many left their ecclesiastical associations simply to gather to the name of the Lord Jesus. Sad to say, the movement today termed “evangelicalism” enjoys many of these precious truths, but fails to take the despised position of being outside organized religion. Thus, in the U.S.A., we find evangelicals taking a large part in the political life of the country, and often embracing covenant theology, which holds that believers must “change the world,” and get it ready for the coming kingdom.
The End of Protestantism
But what will be the end of Protestantism? We know that every true believer among them will be caught up at the Lord’s coming. But those left behind will become part of the Laodicean company, and those who say, “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17). More than this, they will eventually go right back where they started — into the Roman Catholic system. The ecumenical movement of today will eventually see all that is left of the Protestant churches reunited with Rome, and under her control. The false church will be the religious Babylon which the Lord will destroy, and typified by a woman who will, for a time, control the political system of the Roman beast (Revelation 17). Eventually she will be overthrown, for we read, “With violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Rev. 18:21).
The word for the believer today is the same as it will be in that awful time — ”Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins” (Rev. 18:4). Separation from what is not according to God’s Word is the pathway of blessing for us, at any time.
W. J. Prost
The Old New Thoughts
“New thoughts for old,” the eager world is crying,
That ever seeks to tell of hear the new,
Though in its haste to change it grasps too often
Mad thoughts for sane, and false thoughts for the true.
All vanity — its seeking and its finding;
The thing that is, is that which hath been done.
False gods, false science, aye, and false religion, —
There is naught new beneath the ancient sun.
And these are old — the thoughts that loud world blazons,
The sons of Adam walk in circles still;
Old as the world, as man and man’s first sinning,
Old as the Demon pride that said, “I will.”
It is not new — the superman excelling
Who dares with impious foot the height supreme;
“Ye shall be gods, both good and evil knowing,” —
This is but Eden’s unforgotten dream.
Some few, bewildered with Earth’s many voices,
Grown weary of the circles where they plod, —
This modern Babel, clamorous, confusing, —
Some few there be who seek the thoughts of God.
High as the heavens above the earth outspreading,
Wide as His vast creation’s utmost span,
As countless as the stars the heavens filling,
The thought of good that God has thought for man.
And once — a shout through dreary silence ringing,
A star of hope above the world’s black night —
God’s oldest, greatest thought of all was spoken
In one clear Word of love and life and light.
Against that Word of glory and of power
Man’s frothy babblings pour themselves in vain.
His bubble thoughts in nothingness shall vanish;
God’s everlasting thoughts, unchanged, remain.