At Revelation 18:4 a most enthusiastic, precisely clear command from The Almighty God rings out to His people.
“Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and ye receive not of her plagues.”
The first question that should be answered here is; who is our fair and just God actually talking to… who does God consider to be His people? As the apostle Paul so valiantly tried to teach us, the blood of Christ changed the world in the eyes of his Father who sent him. (Ephesians 2:11-18) The old covenant with prototypical ancient Israel, would eventually be replaced with a new covenant. (Hebrews 8:6-13) Because of the sacrificial death of Jesus, people can no longer become God’s people because they were born into the religion of ancient Israel. Jesus died for all of mankind, therefore it is now possible for all people on earth to become the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:15,16) There is no longer divisions or separations in people, as most religions continue to teach. (Jude 17-19)
Titus 1:10-14 emphasizes the change Jesus made. “For there are many unruly men, profitless talkers, and deceivers of the mind, especially those men who adhere to the circumcision. It is necessary to shut the mouths of these, as these very men keep on subverting entire households by teaching things they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain. This witness is true. For this very cause keep on reproving them with severity, that they may be healthy in the faith, paying no attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn themselves away from the truth.”
If we consider all of these scriptures, we can easily see that God’s people could be anyone, anywhere, and are scattered all over the world. They are visible and known, only by God Himself. (Nahum 1:7) They currently do not believe the same way, but they do have one thing in common … Love!
“If anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” (1st Corinthians 8:3) “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35)
There are some people in every religion and actually in every walk of life that love righteousness and yearn for it. They love God’s Word and have a desire to abide in it. Above all, they love God and would never harm their fellowman. (Matthew 22:37,38) This is why God’s currently unknown plan of salvation is so perfectly fair and just for all of mankind!
Contrary to many beliefs and teachings of men, being a part of certain religious groups or living in a particular country or city does not necessarily mean a person meets the criteria of love or has the type of heart and character required by God. (Micah 6:6-8) This fact provides a little help in discerning the proper identity of what God has told this type of person to come out of.
As we will find out in the 17th & 18th chapters of Revelation, God wants His people to get out of something that is a modern-day mystery called Babylon the Great. The people who do not heed His warning could be right in the middle of her promised destruction. These disobeying people could possibly face God’s disfavor, as well as their families and loved ones. (Rev. 18:8) Therefore, the importance of knowing Babylon the Great’s identity cannot be overstated!
As we look into these 2 chapters, pray for guidance, use wisdom, discern carefully… true knowledge of God is a valuable thing which God actually takes delight in. (Jeremiah 9:24)
The 17th chapter begins by describing John’s symbolic vision of a great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and all the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. The woman was riding a scarlet beast and she was arrayed with gold, precious stones and pearls. She had a golden cup in her hand, thus offering abominations and fornicating lies that makes all who inhabit the entire earth drunk on her constant teaching of falsehoods. On her forehead a name was written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.
There are many differing opinions about the identity of this woman. The fact that in John’s vision she was symbolically termed as a great city, has caused most literal thinking religious leaders to pick out a single city or single religion as her identity. Should we believe that one city or one denomination has polluted and corrupted the entire inhabited earth? How could a single location of anything make every nation in the entire world drunk with its teachings or fornicating wine? How could the kings or leaders of every country on earth become intoxicated because of association with one religion or one city? Have the merchants across the whole earth become rich because they have made luxurious merchandise for a single city or even a single country for that matter? (Rev. 18:3) No, today’s Babylon the Great that rides the wild beast is much bigger and has much more vastness than the earth’s population can begin to realize.
Remember, she sits on many waters. As Revelation 17:15 states; these many waters mean peoples and crowds and nations and languages! This is the bible’s way of symbolically saying… she covers the earth… she’s not a literal city any more than she’s a literal woman! Babylon the Great is everywhere! Babylon the Great is universal!!
Her truthful identity is much easier to understand if you have applied many other biblical facts correctly. The original tower of Babel (Genesis 11:4) and Nebuchadnezzar’s building of Babylon (Daniel 4:30) are stories about people who designed their own ways of worship and salvation, while turning their backs to the one true God. Today’s Babylon the Great is very similar.
The 18th chapter of Revelation gives vivid descriptions that should help solve her mystery. First of all, in her mind she sits as a Queen, totally and absolutely confident she could never fall. She’s rich, full of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls. Every kind of object of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, marble and souls of men. (Rev. 18:12,13)
Whether the man-made religions of the world want to face it or not, the next group of scriptures really close in on her identity. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in Babylon the Great anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in her anymore. The voice of a bridegroom and bride will not be heard in her anymore.
Who is Babylon the Great? She is a symbol of the entire world empire of men designed worship systems. Not one, and not all but one, all of them!
Amos 9:1 confirms. “I saw the LORD standing by the altar, and He said: Strike the doorposts, that the thresholds may shake, and break them on the heads of them all. I will slay the last of them with the sword. He who flees from them will not get away, and he who escapes from them will not be delivered.”
There are several reasons why all of today’s religious leaders have developed different theories concerning the identity of Babylon the Great. First and foremost, none of them understand the musterion or God’s plan of salvation that is written and hidden all through the prophecies of the prophet’s ancient stories. (Revelation 10:7) (Hosea 12:10)
God’s people will never understand or be able to recognize God’s true salvation plan as long as they’re still in Babylon the Great. Because of her global false teachings, they are currently oblivious to God’s perfectly designed method of their own salvation. This will continue until God sets up ways to destroy and expose the great harlot, allowing His people to change their thinking and get out of her. (Nahum 3:4,5) Then many will choose to follow God’s ways instead of men’s ways. (Read: Daniel 4:30-35) This is an excellent rendition of what will eventually take place in this world.
Another reason the religious leaders come up with so many different identification theories that are full of holes, is because they would have to condemn themselves. They are far too prideful and self-righteous to do such a thing!
Just like Nimrod’s and Nebuchadnezzar’s prototypes of Babylon the Great, all of men’s religions today have contrived their own salvation theories and doctrines. They have built their own dynasties, which include beautiful ornate churches and world-wide organizations. (Acts 7:48,49) (Acts 17:24,25)
They are in every country, every city, every town, and on practically every street corner. Television, radio, it’s exactly as Rev. 17:2 states, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with this universal Babylon the Great, and the whole inhabited earth has been made drunk with her many lies and self-righteous babble!
These instructors of falsehoods and their complete take-over of the entire inhabited earth can be studied in the prophetic ancient lingo of the prophet Habakkuk.
When a person has a desire to get closer to God, it has become normal to ask the question, what religion should I join? This established and accepted way of the world is why it will be so difficult for God’s people to come out of Babylon the Great prior to her destruction.
Almost all of God’s people are currently captivated in Babylon the Great. They have no idea that our fair and just God is going to destroy all of the world’s man-made altars (Jeremiah 51:13,14 & 17,18) and establish His own altar!
At that time, He will appoint teachers chosen by Him. (Jeremiah 3:14,15) (Isaiah 30:20-22) God’s true Israel of the last days, which Jeremiah 31:4 calls the virgin of Israel, will learn His ways and the promised new covenant begins! If this sounds interesting to you read Jeremiah 31:31-33.
The altars of men know nothing about the events that will bring in the Kingdom of God. Some teach a little about that Kingdom but have no knowledge of God’s actions that will get it started. They are too busy exalting themselves to heavenly positions. (Isaiah 34:1-4) Heavenly positions come later, at God’s Sovereign discretion. (Romans 9:11,16) This becomes a reality after God’s people are placed in unity and learn His true ways. (Micah 2:12) (Ephesians 1:8-10) This is why Jeremiah 31:29 says the sour or unripe grape picking will stop. There will be no more applying prophecy before its time for fulfillment.
Probably the most urgent message heard in Babylon the Great concerns your money. Churches and religious institutions are among the richest organizations in the world. Without their member’s money they would dissolve and cease to function and no longer be relevant! (Revelation 22:17) (Isaiah 55:1-3)
Once seekers of God’s truth recognize what the man-made religions of this world really are, what should they do? There are many scriptures where God makes the statement, “Return to Me.” How can we do this? First of all, continue in love and respect for God and His son, “The Word.” (Revelation 19:13)
It’s just as Isaiah 66:2 says, “On this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
We might also consider the position of John the Baptist when he told the people they had to repent or change their thinking because the promised Messiah was in their presence. He admonished them to leave their traditional worship and follow Jesus.
As we know, John was the voice in the wilderness and was no part of any traditional worship that was going on in that day. What does the word “wilderness” mean for us today? If we examine the word wilderness as it was originally written in the Hebrew language it will shed much light on that question. Hebrew words are more complex than their English replacements. The original Hebrew word was “Midbar.”
The basic meaning of Midbar is: That which is beyond organized settlements and traditional civilized norms. Not hemmed in by rules; a place of spiritual renewal. Midbar becomes even brighter when we consider its root words. In the verbal sense, Dabar: meaning to speak by mouth; where the mouth of God speaks. In the noun sense, Debir: meaning place of the word. B’midbar means “in the wilderness,” an unorganized place, where one would be stripped of all outside noises and distractions, with armor down, heart open, fully hearing, open to the unexpected and uncharted.
As we can see, the biblical meaning of wilderness is not what we might typically think. It’s actually a place for the mind, away from the teachings of men. The wilderness is a place to give thanks to the Father who has taken us out of darkness and transferred us into the light of the son of his love and his coming kingdom. (Colossians 1:12,13)
In the Wilderness the opportunity to study and learn more about God’s Word without the influence of men’s adulterated teachings becomes possible. It is also an opportunity to develop a much better relationship with our Creator. This is revealed at Psalms 81:7. “You called in trouble, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of Thunder.”