I remember the vision of that night. I knew I was going to be watching someone marching by, like a beauty pageant review of some kind. There was someone standing by me in the vision who said, "The Preview of the Bride". As I watched, I could hear someone coming. She marched by in front of me and passed off out of sight on the other side. As I watched each woman pass by I knew I was watching the churches of different nations passing by me in review. Each was so ungodly looking. I do remember seeing the Asian church. Oh, you talk about filth. And I saw the European church. They were ungodly, too. Oh my. As these passed by and out of sight, I remember listening and hearing "rock n roll" music coming closer and closer. It was the church of another nation. It was the Miss America church. She was a sight. She did not have on any clothes. She was holding papers of some sort. Reminded me of gray newspapers as she held them in front of her as she danced to the rock n roll music.
As I watched her pass out of sight, I thought, "Oh, God, as a minister, if that's the best we've done, ...oh, oh, oh." I thought, " God hide me". I just wanted to get away from there if that was all that our ministry labors had produced. Those women were suppose to be virgins to Christ. Instead of being virgins, they passed by moving to the music with their short hair and painted faces. I just turned my head. It was so disgraceful. I knew the Lord was standing there and I wanted to start weeping. As a minister of the church I was thinking, "Is this the type of church I have produced for him". I thought, " Oh, God, I can't look at it. Let me die. Let me fade away."
Each of these churches would walk away from me out to a certain place and just drop out of sight. I'd hear their sound fade away and the sound of the next nation's church would begin to come from the other side.
As the last of these church women passed off out of sight, I began to hear back over this way the sound of music similar to that old song, Onward Christian Soldiers. As I looked at this group, I saw the most sainted bunch of little girls. They were like none of those others. They were not unclothed. Nor were they dancing and gyrating to ungodly music as they came. These girls were all dressed so correctly and decently. Their hair was not cut off as the others; their hair was hanging way down their back, smooth, and clean. They were marching just so in step with the Gospel. She was the Word. And it looked like one out of every nation. When this Bride people passed by, they did not drop off out of sight as those churches of the other nations did. Instead of going down, they started going up. As I watched, I noticed one or two or three of them trying to get out of line. I screamed at them, "Stay in line!"
Right then, the vision left me, and I came to myself standing in the room screaming, "Stay in line!" Yes, I saw a preview of the Bride of Christ a beautiful little lady so correctly dressed as she marched by.
(This vision was given nearly 30 years ago to an elder minister of the gospel who is now deceased.)
For a moment, stop and think on the vision you have just read. Could it be true? Could it be that "what" the general masses and John Q. Public calls THE CHURCH is not really anything more than a sham, an imitation, an exercise in "Let's Pretend", a charade, a make believe?
Could it be that there is A CHURCH which is composed of believers of every race and nation on earth and who march "AS ONE" to the step or rhythm of the Gospel or Word of God in a much different manner than that body of people which the general public calls ...."the church"? Could it be that there is a people of dedication, discipleship, and holiness who are in fact the Bride of Jesus Christ?
The purpose of this sermon or study is to reveal to you just how scriptural the preceding vision is; AND, that there are two churches in the earth.
One church people live their lives in conduct and experience according to the beat or sound of the Word or Gospel. Both her appearance and spirit becometh the Bride of Christ, a Bride of the Word Made Flesh, ...a Word Bride. She is Not a sect. Not an organization. Not a denomination. She is the TRUE CHURCH; a body of people whose walk with Christ is beyond all man made artificial boundaries. Her whole manner is different.
Others of the church world put on a good show, but do not come to the standards of righteousness, discipleship, holiness, and The WORD as taught in scripture. They represent themselves to the world as Christ's Church. Yet, this other people live their lives and conduct themselves marching to the sound of a different drummer. They march, as unto Christ, but are under the influence and direction of a beat which is generated by the world, the lusts of the flesh; .....by Satan himself. While they hold themselves before the minds of men as an exhibit of God's church; ...they rebel against God's Word and serve their master, the rebellious one. They serve Christ in name only.
Two peoples? Two Churches? This idea of two vines or branches should not surprise you if you have heard or read many of Jesus' Parables, especially the one of the TARES and the WHEAT. It is recorded in Matthew 13 . It reveals that there are two seeds in the earth, ...two seeds in God's kingdom. One seed, Jesus calls "the children of the kingdom"(v.38) and the other he calls "the children of the wicked one"(v.38), that seed of offense, sown by the wicked one. Both seeds or peoples grow together in the Kingdom until the time of the harvest, when God separates those that offend and DO INIQUITY from His Kingdom. (Iniquity is the spirit of Lawlessness, ....not crime or Mafia. It is the same spirit of rebellion which operates in religion, but can not come to the Word of God. It is rebellion against The Word in some measure.)
IT'S A MYSTERY! In fact it's TWO MYSTERIES! One mystery is called in scripture, THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS......while the other is spoken of as THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY or lawlessness. The mystery of two peoples, two churches. One is the MYSTERY OF A VIRGIN, ...THE CHURCH, ...THE BRIDE OF CHRIST. The other is the MYSTERY OF A WHORE, ...A PROSTITUTE, ...BABYLON THE GREAT.
For over one half of a millenium, 500 years, ministers of Jesus Christ have gone on record as labeling the Roman Catholic Church System as the Great Whore of Revelation 17. It would be enlightening for each person to be acquainted with the reasons why Catholicism has been called the AntiChrist, the Great Whore, and Mystery Babylon by such historical Christians and ministers as John Fox, John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, John Knox, John Calvin, William Tyndale, Sir Isaac Newton, John Wesly, Cotton Mather, Johnathan Edwards, Alexander Hislop; ...to name a few.
We will attempt to bring the revelation of the Mother Harlot, the Great Whore UP TO DATE. If all those men were to resurrect today, what would be their decree? If they were to behold the religious landscape of this 20th century, they would have to refine and adjust their understanding as to where the Mother Harlot, the Mystery Babylon Spirit, has her principle thrust. To simply dog tag Roman Catholicism exclusively would be to acknowledge that nothing has changed over the centuries and to consent that Satan has no new agenda of deception for the endtime.
However, things have changed. The Protestant Reformation has come and gone. The Methodist Revival has flowered and faded. The 20th Century out pouring of the gift of the Holy Ghost, just like at Pentecost, has pressed its way onto the religious stage. Charismaticism has stirred the lives of many. Things have changed. The Revelation of the Great Whore has moved on. There is another beast of Revelation 13. Things have changed. The web has spread further.
We will lay some foundation for those who may not be well versed in the understanding that Roman Catholicism, at one time, was the Great Whore in totality. But we will go further. We must go further. Why? Because Satan's deceptive designs have progressed further. Jesus Christ spoke of it to John on the isle of Patmos.
Martin Luther said in 1520, "...personally I declare that I owe the Pope no other obedience than I do than that to AntiChrist." Cotton Mather's 1700 understanding was, "...The oracles of God foretold the rising of an ANTICHRIST in the Christian Church; and in the Pope of Rome, all the characteristics of that Antichrist are so marvelously answered that if any who read the scriptures do not see it there is a marvelous blindness upon them." If you understand and believe these two statements, .....then you are prepared with a foundation to have the revelation of the the Great Whore, Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots, the Beast; ....unveiled for this present endtime generation as we approach the end of the 20th century.
By the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ, we will, in our own limited way, try to share what God asked us to share with others. It won't be the "last word", nor "complete", but hopefully it will add another stone to your Wall of Righteousness and Faith.
As names and identities are described please realize that we are not inditing the specific individuals who are members of particular sects and movements, .....it is the spirit of the thing. That is why the Lord is so clear and emphatic when he said, "Come out of Her MY people, and be not partaker of her sins and her plagues." (Rev.18:4)
Alexander Hislop's, Two Babylons, would be a good preface to this sermon. We could call his book of the 1800's, ....Mystery Babylon Part 1 . We will pick up the revelation where he left off. We could call this study, ....Mystery Babylon Part 2.
M Y S T E R I E S
Different mysteries are mentioned in the New Testament, such as: the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, the mystery of God, the mystery of Christ in you, the mystery of Iniquity, the mystery of godliness, and lastly, the mystery of MYSTERY BABYLON.
Each of the mysteries in scripture are important pieces in the overall development of God's eternal purposes. Col. 1:26 speaks of "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but NOW is manifest to his saints" : Christ in you, one body, Jew and Gentile, the hope of glory.
A mystery to the people of God in one age, later became "present truth" (2 Pet.1:12) and "meat in due season" (Matt.24:45) when unveiled by the Spirit of God to the believers of a later age. Do you remember God's reply to Daniel's request for more understanding? God instructed Daniel that the visions and truths were closed and would not be revealed until the time of the end, ...the endtime. (Dan.12:9) The unveiling of truth only comes to a people or generation as that truth is needed to further develop God's purposes in the earth. Thus, that which was a mystery to the people of God in one generation or age, ...as they "looked through a glass darkly", later became understood clearly "in the light" when it came time for the understanding to be revealed.
THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY !
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work"... These words of instruction were spoken under the direction of the Holy Spirit almost two thousand years ago, in about A.D. 55, to the believers in Thessalonica. He, this mystery of iniquity, was to "be revealed in his time" (2 Thess 2:7 8). That mystery of iniquity (lawlessness) was present then, but was not revealed or unveiled. It was standing in the shadows where only the light of the Spirit could shine upon him. This Iniquity was then working on its strategy to weave itself into God's New Plan, ...the Church. This was not a new iniquity, ....but the same iniquity which had touched every race, culture, and generation since Adam and Eve's seduction in the garden. (By the way, the pronouns "He" and "She" are both used as God protrays and veils the nature of this Mystery. Just remember the Spirit of God is unveiling a spirit which has neither sex nor gender, however, humans describe attitudes and character in terms of ..."he, she, or it" to help us comprehend manifestations. Whether, "he" or "she" or "it", ....the outworking of Satan's deceptions are being described.)
Religious mysteries of an unholy nature were upon the face of the earth and confronted the spread of the good news as it was preached by Jesus, the apostles, and the early saints in the book of Acts. These mysteries of evil were woven among the religious rituals and ceremonies of pagan cultures in their worship of false deities, images, animals, and heavenly bodies.
The Mystery of Iniquity had not only shaped the pagan systems of religion; ...but, it had even crafted Israel's worship of Jehovah in Jesus' day, into such a mingled, mixtured, mongreled religion, ....that only "a remnant (in Israel) according to the election of (God's) grace" received Jehovah's most excellent ministry of Jesus Christ. (Rom.11:5) Judaism at the time of Christ had become a fabric so woven with Mystery Iniquities' blinding elements of ritual, tradition, and rebellion, ....that the kingdom was taken from them and given to another people that would bring forth fruit. (Matt.21:43) As a nation, they had deteriorated from the cancerous effects of religious confusion to an un redeemable level; so "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world, from the blood of righteous Abel", was to "be required of this (that) generation" of Hebrews. (Luke 11:50,51)
Wherever the truth was preached in villages, markets, heathen temples, and even Jewish synagogues, ...those evangelists of Acts confronted the Mystery Iniquity Religion of Babylon, ...the same spirit of religious confusion which first bloomed at the tower of Babel.
Babel means confusion. It was there that the minds and efforts of men united to work together to get to heaven. God brought confusion and scattered them. At Babel the seeds of religious confusion were sown which later bore fruit in EVERY kingdom to which mankind scattered. All religious confusion and iniquity, whether Pagan, Judaic, or Christian comes from the same seed bed, ...Mystery Religion of Babylon, ...simply one Mystery of Iniquity. The cities of Babel and Babylon had disappeared into dust and ruins thousands of years prior to the 1st century; yet, the Pagan Babylonian mysteries and doctrines of religious confusion which were born at Babel, ...were present in 55 AD. within the hearts, minds, and religious practices of the men and women to whom the 1st century church preached. It was to be only a matter of time until that same "spirit of lawlessness" (iniquity), which had corrupted the Pagan world and the 12 tribes of Israel, ...would begin to breed its rebellious nature of iniquity within the unsuspecting New Testament Church. Just as it was in Israel, not everyone would become ignorant, blind, and overcome. The Spirit was already forewarning and reminding those early believers of Thessalonica of what they had been taught through Apostle Paul, ..."Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know..." (2 Thess 2:5) The Mystery of Iniquity was to keep unfolding.
The veil which has cloaked Mystery Babylon's deceit is ripped away when one begins to understand that kingdoms, civilizations, and cultures live and die. Each kingdom has it's time of influence upon the stage of man, only to be replaced in a few years, decades, or centuries, ... by another. But this process of life and death among kingdoms is not true of religion. Civilizations have come and gone; but their religious systems have lived on under the cloak of different names or images. All the kings of the earth HAVE drunken of the intoxicating wine of her religious adulteries, lusts, and spiritual fornications. (Rev. 18:3) She has not known any permanent relationships.
Revolution and war have not affected the Great Harlot Mother of Abominations in the Earth. This religious Harlot has not cared who ruled the political realm, nor has it mattered where wars were fought. She did not mind being called Isis or Osiris in Egypt, Ashtaroh in Assyria, Diana of the Ephesians, Aphrodite in Greece, Jupiter or Mercury in Rome, or even Pharisees and Sadducees in Israel. She clothed herself in the religious garb of whatever suited the need of that time, so that she might influence idolatry and rebellion against Jehovah God. That is why she could exist continuously, in spite of political upheavals and kingdom shifts. She would simply change her clothes, change names, switch alliances, and continue to stay in control of men's souls and hearts through false religion, whether pagan, ...rebels of Judaism, ...or apostate Christianity. Yet, beneath the new garb was always the same religious harlot who could not submit to God's WORD as He spoke it in each age. Each harlot religious system always had their OWN words or teachings which were held in higher esteem than God's Word.
As each civilization was replaced by another, Mystery Iniquity grew in religious deceit and knowledge. She kept learning and developing apostasy over the ages and centuries until we see Her today robed in her most splendid, deceitful, and adulterous attire. She portrays herself as the seat of truth and orthodoxy, when all the while she is the seat of Satan. She is presently alive, thriving, and reigning within the religious Christian and Non Christian communities of this earth. She is not of the future, but of the present. She is not one woman, city, or church. She is religion which is untrue to God Almighty.
The Mystery of God and the Mystery of Iniquity, ...Parallel Mysteries, ...have both unfolded down through time. God's plan of the ages from the garden of Eden kept unfolding and being revealed to mankind during each age according to God's design and timing. Satan's plan of Iniquity, deception, and rebellion was always designed to match God's plan in each age. The devil, the master of disguise, has used the same spirit of deception which he used to defile Eve, to defile multitudes in every age down through history.
Iniquity deceptively veiled itself in each age with just the right approach at just the right time. No matter the method, Satan's purpose was always to combat, hinder, resist, and stop, if possible, God's plan and purposes for His people during each age. Satan knew from personal experience that defilement, spiritual impurity and mixture were most subtle and always brought God's wrath and judgment upon God's People. Regardless of the manner of attack, Satan's ultimate purpose was to create a religious behavior, contrary to God's desire, among humans so that God could not fellowship them any longer; ....thus he would have to separate from them and judge them.
In the garden Satan began by beguiling Eve to fall from God's Word. This resulted in Paradise being locked away from all mankind with the curse of death. In Abel's day Satan fathered murder and lying through Cain which marked and separated him from his family and God. Later, the Noah generation witnessed Satan's seductive ability to create mixed marriages between the Sons of God and the daughters of men (Gen 6:2) which brought forth such a depth of violence and evil upon the earth that God sent the flood.
In Canaan, Satan's influence incited idolatrous, sexual pagan worship practices of creatures, images, astrology, and witchcraft. Consequently the children of Israel became anointed to establish a beach head for righteousness in the heart of Amorite territory and to cast out those offending nations when the cup of Amorite Iniquity (Gen.15:16) came to fullness.
Satan seduced and defiled Israel by prompting them to walk in the statues of the heathen by building high places, setting up groves and images, burning incense like the heathen, serving idols, worshipping the host of heaven, serving Baal, offering their children in sacrifice, enchantments (2 Kgs.17:6 20), .....and ultimately rejecting Jesus Christ. Satan watched the effects of Iniquity as God's people (because of their pollutions), became cursed and victims of divine judgments. Later, Satan's plan bore fruit as the kingdom was taken from them (Matt 21:43) and their house left desolate. (Matt 23:38)
The One Mystery of Iniquity all along played out lawlessness and spiritual rebellion within human hearts using the deceptive elements of the Mystery Babylon Religion.
When Jesus came upon the scene, none had fought the Mystery of Iniquity Religion openly, with any measurable results, for many years. Iniquity held sway over the whole world. Jehovah had been silent nearly 400 years until the fullness of time came for God to speak when Jesus of Nazareth came preaching and teaching the true unadulterated religion of Jehovah which was pure and free from any elements of the Mystery of Iniquity and Babylon's religious confusion. To God's people and church of that day the TRUE WORD came to a "people which sat in darkness (they) saw great light and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is (was) sprung up". (Matt.4:16) Similar to that exists today. Darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. (Isa.60:2) But, praise God, there is a light in the darkness.
OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS FOUGHT HER
This woman, Mystery Babylon of Revelation 17, is no stranger to God's people of every age. They had to overcome her enticing wiles and resist her from age to age for the right to worship the true and living God Jehovah. She is that WOMAN, that SPIRITUAL CITY, which has ruled over the kings, governments and souls of men upon earth. The saints and prophets of every age fought and resisted her religious harlotry, "abominations, and the filthiness of her fornications". (17:4) Her lusts for the "souls of men" (18:13) cost multitudes their lives as they held faithful to Jehovah. She pursued their blood, literally and spiritually, with such a lust that in time she became "drunken with the blood of the saints" of the Old Testament "and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (17:6) In fact, she is responsible for the blood "of all that were slain ." (18:24)
She reigned "over the kings of the earth" (17:18) from her throne. She sat "upon many waters" (17:1,15), that is, of peoples, nations and generations spanning the centuries and cultures preceding Abraham's day to the Present. Abraham sojourned among HER as "he looked for a city, ...whose builder and maker was God" (Heb. 11:10) Moses faced her in the courts of Pharaoh as he gave Jehovah's decree..."Let My People Go" ! As Joshua and the Judges of Israel struggled to reclaim the land of Canaan for Jehovah, they encountered HER deceptive influence, always inviting them, as Balak did , to enjoy the pleasures of lusts, sin, and rebellion. David faced her as he warred against neighboring nations who were under her intoxicating influence, as he attempted to bring the worship of Jehovah to greater heights.
In time SHE, ...that Mystery of Iniquity, ...Mystery Babylon, managed to manipulate the religious character of Israel from within the King's palace. Elijah fought to break Her strangle hold upon Israel. Elijah felt that he was alone, but God said,.."Yet, I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal." (1 Kings 19:18) (That figure could have represented less than 1% of Israel's population still holding onto Jehovah.) Could you imagine that over 90% of God's people and church (in Northern Israel) of that day had bowed to Baal ...to HER, ...to the GREAT HARLOT, ...to MYSTERY BABYLON, ...to the spirit of religious harlotry in that generation. It teaches one the great error in blindly following the majority and the masses.
Daniel and the Hebrew children resisted HER advances as they kept themselves faithful to their covenant vows in the middle of her enticements, sorcery, and wooing in the kingdom of Babylon. As Jesus walked among the people during the days of His Flesh, he wanted them to know that His teachings came from the Father and were not borrowed from HER. "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." (John7:16) None of Jesus' doctrine was borrowed from HER influence upon the surrounding pagans, nor from the Rabbi's and scribes of Israel, ...who had corrupted themselves by committing spiritual fornication with the Mystery Harlot, ....by exalting their traditions above the WORD of GOD. (Matt 15:6 9)
NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS FOUGHT HER
Certainly the Apostles and Paul spread the good news of Jesus Christ into the depths of the religious harlot's own territory. The entire earth at that time worshiped under the Mystery Iniquity religious Spirit. Everywhere they went there were Jewish and Gentile souls ready and waiting for release, ....wanting to be free.
After the Apostles passed from the scene, the Harlot's seductive advances made their impact upon even the Church of Jesus Christ. Not even God's New Covenant church people were beyond the reach of Her wiles; nor could they withstand all of her advances. Apostle Paul instructed the Thessalonians that "the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work" even in 55 AD. and that the restraints upon him, (this Mystery of Iniquity) would in the future be removed "that he might be revealed in his time." (2 Thes.2:7,6) Within a few hundred years This Mystery was in full bloom and had stolen the name of "Christianity". Many departed from the faith, as man's intellect borrowed non Biblical doctrines, religious principles (principles not previously taught by Jesus nor the 12 apostles) and attitudes from the Greek and Roman philosophies. These were incorporated into the Church by the early church Fathers? which were adulterous to God's WORD and commandments. They presumed to change, modify, and shape the church to the designs of their own intellect.
As Jesus spoke to John on the isle of Patmos in ?95 AD., he addressed some of the prevailing situations which had developed since Paul's exhortation to the Thessalonians nearly 40 years before. Yes, the Mystery of Iniquity had not been idle. It had over that 40 year period, brought forth such a change in the churches from God's original intent, that Jesus had to speak a rebuke to nearly every church of Asia he addressed. Listen to Jesus speak of the spiritual conditions which already existed at that time (A.D. 95) within the Seven churches of Asia..., some "say they are apostles and are not and thou hast found them liars" (2:2)..., "I know ...where satan's seat is" (2:13)..., "thou hast ...the deeds of the Nicolaitanes which I also hate" (2:6)..., "some hold the doctrine of Balaam, ...and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate." (2:14 15)..., some "say they are Jews (the original church) and are not, but are the synagogue of satan" (2:9), and even the spirit of "Jezebel" had surfaced again among God's people. (2:20)
Jesus' statements recognized and forewarned the churches of God in that 1st century of Mystery Babylon's spiritual web of unfaithfulness, fornication, and rebellion that was beginning to engulf the church as a spider does its prey.
ONE SYSTEM OF UNFAITHFULNESS
The true identity of Mystery Babylon as the Mystery of Iniquity has been gradually unveiled in the earth as that of one system of Whoredoms. Satan has lived and influenced mankind through her ONE whorish spirit. She has expressed Satan's character as she has ridden that ONE beast of Rev. 17; ....not 7 beasts, ....not 7 women, ...one system of harlotry. "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." (v.4) This religious Harlot spirit was "Mother" to all other "abominations of the earth," (v.5) as she was carried by the devilish 7 headed beast through each of the seven great kingdoms or civilizations of earth, ...from the Egyptian Pharoahs till the present, ...in her lust for "the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." (18:24)
Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus Christ, the saints of the book of Acts, those martyred by the Pagan Roman Empire, those killed by the Roman Catholic church, ....and even those fearless men of the Reformation faced Her, ....the same Prostituting Spirit. The same religious Harlot influenced the crowd to cry that day in Jerusalem..... "Away with this man, release unto us Barabbas." Today we are either resisting Her advances, ...or we are yielding to Her for the sake of convenience and gratification of our own desires.
When a person fails to see that her influence and life has spanned generations and cultures, he is blinded in his perception of Her in THIS generation "upon whom the ends of the world are come." She, Mystery Babylon, the Great Whore, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations in the Earth is the ENTIRE SYSTEM OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION, whether it be Paganistic (worship of gods besides Jesus Christ), Judaic (with its traditions and rejection of Jesus Christ) or Apostate Christianity (those who confess belief in Jesus but walk after the flesh). Each of the kingdoms which carried Her represent only 1/7th of the whole. Each of the 7 kingdoms in turn produced a more refined religious machine dominating the souls of men through religious fraud and spiritual darkness.
As we share that which the Lord Jesus bids us, we hope and pray that you will understand that Roman Catholicism is not the present manifestation of the Mystery of Iniquity as it once was in the past. NOW it is the Harlot daughters.
Come with me and I will show you the punishment of the great harlot who sits upon many waters. With her the kings of the earth have committed fornication and the peoples of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her fornications. So the angel carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness where I saw a woman sitting upon a seven headed, ten horned scarlet colored beast which was full of blasphemous names. She was dressed in purple and scarlet red color, gilded with gold, precious stones and pearls. In her hand she held a golden cup which was filled with the filthiness of her fornications. Upon her forehead was written a name:
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH
I wondered greatly as I watched this woman who was drunken with blood of saints and the martyrs of Jesus. Then the angel said to me: "Why were you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her which has the seven heads and ten horns.
The beast which you saw, was, is not, but shall come up out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition.
This calls for a mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five kings have fallen, one king is, and another king has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and is not, even he is the eighth. He belongs to the seven and goes into perdition.
The angel said to me,"The waters upon which you saw the prostitute sit are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The woman you saw is the great city which rules over the kings of the earth." (Paraphrased excerpts from Revelation 17)
The angel said that the mind which has wisdom should understand that, ..."the seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth" (Rev.17:9) and may have some fulfillment in "the seven hills of Rome". However, the seven mountains on which the woman sits are seven kings and their kingdoms, (Rev.17:10) ...not one city. Seven great kingdoms or civilizations have dominated the earth during the times of God's dealing with his elect and chosen people; ....from Abraham to the present.
The angel said in 17:10: "There are seven kings: five are fallen",
He was saying that 5 kingdoms had fallen or ceased to exist at the time of John's visitation in A.D. 95? They were : 1st Egypt, 2nd Assyria, 3rd Babylon, 4th Media Persia, and 5th Greece. Each of these kingdoms had in the course of history up to that time been a world power and ruled the earth, but each had been conquered and replaced by the next.
"And one is"
The 6th kingdom to rule the earth was at that time in control and exercising dominion upon the nations. It was the pagan Roman Empire of the Caesars.
"And the other is not yet come".
The 7th kingdom to rule the earth would not come upon the world scene until years after AD. ?95. This 7th kingdom has become known as The Holy Roman Empire or the The Roman Papacy. The Roman Catholic church represents the fullness of manifestation of the 7th head or 7th kingdom. (We can not take the time or space to explain this more fully, but a little reading in any thorough history text which surveys the Civilizations of Man will make this evident.)
"And the beast that was , and is not, even he is the eighth and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition." (v.11)
The power of this beast would know a time called, "is not", when its influence and ability to dominate and exert its authority would be taken from it. Yet, its ability to exert its power and authority in the earth would return, "and yet is", ...."shall ascend out of the bottomless pit." It would fade away for a while into the shadows, but it would return.
All of this speaks of forces operating upon the affairs of humanity, beyond the scope and limitations of one historical figure, city, church, or government. Yet, most assuredly, this Mystery Harlot manifested in each generation her nature and purposes through specific individuals, cities, churches, and governments.
The Great Whore, the mystery Babylon spirit has existed and ridden through every age and civilization since the tower of Babel age. She represents the influence of religious confusion among Pagans, Jews, and Christians for false worship, deceit, corruption, rebellion, fraud and unfaithfulness in each of the the seven great civilizations within which God's COVENANTED people lived. One system of idolatry, rebellion and adultery against God and his will. These 7 kingdoms, civilizations, or mountains of this 7 headed devilish power have served Mystery Harlot faithfully from culture to culture even as men and women of this 20th century yield themselves to shape THE EIGHTH BEAST.
Let's take a look at God's descriptions of these kingdoms and how they appear in Bible history.
HISTORICAL ROOTS OF BABYLON
In naming the mystery whore, Babylon, God directs our attention to the root of Babylon, ...Babel. Nimrod was ruler of ancient Babylon. "He was a mighty hunter before the LORD" (Gen. 10:9,10). It was here in the land of Shinar that men first attempted to get to heaven on their own by building the tower of Babel. Here men said, "let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name,..". (Gen.11:4)
But, Jehovah God stopped their venture because their motives and attitudes were obviously evil and rebellious toward God. They were not intending to approach God for worship and adoration. Consequently, God confused their languages and thus the place was called Babel, ...meaning confusion.
The seeds of the "Mystery of Iniquity" Babylon religion were sown in the earth at Babel (Babylon) through Nimrod and his wife Semiramis. Astrology, demons, sorcery, and witchcraft were fundamental elements of Babylon religion and are traceable to Babel.
After the Egyptian (1st) and Assyrian (2nd) kingdoms passed from power, Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom of Babylon (3rd) conquered the known world. Babylon brought credit to it's name, ....confusion. It was known for it's numerous temples and worship of as many as 50 different deities. The Babel seed of Pagan Religious Mysteries had flourished until religious confusion was at the helm of the strongest political power of that day, .......Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon.
In time, Babylon would be called upon to recognize another God, ...Jehovah of the Hebrews, ...as the "God of gods, ...because there is no other God that can deliver" as he does. (Dan. 2:47, 3:29) Even Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, would "praise and extol the King of heaven, ...and none can stay his hand, or say unto him What doest thou?" (Dan. 4:37,35) However, Jehovah God became just another God within their Babylonian Religious Confusion.
Any careful student of religious history is full aware that from Babel spread the seeds of Mystery Babylon religion to all cultures and civilizations. Hislops', The Two Babylons, makes it all too clear, that all the idolatry and false worship of the whole earth is all of one system, with one unifying source, .....Babylonian. The deliberate schemes of Satan modified the names of false deities and their origins from culture to culture. But, when they are looked at through wide viewing lenses, which look across ages and cultures, ...one sees the same paganistic elements of ritual, tradition, doctrine, and practice re surfacing over and over.
That explains why that over time, the Mother Son worship of Semiramis, the "Queen of Heaven" and her son, Tammuz, which originated within Nimrod's kingdom of Babel, spread across the ages among varying world cultures. In Assyria, her name was Ishtar, and her son was Bacchus; ...in Egypt, she was known as Issis, and her son as Osiris; ...in India, she was Isi, and her son was Iswara; ...in Asia, Cybele and her son Deoius; ...in Greece, Aphrodite and her son Eros; ...in Rome, Venus and her son Cupid, and later in Roman Catholicism, ...she became known as Mary and Baby Jesus.
However, the Mystery of Iniquity Babylonian religion gave rise to more than just Mother child worship. Pagan religions throughout the earth, those which did not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, carried many of the same familiar strains and characteristics. Such as : prayers for the dead, worship of images, a non marrying priesthood, a separation of the priestly caste from the general worshiper, monkery, holidays to commemorate Pagan Deity births, purgatory, initiation rites of baptism, prayers to the dead, relic worship, rosary beads, and even a Pontifus Maximus (where the political leader is considered a god with leadership in both the civil and religious affairs of the state).
The system of religious lawlessness and iniquity conceived at Babel bore continual fruit in the earth as The Mystery of Iniquity made in roads into the cultures of all nations. Religious confusion thrived and held sway upon the souls of all men except for those faithful Israelites who stayed close to the precepts of Jehovah.
Truly a world wide system of false worship was transmitted across political boundaries and ages until it found its most fruitful expression of poly theism and corrupting pagan religious practices in the ....Pagan Roman Empire of the Caesars. All religious confusion and harlotry conceived at Babel eventually found it's way into the Roman culture of the Caesar's. There had never been a kingdom like Rome, it was different from all the previous kingdoms which had ruled the earth, "diverse from all those which came before it". Satan had finally funneled all of the social, religious, and political evil of man into "his creation". Thus, when God revealed the nature of this kingdom, He could not type it with any creature God had ever created It was different! It was un natural! It was without precedent! Let's take a look at how God described Satan's political religious creation of Rome.
THE AGE OF GENTILE KINGDMS
The scriptures of the Bible have somewhat to say of those seven kingdom mountains which would rule the earth. God does give various descriptions of the natures of these kingdoms which would dominate the earth for many centuries. All would be Gentile nations and kingdoms. Daniel got a glimpse of 4 of these kingdoms while dealing with the King of Babylon's dream. Nebuchadnezzar's dream begins with His Babylon, omitting Egypt and Assyria, since their dynastys were already ended.
In Daniel 2:31 45, Daniel relates and interprets Nebuchad nezzar's dream of a great image. The image had a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, two legs of iron, and feet of part iron and clay. It tells us of four kingdoms, from that time on, which would dominate the earth. (If not familiar, you should read it on your on.)
Daniel said to the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar:
"Thou, O king, ...art this head of gold (v.38),
"after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee
(v.39 ...the Media Persia kingdom, Dan.5:28),
"and another third kingdom of brass
(v.39 ...the kingdom of Greece, Dan.8:20 21),
"and the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall break in pieces and bruise."
(v.40) ...non biblical history reveals plainly that the next world wide kingdom after Greece was the Roman Empire.)
The fourth kingdom was to be divided, (v.41) and be partly strong and partly broken because of the iron mixed with the potter's miry clay (v.42) in the feet and toes. The Roman Emperor Constantine performed that very division when he move the capitol of the Empire to Constantinople. This formed an eastern and western division of the empire.
There was to come a time when another kingdom, represented as a stone would be cut out of a mountain and fly through the air and strike the image upon it's iron clay feet and toes. The image of gold, silver, brass, and iron would then be broken by the stone into fine pieces and blown away by the wind. (v.34,35) The stone, a kingdom (v44) set up by God would break these Gentile kingdoms into pieces, ...thus bringing them to an end.
God said that four great kingdoms would rule over the earth from Daniel's day until the endtime : Babylon, Media Persia, Greece, and The Roman Empire. Secular history verifies these very events. However, ...since God said that 4 Gentile Kingdoms would rule the earth until the kingdom of God appeared (the stone kingdom) AND since we know that the fourth Roman Empire kingdom, came to a political end about 476 AD.; ....there is a question which needs answering.
We know the Kingdom of God has not physically appeared; (even though "it has come without observation, ...in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."), ....so Where is the 4th Gentile Roman Kingdom? God said in the dream that the 4th kingdom would exist as iron and later as iron mixed with clay, until the stone kingdom came and broke the image's kingdoms to pieces and blew them away. Where is the Roman Empire kingdom? It has to be here God does not lie! Politically it has ceased to exist; but, religiously and spiritually it still exists.
We will explain in more detail during Daniel's vision of the 7th chapter; ...but, here is what happened.
The Roman empire fell in the 5th century. When Pagan Rome ceased to exist as a political force in the earth, the spirit of Pagan Rome did NOT cease to exist. It continued! The pagan political spirit of the Roman Empire shifted into a spiritual and religious system The Roman Papacy. The political system of the Caesar's was toppled, ...but the religious system of Rome remained intact, ....so the church, which had already begun at that time to exercise itself with political powers, ...simply filled in the vacuum. And before too long the church was exercising both religious and political powers.
Rome lives. The Roman Empire exists now in a spiritual medium and affecting your and my spiritual life more than most comprehend. In later centuries it evolved into what became known as the Roman Papacy or Catholic Church. The 4th Kingdom does exist today. It did a shift, from Pagan Rome to Papal Rome. The spirit of Pagan Rome lives on today within the church world. Many are expecting a revival of the old Roman Empire. Once you see her spiritually, you will know there is no need of waiting. She exists today! We will show a little more fully how this happened.
DANIEL'S VIEW OF THE KINGDOMS
Daniel the 7th chapter gives a little more insight into Mystery Babylon's disguise as she rode upon the civilizations of history.
This time the vision is Daniel's and he watched as four beasts came up out of the sea as the winds blew upon the waters. (v.3) The angel said "These great beasts which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth." (v.17) He saw :
1st == a lion with eagles wings (kingdom of Babylon)
2nd == a bear with 3 bones in his teeth (Medes & Persians)
3rd == a 4 headed leopard with 4 wings (kingdom of Greece)
4th == a ten horned dreadful and terrible beast
(the Pagan Roman Empire, v.4 7)
The 4th beast is the focus of the 7th chapter. Daniel, no doubt, had never seen anything like it or else he would have been able to identify it by name.
"a dreadful and terrible" beast with "great iron teeth", (iron was the metal of the image's legs, the 4th kingdom in Daniel 2).
"It devoured and brake in pieces and stamped the residue with the feet of it." ...a description of the conquering Roman Empire.
" It was diverse from all the beasts that were before it." No animal God had created could portray its nature and character as did the lion, bear, and leopard. This kingdom was Satan's creation.
"and it had ten horns. (v.24 ....represents 10 kings or the 10 divisions of the Pagan Roman Empire at its fall: the Anglo Saxons, Burgundians, Huns, Heruli, Lombards, Franks, Ostrogoths, Suevi, Visigoths, and Vandals).
PAGAN ROME BECAME PAPAL ROME
"There came up among them another little horn". As he watched, an 11th horn (v.25 ..another king arose among them, among the ten (v.8), ...the 11th horn represents the Roman Papacy) This verse of the ten horns and the 11th little horn which came up and plucked up three horns represents the political events which came about within a century of Rome's fall in 476 AD.
The ten horns represent the ten divisions which the Empire became when it fell. The little horn represents the Roman Papacy which allowed the life of the spirit of Pagan Rome to continue. This is where the Roman Empire shifted from a political to a spiritual force. Here is a simple explanation of how the shift occurred and why the 4th Kingdom of Rome is still dominating and conquering the earth. However, now it conquers in a religious and spiritual manner.
The transition of the spirit of Pagan Rome into the church was given extra energy when Constantine proclaimed the Edict of Toleration in 313 AD. This decree stopped all persecution of the christians throughout the empire. It brought to an end persecutions which had battered the christian community for more than two hundred years.
Persecution ended, churches were re opened, new buildings erected, state sacrifices to pagan gods were stopped, many heathen temples were consecrated as churches, churches began to receive state financial support, clergymen became a privileged class, the church could even use state military to enforce religious decrees, crucifixion was abolished, Sunday was proclaimed a day of rest, ....in fact, membership in the church was sought as a way to gain social and political influence. Christianity had moved from the outcast religion of the empire to the New State Religion of Rome.
It was all due principally to one man, ....Constantine. While he was attempting to militarily solidify his position as emperor, he said he saw a cross in the sky and was told to conquer by this cross. So he changed his military insignias to a cross, won the battle and became a convert of the christian faith.
With the concern of persecution over, it was not long until Constantine had to deal with the bishops who now had time to focus upon doctrinal debates which had been dividing the christian community. With the great influx of Gentile converts over the past 250 years, the church was no longer Jewish in its thinking and many of its doctrines. The church now contained some of the best Greek minds who began to teach doctrines and concepts contrary to those taught by the New Testament apostles. Thus, the factions debated.
In a few years, Constantine realized that his new state religion, Christianity, had factions and strife in it which were not promoting unity in the empire. Thus, he began to convene religious councils to work out these issues and to bring unity to the state religion. Some of the bishops knew Constantine was going to use political and civil muscle to stop the bickering and bring a united faith to his Empire. Those bishops and leaders knew that whoever persuaded Constantine of their religious correctness would have the backing of the political and military machine of Rome. And so it happened.
Constantine was going to be the turning point for the Christian faith in more ways than one. Not only did he stop the imperial persecutions of christians by making Christianity the state religion; But, He opened the door of a new type of persecution for christians. One believer persecuting another believer. This came about from councils which Constantine called and required the bishops to attend. These councils resulted in many believers and churches losing their property and civil rights. The winning Bishops and leaders labeled the losers as heretics, and even required re baptism and re ordination of all those who did not agree with the "trinity" concept of God and the trinity mode of baptism. The Council of Nicea was the principal turning point in the debates. It was the beginning of christians with political muscle out lawing all other christians who disagreed with what the leaders deemed religiously correct.
It was not long until the Empire's new state religion began to take on a more Pagan Roman attitude. Why? The Roman Church contained the old Harlot Spirit of Pagan Rome. It all came so natural. The masses were joining the church by merely confessing a creed, rather than by true repentance and being born again of the water and the Spirit. (John 3:3 5)
So Constantine did Christianity a service by ending the persecutions; but a dis service by wedding it to the political machine of the Empire. Worship services became less spiritual, as pomp and ritual were more accented. Gradually, old Roman pagan forms, images and rituals with which the Romans were already familiar and comfortable, were given change of name face lifts as they were brought into the church. This allowed popular heathen festivals to become church social events.
Later Constantine moved the capitol of the Empire to Constantinople. This left the bishop of the Rome church as the most influential and powerful figure in that area. In time, Rome fell to the barbarians. Rome existed no more. Rome was divided into 10 territories or smaller kingdoms. That is when the Beast had ten horns. But, remember; ....the spirit of the Pagan Roman Empire shifted into the new power that was building in the old capitol of Rome Rome's Bishop or Papa, ....the Roman Papacy.
"and it had ten horns. (v.24 ...they represented 10 kings or the 10 divisions of the Pagan Roman Empire at its fall: the Anglo Saxons, Burgundians, Huns, Heruli, Lombards, Franks, Ostrogoths, Suevi, Visigoths, and Vandals).
But, this did not last long. Three of the ten rulers would not submit to the bishop of Rome. They resisted the bishop of Rome who was accustiomed to having authority and things his way since Constantine divided the empire. So he used the military strength at his disposal and had the three rebellious territories conquered. These three refused to submit to his brand of christianity, thus they were plucked up by the Bishop's political, military might.
"before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots" ("..whose look was more stout than his fellows" v.20) This 11th horn king tore 3 of the 10 horns out by the roots. (v.7 8) {v.24 The Papacy toppled 3 kingdoms, the Vandals, the Heruli, and the Ostrogoths.}
The beast became truly diverse as a religious civil, church state power. It began to persecute and torture all who would not submit. Thus, the false church vine, got control of the name, ....christian. The Roman Catholic Papacy became the receptacle of all the Paganism which was Rome and fostered if off on the world as Christian. Pagan Rome became Papal Rome. The Spirit of Pagan Rome simply shifted into the christian arena as Papal Rome. Thus the 4th Iron Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar's dream continued to dominate the earth. Rome was yet alive. And Daniel was told more.
"behold in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things, ...And he shall speak great words against the most High and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws:" (v.8,25)
The 11th horn (v.25), the Roman Papacy, spoke great words and became more stout than the other kingdoms. In time he spoke against God, wore out the saints, and changed times and laws.
WEARING OUT THE SAINTS
Daniel saw this power emerge which would get a reputation as a destroyer of saints. The blood of God's people would flow as never before. Pagan Rome tried to exterminate New Covenant Christianity by it's many purging persecutions of the Christians. They began with Nero in 67 A.D. and continued through Diocletian's persecutions which began in 302 A.D.
However, history reveals that the Roman Papacy Catholic church exceeded all others in the systematic, barbaric torture and murder of those who confessed Jesus Christ in opposition to her perversions of worship and scripture. This continued for well over 1200 years.
The Mother Harlot Spirit became intoxicated on the blood of martyrs as she declared an "open season" on all people she labeled as ..."heretics". (The true Christians attempted to abide in the Apostles doctrine of the New Testament). All of this transpired with the sanction of the Roman Catholic Church. History records how Catholic clergy men and church empowered civil servants burned, massacred, hacked, hunted, butchered, shot, stabbed, drowned, beheaded, quartered, impaled, buried alive, baked, threw from cliffs, starved, suspended, stuffed, blew up, ripped, dragged, bored with hot irons, choked, trampled, and performed other unmentionable barbarities upon men, women and children who opposed Catholicism.
Roman Catholic Inquisition efforts were made to extinguish the Waldenses, the Lollards, the Bohemians, the Hussittes, the Huguenots, and other innumerable Protestants. It has been estimated that close to 50 million souls were killed under the direction of the Roman Pontiffs. The executioners of this torment and torture were given absolution of all their sins and a promise of immediate entrance into heaven if they should die in the pursuit and murder of "heretics".
Truly for well over 1200 years the Great Whore "wore out the saints" and became "drunken with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." (Rev.17:6)
She changed numerous doctrines to suit her fancy and labeled them God's laws. The doctrines which surfaced from the clergy of the Roman Catholic Papacy had very little in common with the gospel preached by the Apostles in Acts and the New Testament Epistles. In fact the new doctrines of "that church" resembled MORE those of the Mystery Babylon Religion which had expressed itself in the polytheism of Pagan Rome. A simple glance at history reveals a church so unlike the "Acts Church" and so Like Roman Paganism!
The following are some of the rituals which were brought into "that church" and given the label of Christian: Mary worship, Mother child worship, prayers to dead saints?, prayers for the dead, purgatory, the christianizing of Pagan holidays as Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, worship of statues, signing of a cross, tri theism, trinity, celibate priesthood, mandatory worship on Sunday, laymen forbidden to read the Bible, traditions were declared equal to Scripture in authority, the immaculate conception of Mary, the confessional, professed power to forgive sins, church membership by baptism, and on it goes. All of these were of pagan origin, ....yet they were clothed with Christian labels and declared inspired of God. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
It was the Mystery Harlot's work to bring God's people into judgment for "eating things sacrificed to idols" and to "committing fornication", ....spiritual unfaithfulness to God's word. (Rev.2:20)
The saints were "given into his hand until a time, times and a dividing of time" (v.25) or 3 and 1/2 times. (representing 3 1/2 years of 360 days each, ....which equals 1260 days, ....3 1/2 X 360 =1260) And if each day represents 1 year ....then it equals 1260 years of prime domination and torture. (Remember, 40 days spying out the land translated into 40 years of wandering in Num. 14. See Rev.12:6,14, ...to equate 3 1/2 times with 1260 days)
History shows all too clearly that for well over 1200 years, the Babylonian Religious spirit of confusion manifested itself through the Roman Papacy Catholic churches' system of rebellion against God, his name, and his saints. This continued until the Mother Harlot's Roman Catholic church system was dealt a staggering blow by the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Apostle John was given an even deeper insight into the Mystery Babylon Spirit while he was upon the isle of Patmos near the close of the 1st century. A portion of it is recorded in Revelation chapter 13.
Over 500 years after Daniel's experience, Apostle John was given insight for the New Testament church of the SAME power that Daniel saw in Daniel 7. Only John witnessed more detail and a broader description of the 11th horn spirit. Notice the parallels.
John, in Revelation 13, saw also the sea; but, this time only one beast came up. "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.." (v.1) Yes, this is the Great Whore's Beast of Rev. 17. This beast was a mixture of some leopard (Greece), some bear (Media Persia), and some lion (Babylon) (v.2), which represented those peoples and nationalities which composed Pagan Rome and later Papal Rome.
This beast was almost a duplicate of the Devil Dragon of Rev. 12:3,9. "And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns." The same scarlet red color and the same number of heads and horns: "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." (12:9) It was Satan's instrument by which he could manifest himself within the nations of humanity. Satan's earthly vehicle was injected with the Devil's own "power, and his seat, and great authority." (v.2)
Notice what John sees happen to one of the heads. "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (v.3) Though one of the heads, one of the kings or kingdoms of the beast (17:10) was struck a death blow it healed itself, greatly astonishing the earth. The head which was wounded unto death was the seventh head kingdom. More on that a little later.
Just as the "little horn" of Daniel 7, the 11th horn, was given a mouth to speak notice the parallel revealed to Apostle John. "And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and .....he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven." (v.5 6) A very stout fellow. He speaks blasphemy even against God.
Remember the phrase "wear out the saints" from Daniel 7? "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (v.7) He likes to make war and warfare against God's people. He likes to see their blood flow.
There is also a parallel dealing with the span of time this beast would reign. Daniel said "time (1) and times (2) and the dividing of time (1/2)" in 7:25 {that is 3 and 1/2}. John saw his beast reign; "and power was given to him to continue forty and two months" (v.5). {42 times 360 days per year = 1260} {time, times and a half (dividing) time equates to 1260 see Rev. 12:6,14}
We can use Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 to equate 1 day to 1 year yielding 1260 days in terms of 1260 years. {Remember Israel wandered 1 year for every day they spied out the land 40 days turned into 40 years}
The head which received the wound, the kingdom which received a death blow and was healed is the power which reigned, dominated, and wore out the saints through persecution and war for well over a twelve hundred years. Do a little reading concerning church history and you will find a kingdom and power which came after Pagan Rome that fulfilled all of Daniel's descriptions of the "little horn" and John's beast with the wounded head. It was the 7th head of the Harlot's beast : The Roman Papacy or the Roman Catholic Church. Remember the 7 heads represent the 7 great kingdoms which have existed upon earth (Rev.17:3,9,10) and carried the Spiritual Harlot throughout her journey. They are: 1st Egypt, 2nd Assyria, 3rd Babylon, 4th Media Persia, 5th Greece, 6th Pagan Roman Empire, and the 7th Roman Papacy Catholicism.
John received revelation on the isle of Patmos of the future not the past. John was aware of history; but, Jesus was revealing what the church would go through. The time factor referred to the future kingdom that was to come. Remember, the angel said, "There are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come ..." (17:10) A wound was coming in the future to the head of the beast which was ..."not yet come". The same head or kingdom which would war against God's people for over 1200 years. The 7th head of the beast was wounded unto death. God sent a death blow to Roman Papacy Catholicism.
A WOUND BY THE SWORD
"The Beast that was and is not"
The angel told John in Rev. 17:8 that the Harlot's Beast which carried her would for a period of time be out of the seat of authority, "was and is not". It "was" in power and authority, but for some period of time it "is not". But it would return, "yet is, .... and shall ascend (though it is not) out of the bottomless pit". What happened that caused this interruption in its domination of the earth? The Protestant Reformation.
"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." (Rev.13:3)
We are not presently in the 1260 days (years) period of supreme rule and iron-teethed domination of the Mystery Babylon Harlot Beast system of Revelation 13:1?8. That period of wholesale blood-letting by the 7th head Roman Catholic Church is over! That oppressive 7th Head expression of Satan's Beast-Harlot system during the Dark Ages was WOUNDED and crippled by a Sword wound.
About 500 years ago Satan's saint? killing machine, the 7th head Roman Catholic kingdom was wounded (Rev.13:3) by "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."(Eph.6:17)
Martin Luther indicted the Romanish Church for her many errors as he nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg church door that day in 1517. He "wielded the sword of the Word" and inflicted a wound which others of the Reformation rallied around in calling God's people back to the scripture, God's Word, as a guide of practice. They exalted the written scriptures above all church systems, traditions, and religious creeds. This unveiling by God of truth, righteousness, and return to scripture took the reigns of control from the political-religious hands of the Beast's 7th head kingdom. Roman Catholicism.
When this "Sword of the Word" death blow was struck, her influence and power to hold the world's populace in slavery was broken for a time. History records the avalanche of freedoms and free?thinking which followed closely upon the Reformation. They included: a release from supression and ignorance, democracy bloomed, freedom of the press, scientific discoveries multiplied, freedom of speech, a Bill of Rights, freedom of religion, and more. Of course Roman Catholicism fought back with it's Syllabus of Errors of 1864, (which were later ratified by the 1st Vatican Council) in condemning the freedom of religion, speech, press, and all scientific discoveries not approved by the Roman church. Yet truth marched on in the sun?light in spite of resistance, no longer bound to the shadows.
Though a deadly wound was struck against the Harlot's Beast system, ...she did not die! The Beast's "deadly wound was healed". (Rev.13:3,12) The power and influence of the Mother Harlot spirit through the Roman Catholic Church DID NOT DIE.
This Babylonian Religious church system did lose much of it's power to direct the political and religious climate of the earth's governments for a period of time. This allowed the gospel and faith in Jesus Christ to be preached with great liberty over the globe.
THE HARLOT HAS DAUGHTERS
"The Beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
The Reformation did not annihilate her. She simply expanded her Mothering influence. Remember John saw that she had a name written upon her forehead which said,
"MYSTERY"
"BABYLON THE GREAT"
"THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS"
AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH"
As the Mother of Harlots, she had offspring, ...daughters, ...other religious systems which were birthed or grew out of Roman Catholicism. They wanted to grow up and be separated from their Mother, ...but not entirely. They protested, but kept some of her doctrinal stones to build their own Protestant religious dwellings, which God prohibited.(Jer.51:26) They could not sanctify themselves, for the most part, completely from the Mother's doctrines and unfaithful ways toward God, ...too much of Mother was in them. Therefore each Protestant group became a carrier of Roman Catholicism's genes of Paganism. At the beginning of their protesting, the Mystery of Iniquity seeds were concealed within these non Spirit-filled believers : Lutherans, Baptists, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and etc. These daughters of the Mother Harlot system in time began to exhibit and show a greater and greater resemblance to their Mother, ...the Roman Catholic Church. The Mystery Babylon Beast system of Iniquity had still found a way to reproduce itself.
The deadly wound began to heal as the Mother Harlot Catholic Spirit transmitted seeds of defilement to mankind through her Protestant daughters. You may not be aware of the numerous religious systems and denominations which came forth out of Roman Catholicism and how each failed in some measure, to purge themselves completely from ALL of the Catholic Harlot's fornicating traditions, doctrines, and creeds.
The Light of Scripture returned as people refused Mary worship, priest celibacy, statue worship, prayers for the dead, and more. Yet, they retained pagan holidays, trinity, salvation without the in?filling of the Holy Ghost, water baptism for church membership, and the elevation of tradition and church dogma above the Apostles doctrine.
The daughter systems and denominations, for some reason, could not cleanse themselves from all of the fornications of Roman Catholicism. They could not wash themselves completely and thoroughly with the "Water of the Word" of God. Each daughter system had to keep some measure of the Mother's tradition and doctrines which had been developed over the centuries from her roots. In time these newly formed Protestant movements began to preach and disciple believers who were diluted, mixed, and mingled with such worldliness until......, it was necessary for the original "gift of the Holy Ghost", the Pentecostal experience of that 1st Acts Church to be preached again in power and in demonstration. It was then the beginning of the 20th century.
Much of Christianity today feel comfortable with the Roman Catholic church, believing that her awesome, destructive power of the Dark Ages was broken and that she is not to be feared anymore. Much of Protestantism feel that she has reformed and that fellowship with her is permitted. Little do they realize that they carry the same seeds of fornication, as their Mother, the Roman Catholic church. They are becoming more like their Mother every day. What was once separation and division has shifted into increasing tones of compatibility and harmony, - all within specific guidelines, of course. However, war against the saints will be perpetrated AGAIN by the Mother Harlot spirit through Her prostituting daughter believers upon the true endtime Church of God. The Bride of Jesus Christ!
Let me be clear. God saw that the time would come when multitudes of HIS PEOPLE; those called to everlasting life in Jesus Christ; would unknowingly find themselves worshipping and co-existing within the Mystery of Babylon religious systems of Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Nevertheless, as the Great shepherd that he is, He said he would call unto his sheep who are within the religious systems of the earth and say, "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) God loves his own and does not want to destroy them with the others whom he must judge in his wrath.
The Beast was wounded! But the wound is healed! The next beast is upon the stage! Another beast, ...yes, another, and the last beast! Now..., we are in the days of the "8th beast", ...the Lamb-like Beast of Revelation 13:11?18. She appears quite different; yet, it is the same Mystery Harlot ? Beast, ...the same spirit of religious Babylonian confusion, ...the same spirit of Catholicism, and ...the same spirit to oppress and bring God's people into spiritual bondage.
Remember, Satan's Harlot-Beast operation has become more clever and wise over the course of centuries. The Devil's systems have adjusted and re-adjusted their schemes and manifestations to increase their persuasive powers of deception upon the nations of the earth. But, Praise the Lord, through the eyes of the Holy Ghost the overcomers still see that revealed Mystery of Iniquity. That same spirit of religious Harlotry against Jehovah God which has dominated Paganism, Judaism, and apostate Christianity is wooing today from the pulpits of Catholicism, Protestantism, Charismaticism, and luke-warm Pentecostalism.
S M O K E S C R E E N I N G
We of the latter part of the 20th century are facing a different image of Mystery Babylon than the image that was projected during any of the seven great kingdoms: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Pagan Rome, and Papal Rome. We are facing the Beast-Harlot's best ....the EIGHTH MANIFESTATION, "which is of the seven." (Rev.17:11) Her greatest and last deception just before she "goeth into perdition."
Deception and craftiness is one area where Satan has no human equal. He is the source of all deceit. In keeping with his known methods, Satan has erected SMOKESCREENS at this endtime to keep God's ministers preoccupied with secondary issues rather than what is primary.
Thus saith the Lord : The preachers today are out hunting the Beast, they are trying to find him, while all the time they are looking here and there, the Beast-Harlot has come to their very House, ....to the Church, ....to the Community of Believers!
So many ministers do not understand that they should be looking for the Man-of-Sin, the Son of Perdition, the Spirit of Anti-Christ with-in their own fellowship. NOW, it is just as it was with Judas, who set the pattern for the AntiChrist spirit. He was right among the apostles; ministering with them and fellowshiping with them. This unfaithful spirit is working today among the church; not the world. Don't look in the world. Look among the church. Don't look among the Catholics only. Look among the Protestants, the Charismatics, and the Pentecostals. The Son of Perdition is here now - a partaker of the ministry! (This is not a call for a witch hunt. But if you are blind, then you will lead the blind and both of you shall fall in the ditch.) The snare is laid. But can you see it?
The Mystery of Iniquity has raised smokescreens and diverted the attentions of much of the ministry to issues which keep them from ever truly focusing upon the fullness of the truth of the Great Whore Spirit in this generation. Periodic up-dates are the norm for systems which are constantly developing and maturing. Reading statements and testimonies about the Beast and Great Whore by the leaders of the Reformation are enlightening, but they are all observations, ....after?the?fact!
Martin Luther spoke from hindsight when he made this statement in the 16th century, "I rejoice in having to bear such ills for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty in my heart; for at last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself." The time, times and a half-time or 1260 years (Dan. 7:25) of the "wearing out the saints" phase was close to its end. Its course was almost run.
Hislop's, Two Babylons, we must remember is a great work of research. But it was, as all research, ....an exercise in HIND-SIGHT. It no doubt was inspired of God to provide us with historical information few of us would have ever found on our own. But we, upon whom the ends of the age are come, do not have the luxury of time to wait for the accuracy of 20-20 hindsight. We must see clearly as we encounter each new facet of the endtime. Or else we will fall into deception which will mean becoming partaker of the sins and plagues which are falling upon Mystery Babylon at the endtime. (Rev.18:4)
We must up-date our revelation to include more than Satan's yesterday's strategy. The Protestant Reformation created a whole different image of christianity. No longer was it a "universal-Catholic" church which took all the lime-light. The Mother Church had to share the stage with all the different Protestant denominations which proceeded from her. Each developed into large religious bodies of their own with members on every continent.
And then, at the turn of this century, God unveiled another phase of his purposes when He began to "pour out of his Spirit" another Pentecostal out-pouring as in the book of Acts. Thus beginning the fulfillment of James' early and latter rain harvests of the earth. (James 5:7) This move shook the church world of Catholics and Protestants as these Holy Ghost filled believers made a place for themselves upon the Christian stage. Now all three stand in the lime-light of attention in Christianity: the Catholics, the Protestants, and the Pentecostals.
If Martin Luther were here now at the close of the 20th century, where would he say the "seat of Satan" is NOW? Would he still point to the Pope and Catholicism? No. He would now perceive that the Mystery of Iniquity did not crawl off into a corner and die with the Reformation. She moved on into the Protestants and later into the Pentecostals. The revelation was simpler in Luther's day. Everyone pointed at the Catholic church system. But, with the addition of the Protestant denominations (Episcopalians, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, etc.) and the Pentecostal denominations (Church of God, Assembly of God, United Pentecostal, & etc) and the present Charismatic element; .....the picture has become diluted, the mix has changed in many ways. But, the Devil is still the most subtle beast of the field and is now smokescreening his moves. You must open the lense and your field of vision. There is now more in the picture. Thus, Satan is using all types of distractions to keep ministers from comprehending what he is really doing.
Since the Reformation, adjustments have been made in the christian community-thus, Satan made some adjustments in his Mystery of Iniquity Harlot system, too. Therefore, two, three, and four hundred year old historical quotes of religious leaders, (not Biblical quotes), are at best unable to give the whole picture for the endtime. The Holy Spirit of God wants us to look through the murky cloud upon today's horizon and focus upon the evil behind all the Smokescreens.
BABYLON IS NOT
Mystery Babylon is NONE of the following: Roman Catholicism, the United States of America, Islam, Communism, Satanic worship, occult, witchcraft, New Age, the Illuminati, the Masons, the Tri-lateral Commission, European Common Market, Opec-Muslim oil cartel, Economics, Council on Foreign Relations, the Bilderbergers, the Rothschilds, Humanism, Homosexuality, Abortion, Central World Bank, One World Order, New York, Los Angeles, London, ....and neither Iraq. All of these manifest evil from Satan's designs and plots to take over the planet, BUT none of these are Mystery Babylon nor the Mystery of Iniquity.
Mystery Babylon is none of these exclusively. Each manifests a portion of the Harlot-Beast's evil character; but, none are Mystery Babylon's Beast image today! Yes, they all represent and reveal evil on a multitude of battle-fronts. The war is greater than any specific one by itself. Truly Satan has come with "all power" in all of these mentioned perversions to attack the Bride of Jesus Christ from numerous directions; .....but, ALL OF THESE ARE SMOKESCREENS.
BABYLON IS
It is truly a mystery that multitudes today can not see Mystery Babylon APART FROM Roman Catholicism. Many Protestants and Pentecostals have removed from their worship much of the Pagan Rome worship practices which crept into the christian community through the Catholic church; such as Mary worship, prayers for and to the dead, purgatory, worship of images and relics, a celibate clergy, and etc. Consequently, they feel they are free of Romanism and the Great Whore Spirit. Truly, whenever a person rejects any area of Romanish NON-BIBLICAL worship practice, he sanctifies himself more closely to God because he is refusing to "eat things sacrificed unto idols". (Rev.2:20) This purifying is accomplished only by the "washing of the water by the Word", (Eph.5:26) not by man's word nor by theologian's word, but by Only the Word of God, ...as found in THE BIBLE.
The Protestants and even the Pentecostals have failed to rid themselves completely of the Babylonian Spirit and, just as many previous believers; have BIRTHED: ....wide-spread religious confusion (a life-saver christianity), ....elaborate church buildings (emphasis on the physical), ....a clergy who are lords over God's heritage, ....the spirit of Nicolaitanism (a conquering and suppressing of the laity), ....denominationalism (people belonging to a click more than to Jesus Christ), ....the doctrine of Balaam (a gospel of and for financial gain), ....organizationalism (God needs man to structure his church, which implies that God will fail without us handling matters for him), ....church creeds with more authority than the Bible (tradition and what men say matters more than God's word), ....receiving the Holy Ghost upon confession (new birth without the experience of Pentecost), ....water baptism as church membership (rather than for remission and washing away of sins), .... and on it goes. The Harlot Daughter systems have done well in terms of following in the Mother Harlot's Spirit. And the Pentecostals and Charismatics, by and large, have followed suit. Just as Israel wanted a king, so they want a visible structure like the heathen nations around them. (1 Sam.8:5)
Where is Mystery Babylon, the Mother of Harlots today? Simply where she has always been. The Mystery is that she exists in the Spirit of Religious Confusion within the religious institutions, doctrines, practices, dogmas, and creeds of religious men and women as they go about their daily lives attempting to worship Almighty God. It matters not which religious garment this Babel spirit of confusion wears; whether pagan, humanistic, Judaic, or Christian. On the surface, false religions and apostate christianity may appear different and diverse; but, ...beneath lies that same old Mystery of Iniquity Spirit which transferred itself from Pagan Rome into Roman Catholicism. If they can not worship God according to his revealed word through Jesus Christ and his "present truth" (2 Peter 1:12) or "meat in due season" (Matt.24:45) for this age, ....then they are worshipping under the influence of the Mystery Whore's fornicating spirit.
Worshiping Jehovah God by doctrines and practices that are foreign to the foundations laid by Jesus Christ and Heavenly Jerusalem's 12 apostles of the Lamb places believers and non-believers in a state of unfaithfulness, or spiritual fornication and adultery toward the God of creation. They won't be true to the WORDS of their GOD! They are just like many Old Covenant Jews who exalted their traditions and creeds ABOVE GOD'S WORD, ....thereby making the "Word of God of None Effect". (Mrk.7:13) They are always deviating in some respect from the preached word of the New Testament church written in the Bible. They won't be bone of his bone or one with HIS WORD; always holding out for the WORDS of their preacher or church system above the WORD OF GOD. (It is not our place to judge our brother's and sister's eternal destiny with God, but it is our responsibility to share the revelation which the Spirit of God has given.) Thus, the Mother Harlot is alive and well. The Wound has Healed! The same nature and character Satan injected into Catholicism was transmitted into the hearts of Protestant, Pentecostal and Charismatic believers. Those same traits are manifested from those who can not exclusively attach themselves to God's Word.
CAN YOU SEE HER ?
She has found an especially fertile ground within the United States and it's religious denominations, institutions and creeds: Catholic, Protestant, Charismatic?Pentecostal, luke?warm Pentecostals, and etc. The Harlot spirit is upon all religious people who say they love the Lord Jesus Christ, but are entrapped and ensnared by Mystery Babylon Religion. They either can not OR, will not come to the same gospel and "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3) of the New Testament.
We do not insinuate that these people do not love Jesus. They do! However, they are just like a woman who loves her husband; but, if another man makes advances upon her she will climb in bed with him, too. She just can't seem to be 100% of the time faithful and true to her husband. And so is it with this Harlot daughter spirit; it just can't be TRUE to the HUSBAND ALONE, to JESUS CHRIST, the WORD OF GOD. SHE KEEPS HAVING RELATIONS WITH OTHER "WORDS" which are not GOD'S WORDS. She keeps deviating from the WORD of GOD, ...fornicating a little here and a little there. If they could only imitate their 1st century brethern who "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine". (Acts 2:42) We are speaking of the 12 New Testament apostles, not those who came years later and called themselves apostles.
Therefore, it becomes more clear why God has spoken, "Come Out of THAT Spirit....COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE!" (Rev.18:4)
TWO CITIES -- TWO WOMEN
Now let's compare and contrast the TWO WOMEN, the TWO CITIES which the book of Revelation sketches. One is a whore (Rev.17-18), while the other is a Bride. (Rev.21:9?27)
Neither city, Mystery Babylon nor Heavenly Jerusalem politically existed as literal cities in the past nor in the present. (Take note that Babylon and Jerusalem were both literal cities at one time, but neither is Mystery Babylon nor Heavenly Jerusalem.) Both are spiritual habitations and are called by the names of historical earth cities, which once did literally exist, so that we might understand somewhat of their nature. (Iraq is not Mystery Babylon any more than present Jerusalem, Israel, is Holy unto the Lord!)
THE CITY OF JERUSALEM
Holy Jerusalem (not in Palestine), is the Bride, the Lamb's wife and is a spiritual city from "above" and "is the mother of us all." (Gal. 4:26) She has streets of gold, gates of pearl and foundations of precious stones which contain the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. This wife is adorned with glory, as a bride for her husband, as she descends from heavenly places in God. (Rev.21:2,9,10-21)
The adorning of Holy Jerusalem, the Bride, includes a great, high wall which encloses Her. Each of the four walls that surround her, have three definite entrances, which gives Her 12 Gates. Besides walls and gates the Bride has measurable qualities; such as 12,000 furlongs and four?square. (Babylon has nothing measurable about her; no walls, no gates, no boundaries, no limits, wide open to any creature who wishes to pass through.)
This holy bride represents those who have been espoused unto Christ (2Cor.11:2), who have made themselves ready to be clothed with the fine linen of the righteousness of saints (Rev.19:7-8) and who have built upon the foundation of the 12 apostles of the Lamb (Rev.21:14). Being espoused to Jesus Christ, ...whose "name is called THE WORD OF GOD" (Rev.19:13), ...which means that the church or bride of Christ is married unto the WORD OF GOD.
Being married to Jesus, the Word of God, is to be "members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." (Eph.5:30) "He that is joined unto the Lord is ONE Spirit" with him. (1Cor.6:17) Since Christ is the Word he will not join himself or become one with anything which is not The Word. Consider this illustration. The Word of God will not marry a Comic Book, an Encyclopedia, a Dictionary, nor even a Denominational Articles of Faith Handbook ?? even though all are filled with words. He will only become joined to that which is like or one with him, ...the Word of God. Thus those believers who become truly married to Jesus Christ in faithfulness and chastity are MARRIED UNTO THE WORD OF GOD. The Bride, Heavenly Jerusalem, clothes herself with His Word. She is pure and will not accept any man's or churches' word ABOVE HER HUSBAND'S WORD....the Bible. The Bride of Christ will not accept the Word of Another AS THE BRIDE OF ADAM DID, when "the serpent beguiled (wholly seduced) Eve through his subtlety (shrewdness)". (2Cor.11:3)
She is a WORD BRIDE! She adorns herself in the simple Word of God and will not allow Satan to corrupt her as he did Eve when he changed God's Word by simply adding one word, ..."Ye shall NOT surely die"! (Gen.3:3?4) The Bride of Christ, Heavenly Jerusalem, are the undefiled, who neither work abominations or lies (Rev.21:27), and who have a right to "the tree of Life".
Mystery Babylon is the other city in Revelation. The Mother of all Whoredoms and Abominations and murder upon the earth. (Rev.17:5,18:24) She is drunk with the blood of saints and prophets and has intoxicated or made drunk the nations of the earth with her unfaithful, fornicating spirit. She deceived the earth with her sorceries, witchcraft, and sin of rebellion as she took on the hew and scarlet color of the Devil himself, that great 7 headed, 10 horned dragon. (Rev.17:2-4,12:3) She became Satan's expression of pride and rebellion, bewitching God's people and merchandising the souls of men away from God.
Yes, she is a royal looking lady (Rev.17:4), garnished with gold, pearls, and precious stones. She has embellishments which are similar to the other city of Revelation, Holy Jerusalem; but, this Harlot has not the glory of God, nor the adorning of a virtuous Bride. She is described as a prostitute, drunk with martyrs blood (Rev.17:6), whose fornication filth is intoxicating to the kings and nations of earth. (Rev.17:2) She is a dwelling place for devils and every foul, ugly spirit and "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird". (Rev.18:2) This is not Satanism, or Witch-craft or New Age or the Occult. This is how God describes the unfaithful christian church systems and all who are faithful to them at the time of the end! It is not a pretty picture is it.
As a Prostitute, her relationships are not bound by vows of covenant, consecration, and separation. She relates with whom she pleases, ....as it pleases and satisfies her. Any man or king can come unto her. She has no walls, ....no standards ....no boundaries.
The Harlot city lies outside the boundaries of Holy Jerusalem. This identifies all those "outside" peoples, as people who spiritually live their lives on a spiritual level as "dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolators, and lovers of lies" (Rev.22:14-15). He is speaking religiously here of "church folk" who confess one thing and live another. They said they would be faithful to Christ but their spiritual walk with God is like, ....a dog, which returns to its vomit to eat again that from which it was once delivered, ....sorcery and witchcraft, which is rebellion against God's devine plan (1 Sam. 15:23), ....a whoremonger, spiritual adulterer and fornicator without faithfulness to God (James 4:4) and, ....makers and lovers of lies, those who love lies about God and have not the love of the truth. (2 Thess.2:10)
As a fornicator, Mystery Babylon represents, religiously and spiritually, those people who fail to keep their marriage vows with Jesus Christ. They are so unlike the Bride. Of course, by now you should have realized that the nature of this Mystery Babylon Religion is found within the hearts of everyday, up-standing church members, deacons, sunday school teachers, singers, missionaries, theologians, ministers, priests, preachers, and all unbelievers who reject Jesus Christ. It is not our place to judge any individual, but to reveal the spirit which is working among those people who call themselves christian.
These fornicating worshipers of the one true God can not be recognized outwardly. But, they can be recognized spiritually by the Holy Ghost. Spiritually, they are as a woman who can't keep herself from the advances of other men, these people can't keep themselves TRUE to Jesus, true to the Word of God. They honor part of God's Word. They see no harm in mixing the Words of traditions, creeds, and doctrines of men into their worship of God. They are like a woman who is sexually immoral with other men, while her husband is at work! What's the harm? Her lusts compel her. They have a mingled, mixtured spirit.
James spoke to some of these very believers in 4:4, "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." To be married or espoused to Jesus, the WORD OF GOD, is to cleave to the Words of God and to shun all others.
Natural fornication and adultery speak to having physical sexual relations with someone OTHER THAN the one to whom you are married. God is the Word (John 1:1) and his people are to have an ear to hear His Words and keep his Commandments and not make the word of God of NONE EFFECT by esteeming our traditions or words, ...as the Jews did, above His Written Word. (Mrk.7:13)
Spiritual fornication is simply having a relationship with religious words, traditions, and doctrines IN THE NAME OF GOD, which did not COME FROM GOD! IT IS FORNICATION for a child of God to accept, keep, esteem, honor, and OBEY THE DOCTRINES OF MEN above the WORDS OF GOD as revealed, preached, and interpreted by the 12 apostles of the New Testament.
Spiritual fornication is to declare the salvation of Jesus Christ using a mixture of God's words with the teachings of men.
The Apostles and preachers of the Bible did not allow for many ways or other gospels which were different from theirs. The Holy Spirit instructs us through John, prior to Patmos. "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us." (1 John 4:6) The Spirit of God also stated through Apostle Paul; ....."Though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed". (Gal.1:8)
Fornication is spiritual unfaithfulness in some measure to God's Word as preached by the 12 apostles. Israel worshipped Jehovah with a fornicating spirit upon her as the people attempted to have a spiritual religious relationship with Jehovah AND with Baal. They served God a little and Baal a little. If a woman loves her husband a little and other men a little, ...she is a whore. Quibbling whether she receives financial gain from it or not is irrelevant. She does it because she likes it. If a people serve God a little according to HIS WORD and serve God a little according to MEN'S WORDS AND TRADITIONS which the apostles did not preach, they are attempting to worship Jesus from under the influence of a seducing spirit. They are not completely true to their God!
This can not be decided by the eye or the natural mind - for only Jesus Christ knows clearly and truly how much unfaithfulness is within any believer. It is not our place to judge our brother, But, it is our place to "try the spirit" and to judge a system or organization, or denomination by the gospel message of it's ministers. The Lord Jesus is compelling us to proclaim the reality of the existence of this Mystery of Iniquity among Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostals and Charismatics. The forewarning of the existence of this present condition provides each HEARING child of God and minister with the opportunity to seek God and become sensitive to the Lord's voice concerning areas of our Christian walk which may have become influenced by this spirit.
The Harlot city is described as, ...(1) the Mother of All Abominations of the Earth (Rev.17:5), ...(2) a reigning queen over the kings of the earth (Rev.17:18), ...(3) she who intoxicated All nations with the wine of her fornications (Rev.18:3), and ...(4) she who deceived All nations with her sorceries (a spirit of rebellion is witchcraft, 1 Sam. 15:23, Rev.18:23).
This language by the Holy Spirit does not describe one church, nor ...one city, nor ...one nation, nor ...one generation, nor ...one culture upon one continent during any one period in history. It describes the immeasurable evil and religious wickedness which originated with Lucifer and was conceived within Her spiritual womb at the tower of Babel. Over time She, a spirit, manifested herself in an ever increasing degree, within each of the seven great civilizations which came upon the earth's political scene. From the days of the tower of Babel, through-out the Old and New Testamental periods unto the present time, ...this religious Harlot has increased in religious wisdom, accumulated knowledge, matured, and exerted greater power as the centuries unfolded.
It is time now to look at the Beast in OUR DAY. We've looked at Satan's vehicles from one civilization to another as it was revealed to Daniel. The Lion (Babylon), the Bear (Media-Persia), the Leopard (Greece), and the Strong, Diverse, Dreadful and Terrible 4th Beast from Daniel 7.
We've looked at how John saw the Devil channeling his will through a seven headed-ten horned Dragon-like Beast (Rev. 13 & 17) which carried the Mother Harlot throughout her journey across the 7 great civilizations of humanity. The 1260 year reign of torture by the 7th head of the Beast, Roman Catholicism, is over. Remember that the Beast was wounded, but did not die; its life-blood still flows. The Beast's 7 kingdoms have all had their turn upon the world scene. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece and Rome are all gone. However, the 7th, Roman Catholicism is still around.
But, where are we now? If each of the seven heads of the beast of Rev. 13:1?8 have all flowered and faded, what are we to look for? What are we to be deceived by?
Satan's best! The Devil's most subtle creation of deception! There is one more beast! The Eighth!
The EIGHTH BEAST -- The LAMB DRAGON -- The FALSE PROPHET
"The Beast that was, and is not, and yet is."
"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth," (Rev. 13:11)
John saw the 7 Headed Ten-Horned Beast phase pass into another. The 7th head Roman Catholic image of the Dark Ages, John witnessed its change into that of another beast, ...an EIGHTH beast kingdom. It was exactly as the angel said in Revelation 17:9-11 when he said there would be 7 kingdoms and yet an eighth kingdom at the end. "And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven and goeth into perdition."
WE ARE FACING THE EIGHTH MANIFESTATION OF THE BEAST, ...OF MYSTERY BABYLON, ...THE FULLNESS OF DECEIT, ...THE FULNESS OF COUNTERFEIT, ...THE FULNESS OF RELIGIOUS CONFUSION. (Rev.13:11-17, 17:11) Satan's Harlot-Beast's Last and Greatest Deception!
THE EIGHTH MANIFESTATION
Presently the Church of Jesus Christ and the whole earth is confronting the Great Whore Spirit in a manner somewhat different than our New Testament forefathers did when they fought to serve God in the face of the 7th head, ...the Roman Catholic Papacy Empire. We are now facing the fullness of the Seven previous kingdoms and the combined religious iniquity developed over all these centuries. As we uphold and "contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints," the overcomers are battling all the accumulated religious knowledge, false doctrine, corruption, and deception that Satan has now refined to a high level of efficiency during the course of the previous 7 kingdoms. As we look out upon the religious systems of this world we are beholding the complete fullness of the Great Whore. Apostasy at its Best! The EIGHTH, "which is of the Seven."
As one looks out upon the religious systems of this earth and Christianity, ...he does not see a clumsy, antiquated, fumble-bumbling religious system. Now one witnesses Satan's proud off?spring, ...his greatest creation, ...his most elaborate, deceptive earth?wide religious system EVER. Today we are witness to the devil's finest work of art by which he captures the minds and souls of all those whose names are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Satan even has captured multitudes of the Church of God and holds them by deception within his Mystery Babylon Religious System. These believers are convinced they are OK. in their relationship with Jesus Christ, BUT, GOD IS NOT PLEASED and Says "COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE". (Rev.18:4)
Satan has everyone off guard. This last beast does not come from the sea as the others in Daniel 7:3 and Rev.13:1. Now men must turn, and look in a different direction, for the beast comes from another location, "out of the earth". However, it seems that most are still watching the 7th head, Roman Catholicism, while this new beast is crawling quietly and harmlessly out of the Christianitiy's religious systems of confusion. This religious conglomerate spirit we see today is composed of endtime Catholicism, the Harlot's daughters, {...the non-Holy Ghost filled believers}, Charismatics, and luke-warm Pentecostals. They all have an inspiration and relationship with God but can not come to "the faith that was once delivered unto the saints": the same gospel preached by the 12 apostles of the New Testament. From among these christian factions another beast has risen.
"He had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon." (Rev.13:11)
A new image, never seen before, has emerged. It looks as innocent as a LAMB, but when it speaks, it will speak like a DRAGON, ...just like the Devil himself, ...just like the Beast-Harlot spoke through the Roman Catholic church (Rev.13:11-17) during the dark ages when they tortured and "wore out the saints." Yes, this religious system of Harlotry is Satan's last attempt to once more annihilate the Bride of Jesus Christ.
No longer are many horns needed, ...only two, ...those of church and state, ...political and religious. The state has always worked hand in glove with the church when the Mystery Whore began to exert her influence upon the affairs of men. That's how millions of believers were martyred. Her well?meaning, but carnal?minded preachers influenced, ...coerced, ...and demanded, that certain people be classified as "heretics," and should be eliminated or brought in line with the religious norm of that day. Consequently the sherriffs, governors, kings, and armies were directed to take care of the so?called heretics. Studying the Dark Ages and Medieval history reveals this all too clearly. Foxes Book of Martyrs by John Foxe is an eye?opener.
Recently a minister was put in jail in our city for displaying a banner for the Lord which said "HOLINESS OR HELL" from the courthouse during a March for Jesus Rally (which was nothing more than a parade by believers who reject the gift of the Holy Ghost and worldly Charismatics.) The preachers were offended and signed a petition to have the police put him in jail for breach of peace. Thus again the STATE did the bidding of the CHURCH. Of course you should realize that the TRUE Bride of Christ would never behave itself in this manner, ....only the Harlot Church Spirit acts that way. Only she is offended by THE WORD. The judge threw it out in this case.
A Lamb and Dragon. What a deceptive combination. The mixing of two incompatible natures is surely a deceptive ploy to get close to the victim before revealing it's true intentions and character. The Lamb-Dragon, with the appearance of a lamb and yet the voice of a (the) dragon, is the same Harlot-Beast as before, ...only in her Eighth manifestation costume. The deadly wound is healed and the devil knows to not manifest himself as that heavy-handed Roman Catholic head which was wounded. She would be too easily recognized. Thus satan uses a new manifestation, a new face, a new beast which looks so innocent. It even comes from a new source, the earth, not the sea as the previous beast. Nevertheless, it works!. Great wonders are accomplished so that AGAIN the earth dwellers are deceived in their worship.
"And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him: and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed". (Rev.13:12)
Quietly as we speak, without fanfare, Mystery Babylon, is forming another beast system among the religious communities of the earth. Never before has their been such unity of purpose and efforts to look for common ground among all the religious systems of the earth. In fact, they really do have a lot of common ground. Just as Herod and Pilate. They became friends in the midst of Jesus' trial and condemnation. Uncircumcised and stiff-necked, they do always resist the Holy Ghost. Yes, there is a lot of common ground for them. But, the true Bride of Christ is pure and will have no part in any of it!
These similarities have created a formal Ecumenical move among all the denominations and religions to establish grounds of fellowship and cooperative endeavor between the Jews, Protestants, Catholics, Pentecostals, Charismatics; ...in fact, all of the world's religions. The National Council of Churches. The World Council of Churches. Believe it or not, even Bible believing Holy Ghost filled fundamental and evangelical churches are sending representatives to these conclaves of the blind. "Unity in diversity" some have called it.
Informally, (in everyday life where people live, work, and play) Satan has used the spirit of religious apathy in the earth as an opportunity to bring the minds of all peoples, religions, Protestants and Catholics into a greater spirit of unity and fellowship. The general consensus is that people feel that we are all God's children and religious affiliations are just our preferences in worshipping God and ...affect very little, now or in eternity. City-wide ministerial associations, pulpit-swapping, community issue involvement, special ecumenical services, inter-denominational conferences, and pulpit sermonizing have created a mental attitude of acceptance of most religious faiths as legitimate forms of worship. All of these efforts are a work of the Mystery Babylon spirit of religious confusion to promote spiritual fornication among believers.
There can be no fellowship outside the principles of the WORD OF GOD. Unity comes as we come to Christ and the light of his word, ...not as we come in unity with one another. "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." (1 Jn.1:7) This is God's program for building unity. We come into unity with one another (not with the Harlot church system) as we come into unity with the Lord Jesus Christ. Individual unity with the Head, Jesus Christ, ...brings individual members in unity with one another in the body of Christ.
One Bible teacher said, "Unity in spite of differences,... It must be done in such a way that the Baptists still have the liberty to be Baptists, the Pentecostals still have the liberty to be Pentecostals, and so forth. God wants His people to unite in warring against evil, with the peace to allow the differences to remain. This way the various segments of Christianity can work cooperatively to stop the attacks of Satan's hoardes in the areas of murder, rape, youth gangs, drugs, pornography, abortion, and accusing the brethern."
On the surface, it seems so INNOCENT for all forms of Christianity to work together to combat social issues and sin. However, cooperative efforts between the Bride of Christ and those who resist the word of God, ...has never been a part of God's program. PREACHING THE NEW TESTAMENT APOSTOLIC GOSPEL IS THE ONLY WEAPON OF THE CHURCH OF GOD.
Presently the innocent Lamb phase is still being projected. However, the Great Whore spirit is working behind the scenes to quietly use her Church and State energies to lay legislative and religious programs in place formally, ...and informally within the hearts and minds of people, ....so that the VOICE mechanism will be in place when the Devil is ready to speak again as a tyrant.
Excesses and abuses have created an ever tightening grip of restrictions, codes, and legislation by the local and federal governments to hobble the work of God, from taxation to licensing. The prying eyes of the federal government (we are not excusing abuse) want to know more and more about the financial practices of churches as it limits and directs the how, when, and where of churches. It is happening gradually. Slowly our religious freedom to preach the gospel as the Holy Spirit directs is becoming limited. Consider the difficulties ministers encounter in your area as they attempt to do the work of God. God's Word reveals that at the Endtime, these legislative restrictions will become so tight that doing the work of the true ministry of Christ will be illegal.
Our senses are being bombarded by the media in every form available to brain wash the true children of God from standing rigidly upon the same gospel as our New Testament forefathers preached. Anyone who stands for absolutes and righteousness are treated as a joke and intimidated. The Pentecostals are being seduced from their dedication into life-styles of the worldly as though they never experienced the power of the "gift of the Holy Ghost". An ecumenical spirit has taken hold of the minds and hearts of multitudes. Preachers are preaching peace to their members and "healing the hurt of the daughter of my people". God's judgment upon their lives will be manifested shortly. It's no wonder that abortion has taken over the social landscape. Preachers have been aborting believers for years. They preach a little bit of the gospel to their churches and then refuse to allow them to come to birth! Preachers will plant the seed of the Word of God, but will not let them be "born again of the water and the Spirit". (John 3:3-5) Even churches who claim to be Pentecostal are filled with believers who have never "received the Holy Ghost since they believed." (Acts 19:2) They can't bring them to birth! So people learn to live in a state of spiritual limbo. Still-born in the womb. "Ever learning (ever preaching) and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Tim 3:7) Never able to come to birth!
Shortly the Beast's New Image System will begin to exercise power and speak just as Roman Catholicism spoke in persecution of the saints. Which saints? Those who will refuse to cooperate. Those who refuse to let go of the true worship and word of God. How innocent it all looks now. The Protestants will yet manifest clearly that many of them have that same murdering nature of their Mother, the Roman Catholic church. This subjugating and controlling spirit by the church systems and denominations (of course it all come about via politics) will actually be causing the whole earth to worship the 1st beast of Rev. 13:1?7, ...The Roman Catholic Church.
What is also disturbing is that multitudes of the Pentecostals and Charismatics have been seduced from God's word because they were carriers of the genes of Rome. Elevating a spiritual experience above the Truth. Believing lies.
HE MAKETH FIRE TO COME DOWN
"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;" (Rev.13:13-14)
The greatest deception today lies right in the heart of the christian community. God has poured out His Spirit upon all flesh. This century has seen the Holy Ghost poured out in a latter day rain of Pentecost. Now even toward the end of the century, the Spirit has fallen right among the mainline denominations. The power of the Holy Ghost and a Pentecostal experience (receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost after believing) has been received by multitudes of Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, etc. The older Pentecostal denominations have been eclipsed by the move of the Holy Ghost among the Harlot's Protestant Daughters. This is where the Charismatic movement originated.
However, the deception that Satan has put off on the Holy Ghost believers of all denominational affiliations is; ....that their experience with the Holy Spirit supersedes the Word of God. They have the attitude that having a spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is more important than keeping the vows of covenant. So many today have more confidence in their Holy Ghost experience than they do in the Word of God. Thus, if the Word teaches one thing and they feel that the spirit is leading them contrary to the Word, ....they follow their spirit. ( By the way, can you imagine the Holy Ghost that wrote the scriptures leading someone contrary to His own Word.!) What does the Word of God matter, as long as the anointing is with me ?? that is how many feel. They think: ...I know I feel the Holy Spirit with me, so I am not alone, so everything is ok. between me and the Lord. That is not a good basis to rely on, any more than feeling ok. in your physical body means everything is in fine physical condition. We know that the body does not always reveal, until often too late, that cancer has devoured the body.
Being born again of the water and the Spirit, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost after we have believed, makes us a new creature or creation because of a spiritual birth. We become alive after a spiritual manner. But, this new life of Christ on the inside does not in any way relieve us of the responsibility of following after God's word. Much of Pentecost and the Charismatics have received an attitude of deception. They depend more on feeling the Spirit move than they do upon the Word of God. They have received the Holy Ghost and fire; yet, somehow, they stay under the influence of the nature of the Beast, and will not become subject to God completely as a Bride should.
Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost does not give one right to resist God's Word. That is why deception runs deep within the church today. Everyone relies upon their experience rather than upon the Word of God. Yet we should remember. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matt.24:35) "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matt.4:4) He didn't say by every move of the Spirit or anointing that proceeds from God. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 7:22; "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (or lawlessness)."
Why will Jesus say that? Because they relied more upon the manifestations and power of the anointing than they did in cultivating a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Word. Of course, Jesus knows everyone, but the knowing he is speaking about refers to how a husband and wife know one another. Remember, the scripture says that Joseph knew not Mary until the child was born. There are degrees of knowing.
"Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses", ...is what James called the born again believers he was speaking to in James 4:4. James was speaking to their born again relationship or being filled with the Holy Ghost when said "Ye adulterers and adulteresses". He was speaking to their unfaithful, fornicating spirit. Yes, they were born again children of God, just as Israelites were physically born children of Israel. A child's birth in no way is related to whether or not the child will be obedient and bring honor unto the Father! Just as it is in the natural, so it is in the spirit. We live in the Spirit, so walk in the Spirit.
How did these members of the christian faith become spiritual adulterers and adulteresses? James answered it when He said, ...."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) Yielding to the Harlot-Beast's fornicating and unfaithful spirit is easy to do. Satan is always there to draw us away from the what God has said. As he told Eve, "Yea Hath God Said". (Gen.3:1) Satan is continually placing questioning and reasoning in our hearts and minds about what God has really said. That is the Beast. The deception is that people think they are above the Harlot-Beast's influence because they are Pentecostal or Charismatic or Fundamental or Evangelical. Not so. That is why God says, "Come out of Her My People". Come away from the Harlot and her ways. Stop walking in the nature of the Beast. Come unto me and walk with me as a Bride, pure and white. You are mine, but you must come out. Or you will be destroyed when I judge the Harlot for her ways. It is truly dangerous to be anointed of God and yet walk in the falseness of the Beast?Harlot's ways.
Balaam prophesied in Numbers 23 & 24. The anointing upon him was truth and no lie. Read the passages and you will see. Everything he said was exactly correct. Yet, Jesus said in Rev. 2 that Balaam "taught Balak how to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel" in causing them "to commit fornication"; ...causing about 24,000 of God's people to die from God's judgment. Jesus called it the "doctrine of Balaam" and he held it against that church of believers he was speaking to in Revelation 2. Thus, Jesus was not letting it slide. Balaam's anointing was true, but his doctrine was false and damnable. God makes a point to insert in Joshua 13:22 how the children of Israel brought God's judgment upon Balaam by slaying him. Thus shall be the end of all who are anointed, ....but false in their teachings. Watch the WORD as you watch them! Try them with the WORD! Come out of Her MY people! Or be destroyed as Balaam was.
Giving confession to having a spirit-filled life or being "born again" is not a cure-all. A spiritual birth experience simply makes one a member of the church family of God; ...just as a natural birth experience makes us a member of our physical family. Only God knows the number of genuine red?blooded Hebrews who confessed Jehovah, ...and yet worshiped Baal. Israel was full of them. "All of them were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and the sea, and did all eat of that same spiritual meat; and did all drink of that same spiritual drink," ...the Rock, (1 Cor 10:2-4) BUT, many were overthrown and destroyed in the wilderness by God. (v.5) Why? Because God was not pleased with their unclean, lustful, fornication, idolatrous, murmuring and tempting spirit. "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition," (1 Cor.10:11) You should remember my brother or sister, "that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." (Jude 5)
Yes, ....today multitudes have sold their birth-right and experience with God for the rewards of the flesh. And shall receive of their deeds just as our Old Covenant fore-fathers did for their wickedness. Destruction is being reserved for multitudes who confess Christ but walk in the flesh and serve sin, ....no matter the depth of their religious anointing or fire-baptized experience. A Strong delusion has taken many who had rather believe a lie and be damned. (2 Thess.2:11-12) Again they have been overcome by a fornicating and unfaithful spirit. Come out of Her MY people! The Holy Ghost fire has fallen upon the Beast system and multitudes are staying with the Beast!
"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by the sword and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." (Rev.13:14-15)
Make an image! Make an image! Satan has been speaking this idea for years through the mouths his religious servants and civil leaders. They do not know the source of their religious philosophy and political solutions. It started not long after the fires of the Protestant Reformation began to cool. Make an image to the Beast, ....to the 1st Beast of Revelation 13:1-8, ....to the Devil's Image in the earth during the Dark Ages, ....to The Roman Catholic Church System. Make an Image! Yes, it is forming as we speak.
God made an image of himself when he created man, ....Adam and Eve. Of course, man was not and still is not God. But since we are the creation of Jehovah, ...we do reflect in a human way, his character, personality, mind and other attributes in our emotional, social, mental, and spiritual make-up. We have been created in his image.
All the driving forces of hell have been laboring on all battle-fronts of evil to make an image, copy or representation of the 1st Beast system which had the wound by the sword (the Word of God) and yet still lives. Satan yearns to have another religious-political system similar to the one which oppressed and dominated the earth with an iron hand for over 1200 years. This new image would help him express his rebellion and evil against God's new-creation man.
Jesus Christ has his many-membered body, ...the church. It is the image of Christ in the earth. And Satan desires, as all devils do, to have a body or vessel by which he can express his character and nature of lying and murder, ...which has been from the beginning. Thus, Satan has been plotting for centuries to bring into existence another many-membered religious-political system which is similar to or an image of, ...that full of wonder Roman Catholic Church System by which Satan oppressed and murdered millions. This new image system is being formed now under the careful eye of Satan and the Beast.
Many are watching intently for the Pope and the Catholic church to be the prime movers in persecuting the saints again. But not so. The Devil is wise. Now Mystery Babylon the Great Whore Spirit is moving deceptively with a new beast, ....a new face, ....a new image, ...a new system, ....in a new way. They should be watching the Ecumenical spirit that has invaded the mind-set of the "Christian community". Look at the miraculous unifying forces which are at work among the Catholics, Protestants, and Pentecostal ? Charismatics. Truly there are some amazing changes taking place within the religious systems of the earth. All of these center-stage events have created a Smorgesboard Christianity; ...all under the direct oversight of the Lamb-Dragon, ....the False Prophet Spirit. If you think that the winds blowing today in the mainline denominations and Charismaticism, are of Jesus Christ; then you need to watch the fruit on the tree.
Genuine Pentecostal born again believers are fellowshipping believers and ministers from other "Christian" factions who have never known repentance. They just joined a church. Born again Bible believing ministers fellowship preachers who don't even know, but resist the very power of the Holy Ghost. They ignorantly acknowledge in their hearts and accept on an equal basis those whose tenets of faith are contrary to "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever", ...to save, fill with the Holy Ghost, heal, and deliver from sin and oppression.
Years ago, prior to the time it happened, the Holy Ghost spoke concerning a popular Holy Ghost filled minister. The Spirit said, "He is going back into the Harlot System. He has been overtaken by a wealthy spirit." First reaction was to resist this as from God. However, within two years it was manifested openly that he had indeed joined himself to a non-Pentecostal denomination. Yes, that wealthy spirit drove him to acquire a great college campus and hospital and to become weaker and weaker in holiness. Today we can see in part where this road has led. One who was once a great deliverer for God's people became of a mixtured spirit as he was overcome with Mystery Babylon's Harlot ways.
As you read this, the hearts and minds of Your community are being shaped and molded by churchmen from pulpits and by the media. An image, a likeness, a copy, a system is being set up which resembles the one that devoured the earth and saints during Roman Catholicism's bloody war against the saints of the Dark Ages. The Ecumenical, lamb-like, innocent cry for Christian Unity and brotherhood is simply the erecting of the 8th Beast, a Church-State system similar to the 7th Beast, Catholicism, and will shortly shed it's outward trappings of innocence and harmlessness.
When it does, it will no longer operate as a Lamb, but will act as the Beast, which truly it is. Life will be given to this NEW BEAST system so that it will begin to speak and subjugate the inhabitants of the earth unto death, if they will not worship according to the New Image, according to the New System. At that time the two horns of the Lamb will reveal openly their Political-Religious character.
The Devil through the Dragon is about to speak again as he did through the 7th head, ...Roman Catholicism. Protestants, Pentecostals, and Charismatics alike are subtly being turned sub-consciously in their hearts and minds gradually back to the Roman Catholic spirit of Mystery Babylon, people are caught in religious confusion and spiritual fornication. The Prostituting Spirit of Satan has been patiently manipulating events, creating circumstances of abuse, legislating a web of restrictions, weakening religious barriers, solidifying a mind set that we are all God's children and building cooperative ecumenical bridges. Consequently, a warming-up attitude has replaced the separatist attitude between Catholicism, Protestantism, and Pentecostalism. Of course, their are issues to resolve. But, it matters not. They will unite and are united. Everybody thinks they are a Christian. Moreover, the Ecumenical push does not have to be coercive or forceful, because the church systems and denominations HAVE and ARE backsliding into the Devil's plot and schemes. Minds and hearts have been deceived by a false gospel. Remember the daughter of a Whore is a virgin until she comes of age and defiles herself, too.
The spirit of Ecumenicalism upon the Catholic and Protestant denominations coupled with the Lukewarm Pentecostals helped incubate the Charismatic movement which revitalized the Ecumenical movement and the informal grass-roots ecumenical spirit among the common church members.
DWELL ALONE OR BE A MIXTURE
The old timers used to say, "You can't tell anymore where the church ends and where the world begins." Can you?
God said that His "people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned (woven or plaited) among the nations." (Num.23:9) Which thread is the Holiness thread? Which thread is the true Church, the Bride? Woe unto to those born again members of the Church of God who have lost their UNIQUENESS, DISTINCTIVENESS, AND SEPARATION UNTO GOD. It is most difficult to be set apart for God within the boundaries of the religious confusion upon our world today.
Isaiah said it this way, "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth." (Isa.5:8) Woe unto to those religious leaders who labor to combine all the Christian factions and denominational houses together. It doesn't have to happen formally. Informally, the spirit is taking over the philosophies and beliefs of people. It is the consequence of preachers failing to cry out for righteousness and holiness. Failing to cry, "come out from among them and touch not the unclean thing....be ye separate saith the Lord." (2Cor.6:17)
When ministers stop standing as Watchmen and fail to cry, "..Be not as the heathen...," they usher their churches right into the hands of the Devil's devices. Woe to that Harlot-Beast spirit which will not relent until it has joined all the religious fields together. Woe to those Ecumenical minded folk who will take away the right and privilege of the Church of Jesus Christ to dwell alone unto her God. Woe to those who attempt to prohibit the church from being separated unto Christ in faithfulness and holiness.
The religious confusion which has saturated the Christian community has given rise to a quiet, refined and dignified form of worship. They are not led by the Spirit of God. This type of ministry is showy and feeds pride and intellect; ...but does little, if anything, to feed the flock of God and to heal them. "The Holy Spirit spoke that the Beast would 1st begin walking in a Methodist-type church spirit; ...where much ritual and form exist, but little life changing power of the Holy Ghost." Even Pentecostals who have been TRULY BORN AGAIN are being influence by the religious harlot spirit of this age. In fact, the Spirit said that "Many prominent ministers will fail to distance themselves from this religious-type spirit and will be defiled and overcome."
The religious confused climate of this endtime is creating a religious image which shortly will be infused with life from the church and state's two horns of power. When it does, the nominal church member, who has refused to walk out of the doctrinal and spiritual clutches of Mystery Babylon's Spirit, ....will be turned over to the power of Satan. Satan will enter them as he did Judas and will begin to manifest a betrayal spirit toward other Holy Ghost filled believers in Christ who refuse to submit to this religious conglomerate system's image erected to the Mystery Harlot.
A powerful religious system is taking over the hearts and minds of all men and women who do not seek the Lord Jesus Christ with all their heart. This religious spirit condones many alternative paths to God. Very little is sin. Haven't you noticed how the religious spirit of so-called Christians are advocates of everything from Abortion to homosexuality. (note: The Spirit said over fifty years ago...(The homosexual spirit cross America, out of California as a mob spirit over-powering the weak as it crossed the land. Comment:In 2022 we see that it has come to pass.) The religious timidity of this ecumenical Lamb religious spirit will become less and less innocent and more and more harsh and will eventually manifest the nature of the dominating Devil-Dragon upon the Bride of Jesus Christ. (The Bride are those who preach Bible salvation and refuse to knuckle under to this ecumenical mind-set and refuse to consent that these people are true brethern).
Even now, many preachers and laity confess they are not pleased or in agreement with their church organization's present ideology, tendencies, and actions. However, though displeased, they do not remove themselves from their present religious affiliation. They do not run for safety! They remain in a religious House that is on fire and watch as it burns around them without making the effort to escape. Fellow believer in Christ, don't tarry too long or you will be destroyed as the religious systems are consumed which have rejected the true Apostolic New Testament Gospel, and "have become the habitations of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and the hateful bird." (Rev 18:2)
Almighty God loves his people and sheep of every church affliation, BUT, ...he does not love the system of unfaithfulness from which they worship God. Thus, God has decreed that Mystery Babylon must be destroyed. He has warned his church, his people, which find themselves within these religious systems, which REJECT HIS WORD in some measure, ...to COME OUT before they are destroyed with the System when God's spiritual bomb is dropped. Sadly, multitudes have already sealed their fate by adamantly opposing all rescue attempts by the Holy Spirit.
You are hearing the Trumpet of God NOW as you read! Stop listening with your prejudices and natural ears. Those who refuse to run for safety into the strong tower of the name of the Lord Jesus and separation unto Him, ...they show that they love their own religious system more than they love God.
Remember, the saving of souls has always been important to Jehovah God in every generation. Now in the endtime of the age, God places much emphasis upon Endtime Events and the completion of God's Program of revelation in the earth. The prophecy books of Daniel and Revelation were written for us upon whom the ends of the world are come. Look out upon the religious endtime landscape with the eyes of the Spirit. Let the Holy Ghost speak to you of what His books of Prophecy say.
The Eighth Beast is being formed now upon the earth and is maturing to the age when it will be given truly a voice of power and authority. Once he begins to speak, it will be that old lying murderer again, ....He will " cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast . . . should be killed". (Rev.13:15)
"And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name." (Rev.13:16,17)
I am not going to discuss the possibility of a colossal computer being the Beast, ....nor the possibility of imprinting invisible identifying numerals upon people's foreheads and hands, ....nor the use of optical scanners, ....nor buying and selling with "plastic cards", ....nor "EFT" (electronic funds transfer), nor even worshipping on Sunday rather than Saturday, .....as the mark of the Beast. Nor will we take time to try and identify the nationality or who the Antichrist might be.
It is obvious that any manner of manipulating and monitoring the affairs of men at the endtime will incorporate a computer system and a human element behind it to direct the programming. However, the Holy Ghost wishes to reveal the character of the spirit which will perform these acts through humans; ...not the computer system, ...not the process, ...and not the specific individual or individuals. But a revealing of a spirit.
Our focus will be somewhat different. We are going to approach the understanding of the mark from a more Biblical and spiritual standpoint, rather than a literal one. In other words, we're going to accent the spiritual aspects, rather than any physical or literal processes which have been or might be invented to fulfill these events.
Why? Let me ask you? When God marked you as his own, how did he do it? Did he do it physically? During the times of the Old Testament, men were circumcised literally and marked in their flesh that they were Jehovah's and in covenant with Him. But now, in the New Testament of Jesus Christ, men are circumcised spiritually in the heart, without hands, an operation of the Spirit, ...of God. (Col. 2:11?12) Know you not, that you were sealed with God's seal and mark when you received the Holy Spirit of promise, the gift of the Holy Ghost? (Eph. 1:13) "The foundation of God standeth sure, ....the Lord knoweth them that are his." (2 Tim. 2:19) God can see the seal or mark he's placed upon his own.
"And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,"...
It is obvious that it will effect All people at all levels of society over the world. It will include the bag-lady, the corporate executive, and as well as those who know freedom or slavery.
"To receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:".
This is very similar language to that found in Exodus 13:9, "And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand and for a memorial between thine eyes...that the Lord's law may be strong in thy mouth." God said if they would keep his Word that it would mark them in their hand and between their eyes (the middle of the forehead).
An angel "set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done." (Ezk.9:4) Those that were marked by the angel in Ezekiel's vision were to be preserved in the midst of the judgments which later came upon Israel in that age.
Neither of the previous two Biblical examples spoke of marks or signs or identifying marks upon the literal forehead and hands. Both were of a spiritual nature, unseen to the human eye or senses, ...the results of obedience and the godly life of the worshiper.
Have you ever considered the spiritual nature of the mark of Revelation 13, that spiritual aspect which only the angels and demons can see, ...rather than the literal? Every natural or visible aspect of the kingdom has a spiritual and invisible quality, too. (see 1 Cor.15:46-47)
In Ezekiel 9:4 the "mark" was a mark or scratching, ....which confirmed that individual's blessing of preservation and sealing from a time of judgment, while the "mark" in Rev. 13:16 is a mark, an imprinting, an etching, ...which identifies the individual's curse of death and sealing unto judgment and destruction, rather than from it.
It seems so appropriate that God marks and seals the righteous, while the Devil marks and seals the adulterous and ungodly. Both groups sealed! Those who served God and keep his Word are sealed with the Father's Name in their foreheads, (Rev.7:3,14:1) The Unfaithful Prostituting crowd are sealed with their father's Name, ....the Devil's Name, ....the Beast's Name, ....the Harlot's Name, ....and in their foreheads, too. (Rev.13:16?17,14:11)
"in their right hand"
In scripture, the right hand represents numerous times "strength", "power", and "authority" of God. (Ex.15:6, Matt.26:64, Eph.1:20?21) In Deuteronomy 33:2 the right hand represents the place from which came God's Law..."from his right hand went a fiery law for them." Jacob's right hand was the instrument of devine ordination as he prayed for his two grandsons; Ephraim and Manasseh. (Gen.48:13-18) The right hand (thumb, toe & ear) were anointed in rites of consecration, sanctification, and cleansing of the Old Testament priesthood. (Ex.29:20, Lev.:23-30)
The Right Hand referred to "the right hands of fellowship" (Gal.2:9) which were given to Paul and Barnabus by James, Cephas, and John to acknowledge and place approval upon their ministry among the Gentiles. Therefore scripture speaks of the right hand in relation to strength, power, authority, God's Law, devine ordination, anointing for consecration, and brotherly fellowship.
"in the forehead"
The forehead, the prominent part of the head, or amid face, has been spoken of in scripture as where God seals his saints for security and preservation (Ezek.9:4, Rev.7:3) and of "Holiness" unto God. (Ex.28:38)
The forehead also speaks of UnHoly things, such as a "Whorish spirit" (Jer.3:3). Within the forehead of a Whore exists a pattern of values, thought-life, and a mind much different and opposed to the thought-life and mind of Holiness in a virtuous Woman. A Prostitute's forehead or mind is driven by Satan's word (which is simply a perversion of God's Word) while the Holiness forehead or mind operates from God's principles.
The forehead in scripture speaks to us righteousness in sealing, preservation, and Holiness unto the Lord; and, also reveals ungodly character, too, such as an unfaithful, unvirtuous, and whorish spirit.
The Bride of Isaac was marked as His bride, in her Hand and Forehead or face. "At the time of the evening" Eleazar found a bride for the Master's son, Isaac, and gave Rebekah "a golden earring" (a jewel for the forehead) "and two bracelets for her hands". (Gen.24:11,22) Eleazar relates this to Rebekah's brother in Gen. 24:47 when he said "I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands."
It becomes clear, that even a surface look into the scriptures gives us a much better understanding of what God means by the forehead and hand, ...than do everyday newspaper events.
"And that no man might buy or sell, .."
Merchandising in the scriptures is quite different than that of groceries, hardware and dry goods.
Proverbs 23:23 speaks of buying and selling the truth, "Buy the truth and sell it not." Isaiah spoke of buying in 55:1, "yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." He was speaking of salvation being for sale without price for all who would come and buy.
Jesus spoke of buying and selling in Matthew 25:9 when the five foolish virgins were told, "but go ye rather to them that sell, (oil) and buy for yourselves." It is understood that the oil represents the Holy Spirit, the born again new creation life, which is only "sold" by a gospel preacher and "bought" without the price of money. Jesus even spoke of it in Revelation 3:18 as he counseled the Laodicean church to come and "buy gold" which he had for sale. "I counsel thee to buy of me", he said. Of course, it is plain that he was speaking figuratively of gospel righteousness, not literal merchandising.
Buying and selling in scripture refers to different facets of the ministry of the Word of God, ...of salvation, ...of receiving Truth, and ...of consecration in holiness unto Christ. The buyers, ...are the listeners. The sellers, ...are the ministers ?? preaching the anointed gospel of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, ...if "no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark", then buying and selling, ...preaching the gospel truth, ...is legislatively restricted to only those preachers and churches who agree to work within the principles and guidelines of the Harlot-Beast Ecumenical church system which is composed of worldly Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostal, Charismatics, and any other deceived church people who fail to hear the call to "Come Out of Her My People."
Subsequently, no preacher or church organization will be allowed "legally" to sell, ...or preach the uncompromising Apostolic gospel truth of the New Testament, ...or allowed "legally" to listen to preachers of righteousness and holiness unless they are sanctioned by the "religious establishment." And if they are sanctioned, they will have compromised, preaching a worldly, ritualistic, carnal gospel like those of the main?line denominations. It is a gospel that looks good on the surface but is driven by pride, lust and rebellion; without the power the Holy Ghost to truly change the heart of a man and woman through Godly sorrow and repentance.
For example, during the days of the conception of the Methodist Revival in England. The Anglican Church of England closed the church doors to the Wesley brothers and George Whitefield. They were illegal preachers called "Irregulars". So they preached "illegally" to thousands in the fields of England, and often in the beginning with persecution. They did not compromise the gospel message of Truth or there would have been no salvation and no revival.
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Preacher friend and church member, what will you do when the intimidation to stand and preach the uncompromising gospel in doctrine, separation and righteousness becomes so strong that you have to declare yourself openly, among your friends, neighbors, and church friends? Will your mouth be shut? Will you just silently go along with the crowd? Or will you even perceive what is going on?
Thus saith the Lord, ....ministry brother, .....the binds and restrictions will become so restrictive, that each will have to choose to either compromise the preaching of the gospel or become uncooperative with the formal religious ecumenical community of Apostate Christianity, Catholicism, the Harlot's daughter systems (Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, and all non-Holy Ghost filled believers, the worldly Charismatics, and lukewarm Pentecostals. These will work together formally and informally in one spirit to wield the political sword to bring the earth and the Bride into greater captivity. Some will know better than to cooperate, but they will see no other alternative. All their labors for the Lord are at stake, so they will think. Their organization and denomination is too large to bring to a halt, ... as would occur if it became illegal. The Pentecostals, especially will find themselves in a predictament. They have the Holy Ghost. They see what is going on. But many won't be able to see any rational way out other than fitting in with the IMAGE which everyone else is agreeing to project. Rock the Boat or Get out of the Boat? You must do one or the other. And the best time to start is NOW! Pray my friend that you will have the power to make the right decision at that hour or souls will be lost, ....maybe even yours. What should you do? "Come Out of Her My People"
Praise God, there will be those who will have "gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." (Rev. 15:2) They will be of the caliber of that 7000 group in Elijah's day. They will not bow to a lukewarm, mingled, mixtured ecumenical church spirit of this Endtime. These will refuse to submit to pressure to compromise and will keep proclaiming the Truth of the same gospel that the New Testament Apostles preached.
How can a believer get Victory over the Mark of the Beast?
1st : Get your thinking straight.
You must understand what is going on in the earth today, ...OR, you will take the Mark of the Beast in your forehead. Pray for the Spirit of God to reveal to you How the Devil is working and reaching toward you through the spirit of the False church (which proclaims itself christian so boldly) to deceive you and pull you away from the Truth of God's Word and have you accept man's opinions, which sound so reasonable. You must see that there is a false church trying to deceive the true church. You must know that the truth is the same gospel preached in the Bible and recognize the false for what it is ?? a perversion of the truth ?? even if you are not ordained or anointed to cry out against it.
2nd : Don't be moved from the Word, from the Scripture
Don't move from Peter & Paul's preaching, that is in your Bible, to keep fellowship with anyone. Do as the early church did and "continue stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine" (Acts 2:42) and teachings. You can read. So read the Bible. You can understand as well as any preacher if you will pray as you read. It does not take scholarship nor theology. It takes about a 5th grade education and Jesus' spirit of revelation - anointing to teach you. Rely upon Him by the His Holy Ghost Spirit to teach you. He will! Don't let your preacher or any preacher tell you that what the Apostles taught the church in Acts and the Epistles is wrong; - that it was right for their day but culturally wrong for ours. That is the AntiChrist! It's that simple.
3rd : Stay with the Original Plan of Salvation
Don't move from that the Spirit gave and taught to the New Testament believing Church in the book of Acts. {Please note: The Epistles of the New Testament were written to disciple, to give understanding and confidence to believers in what salvation had accomplished in them and how to live this new life. The Epistles were not written to instruct the un-converted in how to be saved.} Read Acts!
Once people believed upon Jesus Christ and repented of their sins, they were baptized in water in the name of the Lord Jesus every time. Never did they say during baptism; "in the name of the Father, Son & Holy Ghost". Every noted baptism example always found them "calling upon the name of the Lord" - always. (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5, 22:16) If you have not come to this yet, find a preacher who has and have him baptize you. Bring your life into harmony with the scripture and what was taught and Originally "delivered to the saints".
Jude 1:3
Also, once people believed upon Jesus and were baptized; they were prayed for to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:15, 19:6) Pray until you receive the Holy Ghost just like they did in the book of Acts. It is harvest time and has continued since Calvary and that first Pentecost. It is still time for the original to come about or forth in each believers life. (Mrk 4:28)
When the Original Bible Holy Ghost came to the church at Pentecost; - the Spirit spoke in other tongues. (Acts 2) When the Holy Ghost came to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house they spoke in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 10) Apostle Paul spoke in tongues after he received the gift of the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor 14:18)
The Ephesians, after being baptized unto Jesus, were prayed for to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues, also. (Acts 19) Peter said, that he perceived that God was no respector of persons.(Acts 10:34) He treats all the same. Jew and Gentile.
If you are a believer who professes faith in Christ Jesus; then the same promise of the same Spirit of Jesus Christ, is promised to you. The same Spirit that gave utterance to them - is offered to you - to each believe, and will speak or utter through you. Have you received your Utterance yet? Yes, God has confirmed it in the mouth of more than three witnesses : The Jerusalem Church, the Caesarean Church, the Ephesian Church, and the Corinthian church. The Original Churches of God were all Holy Ghost filled, tongues speaking cchurhes.
They of that 1st generation of believers were our examples of the Original Holy Ghost Seed. Since we are of the Endtime Generation, the days of the latter rain and Harvest Age, (James 5:7) God is pouring out His Spirit again at Harvest Time, just like he did in the Bible at the Original Holy Ghost Seed sowing time. Remember that Harvest Time is simply a returning of that same original seed that was sown in the beginning. That is why the middle stages look different, but the beginning and the end display the same seed. Don't settle for a salvation experience which is one iota less than what our New Testament book of Acts brothers and sisters experienced! The Holy Ghost is for every believer ?? not for just some special or select few!
4th : Keep a Christ-like Spirit!
Don't take on a bad spirit toward the worldly church folk and those who, you might think, you are of the False Church as they persecute and ridicule you. Remember to forgive them. For they know not what they do! Pray for them. Some of our brothers and sisters are caught up in the False spirit and don't realize it. Some of the church of God is entrapped in Mystery Babylon, that's why he said "come out of her MY People". Some are to come in at the 11th hour. Prepare your heart and spirit to receive those whose eyes come open to the truth at, seemingly, the last moment. Keep your spirit right. It may be that you can help pull one out of the fire of God's judgment.
I repeat. Don't fight the false. Remember Stephen. Receiving understanding and revelation is not fighting. If you begin to defend yourself and debate them; you will be overcome to some extent. You will fall right into Satan's snare of strife and contention. Keep your spirit clean. If you take a spirit of strife, contention, and debate against the false church; you will be overcome. Remember Stephen;- even if they persecute you.
5th > Separate yourself from worldliness and unto the Lord in Holiness!
Both aspects must exist. The existence of the 7000 of Elijah's day and their whereabouts were not known to Elijah. But, Jehovah knew of their existence, location and their separation from the religious evil of their day. They had separated themselves from the backslide temple worship and were on their own. Yet, they were still with Jehovah! They were just like Abraham. He lived outside of Sodom and would have no part with it. { "come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, ...and I will receive you" (Isa 52:11, 2 Cor 6:17), is Jehovah's will in every age.}
You must prepare now to separate yourself in the spirit, and maybe later physically, from those worldly "christians?" who compose this new beast image of worldly religion. The time will come when Giving the right hand of fellowship and calling them brother or sister will cause you to be overcome by a deceiving spirit and will put upon you the Mark of the Beast in your right hand or in your forehead or both!
Be prepared when the Holy Spirit speaks to you, to withdraw fellowship from the worldly, carnal-minded, undedicated, luke-warm church folk who resist the Holy Ghost. The Lord is drawing you away from the False Church. In time this will mean separating spiritually in your heart and mind, (by no longer regarding them as the True Church) and physically from church friends, natural relatives, and maybe, even family members. (by no longer fellowshipping with them as brothers & sisters in Christ) No one, no matter how much they naturally mean to you, can be allowed to take you from the Truth. The time will come when you will have to stop acknowledging them in your heart, as members of the body of Christ. Their hearts and minds will have been sealed unto the false church mind set. They will have received the Mark of the Beast in their forehead.
Those that are separated unto Jesus Christ, ...will have to dis-fellowship them in some manner. Or else we will receive the Mark of the Beast in our Hand of fellowship. Separation. Satan hates it. He has always wanted to fit in, that's why he transforms himself "into an angel of light." (2 Cor 11:14) He wants to be included, too.
Again, let me remind you. You will not take the Mark of the Beast in your forehead (in your thinking and understanding of the things of God) nor in your right hand (in fellowshipping people as christians who are not) if you will believe and accept the message of salvation which the Apostles preached in the New Testament, ...beginning with Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost.
If you will remain firm to the Apostles word in the Bible, you will not be marked as belonging to the Beast System. It will demonstrate that truly you have been sealed unto Jesus Christ in YOUR heart and mind. That shows that you belong to HIM, more than you belong to THEM.
Remember, the mark shows the spirit realm that a believer belongs more to the Harlot religious system more than they do to Christ! Marked in the Hand by your Fellowship OR Marked in your Forehead by your Thinking!
The WORD OF GOD is linked in scripture to the forehead and the hand. We saw this in Exodus 13:9,16 in the keeping of the Passover and the feast of Unleavened bread, which are God's Law. The forehead and hand also appear in Deut.11:18 when God instructed Israel to "bind them (God's Words) for a sign upon your Hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes." (your forehead) Keeping God's Word is symbolically related to the forehead, mid face and the hand. What WORD mind set is within your forehead? With what name are we marking ourselves and those we preach to, ....does their forehead read, .... "Holiness unto the Lord" or does it read, ....a "Whorish's forehead"?
N A M E S O F B L A S P H E M Y
"And I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy,..." (Rev.17:3, 13:1)
What names?? As we look at this harlot woman, who has no morals, no vow or covenant with any man, -- we see that she has taken on the same scarlet red color as the Devil's beast. The scarlet color of the devil has become Her color, too. (Rev.17:3?4) It is not two mysteries, but one. They have become ONE, not two. The unveiling of the Beast is to unveil the Woman. To reveal the character and nature of the woman is to reveal the devil and the whereabouts of satan's seat.
We may have many ideas and thoughts about which names of blasphemy John actually saw the beast wearing. However, we can rest assured, with confidence, that of all possible names, ...there is ONE NAME which John DID NOT SEE on the BEAST! There is one name that is guaranteed NOT to be blasphemous! That name is JESUS!
There is no sacrilege in, ...that blood name (1 Pet 1:9), ...that baptizing name (Acts 8:16), ...that devil casting out name (Mrk16:17), ...that Emmanuel's name (Mat 1:23), ...that Father-Son-Holy Ghost name (Mat 28:19), ...that family name (Eph 3:15), ...that God's name (Isa 9:6), ...that healing name (Acts 3:16), ...that knee-bowing name (Philp 2:10), ...that Lord's name (Lk 2:11), ...that none other name (Acts 4:12), ...that One name (Zech 14:9), ...that preaching name (Acts 8:12), ...that repentance name (Lk 24:47), ...that remission of sin name (Acts10:43), ...that salvation name (Acts 4:12), ...that speaking with new tongues name (Mark16:17), ...that name above every name (Phil.2:9), ...that whatsoever you do name (Col.3:17), ...that washed, sanctified, justified name (1Cor.6:11), ...that Word made flesh name (Joh.1:14,17), .......... of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
The Name of JESUS. Praise God. No blasphemy there! Brother or sister, minister or church member, ...don't let anyone make you afraid of Jesus' name.
Let me share with you how a regular, good ol' name can be turned into a blasphemous name. Satan has infiltrated the christian religious systems until people's hearts now attribute to their particular religious denomination, creed, organization, or fellowship, ...the same power that is in the NAME OF JESUS ...... and to do so is to make the name of that organization, denomination, creed, church, or fellowship .... a NAME OF BLASPHEMY !!
Church membership doesn't save. Fellowship cards do not heal. Ministerial credentials do not anoint. Preachers can't deliver. Only Jesus matters. He's the only one.
Jesus Christ and the Apostles doctrine is the tie that binds believers together. Thus anything else that man elevates above (if there could be such a thing) and beyond the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, ...is blasphemy! Why? Because man is then attributing unto THE NAME OF ...that individual, that denomination, that church, that creed or that system, (which is represented by IT'S NAME), ...the power of God which HE has reserved exclusively for himself AND for His, ...."God Manifested in the Flesh", ...Name is, ....Jesus Christ!
This is why people can not "Come Out of Her ". They believe in their hearts that God's blessing is there.
VICTORY OVER THE NAME OF THE BEAST
Mystery Babylon has a direct conflict with JESUS' NAME! When one worships under the Mystery of Iniquity umbrella, one area of rebellion will be in the area of JESUS' NAME. An opposition will rise in some manner to the use of JESUS' NAME. There is an innate, unexplainable fear among people to the unrestricted use of the LORD'S NAME. The Name of the Lord Jesus Christ saves, heals, and delivers.
Everything you'll ever need is in that name. That's why the Book of Acts church did everything in Jesus' Name. They believed on Jesus' name, repented in Jesus' name, water baptized in Jesus' name, received the Holy Ghost in Jesus' name, were healed in Jesus' name, cast out Devil's in Jesus name, preached remission of sins in Jesus' name, .....in fact, there was not anything Godly,..which they DID NOT DO in JESUS' NAME?
Friend, don't be afraid of Jesus' name, ...it isn't blasphemous. If there is anything you have been afraid to do in Jesus' name, start doing "whatsoever you do in word or in deed in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Col. 3:17) and you'll be all right. Pray and ask God to show you if and where in your walk with God the name of Jesus might be offensive to you. It might be that simply submitting to Jesus' name in water baptism would remove the last stronghold of Satan, through Mystery Babylon, upon your life. If you are not sure, ask your Pastor to baptize you just like the Apostles did in the New Testament, ..."in the name of Lord Jesus Christ" (never Father, Son, & Holy Ghost) If your Pastor refuses, ....then it reveals to you that the Mystery of Iniquity Spirit of the Great Whore, ....already has a hold upon him.
The Harlot church people do not like to use Jesus' name in water baptism. It is not water baptism they distaste so much. It is the Lord's name which they distaste! It's Jesus' name which they sub-consciously distaste. (The Devil has blinded them .) Satan does not want to acknowledge that every tongue and every knee, in heaven and earth, must confess and bow to the name of Jesus Christ! (Isa 43:25, Php 2:9-11) So Satan keeps all of those he has blinded with an intense opposition to Jesus' name, so he can keep promoting rebellion to God's Word.
Do you want victory over that unfaithful, compromising, adulterous Harlot's spirit? You will be given a portion of victory over "the mark of his (Beast) name" (Rev. 14:11) by simply being baptized in water "calling upon the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16) rather than Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Do it like the New Testament saints did and begin to walk into victory over the name of the Beast.
COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE
God gave this same cry through the Prophet Jeremiah to His Old Covenant church people, Israel, who were captives of the then existing kingdom of Babylon. (Jer.51:6) At the end of the New Covenant age, this same cry was to be echoed again to His spiritual kingdom people of the church (Rev.18:4), who are a spiritual habitation (Eph.2:22) and have been held spiritually captive by Mystery Babylon's religious spirit of confusion. Just as God made a way at the appointed time for His Old Covenant sheep to leave natural Babylon and return to Israel; Jehovah God has opened a door for His New Covenant sheep to leave Mystery Babylon and return home.
Some look for Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom to be rebuilt in Iraq. However, men should remember that no longer does the physical hold the key to the kingdom of God; ...the spiritual does. "The hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem (physical), worship the Father, ....But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit (spiritual) and in truth.." (John 4:21-22)
This city Mystery Babylon is not a physical place; but a spiritual one; ...thus it is a spiritual exodus. It is similar to the one each child of God made when they fled the slavery and the bondages of Sin when they accepted the blood of Jesus Christ. Remember how it was when you first heard the preached Word of God. It was truly a spiritual exodus and deliverance.
Moses physically led the children of Israel out of a natural Egyptian bondage. They walked out. A Physical Exodus!
A SPIRITUAL EXODUS BACK TO OUR ROOTS
Jesus Christ and the Apostles led the children of God spiritually out of the bondage of sin as they preached repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, receiving the Holy Ghost, and living "soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." (Tit.2:12) Men and women became believers when they accepted the "present truth" of the WORD OF GOD as it was preached to them in that day. A Spiritual Exodus!
He takes us out of one to bring us into another. It was true of natural Israel and so it is today of spiritual Israel, the church. "He brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in." (Deut 6:23) To spiritually leave Mystery Babylon means to come away from all of Her doctrines and teachings and practices which have found their way into the church. And just as Joseph ran physically from Potiphar's wife to keep himself pure, God's sheep within the Mystery Harlot church world need physically and spiritually to put distance between them and Her. How? Begin to pray and ask God to lead you to a church which preaches and contends for the same gospel as the Apostles preached in the New Testament.
The destination is the same for us as it was for those natural Israelites who followed Ezra and Nehemiah out of Babylonian captivity. They went back to the land of Israel. They went back to Jerusalem. They returned and rebuilt the walls of the city of God, Jerusalem, and rebuilt Jehovah's house of worship, the Temple. They restored themselves to the land, to the city, to the temple, and to the worship which was given by their prophet Moses at the time of their deliverance from the land of Sin, Egypt.
The Israelite Babylonian Captives were to "Stand in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls" (Jer.6:16) They were to "Set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest: turn again, O virgin of Israel, turn again to these thy cities." (Jer.31:21)
Zerubbabel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and all those who followed them, set their hearts toward the highway which returned them to the land of their origins and to the ways or paths of the law of Moses. Only in doing so could they find rest and security for their souls. They went all the way home!
In like manner, when God calls for his Spiritual seed, the church, to get out of religious harlotry and Babylonian confusion, he desires for them to go home, to the land of their spiritual origins, to their spiritual roots.
What are the roots of the church? Where did the New Testament Church of God begin? Jesus, himself gave us that answer in Luke 24:47 when he said, "beginning at Jerusalem". "That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."
BACK TO "THAT" JERUSALEM GOSPEL
The preaching of salvation and the blood of Jesus Christ began at Jerusalem as the apostles began to carry out Jesus' instructions. John the Baptist began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea about Jordan. (Matt.3:1, Lk.3:3) Jesus Christ of Nazareth began his ministry in Gallilee. (Lk.4:14) The beginning of the ministry of the Church of God began in Jerusalem; not in Judea, nor in Gallilee.
This beginning was highlighted by the out-pouring of the Holy Ghost as Peter witnessed in Acts 11:15, "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." What beginning? The beginning of the Church. The beginning of this New Temple of spiritual habitation. That "sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind" came to bring the breath of spiritual life and birth to that engrafted word which had been sown in their hearts by Jesus' ministry.
As the noise of the Holy Ghost outpouring in Acts 2 spread across Jerusalem, men and women came to witness this amazing spectacle. Upon hearing Peter preach, they asked "Men and brethern, what shall we do?" The answer was given by Peter, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ....Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, ...And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship,..". (Acts 2:38-42)
That is the origin and roots of the church. Those saints in the book of Acts, both Greek and Jew, were the original church. That 1st church was a pentecostal church. That 1st church was a Jesus church. That 1st church was a devil-casting out church. That 1st church was a Holy Ghost speaking in tongues church. That 1st church was a praying for the sick church. That 1st church was a Jesus Name church.
If we are the Harvest Generation, then we must return to be like the original church in Spirit and Doctrine. We are now in the time of the "FULL CORN IN THE EAR"; (Mrk 4) the last phase of the growth of the kingdom of God before the harvest sickle comes. As any good farmer, God, has patiently waited for the harvest, a restoration of the seed to the same stature as when it was originally planted. A wheat harvest is simply the receiving of a multiplication of the originally planted seed. There is no increase in QUALITY, but there is in quantity. One aspect of Harvest is a return to the original WORD which was sown by the 1st church in the Book of Acts.
If any of this finds shortcomings in your life, correct the situation, start preaching and living the Original Seed Truth or seek out a minister and church who does. Remember, we can't STAY IN Mystery Babylon and COME OUT at the same time. He brings us out to take us in!
The Holy Spirit of God, the bridegroom is calling His People, ..."MY PEOPLE," ALL OF HIS SHEEP WHEREVER THEY MAY BE, out of Catholicism, Protestantism, (Harlot Daughter Churches), Pentecostalism, Charismaticism, Judaism, and etc. He's calling ALL OF HIS PEOPLE back to the spiritual land of our spiritual birth, ...back to the gospel which began at Jerusalem. He is calling us out of all dogma, denominationalism, lukewarmness, and unfaithfulness which has it's roots in the Beast?Harlot spirit.
Wait a minute, you might say. God does not have any of His children, any of His church, any of His body, ....mixed-up in the Harlot Church World. That is what you may say. But God says differently. He says, "Come out of Her my People". Whose people? God's people. Many sheep have gone astray because of false apostles, false shepherds and hirelings. God will reach for them right up to the Mid-night hour!
COME OUT OF HER - COME OUT OF ROMANISM
HOW TO "Come Out of Her My People" may still be vague to you in some respects. Let me explain further of what it means to "Come Out of Mystery Babylon".
The seed of All false religion which first manifested itself through Cain, found it's first chance of kingdom level expression at the Tower of Babel kingdom of Nimrod. From that time the Mystery of Iniquity Religion was scattered and developed, matured, and refined itself as people worshiped under varied idolatrous religions in all countries, ...yet in reality it was not many religions, ...but simply One System of Idolatry throughout the earth. That is crucial to the Mystery.
All that Nimrod's Babel religion became, found its first World-level unified expression in the Egyptian Dynasties when they dominated the earth. When Egypt's political reign ceased, the level which false religion had attained did not cease or die. All that Egypt had become religiously was simply transferred under different religious names, titles, etc. into the religions of Assyria. Mystery Babylon, The Great Harlot Spirit has never died. She simply adapted. Satan never gave up any of his acquired proficiency in religious rebellion and confusion.
All the Mystery Harlot was in Assyria later moved on into Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon, later into Medo-Persia, and Greece. By the age of Greece, Mystery Babylon had manipulated men's religious thinking until a "Pantheon" of numerous Gods had emerged. In time, the Roman Empire of the Caesars came along and dominated the world. Into the Pagan Roman empire, Satan's Mystery Babylon Harlot Spirit injected all of her accumulated religious idolatry, which had been developed over cultures and centuries to a much grander scale of deception than Nimrod and Semiramis could have ever imagined. And all of this was woven into the religious and political life of Pax Romana, ...Pagan Rome's version of Peace. This is the primary explanation as to why the multitude of idolatrous deities and practices which were found in the Roman way of life, were all traceable to pagan religions and cultures which had long since disappeared from the earth.
Rome's system of military domination, enslavement of conquered souls, and poly?theistic society was a regime similar to previous civilizations. Yet it was so much more awesome and controlling than any which the world had ever seen up to that time. Into this climate came the "Word made flesh," Jesus Christ, to call out a church, an elect, a remnant. It was within this atmosphere that the Church of God would have to learn to stand, walk and mature. This new church and kingdom would have to combat Mystery of Iniquity from within the Jews religion, Judaism, and from the paganism of the Gentile religions. Everywhere they turned they faced the Mother Harlot's attacks of religious confusion.
In time the Apostles passed from the scene and the restraints to the Mystery of Iniquity gradually weakened until elements of Mystery Babylon's refined system of Paganism began to establish themselves as part of the church, all the while calling itself Christian. The False religious vine was weaving itself among the true church; gaining more and more control. The Mystery Harlot Spirit transferred her nature into the fellowship of believers; just as she had done throughout all previous civilizations. She injected the church community of Jesus Christ with the best she had at that time.
The Paganism of Rome and all that went with it came into the church when Constantine declared that Christianity would no longer be persecuted and would become the state religion of the Empire.
All that had been the spiritual life of Rome, became the life force that was brought to bear upon the church of Jesus Christ. The true church of God was in time, labeled as heretics and enemies of the state religion, Popery, Roman Catholicism. Thus, what became known as the christian church in history was nothing more than Satan's seat, Satan's synagogue, those who said they were Jews, God's true seed, BUT WERE NOT! How many of this church-state element knew true repentance and conversion? God only knows. But, because of this take?over, the true seed of God worshipped as rebels and multitudes of doctrines became labeled Christian which had no relationship to New Testament Christianity. They were strains of Paganism. The Reformation and 20th century Pentecost revealed the numerous errors. But, many would not come away from all of the Roman elements in spirit, doctrine and word. Therefore, many strains of Roman Paganism were carried over into the Protestants and later into the Pentecostals. Regardless to the level of sincerity, God still wants his people to come all the way home, ....to come completely out of Her.
Let me be clear. Brethern are not necessarily living hypocritical or insincere lives because they continue to carry within their hearts and minds the seeds of Mystery Babylon's system of religious confusion, spiritual adultery, and slavery. Operating under this system which the Mother Harlot has fostered onto the church, ...ministers and brethern unknowingly worship God from a religious framework which is unfaithful in some manner to Jehovah God, ..to their spiritual husband Jesus Christ and His Word.
Friend, brother or sister, as you read this today, do you find any elements of The Romanish Spirit keeping you from preaching or living it just like the BIBLE SAYS? Mystery Babylon is still taking captives of the unsuspecting. But the captivity and slavery is on a spiritual level within the spirits and minds of men. Save yourself! Pull yourself away from any religious system of thought, attitude, creed or doctrine which Jesus Christ and the Original 12 Apostles did not preach INTO the foundation of the original Bible Church in Acts.
By doing so you'll deliver yourself and others and will be obeying the cry of the Holy Spirit of God to .....COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE!! DO NOT WAIT FOR SOME ....SPECIAL ACT OF GOD TO GET YOUR ATTENTION AND TURN YOU AROUND. GOD HAS JUST...BLOWN ANOTHER TRUMPET IN ZION, ....IN YOUR HEARING WITH THIS MESSAGE!
STUDY THE WORD! Each of us should be asking the Lord Jesus to help us return to the "Present Truth" that was delivered in Spirit, Truth, Character, Grace and Mercy!
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.