1 00:00:01,640 --> 00:00:04,320 I'm not sure if you're aware, but we have two Sundays left in 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:07,480 this building after the service. Can you believe it? 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,360 And then we get a new address with many blessings with it. 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,960 Well, I'd like to begin by asking you a question that you 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:25,880 can answer in your mind. What city do you believe is most 6 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:31,080 referenced in the Bible? Well, some of your minds are 7 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:32,759 loud. I heard some answers. 8 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,480 If you said Jerusalem, you're correct. 9 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:38,560 Now let me follow it up with another question. 10 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:43,760 What city is second most referenced across the 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,200 scriptures? If you guess Babylon, you are 12 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,160 right again. Babylon is referenced 13 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:55,920 approximately 280 to 300 times in our Bibles, depending on your 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,360 translation, and most of those times are found in the Hebrew 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,560 Scriptures, the Old Testament. That being said, we can count a 16 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,560 total of 12 instances in which Babylon is found in our New 17 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:11,400 Testament, and six of those times, exactly half of that 18 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,880 number are located in the Book of Revelation. 19 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,640 It's safe to say that if we want to know our Bibles well, we have 20 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,520 to be familiar with Babylon. We have to understand what it's 21 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:28,040 all about and by God's help we will seek to do that today. 22 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,720 Now we have already seen Babylon mentioned twice in our study of 23 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:35,320 the Book of Revelation, once in Revelation 14 verse 8 and the 24 00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:37,880 second time in Revelation 16, verse 19. 25 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:43,200 And in both instances it is the fall or the destruction of 26 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,120 Babylon that is briefly mentioned. 27 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,440 But now as we approach Revelation chapter 17, we are 28 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,000 going to see the Holy Spirit providing us a detailed 29 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:02,800 breakdown of the background and the ruin of future Babylon. 30 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,400 If you have ever wondered what ancient Babylon is doing in the 31 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,800 prophetic Book of Revelation or what this future depiction of 32 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:17,520 Babylon is going to be in the days to come, it is this chapter 33 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,600 and the next that is going to provide answers. 34 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,640 And while I desire for this message to stir our hearts, 35 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:28,920 which every message to do in one way or another, I want to admit 36 00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:32,880 my goal today, my aim today by God's help is to provide 37 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:37,200 clarity, clarity with this passage. 38 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,600 It's the most dense passage in all of the Book of Revelation 39 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,680 concerning symbolism. It's very heavy. 40 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,560 And so my prayer has been, Lord, allow us to be enlightened. 41 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,840 And as a result of that illumination, we would leave 42 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,200 here encouraged and equipped because we have greater 43 00:02:56,200 --> 00:03:01,320 confidence in Bible prophecy. So we need to really be 44 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,720 attentive today if we're going to benefit from what we're going 45 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:05,320 to hear. And we're going to begin by 46 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:08,360 reading the 1st 6 verses of Revelation chapter 17. 47 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:12,840 Can we do that together? Then one of the seven angels who 48 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,160 had the seven bowls came and said to me, Come, I will show 49 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,120 you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many 50 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:24,040 waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual 51 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,440 immorality, and with the whine of whose sexual immorality the 52 00:03:27,440 --> 00:03:29,240 dwellers on earth have become drunk. 53 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,080 And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness. 54 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,880 And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of 55 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:40,800 blasphemous names, and it had 7 heads and 10 horns. 56 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,240 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with 57 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,920 gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup 58 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,520 full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual 59 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,480 immorality. And on her forehead was written 60 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:59,840 the name of Mystery Babylon, the Great mother of prostitutes and 61 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,200 of earth's abominations. And I saw the woman drunk with 62 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:09,480 the blood of the Saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 63 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:14,000 When I saw her, I marvelled greatly. 64 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:20,000 Let's pray, Lord, we know that John with this vision, marveled 65 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:25,720 because he did not understand. Help us marvel as we understand. 66 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,440 Help us see your incredible wisdom and love and power in 67 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,280 these verses. And Lord, we are aware that this 68 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:38,400 is a difficult passage to unpack, so we pray for extra 69 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,760 help. We pray that you would assist us 70 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,120 and that Lord, even such truths would cause us to worship You 71 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,280 the way you deserve. We pray these things to the 72 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:52,600 glory of the name of your Son, our Master and Friend the Lord 73 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,240 Jesus Christ. Amen. 74 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:01,040 I'm aware, I'm very aware that with a text like this, so filled 75 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:04,000 with imagery and symbolism that we can feel overwhelmed, this 76 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,240 can seem intimidating. So here's what we're going to 77 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,600 do. We're going to look at these 78 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:14,080 verses and focus on the major details and peel them one by one 79 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,520 until we get more clarity. And by the end of this message, 80 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,160 we will have at least 5 insights, 5 insights about 81 00:05:22,280 --> 00:05:25,080 Babylon, the way it's presented here in the Book of Revelation. 82 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,280 So we have to understand first that everything that we read 83 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:31,240 here in verse 5 is about Babylon. 84 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,960 That's what we are told that this is about, a mystery 85 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,560 Babylon, the great mother of prostitutes and of Earth's 86 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:41,120 abominations. And so with that in view, we can 87 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:44,320 understand the first thing. This is the the foundation, the 88 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:50,160 establishing force of our study of this exact mystery Babylon. 89 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:51,920 Number one, if you're a note taker, this would be very 90 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,120 helpful. Babylon presented to us here is 91 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,880 a false religious system. It is a false religious system. 92 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:02,280 And we know that John here is describing something in the 93 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:06,160 future because he tells us that it was one of the seven angels 94 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,560 who poured out the bowls of God's wrath who approached them 95 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:12,240 with this revelation. So this information here deals 96 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:18,080 with Babylon not of the past, but in the future, Babylon in 97 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,000 the last days. And before she is explicitly 98 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,520 named, we read it. But before we see it, in the 99 00:06:23,520 --> 00:06:27,520 beginning of this prophecy, we are given a description of her. 100 00:06:28,840 --> 00:06:31,160 And what is that description? It's very graphic. 101 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,880 It's very scathing. The great prostitute. 102 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:37,760 Now you might have a translation that says harlot. 103 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:39,640 You might have another translation that actually says 104 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:45,240 whore. And because of this detail, 105 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,640 because of this portrayal, we can be very confident that this 106 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,840 great prostitute who is also Babylon, is actually referring 107 00:06:53,840 --> 00:07:01,160 to a religious system that is evil and wicked and false. 108 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,120 Why? Because in Scripture there is a 109 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,760 consistent metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness and 110 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,000 religious apostasy and is that of a prostitute. 111 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:15,360 And John is borrowing that imagery here. 112 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,280 And so there's a consistent thread throughout the Bible that 113 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:24,520 when nations or cities or a people group is pursuing 114 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:30,280 idolatry or false gods, they are referred to in such shameful 115 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,440 ways. And the prophets, unfortunately 116 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,480 use this kind of language for Jerusalem, for Judah, for 117 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,320 Israel. But more than that, we even see 118 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:44,040 the prophets using this kind of language for places like Tyre in 119 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,240 Lebanon. You find that in Isaiah chapter 120 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:51,080 23, or even places like Nineveh and Nahum chapter 3 verse 4. 121 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:56,920 So over and over again we see that this strong vocabulary is 122 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,880 employed in order to express that when a person or people 123 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:06,600 group pursues something apart from God, at its core it's 124 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:12,640 relational betrayal. And as sobering as this is, we 125 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,360 actually find similar things in the New Testament. 126 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,480 We find some places in the New Testament where leaders of the 127 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:23,760 church confront the church for abandoning her love for Christ. 128 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:25,920 With this kind of prophetic tone. 129 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:29,160 One of the clearest ones is James chapter 4, verse four. 130 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,640 What does James say to this dispersion of believers? 131 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,240 You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the 132 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,600 world is enmity with God, and whoever wishes to be a friend of 133 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,840 the world becomes an enemy of God. 134 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,080 Now, you would think that that's language for the unsaved. 135 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:50,640 No, He's speaking to the church. You're flirting with the world. 136 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,360 Your affections are more towards the things of this life. 137 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,960 Sin compromise the things that defy God, and at its core, 138 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:02,120 you're cheating on the Lord. And again, the reason why God 139 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,200 wants to present this kind of language is to show what it 140 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,520 feels for Him when we veer off. And when we look at other 141 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,320 things, other ideas and other ideologies and other pursuits 142 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,920 and other entertainments that hurt his heart, it's adultery. 143 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,680 So with this background in mind, now we come to Revelation and we 144 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:25,680 realize something, that this great prostitute is a symbol 145 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:31,360 that represents a system that practices and promotes idolatry 146 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:35,200 and it will have massive influence. 147 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,920 Why is that? Because in verse 1, John tells 148 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,360 us that she seated on many waters. 149 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,120 Now we know that this is not a literal body of water. 150 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,160 Why? Because Scripture interprets 151 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:49,880 scripture and later in this chapter John is going to receive 152 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,080 explanation for much of the symbolism here. 153 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,120 Here's one of them. Look at verse 15 of Revelation 154 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:58,040 17 and an Angel, the Angel rather said to me, the waters 155 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:02,240 that you saw, where the prostitute is seated are peoples 156 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,080 and multitudes and nations and languages. 157 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:12,400 So this great prostitute, she's going to have influence by 158 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:19,680 seducing kings and tribes and cultures. 159 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,760 It's not going to just be local. It's not going to be reduced to 160 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,840 just one region of the world. It's going to be global. 161 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,280 And not just global. We see here that it's going to 162 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:33,440 attract rulers, high-ranking officials, down to the ordinary 163 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:34,840 folk. That's what we find. 164 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:39,120 What we find here in verse 2. So this kind of system that's 165 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:43,000 going to be prevalent in the last days is going to draw in 166 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:47,640 widespread commitment and fascination all across the 167 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:50,320 planet. It's going to be an incredible 168 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,520 movement. It's going to be so popular. 169 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,280 In fact, the enchantment with this prevailing form of false 170 00:10:56,280 --> 00:11:00,880 worship will be so strong that John relates it to the sensation 171 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:05,320 and reality of intoxication. Look down at verse 2, Revelation 172 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,880 17, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual 173 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:12,160 morality, and with the whine of whose sexual morality the 174 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,680 dwellers on earth have become drunk. 175 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,200 To be physically drunk is to be under the control of another 176 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,800 substance. To be inebriated is to surrender 177 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,920 yourself control to an outside source. 178 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:34,160 And what this verse is revealing is that this world religion will 179 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:40,440 promote false values, wrong ideas about God so persuasively 180 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:46,880 that when people accept it that it will reorient them in every 181 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:51,720 way possible. It will change the way they 182 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:53,720 live. It will shape their values and 183 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,760 their convictions even though it contradicts the truth. 184 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,080 It will call for them to abandon self-control. 185 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:05,280 It will lead them to walk away from clear logical thinking. 186 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:09,280 It's almost like a spell is going to come upon these people 187 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:15,760 when Babylon resurfaces on the scene with a brand new package 188 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:19,040 religion. And one of the reasons why this 189 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:23,240 new world religion will be so attractive and so effective is 190 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,320 because of the second point. The first point is that Babylon 191 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:27,560 is a false religious system. But here's the second point that 192 00:12:27,560 --> 00:12:30,720 we need to take note of. Babylon is linked. 193 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,800 You ready for this? Babylon is linked, connected to 194 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:41,040 global politics. What do we see here in verse 3? 195 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,920 And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness. 196 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,600 And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of 197 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,640 blasphemous names, and it had 7 heads and 10 horns. 198 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:57,680 So John now was taken to get another perspective, vantage 199 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:00,080 point of this woman, this prostitute. 200 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,840 And here we read the woman sitting yet again, but not on a 201 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:08,800 body of water, but on a scarlet beast, a hideous looking 202 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,040 creature, but one that we've seen before. 203 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:13,760 Who is this beast? This is none other than the 204 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:17,000 Antichrist, the one that we were introduced to back in Revelation 205 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,040 chapter 13. Here he is yet again. 206 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,480 So this is the one world political ruler who under his 207 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,360 leadership, will seem to promise to the nations that he can be 208 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,000 their savior from all the chaos that will erupt in the last 209 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,600 days. Read your Bible slowly. 210 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:44,160 This great prostitute is sitting on the beast, which means she is 211 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,080 distinct from the beast. She's not the same as the beast. 212 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:53,360 She is a separate entity. This is something very important 213 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:55,440 to understand and clarify. When we are speaking about 214 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:58,640 Future Babylon, we're referring to an independent reality that 215 00:13:58,640 --> 00:14:01,320 will be prominent yet again in the last days. 216 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,360 For months, I'm aware that you and I have been hearing what 217 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:08,160 that in the final moments of history, Antichrist will rise 218 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,200 and he will demand worship for himself. 219 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,960 And while that is true, it will not happen right away. 220 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,080 There will be something else that will precede that. 221 00:14:18,680 --> 00:14:20,480 There'll be something else that comes before. 222 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,520 There is a Babylonian religion that will initially seduce 223 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,680 everyone, and it will be a voluntary thing. 224 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:30,760 You see, when the Antichrist will demand worship, it will be 225 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,320 forced. But Babylon is not forced. 226 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,240 It's going to be so winsome, it's going to be so charming, 227 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,760 It's going to cause people to abandon their former beliefs and 228 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,320 join themselves to its appealing message. 229 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,640 And there is debate about what this religion will be exactly. 230 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,520 Some feel very strongly that this is going to be Roman 231 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,040 Catholicism at the height of its influence. 232 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,640 More and more now we're hearing and we're seeing it. 233 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,240 People are saying this is going to be Islam. 234 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,720 And others are more comfortable arguing that this is going to be 235 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,120 a convergence of all these world religions. 236 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:13,040 It's going to be this brand new kind of idea that's going to 237 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:15,720 say, well, we all worship the same God, so let's all get 238 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:18,400 along. We are just different paths to 239 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:23,320 the same being. We don't know for certain, but 240 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:27,840 one thing is clear, it will be something that the Antichrist 241 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:32,360 will initially support and allow to have influence in his 242 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:37,680 political regime and empire. He allows this great prostitute 243 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,240 to sit upon him, so there's double meaning there. 244 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:46,640 He is supporting her and she is benefiting from him, which tells 245 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,920 us something so incredible. The success of this global 246 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,680 effort for people to worship in this new way, this fraudulent 247 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,680 spirituality, will be driven by the promotion of the Antichrist. 248 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,600 In other words, as unthinkable as this may be, the Bible 249 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,480 predicts the rise of a false religion with the endorsement of 250 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:13,000 a one world government. But why? 251 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,600 Why is there going to be this alliance that the Antichrist 252 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,720 will allow between politics and religion? 253 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:22,160 And there are at least two reasons. 254 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:27,320 First, the Beast is willing to encourage the world to follow 255 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:29,960 the Babylonian religion because he hates the true God. 256 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,680 Remember, the beast that we just read about is full of 257 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:40,080 blasphemous names, and so in his understanding, he will allow 258 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,640 people to worship what is false as long as it's not the truth. 259 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:44,800 And here's what we have to remember. 260 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:48,400 Satan has always created and spread false expressions of 261 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,400 faith as a way of robbing God of glory and leading souls astray, 262 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,640 and his game plan is not going to change near the end. 263 00:16:57,160 --> 00:16:59,320 Moreover, this is so important to understand. 264 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:06,000 The enemy is clever, and Satan understands that he cannot 265 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,920 immediately demand worship for himself through the Antichrist. 266 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:16,560 So what will happen instead? There will be this Babylonian 267 00:17:16,599 --> 00:17:22,480 facade, this one world kind of thing that will invite people to 268 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:27,480 believe it and worship in it and get along through it. 269 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,840 And over time that will weaken the consciousness of men. 270 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,600 And at the right time, as we're about to find out later on in 271 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,760 this prophecy, Antichrist will come in and then demand worship 272 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:44,080 for himself because the peoples of the world have been prepped 273 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,000 for it. They've already compromised so 274 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,640 much with Babylon. You see, Satan is a master at 275 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,520 desensitizing us. He introduces one idea. 276 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:54,800 At first it's kind of uncomfortable, it's kind of 277 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,760 wrong. We know it, but people get used 278 00:17:57,760 --> 00:17:59,200 to it. And then he introduces another 279 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,280 level of wickedness and evil and vileness, and then we accept it. 280 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,320 He's very clever in this way and he's going to do the same thing 281 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,680 concerning the worship for himself in the last days. 282 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,280 It's almost like a two stage strategy. 283 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,400 Here's Babylon and everybody's wow, this is great. 284 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:14,840 This is what's going to bring the world together. 285 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,800 This is exactly what we need as humanity. 286 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,520 And over time even this man is going to capitalize on it, the 287 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,240 Antichrist, and he's going to show I support this as well 288 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:29,280 until the strategy changes. And when humanity is ripe, he 289 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,880 will step in and say, now worship me and they will do it. 290 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,360 So the the, the first reason why there will be this alliance is 291 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:41,400 because Antichrist hates God and Antichrist is going to use 292 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:46,400 Babylon for his purpose. But secondly, and close to that 293 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:49,320 point, is that the beast will partner with the great 294 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,680 prostitute for his own political agenda. 295 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:53,840 And that should not be surprising to us. 296 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,680 Politicians today have no issue walking and stepping into 297 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:03,000 religious fears in order to win the support and admiration of 298 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,960 faith-based groups. An Antichrist will be no 299 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,200 different. There will be this revival of 300 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,720 false spirituality. He will present himself as a 301 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:16,320 strong supporter of it until things change in his political 302 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,920 goals. There's something interesting 303 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:24,280 that happens later on Revelation 17 that confirms the great 304 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,280 prostitute is separate from the beast. 305 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:34,200 Look at verse 16. Verse 16 And the 10 horns that 306 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,200 you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. 307 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,440 Hold on for a moment. What do you mean? 308 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,520 You, you let her ride the beast, But something's going to change. 309 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,560 The 10 horns are 10 kings. We know that they will hate the 310 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:50,120 prostitute. They will make her desolate and 311 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,480 naked and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. 312 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:56,440 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose 313 00:19:57,120 --> 00:20:00,120 by being of one mind and handing over the royal power to the 314 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:02,120 beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 315 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:07,000 So you see, once the beast achieves his own goals, he will 316 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:11,640 persuade others to reject the ideology of the great prostitute 317 00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,440 and even demand worship to be directed to him. 318 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:20,520 All royal power will go to him. And this confirms what we've 319 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:22,480 been learning up to this point. There is going to be a come 320 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:24,760 coming, a time that the Antichrist will demand worship. 321 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,720 And in doing so, he will silence all forms of faith, not just 322 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:33,400 Christianity, all forms of faith, including the Babylonian 323 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,880 1 so that he alone can be idolized. 324 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:39,840 You know, I was meditating also the other day and I thought to 325 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,360 myself, even though this is so, so specific and so obvious about 326 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:47,040 the future, there is principle here. 327 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,920 There is warning here for the church. 328 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:56,320 This prophecy is something for us to learn and it is this. 329 00:20:56,320 --> 00:20:59,640 The true Church of Jesus Christ has to be discerning and how it 330 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:05,720 engages with politics. More specifically how politics 331 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,280 forces itself and seeks to engage with the church. 332 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,880 I take no issue with Christians being involved in legislative 333 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,600 arenas in government. I think it's needed. 334 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:19,960 But I'm concerned that some churches, especially in the 335 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,640 West, have lost their heavenly identity along the way. 336 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,520 And there are many ministries, some of the most popular 337 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:35,800 assemblies in America, that are more known for being platforms 338 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:38,440 for political parties than embassies for the Kingdom of 339 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,360 God. You've lost your voice. 340 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:47,160 You've lost your prophetic voice to be the conscience of the 341 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:52,720 culture and you allow yourself in many ways to become a puppet 342 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,480 for something that will not remain forever. 343 00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:00,320 Then fact in some ways will use you as the great process was 344 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:05,320 used for worldly endeavors and goals, and will have no issue to 345 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,560 discard you once you have fulfilled their desire. 346 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,920 So the church and even individual Christians need to be 347 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:18,320 on guard and vigilant. Protect your mind and draw a 348 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:23,240 clear line. The church is not a branch of a 349 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,960 political party. The church is the body of Jesus 350 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:31,920 Christ. The church is the voice for the 351 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:35,880 nations about a Kingdom that is to come and will rule and reign 352 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,920 forever. And politicians need to hear 353 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:42,200 that as well. And we should seek to be good, 354 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,160 loving neighbors by getting ourselves involved to some 355 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:49,080 degree with these things. But don't lose your identity. 356 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:56,520 Pulpits have now become exegetes of headlines. 357 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:58,560 Here's what's happening. Here's what. 358 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:04,240 Give me the Bible. What does God say? 359 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,880 That's what my soul needs more than anything else. 360 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,560 Are there times where we have to answer things and clarify things 361 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,200 biblically with what's happening in culture? 362 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:19,640 Absolutely. But be very careful. 363 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:26,840 There is a spirit that seeks to sabotage the church, and it will 364 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,440 divert the church away from what it's called to do, and that's to 365 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:36,480 expound the words of God. Babylon will be linked to global 366 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:38,720 politics. That's why it's going to be so 367 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:47,800 attractive, so winsome, and seen as such a beneficial thing. 368 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:49,640 But now we come to the Third Point. 369 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,440 Babylon will be deceptively attractive. 370 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,200 Look at verse 4. The woman was arrayed in purple 371 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,440 and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, 372 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:07,400 holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the 373 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:09,640 impurities of her sexual immorality. 374 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:15,360 So this, this thing, Babylon is going to be a future world 375 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,080 religions religious system. It's going to be promoted by 376 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:19,760 global leaders in a way that we've never seen before. 377 00:24:19,760 --> 00:24:22,840 But thirdly, it's going to be deceptively alluring. 378 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,320 And that's clearly depicted but the, the adornment of this 379 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:29,600 woman. Remember, this is this is 380 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,480 symbolism. There's a deeper meaning here 381 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:34,360 and what we find here, the overall message is that the 382 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:36,960 coming One World religion will be outwardly elegant and 383 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:40,480 impressive. It will appeal to the senses in 384 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,920 an overwhelming way. It will also seem wealthy. 385 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,800 It will it will look and on the surface seem influential, with 386 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,600 its humanitarian efforts and spiritual experience presented 387 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:57,640 as highly valuable, offering aid to others while promoting global 388 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:00,080 unity. It's going to be so refreshing 389 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:03,640 for people. Its presence will be difficult 390 00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:06,040 to ignore. It's not going to be some fringe 391 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,320 cult, it's going to be mainstream. 392 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,800 You're going to have people testifying how it changed their 393 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:17,720 lives, how it move them, how this is exactly what again 394 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:21,360 mankind requires for its healing. 395 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:26,520 It's going to be packaged so well and for most, they'll be 396 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,800 willing to join it. That's what the golden cup 397 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:33,280 actually speaks to. Remember we heard how the 398 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:37,440 dwellers of the earth will be drunk, will be drunk because of 399 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:38,880 what the woman is able to present them. 400 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:42,120 And the golden cup now appears and it's extended to them, 401 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:43,760 right? This is the the connection being 402 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,160 made here. It's golden, it seems again, 403 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:47,920 divinely inspired. Good. 404 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:52,600 But look at what's the substance. 405 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,800 Look at what's in the cup. It's impure it, it's abominable 406 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,320 things. In other words, it's outwardly 407 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:05,600 going to be beautiful, but what it offers is evil. 408 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:12,680 And I'm afraid today there are many people who are making 409 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:18,520 choices for their faith, their spirituality, being influenced 410 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:25,200 by similar dynamics. They are drawn by the bells and 411 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:29,520 smells. They're intrigued by aesthetics. 412 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,880 They are moved by the apparent emphasis of justice and 413 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,560 compassion. But in reality, what is being 414 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:41,960 promoted in those systems are at odds with what God's Word says. 415 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,720 People don't dig in enough. They don't look into the cup, 416 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,400 they just look outside. And they sign up for it. 417 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,400 And it has a form of godliness, but it denies its power. 418 00:26:57,880 --> 00:27:01,520 They may even acknowledge a a form of Christ, but not the true 419 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:09,200 Christ. It doesn't present salvation as 420 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:11,040 a work of Christ. It doesn't speak about how we 421 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,240 can be delivered from the penalty and power of sin. 422 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:17,840 Many religions today, many cults, acknowledge of Christ, 423 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:21,800 but not the real 1. And so notice what John is doing 424 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,280 for us here by giving us the details of this vision. 425 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,040 Outwardly, externally, it's, it seems like this is it. 426 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:35,840 But inwardly it's deadly. It's poisonous for your soul and 427 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:38,680 people will ignore it. Now, if you've read Revelation 428 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:43,680 before, then you would know that the church, the bride of Christ, 429 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,960 is depicted in a very different way in comparison to the great 430 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:48,360 prostitute. And if you've never read 431 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:50,920 Revelation before, if you've forgotten what I'm referring to, 432 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:55,440 look over to Revelation 19 and notice what John tells us about 433 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,480 the church, the people of God. Revelation 19, verse 7. 434 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,840 Let us rejoice and exalt and give him the glory. 435 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:13,160 For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made 436 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:16,040 herself ready. It was granted her to clothe 437 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:20,080 herself with fine linen, bright and pure. 438 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,640 For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the Saints. 439 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:30,160 This is a symbolic description of the attire, the adornment of 440 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:34,240 the church, and it's presented to us with such simplicity. 441 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:40,280 Fine linen, bright, pure, that's it. 442 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:48,680 However, she possesses something that the great prostitute does 443 00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:54,560 not with all her bejeweled, decked, glittering outfits and 444 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:58,760 items. The church has righteousness. 445 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:06,080 The great prostitute does not. And I want to remind you today 446 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:10,240 of a very simple truth that as precious as the churches is in 447 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,840 the sight of God, as much as she is a treasure to Him, her 448 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:17,280 expression on the earth is very simple. 449 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,560 The church is very simple. It's not this elaborated, 450 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,840 sophisticated system. It's a group of people who 451 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,920 regularly come together under the headship of Christ and 452 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,840 worship him through the word of God being revealed and obeyed. 453 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:33,760 That's the church. That's the church. 454 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,400 But unfortunately for many people, that's not enough. 455 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:44,240 They want the gold, they want the royalty, they want the 456 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:49,160 appearance, they want the physical, aesthetic, surface 457 00:29:49,160 --> 00:29:52,960 level components, even if it lacks the substance that only 458 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,480 the true Christ and true church possesses. 459 00:30:01,220 --> 00:30:04,300 Unfortunately for many today, in the days to come, the church is 460 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:09,940 not attractive enough. They want and need more and 461 00:30:09,940 --> 00:30:13,500 listen. That is exactly what Satan has 462 00:30:13,500 --> 00:30:18,080 been and will continue to offer. Counterfeit churches and 463 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:23,520 distorted expressions of faith to people's own damnation. 464 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,960 Babylon will be deceptively attractive. 465 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:37,840 But #4 Babylon is the mother of all spiritual prostitution. 466 00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:41,080 That's a long one, but probably the most important point out of 467 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,920 all of them. Look at verse 5. 468 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,840 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery Babylon, the 469 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,360 great mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations. 470 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:54,200 So I hope things are becoming a little bit more clear about our 471 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:59,480 understanding of of Babylon. But why Babylon? 472 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:01,560 Maybe that's a question you've been having all this time. 473 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,240 I get what Babylon will be and how it will work and how it will 474 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:08,560 function, but why Babylon? Why that identification? 475 00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:15,040 Why not Egypt? Why not Assyria why not any 476 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:20,320 other ancient empire to speak about what is to come in terms 477 00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:27,480 of the system and this movement and John clarifies Babylon the 478 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:33,600 great mother of prostitutes. This is a 2 part meeting. 479 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,920 First, this Babylonian system in the last days will be the source 480 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:39,760 of much of the moral filth and spiritual discussion in the 481 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,400 final days. But also being the mother of 482 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,400 prostitutes. It's it's something that is 483 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:48,600 historic. In other words, this suggests 484 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:52,480 that ancient Babylon was the starting point of 485 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:55,920 institutionalized and corporate defiance against God. 486 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:00,840 If you want to know how important Babylon is, remember 487 00:32:00,840 --> 00:32:03,280 that it appears in the book hands of the Bible. 488 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,760 It's there in Genesis and it's here in Revelation. 489 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,280 So for John to bring this up to us by the Spirit is to hint at 490 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:14,720 us, hey, the reason why Babylon will make a reappearance is 491 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:20,360 because it was the starting place of this whole movement, an 492 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,640 idea. And that's what we find clearly 493 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,560 in Genesis 11. Let's turn there for a moment 494 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,160 because we need to see it with our own eyes to confirm what's 495 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,720 taking place here in Genesis 11 verse one. 496 00:32:45,980 --> 00:32:49,980 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 497 00:32:50,780 --> 00:32:53,340 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain of the 498 00:32:53,340 --> 00:32:55,100 land of Shinar and settled there. 499 00:32:55,980 --> 00:32:58,300 And they said to one another, Come, let us make bricks and 500 00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:02,180 burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone and 501 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:06,180 beuterment for mortar. Then they said, Come, let us 502 00:33:06,180 --> 00:33:09,240 build ourselves a city and a tower with its tops in the 503 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:11,960 heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be 504 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:13,880 dispersed over the face of the whole earth. 505 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:16,560 If you read this in isolation, you would think this is an 506 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,600 encouraging text. Here you have humanity coming 507 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:24,160 together, and they are showing how we can unite and we can 508 00:33:24,160 --> 00:33:27,600 create and we can achieve impossible feats. 509 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:32,240 But the careful reader will note that there is rebellion written 510 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:36,600 all across this passage. This is seeping with evil. 511 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,680 This is vile and despicable on multiple layers. 512 00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:45,560 What is the motive for building this massive structure? 513 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,480 Look at verse 4. Lest we disperse, we be 514 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:50,480 dispersed over the face of the whole earth. 515 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:53,000 So they had they had a goal here. 516 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,240 We're we're building this permanent thing so that we can 517 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,600 be anchored in this one place. And that doesn't make any sense 518 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,200 to any of us unless we remember the neighboring text. 519 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:04,880 What did God tell Noah after the flood? 520 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:12,679 Look at Genesis 9 verse one and God bless Noah and his sons and 521 00:34:12,679 --> 00:34:17,440 said to him, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, 522 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:27,199 fill the earth, cover the earth, populate it, move, disperse. 523 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:35,960 And the descendants of Noah in this chapter decided, no, we're 524 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,920 not going nowhere. We're going to stay right here, 525 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,639 and we're going to do what we can to ensure that we will stay 526 00:34:44,639 --> 00:34:47,600 here. This is disobedience to God's 527 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,960 command. But there's even more. 528 00:34:50,280 --> 00:34:53,880 You even have unbelief towards God's promises. 529 00:34:56,199 --> 00:35:00,240 What I mean by that, this scene takes place after the flood. 530 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:02,920 And after the flood, the Lord made a promise that He would 531 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:07,000 never cause the world to be deluged by water again. 532 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:10,680 Did you notice the kind of material that the people used to 533 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,920 fortify the structure? What do they use for mortar? 534 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,040 Butam. And that's the translation here. 535 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,880 What is that? It's a liquid binder that is 536 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,000 applied to a structure in order to protect it from any kind of 537 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:27,760 infiltration of water. It's a seal. 538 00:35:28,280 --> 00:35:32,520 It makes something waterproof and they're applying that here. 539 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:35,840 It's actually the same material that Moses mother used when she 540 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:37,360 put her little boy in that basket. 541 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:39,840 You can read about an Exodus 2 verse 3. 542 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,400 She DOB it with the same kind of thing in order to protect it. 543 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,760 And for them to use this kind of thing is sending an indirect 544 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,480 message. We know that God promised that 545 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:59,080 He would never flood the world again, but just in case, we're 546 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:02,560 going to do what we can so that we don't have to experience what 547 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,680 our forefathers did. This is unbelief. 548 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,000 So not only do you have disobedience towards God's 549 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:13,800 commands, you even have a greater form of defiance. 550 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:18,200 We don't believe what you say, even if it's for our good, even 551 00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:20,640 if it's an expression of your love and faithfulness. 552 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:26,240 So here you and I have the earliest picture. 553 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:29,320 Listen very carefully of a global effort. 554 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,880 Remember, it was the whole world, a global effort to defy 555 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,680 God's command to dismiss His promises. 556 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,360 And for what reason? Let us make a name for 557 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:42,800 ourselves. What does that mean? 558 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:51,040 The pursuit of self governance, a rejection of the rule of God 559 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,920 and an attempt to be independent of Him. 560 00:36:57,360 --> 00:36:58,480 And you know the rest of the story. 561 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:03,680 The Lord sees this, He comes down, he investigates and he 562 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:06,360 determines, OK, you don't want to disperse, I'm going to make 563 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:10,560 you disperse. He changes their languages, they 564 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:13,720 go their separate ways, and this project of resistance comes to a 565 00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:19,160 screeching halt. And because of this miraculous 566 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,800 event and how it would change the course of history, a 567 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,680 specific name was given to it, the place where it all happened. 568 00:37:25,680 --> 00:37:29,240 Look at verse 9. Therefore, its name was called 569 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:33,240 Babel because the Lord confused the language of all the earth. 570 00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:36,280 And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of 571 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:41,600 all the earth. So This is why the Holy Spirit 572 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:45,720 uses Babylon to describe this future system, because it's 573 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:48,480 rooted in this one. And although the Tower of Babel 574 00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:52,640 was brought to an end, the spirit behind that has continued 575 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:58,640 and it will reach a crescendo in the last days where there will 576 00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:02,200 be another attempt to dethrone the true God through self-made 577 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:07,080 religion and for a time it will have great success. 578 00:38:09,240 --> 00:38:13,360 And so again, this is important to note for the future, but we 579 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,840 have to understand that Babylonianism has taken on many 580 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:22,000 forms since then, and it will until this full manifestation 581 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:24,440 will take place. Do you want to know how you can 582 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,840 determine if something is operating under the spirit of 583 00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:29,640 Babylon? It's very easy. 584 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:34,280 Take your clues from Genesis 11. Which one challenges the 585 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,440 authority of God's Word who seeks to elevate other 586 00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:44,040 authorities above or to replace the Word of God altogether? 587 00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:48,920 I don't care how it looks. It doesn't matter how long it's 588 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:53,040 been standing, doesn't matter how beautiful you think it is, 589 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:58,280 if it defies God's clear word, it's Babylon. 590 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:01,400 It's Babylon. It may have a different name, 591 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:05,160 but there's a spirit working behind that system. 592 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:12,920 Anything that makes man the centre point and takes the glory 593 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:17,880 away from God and seeks to put it on the performance of us 594 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:22,960 humans has a Babylonian DNA in it. 595 00:39:24,440 --> 00:39:27,000 You know what's amazing? In Genesis 11, the people said, 596 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:28,920 let us make a name for ourselves. 597 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:31,560 We're going to achieve this on our own. 598 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,200 We're going to do this in our own strength and our own wisdom. 599 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:38,440 And then you go to Genesis chapter 1211. 600 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,560 They were saying that in chapter 12, what happens? 601 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:44,520 The Lord recruits Abraham and he says, I will make your name 602 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,120 great. That's grace. 603 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:52,080 And we know that through the line of Abraham, true religion 604 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:56,320 would come, and it would start at the point of mercy, and that 605 00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:58,760 mercy would reach its full manifestation in the person and 606 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:01,120 work of Jesus Christ. So you want to know if 607 00:40:01,120 --> 00:40:05,400 Babylonianism at work today? Look at systems that push aside 608 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:09,600 God's word. Look at systems that put man 609 00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:17,000 front and center instead of God and you may have a Babylonian 610 00:40:18,360 --> 00:40:21,880 reality right before your eyes. When we come to the final thing 611 00:40:21,880 --> 00:40:27,560 of what Babylon is all about here in verse 6, and I saw the 612 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,920 woman drunk with the blood of the Saints, the blood of the 613 00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,880 martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marvelled 614 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:35,520 greatly. So while the world will be 615 00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:38,640 intoxicated with the lies and the seductions of the great 616 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:47,040 prostitute, this world system will be drunk with the blood of 617 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:51,920 Christians. We're talking about persecution 618 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,480 here. And the fact that she is drunk 619 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:58,160 means that she's not going to harass believers in moderation. 620 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:05,320 It's going to be excessive. It's it's going to be sweeping. 621 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:10,800 It's going to be ugly. This is graphic, but it's the 622 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,320 truth, and you and I have to come to terms with it. 623 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:17,480 The Bible's preparing us, and the Bible is doing so by way of 624 00:41:17,480 --> 00:41:21,840 prophecy that there is coming A1 world religious system even 625 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:24,080 before the one that the Antichrist will establish for 626 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:30,000 himself, that will not only be supported by world leaders, but 627 00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:34,200 will also seek to viciously silence those who hold to the 628 00:41:34,200 --> 00:41:36,520 true faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 629 00:41:39,280 --> 00:41:43,920 We've seen episodes of that throughout history, but this one 630 00:41:43,920 --> 00:41:47,320 will be the greatest before the Antichrist does his work. 631 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:52,200 And as hard as that may be to digest, you have to understand 632 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,240 the some of the greatest and most cruelest attacks carried 633 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:58,320 out against true followers of Jesus Christ were performed by 634 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:03,560 those who claim to do so in the name of God, and even some in 635 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:04,960 the name of the Church of Christ. 636 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:10,960 Didn't Jesus prepare us for this in John chapter 16, that they 637 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:14,400 will banish you from synagogues there in verse 2 and they will 638 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,240 kill you thinking that they are doing so in service to God. 639 00:42:20,280 --> 00:42:24,080 You think why are why is Islam slaughtering people by the 640 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:25,320 thousands? Why do they have that 641 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:26,920 reputation? Well, one, it's ingrained in 642 00:42:26,920 --> 00:42:30,000 their ideology and their doctrine, but they actually 643 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:31,800 believe that doing service to God. 644 00:42:32,360 --> 00:42:37,800 They believe that, and that's why some believe Babylon is 645 00:42:37,800 --> 00:42:40,000 going to be Islam. But it doesn't have to be. 646 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:41,840 This spirit isn't limited to that. 647 00:42:43,440 --> 00:42:48,120 There will be something new, something fresh, and it will be 648 00:42:48,120 --> 00:42:51,040 extremely violent. You think that can't be? 649 00:42:51,040 --> 00:42:52,840 We're look how sophisticated we are. 650 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:57,000 Are we sophisticated? It's not the 21st century, the 651 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:58,600 bloodiest century in all centuries. 652 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:04,240 We're sophisticated. Yeah, I'm sure we drive nicer 653 00:43:04,240 --> 00:43:07,640 cars, we have better medicine, we have greater services, but we 654 00:43:07,640 --> 00:43:10,400 also finding creative ways of becoming more destructive. 655 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:16,240 And you have to understand that there is a spiritual reality 656 00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:22,400 with any development. There are forces at work beyond 657 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:28,520 our sight, beyond our sound. How do we apply this? 658 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:30,280 What do we do with this information? 659 00:43:30,280 --> 00:43:33,800 This is prophecy. Sure, but here's how we can 660 00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:38,160 understand how it works for us today. 661 00:43:40,080 --> 00:43:42,880 If there's going to be a world that's going to get drunk off of 662 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,760 the lives of a false religious system, and this religious 663 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:51,760 system is also going to find great satisfaction and joy in 664 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:54,200 drinking the blood of Christians, that's symbolism, 665 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:57,440 obviously. What's the charge of the church? 666 00:43:57,440 --> 00:44:01,400 What do we do in that mix? I think what we do is what Peter 667 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:03,880 told us exactly to do in light of the last days. 668 00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:06,240 Here's our final text. And if you want to turn that, 669 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:07,400 you can. If you want to sit back and 670 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:09,160 listen, you're welcome to do that as well. 671 00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:11,120 But listen to what Peter says in first. 672 00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:15,840 Peter 4, verse 7. The end of all things is at 673 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:19,720 hand. Therefore, be self controlled 674 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:31,320 and sober minded for the sake of your prayers if you think people 675 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:35,320 lost their minds now and what they believe and propagate and 676 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:38,560 what's infiltrating our education system and even some 677 00:44:38,560 --> 00:44:40,160 churches. The Bible's telling us that 678 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:44,480 there is going to be a great harlot who's going to take over, 679 00:44:46,560 --> 00:44:49,200 and when that great harlot takes over, there is going to be a 680 00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:53,880 spiritual intoxication like we've never known. 681 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:02,080 And Peter in his own way is speaking to Christians and he's 682 00:45:02,080 --> 00:45:05,040 showing us here by this instruction that the return of 683 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:08,000 the Lord is imminent. There is a surprising factor 684 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,160 about it. So he says the end of all things 685 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:13,480 is at hand. Therefore, be self controlled 686 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:21,240 and sober minded, clear headed, aware, vigilant, watchful. 687 00:45:23,560 --> 00:45:25,560 And one of the ways you know that you are not spiritually 688 00:45:25,560 --> 00:45:35,360 foggy or asleep or inebriated is that you have active, conscious 689 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:39,360 fellowship with God. That's why he mentions prayer in 690 00:45:39,360 --> 00:45:48,720 the same verse. If you want to know if you're 691 00:45:48,720 --> 00:45:56,080 not drunk this afternoon. One symptom of sobriety is that 692 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:57,720 you are walking in fellowship with God. 693 00:45:59,880 --> 00:46:06,520 Not in theory, not in desire merely, but in actuality. 694 00:46:07,720 --> 00:46:10,280 You talk to Him, you let Him talk to you. 695 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:14,120 You are aware and conscious of His return. 696 00:46:15,520 --> 00:46:17,200 You're not just aimless in this life. 697 00:46:18,120 --> 00:46:20,320 You're not just drinking whatever is presented to you, 698 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:28,400 even if it's in a golden cup. And maybe maybe God is using the 699 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:34,320 service to sober some of us who are getting dizzy and you're not 700 00:46:34,320 --> 00:46:42,470 even realizing it. The great prostitute Babylon 701 00:46:42,510 --> 00:46:43,990 will be a false religious system. 702 00:46:45,150 --> 00:46:48,150 It's a symbol of future Global 1, supported and promoted by 703 00:46:48,150 --> 00:46:51,710 world leaders that embodies the ancient spirit of rebellion 704 00:46:51,710 --> 00:46:54,590 against God and unites people in defiance and deception while 705 00:46:54,590 --> 00:46:55,830 opposing those who follow Christ. 706 00:46:55,830 --> 00:46:57,110 That's what Babylon is all about. 707 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:02,320 Rejoice in the Enlightenment, but also lean in. 708 00:47:02,360 --> 00:47:08,760 And now ask the Lord if your spirit is clean, and if it's 709 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:13,000 not, He is gracious enough to help you and to protect you from 710 00:47:14,000 --> 00:47:16,360 what's to come. Let's ask Him for that. 711 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:47,860 Father, we asked this afternoon that You would help us believe 712 00:47:47,860 --> 00:47:56,140 your word in its entirety. We may not know how this truth 713 00:47:56,140 --> 00:47:58,900 about Babylon helps us in life today, but we believe that it 714 00:47:58,900 --> 00:48:01,540 does. And so low. 715 00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:07,140 We ask this afternoon that you receive glory in our 716 00:48:07,140 --> 00:48:13,880 enlightenment, that our minds being illumined would produce a 717 00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:16,480 worship towards you because you have brought us that much closer 718 00:48:16,480 --> 00:48:19,680 to the truth. Although we also understand the 719 00:48:19,680 --> 00:48:24,080 call that Peter and others have made for us, that the end of all 720 00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:27,640 things, the study of it, the awareness of it, the signs of it 721 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:31,600 in our own time calls us to be sober. 722 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:38,600 So help us be sober if we've allowed ourselves to lose sight 723 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:42,880 of You and what you're going to do in the last days. 724 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:50,000 Forgive us and make us ready. If we are not near you. 725 00:48:51,120 --> 00:48:53,560 Use these truths in a way to draw us back. 726 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,200 Only you can do that, Lord. We've done our part today. 727 00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:00,400 So may all of us walk out of this place saying thank you 728 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:07,440 Lord, for reminding me to stay close to You and protect me from 729 00:49:07,440 --> 00:49:10,480 the things around me, the Babylonian spirit that will seek 730 00:49:10,480 --> 00:49:12,640 to seduce me away from God's word. 731 00:49:15,840 --> 00:49:20,120 And may I never fear the threats that may come my way to remain 732 00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:24,840 faithful to you and you alone. In Jesus name we pray these 733 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:26,000 things. Amen. 734 00:49:26,200 --> 00:49:28,800 Amen. Let's stand Church. 735 00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:29,760 Let's give him thanks.