Two chapters on Mystery, Babylon. She is the great whore. She rides the beast. She is the mother of harlots. She is clothed in purple, scarlet and
gold. She reigns over kings of the
earth. She is caressed by the world. She is sustained by the dragon (Satan).
Chuck reminds us that the church of Thyatira is promised to
go through the tribulation. This is
how. If you recall the earlier lessons,
the church of Thyatira was called the Medieval Church.
Mystery, Babylon isn’t the beast, but she rides the
beast. There are ten clues in chapter 17
regarding her identity: she’s a
prostitute; she has universal influence all over the world; she is seated upon
the beast; she is expensively adorned and outwardly attractive; she’s a utensil
in God’s service but a counterfeit; she’s a mystery linked with the Babylon of
Nimrod; she’s the mother of prostitutes who has spiritual offspring; she’s a
persecutor of Christians; seven hills; great city that ruled over kings of the
earth.
Sorry, folks, I won’t mince word here because eternal souls
are at stake. The clues point to Rome
and the Vatican. Don’t misunderstand
me. I know several Catholics who I
believe I will see in heaven because they are true believers. But take a look at the history of the
Catholic Church and check out Dave Hunt’s book “A Woman Rides the Beast”. Do your own research and arrive at your own
conclusions.
Chapter 18 concentrates on Babylon the city. Dr. Missler reminds us that the ancient city
of Babylon was conquered without a battle!
Cyrus bragged about this. It
became a capital city under Alexander the Great. It has decayed over time, but is in the
process of being rebuilt. However, the
destruction of Babylon predicted in Isaiah 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51 has
yet to be fulfilled. According to those
passages, Babylon will be destroyed so that it is never again to be
inhabited. Its building materials will
never be reused. The destruction will be
like Sodom and Gomorrah.
Interestingly, there is a vision in Zechariah 5:5-11 that
suggests a time will come when the commercial and religious power center will
migrate back to Babylon. WHOA! I’ve got chills. It seems perfect to end it where it all
began. Doesn’t it?
Homework for next time:
Read chapter 19. Review your
notes on the ancient Jewish wedding. Get
ready to encounter the “Fifth Horseman”!
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