The message of the second angel in Revelation 14:1-20 is “Babylon is fallen, is fallen.” In Revelation 17:1-18, the woman identified as spiritual Babylon, dressed in purple and scarlet, rides upon a scarlet-colored beast, passes around her wine cup, and gets the world drunk with error. Church and state unite. Falsehood prevails. Demons work their … Continue reading –>
Sun worship was prominent in Egypt, Assyria, Persia, and certainly Babylon. In his book The Worship of Nature, James G. Frazer makes this observation, “In ancient Babylonia the sun was worshipped from immemorial antiquity.” — (London: Macmillan and Co., 1926), vol. 1, p. 529. It may seem surprising, but at times Babylonian sun worship influenced the … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 16:13-14, and Revelation 18:2, Revelation 18:23. What allusions to spiritualism do you find in these verses? Such expressions as the “dwelling place of demons” or the “spirits of demons” and “sorcery” all indicate demonic activity. No wonder we have been warned that of the two great deceptions in the last days, one will be “the immortality of … Continue reading –>
In the context of the last days, Jesus uttered a powerful warning, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mark 13:22, NKJV). Who are the “elect”? He later says, “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and … Continue reading –>
Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Revelation 12:9; Revelation 16:13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Ezekiel 8:16; Ezekiel 20:1-20; Rev.18:4, Revelation 18:5. Memory Text: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17, NKJV). It was one of those gorgeous September mornings in Chicago. As the sun rose over Lake Michigan and commuters battled traffic jams on the Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways, and … Continue reading –>
Bike and Bible, Part 1 By M.B., as told to Kathie Lichtenwalter I wish you could meet Hussein, the security guard for the building where my wife and I live as missionaries in the Middle East. From the time we first met, we could see he observed his faith carefully and lived with sincerity. I … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: “The message of Revelation 14:1-20, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in … Continue reading –>
Here is another clue in clearly identifying the “mystery of Babylon the great.” Idolatry was at the heart of Babylonian worship. Read Jeremiah 50:33-38 and Jeremiah 51:17, Jeremiah 51:47. What do you discover in these verses about ancient Babylon’s worship of images and God’s response to it? Jeremiah 50:1-46 and 51 predict Babylon’s destruction by the Medes and Persians. … Continue reading –>
Revelation’s appeal is an urgent call to commitment, summarized in the symbolism of the two women in Revelation. Although at times it will appear that God’s people will be defeated in this cosmic controversy between truth and error, God promises that His church will triumph in the end. Compare Matthew 16:18 and Revelation 17:14. What promise did Jesus … Continue reading –>
Read Revelation 17:4-6. What do these verses teach us about the nature of this evil system? As we have seen, Revelation 17:1-18 describes an apostate religious system that introduces into Christianity many of the teachings of Old Testament Babylon. “In order to search for an understanding of the nature of Babylon, we need to go back … Continue reading –>
