What It Means to Come Out of Babylon the Great

“Come out of her my people!”

“Come out of her my people” is the cry of YHVH Elohim to his end times saints in Revelation 18:4. Come out of what?  Out of Babylon the Great. What is Babylon the Great and what does it mean to come out of her?

Babylon the Great

Babylon the Great

What Is Babylon the Great?

A quick definition of end times Babylon the Great is this: It is a global religious, economic and political Antichrist system that is a confused mixture of both good and evil, which enslaves the minds and lives of humans. It is this system that YHVH-Yeshua will be destroying at his second coming. Babylon the Great involves all the religions of the world including mainstream global Christianity and Judaism. These last two religious systems are part of Babylon the Great because they have, to one degree or another, mixed biblical truth with ancient, pagan Babylonian religious doctrines and traditions. This is called syncretism and is something that YHVH Elohim hates according to numerous passages in the Scriptures. Another word for syncretism is ecumenism. The biblical term for it is apostasy — a  term which means “forsaking (something), falling away or defecting (from something).” Falling away from what? The fundamental truth of the Scriptures (2 Thess 2:3 cp. 11, 12, 13) and believing the lies of the serpent or devil (v. 11), which involves coming under the influences of mystery of lawlessness or Torahlessness (v. 7).

What does it mean to come out of Babylon?

What does it mean to come out of Babylon? In the context of mainstream Christianity, we could give some very simplistic answers to this question by beating up on all the usual suspects. These would include all the non-biblical Christian paganesque holidays (Christmas, Easter, et al), steeples on churches, pagan-derived words in Christian nomenclature, whole denominations like the Roman Catholic Church, mainstream Christian doctrines that are derived totally or in part from pagan sources (e.g., immortality of soul, the traditional concepts of heaven and hell, the trinity, anti-Semitic theologies, etc.). Some people even view coming out of Babylon as leaving one country that they view as Babylon the Great (e.g., America). These are all issues that need to be addressed, but these are not the first issues one must deal with when discussing exiting Babylon.

Coming out of Babylon is more than just leaving non-biblical religious traditions, or leaving a religious system denomination, a country. It involves matters of the heart. When issues of the human are addressed and dealt with, the rest will take care of itself.

Being in the world, not of the world

When YHVH urges his people to come out of Babylon in Revelation 18:4, who are his people? Buddhists? Moslems? Hindus? Witches and satanists? Secular humanists and atheists? Maybe yes in a very broad and generic sense, but in a biblical context, he’s talking about the believers in the God of the Bible. Specifically, who are Elohim’s people? Many Bible believers don’t know the answer to this question. They view themselves more in terms of the religious labels they wear instead of the truth of the Bible with regard to who YHVH’s people are to be vis-à-vis the world. Coming out of Babylon first involves dealing with an identity crises among the people of YHVH. Once they learn who they are supposed to be in biblical terms and embrace this vision in their hearts and minds, they will automatically begin coming out of Babylon by first putting the leaven Babylon out of themselves!

This is who the Scriptures say that the redeemed believers, disciples or followers of Yeshua are to be:

  • Though disciples of Yeshua are in the world, they’re not to be of this world (John 17:11, 14).
  • Followers of Yeshua are “the called out ones” (Gr. ecclesia). Called out from what? From being controlled by the world, the flesh and the devil.
  • Redeemed believers are to be holy or set-apart (Heb. kadosh) as YHVH Elohim is kadosh (Lev 11:44, 45; 20:7, 26; 1 Pet 1:5, 16; 2:9). Set-apart from what? The controlling influences of the world, flesh and the devil.
  • Believers are foreigners, strangers and pilgrims in this world. They’re part of another kingdom and are sojourners passing through en route to YHVH’s eternal and spiritual kingdom (Heb 11:13: 1 Pet 2:11).
  • The saints are to be salt and light in this dark and rotten world (Matt 5:13–14). This means that what they do, say and think is antithetical to, in contrast with and different form this world.
  • Followers of Yeshua are to come out of the world and to be separate from the heathens (2 Cor 6:14–17).
  • A follower of the YHVH Elohim cannot be the friend of this world and a friend of Elohim at the same time (Jas 4:4).

What Then Shall We Do?

This is a call to action. What should be the response of YHVH’s people to pagan belief systems, thought patterns and traditions that are a part of their lives and that are contrary to the Bible? These belief systems are found within traditional Christianity as well as the world in general.

Repent of sin, which is the violation of YHVH’s Torah-instructions (1 John 3:4), and get back to the Torah-instructions in righteous living (2 Chron 7:14, 17, 19). Return to the ancient and good paths of the Torah (Jer 6:16; 18:15).

Read and study the Bible (from Genesis to Revelation) anew asking the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth. Be resolved ahead of time to do what ever YHVH tells you to do to bring your life into conformity with his Word no matter the cost. View the instructions of the Bible through a different spiritual lens.  Don’t view it from a minimalist point of view but from a maximalist point of view. That is, what can and must I do as opposed to what don’t I have to do (i.e., what can I get away with and still be a disciple of Yeshua).

Once you start discovering the truth of the Bible from a fresh perspective, start conforming your life to the truth of it. Start living a holy or set-apart life (Lev 20:4; Heb 12:14). YHVH’s people are to be holy or set-apart unto him, not a people who have been made profane by worldly, polluted or defiled pagan customs and traditions of this world (Ezek 22:26; 44:23).

Let go of religious or other non-biblical traditions of men that violate or have superseded the Word of Elohim (Matt 15:7–9; Mark 7:7, 9). Don’t make excuses. Just do it! Just obey YHVH Elohim and his Word.

If you following these points, you will be heeding YHVH’s call to come out of spiritual Babylon by first getting the leaven of Babylon out of your heart and mind (Rev 18:4). Once this is done, all the other Babylonian practices you have been engaged in will begin to fall out of your life like chaff blowing in the wind or dross bubbling up out of the gold to be skimmed off.

These things are the first and most important steps to coming out of Babylon the Great.

 

17 thoughts on “What It Means to Come Out of Babylon the Great

  1. This was very good and helped me know what it means more clearly! I will re-read it and send it on to those I think would appreciate it!
    Blessings and Happy Hanukkah!

  2. When my husband and I were first ‘exploring’ this Torah observant lifestyle, and I was confused, YHWH gave me the Scriptures Rev. 18:4 and 2 Cor. 6:17-18. He has a way of making things plain when we ask HIM to reveal truth, in earnest, and with a humble, teachable spirit. Thank you, Brother Natan, for another great post! Shalom and blessings! (p.s. We are hoping to get up to Oregon, from LA, sometime to visit your assembly. We are originally from WA).

  3. In light of your thoughts here and the recent address by [—–] concerning the origins, claims, and purported pagan influences in the traditions of Hanukkah, would you please consider his arguments and call to keep only to the 7 appointed feasts given in the Torah, and comment in reply. Thank you so much for all your gracious labor in the making all your teachings available here. You have my highest regards, blessings, appreciations and prayers.

    • Thank you for your comments and concerns. I deleted the name of the teacher as per the rules of this blog.

      The teacher you mentioned makes some valid points about the questionable origins of Hanukkah, though, sadly, he, for the most part fails to list the sources he’s quoting from. That would have been helpful for those of us who are historical researchers and like to nail all the facts down to credible sources. However, this doesn’t take away from this teachers concerns about Hanukkah.

      Let me say that we view Hanukkah as something akin to the holiday of Thanksgiving or the fourth of July in America. It is in no way on a par with the seven biblical festivals. What’s more, for the record, most of us hardly celebrate it if at all. We might do a quick teaching on the spiritual ramifications of spiritual rededication, have one quick fun party night and that’s about it.

      As mentioned, we focus on the dedicatory aspects of Hanukkah as recorded in 2 Macc 10:1–8 pertaining to the rededication of the temple after its pagan defilement, and not on the oil or light aspects of it. There is a lesson to be learned here about coming out of paganism and rededicating ourselves as the temples of the Holy Spirit for service to YHVH, about not assimilating ourselves with the heathen practices of the surrounding nations. The teacher does make a good point about the ostensibly pagan influences that have come into this holiday. Suffice it to say, pagan influences have, to one degree or another, polluted nearly everything that is good and decent, so as truth seekers, we must separate the wheat from he chaff with out tossing out the former with the latter. Not always an easy process. Admittedly, some well meaning people will consider somethings to be chaff by drawing the boundary lines in a little closer, while others will draw their boundaries out a little farther. The Torah teaches us that YHVH gave his people some latitude with regard to boundaries. The boundary lines are license and legalism. The straight and narrow path falls between those two extremes. This is why Moses instructed the Israelites to go neither to the left nor to the right. Stay balanced in the middle, and even within that place there is some latitude.

      Blessings, and, again, thanks for your comments.

  4. We have been so acclimatized to the worldly/Babylonian system that when anything is question as to possibly being pagan or scretized with paganism our defences go up. But once one breaks through that shell of darkness, one sees the Scriptures and the call upon the disciples life as light, liberating and freeing. Thanks again, Natan! Well stated and needed!

  5. I really enjoyed this and it motivated me..I was a Jehovah’s Witness believing in man made doctrines such as they teach yeshua appeared in 1914 and declared the watchtower society the only truth on Earth

    When I stopped reading watchtowers and awake magazines and paid attention to only what the Bible teach.. my eyes were opened for the first time in over 25 years

    And now I’m seeing YHVH as he truly is this article should never ever dissappear from the world wide web

  6. The points you mention that the born-again believer “must do” are good and wholesome. But please remember that the Holy Spirit is our Helper, our Guide, our Teacher, the One Who guides us into all Truth. Lean on, listen and obey. Our salvation process is life-long and ongoing. And above all remember Jesus said “It is finished”. It’s not so much what we “can do”. Be blessed.

    • The message of the whole Bible is about what man is supposed to do, can do, must do and, most importantly, what he will be able to do when he submits to the will of Elohim and is empowered by the Spirit of Elohim living in him to become Messiah-like resulting in a relationship with his Father in heaven, through Messiah Yeshua as empowered by the Spirit, so that man can be part of Elohim’s eternal, glorified family. Amein.

  7. Greetings to you. So enjoyed reading this post. I was in receipt of a message on messenger, an invitation through a song with someone playing in the background re the ancient paths. I didn’t quite understand it all. I thought it had to do with keeping the commandments of God and the Sabbath day holy. But now on here, I am finding out that God wants us to keep the feast days as well? So coming out of Babylon is the world system with its pagan holidays, but we must observe God’s appointed feasts according to the scriptures? I’ve been praying and asking God to deliver me out of Babylon system. I did read that Paul said that he celebrated the Passover. I have been seeking God and looking into the bibles and who wrote them from the beginning and how they replaced Passover with Easter when Tyndale showed up and then in the Geneva bible they put back in it the Passover once again. I am looking for the messiah that died for me on the cross and its been a long journey. I recently celebrated the Passover in my home, but I was told that it wasn’t good to do that outside of Jerusalem, is this true? I’ve gone through so much that its been horrible what I have seen in the churches today. What exactly does YHVH want us to celebrate? Please pray for me? Maybe the Lord will reveal something if this message that was sent to me on messenger was from him or not. Thank you kindly. God bless you for all your hard work and research that went into posting this for us all to see.

    • May YHVH bless you and yours for your humble and childlike attitude in wanting to love him at a whole new level by obeying his life-giving and blessed commandments including celebrating or keeping his Sabbaths (the weekly Sabbath and biblical feasts). You can learn all about these by reading my articles on these subjects at

    • https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast
    • .
      As far as not keeping the feasts outside of Jerusalem, if this is the case, then why did Paul instruct the saints in Corinth, Greece to celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 Col 5:6-8)? NO. Whoever told you this doesn’t know their Bible very well and is, quite frankly, looking for an excuse not to be bothered with these commandments. This is sad, but the truth. It saddens me when so many people simply rip pages out of the Bible and disregard biblical Truth because it’s not convenient to their lifestyle to obey YHVH Elohim. May YHVH bless you for your willing and obedient heart!
      I also have a lot of teaching videos on YHVH’s feasts at

    • https://www.youtube.com/HoshanaRabbah
    • .

      • Dear Natan, in 1 Corinthians5:6-8 Paul is not telling them to keep the literal Passover, he speaks of them being puffed up by ungodly influence like malice and other wickedness. Christ is our Passover, we celebrate him in sincerity and truth. Paul is using metaphors, please read again. Thanks

      • Really? If your interpretation is correct then why does he tell the saints in 1 Cor 5:8, “let us keep [Greek word meaning “to observe”] the feast…”? Why did he tell us to follow Messiah/Christ as he follows Messiah (1 Cor 11:1), who celebrated a literal the Passover? Why does the Christian church perform the ritual of communion if this is not something literally to be done? Why in 1 Cor 11:23–34 is Paul giving the saints in Corinth instructions on how to do a literal Passover meal? Why does the Word of Elohim in numerous places instruct us that the biblical feasts are for his people forever? Why does Yeshua tell us that not one smallest aspect of Elohim’s Torah-law will be done away with till heaven and earth pass away in Matt 5:17–19? Why are our heavenly rewards based on obedience to YHVH-Yeshua’s Torah-commandments if some of them are not applicable to us today (Matt 5:19)? If we can spiritualize away Passover, then what other of his laws can be spiritualized away as well? Didn’t he condemn the Jews for doing something similar when in his Sermon on the Mount they fulfilled the letter, but not the spirit of the law? He said that we have to do both. Shall I go on and on and on and on? Selah.

Share your thoughts...