Tag Archives: Babylon the Great
Is America Mystery Babylon the Great?
Is America Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of whores and of the abominations of the earth? Since Mystery Babylon will be destroyed in one hour (Rev 18:8, 10, 17, 20, 21), and since YHVH warns his people (all the saints, not just the Jewish people) to “Come out of her…” (Rev 18:4) it’s important to know who she is. Is Mystery Babylon a city or an entire country or what? It’s important to know the answer, so YHVH’s people will know how to prepare for the end time judgments against Mystery Babylon.
Understanding Bible Prophecy
To properly understand biblical prophecy, we must understand some fundamental concepts relating to properly interpreting biblical prophecy.
Let’s look at the various types of prophecies in the Bible. First, there are long range, short range and mid-range prophecies. Second, there are prophecies that have been fulfilled, one’s that haven’t been fulfilled, and ones that have dual or even multiple fulfillments.
There are several standard viewpoints people hold when interpreting Bible prophecy. Some believe that all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled (the preterist view). Some believe that all prophecy is yet to be fulfilled (the futurist view). Some believe that some prophecy has been fulfilled, and some is yet to be fulfilled (the partial preterest view). I hold to the latter view.
To know whether a prophecy has been fulfilled already, one must have an understanding of historical events. If the prophecy has already been fulfilled, it may or may not have any future prophetic fulfillments.
- How do we know whether it has any future fulfillments?
- If the prophecy contains end times prophetic language, it probably has a future fulfillment.
- If the prophecy hasn’t been fulfilled yet historically, it’s still a future one.
- Some prophecies contain language relating to events that have already been fulfilled historically, and also contain language involving future events that haven’t been fulfilled yet.
- We know the prophecy has future or multiple fulfillments when other biblical authors make references to a past prophecy having future or multiple fulfillments.
Some people assume that just because a prophetic event has been fulfilled in the past to one people-group it will automatically happen again to another people group in the future simply because “history repeats itself” or because “what has been will be again.” To make these assumptions and apply them to any prophecy runs the risk of succumbing to faulty and illogical reasoning. To read something into a prophecy that is not there is called Continue reading
How to come out of Babylon the Great
Revelation 18:4, “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?
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.
Laban—A Picture of Babylonian Power Over and Destruction of the Family
The family is the foundational building block of society. It is a picture of the Godhead and the means by which the Creator intended not only to replicate himself, but to redeem man back to himself and then spread his kingdom on earth. What a glorious concept! The family is a most beautiful thing because of what it represents and because of its Elohim-deisgned mission. Guess who hates Elohim and therefore wants to destroy the family?
Genesis 31:43, These daughters are my daughters. Laban claims that Jacob’s wives and children belonged to him. Laban was also steeped in the idolatry of Babylon having in his possession idols or images called teraphim (Gen 31:19, 34–35), which also represented his wealth and were good luck charms.
Is there a modern-day counterpart to this? Yes. Doesn’t modern Babylon want to control and possess the wives and children of redeemed Israel, indoctrinate them in its pagan religious system, and then keep Jacob’s modern descendants from returning to their spiritual and physical homeland and birthright inheritance, and from returning to the Torah-faith of their fathers? Are governmental institutions (e.g. public educational institutions and state and federal Child Protective Services agencies, social welfare programs, various government regulations that have greatly diminished or eliminated many of our personal freedoms along with Elohim-given parental rights), socio-political organizations (e.g. ACLU, UN) and greedy corporate systems (banking systems that enslave people through debt, corrupters of our food supplies that destroy people’s health, pharmaceutical companies and the mainstream medical establishment that enslaves and destroys people’s minds and bodies through drugs) modern-day Labans who want to kill, steal and destroy for the benefit of money, power and control? Again, yes.
Revelation 18:13 says that end times Babylon the Great will traffic in the souls of men. This speaks at some level of the modern day enslavement of people—of their religious expression, freedom of thought and action. In these end times, the saints of Elohim must protect themselves and their loved ones from idols and the evil machinations of the Elohim-hating, devil worshiping idolators.
Let us not forget John’s closing words in his first epistle: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). An idol is anything that gets between us and Elohim, and which moves us downward and away from him on our spiritual path instead of upward and closer to him.
Are you ready for the fourth industrial revolution?
Another Way to Come Out of the End Times Babylonian System
We are currently entering the fourth industrial revolution to occur since the 1700s. The first revolution occurred when humans entered the machine age in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The second one occurred from 1870 to WW1 when huge industries like steel and petroleum took off. The third one was the digital or computer revolution beginning in the early 1980s. With regard to the fourth industrial revolution, Wikipedia says:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution builds on the Digital Revolution, representing new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even the human body.[8] The Fourth Industrial Revolution is marked by emerging technology breakthroughs in a number of fields, including robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, The Internet of Things, 3D printing and autonomous vehicles.
In his book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, describes how this fourth revolution is fundamentally different from the previous three, which were characterized mainly by advances in technology. These technologies have great potential to continue to connect billions more people to the web, drastically improve the efficiency of business and organizations and help regenerate the natural environment through better asset management. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Industrial_Revolution)
How will you, your children and grandchildren adapt to this fourth industrial revolution? There are many ramifications of this, which we can’t discuss here and now. However, many futurists are predicting that up to 50 percent of the jobs will be replaced by automation of one kind or another. True, jobs will be needed to produced, manage and maintain that automation, but the purpose of automation is to make production of goods and service more efficient and less expensive by reducing or eliminating human involvement. So where does that leave all the people who either don’t have high tech skills, or who aren’t interested in these jobs? The trades! The fourth industrial revolution will not be able to replace plumbers, carpenters, electricians, appliance repairers, painters, arborists, mechanics and the list goes on and on.
Think about it. Tradesmen are often self-employed and run their own businesses. They have a degree of freedom that those working for larger corporations or government entities don’t have. As such, they are freer and more independent. They can work long or short hours. They can take time off when they want. They can earn a lot of money or a little amount depending on their motivation and needs level. This also means that they are free to obey YHVH’s laws without someone telling them what to do. For example they can freely keep the Shabbat and biblical feasts when they want without permission.
Nearly 35 years ago as a college graduate, I made the decision not to use my college degree and a prostitute myself to the corporate system. Remaining faithful to YHVH Elohim and keeping his commandments like the Sabbath and biblical feasts was more important to me than climbing the corporate ladder and becoming rich or famous. Therefore, I chose the small business, tradesmen route. I haven’t gotten rich, but I’ve kept my freedom and independence, and I’ve stayed faithful to YHVH and been free to keep his commandments without anyone telling me what to do or where to go. My conscience is clear.
The choice I made to go into business for myself was prescient. At that time (in the early 1980s)
, we were barely entering the third industrial revolution. The fourth one was unthinkable. No computer or robot will every be able to do my trade. I have job security! Plus I’m free to come and go as I want. This is one aspect of coming out the Babylonian system. Think about it.
The Rise of Secular Humanism—The Devil’s Religion
The Devil’s Original Lie and the Religion of the New World Order
We are presently watching unfolding before us an epic and cosmic struggle between the forces of evil and good. The world system or cosmos of the devil is pitted against the unalterable and immutable plans, purposes and Word of the sovereign Creator of the universe, YHVH Elohim.
At the center of this battle is man. He was created in the image of Elohim and destined to become a son of Elohim. The Adversary, on the other hand, wants to make man into his image—a son of perdition. Man has to choose whom he will follow. To sit on the sidelines, ignore the battle and not to choose is, by default, to choose the side of the devil. Man must carefully choose his course of action, for the consequences are eternal. Inaction—not to choose—is to ignore the battle and by default to choose the side of the devil.
That battle will reach its nexus at the end of the age, just prior to the return of the Messiah. Will man fall for the lies of the counterfeit Messiah, or remain faithful to the Truth and Word of the real Messiah? To resist the deceiver and not fall for his lies one must know the face of his enemy: his tactics, game plan and the nature of his deception. The lies he will use in the end times to woo the multitudes to his side are not new. The tactics and game plan are the same, for it has never changed from the beginning. What are the lies he will use to seduce man to his side of this struggle? When did the deceiver first ply his trade? The answers are in the Book of Life.
The Big Lie and Its Origin—The Scriptures Speak of a “Lie”
There are those who turn from the revealed truth of Elohim and turn to believing a lie as Romans 1:24–25 states:
Wherefore Elohim also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of Elohim into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen
The Man of Sin/Lawlessness will cause many to turn from YHVH’s truth and believe a lie as 2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 states:
For the mystery of iniquity does already work: only he who now restrains will do so, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom YHVH shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause Elohim shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Outside of the New Jerusalem will be those wicked ones who believe a lie as the Book of Revelation states:
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles, neither whatsoever works abomination, or makes a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Rev 21:27)
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. (Rev 22:14–15)
The primary meaning of these passages is referring to those who have exchanged the truth of YHVH for a lie. But what lie? Who did Yeshua say was the father of lies (John 8:44)? The devil is, of course. So, ultimately all lies that humans believe had to have originate from those lies the devil through the serpent told the first humans in the Garden of Eden.
What Was This “Big Lie”?
Fundamentally, all big lies against the truth of YHVH actually originate from several big lies with which the serpent seduced Adam and Eve at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen 3:1–5). The serpent told the following lies: Continue reading
Isaiah on the End Times New World Order Technocracy?!
I was sitting on my back deck on this bright, warm and sunny Shabbat morning reading my Bible, while watching the birds and listening to the wind in the trees when I read this passage in Isaiah. My ears perked up and flashing lights went off in my spirit man. Several hours later, this popped out of my spiritual incubator. Maybe this message will resonate with a few of you. The rest of you can go back to sleep. — Natan
Isaiah 25:7, The surface of the covering. This is a cryptic passage. What does it mean? Other translations render it as follows:
And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples, Even the veil which is stretched over all nations. (NAS)
On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. (NIV)
And swallowed up hath He in this mountain The face of the wrapping that is wrapped over all the peoples, And of the covering that is spread over all the nations. (YLT)
Before YHVH establishes his millennial kingdom on earth, he will have to remove something evil that has been covering the earth and its people like a veil. Is this referring to the web of lies that Satan and his Luciferian stooges on earth have woven to control the minds of earth’s inhabitants, so that they could accomplish their nefarious schemes to enslave the human population spiritually, economically and politically? Or could it refer to an electromagnetic web put in place by the global power elite or something similar that covers the earth to enslave the human population for its evil purposes of power and control? Maybe it’s both. Whatever it is, Yeshua will destroy it at his second coming.
The context of this passage is millennial. Chapter 24 prophesies of Elohim’s impending judgment on the whole earth followed by his reigning from Mount Zion in Jerusalem (v. 23). Chapter 25 continues the same prophecy. In verse nine, we read that, “We have waited for him, and he will save us…We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation [Heb. Yeshua].” This is speaking of the second coming of Yeshua and the establishment of his millennial kingdom on earth after having destroyed the end times Babylon the Great New World Continue reading