Oct 23
31
JOHN’S VISION of the Fall of Babylon
In Revelation 18 we see John’s vision of this woman’s destruction. Satan has always opposed the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning, his heart was lifted up with pride against the Son of God. He inspired, organised, and led a rebellion among the angels of heaven, attempting to overthrow God’s throne, frustrate his purposes, destroy his works, and prevent the triune God from executing and fulfilling his eternal covenant of grace. Though his revolt was totally unsuccessful. (He did not even shake God’s throne, much less overturn it! {See Isa. 14:24, 26, 27}. Yet, the old serpent has never ceased to oppose the purpose of God. He knows he has but a short time until Christ shall cast him forever into the pit (Rev. 12:12). Yet, he continues his rebellion. He continues to inspire, organise and lead men and women in rebellion against the God of heaven. And his primary means of opposition to Christ is organised false religion.
That religious system, inspired, organised, and led by Satan, the religion of antichrist, is portrayed as a great harlot patronised by the whole world and a great city of world wide influence and wealth. The name of that great harlot and that great city is Babylon. Babylon represents the world, especially the religious world, in opposition to Christ. The religions of the world have many names. But their essential tenets are always the same. The religion of the world, the religion of antichrist, the religion of Babylon, is the religion of free-willism and works salvation. The religion of Babylon, the hell inspired religion of antichrist by which the souls of deceived multitudes are destroyed, always proclaims that salvation is ultimately decided and determined by man. Free-will, works religion is satanic antichrist and damning to the souls of men. Both the preachers and the adherents of such religion, like Nimrod, are rebels against God, utterly lost, without the knowledge of the living God. And, like Nimrod, they all shall perish under the wrath of God.
It is popular. Men love it, support it, promote it, and defend it. It has always been the religion of the world. It is wealthy. The world’s most famous, most well respected religious leaders are the servants of this great whore. And the religion of Babylon so thoroughly controls the minds of men that it controls the political, economic, academic, and philosophical powers of the world. The whole world, by the deception of satan, cherishes free-will, man-centered, Babylonian religion. But, thank God, the religion of Babylon, all opposition to the church of Christ, the truth of Christ, and the glory of Christ shall be destroyed. That is the subject of Revelation 17 and 18.
Rev. 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev. 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
A great, mighty angel came down from heaven, whose glory lightened the earth. These mighty spirits, who were created by God to be ministering spirits to those chosen and ordained of God to be the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). But these mighty angels are also the instruments by which God executes his judgment upon his enemies. Those holy beings who, by divine direction, have protected God’s church from their enemies in every age shall destroy our enemies in the end. — But the Angel here is Christ himself, the Angel of the Covenant, whose glory fills the earth.
This mighty angel announced the fall of Babylon as if it had already occurred.
Rev. 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Rev. 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
So sure and certain is God’s judgment upon Babylon that it is recorded as a past event. Notice how the angel describes Babylon. It is not a literal city, but a religious system that encompasses and includes everything opposed to God. It is the habitation of devils, the home of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hated bird! Babylon is the idolatrous religion of the world (Isa. 21:9; Jer. 50:2). The gods of Babylon are the dung-gods of freewillism and works salvation. The dung of Babylon’s religious solemnities has smeared and defiled the whole earth. Had it not been for the Lord’s free, preserving grace, we all would have been swallowed up in Babylon. But God would not allow us to have our way (Jer. 51:7-10; 2 Thess. 2:10-13).
JUDGE NOT LIFE BY OUTWARD CIRCUMSTANCES
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes” Psalms 119:71.
God’s ways and God’s word are best learned by experience and in time of trouble. When our Lord is pleased to lay His hand heavily upon us, we do not soon forget the lessons learned. When the Lord singles out a believer or a church for special affliction and adversity, it is not for punishment or lack of love for them; it is for eternal blessings and because He does love them. “Whom the Lord loveth” He chastens, corrects, and teaches!
When Job sat before his friends, who was afflicted? The one God loved!
When Paul stood before King Agrippa, who wore the chains? The one God loved!
Humanly speaking, which path of life would you prefer to live on earth, that of Esau or that of Jacob? Esau had the life of prosperity and ease; Jacob was full of trouble and conflict, but God loved Jacob! Thank God he has not left us alone! Thank God he has loved us in Christ and is pleased to teach us his ways by dealing with us in such a way that we are weaned from the world and find our life, comfort, and hope only in him.
A person who measures his blessings and relationship with God by his prosperity, health, happiness, and worldly comforts makes a fatal mistake. “If ye be without chastisement, wherefore all believers are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons” Heb. 12:8.
Paul said, “Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” 2Cor. 12:9-10. He who sends the trial for His glory and my good will supply the grace sufficient. Those who know the Redeemer also know that when we are weak, we are strong; when we are poor, we are rich; when we are empty, we are full, and when we die, we live!
Pastor Henry Mahan
‘A god that cannot save’
Read Isa.45:20 to Isa.46:13
Is. 45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Anyone who reads the Bible, with the slightest bit of interest, must see that the god of modern religion does not even faintly resemble that God who reveals Himself in Holy Scripture. The god of this generation is moved by sentiment, emotion and impulse. The God of heaven acts according to justice and the principles of holiness and righteousness…”Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne” (Psa. 89:14).
The god of this generation has a will, a purpose and a desire, but his will is defeated both by men and Satan. He desires, but he cannot accomplish his desire. He wills, but he cannot perform his will. He purposes, but he cannot do what he has purposed. The God of the Bible works all things according to the counsel of His own will and purpose. This is what God says about Himself: “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from unclear times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isa. 46:9-10).
Today’s Jesus offers eternal life to as many as will let himsave them. The Christ of the Bible “gives eternal life to as many as the Father has given him” (Joh. 17:2). Today’s god has a wonderful plan foryour life, if you will just fulfil the necessary requirements. The one trueand living God “works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13; Rom. 8:28).
The god of modern-dayfundamentalism has provided a remedy for sin, and it will work if only thesinner will co-operate with God. The living God has provided a perfectrighteousness and an effectual atonement for all of His elect through therighteous obedience and substitutionary death of his Son at Calvary(Heb.10:11-14).This is what I am saying: the god of modern religion is a puny pigmy. Heis an idol. The God of the Bible is great and glorious. He is the only trueGod. Pastor Don Fortner
“The Lamb Slain from the Foundation of the World”
Revelation 13:8
Redemption by Christ was not an afterthought of God, something he did because the Jews would not “let “ Jesus be their king. Far from it! In the mind and purpose of God, our redemption by Christ was accomplished in eternity. All the Old Testament types bear testimony to Christ as the Lamb that had been slain. Beginning with the sacrifice of Abel, God’s saints of old offered the blood of lambs upon the altar by faith. And that faith was based upon the Divine revelation that the only way of acceptance with God is by the blood of “the Lamb slain.” Every type was drawn from the picture given by God’s direct revelation and foreshadowed the coming of the Lamb to be slain. When Christ is described as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,” it is to show us that from all eternity God regarded Christ as the Lamb who had been slain for his elect. There has always been only one way of salvation: The blood of the Lamb! In the Old Testament, God forgave sin and imputed righteousness to believers exactly as he does in the New, upon the basis of Christ’s sacrifice as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Romans 3:24-26). God’s eye of justice always has been and always shall be upon “the Lamb slain!”
Don Fortner
Smile God Loves You
Does He? I recently saw a billboard that in bold letters read, “Smile God Loves You.” I immediately thought to myself, “Does He?” No wonder people in this world don’t give the holy judgment and justice of God much thought! After all, they believe that God loves everyone in the world and Christ died for the whole world. But “does He, and did He?” Not according to John 3:16, the very verse that unenlightened sinners say proves such nonsense. God only loves those in the world that He has enabled to believe on Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Why else would our Lord have prayed NOT for the world, but for those that God had given Him? (John 17:9) No wonder sinners put off the most urgent question asked in the scriptures which is, “What think ye of Christ?” If God loves everyone in the world so much, why would He send anyone to hell in everlasting judgment? The Bible clearly teaches that God is holy and just and must punish sin by the execution of His Holy Justice. God’s love is only for those who are found in Christ. To those who do not believe and trust Christ to put their sin away, has nothing to smile about. ~David Eddmenson
Trusting God, Not Means
The Lord used ravens to feed Elijah, but Elijah never thought of trusting in the ravens. If we lean on instruments instead of the hand that used them, we bring down a curse upon ourselves, for it is written, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord.” ~Scott Richardson