Depart From Her My People

[Authur Jason]

By Ross Taylor:
(Rev 18:4-5 NIV) Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; {5} for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

Coming out of Babylon, what does this mean?

Following the 11th September tragedy in 2001, I wrote some comments in which I said that I thought that God is saying to us, His people, to "Come out of Babylon" (Rev 18:4). In this introductory article I want to examine what this means in practise. How do we come out of Babylon?

Introduction.

The idea of coming out of Babylon is similar to Paul's comment in 2 Cor 6:16-18, which refer to separation and purity:

(2 Cor 6:16-18 NIV) What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." {17} "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." {18} "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

Paul is quoting Isaiah 52:11, separation and purity is again in view.

(Isa 52:11 NIV) Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.

James has a similar idea, which again emphasises purity or keeping oneself free from contamination from the world:

(James 1:27 NIV) Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

However, Revelation is the most explicit "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins". We come out of Babylon, so that we do not sin in the same way as Babylon does. And her sins are piled up to heaven (Rev 18:5). One of her main sins was her excessive luxury (Rev 18:3), see also Rev 18:7, 9. This is clearly seen in her trade in luxuries in Rev 18:11-13.

(Rev 18:11-13 NIV) "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- {12} cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; {13} cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

I think that what God is saying to us here can be summed up by the parable of the sower, "the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful".

(Mark 4:18-19 NIV) Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; {19} but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Similarly Lukes version says "they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature."

(Luke 8:14 NIV) The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

If we are captivated and seduced by the world's riches and pleasures, we will never mature. I have deliberately left out "life's worries", because they do not so much pertain to Babylon. Life's worried pertain more to the poor. Although if we worry that we are not as rich as our neighbour then we are in a pretty poor state spiritually. We are guilty of envy.

'Contentment' is the key to coming out of Babylon.

We can gauge our spiritual state by whether we are content with what we have. Paul learned the secret of contentment, whether living in plenty or in want.

(Phil 4:11-12 NIV) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. {12} I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I would suggest that if we have learned the secret of being content with what we have, then we are not in Babylon. Those in Babylon want ever more riches and luxury, they are not content they are driven by their desire for more.

(1 Tim 6:8-9 NIV) But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. {9} People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

(Heb 13:5-6 NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." {6} So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

[I am not saying that people should not try to improve their lot in life by hard work, the temptation comes when we have improved our lot in life and then we want ever more for ourselves. God commands the rich in this life to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Tim 6:17-18. If God blesses a rich Christian and he puts his wealth to help the poor and needy as well as gospel outreach, is his heart in Babylon? I suggest not. After all, God looks at our heart as well as our deeds. What is your heart, to aquire wealth for you and your family, well looking after your family is good, but if your family is looked after, then what about those who have never heard the gospel? That is God's potential family.]
What is Babylon?

Rev 17:18 The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth."

Firstly, we must understand what Babylon means before we can come out of her. Babylon in Revelation is not a place, otherwise it would be an easy matter to come out of Babylon. In Revelation her rule is worldwide, her reign is over peoples, multitudes, nations and languages (17:15), she rules over the king's of the earth (17:18).

She is to be contrasted with that other city in Revelation the New Jerusalem, compare Rev 17:1 with Rev 21:9-10, the first is called the great prostitute, the other is the bride the wife of the Lamb. She is an earthly counterfeit of that heavenly city, she is covered in precious jewels, pearls and gold as is also the new Jerusalem. She is the earthly copy of God’s heavenly society, which is His church, she is the world that is human society organised independently and in defiance of God. As the great prostitute, Babylon seduces and tempts men away from God. Let us examine in more detail the characteristics of the Babylon the prostitute.

1. All the kings of the earth committed adultery with her (Rev 17:2).
2. The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries 17:2
3. She hold's out a gold cup but it is full of with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 17:4
4. She had great wealth Rev 17:4 and splendour 18:14
5. She persecutes the saints 17:6, 18:24
6. She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 18:2
7. She indulged in excessive luxury 18:3 all the goods the merchants deal in are luxuries 18:12
8. She gave herself glory 18:7, she boasts 18:7
9. She is a source of temptation 18:21 (millstone cf. Luke 17:2)
10. She is associated with culture eg. music 18:22
11. She derived her wealth from trade 18:23
12. Those who trade with her became rich 18:15, 19
13. She had great power 18:10
14. She leads all the nations astray 18:23.
15. She corrupted the world by her adulteries 19:2
16. She will come to ruin 18:8
17. The world will mourn her destruction18:9
18. Those in heaven, the saints and apostles and prophets will rejoice at her destruction 18:20

Historically she has been identified with the Rome of the Roman Empire or the Roman Catholic church at the height of its wealth and power. Both enjoyed great power, great wealth and luxury, both covered a large geographical area and both persecuted Christians. There is some truth to both of these views, but these are just historic manifestations of Babylon. Her first appearance in scripture was in Babel (Gen 11:1-9).

In Revelation she is contrasted to the church or God's people, the Bride, she persecutes God's people, she has great wealth and power and tempts people away from God, she corrupts the world. She is the enemy of God's people, who is she?

I would suggest that she is the first of the three great enemies of God's people: the world, the flesh, and the devil. She is the world, who is controlled by Satan (1 John 5:19). Unlike the flesh, our internal enemy, the world is external and attacks us from the outside. It attacks our bodies by persecution and entices our senses through the appeal of its allure.

She holds a gold cup, which should be full of good things, but in fact it is full of abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. A friend of mine suggested to me once that the television is her gold cup, there is some truth to his comment, because the television is the propaganda instrument for those selling their wares. It entices us with all the luxury of the West; better cars and homes, and more and more paraphernalia to fill those homes. Things to make us more attractive etc etc. The deception is that "things" and possessions do not give us fulfillment. Our character is more important than our possessions, God looks on the inside to a man's heart while man looks at the outside appearance (1 Sam 16:7 ). The Pharisees looked righteous from the outside but inside they were full of of hypocrisy and wickedness (Mat 23:28), in v25 Jesus says they were full of greed and self-indulgence, this summarises the spirit of Babylon. Do we strive for man's approval or for God's? Speaking to women, do you make yourselves beautiful for men but not for God? You make yourself beautiful for your husband so that he gives you money to waste at the local shopping mall (better read Prov 31:10). Needless to say this is not how a Christian wife behaves.

On the day of judgement we will be judged by God on what we have done and not on our possessions. We cannot take our possessions with us but our deeds follow us (Rev 14:13 ). We can send our possessions ahead of us by giving to the poor (Mat 19:21, Luke 12:33). Jesus warns us not to store up things for ourselves on earth, to enjoy upon retirement, but are not rich towards God (Luke 12:21). This man had planned for his retirement, so that he could "take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." Sounds like many of us today with our pension plans, but then God snatches our life away and we do not live to enjoy it. Our children get our money to spend it on their own agendas. Not much money goes to the gospel, but the gospel is God's agenda. God's agenda is to fill heaven with people from every "tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9). It is up to the rich Christians in the West to finance the Great Commission so that the poor are saved.

Television is also the great anaesthetic filling our minds with meaningless rubbish, enabling us to live without seeking God. The people who run the media are largely atheistic and are in it for profit and to sell things and to spread the philosophy of the world. If we fill our minds with that, we will end up conforming to the pattern of the world, rather than being transformed. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight (Luke 16:15).

Babylon represents the worlds power, the worlds riches, the world’s trade, the world’s religions and the world’s commerce and culture. In a more subtle way she represents the pride in our looks, our body, our possessions, our money rather than our character. She seduces us away from God by tempting us to look to possessions and those things around us to give us self-esteem rather than God's approval.

(John 4:34 NIV) "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

[John Lawrence Hayworth]

It is not often taught but the Great Whore will be destroyed by those who gave power to the beast! The Whore that rode the beast for centuries is finally destroyed as the beast leaders turn on her.(Rev 17:12-18). This means a complete change in the system of things--a total revolution in the political and economic and religious realms.

There shile rise up this vile person who will do the unthinkable--appear to solve world poverty! (Dan 11:21-24) By deception, not by force of arms, but by peace and flatteries! These forces are already at work today in the guise of the Ecology movement, groups such as Band Aid, the Davros mission, Purpose Driveness and the emergent church, the ecumenical and interfaith movements! The will is there, the desire of the nations is there it just needs the catalyst to propell ther son of perdition into power! This catalyst will be God Himself for this is ordained of God and must happen. It is foolish to pray against it and seek to prevent it from happening, we should prepare and warn others to prepare!

let us rise up and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom whilst we still have the relative freedom of the internet, Street Preaching, such methods of communication, and, above all, let us be continually filled with the Holy Spirit!