The Book of Genesis is a book of beginnings; the Book of Revelation is a book of endings. In the Book of Genesis the first two chapters are without sin; and then in the third chapter sin is introduced. In the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation, the third to the last chapter, you find the Lord of lords taking over and abolishing sin. In the last two chapters, there is no sin again, just as in the first two chapters of Genesis.
In the tenth chapter of Genesis you find the origin of Babel. Read it carefully to receive the value of this message. It records how the great Nimrod founded Babel. Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord, but it does not mean that he went out to hunt elephants and wild game. Nimrod was a hunter because of the fact that he hunted the souls of men. He was one of the first ones in a religious sense to prey upon other people. Genesis tells us that the people sought to make a name for themselves and they began to build the tower of Babel, brick by brick, that they might reach up unto heaven. Nimrod built a city, a tower and a kingdom. One image, of ancient Babylon which continued on under Nebuchadnezzar was estimated to be worth seventeen million dollars—and that at a time when prices were by inflation half of what they are now. Today, an image used in that ancient worship would be worth thirty-five to forty million dollars. There were idol utensils worth more than two hundred million dollars in ancient Babylon. It is difficult now for us to understand how that religion has been continued to the present time.
The fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is one of the most revealing chapters that you can find in the Old Testament indicating at the fall of Babylon, what was really behind the city of Babylon. It is interesting, but so startling that a Scriptural foundation is needful for you to begin to understand it. The Jewish people came to have an abhorrence of Babylon, because it was the place of their exile, but that Babylon was only a symbol of something else that was to come.
Isaiah 14:4–11—that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers; that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: They break forth into singing. Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid low, no hewer is come up against us. Sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?—all the kings that had gone to “Sheol,” the Old Testament word for the grave, translated in King James, “hell”—Babylon and its kings brought down to hell. Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee: This showed the noble end that was prophesied for Babylon, and like all prophecy, there was the fall of Babel in Genesis 11 with the confusion of languages. Later, Isaiah and Jeremiah, especially in Jeremiah 51, again prophesied the downfall of Babylon. You begin to think, “Well, that’s all happened, and we have come to the New Testament and it is over with.” Then in Revelation 17 and 18, you read of the fall of Babylon again.
The end of the tower of Babel, did not end the Babylonian religion—the fall of Babylon on that site did not end the Babylonian religion—because Babylon is a system, a demonic system of religion.
There is no purpose in trying to have a New Testament church if it doesn’t make any difference, one way or another, whether we have a New Testament church or not. Is there a real basic drive and necessity behind what we are trying to do, or is it just another odd idea that we are going to build our church on elders and deacons with an apostolic foundation? Do we have to go back to the Scriptures? Why can’t we be good denominational church goers and forget the whole business? I’ll show you why.
What was behind ancient Babylon? Isaiah 14:12, How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning!—there—it is Lucifer—the one that fell out of heaven and the outstanding religious spirit of all time! A religious spirit, he comes as an angel of light. He transforms his ministers as ministers of righteousness, Paul tells us. Still people say, “Well, it doesn’t make any difference what church you go to.” It does—it is just a matter of whether you are going to follow the devil or you’re going to follow Christ. How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations! And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit. They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home? All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot. Isaiah 14:12–19.
What is he saying? He is saying that the motivating force behind Babylon is the king of Babylon, and then he begins to talk about Lucifer. Is it confusing, or is Babylon Satan incarnate, the king of Babylon? There you have it—just as Christ is indwelling Zion and is her King, Lucifer is the king of Babylon.
History tells us that when Babylon was taken by the Medes and the Persians, the Babylonian hierarchy fled to Pergamos in Asia Minor. In the messages to the churches, Pergamos is called “Satan’s seat.” The last king of Pergamos, called the “SupremePontiff” of the Babylonian order, bequeathed by law all of his dominion and power to the Babylonian hierarchy of Rome, because the Roman empire was coming up strong, with all of their rites, ceremonies, authorities and dignitaries. Thus, the Roman Caesars became and were called: “Pontifix Maximus,” “Sovereign,” “Pontiff,” “Supreme Pontiff.” They had these names that were transferred from the old order of the religion of Babylon and they continued to bear these names, even after they became Christians nominally. Julius Caesar was first made the Pontiff of the Babylonian order in 74 B.C.—he became the Supreme Pontiff of Babylon in 63 B.C. and this meant that the old Babylonian religion was tied in with the government which often they worshiped. Nero even tried to continue this, proclaiming himself God, that he should be worshiped, and he was doing this only because he had the inheritance by the Babylonian religion that he should stand as God to the people.
In 376 A.D., the emperor Gratian said it was wrong for a Christian emperor to be the Supreme Pontiff; and to be a Christian, he couldn’t be the head of devil worshipers at the same time, so he renounced the title. Then, there was no tribunal before whom the pagans could be tried who followed the Babylonian religion, so confusion began. The authority of Babylon was then bestowed upon the Bishop of Rome, Demasus, in the year 378 A.D.. The “Supreme Pontiff” or the “Pontifix Maximus,” was then the title of the Bishop of Rome. The papal power then actually comes from the devil worship of Babylon. Only three years later, 381 A.D., they decreed the worship of Mary. By 519 A.D., they decreed the observance of Easter and Lent, which were Babylonian, idolatrous holidays.
The sign of the cross came from the T of the tower of Babylon, which had been used by the Chaldeans, the Egyptians and in the Babylonian mysteries for two or three thousand years before Christianity began using the sign of a cross. The rosary, tonsure, celibacy, monks, nuns, formerly the vestal virgins of Rome, all came from Babylonian idolatry. Guides of present day Rome will say, “This used to be a temple where they worshiped Venus,” etc., from which idolatrous statues were not removed, but given the names of saints.
The Japanese fragment of Babylonian idolatry is known as Shintoism. Without Christianity ever invading Japan, or especially Tibet, there was the purest form of Babylonian idolatry. When Babylonian soldiers took this worship to Tibet at the fall of Babylon, they carried the “fifteen points.” No missionary was ever allowed into Tibet, and yet they have holy water, incense, worship of the virgin and child, monks, nuns, monasteries and priestly vestments. Shintoism, Roman Catholicism and Babylonianism are alike: image worship, dead tongues and rituals, candles and incense, masses for the dead, counting beads, vain repetitions in prayer, celibacy of the clergy, nuns, relic worship, systems of merit by penance, the priesthood cures, processions, worship of saints, flowers, Mary worship (the counterpart in Shintoism is the worship of the goddess of mercy), etc.. If you study the religions, you find they follow exactly the same pattern.
Back in history to the time of Nimrod, Semiramis, or Ashteroth, whose husband Nimrod was tragically killed, became the sole queen over Babylon and began one of the most sadistic reigns in the history of the world. In her widowhood, beyond being satisfied, her favorite pattern was to find a male, force intercourse, castrate and murder him. She was the “black widow” of ancient history.
She claimed to have brought forth, as a virgin, a son miraculously, that is, without a human father, and called him Tammuz. The worship of Tammuz is emphasized in the Bible, especially in the eighth chapter of Ezekiel. He was killed by a wild boar while hunting. There were forty days of fasting and weeping, which we now call Lent; followed by Easter, which was originally a feast of Ishtar. Tammuz was supposedly resurrected, and the chicken, the egg, the bunny, his favorite pets, became symbols of his resurrection. Cakes were baked and there was a great feast. This was all the result of Semiramis, or Ashteroth, the “queen of heaven.” “Queen of heaven” is the exact title later conferred by the Roman Catholics on Mary. The virgin queen that was worshiped in Isaiah 47 is identical with Mary worship that came later.
Christmas was the birthday of the sun god. The favorite tree of Tammuz was the evergreen. Jeremiah 10 tells how they cut the tree from the forest and decked it. This is the origin of the present day “Christmas tree.”
Do you realize how many things we have in Christianity today that are nothing more than the corruptions of the ancient Babylonian religion? If you would like to follow it through, you can purchase at most good Christian book stores a book on Babylon tracing down the artifacts and histories corrupting present Christianity from the Babylonian religion.
Satan is the power of this mystical Babylon. Can you think that God will bless and continue the thing that does not exalt His Son as being His Son, nor even accept the resurrection of Jesus Christ or the sacrifice of His blood as atoning for sin? Do you think that God in heaven is going to smile on the churches that have taken everything of the Word and have made it a mockery until the running of churches has become a business enterprise? We’ll not get any place until people know the truth; when the truth comes forth through the heart to lead them into Zion, lead them into the glorious church that God has. Now let’s go on further.
This is the prophecy in Revelation 18:1–5, After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
There are people that are afloat from the churches where God is saying, “Come out of them, My people. Don’t be a partaker of her sins.” There are pastors that have been defrocked and put out of their churches, because they have been filled with the Holy Spirit, or have come into some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or because they are believing in the restoration of the purity of the New Testament church. Babylon sits dwindling as God is putting judgments on her, but there are wandering shepherds and wandering sheep, and soon you will see a new order of churches as God begins to lead them together. Wouldn’t you like to be those that stand and pray, and befriend in the coming and going of hundreds of thousands of people that are in motion because they have heard the cry of God, “Come out of Babylon, My people. Don’t be a partaker of their sin”? Within a short time a thousand churches could spring up here in Southern California, because there are enough people now that are ready to see a New Testament order. They may not understand it fully, but they are dissatisfied and are ready for change. There are pastors that are beat down. You can tell a man from Babylon, because he has chains on him. There is something about him that is crushed, broken, on the defensive. Something of his spirit is chained; governed by fear and not by love, afraid to speak for fear of the reaction of the people. If we can stand fearlessly to proclaim the truth, we will give them courage and see them set free.
Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: Revelation 18:6a. There is a double portion prophesied in the Old Testament. Instead of your shame ye shall have double; Isaiah 61:7a. God will give a double portion to those of Zion that return, and God also says that He will give a double portion of judgment to Babylon. This is the day of the double portion. God will double up the judgment on the Babylonian system and bring it down. How long will it take?… in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning and famine; In one day, and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. Revelation 18:7–8. This passage could not have had fulfillment at anytime in the history of the church until this present hour. Remember this and notice first of all as it speaks of the judgment, certain things in the following verses.
And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. Revelation 18:9–10. So it is with the political forces. Organized Christianity has been a great political force, whether it was in the middle ages or in some refined form of it now. The religious systems and political powers work closely together.
Then we come to the commercial enterprises, the merchants that weep and mourn. And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men. Revelation 18:11–13. One hour and it is ended. What would happen to businesses if organized religion was brought to an end? They would begin to mourn. If it were not for Easter and Christmas sales and the system of gifts, the margin of profit in many businesses would be completely gone.
Revelation 18:20, Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her. This means that when the fall of Babylon comes, it will be the apostles and prophets, the saints of God and all of the heavenly hosts joining in, that will bring forth the judgment upon Babylon, and God will bring it down in one hour. God hath brought forth; God hath judged your judgment upon her. You must understand—it will not happen sovereignly. God has been preaching to us for two years that we are going to enter into judgment. Even this year, the emphasis was again upon judgment returning to the house of God. If there are not going to be apostles and prophets in the end time, how can this passage be fulfilled? If there are not going to be saints in the end time, how can this be fulfilled? The saints of God, the apostles and the prophets are told to rejoice, for God hath judged your judgment upon her. Babylon is to come down. With all love for God’s people, we’ll do everything we can to show them love, to magnify the glorious Lord of the Church to them, that they might love and adore Him, to woo them out of Babylon. We’ll not fail to know that system is the deadly enemy, because it is Satan inspired, called THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS, in Revelation 17:5. All denominational systems have followed what the Bible calls the harlot system—committing fornication with the kings of the earth to get security, so they’ll not be persecuted—an exchange that goes on back and forth.
What about the true church? Rejoice and be glad—for in the 19th chapter of Revelation it says, After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. Revelation 19:1–2. Then, what is the great cry? Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. There are two women in Revelation, the false church is called the harlot, and the true church is called the bride of Jesus Christ, and she is clothed with fine linen, clean and white. And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Verses 7, 8. God looks upon commercial and political religion as nothing more than spiritual harlotry. God did not raise us up to be political or economic powers. God raised us up to be the bride of Jesus Christ. War is declared, because the god of Babylon is Satan, but the Head of Zion is the Lord Jesus Christ. We too will stand in this glorious road of restoration and cry to Babylon, “Come out of her, O God’s people! Don’t be a partaker of her sins or of her judgments. Come out of her as quickly as you can.” There is an ominous threat of judgment, because judgment is returning to the apostles and the prophets. If God made you an apostle or a prophet, raised you up and gave you the authority, what would you do? Would you bring down Babylon or would you let it go on in its insipid, sick way, deceiving people, instead of giving them the glorious deliverance and liberation? The only way of power is the way of restoration. The only way of coming into what God has for you is to forsake “spending your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not.”
Somehow we will find that this walk in the Spirit will reach the world, because it is the first pure thing to come forth in Christianity in over 1700 years, and even that leaves something to be purified in us yet. With all that we have, we still do not have the vision, or the courage, we do not have the aggressive faith to stand up and say, “Yes, Lord, we will be Your people to proclaim the truth, and to speak judgment to Babylon in this generation.” God has never brought judgment, but what He would say to someone like Jeremiah, “Go on and prophesy against Babylon.” He did and it happened. He raised up a little fellow and He said, “Go prophesy against Tyre and Sidon.” He did and they came down. He said to specific men: “Go prophesy against Nineveh,” “Go prophesy against Assyria,” “Go prophesy against Greece.” They did it and down they came. You say, “Well, it would have happened anyway.” No sir, God always has some man that can stand that is more powerful than all of the armies; more powerful than all of the military systems; more powerful than all the intrigue that has been built in government, and everything that is involved with it. Entire cultures come down, because God is through and He brings them judgment. He brings a word, and when they will not hearken, He says, “Down you’re coming.”
What is God raising up this end time remnant for? Two things: one, to proclaim the way of restoration and deliverance unto all the people who will hearken to the remnant of God; two, to bring judgment, because God is about to bring judgment. An age is ending and judgment is pending. A new age is dawning, and the glory of it is being visited upon the remnant that will be a part of it. Various denominations are creating tax loads on the rest of the people by the fact that the church corporations are controlling businesses, multimillion dollar corporations. You begin to realize how much the economic life is being controlled by churches, and when God brings Babylon down, do you realize what it will do to business?
We will glorify Jesus Christ as the only Lord over the Church. Isaiah 26:13 says, … Other lords besides thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. He alone will be exalted and no one else—no other lords, no other systems. We’re just a little fragment of what God is bringing forth—let’s keep it clean and pure. Let’s keep our hearts set upon God. We are not fighting people; we are fighting demonic systems. We love the people and bring them out of Babylon. Nothing will we show to them but love. No belligerence will we show. No antagonism will we show, nothing, but one thing, we will love them right into the kingdom. We will loose them from their bondages. Our hatred is for Satan and for the systems and corruptions that he brings.