Let's bow our heads for prayer.
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Wonderful Heavenly Father,
we thank You for the privilege
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this day of coming into Your
presence to open Your Holy Word,
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and learn the
lessons that You have for us.
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And as we speak about the
identity of Babylon in Your Holy
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Bible, we ask, Father, that
You will give us open hearts,
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for we're going to
speak about some very direct
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and important things.
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So I ask that you will
especially be with those who
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will be watching this on
television; those who will be
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watching this through
DVD's in their living rooms.
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I ask, Lord, that You will give
them willing hearts to receive
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the message of truth
that you have for us today.
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And we thank You before
hand for answering our prayer,
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because we come boldly to Your
throne in the name of Your Son,
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Jesus Christ, Amen.
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I'd like to do a little bit of
review before we actually begin
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our study of the
identity of Babylon.
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I'd like to just mention
that the first angel's message,
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as we have seen, goes
to every nation, kindred,
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tongue and people.
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And the question is, Why
does it go to every nation,
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kindred, tongue, and people?
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Well, the answer is that
Revelation 17, as we're going
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to study, speaks about a
great harlot who is seated upon
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multitudes, nations,
tongues, and peoples.
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In other words, the role of
the first angel's message is to
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call those multitudes, nations,
tongues, and peoples to come out
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of Babylon, and to
join God's faithful people.
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Because the expression is
the same in the first angel's
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message that goes to
every nation, kindred,
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tongue, and people, and
the harlot is seated upon every
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kindred, nation,
tongue, and people.
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So the first angel's message
has the intent of calling God's
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faithful people out of Babylon.
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Now let's review
what we've studied in the
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first angel's message.
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We noticed, first of all, that
the everlasting gospel shows us
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that Jesus Christ lived
the perfect life that we should
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live, and Jesus fully and
completely paid the debt of sin.
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There is no more
payment that is needed for sin.
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Our sins were totally paid
for at the cross of Calvary.
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But we've noticed, also, that
the first angel's message makes
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commands, or demands
upon those who receive
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the everlasting gospel.
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For example, the first angel's
message tells us to fear God.
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And as we've noticed, this
entails a deep respect for God;
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such a deep respect for
God that we're willing to obey
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His commandments, or His law.
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We also noticed that the first
angel's message commands us
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to give glory to God.
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And as we studied this we
noticed that this tells us
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that we're supposed to reveal
the glorious character of God
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in our lives; the
character attributes of God.
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And it also includes taking care
of our body's and our minds,
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because the apostle Paul
says that we're supposed to
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glorify God with our
body, and with our spirit,
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which belong to God.
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We also noticed that the first
angel's message tells us that
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we are now in the hour of God's
judgment, and that that judgment
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is transpiring before the second
coming of Jesus in heaven,
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which means that if the judgment
is taking place in heaven right
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now, before Jesus comes, it must
mean that those individuals who
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died have not gone to heaven.
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They have not gone to hell when
they died, because God would not
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give them their reward
before they were judged.
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Clearly, the Bible tells us
that Jesus brings His reward
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when He comes, which entails
a judgment before He comes.
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And so the first angel's message
is directly related to the
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doctrine of the
state of the dead.
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When the dead die, when people
die, they go to the grave.
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Jesus judges them through
their records in the books,
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before His second coming.
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And then at the second
coming He brings His reward,
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which means that the judgment
message shows us that the dead
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are sleeping until the moment
that Jesus resurrects them
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to give them their reward.
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We also noticed that God expects
His people to worship Him.
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And we noticed that the
sign of worship to the Creator
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is His Holy Sabbath.
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And so the first
angel's message teaches us
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many important things.
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It teaches us the
importance of keeping God's law,
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that we're in the judgment
now, that we need to keep God's
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Holy Sabbath, that we need
to take care of our bodies,
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that we need to take care of our
minds, and many other things;
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very important
messages for these last days.
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Now I want you to notice
the second angel's message.
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It's found in Revelation
14:8, Revelation 14:8.
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And another angel followed.
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Notice the sequence.
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We have to preach the second
angel's message after we preach
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the first, never before.
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We can't reverse the
order, in other words.
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It says in Revelation 14:8
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Now notice the expressions:
Babylon is fallen, is fallen.
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When the Bible repeats
something it means that
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it is really fallen.
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When God repeats something
it's because it wants to
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intensify the expression.
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In other words,
Babylon is really fallen.
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And you'll notice that Babylon
is called that great city.
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Now why did Babylon fall?
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Notice the last part of verse 8.
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It says, because...
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Here's the reason why Babylon
falls: because she has made
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all nations drink of the wine
of the wrath of her fornication.
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In other words, Babylon
has fallen, truly fallen,
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because Babylon gives wine
to the inhabitants of the earth,
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and they become drunk with
the wine of her fornication.
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In other words, we need to
understand that the reason why
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Babylon falls is because
she gives wine to the nations
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instead of accepting
the first angel's message.
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You see, the reason why Babylon
falls is because she rejected
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the first angel's message.
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The first angel's
message has the truth of God.
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The wine of Babylon
is the error of Babylon.
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In other words,
they are opposites.
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The first angel's
message is God's message.
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The wine of Babylon
is the Devil's message.
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And the reason why Babylon falls
is because she gives her wine
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to the nations, in contrast to
the truths that we find revealed
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in the first angel's message.
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Now in our study
today, we are going to
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analyze, What Is Babylon?
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And then in the next two sermons
in this series we're going to
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study, What Is Babylon's Wine?
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And then the third in this
short series of three that deals
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specifically with Babylon,
we're going to talk about
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Babylon's fornication.
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And so today, What is Babylon?
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Our next topic,
What Is Babylon's Wine?
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And then, What Is
Babylon's Fornication?
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Now I must tell you that
the Babylon that we're going to
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study is not the
Babylon of Genesis 11.
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That is the original Babylon.
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We're going to study
primarily what is known as the
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Neo Babylonian Empire.
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The Neo Babylonian Empire is
the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar,
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the Babylon of
the book of Daniel.
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And you say, Why are we
not going to go all the way
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back to Genesis 11?
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Why are we going to take
the Babylon of Nebuchadnezzar
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as our basis for study?
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The reason is simple.
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The book of Revelation
draws primarily upon the stories
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that we find in Daniel
that deal with the Babylon
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of Nebuchadnezzar.
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Let me give you three examples.
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Revelation 13:2.
We find some very
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interesting powers mentioned.
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And I'd like to invite
you to go with me there:
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Revelation 13:2. It says:
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Let me ask you, Where do
you first find those beasts
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that are
mentioned in this verse?
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You find them in Daniel 7.
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So what Babylon is in
the background of this verse?
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It's not the
Babylon of Genesis 11.
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It's the Babylon
of Nebuchadnezzar.
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Another example:
Revelation 13: 11-18.
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And we're not
going to read the verses.
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There it speaks about a
beast who raises up an image.
00:10:01.16\00:10:04.97
He commands everyone to
worship the image of the beast.
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And whoever does not
worship the image of the
00:10:08.80\00:10:10.61
beast should be killed.
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Let me ask you, Where is
the background of that story?
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Well, you know it's in
Daniel 3, where Nebuchadnezzar,
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who for awhile lived
like a beast, raised an image,
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commanded everyone to worship
the image, and whoever would
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not worship the
image would be killed.
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In other words, once
again, Revelation 13 has as its
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background Daniel's
Babylon, and not the
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Babylon of Genesis 11.
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And then, of course, a third
story that we have is the fall
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of Babylon in Daniel 5, when
the Euphrates River was dried up
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by Cyrus, who came from
the East, if you read Isaiah,
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and the prophecies of Jeremiah.
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And as a result, God's people
were delivered from Babylon
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when Babylon fell,
because her river dried up.
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Well, if you go to Revelation 16
you find that the sixth plague
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describes the drying
up of the River Euphrates.
00:11:01.22\00:11:04.16
Once again, the book of
Revelation is drawing upon
00:11:04.19\00:11:09.76
the Babylon that we
find in the book of Daniel.
00:11:09.80\00:11:12.13
Now we could spend a whole
lecture just to talk about the
00:11:12.17\00:11:15.20
Babylon of Genesis
11, the Tower of Babel
00:11:15.24\00:11:17.84
where the tongues were confused.
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There's a lot of things that we
could study there, but we don't
00:11:19.27\00:11:22.24
have the time to add
another lecture to this series
00:11:22.31\00:11:25.55
that we're studying.
00:11:25.58\00:11:26.92
So we're going to dwell,
primarily, upon the Babylon
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that is mentioned in the book
of Daniel, because that's where
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the book of
Revelation draws upon.
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Now, in order to understand
what Babylon is we have to go
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to the Old Testament and
study the history of Israel.
00:11:40.20\00:11:45.20
Let me ask you, Was Israel
God's chosen people? Absolutely.
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And I'm going to
describe now, in broad strokes,
00:11:50.61\00:11:55.34
the history of Israel
from the times of the Exodus,
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particularly mount Sinai,
till the time of the Babylonian
00:12:00.12\00:12:04.72
captivity, when Nebuchadnezzar
came and destroyed the city,
00:12:04.75\00:12:08.46
and took Israel captive.
00:12:08.49\00:12:11.03
Let's begin by analyzing
the marriage of God with Israel.
00:12:11.06\00:12:18.73
Did you know that
God married Israel?
00:12:18.77\00:12:20.34
Notice Exodus
19:4-6, Exodus 19:4-6.
00:12:20.37\00:12:30.51
Here Israel is at the foot
of mount Sinai, and God wants to
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make a covenant with
Israel; He wants to get
00:12:36.28\00:12:38.69
married with Israel.
00:12:38.72\00:12:40.06
So God is proposing.
00:12:40.09\00:12:42.02
Notice Exodus 19:4-6.
00:12:42.06\00:12:44.23
Here God is speaking to Moses.
00:13:15.02\00:13:17.03
He's saying, I want you to relay
a message to Israel for Me.
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I want you to ask them if they
want to make a covenant with Me;
00:13:20.33\00:13:23.53
if they want to
get married with Me.
00:13:23.57\00:13:25.47
Because I took
them out of Egypt.
00:13:25.50\00:13:27.40
I love them; I delivered them.
00:13:27.44\00:13:29.27
Now I want them to
be My special people.
00:13:29.30\00:13:32.01
I want to
spiritually marry these people.
00:13:32.07\00:13:34.71
So go down and ask them of
they're willing to marry Me.
00:13:34.74\00:13:38.28
Notice the response of
Israel in Exodus 19:7, 8.
00:13:38.31\00:13:43.99
Moses comes down.
00:13:44.02\00:13:45.65
It says, So Moses came and
called for the elders of the
00:13:45.69\00:13:49.49
people, and laid before
them all these words which
00:13:49.52\00:13:53.26
the Lord commanded him.
00:13:53.29\00:13:54.63
And now you have a covenant.
00:14:11.65\00:14:14.22
You have a marriage relationship
between God and Israel.
00:14:14.25\00:14:19.72
By the way, who is the
husband in this relationship?
00:14:19.75\00:14:24.89
It is God who is the husband,
and Israel is the bride.
00:14:24.93\00:14:29.96
Now I want you to notice that
marriage always has obligations,
00:14:30.00\00:14:33.87
doesn't it? There are certain
laws that apply to marriage.
00:14:33.90\00:14:37.74
One of those
laws is faithfulness
00:14:37.77\00:14:41.48
to the wedding vows.
00:14:41.51\00:14:42.84
Now where do we find
the wedding vows of Israel?
00:14:42.88\00:14:46.82
What God expected from
His bride, or from His wife?
00:14:46.85\00:14:50.92
Notice Exodus 20:1, 2.
00:14:50.95\00:14:54.92
In other words, I delivered you.
00:15:08.10\00:15:10.01
I love you. You know,
it's not because you were good,
00:15:10.04\00:15:13.24
but because of My grace,
and because of my love for you
00:15:13.27\00:15:16.44
that I took you out of Egypt.
00:15:16.48\00:15:18.01
And therefore, now I
want you to be My people.
00:15:18.05\00:15:22.18
I want you to be
My peculiar treasure.
00:15:22.22\00:15:24.95
I want you to be My wife.
00:15:24.99\00:15:26.92
But there are certain laws of
marriage which must be obeyed.
00:15:26.96\00:15:31.66
So what does
Jesus then give Israel?
00:15:31.69\00:15:36.00
He gives them what?
the ten commandments.
00:15:36.06\00:15:39.30
The ten commandments
are the law of marriage.
00:15:39.33\00:15:42.57
It's what God
expects from Israel.
00:15:42.60\00:15:45.24
It's what God
expects from the marriage.
00:15:45.27\00:15:47.74
He expects His bride,
or He expects His wife,
00:15:47.78\00:15:50.85
to be faithful to Him.
00:15:50.88\00:15:52.68
Now we're not going to
read the ten commandments.
00:15:52.71\00:15:54.42
You have them on your sheets,
and you've read many times
00:15:54.45\00:15:58.05
the ten commandments.
00:15:58.09\00:15:59.42
But I want you to remember
that the ten commandments
00:15:59.45\00:16:01.06
are the law of marriage.
00:16:01.09\00:16:02.52
And, by the way, you know,
does God make some promises
00:16:02.56\00:16:05.99
to His bride, too?
00:16:06.03\00:16:07.36
Oh, you noticed several of the
commandments promise a blessing
00:16:07.40\00:16:12.53
if Israel obeys
those commandments, right?
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.90
And so it's a two way street.
00:16:14.94\00:16:17.01
God is saying, This is the law
of marriage, so I want you to be
00:16:17.04\00:16:20.28
faithful to Me, and I'm
going to be faithful to you.
00:16:20.31\00:16:22.81
In other words, we'll preserve
ourselves one for another.
00:16:22.84\00:16:26.55
Now you say, Pastor, where does
the Bible actually use the word
00:16:26.61\00:16:30.65
marriage for what
happened between God and Israel?
00:16:30.69\00:16:33.12
Go with me to Jeremiah 31:32,
which is reminiscing about what
00:16:33.15\00:16:38.69
happened at mount Sinai.
00:16:38.73\00:16:40.06
I want to show you that God
married Israel at mount Sinai.
00:16:40.10\00:16:43.43
And He wanted Israel
to be faithful to Him.
00:16:43.47\00:16:46.03
And He promised to
be faithful to Israel.
00:16:46.07\00:16:48.60
But it was a two way street.
00:16:48.64\00:16:50.31
Jeremiah 31:32. Behold the
days are coming, says the Lord,
00:16:50.37\00:16:57.11
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel,
00:16:57.15\00:17:00.68
and with the house of Judah.
00:17:00.72\00:17:02.05
Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers
00:17:02.08\00:17:05.32
in the day that I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the
00:17:05.35\00:17:08.59
land of Egypt; my
covenant which they broke,
00:17:08.62\00:17:12.53
What event is being
described in these verses?
00:17:12.56\00:17:16.43
The covenant that God
made where? at mount Sinai.
00:17:16.46\00:17:20.30
What did Israel do with
that covenant? They broke it.
00:17:20.34\00:17:24.11
But now notice what
it continues saying.
00:17:24.14\00:17:25.97
Once again, going back
a little ways to verse 32.
00:17:26.01\00:17:29.34
Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers
00:17:29.38\00:17:31.98
in the day that I took them by
the hand to lead them out of the
00:17:32.01\00:17:34.58
land of Egypt; my
covenant which they broke,...
00:17:34.65\00:17:37.19
Now listen to this:
00:17:37.22\00:17:38.55
What was God to
Israel? the husband.
00:17:43.43\00:17:47.50
And what was Israel?
00:17:47.53\00:17:49.13
Israel was the bride.
00:17:49.16\00:17:50.67
Unfortunately, God
was faithful with Israel,
00:17:50.73\00:17:56.00
but Israel was
unfaithful to God.
00:17:56.04\00:17:59.14
In fact, I want you to
notice Ezekiel 16:8, where God
00:17:59.17\00:18:04.41
reminisces about the fact that
He chose Israel to be His wife.
00:18:04.45\00:18:08.58
Notice how God proudly says,
You were Mine, Ezekiel 16:8.
00:18:08.62\00:18:14.56
God is reminiscing. He says:
00:18:14.59\00:18:16.39
See, when I met you
it was a time for love.
00:18:22.40\00:18:25.00
See, these are the wedding vows.
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.24
Can you hear the
pride in God's voice?
00:18:41.82\00:18:44.99
He's saying, You were mine!
00:18:45.02\00:18:46.45
But soon Israel decided that
she would have a relationship
00:18:46.49\00:18:52.16
with other lovers.
00:18:52.19\00:18:53.63
In other words, she
started committing adultery,
00:18:53.66\00:18:57.17
or fornication, with
the surrounding nations.
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.67
She was unfaithful
to her wedding vows.
00:19:00.70\00:19:04.01
In fact, let's
notice Ezekiel 16.
00:19:04.07\00:19:07.61
There's several verses
that I want us to read there.
00:19:07.64\00:19:09.58
And I want you to remember these
details, because later on in our
00:19:09.64\00:19:13.31
study we're going
to go to Revelation 17,
00:19:13.35\00:19:15.42
and we're going to find the
same details all over again.
00:19:15.45\00:19:18.85
Notice Ezekiel 16:2.
00:19:18.89\00:19:23.69
By the way, in Ezekiel
16 the word abominations
00:19:32.90\00:19:37.31
is used repeatedly.
00:19:37.34\00:19:38.84
It's also used in
the book of Ezekiel.
00:19:38.87\00:19:41.64
The children of Israel now
were committing abominations.
00:19:41.68\00:19:46.51
Notice Ezekiel 16:14.
00:19:46.55\00:19:50.72
Israel became proud of her
beauty, and she thought that her
00:19:50.75\00:19:55.46
beauty was her own.
00:19:55.49\00:19:57.19
Notice verse 14.
00:19:57.23\00:19:58.89
Why was Israel beautiful?
because God beautified Israel.
00:20:15.88\00:20:20.58
It wasn't because Israel
was beautiful in herself.
00:20:20.62\00:20:23.79
And Israel started thinking
that she was so beautiful,
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.92
and she started committing
the abominations of the nations,
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.53
which we'll talk more about
in our next study together.
00:20:30.56\00:20:34.76
In fact the Bible says
that Israel became a harlot.
00:20:34.80\00:20:38.93
Notice Ezekiel 16:15.
00:20:38.97\00:20:43.30
Here God is talking
about His own people, folks.
00:20:43.34\00:20:46.21
He's not talking
about pagans, or atheists.
00:20:46.24\00:20:49.11
He's talking about those who
profess to be the church of God
00:20:49.14\00:20:53.05
in the Old
Testament. Ezekiel 16:15.
00:20:53.08\00:20:56.38
In other words,
you became a harlot.
00:21:09.63\00:21:12.13
God is calling His people what?
00:21:12.17\00:21:14.37
His apostate people;
He's calling them a harlot,
00:21:14.40\00:21:18.07
because they're committing these
abominations in their midst;
00:21:18.11\00:21:21.51
the abominations of the nations.
00:21:21.54\00:21:23.21
I want you to notice that God's
people had attired themselves
00:21:23.24\00:21:28.72
with all these jewels of
gold and silver, and wanted to
00:21:28.75\00:21:32.42
attract attention to themselves.
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.42
Notice Ezekiel 16:17.
00:21:34.46\00:21:37.83
Don't forget all these details.
00:21:37.86\00:21:39.19
We're going to come
back to them. Ezekiel 16:17.
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.33
What did they use the gold
and silver for? To make what?
00:21:56.04\00:21:59.68
To make jewelry to
attract attention to themselves.
00:21:59.71\00:22:02.88
Notice Ezekiel 23:40.
00:22:02.92\00:22:06.29
You should also read Ezekiel 23.
00:22:06.32\00:22:08.06
The whole chapter is
parallel to Ezekiel 16.
00:22:08.09\00:22:11.06
It says there in Ezekiel 23:40,
00:22:11.09\00:22:13.86
Did this harlot decorate
herself with gold, and silver,
00:22:33.45\00:22:36.89
and precious stones? Absolutely!
00:22:36.92\00:22:39.35
To attract
attention to whom? to God?
00:22:39.39\00:22:41.49
No, to attract
attention to herself.
00:22:41.52\00:22:44.63
And she plays the
harlot, according to Scripture.
00:22:44.66\00:22:47.43
She fornicated with the nations.
00:22:47.46\00:22:50.70
Several of these nations
are mentioned in Ezekiel 16.
00:22:50.73\00:22:54.54
In other words, God's
holy, peculiar, special people,
00:22:54.57\00:22:58.94
now started forming
relationships with these
00:22:58.97\00:23:02.34
pagan nations; with
these secular nations.
00:23:02.38\00:23:04.98
For example,
Babylon, the Assyrians.
00:23:05.01\00:23:07.75
It actually began in the days
of Solomon, when Solomon had a
00:23:07.78\00:23:11.45
thousand women in his
life; many of them because of
00:23:11.49\00:23:14.06
alliances that he made
with the surrounding nations.
00:23:14.09\00:23:17.56
That's what the fornication was.
00:23:17.59\00:23:19.23
Instead of Israel preserving
herself only for the Lord,
00:23:19.26\00:23:23.63
now Israel had other lovers,
which were all of these nations
00:23:23.67\00:23:27.70
with which she had
illicit relationships.
00:23:27.74\00:23:30.31
Notice Ezekiel 16:26.
00:23:30.34\00:23:33.64
You also committed harlotry.
00:23:33.68\00:23:36.31
That word is in
Ezekiel 16 all the time.
00:23:36.34\00:23:38.61
You also committed
harlotry with the Egyptians,
00:23:38.65\00:23:41.65
your very fleshly neighbors,
and increased your acts of
00:23:41.68\00:23:46.35
harlotry, to
provoke me to anger.
00:23:46.39\00:23:49.86
Notice chapter 16, and verse 28.
00:23:49.89\00:23:53.26
It also says that she played
the harlot with the Assyrians.
00:23:53.29\00:23:56.36
It said:
00:23:56.40\00:23:57.73
In other words, Israel
had all of these lovers.
00:24:06.51\00:24:09.18
She can't get enough of these
lovers from all of the nations.
00:24:09.21\00:24:12.11
She's committing
spiritual adultery.
00:24:12.15\00:24:15.42
In other words, she's
fornicating with the kings
00:24:15.45\00:24:18.65
of the earth, if you please.
00:24:18.69\00:24:20.49
She also fornicated with
Chaldea, that is with Babylon.
00:24:20.52\00:24:25.63
Notice Ezekiel 16:29.
00:24:25.66\00:24:27.86
She could not be satisfied.
00:24:38.21\00:24:39.77
She wanted all of the nations
of the earth to have illicit
00:24:39.81\00:24:43.61
relationships with
her, and she abandoned
00:24:43.65\00:24:46.21
the husband of her youth.
00:24:46.25\00:24:47.98
In fact, notice Ezekiel 16:32,
if you still don't believe that
00:24:48.02\00:24:53.02
this is a relationship
between a husband and a wife.
00:24:53.05\00:24:55.09
And Israel is the harlot,
because she has chosen to link
00:24:55.12\00:24:58.66
up with the nations,
and adopt their practices.
00:24:58.69\00:25:01.83
Notice Ezekiel 16:32.
00:25:01.86\00:25:05.37
God explicitly says:
00:25:05.40\00:25:07.27
That couldn't be
any clearer, could it?
00:25:15.11\00:25:18.65
Now I want you to notice
that Israel, in her fornication,
00:25:18.68\00:25:24.35
she defiled God's
sanctuary, and she trampled on
00:25:24.39\00:25:28.76
God's Holy Sabbath.
00:25:28.79\00:25:30.13
Notice Ezekiel 23:38,
39, Ezekiel 23:38, 39.
00:25:30.16\00:25:39.37
God says.
00:25:43.04\00:25:44.37
Did they
contaminate the sanctuary?
00:25:51.05\00:25:53.62
Is there anything in
Daniel about the sanctuary
00:25:53.65\00:25:56.38
being defiled? Absolutely!
00:25:56.42\00:25:58.92
And they profaned My Sabbaths.
00:25:58.95\00:26:01.39
For after they had slain
their children for their idols,
00:26:01.42\00:26:06.03
on the same day they came
into My sanctuary to profane it;
00:26:06.06\00:26:09.10
and, indeed, thus they have
done in the midst of My house.
00:26:09.13\00:26:12.97
Do you know what
else they were doing?
00:26:13.00\00:26:14.60
Israel was
shedding innocent blood.
00:26:14.64\00:26:18.07
She was a murderess wife.
00:26:18.11\00:26:21.48
Notice what it says in
Ezekiel 16:45, Ezekiel 16:45.
00:26:21.51\00:26:28.18
But righteous men will
judge them after the manner of
00:26:28.22\00:26:33.19
adulteresses, and
after the manner of women who
00:26:33.22\00:26:37.69
what? who shed blood.
00:26:37.73\00:26:40.13
What did Israel
do? they shed blood.
00:26:40.16\00:26:42.66
Because they are adulteresses,
and blood is on their hands.
00:26:42.70\00:26:48.44
Interesting! But do you
know that Israel wasn't the only
00:26:48.47\00:26:53.07
one who's doing this.
00:26:53.11\00:26:54.44
Israel had daughters.
00:26:54.48\00:26:55.81
You say, How's this?
00:26:55.84\00:26:57.18
Go with me to Ezekiel 16:48.
00:26:57.21\00:27:00.42
She had daughters
that were committing the
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.28
same sins as she was.
00:27:02.32\00:27:03.65
Notice Ezekiel 16:48.
00:27:03.69\00:27:06.49
So does Israel have
daughters, according to this,
00:27:17.50\00:27:19.73
that are practicing acts
of harlotry also? Absolutely.
00:27:19.77\00:27:24.07
And therefore God says to
his wife, I am going to pour out
00:27:24.11\00:27:28.44
My wrath upon you.
00:27:28.48\00:27:29.81
Notice Ezekiel 23:32-34.
00:27:29.84\00:27:34.52
In fact, God says, I'm going
to give you the cup of My wrath.
00:27:34.55\00:27:38.69
Is there anything in Revelation
about God giving a cup of His
00:27:38.72\00:27:41.16
wrath? Yes there is.
00:27:41.19\00:27:43.43
Notice Ezekiel 23:32-34.
00:27:43.46\00:27:48.00
You will be filled with
the cup of your sister Samaria.
00:28:01.74\00:28:06.61
You shall drink and drain it.
00:28:06.65\00:28:09.18
You shall break its shards,
and tear at your own breasts:
00:28:09.22\00:28:14.62
for I have
spoken, says the Lord.
00:28:14.66\00:28:18.09
She was going to drink
the cup of the wrath of God,
00:28:18.13\00:28:21.86
because of her abominations,
and because of her harlotries.
00:28:21.90\00:28:25.87
But there's
another interesting detail.
00:28:25.90\00:28:28.50
We're told in Ezekiel 16:39 that
God's people were going to be
00:28:28.54\00:28:36.75
hated by the very
kings that they were
00:28:36.78\00:28:39.31
committing fornication with.
00:28:39.35\00:28:40.68
Notice Ezekiel 16:39.
00:28:40.72\00:28:43.82
And now notice the terminology.
00:28:53.50\00:28:55.06
What were the kings
going to do? the ones that
00:29:07.28\00:29:09.31
she fornicated with?
00:29:09.34\00:29:10.68
They themselves were
going to rise against her
00:29:10.71\00:29:13.48
to make her naked and bare.
00:29:13.52\00:29:16.99
So God told Israel, His chosen
people, His bride who had become
00:29:17.02\00:29:22.72
a harlot, who was practicing
the abominations of the nations,
00:29:22.76\00:29:26.23
who was fornicating, who used
all of her luxurious jewelry
00:29:26.26\00:29:31.03
to attract attention to herself,
and who was profaning the
00:29:31.07\00:29:35.64
Sabbaths of the
Lord, and was contaminating
00:29:35.67\00:29:38.24
the sanctuary of the Lord.
00:29:38.27\00:29:39.61
God said, I'm going to
send destruction upon this city.
00:29:39.64\00:29:44.15
Ezekiel 7:1-4
describes the sentence that God
00:29:44.18\00:29:49.42
dictates upon His
people. Ezekiel 7:1-4.
00:29:49.45\00:29:53.86
Let me ask you, Does the book
of Revelation talk about the end
00:30:05.10\00:30:08.07
coming from the four corners
of the earth, when the angels
00:30:08.10\00:30:11.07
release the winds?
00:30:11.11\00:30:12.44
See, we're dealing with biblical
types here of things that are
00:30:12.47\00:30:15.51
going to happen in the future.
00:30:15.54\00:30:16.88
What happened
literally to Israel locally,
00:30:16.91\00:30:19.05
is going to happen on a
global scale at the end of time.
00:30:19.08\00:30:22.18
Notice verse 3: Now the end has
come upon you, and I will send
00:30:22.22\00:30:26.92
My anger against you.
00:30:26.96\00:30:28.96
I will judge you
according to your ways.
00:30:28.99\00:30:31.73
I will repay you for
all your what? abominations.
00:30:31.76\00:30:35.76
Don't forget that word.
00:30:35.80\00:30:37.13
My eye will not spare you,
nor will I have pity: but I will
00:30:37.17\00:30:41.00
repay your ways, and
your abominations will be seen
00:30:41.04\00:30:45.44
in your midst: then you
shall know that I am the Lord.
00:30:45.47\00:30:49.41
And do you know what the
greatest abomination was that
00:30:49.44\00:30:52.08
was being committed immediately
before the city was destroyed?
00:30:52.11\00:30:55.22
Notice Ezekiel 8:16,
Ezekiel 8, and let's begin
00:30:55.25\00:31:01.76
our reading at
verse 15 for the context.
00:31:01.79\00:31:04.23
Notice the greatest abomination.
00:31:04.26\00:31:05.79
Ezekiel 8 is called the
chapter of the abominations,
00:31:05.83\00:31:09.40
and the reason why is
because God shows Ezekiel an
00:31:09.43\00:31:12.10
abomination, and Ezekiel says,
Wow, Lord, that's pretty bad!
00:31:12.13\00:31:15.37
God says, You
haven't seen anything yet!
00:31:15.40\00:31:17.21
I want to show you
an abomination that's
00:31:17.24\00:31:18.94
worse than this one.
00:31:18.97\00:31:20.48
And so God shows him a worse
abomination, and Ezekiel says,
00:31:20.51\00:31:25.11
Lord, this is terrible!
00:31:25.15\00:31:26.48
God says, You
haven't seen anything yet!
00:31:26.51\00:31:28.15
I'm going to show
you one that's worse.
00:31:28.18\00:31:30.02
And what do we find as
the worst abomination of all?
00:31:30.05\00:31:35.16
Notice Ezekiel 8:15.
00:31:35.19\00:31:37.09
Then He said to me, Have
you seen this, O son of man?
00:31:37.13\00:31:40.76
turn again; you will see greater
abominations than then these.
00:31:40.80\00:31:44.60
What was the greatest
abomination that was being
00:32:03.49\00:32:06.15
committed among those who
professed to be God's people?
00:32:06.19\00:32:08.69
They were worshipping what?
00:32:08.72\00:32:10.06
They were worshipping the sun.
00:32:10.09\00:32:12.06
Does that have any
end time significance?
00:32:12.09\00:32:14.33
It most certainly does.
00:32:14.36\00:32:16.03
We're going to
study that later on.
00:32:16.06\00:32:17.40
Verse 17. And He said
to me, Have you seen this,
00:32:17.43\00:32:21.00
O son of man? Is it a trivial
thing to the house of Judah
00:32:21.04\00:32:26.34
to commit the abominations...
00:32:26.37\00:32:27.74
Notice the word again.
00:32:27.78\00:32:29.11
...the abominations
which they commit here?
00:32:29.14\00:32:30.48
for they have filled
the land with violence.
00:32:30.51\00:32:33.21
Then they have
returned to provide Me to anger.
00:32:33.25\00:32:36.18
Indeed, they put the
branch to their nose.
00:32:36.22\00:32:38.19
In other words, they
snubbed their nose at the Lord.
00:32:38.22\00:32:40.56
Therefore I also
will act in fury.
00:32:40.59\00:32:44.16
My eye will not spare, nor will
I have pity: though they cry
00:32:44.19\00:32:49.26
in My ears with a loud
voice, I will not hear them.
00:32:49.30\00:32:52.53
God is saying this
about His beloved bride,
00:32:52.57\00:32:55.50
who has become a harlot,
and has adopted the abominations
00:32:55.54\00:32:59.11
of the nations, and is proud
of all of her wonderful jewels,
00:32:59.14\00:33:02.84
and fornicates with
the kings of the earth.
00:33:02.88\00:33:05.58
This is not some pagan nation.
00:33:05.61\00:33:09.22
God is rebuking
His bride, His wife.
00:33:09.25\00:33:13.66
Let me ask you, Were there
faithful people in Jerusalem?
00:33:13.69\00:33:17.69
Was everybody apostate?
00:33:17.73\00:33:19.69
Was everybody a
harlot? Absolutely not!
00:33:19.73\00:33:22.40
Before the destruction of the
city, did God say that He was
00:33:22.43\00:33:26.30
going to do a work of
separating the righteous
00:33:26.33\00:33:28.50
from the unrighteous;
a judgment? Absolutely!
00:33:28.54\00:33:31.37
Ezekiel 9, Ezekiel 9:1.
00:33:31.41\00:33:34.91
In other words, these
messengers are coming to
00:33:44.29\00:33:45.99
execute God's judgment.
00:33:46.02\00:33:47.36
And suddenly six men came from
the direction of the upper gate,
00:33:47.39\00:33:51.63
which faces north, each
with his battle axe in his hand.
00:33:51.66\00:33:55.06
In other words, with
a weapon in his hand.
00:33:55.10\00:33:56.67
Because they're going to execute
God's wrath upon this unfaithful
00:33:56.70\00:34:00.80
wife, who has broken
the marriage covenant.
00:34:00.84\00:34:03.00
One man among them was clothed
with linen, and had a writer's
00:34:03.04\00:34:08.28
inkhorn at his side...
00:34:08.31\00:34:09.64
In other words he had a seal.
00:34:09.68\00:34:11.01
...they went in and
stood beside the bronze altar.
00:34:11.05\00:34:14.88
Now the glory of the God
of Israel had gone up from the
00:34:14.92\00:34:17.69
cherub, where it had been,
to the threshold of the temple.
00:34:17.72\00:34:20.92
And he called to the man clothed
with linen, who had the writer's
00:34:20.96\00:34:24.43
inkhorn at his side; and
the Lord said to him, Go through
00:34:24.46\00:34:28.23
the midst of the city,
through the midst of Jerusalem,
00:34:28.26\00:34:31.47
and put a mark where?
00:34:31.50\00:34:35.14
Is there a mark in Revelation
on the forehead? Absolutely.
00:34:35.17\00:34:40.11
Put a mark on the
foreheads of the men who what?
00:34:40.14\00:34:44.65
sigh and cry over
all the abominations that
00:34:44.68\00:34:48.65
are done within it.
00:34:48.68\00:34:50.02
Was everybody
worshipping the sun? No!
00:34:50.05\00:34:52.75
There were some
faithful ones that were not
00:34:52.79\00:34:54.66
worshipping the sun.
00:34:54.69\00:34:56.02
And when it's told to this man,
who has the writer's inkhorn
00:34:56.06\00:35:01.16
is, Put a seal on those who are
not practicing the abominations,
00:35:01.20\00:35:05.03
those who are not
worshipping the sun.
00:35:05.07\00:35:07.30
Do you see the contrast between
the sun worshippers, and those
00:35:07.34\00:35:10.51
who have the mark on their
foreheads? Very interesting!
00:35:10.54\00:35:13.44
Notice verse 5. To the others he
said in my hearing, Go after him
00:35:13.48\00:35:19.38
through the city, and kill.
00:35:19.41\00:35:21.15
That's after the sign of
protection has been placed.
00:35:21.18\00:35:24.55
Go after him
through the city, and kill.
00:35:24.59\00:35:26.59
Do not let your eyes
spare, nor have any pity:
00:35:26.62\00:35:29.46
utterly slay old and young men,
maidens, and little children,
00:35:29.49\00:35:35.03
and women: but do not come
near anyone on whom is the mark;
00:35:35.06\00:35:39.97
and begin at my sanctuary.
00:35:40.00\00:35:41.50
That is where
the ministers were.
00:35:41.54\00:35:43.41
So they began with the elders
who were before the temple.
00:35:43.44\00:35:48.24
The punishment began
with the religious leaders,
00:35:48.28\00:35:50.35
because they led
God's people into idolatry,
00:35:50.38\00:35:53.75
and into these practices.
00:35:53.78\00:35:55.15
And this was fulfilled, this
punishment was fulfilled when
00:35:55.18\00:35:58.72
Nebuchadnezzar came and
destroyed the city of Jerusalem,
00:35:58.75\00:36:02.29
and took the people captive.
00:36:02.32\00:36:04.76
Let's read about it
in 2 Chronicles 36:15-18.
00:36:04.79\00:36:09.96
It says there: and the Lord God
of their fathers sent warnings
00:36:10.00\00:36:14.24
to them by His
messengers, rising up early,
00:36:14.27\00:36:17.97
and sending them; because He
had compassion on His people,
00:36:18.01\00:36:21.24
and on His dwelling place:
But they mocked the messengers
00:36:21.28\00:36:24.41
of God, despised His words,
and scoffed at His prophets,
00:36:24.45\00:36:28.68
until the wrath of the
Lord arose against His people,
00:36:28.72\00:36:32.35
till there was no remedy.
00:36:32.39\00:36:34.42
Therefore He brought against
them the king of the Chaldeans,
00:36:34.46\00:36:39.03
who killed their young men.
00:36:39.06\00:36:41.13
Do you remember Ezekiel 9?
00:36:41.16\00:36:42.93
Don't spare: kill
young men, maidens,
00:36:42.96\00:36:45.33
kill children; everything.
00:36:45.37\00:36:48.34
Notice what it says: verse 17.
00:36:48.37\00:36:49.90
Therefore He brought against
them the king of the Chaldeans,
00:36:49.94\00:36:52.91
who killed their
young men with the sword,
00:36:52.94\00:36:54.88
in the house of their sanctuary;
had no compassion on young men,
00:36:54.91\00:36:59.18
or virgin, on the
aged, or the weak.
00:36:59.21\00:37:01.98
He gave them all into his hand.
00:37:02.02\00:37:05.12
Is this a sad story?
00:37:05.15\00:37:07.52
This is a very sad story.
00:37:08.66\00:37:10.09
In other words, Israel fulfilled
the prophecy of Ezekiel 16,
00:37:10.13\00:37:16.40
and Ezekiel 23,
and became a harlot,
00:37:16.43\00:37:19.57
and therefore the
husband destroyed them.
00:37:19.60\00:37:22.70
Of course, this could never
happen to the Christian church.
00:37:22.74\00:37:26.54
Do you think? It only
could happen to Israel.
00:37:26.57\00:37:33.52
It could never happen
to the Christian church.
00:37:33.55\00:37:35.45
Do you think? Let's go now and
examine this concept with the
00:37:35.48\00:37:40.79
New Testament
church; New Testament Israel.
00:37:40.82\00:37:44.36
Let me ask you, Did
Jesus marry His people when He
00:37:44.39\00:37:49.06
came to this earth?
00:37:49.10\00:37:50.83
Yes, He did. In a
certain sense He married them.
00:37:50.87\00:37:54.30
He formed a covenant
relationship with them.
00:37:54.34\00:37:56.91
Notice Ephesians
5:25-27, Ephesians 5:25-27.
00:37:56.94\00:38:02.91
So the relationship between
husband and wife is used to
00:38:11.55\00:38:15.79
illustrate the relationship
between Jesus Christ
00:38:15.82\00:38:18.93
and His what? church.
00:38:18.96\00:38:20.66
Jesus is the husband,
and His church is the what?
00:38:20.70\00:38:23.53
is the bride.
Notice 2 Corinthians 11:2,
00:38:23.57\00:38:27.94
2 Corinthians 11:2.
00:38:27.97\00:38:29.80
Here it's explicit.
00:38:29.84\00:38:31.17
The apostle Paul says, speaking
about the Corinthian church,
00:38:31.21\00:38:34.51
For I am jealous for you
with Godly jealousy, for I have
00:38:34.54\00:38:39.95
betrothed you to one husband,
that I may present you as a
00:38:39.98\00:38:45.95
chaste virgin to Christ.
00:38:45.99\00:38:47.72
Let me ask you, Was the early
church, the earliest church,
00:38:47.76\00:38:51.79
a pure church? It was
most certainly a pure church.
00:38:51.83\00:38:55.66
Was it in a proper covenant
relationship with Jesus Christ?
00:38:55.70\00:38:59.93
You can read the book,
Acts of the Apostles, folks.
00:38:59.97\00:39:02.77
It was a pure church.
00:39:02.80\00:39:04.14
It was a conquering church,
represented by the white horse,
00:39:04.17\00:39:07.11
going out
conquering, and to conquer.
00:39:07.14\00:39:09.84
It instilled terror
in the hearts of sinners,
00:39:09.88\00:39:13.58
because of the righteousness,
and holiness of those who
00:39:13.62\00:39:16.95
belonged to the church.
00:39:16.99\00:39:18.32
But then something happened.
00:39:18.35\00:39:20.69
Apostasy came into the church.
00:39:20.72\00:39:23.93
Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
00:39:23.96\00:39:28.13
By the way, this is
talking about the antichrist.
00:39:28.16\00:39:31.23
We're going to deal with the
antichrist later in this series.
00:39:31.27\00:39:34.14
We're going to
talk about the beast.
00:39:34.17\00:39:35.54
Notice 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.
00:39:35.57\00:39:38.71
It says, Let no one
deceive you by any means.
00:39:38.74\00:39:41.54
For that day... That means the
day of the coming of Jesus...
00:39:41.58\00:39:44.98
That day will not come unless
the falling away comes first.
00:39:45.01\00:39:48.28
The expression, falling
away, is one Greek word,
00:39:48.32\00:39:52.15
and the word is
apostasia, where we get our
00:39:52.19\00:39:56.96
English word, apostasy.
00:39:56.99\00:39:58.86
In other words, Jesus will not
come until the apostasy comes
00:39:58.89\00:40:02.33
first, and the man
of sin is revealed.
00:40:02.36\00:40:06.10
What is sin? Remember
this: transgression of the law.
00:40:06.13\00:40:10.24
It's going to be a man who's
going to say that it's okay to
00:40:10.27\00:40:13.11
transgress the law of God.
00:40:13.14\00:40:14.48
He's going to play games
with the Holy Law of God.
00:40:14.51\00:40:17.21
And it says, And the
man of sin is revealed,
00:40:17.25\00:40:21.22
the son of perdition.
00:40:21.25\00:40:22.75
Do you know the only
other person in the Bible who is
00:40:22.78\00:40:24.55
called the son of
perdition? Judas Iscariot.
00:40:24.59\00:40:27.66
Was Judas an outsider?
00:40:27.69\00:40:29.82
Was Judas some pagan that
warred against Jesus Christ
00:40:29.86\00:40:34.66
from outside? No! He even
betrayed Jesus with a kiss!
00:40:34.70\00:40:39.53
In other words, the antichrist
is not going to arise from
00:40:39.57\00:40:43.04
without, he's going
to arise from where?
00:40:43.07\00:40:45.44
from within the
church; just like with Israel.
00:40:45.47\00:40:48.38
And it says in verse 4...
00:40:48.41\00:40:50.28
Notice what this
antichrist is going to do.
00:40:50.31\00:40:52.68
...who opposes and
exults himself above all
00:40:52.71\00:40:55.68
that is called God,
or that is worshipped;
00:40:55.72\00:40:57.95
so that he sits as God.
00:40:57.99\00:40:59.65
Is he going to proclaim
himself to be God? Absolutely.
00:40:59.69\00:41:02.22
We're going to notice in
the prophecy about the beast
00:41:02.26\00:41:04.79
that he speaks
blasphemies against God.
00:41:04.83\00:41:07.00
And blasphemy is when an
individual, who is a mere man,
00:41:07.03\00:41:10.07
claims to be God. And so
it says: that he sits as God,
00:41:10.10\00:41:14.60
in the temple of God,
showing himself that he is God.
00:41:14.64\00:41:18.24
Do you know what
the temple of God is?
00:41:18.27\00:41:19.87
A lot of people today are
looking to the middle east.
00:41:19.91\00:41:22.21
They say, Oh the Jewish
temple has to be rebuilt.
00:41:22.24\00:41:24.68
But every other place
that the apostle Paul uses that
00:41:24.71\00:41:27.12
expression, temple of
God, he's referring to
00:41:27.15\00:41:29.38
the Christian church.
00:41:29.42\00:41:30.75
For example, Ephesians 2:19-21,
he speaks of the Ephesians
00:41:30.79\00:41:37.16
as being the temple of God.
00:41:37.19\00:41:39.33
We read from 1
Corinthians 6 where it says that
00:41:39.36\00:41:42.10
we are the temple.
00:41:42.13\00:41:43.47
2 Corinthians 3 says that the
church of Corinth is the temple.
00:41:43.50\00:41:48.74
In other words, the
temple is not that temple in the
00:41:48.77\00:41:51.17
middle east, because
Jesus says, Your house is left
00:41:51.21\00:41:53.58
unto you desolate.
00:41:53.64\00:41:54.98
The temple is the church.
00:41:55.01\00:41:56.34
So let me ask you, Where
was the apostasy going to arise?
00:41:56.38\00:41:58.81
It was going to
arise where? in the church.
00:41:58.85\00:42:02.08
And the book of Revelation
describes this endtime apostasy
00:42:02.12\00:42:07.62
of the Christian church.
00:42:07.66\00:42:08.99
I want you to
notice Revelation 17.
00:42:09.02\00:42:13.19
We're going to see
the characteristics here.
00:42:13.23\00:42:14.96
You're going to now see
some similarities with what we
00:42:15.00\00:42:18.97
studied from Israel in the
Old Testament. Revelation 17:1.
00:42:19.00\00:42:22.90
Oh, that great
harlot must be Iraq.
00:42:39.12\00:42:40.96
In the light of what we studied
from the history of Israel,
00:42:43.12\00:42:46.56
would this be some pagan nation,
or would this be those who
00:42:46.59\00:42:49.96
profess to be God's people?
00:42:50.00\00:42:51.40
It must be those who
profess to be God's people,
00:42:51.43\00:42:54.14
because it speaks
of a great harlot.
00:42:54.17\00:42:56.04
And, by the way, let
me tell you something.
00:42:56.07\00:42:57.84
I'm not going to identify
who the great harlot is today.
00:42:57.87\00:43:01.11
But by the characteristics
you're going to know who it is.
00:43:01.14\00:43:04.91
And later on in this series we
are going to study a little bit
00:43:04.95\00:43:08.68
more, and identify
what this power is.
00:43:08.72\00:43:11.52
Now notice who this harlot is.
00:43:11.55\00:43:14.59
Chapter 17, and
verse 5 of Revelation.
00:43:14.62\00:43:17.96
And on her
forehead a name was written,
00:43:17.99\00:43:21.30
What is the name of this harlot?
00:43:22.96\00:43:24.93
What is the name of this harlot?
00:43:32.41\00:43:34.11
Her name is what?
00:43:34.14\00:43:35.48
Her name is MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE what? THE GREAT.
00:43:35.51\00:43:40.35
Does this have any relationship
with the second angel's message?
00:43:40.38\00:43:43.05
The second angel's
message says Babylon is fallen,
00:43:43.08\00:43:46.45
is fallen, that great city.
00:43:46.49\00:43:48.49
Here it says that this
harlot's name is what? Babylon.
00:43:48.52\00:43:53.19
By the way, we're told
also in Revelation 17:1 that she
00:43:53.23\00:43:57.90
sits upon many waters.
00:43:57.93\00:43:59.53
What does the
act of sitting mean?
00:43:59.57\00:44:01.07
The act of sitting
means that she rules.
00:44:01.10\00:44:05.27
Notice: chapter 17, and verse 1.
00:44:05.31\00:44:07.78
Now sitting on many
waters would mean that she
00:44:17.79\00:44:20.46
rules over the waters.
00:44:20.49\00:44:21.82
But what do the
waters represent?
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.46
Notice Revelation 17:15,
Revelation 17:15. It says:
00:44:23.49\00:44:30.23
Let me ask you, Is she ruling,
basically, globally? Yes.
00:44:40.71\00:44:46.55
Revelation 13 says that
the whole world wandered after
00:44:46.58\00:44:51.12
the what? the beast, who
is the same as the harlot,
00:44:51.15\00:44:53.86
we're going to notice.
00:44:53.89\00:44:55.22
And so we have to find a
harlot church, because a harlot
00:44:55.26\00:44:59.49
represents a fallen church,
according to what we've studied.
00:44:59.53\00:45:02.80
It has to be a church that
is what? global, or worldwide.
00:45:02.83\00:45:10.31
But there's more; it has to
be a church that is involved
00:45:10.34\00:45:15.18
with the nations, with the
political nations of the world.
00:45:15.21\00:45:18.31
Notice Revelation
17:2, Revelation 17:2.
00:45:18.35\00:45:23.49
It's not only a church,
it's not only a fallen church,
00:45:23.52\00:45:25.75
it fornicates with the kings of
the earth just like Israel did.
00:45:25.82\00:45:30.06
It says in Revelations 17:2
00:45:30.09\00:45:31.93
Let me ask you, Does
she fornicate with the kings
00:45:42.14\00:45:44.21
of the earth just like
Israel did? Absolutely!
00:45:44.24\00:45:47.24
But I want you to notice
that she also has daughters.
00:45:47.28\00:45:50.78
Did we notice that about Israel?
00:45:50.81\00:45:52.41
Notice Revelation
17:5, Revelation 17:5.
00:45:52.45\00:45:57.52
Do we have the word
abominations here, too?
00:46:06.83\00:46:09.73
We have the word fornication,
we have the word harlot,
00:46:09.76\00:46:13.94
she controls the many
waters of the world: nations,
00:46:13.97\00:46:18.11
multitudes, tongues,
and peoples. Absolutely!
00:46:18.14\00:46:21.08
And, by the way, if she's a
mother, she must have daughters,
00:46:21.11\00:46:24.25
because I don't know the first
mother that never had children.
00:46:24.28\00:46:27.42
I know women who
didn't have children,
00:46:29.35\00:46:30.92
but mothers have children.
00:46:30.95\00:46:34.36
And because she's a harlot,
her daughters are also harlots.
00:46:34.39\00:46:39.19
Now notice that she
gives wine to the nations.
00:46:39.23\00:46:42.86
Revelation 17:2. With whom
the kings of the earth committed
00:46:42.90\00:46:46.97
fornication, and the inhabitants
of the earth were made drunk
00:46:47.00\00:46:51.07
with the wine
of her fornication.
00:46:51.11\00:46:52.97
You'll just have to accept by
faith what I'm going to say now.
00:46:53.04\00:46:55.44
The wine represents her false
teachings in contradiction to
00:46:55.48\00:47:00.08
the first angel's message.
00:47:00.12\00:47:01.45
She fell because she rejected
the first angel's message.
00:47:01.48\00:47:05.15
The wine is the opposite
of the first angel's message.
00:47:05.19\00:47:08.86
We're going to study
that in our next lecture.
00:47:08.89\00:47:10.89
In other words, she gives her
false teachings, and her false
00:47:10.93\00:47:14.63
practices to the nations,
and she makes them what? drunk.
00:47:14.66\00:47:19.10
That's why when
you preach the truth,
00:47:19.13\00:47:20.74
people don't want to accept it.
00:47:20.77\00:47:22.40
It's almost impossible to
give a Bible study to a drunk.
00:47:22.44\00:47:26.78
Of course, we're speaking
about spiritual drunkenness.
00:47:26.81\00:47:31.11
We're not talking
about literal drunkenness.
00:47:31.15\00:47:33.65
I want you to notice
how this harlot is dressed.
00:47:33.68\00:47:36.12
Revelation 17:4. Let me ask you,
Was Israel dressed with gold,
00:47:36.18\00:47:40.56
and with silver, and her
ornaments, and everything? Yeah.
00:47:40.59\00:47:43.43
Notice Revelation 17:4.
00:47:43.46\00:47:45.33
Here it is again! Full of what?
00:48:00.18\00:48:01.68
Is she decked with jewelry?
00:48:07.05\00:48:10.19
She most certainly is.
00:48:10.22\00:48:12.05
Does she want to impress
her lovers with her riches,
00:48:12.09\00:48:14.46
and her looks? Absolutely.
00:48:14.49\00:48:16.26
She's a global system,
and everybody's impressed,
00:48:16.29\00:48:19.93
because of all of the riches,
and all of the wonderful gold,
00:48:20.00\00:48:23.00
and the silver that she has.
00:48:23.06\00:48:24.40
And, by the way, you noticed
that the colors that she majors
00:48:24.43\00:48:27.54
in are purple and
scarlet, never blue.
00:48:27.57\00:48:33.48
Because, as we're going to
notice in our next lecture,
00:48:33.51\00:48:35.91
blue represents the law of
God, and this system is contrary
00:48:35.94\00:48:39.98
to God's Holy Law.
00:48:40.02\00:48:41.35
Now I want you to notice also
that this woman is an assassin.
00:48:41.38\00:48:47.29
You know, this woman
has killed God's people.
00:48:47.32\00:48:49.99
Did we find that of
Israel in the Old Testament?
00:48:50.03\00:48:52.69
We most certainly
did. Revelation 17:6.
00:48:52.73\00:48:56.30
Now I want to show you something
which is very important for what
00:49:08.61\00:49:12.88
we're going to
study in the future.
00:49:12.91\00:49:14.38
This harlot is only
one part of Babylon.
00:49:14.45\00:49:17.95
She's the main
protagonist of Babylon.
00:49:17.99\00:49:21.42
But Babylon in Revelation
is composed of three parts.
00:49:21.46\00:49:25.56
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:49:25.59\00:49:28.46
She is, for
example, like Jezebel.
00:49:28.50\00:49:31.73
You know, Jezebel
was the key figure.
00:49:31.77\00:49:34.94
She manipulated everything,
and her false prophets
00:49:34.97\00:49:37.44
did what she said, and the king,
king Ahab, did what she said.
00:49:37.47\00:49:41.04
But she was the main
power behind the king,
00:49:41.08\00:49:44.81
and behind the false prophets.
00:49:44.85\00:49:47.62
It's kind of
like John the Baptist.
00:49:47.65\00:49:49.88
Do you know John the
Baptist also had three enemies?
00:49:49.92\00:49:52.42
It looks like the Devil
works in groups of three.
00:49:52.45\00:49:55.16
Because with John the
Baptist was there a king
00:49:55.19\00:49:57.86
that was involved? Yes.
00:49:57.89\00:50:00.33
Was there a mother
that was involved? Yes.
00:50:00.40\00:50:02.80
Was there a daughter
who was involved? Yes.
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.87
Do you see, this story
in Revelation is actually
00:50:05.90\00:50:09.00
prefigured by the story of
Elijah, and it's prefigured by
00:50:09.04\00:50:12.47
of the story of the
death of John the Baptist.
00:50:12.51\00:50:14.98
In other words, if you
know how the different actors
00:50:15.04\00:50:18.08
interplayed in the story
of Elijah, and in the story of
00:50:18.11\00:50:21.15
John the Baptist, the
three enemies of Elijah,
00:50:21.18\00:50:23.65
and John the Baptist, you're
going to know how everything
00:50:23.69\00:50:26.09
is going to pan
out at the end of time.
00:50:26.12\00:50:27.76
We don't have time to get into
Elijah and John the Baptist.
00:50:27.79\00:50:30.96
We'd have to have one lecture
for each in order to understand
00:50:30.99\00:50:34.13
how the relationship
between these three enemies
00:50:34.16\00:50:36.93
in the days of Elijah, and these
three enemies in the days of
00:50:36.97\00:50:40.20
John the Baptist, prefigure
perfectly what's going to happen
00:50:40.24\00:50:43.41
at the end of time.
00:50:43.47\00:50:44.81
But I want you to notice
that Babylon has three parts.
00:50:44.84\00:50:47.38
Revelation 16:19. It says
there in Revelation 16:19,
00:50:47.41\00:50:52.91
What is the great
city? Babylon, right?
00:50:59.39\00:51:02.59
We've already identified
the great city as Babylon.
00:51:02.62\00:51:04.59
So how many parts
does Babylon have? three.
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.96
And in case you're wondering
whether the expression,
00:51:10.03\00:51:14.14
the great city, is referring to
Babylon, let's continue reading.
00:51:14.17\00:51:16.97
Is God going to pour out His
wrath upon Babylon like He did
00:51:28.38\00:51:31.12
upon Israel in the Old Testament
because of her abominations,
00:51:31.15\00:51:34.32
because of her fornication,
because of the wine that she
00:51:34.36\00:51:36.99
gives to the nations, etc. etc.,
because she shed innocent blood?
00:51:37.03\00:51:40.50
Absolutely! This is a
repetition of history.
00:51:40.53\00:51:43.43
But at the end it's global
00:51:43.47\00:51:45.30
In other words, the history of
Israel is a model in miniature,
00:51:46.47\00:51:50.41
it's a small scale model of what
is going to happen on a global
00:51:50.44\00:51:54.31
scale at the end of time.
00:51:54.34\00:51:55.94
Now you say, What are
the three parts of Babylon?
00:51:55.98\00:51:58.61
Revelation 16:13, 14,
Revelation 16:13, 14. It says:
00:51:58.65\00:52:05.55
And I saw three unclean spirits
like frogs come out of the mouth
00:52:05.62\00:52:10.69
of the dragon... There's one.
00:52:10.73\00:52:13.83
...out of the mouth of
the beast... There's two.
00:52:13.86\00:52:18.63
...and out of the mouth of whom?
out of the mouth of the false
00:52:18.67\00:52:23.87
prophet. What are the three
parts of Babylon? the dragon,
00:52:23.91\00:52:27.74
the beast, and
the false prophet.
00:52:27.78\00:52:29.68
In lecture number
ten of this series,
00:52:29.71\00:52:31.61
we're to talk about the beast.
00:52:31.65\00:52:33.92
In lecture number eleven
we're going to talk about
00:52:33.95\00:52:37.22
the false prophet.
00:52:37.25\00:52:38.59
And in several lectures we're
going to talk about the dragon.
00:52:38.62\00:52:41.16
You see, the beast is
the same as the harlot.
00:52:41.22\00:52:43.93
The false prophet is the
same as the harlot's daughters.
00:52:43.96\00:52:48.10
And the dragon is
the same as the kings.
00:52:48.13\00:52:51.63
In other words, at the end
of time, there's going to be a
00:52:51.67\00:52:54.64
three-fold alliance
between the beast or the harlot,
00:52:54.67\00:52:58.64
the false
prophet or the daughters,
00:52:58.67\00:53:02.51
and the kings or the dragon.
00:53:02.54\00:53:04.61
And they're going to all
join together in opposition
00:53:04.65\00:53:08.15
against God's people.
00:53:08.18\00:53:09.75
Those are the three parts
of Babylon, but who is the main
00:53:09.78\00:53:12.55
protagonist of this story?
00:53:12.59\00:53:13.96
Who is the one who's
moving all the strings?
00:53:13.99\00:53:16.22
It is the harlot, or the
beast, because the Bible says
00:53:16.26\00:53:20.53
that the whole world
wondered after the beast.
00:53:20.56\00:53:22.60
It says that the harlot
sits upon multitudes, nations,
00:53:22.63\00:53:26.37
tongues, and peoples.
00:53:26.40\00:53:27.74
In other words, the beast and
the harlot do the same thing.
00:53:27.77\00:53:29.80
They control,
basically, the world.
00:53:29.84\00:53:31.94
And the kings go along, and
the daughters also go along,
00:53:31.97\00:53:36.04
just like in
the story of Elijah.
00:53:36.08\00:53:38.08
Now let me ask you, Are the
kings eventually going to hate
00:53:38.11\00:53:42.05
this system? Revelation 17:16.
00:53:42.08\00:53:45.72
Of course, all of
this is coincidence.
00:53:45.75\00:53:47.46
Huh! I don't think so!
00:53:47.49\00:53:50.86
There's too many
parallels. Revelation 17:16.
00:53:50.89\00:53:55.16
Those represent kings; you
can read it in Revelation 17.
00:53:59.03\00:54:03.91
Let me ask you, In the light
of all of this, what does God
00:54:17.19\00:54:19.85
invite His people to do?
00:54:19.89\00:54:21.32
Let me ask you, Are
there a lot of God's
00:54:21.39\00:54:23.19
people in these systems?
00:54:23.22\00:54:24.56
Are there a lot of people
that belong to this system
00:54:24.59\00:54:27.83
which is known as
the harlot? Oh sure.
00:54:27.86\00:54:30.30
Are there a lot of God's people
in the system that's known
00:54:30.33\00:54:32.83
as the false
prophet? Absolutely!
00:54:32.87\00:54:35.24
Are there many of God's
people even among the kings
00:54:35.27\00:54:38.14
of the earth, or the
rulers of the earth? Absolutely!
00:54:38.17\00:54:41.01
So what does God say to them?
00:54:41.04\00:54:43.04
Revelation 18:1-5.
00:54:43.08\00:54:45.78
Does that sound like a
place that you want to be?
00:55:08.67\00:55:10.91
Now why has Babylon become
like that? filled with demons,
00:55:12.37\00:55:16.81
and evil spirits? Verse
3, for, that means because.
00:55:16.85\00:55:22.32
Why is she filled with demons?
because every person has drunk
00:55:27.76\00:55:31.33
her what? her wine.
00:55:31.39\00:55:33.53
So we need to know
what the wine is. It says:
00:55:33.56\00:55:36.43
See, even the
business people of the world.
00:55:40.24\00:55:43.10
God has a people in this system.
00:55:55.45\00:55:56.89
In this three-fold
system God has a people,
00:55:56.92\00:55:59.92
and God is calling
them out, because notice
00:55:59.95\00:56:02.96
what it continues saying.
00:56:02.99\00:56:04.33
How many are her plagues? seven.
00:56:13.77\00:56:16.30
Question: is God going
to have a faithful remnant
00:56:22.88\00:56:26.72
at the end of time?
00:56:26.75\00:56:28.08
What are they going to have on
their forehead? the seal of God.
00:56:28.12\00:56:34.06
What are the
wicked going to have?
00:56:34.09\00:56:35.72
Could that have something
to do with sun worship?
00:56:35.76\00:56:40.03
Are you understanding me or not?
00:56:42.90\00:56:44.33
And what's going to
happen to those who do not
00:56:44.37\00:56:47.17
have the seal of God?
00:56:47.20\00:56:48.64
They will be what?
00:56:48.67\00:56:50.01
They will be
destroyed by the wrath of God.
00:56:50.04\00:56:54.01
That's why God in His love...
00:56:54.04\00:56:56.75
See this is not a
message of hate, it is love.
00:56:56.78\00:57:00.08
God says, I have
people in Babylon.
00:57:00.12\00:57:02.88
Come out of her, My people.
00:57:02.92\00:57:07.16
Don't stay in there.
00:57:07.19\00:57:08.72
Because if you stay in there,
you're going to receive her
00:57:08.76\00:57:11.33
plagues, because
the plagues are for her.
00:57:11.36\00:57:13.63
And, of course, the big question
is, Will we accept the call of
00:57:13.66\00:57:19.73
God, and come out of Babylon,
and be among those who keep
00:57:19.77\00:57:24.74
the commandments of God?
00:57:24.77\00:57:26.11