What is God Calling His People Out Of? (Rev.18)
Because of their unfaithfulness to the Law, the Old Covenant people of the Lord were taken captive by heathen kings, and carried away from their homeland to be settled in distant places (2 Kgs.17). Among these ancient places where God's people were held captive, Babylon is most notable, and symbolizes them all. At that time, Babylon was an earthly city. In this new covenant, however, "Babylon" is used figuratively to represent places of spiritual bondage for the children of God. Our text, taken from the last book of the Bible, is an indication of God's concern for His children living in the last days who find themselves in this spiritual Babylon. As those words from Revelation show, Babylon is in God's sight an abomination, a filthy place, full of unclean spirits. Yet, in the sight of men, Babylon holds a place of great respect and admiration. She is called, the "glory of kingdoms" (Isa.13:19), the "lady of kingdoms" (Isa.47:5), "the praise of the whole earth" (Jer.51:41), and "thou most proud" (Jer.50:31). This highly honored place of spiritual wickedness is religion which is of man, not God. Jesus said, "that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" (Lk.16:15). And what is it that man holds most dear, but his lofty religious creeds and ceremonies, which omit or relegate to a secondary position the power of the Spirit of God? Men learned long ago that to proclaim a gospel with no real power and truth is the most lucrative business on earth. People will pay enormous sums for a gospel which offers them an appearance of holiness, and which allows for an incomplete submission to the real Spirit of God. A gospel which merely claims to bestow righteousness, rather than actually providing it by the power of the Spirit, is the single most valuable product in the marketplace of human hearts. And the more eloquently a man is able to expound upon and justify such a gospel, the more praise and money will be extended to him by a very grateful congregation. "Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits." This is Babylon. An attractive place filled with unclean spirits and with ungodly, deeply religious men. This is Babylon, the proud, beautiful city of lies. Babylon, the pretended friend of righteousness and truth. Babylon, the great hiding place of sin, which offers a haven to souls who desire the benefits of Christ, but disdain the reproach of his holiness. This is Babylon, where God is worshipped, but not in spirit and truth, where men sing praises to a God they hate, where ministers are hired to proclaim "doctrines of devils" concerning a Lord they do not know, and where those who come seeking God are slowly poisoned into confused submission to spiritual death. All who practice, or financially support, Babylon's self-willed worship also must partake of her reward from God. "My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the Lord." Babylon is where God's Spirit-baptized saints worship together with those who cannot worship in the Spirit because they don't have it, or don't want it, or in some cases, don't even believe in it. Babylon, then, is where the perfect lusts of the devil are performed, where men worship God in style, rather than in spirit and in truth. When Jesus said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do", he was speaking to respected "pillars of the community" who despised the adulterers and murderers of their society. What then were the "lusts of the devil" which they would do? Jesus explained: "For a pretense make long prayers", "rob widows' houses [for their ministry]", "compass land and sea to make one convert", "love the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be [given weighty titles] by men." Understand this! Obvious sins such as theft and whoredom are not Satan's "lusts" for men, for they are unworthy of his cunning. Even the ones committing those sins know they are wrong. Satan despises those who do obviously evil deeds, and his ministers rail against them. Satan's successes are those who have acquired his appearance of righteousness, and serve God as Satan does - in their own way - and who are so deceived that they "preach" that deception to others (cp. 2Cor.11:13-15; 2Tim. 3:13). They promise liberty in Christ to others while "they themselves are the servants of corruption." These are Satan's successes: highly-regarded ministers who eloquently persuade people to believe that their sins are washed away by the blood of Christ before, or even without ever, receiving the baptism of the holy Ghost! Satan's successes are Christianity's ministers. Jesus warned us of these men. "Many shall come IN MY NAME and shall deceive many." This is Babylon. Stained-glassed snare of souls, where death is loved. For those who yearn deeply for spiritual life, Christianity will never suffice. "The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall abide in the congregation of the dead." Proverbs 21:16 Child of God, please obey God and come out from among the spiritually dead. It is your calling. Do not be afraid to leave Babylon. Let God be your fear. Let God be your dread. Jesus waits for you, outside the gate of that cursed city. "Let us, therefore, go out to him, outside the camp, sharing the contempt that he endured." If we obey his pleading voice now, we will be cleansed and received by the Father. But if we resist the gentle, earnest call of the Spirit to "come out from among them", we will not escape the terrible wrath which God has determined for Babylon the Great and for all her members. The love of God, my precious friend, is not a partaker of other men's sins. If we truly love people, we will by example show them the way out of sin. If you are "unequally yoked" in worship with those who deny in any way the holy Ghost, you are missing God's greatest blessings and disobeying His most clearly revealed will. He is jealous over you. He wants you to come out of churches invented by men. He wants you home.
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