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Church Union
and the Antichrist
The Fall of
Babylon
Chapter
3
As we look more closely at the
question of the separation of the true Church from the false
church at this end of the age, it becomes important to understand
what is meant by various Biblical symbolisms. Among these is the
term "Babylon." There was, of course, a real city by
this name. Strangely, however, the name of this city of Babylon
meant different things to different people. In the language of the
Jews, who were God's people, the name came from a root word
meaning "confusion." But to the Babylonians, the word
meant "the gate of God."
How interesting that one word
could have two meanings so opposite! But it is not difficult to
see how this came about. The city derived its name from the
original tower of Babel built by Nimrod. To Nimrod and his
followers this tower was meant to be a gateway to heaven. But God
was angered by their presumptuous attitude and stopped their
progress by confusing their language; and hence the idea of
confusion was introduced into the name Babel. The meaning that was
favored, of course, depended upon whether the person using the
word was a friend of God or a friend of Nimrod!
When we come to the book of
Revelation, however, we find the Apostle John still prophesying
about Babylon even though it had gone out of existence centuries
before John was born. But this time it is mystic Babylon, or as
John says, "Mystery, Babylon the Great." (Rev. 17:5) God
often used Old Testament people and events to picture something
that would come later but be very similar in some important
aspects. This is the case with "Babylon." Now we must
inquire, just what is Babylon in the mystic sense? Babylon refers
to the so-called churches which have sprung up since our Master's
first advent. This is quite a claim! Yet it meets the facts.
Note the words of Jeremiah 51:7,
"Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand." How
interesting is this statement! It is saying that there was a time
when the Lord favored this mystic Babylon; He worked with it and
He had enough interest in it that He wanted to keep it spiritually
healthy. Jeremiah 51:9 states this: "We would have healed
Babylon, but she is not healed."
These words sound so familiar in
concept! They are the same thoughts as the Lord expressed in the
parable of wheat and tares. There too, the Lord was pleased to
work with the field as it was — wheat and tares mixed. By the
truths of the Reformation he even attempted to heal the spiritual
sickness that had developed. But Babylon would not be healed. She
continued to produce more tares than wheat. Remember the final
result: separate them. Jeremiah 51:9 states this separation of
wheat from tares so clearly:
"Forsake her (Babylon), and
let us (wheat) go every one into his own country, for her judgment
reacheth unto heaven." But the "churches" are
unaware of this. They are still Babylon (confusion) although they
see themselves as the gateway to God -- as man's only hope for
salvation.
How does this relate to church
union? Babylon (the denominations) is the same as the tares. As
the tares were bundled, so will the denominations bundle
themselves together to protect their position in society. Why do
they find this necessary? Because they are under attack! Their
doctrines no longer satisfy reasoning minds, so they must resort
to a "social Gospel." They cannot attract sufficient
loyalty or excite sufficient zeal to stay alive as institutions.
The wheat leaves them because the Lord directs them to leave.
Notice His directions to His true Church as found in both the Old
and New Testaments.
Jeremiah 51:6 says: "Flee
out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be
not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord's
vengeance. He will render unto her a recompence." And
Revelation 18:4 echoes this advice: "Come out of her
(Babylon) my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and
that ye receive not of her plagues." The Lord will plague
Babylon to her destruction. This is what Jesus foresaw when he
said the tares would be bundled for the purpose of burning them.
The picture in the Scriptures is
even more inclusive. The Scriptures declare that this uniting
spirit would be not only in the churches, but even among the
institutions, businesses, and nations of the world. They are all
to become interdependent on each other. Hence we see mergers,
affiliations, holding companies, trusts, leagues, treaties, and
even the "United Nations" and the "European
Economic Union." The spirit is everywhere! But to the true
Church, the Lord explains the matter. He tells what He is doing
and why. Notice Zephaniah 3:8,9:
"Wait ye upon me,
saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my
determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the
kingdoms, to pour out upon them mine indignation, even all my
fierce anger: for all the earth (society) shall be devoured with
the fire (destruction) of my jealousy. for then will I turn to
the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name
of the Lord to serve Him with one consent."
Rejoice in what this text tells
us! It first assures us that the Lord is fully aware of the
gathering, assembling, and uniting that is going on. Indeed, He is
helping it come about! But He explains why. He says that when they
are united, they will fall harder. He united them in order to pour
out his anger upon them all at once!
The anger is expressed as
"fire" which is a Scriptural symbol for destruction; but
it cannot mean that He destroys the people because it says
immediately that He will bless the people with a pure message (no
more error). It means, rather, that He will destroy the symbolic
"earth," and the earth symbolizes the social order. And
notice too that these people He blesses must not have known even
who He was because he blesses them so that they can serve Him —
showing that they didn't serve Him before.
All of this is in harmony with
the Gospel. God is collecting the last members of the seed of
Abraham. Then he will destroy man's selfish society in order to
let the seed of Abraham bless mankind with a perfect society:
"Peace on earth, good will toward men." We therefore
need have no fear when we see Babylon unite for its ultimate great
fall. (Rev. 18:21)
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