An
angel showed John the apostle the “great
whore”
who was sitting upon a “scarlet
colored beast”
and was “arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold
and precious stones and pearls”. He continued to write, “And
the woman which you saw is that great city, which reigns over the
kings of the earth”
and,
“after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the
hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful
bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication
with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the
abundance of her delicacies.”
In chapter eighteen and verse four of Revelation another voice shouts
“come
out of her, my people”
where
we read:
And
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my
people,
The
verse reads, “And
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my
people, ...”
John began with the words, “and
I heard”
which means “and John was given the faculty for hearing,
perceiving, noticing, discerning and discovering” “another
voice”
or “one other sound or tone of uttered words” “from
heaven”
which means “coming away and out of the region above the sidereal
heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect
where God dwells and other heavenly beings”, “saying”
which means “uttering, declaring and proclaiming” “come
out of her”
which means “leave, forsake and go forth from Babylon”,“my
people”
or “God's tribes, nations and all those who are of the same stock
and language”. John heard this other “voice”
from the heavenly realm give an invitation and charge for God's
people to “come
out”
from this city of “Babylon”.
The
verse continues, “...
that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of
her plagues.”
John continued with the words, “that
you be not partakers”
which means “so these people called by the voice would not have
fellowship and participators” “of
her sins” or
“of the mistakes, errors, wandering from the law and violating
God's law”, “and
that you receive not”
which means “and that the people the voice calls will not lay hold
of, carry, claim, procure, choose or select” “of
her plagues”
or “pertaining to the blows, stripes, public calamities, wounds and
heavy afflictions”. The “voice”
from heaven did not want people to be “participators” of the
“errors and willful violations” of God's law nor suffer from the
“calamities and heavy afflictions” the city would endure.
When
we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see how there is a
beckoning for people to “forsake” the city of “Babylon”.
Babylon will be the “commercial center” during the tribulation
and will suffer great affliction. The “voice” desired to
save “people” from the “sins” and “plagues”
that were pronounced upon it. God desires to save people from
“eternal damnation” which is reserved for those who refuse to
receive His offer of “salvation” through His Son Jesus Christ.
“Come out of her” is the cry of God today to all who will
hear His voice, and when people submit their lives to Jesus, they
shall be “saved” from the “plagues” which are destined
for those who refuse Him.
Next
time
John is told how
“Babylon's”,
“sins
have reached unto heaven”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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