We have arrived at the forth of four notes discovered in our reading of chapter 17, this one it "Babylon is Fallen." The whore religion of the ancient world clothed in sheep's cloth to disguise it true identity, that of a wolf that has a devious appetite for unsuspecting humanity. In some clutches she looks like a virigin with her head bowed and arms out stretched in a downward fashion and fashioned in royal colors to give her some sort of dignity. Enough of that lets get into our search shall we?
Babylon has Fallen!
Revelation 17:18, "The women you saw is the great city which dominates the kings of the earth." (The Prostitute city-society of Babylon stands in contrast to the Bride of Christ as the New Jerusalem.)
The repeat of the same scene recorded in Revelation 14:6-8, "And I saw another Shepherd-Messenger soaring in mid heaven - this Shepherd was the carrier of good news and his mission was to announce these glad tidings of everlasting proportions to every single nation, tribe, language and people groupings of the earth! In a great voice he declared, "Be awestruck with the amazingness of GOD! Give Him Glory! The hour of His judgment has come! He is the Maker of the heavenly realm, the earth, the sea and the fountains of the waters." (This announcement echoes in Jesus' declaration in John 12:31-33, "'This is the judgment of this world; It is the moment where the authority of the world-systems are cast out! [This serpent's head is about to be crushed! Genesis 3:15; Colossians 2:14-15] When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all judgment to Myself! [The subject of the sentence as from the previous verse is the judgment of the world.] He would be lifted up on a cross (of Roman design not known to the ancients or the prophets, these described this as being hung from a tree and so it is), descend into the depths of our hell, then, according to the prophetic word of Hosea 6:2, after two days be lifted up as representative of the human race, out of the lowest parts of the earth and elevated to the highest heavens! Ephesians 4:8-9, also Ephesians 2:5-6 and Colossians 3:1-3. John 3:14, 8:28, Acts 2:33 and 1John 3:5. We have witnessed with our own eyes how, in the unveiling of the prophetic word, when He was lifted up upon the cross as the Lamb of GOD, He lifted up our sins (in His flesh, our humanity) and defeated its dominion and rule over us! [John 1:29, "Behold, the Lamb of GOD, who takes away [airo] the sin of the world! The word airo means to lift up.] This He said to point to the way in which he would die. See John 19:15 - "Lift Him up! Crucify Him!" was their cry!") And a second Shepherd-Messenger followed with more good news! Babylon the great city crashed and will never fly again! She who sold herself as a prostitute to all the nations and intoxicated them with the wine (of her false religions and their many and varied systems) of her passions. (The language is an echo of Isaiah 21:9, "Babylon has fallen! It has fallen! All the idols they worship lie shattered on the ground." Jeremiah 51:8, "Babylon will suddenly fall and be shattered." Babylon was used for Rome in late Jewish writings; see also 1Peter 5:13) In the imagery that follows, [in Rev. 15-17] John sees how the effect of the triune religious counterfeit of the Dragon, the Beast and the fake slain and risen lamb disguised as the great prostitute of Babylon is thoroughly stripped of their influence and dominion and brought to naught.
The same announcement of the utter defeat of Babylon continues in Chapter 18....!) Revelation 18:2, "He announced in a thunderous voice, The great Babylon is utterly crushed!"
This completes our look into the author's notes on chapter 17, the LORD will, we shall begin chapter 18 in our next visit. Until then may He who IS bring us all through what is currently happening in the world of abstract darkness, a darkness of a great facade.
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