Volume 49 Number 12 December 2007
“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:8-10; 13-16).
In the spiritual realm, God’s people often find themselves in a strange country, and must make a decision to leave and head for God’s dwelling place. Repentance means a change of mind about where we have been living. We are sorry enough to leave it behind and have enough faith to move where God leads. The ungodly may not always be happy with their present position, but they never muster the faith to leave a lost and dying world in order to obtain a far better country. Many often lose themselves in the pleasures of sin and don’t even begin the journey to the city that has a better foundation than rock and roll.
The Bible identifies these two spiritual locations by using two great historical cities: Babylon and Jerusalem. Babylon represents the world order where Satan is in charge and where the things of this world take priority over the things pertaining to the Kingdom of Heaven. “Do as you please” is the rule in Babylon, though in reality, the Devil is the one who is truly being pleased. Religion does have an important place in Babylon and the holy Name of the Lord is regularly taken in vain as it is applied to plants which the Lord never planted, services He never ordered, and to prayers the Lord will never hear. Babylonian religion follows the way of Cain by making the worship of the Almighty into your own personal idol, not a matter of ‘doing the will’ of God
(Matthew 7:21). This religion is vain, and will only get off the ground when it vaporizes in contact with the flaming fire of God’s vengeance.Jerusalem represents the spiritual location where God chooses to put His Name. He will accept worship in this holy place where His Will truly reigns. When God had an earthly nation, the center of that country became lovely Zion, the city of the great King!
“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” (Psalms 48:1,2). Israel was a type of heavenly things to come; the dwelling place of God and His people where the real Jerusalem can be found. “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Galatians 4:26). To be a part of the eternal Jerusalem and to see the Kingdom of Heaven, we must be born again, or born “from above.” (John 3:3-5). When we realize that our location is not the city of the King, we know that a move to Jerusalem is the right thing to do. Like Abraham and so many of his children of faith, we must come out of Babylon and begin marching to Zion.Mankind began here on earth in the geographical area of Babylon in the Garden of Eden. After God judged the world with the great flood in the days of Noah, the human race once again began rebuilding in that same area near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Man’s corrupt nature soon becomes evident in the building of the Tower of Babel
(See Genesis 10:6-14; 11:1-9). God was not pleased with man’s direction and so He gave us different languages to hinder our natural tendency to live in Babylon and seek our own will. We are in a much better position to seek the Lord when Babylon is divided, for when man is united and can do whatever he wants, he will childishly follow his foolish plans which forget about God.From Babylon came the idolatry which would spread throughout the world and constantly insinuate itself into the worship of Jehovah.
“Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.” (Jeremiah 51:7). The Lord used Babylon throughout history to test His people by offering them a choice between true worship or the folly of idolatry; between the Holy Spirit or a Babylonian ‘buzz’: “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14,15). God also used Babylon as His chastening rod to punish His people and take them away from Jerusalem in order to see firsthand the true nature of Babylon. “Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.” (Acts 7:43; See also Jeremiah 27:4-11). After actually living in Babylon, God’s people not only wanted to move back to Jerusalem, they put away for good the Babylonish idols that got them in trouble in the first place. They found out how truly hard it was to sing a song of Zion in a strange land.“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.” (Psalms 137)
Babylon has been judged for her sins and iniquities. When God’s people realize that they are a part of this worldly and religious system, the right thing to do is to leave.
“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. 3 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. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:2-5). Many try in vain to heal or reform Babylon, but it is useless seeing that cutting off the head is the only remedy. “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.” (Jeremiah 51:9,10). When it comes to finding ourselves in spiritual Babylon, the right thing to do is to move.Israel of old was taken captive by Babylon after adopting her idolatrous ways into Jerusalem and into the Temple itself. Likewise, God’s people under the New Covenant were also enslaved by Babylon when they were no longer content with the saving gospel and began compromising with Babylon in order to evolve into an organization the Lord never intended. God’s people found themselves no longer the chaste virgin for Christ, but a scarlet coloured harlot riding the beast of worldly power depicted in
Revelation 17:1-6. No wonder her forehead is emblazoned with the disturbing words, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” All you have to do to see this great departure (apostasy) is to compare Christianity now with the Law that came forth from Zion in the first century. Doctrines, practices, holidays, and spirits from Babylon now pervade the lives of those who profess to follow Christ. Due to Babylonian influence in the church, one mortal man claims to be the Lord of the church on earth, the good mother of Jesus has been turned into an idol, the birth of Jesus has become an excuse for all manner of covetousness and revellings, and the true gospel has been suppressed and replaced by cheap imitations which can never save the soul. Yet many still refuse to go back to Jerusalem to find out the Truth, preferring the sensual and proud Babylonian way of thinking and practice which will never please God, no matter how many do it.Which will it be for you, pilgrim? God’s people will at some point in their lives find themselves in a strange country and will come face-to-face with the decision to leave. Let us always choose to come out of Babylon and make the difficult, yet joyful journey to Jerusalem!