The One World Religious System Is Destroyed
Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen are inserted here to enlarge upon the details of “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” The City of Babylon will be the seat of the One-World Religious System, headed up by the False Prophet, the Ecumenical Movement of the Tribulation Period.The same movement is being widely perpetrated, today, through groups like the United Nations and other international groups, and has been for a number of years. As we see a One-World Government and a One-World Religious System, formulating right before our eyes, we can understand, from the Word of God, that these things are going to take place. It is no surprise to Christians who study their Bible.
When a person has gone to a liberal church, where they do not hear the Bible systematically taught, they find these things hard to understand. When a person has a desire to know the truth hears God’s Word taught from Genesis to Revelation, usually, they will just soak it up like a sponge. “Tell me where that verse is. I would like to go home and look it up.” Sometimes, that is the response of someone who has gone to a liberal church, and wants to know the truth. At other times, the person from the liberal church will just jump up and leave—right now! They just don’t want to hear the truth if it disagrees with the tradition of their church.
Normally, Christians want to talk about the Word of God. You may disagree with another Christian about a particular verse, but you still want to discuss what the Bible says.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6)
However, as Christ says, there is only one way to Heaven. There is no leeway, or margin for error, on that subject. You must believe what God said to believe, or you will never see Heaven.
At the beginning of the Seven-year Tribulation Period, right after the Rapture, the Antichrist, whom Satan indwells, will make a covenant with the nation of Israel. He will allow them to go into their rebuilt Temple, and worship as they did under the old Levitical system. After three-and-a-half years, the Antichrist will break his covenant, and seek to kill every Jewish person he can get his hands on. During that first three-and-a-half years, we find the formulation of a One-World Government and a One-World Religious System, with the headquarters being at the rebuilt city of Babylon. Babylon is known as Al-Hillah now.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon was built on both sides of the Euphrates, according to a report from US CENTCOM Historical/Cultural Advisory Group, and enclosed an area of approximately 200 square miles.
Al-Hillah lies within the area of the old Babylon city walls, and is the Provincial Capital of Babylon (Babil) Province. It has about 1, 950,000 inhabitants (2013 estimate), and is located on the Al Hillah stream, the eastern branch of the Euphrates river, opposite of what remains of the ruins of old Babylon, about 62 miles south of Baghdad. The founders of Al Hillah built on top of the ruins, and many of Nebuchadnezzar’s bricks were reused. In the past, they could even be seen in the walls of the houses. The economy of Al-Hillah is based upon being a river port, and grain market, and is built on the site where archaeologists believe Nebuchadnezzar’s Hanging Gardens were located.
“The walls of Babylon were legendary, difficult to imagine even in today's world. According to the historian, Herodotus, they towered more than 300 feet into the sky, close to the height of a 30-story building. Over 200 watchtowers scattered along the entire length of the city wall thrust even further into the air, some as high as 450 feet! Herodotus records that there were actually two walls, with a deep moat between them. Any army that breached the first wall would have to attack the second from inside the river. One wall was wide enough to run chariot races four-abreast. Because of this incredible wall, the city was considered militarily unconquerable. Babylon straddled the Euphrates river at a location roughly 60 miles southwest of modern-day Baghdad.” Pytlik, G. (n.d.). Daniel, God's Messenger For Our Time, (Pytlik)
Even though that portion of Iraq has suffered greatly from repeated wars, and the destruction of ISIS, a New York Times headline from April 13, 2006 stated “UNESCO Intends to Put the Magic Back in Babylon.” UNESCO is UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The article is as follows:
BABYLON, Iraq — In this ancient city, it is hard to tell what are ruins and what is just ruined. Babylon, the city with the million-dollar name, has paid the price of war. It has been ransacked, looted, torn up, paved over, neglected and roughly occupied…But Iraqi leaders and UN officials are not giving up on it. They are working to restore Babylon, home to the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They want a cultural center and even an Iraqi theme park. Hilla's mayor, has big plans for Babylon. "I want restaurants, gift shops, long parking lots," he said. “God willing,” he added, “maybe a Holiday Inn.” | The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is pumping millions of dollars into Babylon and other sites. It has even printed a snazzy brochure to give to wealthy donors. "Cultural tourism could become Iraq's second biggest industry, after oil," explained a United Nations official helping with the project…
The Future of Babylon Project is a partnership of the World Monuments Fund, a New York-based nonprofit organization, and Iraq's State Board of Antiquities. The New York Times ● By Jeffrey Gettleman ● Published: Thursday, April 13, 2006 |
Just as Rome is the headquarters for Roman Catholicism, Babylon will be the headquarters of the Antichrist’s One-World Religious System. All of its documents, and all of its power, will come out of Babylon until the middle of the Tribulation Period when the Antichrist goes into the Temple in Jerusalem, declares himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4). He, then, demands to be worshiped. In order to prove their loyalty to him, everyone must take the Mark of the Beast, 666. (Revelation 13:15-18).
Things That Are Different…Are Different!
We must make a distinction here. “Mystery, Babylon the Great” is the ecumenical One-World Religious System which formerly “reigneth over the kings of the Earth.” (Revelation 17:18) She is destroyed by the Ten Kings, at the command of the Antichrist. Commercial Babylon is a city which is destroyed by God. (Revelation 18:8).
Babylon Exists Now and Babylon Will Be Existing Before the Rapture.
We often say there are no more Bible prophecies to be fulfilled before the Rapture. Israel must be in the Land of Israel, and so she has been since May 14, 1948.
Often overlooked, is that the city of Babylon must be in existence, as well, and she will be. That is what God has said. “Babylon” is referred to in the Book of Revelation eight times. Once, it is in reference to the “RELIGOUS BABYLON,” the One-World Religious System, found in Revelation 17:5.
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
The other seven times it is referring to COMMERCIAL BAbylon, the city. (See Revelation 14:8, 16:19, 18:1, 2, 9, 10, 21).
Babylon will exist to serve as the capital of an economic empire that has a stranglehold on the world.
“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 13:19)
Babylon will be destroyed, completely, at the end of the Tribulation Period, just like Sodom and Gomorrah. The locations of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other three “cities of the plain,” are not known with absolute certainty. Babylon, though badly deteriorated due to war, looting, and deliberate destruction by terrorists, is still in existence; although former dictator, Saddam Hussein, built one of his palaces over the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. That is on one side of the Euphrates River. Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon existed on both sides of the River, and the other side is occupied by Al Hillah, as Babylon is now known, built on top of the old ruins. It should be noted that Babylon was never destroyed, but deteriorated away due to the trade routes changing.
Chapter Seventeen introduces us to “Mystery, Babylon the Mother of Harlots,” the Antichrist’s Ecumenical One-World Religious System. You are seeing the birth pains of this, today, where churches, that do not even believe the same thing, get together for ecumenical services. There is no Scripture that supports that. In fact, it contradicts the Word of God. The Bible tells us in Romans 16:17,18:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them (17). For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (18).
God says in Revelation 18:4:
“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.”
The philosophy of the Ecumenical Movement is, “You come in to us. We need to get together. We are not going to talk about whether you are saved by grace through faith. We are not going to talk about whether there is saving grace in baptism or communion, or if the pastor says he can forgive your sins. Oh…that’s no big thing.” Bible doctrine is diminished. “Let’s just love everyone and not pay any attention to the Word of God.”
I love to read church history. Martin Luther is called the “Morning Star of the Reformation.” He, supposedly, came out from Roman Catholicism and the power of the Pope, and, supposedly, took his stand and said, “No, we are going to reform. We do not believe in those things.” I have several of Luther’s books.
In his Table Talk, he has a section under “The Antichrist.” Pay attention now! Pastor Younce did not say this. Martin Luther said this. “The pope is the Antichrist.” He repeated it several times. Lutherans say they follow exactly what Martin Luther taught, because they believe that. Yet, you see the Lutherans supporting the Roman Catholics, and the Roman Catholics shaking hands with the Lutherans.
Nevertheless, this shows you the signs of the times.
Revelation 17:1
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither, I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:”
We find in this chapter the judgment of the Babylonian Religious System, “the Great Harlot.” As the One-World Religious System, true to her harlotry, she takes in everyone. All “religions” may come through her doors, EXCEPT, born again believers. After the vision of the Bowl judgments in Chapter Sixteen, John next speaks with one of the angels who poured out the Bowls of Judgment. This angel now shows the Apostle, in great detail, just how this false religious system of the Tribulation Period will be destroyed.
In Revelation 17:1-7, this false religious system that prevails during the first half of the Tribulation Period, is represented by an unfaithful and wanton woman. Because of the duty of faithfulness to a husband, the example of a woman is often used in Scripture to represent a religious system. For example: In Isaiah 54:5, Israel is pictured as the wife of Jehovah. In Hosea 2:1-23, and Hosea 3:1-5, Israel is portrayed as an adulterous woman. In Revelation, Chapter Twelve, we see the persecuted woman is Israel during the Tribulation Period. The Church at Corinth is a “chaste virgin” in 2 Corinthians 11:2, and in Revelation 19:7-9, the Church of Christ, as a whole, is the Bride. If you are born again, you are a part of the “Bride of Christ.”
The phrase “She sitteth upon many waters,” is explained by Verse 15:
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15)
We see two rival women in the Tribulation Period. Both claim to love Christ. One is the True Church, the Bride (Revelation 19:7-9), and, the “other woman” is the apostate One-World Religious System, known as “The Great Harlot.” The apostate One-World Religious System is “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots.” The latter woman is called a “whore” in Verse One, and a “harlot” in Verse Five. They are from the same Greek word "pornē,” meaning “harlot, or whore.” She is unfaithful to the God that she claims to love. She loves all those who come along, and hates the True God. That she is a “great” whore from the Greek word “megas,” shows that she has vast power and influence, and she engulfs the world.
Remember that Revelation 17 and 18 are not chronological, but are an amplification of what is going to take place during the final great judgments of the Tribulation Period.
Revelation 17:2.
“With whom the kings of the Earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
“With whom the kings of the Earth have committed fornication...”
In Verse 2, we find the “kings of the Earth have committed fornication” with this woman. That is spiritual fornication. This tells us that the false One-World Religious System, of the Tribulation Period, will have a great influence on the nations, and the rulers, of the world. This church loves the world, and the world loves her. The Christian finds good advice in 1 John 2:15:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).
If you are a Christian, and you witness for the Lord, you are not going to be popular with the world. The only way you are going to be popular with the world is to partake of the sins of the world. Amos 3:3 says:
“ Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”
“The inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
Revelation 17:2 says that “the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” The false doctrines and teachings of this apostate One-World Religious System, through its member churches and denominations, make the people of the Earth insensible to the call of God. The false church fills the people with unbelief, and encourages immorality. It doesn’t matter what you believe. “Come one! Come all!” Just do not proselyte. Its wine corrupts the Earth. Are you a part of a congregation that is part of the growing apostate world church of today? You ought to read 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 7:1. It tells you to “Come out from among them,” or have you been made drunk by her wine, so that you say, “Oh, I can stay a little longer, it doesn’t make any difference. After all, everybody in town is doing it.”
Revelation 17:3-7.
“So he carried me [John] away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I [John] saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (3).
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (4):
Mystery Babylon is a very rich organization, and she thinks she has everything. This One-World Religious System works for the Antichrist, who is Satan, and her mission is to get everyone to take the Mark of the Beast. She has tremendous power, and uses all of her false philosophies of “Let’s just get together,” to influence the religious people of the world to take the Mark of the Beast. If you are doing something in the name of a religion, it can’t be wrong, can it? That’s what the people of Germany thought, when Hitler used the writings of Martin Luther to convince their church leaders to tell them those inferior Jews had to go!
As we have said, it is ludicrous to think that the Muslims are going to abandon Allah, their God, and, Mohammed, their prophet, when they will kill you for burning their Koran. The Catholics are not going to abandon their Pope, priests, and Mary worship without a fight! Nor will the Lutherans abandon their god, Luther. There are thousands of religious sects who will not abandon their faith for a generic God of a One-World Church. This is both impossible and unreasonable!
Therefore, not everyone who refuses the Mark of the Beast will be a Christian. Now, Satan has them coming and going. If someone who professes to follow the teachings of Mohammed, and is a Muslim, refuses to take the Mark of the Beast, they will be executed by the government of one of the Ten Kings. (Revelation 17:17)
Then, after the One-World Religious System, pictured as “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” has done all she can to lead the world to the feet of the Antichrist, he destroys her. When the One-World Religious System is no longer useful to him, Satan has her destroyed. God does not destroy her, but Satan, in his treachery and deceit destroys, the One-World Religious System. That is what Satan does.
In John 8:44, we find out that Satan is a murderer and a liar. This has been his procedure all down through History. Ever since God created mankind, Satan has sought to deceive so that he can be the ruler of the world. He will destroy anything that is in his way. When you are no longer useful to him, he seeks to arrange your death, and send you off to a Christ-less eternity.
We must keep in mind that “Mystery, Babylon the Great” is a personification, or representation, of the One-World Religious System. What is destroyed is all the people who have become part of it, and now refuse to take the Mark of the Beast.
John was dumbfounded at the sight of her. Here we have a religion that hates Christianity. Religion is man trying to reach God by his own efforts, and uniting with other beliefs. Christianity is God reaching down for man, because of the sacrifice he gave in sending Jesus Christ to die on the Cross to pay for our sins.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (8) Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
In the first part of this vision, John sees the woman with her name on her forehead:
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (5). And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration”(6).
When John beheld this woman “drunken with the blood of the saints…and the martys of Jesus…,” he was “amazed with a great amazement.” In other words. He did not look with “admiration.” He looked at her in shock for what she was guilty of. In the interpretation which follows in the remainder of the chapter, John writes his own personal reaction in language that is extremely strong!
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6)
Looking upon her, and understanding what she meant, he says, “I was amazed with a great amazement! I was filled with the wonder of a great wonder. I was astonished with a great astonishment. He did not write those words of amazement when he saw the Beast, the political ruler. He did not write of that astonishment when he saw any other thing that God had revealed to him concerning the future. When John saw this “scarlet woman,” and came to understand that she represented the course of religion in this Earth, he “wondered with a great wonder.”
Think about this for a moment. When Jesus Christ walked upon the Earth in His flesh before the Crucifixion, He was John’s close friend and Master. John was the one to whom Jesus Christ entrusted the care of Mary. Although John had witnessed great things, such as the Transfiguration, the wounds of Christ after the Resurrection, and the Ascension; he could never have imagined the warfare that has gone on between his Savior and the powerful God of this World, Satan. Here, in front of him, was one whom Satan would use greatly to send people into Hell. It was something even bigger than Rome.
But this is the same Apostle John that the Holy Spirit had inspired to write in 1 John 4:4,
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Even so, the background of the idolatry of this scarlet “whore” is seen in the very name written on her forehead,
“Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.” (Revelation 17:5)
Mystery, Babylon the Great is a Direct Result of the Tower of Babel.
Idolatry began in the city of Babel, or Babylon. Even though God had told them to replenish the Earth, men began raising a tower whose top “may reach unto heaven.” This was an attempt to have salvation by their own works. From the lives of the people, we know this also included the use of images, and rituals, contrary to the Word of God. The Bible calls the use of such images, and sensualities, in worship,“harlotry.” The Bible also calls it “whoredom, spiritual adultery, and fornication.” That is how it is portrayed throughout the whole Word of God. This idolatry, and use of images, in approaching a great god of Heaven began, as we have said, in the city of Babel, or Babylon, as it was established by Nimrod. Notice Genesis 10:10:
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
Looking at the previous two verses, Genesis 10:8,9,
“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the Earth (8). He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD” (9).
Nimrod’s name means “rebel.” The Bible says “He was a mighty hunter before the LORD,” but he was a hunter of men, that is, a hunter of souls. “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. And they journeyed east…” Notice Genesis 11:2.
“And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.”
“Shinar” is a fertile valley watered by the Tigris and Euphrates River, and that is the location of Babylon, today. We continue in Genesis 11:3,
“And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.”
The word “slime” is the Hebrew Word “ḥēmār,” and it is bitumen. It is a mineral pitch that, when hardened, forms a strong cement. It is not like slime as we think of today. We will continue in Genesis 11:4:
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth.”
Notice the words, “may reach unto heaven.” Mankind has never stopped trying to reach Heaven by their own good works. That is why they never have the peace of an absolute assurance of eternal life. Once in a while, someone you are witnessing to will make the statement, “No one can ever know for sure if they are going to Heaven.” One such person got a shock when I responded with, “You just called God a liar!” This person did trust Jesus Christ as the payment for their sin, and they, then, experienced the great peace that only the Lord can give. They, then, had the absolute assurance of knowing that Heaven was their eternal home. (John 14:27, 1 John 5:13).
Nimrod was a great-grandson of Noah, therefore, a grandson of Cush, and a son of Ham. As we have said, Nimrod’s name means “rebel.” He was a mighty tyrant in the sight of God, and the first dictator. The word “hunter” does not refer to the hunting of animals, but rather to the hunting of men. He was the founder of the Babylonian Empire, and the organizer of the group of people that led to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
History informs us that Nimrod and his wife began a new religion built around the “mother and child.” We are going to refer you to the book, The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop. In this book, Hislop traces the formation of the religions which are built around the worship of the mother and the child.
The word “babel” symbolizes rebellion against God, and confusion in religion, just as the city of Babylon. Rebellion and confusion is what Babylon represents. It culminates in the “Great Babylon” that we are studying here in Revelation, Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen. God had commanded man to replenish the Earth in Genesis 9:1, but they decided to settle down on the plain of Shinar, where Babylon is located.
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Earth.”
This was deliberate rebellion against God’s Word. The fact that “they journeyed from the east” is a representation of turning their backs on the light. They decide to unite and build, both, a city and a tower. One of their purposes was to maintain unity in opposition to God. The second purpose was to “make a name” for themselves.
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole Earth” (Genesis 11:4).
They rebelled against the command of God, and wanted to be their own god. We find in Genesis 11:5-9 that the Lord decided to take a tour of the premises, and applied a “simple fix” to their rebellious plans.
“And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded (5). And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language, and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do (6). Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech (7). So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the Earth: and they left off to build the city (8). Therefore is the name of it called Babel, because the LORD did there confound the language of all the Earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the Earth” (9).
It was Satan’s tower which was the symbol, and the center, of the Babylonian religious program and worship. In the center of the city of Babylon, there was a gigantic temple dedidcated to Belus, later, this deity was called Ba’al. It was to become a symbol of Satan’s program throughout the ages, as opposed to the program of the Lord, and His Church. The tower, in Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, rested on a base of stone about 300 foot square, and about 110 feet high. Upon this, there was a second stage about 200 feet square at the bottom, and 60 feet high. Stages Three, Four, and Five decreased in size, with the Sixth Stage about 110 square at the bottom, and about 20 feet high. On top of this structure, now 300 feet in the air, stood the statue of the Babylonian god. The first attempt at building such a structure was interrupted when God confused the language, but the building was completed by Nebuchadnezzar later.
Satan attempted through Nimrod to do two things:
- Establish a world-federation of religion centered at the Tower of Babel.
- To establish a world in which one language was spoken, and called the center of this Babylonian Empire, Babel, meaning the “gate to God,” as opposed to the blood sacrifice of Genesis 3:21.
Nimrod called Babel the “Gate to God.” God came down and called it “Confusion.” He blasted their plans for a “super state,” but the spirit of Nimrod lived on in Babylonianism. What began at the Tower of Babel becomes full-blown in the religious system of Mystery, Babylon the Great. Men will unite in a One-World Religious System and a One-World Government. They will be led by the Antichrist, as the last world dictator, but like Nimrod, their plans fail in the end.
Today, we are rapidly moving toward this one-world concept. You can thank the United Nations, the World Council of Churches, and the ecumenical movement of Satanic unity which began back with Nimrod. We are in the last stages of trying to get all churches to go together, who will be led by the Antichrist after the Rapture of the Church. They will then come under that one world godless religious system that is trying to reach God by its own effort, and, soon after that, they will come under the control of the Master Deceiver, the Antichrist. Only a human being, but one who is indwelt by Satan, himself.
Let us return to our text, and our study of this harlot who sits upon a scarlet beast. In the book, The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, he traces the development of this “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” and the idolatry of Babylon, down through the centuries, to this present day.
Nimrod’s wife’s name was Semaramis. In Assyria and Nineveh, she was called Ishtar. In the pantheon of Phoenician gods, she was called Ashtaroth, or Astarte. In Egypt, she was called Isis. Among the Greeks, she was called Aphrodite. The Romans called her Venus. She became the first High Priestess of an idolatrous system. To counterfeit the promise made to Eve, that the “Seed of the Woman” would deliver the world from sin, Semaramis gave birth to a son. She said that he was miraculously conceived by a sunbeam! She portrayed her son as the promised deliverer of the Earth and named him, Tammuz. As the story goes, when Tammuz was grown, he was killed by a wild boar, but after forty days of the mother’s weeping, he was raised from the dead.
From this mythical tale of Semaramis and Tammuz, her son, begins the cult of the worship of the mother and the child that has spread through out the world. In Assyria, she is called Ishtar, and her son, still, is Tammuz. In Phoenicia, she is called Astarte, or Ashtaroth, and her son called Ba’al, or Tammuz. In Egypt, she is called Isis, and her son is called Osiris, or Horus. In Greece, she is called Aphrodite, and her son was called Eros. The Romans called her Venus, and her son was named Cupid.
The “mother” was worshipped by the offering of a wafer, that is a little cake, to her as the “Queen of Heaven.” There were always 40 days of Lent. Forty days of weeping over the destruction of Tammuz before the Feast of Ishtar, at which time his resurrection was celebrated. The sign of Tammuz was an Ishtar egg, a symbol of his resurrection to life. The secret of the Babylonian mystery was to be found in rites and rituals, purgatorial fires, and the dedication of virgins to the gods, and other things very familiar to us today.
After Nimrod, Babylonianism next asserted itself in Egypt, where Pharaoh attempted to establish a super state. Later, Nebuchadnezzar made a similar attempt, followed by Medo-Persia. After them came Alexander the Great, and the Caesars, followed by Constantine, the Great, with his union of the Church and the State. It did not stop there. Next came Napoleon, Kaisar Wilhelm, and Hitler. The dream of mankind is still a federation of nations, organized into a super organization, without God. Men believe that this will bring the Utopia of peace which men have dreamed of since the days of Nimrod. That is why you have the ecumenical movement of today, uniting those who do not even believe the same thing.
The prophets of Israel bitterly warned Israel against the mother and child cult, and those who offer cakes in her name. In Chapter 44 of Jeremiah, the prophet describes the idol worshipers among the children of Israel, who burn incense to the “queen of heaven,” and “make her cakes.” This was traced by Alexander Hislop from the Tower of Babel up to the false Babylon of ecumenicalism today, continuing to the time of Religious Babylon during the Tribulation Period. It had even spread to the nation of Israel, and was one of the causes of their Captivity!
Israel’s Forbidden Worship of the “Queen of Heaven” and “Weeping for Tammuz”:
Take note of the judgment levied against Jerusalem for their idol worship. God sent the prophets to warn them and we find this sad account of the actions of the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 44:4,
“Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.”
Jeremiah 44:9.
“Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?”
God points out the “wickedness of their wives,” two times, in this passage. We also find that the men are going to be punished for not leading the family.
Jeremiah 44:15-19.
“Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying, (15)
And why were they in Egypt? They had gone there to be protected by Pharaoh Necho during the Babylonian Captivity. As Dr. J. Vernon McGee points out. “They are back in the brick yard again.They ran off to the land of Egypt to escape from Nebuchadnezzar, but God is going to permit Nebuchadnezzar to take the land of Egypt. They are worse off than if they had obeyed God and stayed in the land. They will be right back under Nebuchadnezzar, but now they are out of the land, and Nebuchadnezzar will put them into slavery.” We, also, learn from Jeremiah 44:27 and 30 that “ALL the men of Judah shall be consumed by the Lord,” and God is going to use Nebuchadnezzar, once more, and conquer Egypt.
Here is the insolent answer of the women of Israel to the Prophet Jeremiah, who was bringing them a message from God Almighty.
As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee (16).
Street Language: Mind your own business, Lord. We are going to do whatever we want!
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil (17). But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine (18). And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? (19).
You could call this Eve’s revenge for Adam blaming her for their sin in the Garden of Eden, since, in Genesis 3:12, he said: “The woman whom thou gavest me…”
As we see in Jeremiah 44:23, they rebeliously informed Jeremiah that their lack of worship for “the queen of heaven” had caused Nebuchadnezzar to take them into captivity. Now, they believed they were “safe” in Egypt, because they had resumed their idolatry. Isn’t that what ecumenicalism does? It calls right things wrong, and wrong things right?
“Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies, therefore this evil [the 70-year Babylonian Captivity] is happened unto you, as at this day” (Jeremiah 44:23).
So, God sent the prophets to those, in Israel, who were offering “cakes” (wafers) to the “queen of heaven. You have the same thing today.
Jeremiah 44:27.
“Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.”
We find that Ezekiel 8:6 sheds more light on this case.
“He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.”
Ezekiel 8:10-15.
So I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about (10). And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up (11). Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not, the LORD hath forsaken the Earth (12).
This was being done in the secret places of God’s Temple, in Jerusalem, by those charged with being the spiritual leaders of Israel! They thought the LORD did not see.
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do (13).
More? Unbelievable!
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north, and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz (14). Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these (15) .
Ezekiel 8:17
“Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.”
Ezekiel was beholding the Forty Days of Lent in which they afflicted themselves, and wept for Tammuz. He was the child that was slain by the wild boar. Remember? After those forty days of remembering his “resurrection from the dead,” the end of weeping was celebrated with the Feast of Ishtar. During this time, the people exchanged Ishtar eggs.
The worship of the mother and the child, had gone from Babylon to Assyria, from Phoenicia to Pergamos, and finally to Rome. There, the Roman Emperor who was elected becaame Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of all of the idolatrous systems of the Roman Empire. When there were no more Roman emperors, the title of high priest of the rites and mysteries of the mother and the child, the Babylonian Mystery of Idolatry, was assumed by the Bishop of Rome.
There is no such thing, in the Bible, as the worship of a female god! The idolatrous worship of the mother and the child is, purely and simply, Babylonian idolatry, and do not think for a second that God approves of it!
Revelation 17:5,6.
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS [or, Idolatries] AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (5).
According to the Word of God, how amazing that out of Babylon should arise these idolatrous systems that would spread over the entire face of the civilized world. When John comprehended this, he said:
“I wondered with great admiration…” (6).
The Greek word for admiration is “THAUMA” and does not mean “admire in a good sense.” Rather, it is “to wonder with great concern, used in the abstract.”
Now that we have considered the source of the “Mother of Harlots,” and remembering that the “woman” is a personification, or representation, of the One-World Religious System of the Tribulation Period, let us look again at Revelation 17:6. She is called a “whore,” because the One-World Religious System has gone whoring after other gods. They have a false Gospel, under the auspices of the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The Antichrist uses this organization to enforce the taking of the Mark of the Beast, and then he destroys them. Notice this. They hate the true Christians.
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6).
John has seen nothing like this before. God is giving him History before it ever comes to pass. The angel, that is speaking with John, will now explain the “mystery” of the “woman,” the “seven heads,” and the “ten horns.” This is a perfect example of what the word, “mystery,” means in Scripture. It is not something hidden, but is a “truth revealed at the proper time.” To understand this “mystery,” we need to recapitulate to Revelation 13:1,
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.”
Doctrinal Fact 1: “The Sea.”
The “sea” is used to illustrate two doctrinal facts. The first is in reference to the One-World Religious System, with the exception of Judaism, during the first three-and-a-half years after the Rapture.
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15)
It is also inclusive of the one-world government, which controls all the people on Earth. Many of you may have stood on the shore of a large lake, or ocean, and you could not see the other side. The size of a sea (ocean) only illustrates the size of the one-world religious organization, and the one-world government. Both will be world-wide.
Doctrinal Fact 2.
The second doctrinal illustration is, the head of each organization will be a human being. Satan, himself, will indwell the Beast, known as the Antichrist, exercising his will and power through this man.
The Seven Heads. These seven men are in a power struggle for leadership, right after the Rapture. Men seem to always want to be in power. After the Rapture, every Christian will be gone from all over the world. Now, who is going to be the leader of the federation of nations? After some time, with no other details given, five men are no longer in the running, as five are fallen.
“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” (Revelation 17:10)
As of this writing, many Republicans have entered the political arena to be the one to oppose the democratic incumbent for the Presidency of the United States. All are jockeying for position, and already, some appear to be standing on thin ice. This illustrates what will happen in the first three-and-a-half years after the Rapture. Number Six steps up for a time. When, Number Seven, who is the Antichrist and Satan incarnated, arises, declaring himself to be God, Number Six is “history” as far as his leadership of the federation of nations is concerned.
Then, Number Seven arises, who is the Antichrist, and, after three-and-a-half years, he reveals himself.
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
He, then, mocks the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast (3). And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4).
In Revelation, Chapter 17, we are finding additional information about the Antichrist (the first “beast” of Revelation 13), concerning his resurrection.
“And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” (Revelation 17:9).
The woman is the One-World Religious System, with her headquarters in Babylon during the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation Period. Revelation 17:5,6.
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (5). And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (6).
Revelation 17:9. These Are NOT the Seven Hills of Rome.
There is no revival of the Roman Empire. Some prophecy teachers have taught, and still do, that there will be a revival of the Roman Empire during the 7-Year Tribulation Period. They base their theory of teaching on two verses, Revelation 17:9 and 5.
“And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” (Revelation 17:9)
The woman is identified in Verse 5 of the same chapter.
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)
They are correct in stating that Rome was built on seven hills. In Verse 5, they, incorrectly, identify the “harlot” as the Roman Catholic Church with her myriads of false teachings. They reason that this existed during the Roman Empire that ruled the, so-called world, therefore, the one-world religion, of the Tribulation Period, will be the Roman Catholic Church, and the one-world government will be the revival of the Roman Empire. I know this spoils a lot of sermons, but Scripture does not verify this. The Roman Church is only a part of the One-World Religious System of the Tribulation Period.
We have, previously, expounded on the False Prophet, who will be over the religions of the world during the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation Period. The Roman Catholic Church has always wanted to be the world church of religion. They even adopted the name “catholic,” which means “universal,” in an attempt to seduce the world into believing that she is the only true church. Even today she has not achieved that goal, and neither will she during the Tribulation Period.
Rome was not a one-world government. By that I mean, an “over all the world” government. Following this section, we have inserted a map showing what a small portion of the world they actually ruled. What percentage of the total land area of the continents did the Roman Empire occupy at its greatest extent in 117 A.D? Only 4.4%
- At the height of its territorial expansion in 117 A.D. the Roman Empire spanned an area of some 2.5 million square miles (6.5 million square kilometers). (BibleStudy.org, also known as Barnabas Ministries)
- The total land area of all continents is approximately 57,308,738 Sq. Miles (148,429,000 Sq. Km) or 57.3 million sq. miles. (EnchantedLearning.com/ World Geography)
- Therefore, the Roman Empire only occupied 4.4% of the total land area of the world. (Please refer to the Map entitled, “Map of Roman Empire At Its Greatest Extent, 117 A.D. under Trajan,” on p.312).
The reason there is not a revival of the Roman Empire, is that the Antichrist would only be ruling over the same area as it covered. This would contradict the Scriptures that state the one-world government will be universal. Revelation 13:7 is one example.
“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”
Note: Read Revelation 13:13-18. These verses are referring to every human being alive on the Earth, NOT those isolated to the area of the Old Roman Empire.
I have a list of sixty cities that are built on seven hills, and there are more. I have only listed seven as an example.
- Amman, Jordan
- Armagh, Northern Ireland
- Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
- Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Nowhere does the Bible teach a revival of the Roman Empire. The Bible does teach a one-world, universal government, run by the Antichrist who claims to be the God of Creation.
Revelation 17:10.
“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come, and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.”
The word “there” in the phrase “there are seven kings,” should be translated as “THESE,” or “THEY” are seven kings. The reason is that the “seven heads” in Verse 9 are the same as the “seven kings” in Verse 10. “Kings” illustrates their authority, and rule over the people. In Verse 9, “heads” is from the Greek “kephale,” meaning “these” seven heads were ruling in authority over the people.
Revelation 17:9 illustrates very simply that, as the mountains are higher than the ground, the seven rulers are higher in authority in ruling over the people.
Revelation 17:10-13. The Angel Reveals the Mystery.
The Apostle John is addressed by an angel who will explain the “mystery” of the “woman,” the “seven heads,” and the “ten horns.” The angel says: “I will tell thee the mystery of the woman.” This is a perfect example of what the word “mystery” means in Scripture. It is not something hidden, but is a “truth revealed at the proper time.”
“And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns (7).
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the Earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (8).
And there [these] are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is [#6], and the other [#7, Antichrist] is not yet come, and when he cometh, he must continue a short space (10).
And the beast [antichrist] that was, and is not [dies], even he is the eighth [resurrected], and is of the seven[th] [resurrected], and goeth into perdition (11).
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast (12). These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (13).
Revelation 17:10,11.
- “Five are fallen...”
Five of the men have fallen out of contention as head of the federation of nations.
- “And one is...”
This is Number Six.
- “And the other is not yet come...”
This is Number Seven—the Antichrist
- “And when he cometh, he must continue a short space.” After his death and resurrection, he will continue for three-and-a-half years until the Battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 17:11.
Verse 11 describes his death and resurrection.
- “And the beast...”
The Anti-Messiah**.
- “That was...”
He was alive.
- “And is not,...”
He dies.
- “Even he is the eighth...”
His resurrection. He is mocking Jesus Christ, because he wants you to worship him—he is the false Christ
- “And is of the seven,...”
This is a reminder that the Antichrist will be a human being, indwelt by Satan, who literally has died and had a resurrection! He is also identified as “the beast.”
- “And goeth into PERDITION.”
Note: “Perdition” is the Greek “apollumi.” “The idea is not extinction, but ruin, loss, not of being, but of well-being. The loss of well-being as ascribed in 20:10.” (Vine’s).
“And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
One cannot be “tormented day and night forever,” if you cease to exist! All human beings will someday exit their bodies and spend eternity in Heaven or Hell.
Note: ** Anti-Messiah. This is simply another name for the Antichrist, and is intended for the Jewish Nation. They rejected the real Messiah and have accepted many false ones since that time. The Antichrist will allow the Jews to rebuild their temple and resume their sacrifices, in order to convince them he is the “real” Messiah. The name “Antichrist” is for the world in general. Both names indicate the same individual, a man indwelt by Satan, and are used according to the context.
Revelation 17:12. The Ten Horns and Ten Kings.
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” (Revelation 17:12)
The words “one hour” in the Greek represent a short period of time, not a literal hour made up of 60 minutes.
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings.”
We are now in the middle of the Tribulation Period, and these Ten Kings have been appointed by the Antichrist, who is now ruling the world. The Antichrist will divide the world into ten provinces. He will appoint these ten men, and give them the power as kings, with the authority to rule the world under his leadership as the“God of this world.” Their responsibility will be to get everyone they can to take the Mark of “666.” Those who refuse will not be able to buy or sell, use services of any kind, including access to any needed medical treatment or medicine. If apprehended, they will be killed! Everything is now ready to move forward, as we shall see.
Revelation 17:13.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
These men will be possessed by strong demons, like the one who withstood God’s messenger angel, in Daniel 10:13, for twenty-one days. Michael, the only Archangel, was sent to clear the way. In Ephesians 6:11,12, the Apostle Paul warns us that we are to “put on the whole armour of God…
“…that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (11). For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).
Ephesians 6:12 gives the Christian a glimpse into the realm of the infinite. Here, every second of every day, a battle rages between good and evil, and between God and Satan for the souls of men. This war began in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:15, and it will not end until God consigns Satan to the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10), as well as all the rest of the fallen angels who followed Him. We know from Matthew 25:41, that Hell was created for the Devil and his angels.”
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Along with all the angels who minister to the saints, God has an innumerable company, or myriads, of angels organized into His army. God is often referred to as Jehovah-Sabbaoth, in the Old Testament, and that is “the LORD of Hosts. “Sabbaoth” is the Hebrew word, “tseba'ah,” meaning “a mass of persons organized for war, an army” i.e., His angels. We know from Revelation 12:7, that Satan also has an army. God warns the Christian, in Ephsians 6:12, that Satan has “rulers…in high places” who are not made of “flesh and blood.” They are men indwelt by demons who control men, and governments. Hitler and Stalin would be two good examples. Therefore, it is no surprise that the Antichrist is a human being that Satan has personally indwelt. He begins to organize the governments of the world to his advantage. It is his modus operandi, or method of operation.
Revelation 17:14.
Here is a wave of truth, into the future, that reveals that these ten kings will follow the Antichrist into the Battle of Armageddon, when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation Period.
“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”
Revelation 17:15.
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
According to Revelation 17:1, this lets us know that the “Mystery, Babylon the Great” Harlot ecumenical organization, of the Tribulation Period, will incorporate everyone in the world. It is not a One-World Church that everyone has to join. It is a One-World Religious System that incorporates all the religions of the world, each functioning as they always have, but not permitted to proselyte or have divisions.
City Plan of Ancient Babylon
This archaeologist’s drawing shows the ancient city of Babylon spread out on both sides of the Euphrates River. “New Town,” above, is the location of Modern “Babylon,” Al-Hillah. It is an ancient city, located in the plain of Shinar, on the Euphrates River, about 50 miles south Baghdad.
Scripture tells us that Babylon was founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:9,10), who developed the world's first organized system of idolatry, which God temporarily thwarted in Genesis 11:5-9, by confounding their language. Satan attempted through Nimrod to do two things: 1. Establish a world federation of religion, centered at the Tower of Babel. 2. Establish a world in which one language was spoken, and called the center of this Babylonian Empire, Babel, meaning the “gate to God,” as opposed to the blood in Genesis 3:21.
Nimrod called Babel the “Gate to God.” God came down and called it “Confusion.” He blasted their plans for a “super state,” but the spirit of Nimrod lived on. What began at the Tower of Babel becomes full-blown in the religious system of Mystery, Babylon the Great. (Revelation 17:5) People will unite in a One-World Religious System and a One-World Government. They will be led by the Antichrist, as the last world dictator, but, like Nimrod, their plans fail in the end. As we have said, there are no more Bible prophecies to be fulfilled before the Rapture. Israel must be in the land of Israel, and so she has been since May 14, 1948. The city of Babylon must be in existence to serve as the capital of the Antichrist’s economic empire.
“And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 13:19)
But God will thwart the Antichrist’s plans, permanently, and Babylon will be destroyed, completely, by God at the end of the Tribulation Period, just like Sodom and Gomorrah. The locations of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other three “cities of the plain,” are not known with absolute certainty. It should be noted that Babylon was never destroyed, but deteriorated away due to the trade routes changing.
The Greek historian, Herodotus, (Bk 1, 178-186) wrote this about Nebuchadnezzar’s capitol, Babylon:
“The city was one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and laid out in an enormous square, 14 miles on each side. The brick walls surrounding it were 56 miles long, 300 feet high, 25 feet thick, with another wall 75 feet behind the first wall. The wall extended 35 feet below the ground, with 250 towers at 450 feet high, and a wide, deep, moat that encircled the city. The Euphrates River flowed through the middle. There were ferry boats, and a one-half-mile long bridge with drawbridges that closed at night. It was home to the "Hanging Gardens,” and water was raised from the river for the gardens. Eight massive gates led to the inner city, with 100 additional brass gates. The streets were paved with stone slabs three-feet-square. There was the great Tower (Ziggurat), and fifty-three temples, including the "Great Temple of Marduk." Herodotus reports that there were 180 altars to Ishtar. There was a golden image of Baal, and the Golden Table (solid gold), two gold lions, and a solid gold statue, 18 feet high.”
With all her idolatry, Babylon is a fitting personification of the ecumenical, one-world religious system. However, the Antichrist only uses her during the first half of the Tribulation Period, and then destroys her.
Nebuchadnezzar reigned from approximately 605 B.C. to 562 B.C. He is mentioned around 90 times in the Bible, especially in the Book of Daniel, Chapters One to Four. Judah became a tribute state to Babylon in 605 B.C., but rebelled in 597 B.C. in the reign of Jehoiachin, and, again, in 588 B.C., during the reign of Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar and his general, Nebuzaradan, proceeded to completely destroy the temple and most of Jerusalem, deporting most of the remaining residents to Babylon. In this, Nebuchadnezzar served as God’s instrument of judgment on Judah for its idolatry, unfaithfulness, and disobedience. (Jeremiah 27:6)
MAP OF ROMAN EMPIRE AT ITS GREATEST EXTENT – 117 A.D.
ROMAN EMPIRE IS THE INSERT ON POLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLD
The total land area of all continents is approximately 57.3 million sq. miles. At the height of territorial expansion in 117 A.D. the Roman Empire spanned an area of only 2.5 million square miles.
Therefore, the Roman Empire only occupied 4.4% of the total land area of the world.
The One-World Religious System
The First Problem for The World Federation of Nations is: “All The Fighting Religions of the World.”
It seems to be the general thought that, after the Rapture, all these so-called denominations, and hundreds upon hundreds of religious sects will have to worship as one unity, as required by the False Prophet. These are not Christians, or they would have gone up at the Rapture. They are lost people who have rejected Jesus Christ as their Savior, and their numbers will range in the billions. I will demonstrate with a partial listing of these religions.
1. Islam | 1.5 Billion | 9. Zoroastrianism | 2.6 Million | |
2. Hinduism | 900 Million | 10. Unitarian | 800,000 | |
3. Chinese Traditional | 394 Million | 11. Scientology | 500,000 | |
4. Buddhism | 376 Million | 12. Catholic Organization | 1.2 Billion (in 2010) | All three teach water baptism for Salva-tion. |
5. Spirit-ism | 15 Million | 13. Lutherans | 65 Million | |
6. Sikhism | 23 Million | 14. Church of Christ (The Disciples of Christ) | 5 Million | |
7. Baha’i | 7 Million | 15. Mormons | 14.1 Million | |
8. Shinto | 4 Million | 16. African Traditional and Diaspora | 80 Million |
These are only the tip of the iceberg, compared to all the remaining sects, cults, and splinter groups floating around all over the world.
As we have said, it is ludicrous to think that the Muslims are going to abandon Allah, their God, and, Mohammed, their prophet, when they will kill you for burning their Koran. The Catholics are not going to abandon their Pope, priests, and Mary worship without a fight! Nor will the Lutherans abandon their god, Luther. There are thousands of religious sects who will not abandon their faith for a generic God of a One-World Church. This is both impossible, and unreasonable! Even Satan has to force people to worship him with the Mark of the Beast.
The seven heads of nations, who unite as the World Federation of Nations, will put a plan into effect immediately to appease these religions. The Antichrist, who is one of these seven men, all agree to make a peace covenant with Israel, (which is made up of all religious, but lost, Jews) allowing them to put up a Temple and worship as they wish. And this they will do, being content and happy. This would be an example for the False Prophet to follow. Remember, the False Prophet is a human being, indwelt by a powerful demon, who is permitted by God to do great miracles. This powerful demon will be one of Satan’s top generals. Satan is a spirit being who, also, indwells a man, the Antichrist, through whom he can exercise his thoughts, and display his miracles.
Immediately after the Rapture, a group of high officials will meet. How many more than seven, we are not told. It could be limited to seven, no one knows. We will, for future reference, refer to the group as the “One-World Federation of Nations,” composed of seven world leaders.
Upon convening, they face two enormous problems. One is how to keep all of these different religious sects and denominations, located all over the world, from fighting each other. The other problem is political. More important at the moment, is the commercial aspect of the economy, or what is left of it. God puts into their minds to deal, first, with the religious problem. So, they reason that, to secure peace, they will start with Israel, therefore making a covenant with the Jews, promising them peace, and permission to rebuild their Temple in which to worship as they please. This will keep them happy and busy. Not only did it work for the Antichrist, who is one of the seven, but also will fulfill God’s prophetic Word.
“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).
Note: This meeting after the Rapture is held in Babylon, where these seven will form a league we have labeled as the “One-World Federation of Nations.” They will next appoint a demon-possessed man to implement a peaceful system for all churches, who is described, in Scripture, as the False Prophet. He is demon-possessed by one of Satan’s top generals. He is instructed to follow the example of the Covenant that was made with Israel. His headquarters will, also, be in Babylon, as he will be the administrator of the One-World Religious System.
The False Prophet is now turned loose, as the god of administration, over all the remaining religions and sects in the world. By satellite, television, and internet viewing, his instructions for all religions will be as follows:
“I have been appointed by the “God” (in reality, the Antichrist), as Head of the Administration for Peace for all religions. Therefore, every religion is permitted to worship where they are located, and to whatever god they wish, or however they wish. I represent the World Federation of Peaceful Nations, and this is their desire for everyone. However, there is only one restriction. That restriction will be enforced with the death penalty for any individual, group, or sect, should it be violated. The restriction is this.
No individual, group, denomination, or sect will be permitted to harass, proselyte, or interfere in any way with another religion.” (The penalty is death, with no probation.) I want you to worship in peace, and live in peace, in honor of my goal in representing the World Federation of Peaceful Nations.”
With this being established, we will immediately be orchestrating a commercial trade business with many nations, which you will be privileged to be involved in, and which will prosper you financially. By doing your part, you will enjoy a utopian world, provided by the World Federation of Peaceful Nations.”
Signed: False Prophet
Now that all the religions of the world are taken care of and supervised by their administrator, the False Prophet, the One-World Federation of Nations can focus entirely on commercial trade. This will also involve the False Prophet, who will be busy getting the world’s religions involved in the business of world marketing. This will prove very profitable.
The headquarters for all world trading will be in Babylon. Ships will be steaming all over the world into various ports, as directed by the False Prophet out of Babylon. In a very short time world trade will develop, and continue to grow and prosper, as described in Revelation 18:3.
“For all nations (America is included.) 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.”
This continues for three-and-a-half years and everyone seems to be prospering, except those that were saved after the Rapture.
Note: These will not join any of the false religions; therefore, they will be labeled as renegades, because they opposed these so-called “peaceful” religions. They are labeled as trouble-makers, and enemies of the False Prophet and the One-World Federation of Nations.
This one-world religious system is a blood-thirsty organization, as it is allowed by the False Prophet, who directs it, to kill the Christians it finds. The excuse will be, “These are just like the trouble-makers who disappeared (those who were taken at the Rapture), and they must be eliminated.” All the religions, world-wide, will be allowed to exterminate any of these they come across, by permission of the False Prophet and the Council of the World Federation of Nations. The 144,000 and the Two Witnesses are exempt, as they have God’s seal of protection upon them.
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6).
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held (9): And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:9-10).
The reason they will be killed in the first three-and-a-half years after the Rapture, is not for refusing the Mark of 666, as that is not in effect until the middle of the Tribulation. These were saved after the Rapture, in the first three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation Period and they have been witnessing for Christ against the False Prophet, who is overseeing the false religious system. These saints, under the altar in Heaven, know very well what is transpiring on the Earth. They pray for revenge against the Lord’s enemies.
The collective name given all these apostate churches with their headquarters in Babylon, under the jurisdiction of the False Prophet, is given in Revelation 17:5,6,
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (5).
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” (6)
This will take place for approximately three-and-a-half years after the Rapture, until the Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel, and declares himself to be the only God to be worshiped.
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
This also breaks his peace covenant with all the other religious organizations in the world. The Antichrist then picks out ten of his best, demon-possessed, men.
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast” (Revelation 17:12).
Power is assured them, and each is appointed a kingdom over one-tenth of the whole Earth. After their appointments, ”..God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will...” (Revelation 17:17a)
“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire (16). For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled (17). And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the Earth” (18).
The Ten Kings, and their kingdoms, now rule the world under the direction of the Antichrist. They are ordered to destroy, or burn, every synagogue, temple, cathedral, shrine, or place of worship. The only way their members can escape death is to take the Antichrist’s number, 666, on their hand or forehead.
”..and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast (Antichrist) should be killed (15b). And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads (16): And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (17).
The city of Babylon, itself, is not destroyed at this time. What is destroyed, are the people who do not give up their religious beliefs. The Antichrist will drop his false betrayal of himself as a peacemaker, and he will go after the followers of these religions the same way he does those who do not take his Mark, “666.” All the people of all these religions will have to now take the Mark, 666, or be killed.
“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (Revelation 17:15).
God is in complete control of the affairs of this world. Everything goes according to God’s plans for the future. These religions were made up of Christ-rejecting people, or they would have gone up at the Rapture. The False Prophet has fooled all the religions of the world for three-and-a-half years, giving them a false hope and peace. Their end was a premature death, physically, and an eternal home in the Lake of Fire, spiritually.
I wonder how many times these people have been witnessed to by someone, prior to the Rapture, or by one of the Two Witnesses, or one of the 144,000 Jews after the Rapture? It puts chills down your back when you think of the first words a lost person will hear after they take their last breath,
“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
Revelation 17:16.
The False Prophet, under Satan, has manipulated all faiths to unite in this One-World Religioius System, but notice what has happened now. As we have said at the beginning of this chapter, a characteristic of Satan is that he will use you, and when he is done with you, he will destroy you. Using his “Ten King” World Government, he has destroyed the One-World Religious System of, “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.”
“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore [the One-World Movement], and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.”
Here, the One-World Religious System’s dream of a united Utopia, with all religions getting together, meets it end. Not at the hands of God, but at the hand of the one she served so well. She is going to be totally destroyed. We find in Revelation 17:18:
“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the Earth.”