The Second Angel

There followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. 14:8 

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 18:1-2

The Angel with an Announcement

   In 14:8, this scene of the fall of Babylon is introduced, then dropped; it is reintroduced in 18:2, with more details.  I believe these Bible verses refer to the same angel.  It seems as if the writer thought about what he had written in 14:8, and decided that he should have added a few more details, and so he did. He did not have the option of inserting words or pushing the delete button; options we take so very for granted. 

   This angel is not one of the seven that poured out the bowls of God's wrath, for he is not introduced, as was the angel of 17:1, for example; Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls.

It is confusing that the KJV and the NKJV have used the word wrath in 14:8. Vine+++ tells us that the word wrath can, sometimes, be translated as fierceness.  If we do that, here, this verse makes more sense.  It would then read, she made all nations drink of the wine of the fierceness of her fornication.

   As a practical application of this word "wrath" Clarke has this to say: No nation of the earth spread their idolatries so far as the ancient Romans; they were as extensive as their conquests. And papal Rome has been not less active in disseminating her superstitions. She has given her rituals, but not the everlasting Gospel, to most nations of the earth.

   Babylon is so bent on practicing her blasphemy and immorality that she is said to be fierce about it.  Babylon the Great ... made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries. NIV.  Babylon is fallen...because she seduced the nations of the world and made them share the wine of her intense impurity and sin. TLB

   Three posts ago we learned that Babylon will be eternally destroyed; Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 18:21.  Here, in 18:2, we read that Babylon is fallen, and, that it has become home to demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!  It appears obvious that Babylon is not completely obliterated.  

   Note that just because Babylon, a selfish lifestyle, will be eternally destroyed (not be found anymore) it does not mean that the souls of people will be included in that destruction.

   14:8 refers to the wine of the sins of the materialistic society.  In 14:10 the wrath of God is incurred, and it will fall, because the nations partook of Babylon's fornication.  It is not the wrath of fornication, but the wrath because of fornication. As mentioned earlier, 2:16, this does not refer to physical fornication only, it refers to spiritual fornication; a careless, blasphemous attitude toward Jehovah. 

    Why has Babylon fallen?  Because she has made all nations drink. This wine of the wrath of her fornication is not the same as the wine of the wrath of God in 14:10. 

   Babylon is fallen.  According to tradition, Peter was in Rome, when he wrote his letters, and some believe, that he called Rome, Babylon, because of the rampant evil in the city.  

   Maybe Paul did that also because Rome was King Nero's home city and Nero was a wicked king who killed many Christians; to protect himself Paul did not want to be point blank in his accusation of Nero. 

   Could John be making the same analogy in speaking of Babylon?  Babylon, throughout history, has represented things that are ungodly.  If John was speaking prophetically, the fact that he called Rome, Babylon, may lend some credence to the idea that he was speaking of the Roman Catholic Church. However, in John's time, at the end of the first century, the church in Rome, was not yet known for being evil.

   he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon, the great is fallen”.  In God's eyes, Babylon is anything but great; she is the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. 17:5.  Vine tells us the word, great, can refer to degree or intensity.  Babylon is intense in its sin and pride, it will keep on sinning to the nth degree, and, in the sense of intensity, it, is "a great city".  The record of the fall of that materialistic society is recorded in 14:8 and 18:2.

   a prison for every foul spirit.  the word foul means ceremonially unclean. Vine. Since spirits were not involved in the ceremonies of the Bible, one can surmise that these are the spirits of people; those people who were ceremonially unclean.  

It bears repeating that in The Apocalypse references to Babylon include the carnal church with its loose teachings and careless lifestyles.  It is in this manner that the church offers to God unholy sacrifices; sacrifices presented to God by preachers who are ceremonially unclean; that is, those who are morally and ethically unfit to be preachers.

   The unclean and hated bird also refers to those birds that were not acceptable as sacrifices in ceremonial services.  Vine takes it a step further and says, the birds are apparently figurative of destructive Satanic agencies.

   Now that Babylon has been dealt the deathblow, we can leave that dirty, sinful city and find something less depressing.
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+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine,

The First Angel

H.  The Seven Angels

   Earlier it was mentioned that before we were finished with the seven trumpets and the seven bowls of wrath, we would encounter seven other angels.  Here we meet the first of those seven.  It is mandatory that these seven angels of chapter 14, be moved to a position before 11:15, for if we do not do that, we run into a variety of incongruities, as will be pointed out.

   Perhaps it needs to be reiterated that many of these situations run concurrent with each other, but since it is not possible to portray two, or more, scenes at one time, they are written as though they follow one another.

 

The Angel with an Invitation

Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people
    saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”14:6-7  

The words, I saw another angel, 14:6, carry an interesting connotation.  If we followed the texts in the sequence in which they are in the Bible, the last angel mentioned would be the angel with the seventh trumpet in 11:15.  For the writer to say that he saw this angel is sure proof that chapter 14:8 must come before 11:15 because 11:15 heralds the rapture of the Church.  It would be redundant for an angel to be preaching the Gospel after all the people have been taken to the great white throne to be judged.

Another argument for the idea that the scenes are not portrayed in the order in which they will happen is seen in 18:2, where we read, Babylon the great is fallen, and later, 18:21, thus with violence shall the great city Babylon be thrown down.  The fact that the city has fallen is announced and later the prediction that it will fall is given; the incidents and prophecies need to be rearranged to make them logical.

   Horrible calamities during the end times will be for the purpose of driving people to their knees in humble worship of Jehovah.  After the message of these calamities has been ignored, Jehovah sends an angel to the world to provide another word of invitation.  Seen, flying in the atmosphere, a messenger, the angel, was preaching the everlasting gospel to everyone, everywhere.  God’s love is immense!   That message is, Fear God...for the hour of His judgment has come. 

The messenger was in the atmosphere; that is the same area in which radio, television, and computer messages travel.  Perhaps those ministers of the Gospel that preach the death, resurrection, and return of Christ, and the coming kingdom of Jehovah are that messenger.

In chapter three we studied about the church of Philadelphia; the church that was facing the open door.  If, as suggested, each of the seven churches, in The Apocalypse, represents a distinct church era, the church at Philadelphia was the church that preached the everlasting gospel to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, by using radio and television. 

For more about this church see:      
http://ikefehr1939.blogspot.com/2013/02/to-church-in-philadelphia.html

 Do those of us who live in North America, somehow, inwardly, feel that it is only proper that God should have redeemed us.  I mean, after all, we have white skin and we speak English, so it is only logical that we should have been chosen and every other nation, tribe, tongue, and people, who are now Christians, are an added blessing to Jehovah, and this happened because, we, white-skinned North Americans, were kind enough to be missionaries.  Am I the only person who thinks that some North Americans actually believe that?

The first angel is the angel with an invitation; the invitation is, Repent of your sins, let Jesus Christ control your thoughts and habits, accept Him as your Lord.  If you do that you will not be condemned with the condemnation brought by the second angel; the angel with an announcement.

The Judgment of Babylon

And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 16:19

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
   “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”
    But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
   The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
   “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.  17:1-2; 17:7-9

“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”18:20

Reckoning Day has Come

    Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.  In our study, the time has come for the Battle of Armageddon, and the angel says, come, let's go see that video which shows what will happen.

    The armies are gathered together in a place called har Megiddo, meaning, hill or city of Megiddo.  It was there that Gideon obtained the victory over the Midianites and it was there that King Josiah and King Saul were killed in battle. Unger++.   

It is located about fifteen miles from the Mediterranean Sea and about twenty-five miles South West of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee.  We do not read here that the war happened; we read only that the forces were gathered together there.

   I marveled with great amazement.  The KJV writes, when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.  The Living Bible has changed the phrase to, I stared at her in horror.  According to Vine+++ the meaning of the Greek word is admiration and not horror, as The Living Bible has it.

    All those who dwell on the earth will admire the beast when they see him; all except those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.  Why do they admire the beast?  Because the god of this world (Satan) hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2 Cor. 4:4 KJV.  This beast will attempt to destroy all those who do not worship him.

  The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition.

Here is an interesting theory.

   The angel, says to John, who is looking into the future, the beast that you saw (Muhammad, and successive Islamic war-crazed leaders) was in the seventh to the ninth century, then the Muslim territory and strength faded, so the angel said and is not, it is not a significant power, but later, at the end of time, it will ascend out of the bottomless pit, a place unknown to the world at large and that leader of the Muslim forces will start the Battle of Armageddon, and after that battle is over, he and his false religion, will go to perdition.

In chapter 16 we had these words so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. It sounds as if those kings from the east are the leaders of the Muslim armies.

I am, now, also wondering if the five horsemen (on four horses) in chapter 6 represent the Muslim hordes that will descend on Israel for that last battle.  When the radical Muslims start that war, many Muslims who are now "laid back and at peace" will also take up arms against their unsuspecting neighbours in non-Muslim communities because their "Bible" tells them to.

 Understand, before you read the following, that the Koran calls Jews and Christians, "unbelievers" and "infidels".

   The following is from the blog: Islam: Making a True Difference

Here are some of the grisly passages from the Koran:

"Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them." Koran 2:191

"Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood." Koran 9:123

"When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever you catch them." Koran 9:5

"Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable." Koran 3:85

"The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them."... Koran 9:30

"Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam" Koran 5:33

"Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies." Koran 22:19

"The unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them." Koran 8:65

"Muslims must not take the infidels as friends." Koran 3:28

"Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur'an." Koran 8:12

"Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels." Koran 8:60

"Mohammed is God's apostle. Those who follow him are harsh to the unbelievers but merciful to one another" Koran 48:29

   The woman mentioned here is THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, 17:5, her head is the false prophet, the second beast, and the woman is feeling very much at home where she is sitting.  She, the modern materialistic society, is sitting at ease, thinking she will never have hard times and meanwhile, the false prophet is preaching that everything is cool; don't take the Bible too seriously.

   After the last great anti-Semitic rage, which is the battle of Armageddon, Satan is also cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet will already be at that time.  

   To people who take the Bible literally, whenever possible, the Bible says that the torment in the lake of fire is continuous and never-ending.  However, it is important to realize that at that point in The Apocalypse there is no one in the lake of fire except the beast, the false prophet and Satan.

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++ Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Merrill F. Unger

+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine,

The Fall of Babylon

   Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

   “The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 

  “The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.

   “And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” 18:21-24

Like a Millstone in the Water

   The angel gives John an object lesson. A millstone thrown into the sea, sinking like a piece of concrete, exemplifies how Babylon also will sink.  During the Battle of Armageddon, proud, selfish, morally degraded Babylon will be thrown down.  The queen of selfishness said, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 18:7. During, and after the Battle of Armageddon, life as society knows it now, will be no more.

1. There will be no more parties with music. 18:22

2. No handyman will ply his trade. 18:22

3. No labourer will find a job. 18:22

4. There will be no more oil with which be brighten the night. 18:23

5. Mirth and happiness are forever left behind. 18:23

   Babylon's fall will come because it was through the use of drugs and deceitfulness that businesses became wealthy, and also because in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.

   According to Foster***, the Babylon of chapter 17, is the system of wickedness found in false religions that is symbolized by the great whore, whereas the Babylon of chapter 18, is the great city...in the land of Shiner; a geographical Babylon.  According to him Babylon, the capital city of the Antichrist, will be rebuilt.  This interpretation seems illogical when one notices the similarities and impossible situations between the Babylon of chapter 17 and the Babylon of chapter 18.

Let's compare:

   I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 17:6 

in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth. 18:24   It goes without saying that not all martyrs for Christ have died in the city of Babylon in the land of Shiner.  Therefore the Babylon in chapter 18 cannot be a physical city.

   with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, 17:2

the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. 18:3  Again, not all the kings of the earth have had affairs with the physical Babylon.

   It seems as if the two separate descriptions of Babylon refer to the same entity; a system of wanton, reckless, selfish pleasure.  Some suggest that two different authors penned these words.  As was stated in my introduction to this blog, possibly the two manuscripts were later amalgamated.

   That The Apocalypse needs to be rearranged, in order to be logical, is again proven by 18:21, which is written in the future tense, saying that Babylon will be thrown down.  However, in 14:8 and in 18:2 (which appear sooner in the Bible) we are told that Babylon has already been cast down.  We will look at these two verses later.

The Modern Curse

   For by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.  The Greek word for sorcery is pharmakia, obviously the word from which we get the word, pharmacy, and according to Vine+++, the primary meaning of pharmacy is medicine, drugs, spells.  Deception is Babylon's trademark, and now she does it with drugs.

   Signing contracts over drinks is common; alcohol loosens the mind and the mouth.  It is deceptive to try to hide the true meaning of the words of a contract from the signer.   The situation will be worse just before the end of time.  Contracts will be signed “over drugs” rather than "over a drink".  Drugs are much more potent and speedy than drink.  

   About the word, sorcery, Foster*** said, It refers to the administering of drugs. It is presently becoming a worldwide scourge. The use of drugs will become the chief means of deceiving the nations during the heydey of Babylon. Those who call...for the legalizing of drugs give us a portent of that day.

   What is really scary and depressing to me is that Canada is now, at the National level, working on legislation which will legalize the recreational use of drugs by summer of 2018.  Babylon is surely holding sway over the "kings" of the earth.

   The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever. 14:11. In speaking of eternal punishment, Leon Morris wrote, We must not press statements about "fire", "death" and the like. But neither must we yield to a sentimental demand that they be watered down.  

   At the risk of sounding like a Bible-rejecting modernist, here is a point worth making.  If the city, Babylon, was not literal, but rather a representation of the sinfulness of humanity, we must also admit that the fire and smoke are not literal?  Dare we also admit that forever and ever are not literal?

For more on this whole topic see:

http://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/mystery-babylon-when-does-she-fall/

   While we are on this topic anyway, Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Romans 12:20.  It is obvious that Paul was speaking symbolically.   Can we not use the same symbolism for the word, fire, when referring to, the lake of fire?  

   Perhaps that phrase was never intended to be taken literally, just as Paul's statement cannot mean what he wrote.  Changing it from literal to symbolic, of course, does not necessarily mitigate the punishment.  

   For those who argue that no human deserves that kind of punishment, it might be pointed out that all of humanity deserves that type of punishment, and that it is only because to the love and grace of Jehovah that many will be spared that punishment.

   It has also been said that some Jewish writers were not above using "scare tactics" to cause people to choose the "straight and narrow".  Preachers of a generation ago also did that a lot.  

Bible scholars say that Christ spoke more about eternal punishment than any other New Testament personality did.  However, I find it impossible to believe that He would have used "scare tactics" to present a teaching that is not true.

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*** Shadow of the Antichrist, Ivan Foster

+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine,

Babylon; The Fornicator

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,

And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.

Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. 

“And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” 17:1+3-4+15+18

The Great Harlot

One of the angels has occasion to say to John, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters.  We might remind ourselves here that the great whore is Babylon and the waters she is sitting on are peoples and nations.  The fornication that the kings and commoners, (for where there are kings there are also commoners), are guilty of is not only physical sexual, abhorrent behaviour, but on a much deeper level, spiritual fornication; modern Babylon's whole philosophy is "if it feels good - do it".  This woman holds sway over the kings of the earth. She is the queen (ruler) above all the kings because they indulge in her wanton pleasures. 18:9.

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.  This first beast (the Antichrist - a man) is described for us also in 13:1-2, except that his colour is not given there. It seems the beast is scarlet to indicate his oneness with the red dragon from whom he gets his power. 12:3+13:2.

The woman, Babylon, is dressed in purple, the colour of royalty, but she is also wearing scarlet,17:4, which shows her kinship with the beast.  Furthermore, she is bedecked with gold, jewellery and pearls like a spoiled woman of the world; this picture includes the modern Churches, of most any denomination, of the twentieth and twenty-first century!

   In her hand was a cup, a cup full of idolatry, obscenity, pagan idolatry with doctrines of, and professed adherence to the Christian faith. 17:4 Vine+++. The modern infatuation with materialism, in the church, fulfils this description. Subtly, she is saying, forsake all you hold important, don't be so straight-laced in your doctrines, blend into society at large, for the sake of unity.  That is what the woman teaches and Christ hates.  Christ’s Church must take a stand against "watered down" theology, even though it means persecution or martyrdom, and for many, it will.

   The woman also has a name on her forehead; this means in her mind. Compare this with the notes on 7:3. http://ikefehr1939.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-opening-of-fifth-and-sixth-seal.html

She has learned all this wickedness, and in her mind is written:

a) “Mystery – This is the spirit (attitude) of disobedience to God.

b) Babylon the Great – This is pride at its apex.  Reminiscent of the words of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon; Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty? Dan. 4:30.
c)  Mother of harlots - (claimed, by some, to be the Roman Catholic church), instigator of all physical, moral and spiritual fornication and her offspring, the Protestant churches.
   d) Abominations of the earth - idolatry from every pagan religion, past or present, adopted by Christianity, she is taking credit for them all." The Signs, Oct. 1998^^

   A study of history makes it clear that not all these evil traits can be limited to only the Roman Catholic Church, as many Bible teachers have done.  Other churches are just as guilty of at least some of the sins mentioned.  She, Babylon, is the zenith of evil.  She is drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 17:6

   no religion in the world...has on its conscience so many millions of people who thought differently, believed differently – Christianity is the most murderous religion there has ever been. Babylon - anti-Christian Empire; The Signs, Oct. 1998, P.26^^.

   I can't help but wonder if the author made that statement just to be dramatic or if he had any statistics.  It seems that a study of religious history would show that Christianity has not, and is not, killing any more people than some other world religions have and are.  

   It also needs to be pointed out that there is a big contingent of "Babylonians" who parade around as Christians.  If it appears as if Christians are doing the killing, it must be adamantly insisted that it is not the Christians but it is those wolves in sheep's clothing among the Christians who are hiding inside the walls of churches that are doing the killing.

  In 17:1 the writer saw the great whore sitting upon many waters; since then he has seen her sit on the beast and on the seven mountains.   The picture portrayed is that the wicked woman, Babylon, feels at home everywhere; everywhere, that is, except with the called, the chosen and faithful,17:14 and that is why she, Babylon, the affluent, materialistic society and this includes the modern, casual, materialistic church, must get the saints out of her way by waging war on them.

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+++ An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, W.E. Vine,

^^ Signs of the Times Magazines: What the Revelation says about.  David C. James