Revelations 18:11

"Come out of her my people so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues."

God's warnings leap out at us from the scripture. Unlike the command, "Let my people go!", He speaks directly to His chosen with "Come out of her, my people," then following with the consequences, "So you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues." The people referred to here are not a people in physical captivity, but they are free to make a choice and act upon it. This scripture refers to Babylon.

Many of us think of Babylon from the Old Testament times; Baal and Ashteroth worship and the sacrifices of Molech. But in this Scripture, God reveals to the New Testament Church that there is a present day Babylon and His people or a part of His people are in that system. Who is the Babylon of Revelation 18:4 and how can we identify her? Is it really important that we do?

We shall not only explore this subject from the historical point of view, nor just as theologians, but as watchmen.

"Tower of Babel" by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

Chapter I

Do you understand the times in which we live? It is so easy to be blinded by the present or to feel that the cultural status quo will continue indefinitely. Jesus criticized His contemporaries for "knowing how to interpret the appearance of the sky," but not able to "interpret the signs of the times." Matthew 6:3 However, King David had men of Issachar who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. I Chronicles 12:32

Storm clouds are on the horizon rolling with an aggressively secular society that sees Jesus' Church as an obstacle to progress and social peace. As the Church of Jesus Christ, we have a short season to plan and prepare. We must understand the times and comprehend what is happening around us if we are to survive what is at hand.

One of the clearest, most easily understood lessons in human experience is the fact that- appearance, what sounds good or true, is not absolute criterion of truth. To fully comprehend the present, we must delve into the past and the foundation of today's social system. The Bible is mainly focused on God's people. Therefore, we must look at other accounts of history that will give us an accurate record of events, substantiated by Biblical writings, however briefly, that shaped the world as history unfolded. Let us choose Abraham as an example.

The Bible tells us of his leaving Ur of Chaldeans with his father Terah and his nephew Lot, settling in Haran until the Lord told Abram to leave his people and his father's household and go to a land God would show him. Genesis 11:27 This is a great example of obedience. However, if we search other accounts of history or even a Bible dictionary, we can understand how society existed during this time and realize there is a greater story to hear.

What of Ur of the Chaldeans? Who were these people and what was their lifestyle? The Bible doesn't tell us, but other records of history satisfy our curiosity. There are many historical facts that elude us surrounding ancient Babylon and the Biblical reference to its activities- past and future. Future? Yes, even in Revelations 17 & 18 we are confronted with this mystery nation. It all seems very puzzling indeed, until we search the past and gain glimpses into the future. It can be proved that the idolatry of the whole earth is one and the sacred language of all religions radically Chaldean.

Babylon. It is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10, where we discover the beginnings of this kingdom founded by Nimrod, whose father was Cush, whose father was Ham, the youngest son of Noah. We all remember the story of Noah and the flood that covered the whole earth. It is told to all children, Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. It is a very real part of the past substantiated geologically. Even recusant tribes in South America told stories about the flood that covered the earth.

It is an accepted fact substantiated by history and science that a flood once covered the earth. We know that Noah built an ark, filled it with male and female animals and his family. From them all life began again. But what was life like following the flood? It is safe to assume that following the flood everyone on earth knew God and His way of life.

Through studies of the Earth before the flood, we have been told that it had never rained before on the Earth. The plants were watered from mists that rose from the ground. Noah's family would sit around the tents they had made and tell their children about God and His ways and how He destroyed everything with a flood because man had become so wicked. They feared to do evil- at first. We can imagine how afraid they would be when it would start to rain, wondering if God would let them drown also. History tells us that for many ages, man lived under the government of God without laws and all speaking the same language. Genesis 11:1

Although the land continued to be productive, the wild beasts began to multiply much faster than people. Many lived in terror of animal attacks. It was then, that a man of great stature came on the scene. His name was Nimrod - or translated subduer of the leopard. In historical account, he is depicted with leopard-like spots on his clothing. He freed people from their fear of the animals by hunting them down. Genesis 10:8-9 is translated in our Bibles "Bus was the father of Nimrod, who grew to be a mighty warrior on the Earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord, which is why it is said "Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord". The Hebrew work paniyin translated as "before" should actually be translated "against". There are only consonants in Hebrew and the vowels must be guessed at according to context. This is a mistranslation. Nimrod was a mighty hunter against the Lord- he was actually and hunter of men's souls.

Here we must backtrack even further into historical truth. Beginning in Genesis we have the account of the serpent that came to Eve and caused the fall of man. The world became evil and God repented over His creation and decided he must destroy it except for a remnant. Satan had to once again gain control of the world. He used Nimrod to teach the people to enjoy the sensual pleasures of sin, without fear of God.

Nimrod built the first fortified city. He taught the people to build walls to protect themselves against animal attacks and he instructed them to build the Tower of Babel- built so high, they would be safe if God decided to send another flood. The people lost their fear of God. Why should they fear Him anymore, when they could escape His wrath? It took many years to build the tower and during this time peoples hearts grew colder towards their creator as they contemplated their fear of God. Puffed up by the knowledge that the tower would be high enough to escape another flood, they turned their devotion toward Nimrod who became their protector.

Remembering the story of the Garden of Eden and the serpent that gave knowledge and enlightened men's minds, they associated Nimrod with this power of illumination and began to worship him. Nimrod's wife/mother, was a powerful sorceress who worshipped the stars. She was at his side to encourage him to accept his place as the peoples God and authority.

Nimrod was the first to form an army and he conquered a large part of the populated world. This was not difficult to accomplish, as the Earth at this time was one landmass inhabited with people who all spoke the same language and for the most part, had the same past. He soon established economic, civil and social systems and imposed his religion on all he conquered. Nimrod became known as the High Priest of Baal or Priest of the sun god. The word cannibal is a Chaldean word of religious nature meaning Priest-caan and the word bal-Baal. Like the Hebrew priests, the priests of Baal were given a share of the sacrifice. Baal demanded human sacrifices. Thus- the word cannibal - eater of human flesh.

Not everyone worshipped Nimrod. Some still held fast to God. One such man was Shem, also a son of Noah. In a fury over the baby sacrifices that Nimrod required as Molech, Shem chopped Nimrod in pieces and sent a part of his body to every city that worshipped him. This act was a grim warning to others that attempted to do as Nimrod had done. This one action alone is what caused the mystery religions.

Soon after Nimrod's death, his wife/mother, Semiramis, began to call Nimrod the sun god and herself the Queen of Heaven- having established the worship of the stars. Knowing the worship of her husband could not be done openly without reprisal, she began to form her mystery religion. Substitute worship began as Nimrod was worshipped as a serpent symbol or a picture of the sun with rays emanating; the all Seeing Eye or a stature of a great beast. Semiramis became pregnant and claiming to be a virgin had a son calling him Tammuz or Nimrod's reincarnation. She also established an underground spying system or "confessionals" where people could report to her priests, the falling away of her believers or to warn of the visiting of God fearing believers to her city of Babylon.

Then statues of the Queen Mother holding little Tammuz began appearing all over the known world; the Virgin and Child. The incarnation of Nimrod, who was even more powerful as an angry God when his worshippers would forget his ways, demanded more and more sacrifices. Semiramis as the beautiful Virgin Mother, became the gentle Goddess who was to represent the caring Queen of Heaven interceding on the believers' behalf.

Once again, let's remember the world was one when this Babylonian religion was evolving. Is it any wonder pictures and statues of a virgin and child have been found in remote villages? Missionaries who have traveled to unknown areas of the jungles in South America discovered tribes who have never seen a white man, but have statues of a mother goddess and her child. We don't think anything about their sacrifices of human or animal flesh (they're just savages), but call the statue of the virgin and child a miracle. It wasn't Mary and Jesus! These are statues of Semiramis and Tammuz. We must understand, the Babylonian religion spread throughout the earth, as it was one landmass. It wasn't until the time of Peleg that the Earth was divided. Genesis 10:25" Two sons were born to Eber; One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided." The earth was one, the language was one, and the Babylonian religion wide spread. Then God confused the languages of the people building the tower of Babel, scattered them, and separated the earth into many landmasses. The land was divided, but not before the religion of Babylon had spread.

This history of Babylon and its beginnings continued to permeate the cultures that arose from its demise. Most of mythology stems from the accounts of Nimrod, Semiramis and even Shem. Shem was written about as Hercules. He had great power and strength spiritually, but the stories about him equated him with great physical strength as he hacked the evil Nimrod into pieces. And what of the Mythology of Osiris and Isis from Egypt? The Gods on Mount Olympus? And in the Orient, the stories of Dagon the fish God? Neptune and Poseidon? Nimrod and Semiramis soon took their position of worship to the stars- Jupiter, Orion, the great hunter in the sky. The birth of mystery religions had begun. Satan was finally able to gain worship through symbols. The entire history of religions all over the world, born through mystery Babylon.

That is why God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans- the seat of Babylonian religion. He called him out to separate for himself a holy nation; a royal priesthood, who would not be polluted with the evil ways of Babylon.

Associations can pollute us. Lot was vexed by those around him in Sodom and Gomorrah. If he hadn't left, he would have shared in their destruction. In the same way, the Garden of Eden was a perfect place; thus evil had to leave. God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden because they had become associated with evil. If he had allowed them to stay, they entire Garden would have become polluted by their sins. Noah and his crew were separated by water and the Earth was cleansed. They had to go into the ark - leave evil associations- so they would be protected from the punishment for the Earth's sins. "Come out and be separate or you partake of her sins" and the greater law of God "if you don't come out you will receive her plagues for disobedience"

Where is Mystery Babylon? Who is captive? How do we leave?

God has always had a separated people, even in the midst of captivity. Daniel and the other young Hebrew children who kept themselves separate by not conforming to the ways of Babylon. However, God was the one who sent Israel into captivity because of sins. This time, He gives a command "Come out of her my people..." We have the command and now we must, by our obedience, separate ourselves from Mystery Babylon.

Please check back from time to time as we complete this study.

Thank you for your patience.