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The spirit of Babylon
Here we see the first the first mention of Babylon. We think of it as the tower, but the scriptures say it was a city. And the purpose of building it was to "make a name for ourselves" and for unity. The spirit of Babylon is national exaltation and human achievement. The spirit of Babylon is the spirit of Lucifer: "you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' (Isa 14:13,14)
Is America Babylon the Great?Or perhaps its throne? The purpose of this article is not to portray the United States as the worst of all nations. Nor is it to suggest that the leadership of America is more evil than others. Rome too, appeared at times to be great and good and noble, --when her interests coincided with the interests of others. But we must remember that the god of this world rules over the kingdoms of the earth. Those who would be kings in this age must first bow to him. Acting in one's self interest becomes a great evil when one has great power. If you believe that we live in the last days and the return of our Lord is close at hand, you must ask yourself what exists today in this world that fits the description of Babylon The Great. Neither the city of Rome, the ruins of Babylon, Iraq, the Catholic Church, or any of the other candidates sometimes mentioned fit the bill nor can they in the near future. Only the sole remaining superpower, the economic engine of the world, the one described by many in the press, academia, and government as the "New Rome" stands as a possible candidate. God may again shuffle the deck, but the cards as they are currently dealt point to America as Babylon the Great. Here are seven identifying marks given in the Scriptures (Rev 17,18):
The Great CityThe Greek word for city is polis and originally referred to a fortified city. Over time it came to also refer to any sovereign political/military entity, i.e. the Roman Empire would be a polis. From this word we derive such english words as polity, politics, etc. Polis is the appropriate Greek term for the United States and its political/economic/military empire. Therefore the United States of America certainly qualifies as a GREAT CITY (mega-polis). The common Greek word for nation is ethnos from which we derive the word 'ethnic' and would not apply to America because it is not a single people, but is composed of multitudes from every corner of the globe. Secondly, Rev. 17:18 refers to the Great City that has a kingdom or empire or rules over the kings of the earth. Such rule does not always take the form of direct political control. The Roman empire had many client states and allies who were allowed to retain some authority as long as they acted in the interests of Rome. Any attempt to be truly free would bring a military response. In fact, the failure to maintain order and control was to invite Roman intervention and regime change. Today, many in the U.S. and abroad, including some in government, are referring to America as the New Rome, and are talking about empire. Throughout its history the United States as used military power to further its self[ish] interests around the world. At first, this empire extended only over central America and the Caribbean. Now it is global. Some examples of this are:
What other nation has ever exercised such global power as the United States does now? The United States spend more on its military than the rest of the world combined. The United States maintains over 4000 operational nuclear weapons, plus a stockpile of an additional 5000. It also has another 5000 assembled weapon + 12000 plutonium pits and other materials that can rapidly be converted into operational weapons. Peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues
What nation since Rome has had a citizenry composed for
peoples from all the world. In
fact, no nation has ever been made up of such a diverse populous.
People from all of
Europe, all of Asia, all of Africa, from Australia, from all the
Americas, from the
Islands of the seas; is there any nation not represented among the masses of
Americans? Sits on Seven MountainsThe Greek word for mountain means: hill, mountain, high country, mountain range, etc. Certainly Rome was built on seven hills, and so was Constantinople. But would the same Greek word have also been used to describe what we call continents? Is not a continent an area raised above the sea? Do we not speak of there being SEVEN continents? It is said that the seven rays on the crown of the statue of Liberty represent the seven continents and the seven seas. Does America sit on all seven continents? YES! She has military forces or installations in all. There is nowhere beyond her reach. Great WealthPurple and scarlet, gold, pearls, and precious stones speak of
great wealth. What
nation can compare with America in wealth? The GDP of the United States
accounts for 1/5
of the entire world GDP. It is almost twice that of its nearest
competitor, China. The
United States is the world's second largest producer of oil, only
slightly behind Saudi
Arabia. The U.S. produces and uses 25% of the electricity produced in
the world. It
consumes over 25% of the world's oil production. Has the world's
largest (by far) external
debt. Even its lower class would be regarded as wealthy in most of the
world. Its driving
philosophy is free market capitalism: the unrestrained freedom to amass
riches. As a
former president said, "the business of America is business." Where
else do the
"poor" own cars, televisions, VCR's, stereos, and often houses, even if
they are
over their heads in debt. We fill our landfills with things the truly
poor of much of the
world would fight over. World's Biggest ConsumerThe merchants will weep and mourn because she is the biggest
costumer in the world, and
her end will be the end of their profits. The United States imports
11,596,000 Barrels of
oil a day! She imports $1,165,000,000,000 of stuff a year! She only
exports
$687,000,000,000. She is the great consumer. As the city of Rome did,
she lives off what
the rest of the world produces. It is said that when America sneezes,
the rest of the
World catches a cold. America is described as the engine of the World's
economy. And that
is not because of what she produces, but what she buys. UPDATE 2009 The housing bubble, the product of American monetary and fiscal policy (low interest rates, and a largely unregulated financial industry) finally burst and began a chain of events that virtually collapsed the global economy. As of June 2009, the American government along with others continues in its attempt to "re-inflate" the global economy by a combination of fiscal stimulus (spending huge amounts of "borrowed" money) and monetary "easing" ("printing" money as fast as possible). In addition corporations "too big to fail" have been nationalized by injecting trillions of dollars. China and Russia have begun to demand a new world reserve currency to replace the dollar as they see the potential that all their dollar reserves and purchases of U.S. debt may become worthless or severely devalued. Export driven economies such as China, Japan, and Germany have been severely impacted as American imports fall with the fall in consumer spending. General Motors and Chrysler have gone bankrupt. However, this is merely a shaking of the kingdoms of the world. The scriptures say that the destruction of Babylon will happen in one hour, and it will be burned with fire, and this takes place near the return of Christ. This current difficultly is merely the natural result of man's greed. The markets are driven by two emotions: greed and fear. When fear rules, markets go down, when greed rules markets go up. People eventually tire of fear and return to their natural and preferred state of greed. So, I expect Babylon to recover and the world to return to its profligate ways. HatedAmerica is hated by much of the world. They have seen too much
of Pax Americana to be
deceived by her words. Her actions speak louder than her verbal support
for human rights
and democracy. The world saw her "liberate" Kuwait where her vital
[spell that
oil] interests were at stake, but saw her do nothing but delay acting
herself and actually work to impede others from helping while Rwanda
bled. But there is one
particular group of nations that she sits upon that have a special
hatred for her. They
call her the Great Satan. Her exportation of her immorality through
Hollywood, through
television, through the pornographers of satellite, and through the
internet, in addition
to her support of Israel has marked her as the enemy of everything
Islamic. Through her
political and economic power she has corrupted their governments. She
keeps the corrupt
but compliant governments of countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia in
power with money,
training for their secret police, and when necessary, military force.
Where that fails,
she simply overthrows muslim governments with military power or through
the CIA. And now
she sits in the center of the Islamic World. She straddles the Tigris
and Euphrates.
America sits as the king of Babylon. The Islamists of the world often refer to America as "Rome" and "The Great Satan." She is viewed as the current seat of Christendom and the source of all that is corrupting Islam. Has made all the world drunk with her immoralityThe Greek word translated as immorality is porneia. It includes in its meaning all forms of illicit sexuality as well as spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry. Certainly, pornography is porneia (N.T. greek) and America has flooded the world with filth. Pornography is big business. According to PBS Frontline its two leading purveyors were ATT (Broadband network) and DirectTV, not to mention an entire cottage industry of small time producers. Porneia also includes the promotion of immorality that is constantly occurring on network and cable TV. Who hasn't seen MTV's blatant appeal to sensuality? Who hasn't seen the daytime soaps' soft core porn for women? Who hasn't seen adultery, fornication, and homosexuality portrayed as the norm? Who hasn't seen sin made into something entertaining and amusing? Watch Dancing with the Stars on prime time television to see sensuality promoted to the public and children of America (and also the world) in all its glory. Porneia is most seductive when it is beautiful and sensual. Outright porno is just the end of the road for those already debased in mind and body. Now, one should ask why the government does nothing to stop this since the devastating moral effects of pornography on men, women, families, and society are well known and documented. After all, government is ordained by God to restrain evil (does it have any other legitimate purpose?). Many will say, it cannot because of the constitutionally protected right to free speech. But we must always test all things to see what is true and what is a lie. Is commercial speech protected? Can liquor producers and cigarette companies advertise wherever they desire? Are corporations citizens or human beings whose rights are inalienable because they come from God? No my friends, America refuses to restrain this wicked traffic because of money. As with tobacco, too many have too much to lose. Morality seldom wins out over money in America. The slavery of others (and porneia enslaves) has always been a price America was willing to pay in the pursuit of wealth. [Remember that Jesus said, He that commits sin is the slave of sin] If you are tempted to object by pointing to the Civil War, I would point out that the North did not need slaves for its industries,(underpaid workers were cheaper) and if slavery had been considered necessary or desirable for a healthy economy (i.e. profits for the rich) in the North, the Civil War would never have happened. It is not enough that America enslaves her own people in sensuality and immorality. It is not enough that she allows and promotes the sewer that now flows into almost every town, library, school, and home. It is not enough that children can be exposed to the worst abominations known to God and Man. Now America is intent on enslaving the whole world in the cause of what she calls freedom and make all the earth drink of her cup. Update 6/29/2009 The material above seems really tame compared to what is happening today. Pornography so dominates the internet that the idea of XXX bookstores and video seems quaint. President Obama has declared June LGBT pride month, gay parades are now passe, and even the LGBT parade in Jerusalem this month took place without protest. What does it mean when a nation gives itself over to the sin of Sodom? The Great HarlotIn the Old Testament the one consistently identified as a harlot by the prophets of God is Israel. (the only exception is Isa. 23 which calls Tyre a harlot) What does a harlot do? She takes her body, which is to be solely for her husband, and rents it out to strangers in exchange for money. Israel, was called the wife of Jehovah, yet she turned away and sought out other gods who were not gods at all. (read Ezekiel chapter 16) It was said that America was the "New Jerusalem, A Light to the Nations, A City set on a Hill, A Christian Nation" yet America has always been more in love with Gold than God. When the first English settlers landed at Jamestown, they almost all starved to death because they were so anxious to find gold and riches that they neglected preparing food and shelter. The American Revolution was not just a rejection of the rule of the king of England, but a rejection of the rule of Jesus Christ. He Himself forbade us to take up the sword and commanded us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's. The Apostle Paul states that those who oppose government oppose God. Yet the "Founding Fathers" took up the sword and opposed with powder and ball the lawful government. They founded a "Novus Ordo Seculorum" (New World Order or New Order of the Ages) which explicitly left out what Christendom had held for over 1700 years: that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings. The "founding fathers" deliberately chose to reject God as the ultimate sovereign and replace Him with the will of the people. America divorced Jesus Christ and chose to pursue the world's oldest profession. The Mayflower Compact read:
But the United States Constitution begins:
The Constitution makes no mention of God or Jesus Christ, nor can any of the "founding fathers" rightly be counted as Christians. Their course and purpose was to break from the 1400 year old history of Christendom as government being under Jesus Christ (in theory) and establish a government independent not only of rule of Britain but independent of the rule of Christ. They sought the establishment of a Novus Ordo Seclorum, a New World Order. Soon France followed, then Mexico, then others. She spread the poison of secularism and humanism throughout the world. The United States laid the foundation for not only unrestrained Capitalism, but also for Communism and Fascism. America - the mother of 100,000,000 XXX internet porn pages, all protected by the government. America - where tens (hundreds?) of millions have been sacrificed on the altar of profit and selfishness. America practiced a policy of genocide against the native peoples throughout her history, because they were in the way of "progress." She imported countless slaves to tend the plantations of the rich, while in the north, unchecked capitalism oppressed the poor of the cities. And all this while her churches were full. Pious industrialists taught sunday-school classes while they destroyed their competitors by any and all means, lawful or not. Presidents and the Congress treated the Americas as their personal estate, with gunboats and the marines backing American corporate interests. Christian America? Sodom! Egypt! When did Israel ever commit greater abominations than thee? God caused the light of the Gospel to shine forth in you but you hated the light and loved the darkness. The gospel of Christ you used as a cloak to hide your wickedness from your own eyes. You boasted in how many missionaries you sent out, but they did not go with the pure message of Jesus Christ, rather they too often took a polluted gospel that justified greed and selfish ambition, too often a gospel of americanism rather than the gospel of the cross of Christ. Look in her churches today! You will find the american flag honored more than the cross of Christ. They are the bastions of capitalism, as they were in the past (and often still are) of racism. "Born-again" politicians get membership lists from churches and piously invoke the name of G-O-D, while making the lie into an art form. "Jesus changed my life, Jesus is my favorite philosopher" they say while they bleed the public coffers dry to enrich their already rich friends. It was Herod who beautified the Temple, and it was Herod who tried to destroy the infant Jesus. So also America loves religious show and beautiful religious temples, yet she hates Jesus Christ and His followers with a passion, for she knows that His coming will be her death. I don't believe that America fully embodies Babylon the Great. The spirit of Babylon has been on earth for millennia and made herself at home in many places and in many peoples. Yet America is surely the great manifestation of the spirit of Babylon in our day, in worldly wealth, power, decadence, and religion. Her kingdom extends in all the globe, wherever the love of money exists. Every MacDonald's is her franchise, and every Wal-Mart her temple. Hollywood and the NFL are among her evangelists. And public schools catechize children in her ways and values. A Final Warning to Followers of Jesus in America
I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. (Revelation 17:6) This is why the question of whether America is Babylon the Great is important. If it is: Prepare your hearts for a coming persecution! If American solders are willing to do such things to Iraqis, they will be willing to do this to those whose allegiance is to Christ Jesus! By their fruit you shall know them. Do not be deceived. "Christians" that condone torture and murder are the servants of Satan. The (now former) President has declared that he will not be bound by laws restricting him from using torture. Jesus said, "If you love Me you will keep My commandments. I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." 05/06/2008
06/05/2009
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you may contact me at stephen@disciples-of-jesus.net |
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