The End of World Religion, Part 1A

If you have your Bible, I would invite you to turn with me to Revelation chapter 17. Revelation chapter 17. Let me read to you the first six verses.

We will not get to all six this evening. We won't even get to verse number one this evening. But what's new? Revelation 17. And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great heart who sits on many waters. With whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality. And he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman.

Sitting on a scarlet beast full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones, and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup. full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality. And upon her forehead a name was written, a mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. And 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 wondered great. What you have in Revelation 17 is Satan's religious empire. In chapter 17, you have the religious system. In chapter 18 you have the political system. You have the economic system. In one you have the religious, spiritual system, the other you have the military system. Chapter 18 emphasizes the material. Chapter 17 emphasizes the spiritual. The spiritual, of course, is led by the false prophet, and the material and the military. System is led, of course, by the A.

In chapter 17 and chapter 18, speak of the destruction of both of those systems. Now, you must understand that when we finished Revelation chapter 16, we are at the end of the tribulation. When you come to Revelation chapter 16, you have the seven bowls of judgment being poured out upon the earth. What follows Revelation 16 is Revelation chapter 19. So you say if Revelation 19 follows Revel 16, then why do you have Revelation 17 and 1 Well, the reason you have Revelation 17 and 18 is because God gives to us what exactly is being destroyed through the pouring out of the bold judgments.

God wants you to see Satan's system. He wants you to understand Satan's system. He wants you to understand Satan's devices and how he gets the world to come together to worship him. So what God does in 17 and 18 of Revelation is describe for you the system that Satan has developed that God destroys in Revelation chapter 16. So when you get to Revelation chapter 19, the Son of Man appears. It's the world empire. And we're going to see four things. We're going to see this system. We're going see it explained.

We're going see it exhibited. We're going to see it examined, and then we're going to see it exterminated. That's all the four points in Revelation chapter 17 that we'll take this week and the following two weeks to cover. But you'll note verse number five. It gives us the name of this religious world empire. Here's the name. Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. Now listen very carefully. This is not going to be the name over the U during the tribulational period.

This is not going be the name that's across the building where the Antichrist resides with all of his regime to run the world. Okay? This is the biblical name. This is how God describes Satan's system. And the name is filled with great significance. It's the biblical name of Antich religion, the final form of world worship. Twice already we have been told that Babylon Destroyed. We saw it first in Revelation chapter 14, verse number 8.

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality. Then again, over in Revelation chapter 16, verse number 19. And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of his fierce wrath. So we know already that Babylon is destroyed because God speaks of it as if it's already happened.

So, when you come to Revelation 17 and 18, what happens is that God describes to you what that system is, how powerful it is, how it came to power. And how it's all going to be destroyed. Because God has promised that He will take away from the usurper his kingdom. Remember over in Revelation 15, verse number 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God. Is finished. That's the seven bowls. With the seven bowls being poured out after the seven seals have been broken, the seven trumpets have already blown.

Now you have the seven bowls, and in them is the last. In them is the end. It's over when the seventh bowl is poured out. That's when the king returns. Remember this. Spiritual Babylon is depicted as a mother. Material Babylon is depicted as a mon. So, in Revelation 17, you have the mother. In Revelation 18, you have the monster, both of which are destroyed, both of which are part of Antichrist's system of world. Rulership, half which is spiritual, the other half which is military. You with me so far?

This is going to get real good. It's already good. If you missed that, I'm sorry. It's already good, but it's going to get really good. Let's look at point number one: the woman.

Explained. Two things I want you to see this evening. Just two: the mystery and the mother. The mystery and the mother. It says in verse number five that upon her forehead a n was written. Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. This woman, this system, is called a mystery. Mystery Babylon, I believe that's part of the name. Just because it's not capitalized in the text doesn't mean it's not a part of the name. And let me explain to you why this is the case.

This is not some geographical location because the Antichrist system is just that. It is a system. It's more than a city, it is a system. So we need not be confused because you can't confine Babylon to one historical manifestation, whether it be in the past. Present or future, and I'll explain that to you in a moment. It's important to understand that anything that's characterized by a false religious system is called Babylon. Anything that's characterized by a false religious system is called Babylon.

Even Jerusalem In the Old Testament, it was called Babylon. Sodom was called Babylon. Egypt, Rome. So this Babylon, this mystery Babylon, is a deeper, broader, and more profound Than any one location. This is a secret reality about to be revealed in its final form. Now, as you recall, at the time that John wrote the book of Revelation, there was a city called Babylon. In fact, over in 2 Peter, excuse me, 1 Peter chapter 5. There was even a Christian church in that city. It says in 1 Peter 5, verse number 13: She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you.

Sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. So there was even a Christian church. In the city Babylon, during the time that John wrote Revel. In Revelation 17, this is not that city. In the future, there will be a rebuilt Babylon. And it will play a significant role in the regime of the Antichrist to come. But that is not the mystery. It's not some city in the future. It's the Babylon of satanic decept. Babylon is the head of all worldly resistance to God. It is the Babylon of idolatry. It is the eschatological system of Satan's worldwide decept and power.

And you will notice that this mystery Babylon is great. It's comprehensive. It's massive. The word used is mega. This is a super huge system. And it's a mystery, but it's about to be revealed. And then the second thing I want you to see is that it is a mother.

And this is where we're going to spend the rest of our time. This evening. You might just want to listen.

I mean, you can take some notes if you'd like to, but you might want to listen. You for certain will want to purchase the tape. And give it to your friends, especially those who missed this evening. But it's described as a mother. All of the harlots of the earth, all of the abominations of the world. Are spawned out of this Babylon. She is called a mother. What does that mean? It means this. Harlotry and prostitution is the standing symbol for idolatry in the Bible. Whenever you see spiritual heartlandry or prostitution, it is the standing symbol of idolatry.

Whenever people turned to other gods, rather than the true God, it was called prostitution. It was joining oneself to a harlot. Let me explain it to you.

Turn with me to Jeremiah chapter 3. What I'm going to give to you is a lot of background so that you understand exactly this mother. For if you understand the mother, you will understand false religion. If you understand false religion, you'll understand more of Satan's system. If you understand more of Satan's system, You'll understand more of Satan's devices today and in the future. But Jeremiah chapter 3, listen to these words, verse number 6. Then the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what faithless Israel did?

She went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and she Was a harlot there. And I thought, after she has done all these things, she will return to me. But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it, and I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, and she went and was a harlot also. And it came about, because of the lightness of her harlotry, that she polluted the land and committed adultery with st.

and trees. So you see, harlotry is depicted in Script as idolatry. Turn me over to Ezekiel chapter 16. Ezekiel 16, verse number 30, says this: How languishing is your heart, declares the Lord God. While you do all these things, the actions of a bold-faced harlot, when you built your shrine at the beginning of every street and made your high place in every square. In dis money, you were not like a harlot, your adul you adulterous wife, who takes strangers in inst of her husband. Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from every direction of your harlotries.

Thus, you are different. from those women in your harlotries in that no one plays the harlot as you do because you give money and no money is given you thus you are different Prostitution, harlotry is a form of idolatry when man's heart is turned away from God. To serve other gods, to worship other gods, the Bible calls it prostitution. The Bible calls it harlotry, the Bible calls it unfaithfulness. Remember the book of Hosea? The whole book is directed at that. Hosea is God's representative. His wife Gom is what?

She 's the prostitute. She's the harlot. She's the one who plays the harlot throughout the book. And God's commitment to her is to bring her back as she goes after her many lo. Babylon the Great, listen very carefully, is the mother of all false religion. You must understand that. Babylon the Great is the mother of all false rel. The Babylon of which John in Revelation 17 writes Is the very Babylon that once gave birth to all pro forms of religion And in the end, all those religions come back to mother in the worship of Antichrist.

You need to understand that. Throughout Revelation, you need to note that women appear as symbols of rel. Remember back in Revelation chapter 2, verse number 20, the church at Thy? There was a woman in that church. Her name was Jezebel. She was a form of false religion in the church at Thyat. Remember Revelation chapter 12? You have the woman. The woman is pictured as Israel in Revelation 12. The dragon goes after the woman. The dragon pursues the woman, seeks to kill the woman. Satan has always sought to destroy the woman.

The Jewish people. And through Revelation 12, you have the history of the world as Satan goes after the woman who is Israel. In Revelation 19, verses 7 and 8, you have the bride of Christ. That is the church of Christ. And in Revelation 19, verse number 2, you have the judgment of the great harlot. So women app as symbols of religion in the Bible. You need to note that. Here in Revelation 17, this woman is a harlot. She is not the woman Israel. She is not the church or the bride of Christ. But this woman is a harlot.

She's called a mother because she gives birth to all harlots or to all form of false religion. In fact, Isaiah 47 verse number 5, ancient Babylon is called the qu of kingdoms, the queen of kingdoms. Babylon the Great spawns all manner of harlots which are a form of idolatry. This is the source Of the earth's rel. They were all born at one time. They were all born in Genesis chapter 11. And now, for the very first time, They all come back to their mother.

They all come home for the holiday. And they are there for seven short. Years. Of course, if you're being persecuted, I guess they'd be seven long years. But She, this woman, this Babylon the Great, this mother of all harlots, are you ready for this? Is the unholy counterpart. Of the bride of Christ. You need to understand that. This woman is the unholy counterpart of the bride of Christ. Remember, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. He is a master of decept. This woman, whether it's Islam, Hinduism, spiritualism, mysticism, Confucianism.

Taoism, Sikhism, Animism, Astrology all have the same source. They all Come from the same womb because they all come from the same m. By the way, Just as a footnote, the Bible contains 30% prophecy. Did you know that? 30% of your Bible is prophecy. Do you know? That no other book of false religion contains prophecy. Did you know that? The Book of Mormon has no prophecy. The Bible does. Confucianism The sayings of Buddha have no prophecy. The Koran has no prophecy. The Hindu Vedas has no prophecy.

The Ramayana has no prophecy. The Bible alone stands supreme as the inerrant, infallible word of God. Because the prophecy is always 100% accurate and always fulfilled as God said. You will note that only the Bible contains the prophecy of the world and the end of the world. 30% of it is prophecy. If the Bible spends 30% of its content in prophecy, then you better know exactly what the Bible says about the prophetic future.

Or you're going to miss out on 30% of Christianity, 30% of your spiritual life. If I told you that in my bank, I have 30% of your money, guess what? You're coming to my bank. Because I got 30% of your money that you need to make sure you get you make your house payments, to make sure you can buy food for your family. So if we cut out 30% of what the Bible says, we are missing a whole bunch of what the Bible says about God and the fact that everything here is accur and tr.

Amazing. What does this tell us? Listen very carefully. It tells us that the end of the world will become more religious, not ear rel. As the end time comes to fruition, it will become more and more rel. That's important for you to note. Antich will be its deity, will be its God. Turn back with me if you would, to Revel 13 for a moment. Let me show you.

Revelation 13, verse number 3. Remember, this is the description of the Antichrist, the beast out of the sea. Revelation 13, 3, and I saw one of the heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth. Was amazed, and what? Followed after the beast. And they worship the dragon. Because he gave his authority to the beast. And they worship the beast, saying, Who is like the beast and who is able to wage war? With him. Down in verse number 8. And all who dwell on the earth will worship him.

That is, everyone whose name has not been written. From the foundation of the world, in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. All those who are unbelievers will worship Antichrist. All those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will fall down and worship Sat. One world religion is coming, and it's coming quicker than we think. The efforts of the ecumenical movement today that wants to rid Ourselves of all dogma, any of the divine distinctives that make us who we are, just to come together and to love one another and be friends with each other.

And to tolerate one another and to accept one another. The whole system is about Antichrist. It's all about Satan's effort. To bring the world together, if you can get rid of dogma, if you can get rid of the distinctives that make you what you are because of what the Bible says, then you can come together as one.

That's why. When the church is removed before the tribulation, the ecumenical movement will take off tremendously. Because people like me and people like you who are dogmatic on truth and take a stand for what is right based on what the Word of God says, we're going to be gone.

And they're going to label us the heretics. They're going look at us and say, We were the ones who kept the world from being unified.

We were the ones who kept the churches from being unified. We are the ones. Who kept the world from being one and being at peace because we were so dogmatic on truth and what we believe? And now we're gone. And now they can all come together and have what they've always longed. For the movement of social action, the movement of emotionalism, the movement of institutionalism, the movement of mysticism, the movement of supernaturalism is going to bring the world Because Satan is going to be able to deceive them through signs and wonders and power, and they will be caught up in it together because it does something for them.

And at the time of the tribulation. When the seals have been broken, the trumpets have blown, people are in desperate need for someone to come along and bring them together, and the Antichrist. As the Messiah of their lives, they will say, I have the answer, and they will be deceived and they will follow him, hook, line, and unfortunately, sinker, because it will take them all the way down into the pits of hell. That's the way the Bible describes it.