The two largest religions in the world, Christianity at 1.6 billion, and Islam at 1.1 billion, have their roots in Judaism. According to the Bible God called Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, which was part of Old Babylonia, 4,000 years ago. His first born was Ishmael whose descendants founded Arabia and Islam, while Isaac`s offspring were Israel and the first Christians. See Genesis Chapter 11.
Here we are back in that very area. Iraq is the site of historic Babylon. This must be significant.
In the ancient tongue Babylon means GATE of GOD. Babel in the Bible is Hebrew for Babylon. It means confusion. It is associated with the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. However, first and foremost it was the people who were confused, thinking that they could get to heaven by building this tower.
BABYLON IS A CONFUSED GATE OF GOD !
A CONFUSED WAY TO HEAVEN !
Israel, God`s true church, looked for the Messiah for 2,000 years. When He did come they were looking for the Second Advent at the time of the First. They were confused and killed Him .
Sin has confused man, and confused man has confused the truth of God.
Christianity, God`s true church on earth today, has been looking for the Second Advent for 2,000 years. According to Revelation 18:1-4, in the last days God`s people--the universal, invisible church-- will be in Babylon and must be called out of this confused way to heaven. Just as Israel was confused at the First coming, so Christianity will be confused at the Second one.
The Messiah, Jesus Christ, is the true Way to heaven. This is the good news. This is the gospel, the true way to heaven.
If the gospel is the true way to heaven, then the confused way to heaven will be a false gospel. In the religion of Babylon, man bowed to his own image. It was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide; 66, the number of man. The focus of Babylon was on man.
Believers today are too sophisticated to bow to the image of a man, so the deception, which if possible would deceive the very elect, must be extremely sophisticated.
LISTEN CAREFULLY.
Lucifer was beautiful. God made him that way.Sin began when Lucifer became focused on his beauty, GOD`S WORK IN HIS PERSON, rather than on God who had done the work.Ezekiel 28:13-19 .
His focus on himself [ I,I, I, I, & I. ] led him to claim equality with God. Isaiah 14: 12-14 .
God is good, outgoing, concerned for others, and willing to sacrifice for their benefit. Man was created in God`s image but sin changed him into an egocentric,self-seeking being whose strongest urge is SELF-preservation.He is focused on himself.
While lying, cheating, stealing & killing are all sin, pride is the worse sin. Religious pride the worst of all. It crucified Jesus. The religious leaders called for His death. They were focused on their own piety.Why should it be any different in the last days ?
To learn of the false gospel, the confused way to heaven, Babylon that is, lets examine the true way to heaven. We became sinners because of what Adam did, an event in which we had no part. We become saved, righteous in God`s sight, because of what Jesus, the second Adam , did, an event in which we had no part. Romans 5:12,18,19 .
Our justification, our redemption and our righteousness is not in us , but IN--emphasis on IN-- Jesus Christ. Romans 3:24-26 .
There never has been, there is not now, nor will there ever be any thing in man which would make him acceptable to God . It would be salvation by works if man by cooperating with God--sanctification--could develope within himself a character acceptable to God. Mankind is saved through faith, and that is not of man, but a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast . Ephesians 2:8,9 .
Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Believers cannot see the righteousness they have IN Jesus which justifies them before the Throne of God. Any right doing of man can be seen: Let your light so shine before men that they may SEE your good works... . Hebrews 11:1; Matthew 5:16 .
So the right doing of mankind is not the righteousness which affects their standing with God in heaven, That righteousness is in Jesus, and never in man. This is the true righteousness of faith.
One reason believers are exhorted over and over again in the Bible to develope Christian character, to be like Jesus and to live a life of sanctification is to benefit others. Twice Job is said to be a perfect man. How was Job perfect ? He was perfect just as the Bible says that Noah was perfect :
Noah was a righteous man, blameless AMONG THE PEOPLE OF HIS TIME. Genesis 6:9 NIV . Let your light shine before men. It will affect others.
A believer`s good works here on earth are evidence that he is trusting in the good works of Jesus Christ . The true believer does not bring his works to the judgment. Christ does not know those that do. Depart from me you that work iniquity, is His reply. Matthew 7:23 . The sheep in Matthew 25 are so trusting in Christ`s righteousness , that they can recall none of their own. The closer we come to Jesus, the more faulty we will appear in our own eyes.
SAVED THROUGH FAITH, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST !
Notice how man, his works, his sanctification, his experience are excluded from Paul`s definition of the gospel found in I Corinthians 15:1-4 . He says that the gospel is about how Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. The gospel, the good news, is about Christ and His experience. Not one word about man, his experience, his new birth, or his sanctification which are the fruit, the by-product, the effects or results of the gospel.
For some of the finest writing on the subject please see articles 31,32 & 33 at www.christianitysconfusion.com .
God has true believers in all chucrhes and in all nations in these last days. They are confused about the way to heaven and must be called out of this confusion, Babylon that is . Notice that it is the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14:6 & 7 that causes the fall of Babylon in verse 8 .
The good news is that the righteousness that is IN Jesus justifies the believer before the Throne of God. It is not in the believer but put to his account.Abraham believed God and it was COUNTED to him for righteousness. Galatians 3:6-8; Genesis 15:6 .
The righteousness of Christ is put to the believer`s account, that is IMPUTED. See Roman 4. It is not put in man but rather put to his account, his record. He has it by faith and by faith only. It is not in him.
Unfortunately, the largest Christian Church teaches that the believer is justified by the righteousness imparted, that is, put in the believer.It is this infused goodness that makes one acceptable to God. This puts the focus on man`s heart which is DECEITFUL... above all things, Jeremiah 17:9 tells us. For official statements of the church and of those who protested this teaching, see # 30. JUSTIFICATION : Catholic or Protestant ? at the previous mentioned web site.
The concept of justification being some thing poured into the believer is written in the minds of many Christians.Even those who would differ with this premise, support the theory by their practice, by their preaching, by their teaching, Bible study, literature and outreach by the focus on man, his experience, his new birth and his sanctification... rather than on the justification found only IN Jesus. For more on the experience of Christ see articles #2, TO GOD BE THE GLORY, # 46, CHRIST UPLIFTED, and # 48, WAS THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST MORE THAN WE USUALLY THINK ?
In most of Christianity today, including the Mega-Churches, the Charismatic neo-Pentecostal Churches, Christ is mentioned to get to the more important part : man, his new birth and Christian experience.
Remember how Lucifer`s focus on his beauty, God`s work within his person, instead of on God who did the work, led to sin ? The new birth is a good thing but should not be put in the place of the best thing, yet this is what is being done throughout Christianity.
THIS IS THE CONFUSION, THE BABYLON, FROM WHICH GOD` PEOPLE WILL BE CALLED OUT !
It is the extremely sophisticated deception for the last days. Hard to believe but true. Read this again.
For more details on Babylon see article 11A, Babylon II. For more on the new birth and John 3, Ye must be born again , see # 5, MAN AND HIS INCLINATION TO EVIL, Part II.