December 27: IGNORANCE EXPLOITED
The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning. Revelation 18:9
Today we begin to view Babylon’s fall through the eyes of those who align themselves with this powerful and influential religious entity. Revelation’s symbology lays out the kings of the earth to represent the top echelons of world governments. Political leaders, convinced by her show of wealth and power, will be persuaded to enforce the corrupt teachings of the false church. This illicit union (fornication) of church and state will swirl around political correctness worldwide. The wealth and prestige enjoyed by the kings of the earth will be short-lived. The rewards, paybacks, and popularity that accompany liv(ing) luxuriously with her will come to an abrupt end.
These leaders will see the smoke of her burning – the aftereffects of her loss of popularity – and they will weep and lament for her. Do not mistake this weeping and lamenting for genuine concern over the church’s loss of status. Neither should you mistake it for repentance on the part of the kings of the earth. They are lamenting their own loss of prestige and influence, for it is intertwined with the church, and wondering what their next political maneuver should be.
The fallenness of Babylon is clearly seen by wide-open spiritual eyes. Centuries ago, the Reformers, who had an up-close, inside view of her along with access to the written Word, were awakened by the study of that Word to the reality of her fallen condition. Their initial efforts centered upon highlighting and sharing gems of the Lord’s truth within the church in the hope of steering her onto the correct path. But the spirit behind Babylon rejects all correction (Jeremiah 51:9). She even stakes a claim to infallibility (see Isaiah 47:7). Not only is this claim myopic (see Deuteronomy 32:29 and 31:29), but it is altogether blind regarding the true character of our Creator and Redeemer. The fallen church vehemently persecuted the Reformers and their followers, waging an all-out campaign against them. This is prophesied to happen again (Revelation 13:15; 16:16; 19:19). Incredibly, today’s Protestant churches, along with the non-Christian religions of the world, will join hands with the church of Rome under a fabricated banner of curing the world’s ills. Biblical ignorance among both Protestants and Catholics is exploited by Satan, the power behind the fallen world system of religion. The entire world has become like the land of the Chaldeans…
Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He has taken against Babylon, And His purposes that He has proposed against the land of the Chaldeans . . . At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth trembles, and the cry is heard among the nations. Jeremiah 50:45a,46
See also: Isaiah 46:10; Jeremiah 9:24; John 10:27; Philippians 3:8-15