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Liberalism is Preparing for the Antichrist's World
RV220-02© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)
Our subject is "Political Babylon," number 6 in Revelation 18:1-24.
On September 25th 1961, President John Kennedy went to the United Nations headquarters in New York City to present a document which outlined the
United States policy for ensuring world peace. That has happened within the lifetime of most of you. Probably, few of you are aware that the
president of the United States signed a document that proposed to bring about a condition of world peace. ... Subtract that from your age. I was
30 years old, and the time has passed almost quickly overnight.
"Freedom from War"
Within that short space of three decades, this policy has been implemented. Few Americans even know that things that are being done in Congress and
in the Oval Office are being guided by this document for world peace. And what are we talking about in the book of the Revelation? We're talking
about someone who is going to bring world peace and prosperity in the form of a powerful man, the antichrist. The name of this document was "Freedom
from War: the United States' Program for General and Complete Disarmament in a Peaceful World." This document was produced by the United States State
Department and the Department of Defense, which at the time were both led by members of the world government globalist organization: the Council on
Foreign Relations.
This plan outlined three stages for disarming all nations, including the United States, and transferring supreme military power to the United
Nations. The plan of President Kennedy was gradually disarming every nation on the face of the earth, including the United States, and transferring
supreme military authority and power (that no one could resist) to the United Nations. Have you seen the United Nations coming in recent times into
the forefront of a powerful military status, and a position of influence? That is because of this document. That's the plan, and it has now come to
the stage where it is rapidly being implemented?
Stage number one is to be the gradual disarmament of each nation under United Nations supervision to reduce the capability of nations to wage
aggressive war. Now, this was not possible until Russia collapsed. Now that Russia is not a superpower, it is now possible, under United Nations
leadership, to set in motion a systematic disarming of all nations. Stage two will be the establishment of a permanent international peace force
within the United Nations to verify and enforce the process of total disarmament. Stage three is that the nations of the world would supply the
manpower and matériel for a United Nations military force capable of imposing a settlement of disputes and enforcing world peace.
What does that sound like to you where that is going? This is moving exactly what the Bible says the world was moving – into the world of the
antichrist, where one powerful man has all the military forces under his control, under a world government, so that his will can be imposed upon all
nations, and no one can resist him. That's pretty exciting heady stuff – to realize that 32 years ago, a president of the United States made
that dramatic trip to the United Nations building, and laid it on the table and said, "This is the policy of the United States."
Well, the result of the Kennedy plan, which is still the policy of the United States, would be the loss, obviously, of all national sovereignty.
Nations would no longer be independent as per the doctrine of the divine institution of the independence of separate nations. And there would be the
establishment of the United Nations military force (the blue-helmet gang), capable of creating a world government. Shortly after this document,
"Freedom from War," was delivered to the United Nations, people who were discerning Americans read it; became alarmed; and, wanted copies to be able
to alert Americans to the plan of the State Department. When they asked the printing office for that document, the Department of State said that it
was out of print. But we have one. And it is, in detail, exactly as I have described it to you. This is what was laid on the desk of the United
Nations' authorities by President Kennedy. He said, "This is the plan by which we're going to have a world that will be peace if we have to shove it
down everybody's throat, and nobody will be able to resist."
In April of 1962, the United States issued a more comprehensive plan, but all with the same basic goals and the same basic three-stage procedure.
That one, just for your information, was called "Blueprint for the Peace Race." It outlined the basic provisions of a treaty on general and complete
disarmament in a peaceful world. Now, you'll notice that the keyword in both these documents is the word "disarmament." The idea is to take away
from nations the ability to resist some super world authority.
This plan is being steadily put into effect by specific agreements – agreements that most Americans don't even connect with this plan, because
they don't know about it. Well, when you hear about agreements like the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, it's a piece of this puzzle. When you hear about
banning the use of outer space for defensive positions, it's a piece of the puzzle. All of those treaties, like the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty
and the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, are designed to do what? They are for disarmament – to take away the capacity of any nation to
resist a superpower.
So, if you were to read this pan in detail, as I did, you would discover that it says that as nations gradually become weaker, and unable to maintain
their sovereign independence, the United Nations will, at the same time, become increasingly more powerful and able to impose a world government
authority. In our day (in the most recent times), President George Bush, following this plan, sent the United States troops into Iraq under United
Nations authority and control as part of the plan to create a new world order under the United Nations' authority. He was up front about it. He got
up and said, "We're creating a new world order. Our American troops are going in under the authority of the United Nations." That meant that the
United Nations said, "You may go in." The United Nations said, "This is how you may fight. This is what you may do, and this is when you may come
back out."
This was not an American operation as it was in Korea, where we were fulfilling a United Nations mission, but we were entirely under American
authority in all the combat areas and all the combat status of that conflict. We were not getting permission from the U.N.
President Bush said that he was sending the United States military into Iraq under the authority of the United Nations (to quote his words),
"To reinvigorate the United Nations." His objective was a reinvigorated United Nations. What does that mean? It means that the United Nations is
strong enough militarily to tell every nation what to do. As a matter of fact, near the end of his term, President Bush suggested that the United
Nations should be allowed to take over Fort Dix, New Jersey for training and building the United Nation's peace force. He didn't finish the rest of
the story. His purpose was to be able to fulfill this document – to have a police force that can bring about the very conditions that are
described in the book of the Revelation for the antichrist's rule.
This is amazing because, within the lifetime of a lot of us here, there was a time when we did not think realistically that there could be a one-man
ruler of all the world in a world government. We read about it in the Bible, and we believed it as the Word of God, but we didn't have the foggiest
notion of how this could come about – how everybody's life could be completely dominated by such a superpower. Now, it's all unfolded. It's
easy to understand?
President Clinton has followed right in line with this plan. On May 4th, 1993, he placed united forces in Somalia under U.N. officers. For the first
time in the history of the United States, military forces had to go into a combat situation under foreign officers. I don't have to remind you (this
had to be a Turkish commander) that the result of that was that a lot of Americans got killed, and their dead bodies were mutilated and dragged
through the streets; and, a lot of them were injured and became casualties under United Nations commanders. Now, President Clinton plans to do the
same with the NATO forces in Europe – to place them under German commanders. Why? To fulfill the plan to gradually have a United Nations
military force that will prevent any resistance.
In 1961, the United States Department of State hired the Institute for Defense Analysis to prepare a study showing how the disarmament of nations
could be used to create a world government. The State Department wanted to know how they could use the disarmament program that had been set in
motion to go to the next step of creating a world government. This is our government, led by people who have sworn to defend the Constitution of the
United States (our national sovereignty and independence), asking how we can bring it into a world government.
Well, the institute delivered the Study on March 10th, 1962. It is prepared by a man named Lincoln P. Bloomfield. It was called "Study Memorandum
No. 7, a World Effectively Controlled by the United Nations." At the opening of this report. Mr. Bloomfield, in giving a perspective on the plan,
said this: "A world effectively control by the United Nations is one in which world government would come about through the establishment of
supranational institutions characterized by mandatory universal membership, and some ability to employ physical force. Effective control would thus
entail a preponderance of political power in the hands of a supranational organization. The present United Nations charter could theoretically be
revised in order to erect such an organization equal to the task envisioned, thereby codifying a radical rearrangement of power in the world."
What did he say? He said, "We are putting together a system of the United Nations where world government will be brought about, and that this would
be enforced (nobody could resist it) because nations have first been disarmed."
So that there would be no misunderstanding of what he was talking about, he proceeded also to define his terms. In a few paragraphs later, he said,
"'World' means that system is global, with no exceptions to its fiat. 'Universal membership effectively controlled' denotes a relative monopoly of
physical force at the center of the system, and thus a preponderance of political power in the hands of a supranational organization. The United
Nations is not necessarily precisely the organization as it now exists. Finally, to avoid endless euphemism and evasive verbiage, the contemplated
regime will occasionally be referred to unblushingly as 'a world government.'"
So, Bloomfield says, "Let's put aside all the euphemisms to cover up words. We're talking about world control with a world government."
In one other paragraph in his report, Bloomfield says, "The other condition which puts the possibility within a more foreseeable time span is a
crisis (a war, or a brink of war situation) so grave or commonly menacing that deeply rooted attitudes and practices are sufficiently shaken to
open up possibilities of a revolution in world political arrangements."
What's he saying? He's saying that to speed this up, the political forces and the people who rule the world are going to create crises. They're
going to set things in motion like they did in Iraq. First, they told Saddam Hussein, "The United States has no security interests in Kuwait."
Hussein said wonderful, "I didn't realize that." That was his signal to go in there. But the plan was that as soon as he got, he would make a
crisis, and rally the world around the United Nations, so that they could go in and solve this crisis. This is being done all the time.
There is no Global Warming
These crises come in a variety of forms. One of them is the environmental crisis that you hear all about. The latest reports are finally coming in,
and are being published where they can no longer be squelched. The overwhelming number of scientists say there is no global warming. But Vice
President Al Gore only recently says, "It is getting worse than ever. That is not true. That is an outright lie. He's trying to get people in the
crisis to do what? To turn to the government and say, "Help us. Protect us. Create something."
There is no Ozone Hole
There is no ozone hole, but Vice President "Ozone"
Al Gore says, "The hole is getting bigger, and it's getting bigger around the equator." There is no ozone hole. And now they can't keep the surveys
quiet of the majority of scientists who are in the business of knowing about these things. There isn't any crisis. The only hole that is created
periodically is like Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippians explodes. It creates some ozone deterioration, and then the sun comes in and affects this stuff
by the turns and plugs it up. So, none of this is true.
They also complain about the pesticides like DDT. Millions of people are alive because of this pesticide. For example, DDT was used in a nation like
India, where they have a terrible condition with sanitary matters. DDT was responsible for suddenly bringing the deaths of multiple millions of
people down to nothing. When DDT was outlawed, and they stopped using it, those deaths that went all the way back up again. Now the evidence is that
those things are not harmful as we've been told. Why is this? These are crises being committed for the idea that we've got to have a government big
enough to control all nations. ...
Liberalism
I have been pointing out to you, in our study of Revelation, that there are numerous forces in the world today, such as the Kennedy clan, which are,
in fact preparing mankind to accept a world government – a totalitarian control of our lives. This program (this force) is usually summed up
by the philosophy of liberalism, which permeates all institutions of American society today. Liberalism has a very definitive characteristics, which
lead to world government, and prepare for the rule of the antichrist. I'm trying to tell you that it is not just all right to say, "Oh, so-and-so is
a liberal" (whatever political party he belongs to). The word "liberal" is now much more serious because we understand what's behind the word. The
document on disarmament from Kennedy is part of the liberal establishment. Behind liberalism is a philosophy of life.
For example, it is liberalism which holds the belief that the United States federal government is not restricted by the enumerated powers of the
Constitution, nor the limitations of the 10th Amendment, which says that: "Any power not given to the federal government, specifically, belongs to
the states and the people of the state. Liberals don't believe that. I recently read in a survey that nine-tenths of the laws and the programs of
the federal government are all unconstitutional. There is no authority in the Constitution for doing them. But the courts tolerate them, because the
courts no longer protect the Constitution.
Socialism
It is liberalism that believes in socialism – to create a dependent class of citizens who will then vote to reelect their liberal political
benefactors. This is not called "socialism in our country because that's a bad word. They're called social programs. But those of you who are
fortunate enough to attend Berean Church are enlightened on these matters. You are aware of the fact that liberalism is socialism, and that socialism
is determined to control our lives in such detail that we're running to the mailbox for the check from the government. We are so dependent upon it.
Redistribution of Wealth through Taxes
Liberalism holds the belief that it is the role of government to redistribute wealth from one citizen to those who are non-producers that the
government considers deserving under the concept of compassion so that they can create equality among the citizens. It is liberalism that's running
around socking unit taxes so that they can distribute to people who will reelect the benefactors.
Rights
It is liberalism that holds the belief that it is the duty of government to provide for the personal needs of citizens as their rights. You have a
right to food. You have a right to housing. You have a right to medical care. You have a right to a job. You have a right to insurance.
Did you see the "20/20" program? It showed how the government provides insurance for people who build homes right on the ocean front. The insurance
companies say, "That's too hazardous. We won't insure you." Or the premiums will be so exorbitant, because sooner or later, that hurricane is going
to come, and that storm is going to hit your house, even though you've built it up on stilts. So, the government comes in and says, "You have a right
to insurance." The man who was interviewing looked into the eyes of the government agent and said, "By what right do you have to take money from
somebody who's living in Idaho to pay for insurance for those of you who choose to live on the ocean, and build your houses right there on the ocean
front so you can enjoy that view?" When the time comes, and when that house is destroyed, the insurance company pays it on the basis of premiums that
all us have paid. And he gave some inane answer.
Well, the man said, "Well, let me ask you this way. If I'm the kind of a person who drives a car in such a wild and reckless way such that I'm always
banging up the car; destroying property; and, hazarding lives, and the insurance companies won't insure me, is it my right to have the federal
government come in and insure me and provide it for me?" At that point, the bureaucrats did what bureaucrats do best: he looked dumb. He was
dumbfounded. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't say, "No, that would be wrong," because he had just said it was right to make everybody pay for
the houses built on the ocean that get destroyed by the hurricanes. And the government pays for the cost.
Zero-Sum Economics
It is liberalism that believes that the punishment of the financially successful should be imposed, because if you're financially successful, it
proves that you're a greedy exploiter. You've taking off from people who are less well-off. This is sometimes referred to as zero-sum economics.
The zero sum economic theory says that if you make $10, you've taken it from someone over here, because there's only this pool of $100. If I take
$10, I've taken it that $10 from someone here, and that's not true. But that's liberalism. Liberalism says it's a zero-sum game. So, if you are
getting wealthy, you're doing it by taking it away from other people.
Liberalism Rejects Biblical Standards
It is liberalism that rejects biblical moral standards by which we may judge character and the performance of politicians to guide us in public
policy. It's the liberal who hates the Bible. It's the liberals who's making cracks about the "Christian right." The Christians aren't creating a
drug problem. The Christians aren't abusing and stealing children, and beating up on their wives, and creating welfare systems that they're riding.
The Christians are not the people who are creating the crime and the disorder in our society. Yet, we are the despised ones? Why?
It is because you Christians like to work to feed yourself. Therefore, a politician does not have your loyalty. You are not dependent upon the
government. That's why they hate Christians. That's liberalism. And in the antichrist world, everybody will be dependent upon the government. You
won't buy or sell without their permission. Do you see what I'm saying? What we're doing now is preparing the groundwork, and it is a long way
toward completion.
Criminality is Justified
It is liberalism which justifies criminal actions on the basis of past experience of life. So, they release that person for punishment: "It's not
your fault. It's the way your parents reared you. It's the poverty you grew up in." Some of us grew up in the Great Depression. Some of us knew what
it was like to sit down to every meal that was soup, because that's all our parents were capable of putting together for us. But in those days,
there was no widespread crime. There was no widespread disorder. There was nothing like that. But people were poor – really poor, and really
in need, and really suffering. Liberalism doesn't believe in the old sin nature and the evil character of man, so it justifies the criminal, and
wants to take care of him.
Academics are Ignored
It is liberalism that creates an education system which ignores academics while denigrating rugged individualism and self-reliance, and fostering
emotional attitudes that are deemed politically correct for a socialist society. ... Liberalism has created an educational system that is designed
to ignore the academics, but to create a bunch of little human beings who will respond in the right way for a government to care for and dominate
them.
The Biblical Role of Government
It is liberalism which rejects the biblical role of government as the agent of God created to preserve law and order in a society in order to
preserve personal freedom and peace. It is liberalism which is teaching our youth how to break God's moral laws and not suffer the consequences. We
have a president who appoints an attorney general who thinks and operates on the policies, to quote her words: "We have taught our young people what
to do in the front seat of a car. Now we must teach them how they should act in the back seat." She's the condom queen. She's everything that God
calls an abomination, and that God calls a filthy degradation.
The Family
How can this be? This is because the world is being prepared for the antichrist's rule when every filthy, vile thing will be the norm. It is
liberalism that promotes that kind of immorality. Liberalism does not want anybody to be judged for doing something wrong. It is liberalism also
that uses the false claims about the environmental problems that I mentioned to you in order to create crises so that the government can come in
and expand its authority. It is liberalism which has this great antagonism for the biblical family. Usually this is referred to by the words
"traditional family." What we're talking about is a biblical family: a father who's out there as a breadwinner; a mother who's there at home as the
homemaker; and, children viewed as a heritage of God on loan from God to be reared by mother and father for their particular mission in life. That's
God's way. Now, our society says, "Oh, what we need to realize is that that is a restricted family. We need to expand the family such that we have
two homosexuals or two lesbians who rear a child. ...
This is the madness of liberalism today. So, understand, when somebody says, "I'm a liberal," if you are a biblically taught Christian, that's a very
serious problem. It is not something that one says, "Oh, well, it's just a different political view." No, it isn't. It is Satan's great means of
manipulating humanity toward its final destruction.
This satanic system of government tyranny originated in Babylon under the dictator named Nimrod. You may read about that in Genesis 10:8-10. Nimrod
set up a system of government where government was dominant over the lives of the people, and in full control. If they did not obey him, he was the
great hunter who cut them off at the knees.
In Revelation 18, which we have been studying, God proceeds, near the end of the tribulation, to destroy Babylon for her false religion of idolatry
which she has created, and for prostituting the divine institution of government from its role of keeping order in society. In Revelation 18:5, we
are told that Babylon has piled up evil to high heaven like a tower, and God remembers it all. In Revelation 18:6, we hear the call from heaven that
Babylon should be given a double portion of the grief and suffering that she has brought upon mankind religiously and politically. Retribution from
God is to be according to Babylon's deeds, because the evidence is plain of what worshiping idols has done to a nation. One only has to look at
India for that, and its Hinduism. It is plain what liberalism does to a nation. One only has to look around the world where all nations are fleeing
from socialism except the United States, which is fleeing to it.
The cup, which was used here by Babylon to dispense her abominations and her filthy practices is now mixed to contain the brew of God's holy wrath.
Babylon, the harlot woman, and those who followed her, are all rebels against doctrine. That's what they have in common. They all oppose Scripture,
and what God has revealed. So, God turns them over for believing Satan's lies.
The Thessalonians Principle
I'm glad to see from personal conversations with some of you that you're beginning to understand the Thessalonians discipline of delusion principle
that we went over in such detail. It is one of the most important doctrines you'll ever learn, and God help you if you don't understand it; and,
worse if you don't take it seriously. Nothing is so terrible as when God punches the person, and He sets in motion the Thessalonians discipline of
delusion, so that from then on, your mind believes all the lies that Satan brings, while you're talking, as the charismatics do, about having a
closer walk with God.
These people would not separate from Satan's evil world system. Now they're going to go down together under the wrath of God.
So, in verse 7, we read, "To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensually." Babylon's crowning sin was pride, and presumption of her
great worth to mankind. Babylon is guilty of a conceited arrogance in her spiritual and political rebellion against God. This is typical of the
liberal today who has no fondness for Scripture. The Bible is an irritant to the liberal. Why? Because it undermines this self-glorification. This
attitude, of course, is an occupational hazard of the Christian life. It's the result for all of us when we get our eyes on ourselves instead of on
the Lord.
Don't Think too Highly of Yourself
Romans 12:3 puts it this way: "For through the grace given to me," Paul says, "I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than
he ought to think, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." If you do not get your eyes off
yourself, and keep them on the Lord, your judgment will be distorted. It is God's grace to the doctrinally instructed Christian who is in temporal
fellowship that enables him to keep his judgment clear, because he has his eyes on the Lord and not on himself.
You're going to do this according to the measure of your faith. You believe this, or you don't believe it. It is so important. It is an occupational
hazard of the Christian life that you get your eyes on yourself, and start glorifying yourself, and your judgment goes bad. Suddenly you have certain
rights, and you have certain demands. You are indignant that you are not recognized. You are just out of touch with reality. Maybe sometimes somebody
should have given you something you deserve, and they don't. Maybe you should be recognized and you're not. But if you are a person of faith, and you
understand who God is, you will leave it with Him, and you will see how things work out. We are not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought
to think.
Furthermore, Babylon was not only gloriously arrogant, but she lived sensuously. This word connotes living luxuriously – to be completely
intemperate in satisfying the physical senses. This is a significant word in the Greek language: "streniao." You can almost hear the concept of
straining there. It is an energetic word. It means completely intemperate – satisfying all the physical senses. It implies a self-indulgent
lifestyle. It is practiced with great energy. One has no time for God, but no limit on time for oneself.
Sometimes we are incapacitated in life, and we can't get around much anymore. Some people come and say, "I can't live like this." Well, when I hear
that expression, I know that I'm listening to someone who has a real spiritual problem. What they're telling me is that God has placed them under a
restraint, and they cannot abide by the hand of God that has placed that restraint upon them. It is this concept of looking on ourselves, and our
self-indulgent lifestyles. We've been practicing it with such energy that we have no time for God. Now we are incapacitated. Instead of saying, "I
can't live like this," we should say, "Boy, now do I have time for God? I can't get around and do things like I did before. I'm under a restricted
condition, but boy, that gives me freedom. There are so many things that I can do with God now, and I've got all the time in the world to do them.
Self-Glorification and Sensuality
Self-glorification is expressed as the man of your rights and your freedom – recognition that you deserve. Sensuality is expressed by casting
aside God's moral laws – living out all of the lust patterns of the old sin nature. So, Babylon, here in the tribulation, is actually going to
be living up to her ancient heritage. For the Scripture tells us that this was the quality of Babylon. This self-indulgence and sensuality was
characteristic of ancient Babylon.
Isaiah 47:7-11 says, speaking to Babylon, the harlot woman, "And yet you said, I shall be a queen forever. These things you did not consider, nor
remember the outcome of them. Now when you hear this, you sensual one, who dwells security, who says in your heart, 'I am, and there is one beside
me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know loss of children.' But these two things shall come on you suddenly in one day. You will be a widow,
and you will lose your children. Loss of children and widowhood shall come on you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries, in spite of the
great power of your spells. And you felt secure in your wickedness and said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and your knowledge have deluded you."
This is the delusion of discipline:
"For you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one beside me.' But evil will come on you which you will not know how to charm away. And
disaster will fall on you for which you cannot atone. And destruction, about which you do not know, will come upon you suddenly."
You will notice that that passage in Isaiah is the very background of the very verses that we are reading, because here in this very verse 7, Babylon
says, "I sit as the queen. I am not a widow, and I'm never going to have any sadness. I'm never going to mourn." Babylon has, from the first, flaunted
before God her self-glorifying pride and her sensual evils.
Give her Torment and Mourning
So, God says, in Revelation 18:7, "To the same degree that she has glorified herself and lived sensuously, thumbing her nose at God, gave her
torment and mourning." This is a commandment from God. She is to be given torment. Torment here refers to personal distress (physical pain). She is
to be given mourning – an experience of sorrow and great emotional grief. She used to be distraught. Babylon's conceited arrogance has been
inspired by Satan. And what is she going to get for? She's going to get torment. She's going to get physical pain. Her emotional high confidence is
inspired by Satan. And what is she going to get for it? She's going to get a lot of grief and sorrow.
God's retributive justice against evil is based on what a man is in his soul, and what he has done with his body. God's retributive justice against
Babylon is what she has been in her soul, and what she has done with her body. Babylon gave mankind a vain confidence, and the impossible dream of
liberalism – the good life without God and His laws.
The real truth, however, is that if you have no God, you have no power to live well. If you have no doctrine, you have no orientation to reality,
and everything is vain.
"To the same degree, give her torment and mourning" – physical pain and emotional distress: "For she says in her heart (the "kardia"). This
refers to the mentality of the soul. This is Babylon's mental evaluation of herself. The mind of this woman is subject to believing the lies of
Satan because she was negative to God's truth. So, God has punched the Thessalonians discipline of delusion into effect on her.
A Queen
She says, "I sit." The Greek word is "kathemai." "Kathemai" indicates a position of repose. It indicates the position of someone who is like a
judge sitting on a bench – someone who is in charge. It's not just sitting down. It's sitting with great authority. She says that she sits as
a queen. Babylon thinks of herself as an impressive royal personage who is to be honored and to be obeyed. She sees herself as the mistress of the
world beyond any possibility of suffering and sorrow. She has no sense of needing God: "I sit as a queen."
God, however, looks upon Babylon, and He sees not a beautiful queen, but what He sees is a sorry harlot, as we read about in Revelation 17:1-4. She
is a sorry harlot, but she sees herself as a queen. This is always the case with human viewpoint minds. They look on the contrived external image
that a person projects, but God looks on the real person of the heart.
Externals
As one of our own local all-time great philosopher St. Bernard Roach said to me many years ago: "The person that you meet is always at his highest
point of esteem with you when you meet him, and after that it's downhill all the way. When you first meet a person, you say, "Gee, I like that green
tie. That guy has class." We look at him, and we say, "Look at those pearly teeth," and we have all this contrived image that's created, and you get
an impression. Another way of saying that is that: "You'll only make a first impression once," so you set that up. And some people look at that and
see the guy with the mouthful-of-teeth smile – that personality, kid. Some people look upon the externals, but knowledgeable doctrinal
Christians (and God) have divine viewpoint, and they look beyond that, and they keep their antenna of information up, such that God will give them a
discernment of this person. And after a while, you get the guy's number. You get her pulse for what she really is.
Those people really think that they're something. That's what Babylon thought. She's a royal personage. She sits there indeed on the Euphrates River
as a beautifully reconstructed city. She is the center of world religion. She's the center of world government. She is the center of all commercial
activity, and the antichrist rules there. It's inconceivable to the tribulation world that she could suddenly be obliterated. What that attitude
reflects is really her belief that she is more than a queen. She is indeed a goddess, and she makes the rules. She determines what's right for her
conduct, and she is in control, and she is invincible.
However, I remind you, as most of you well know, that it is a fact of life that we reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7 is the principle: "Do not be
deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever man sows, this he will also reap." You can make fun of God. You can carry on all you want. You can live to
the flesh, and you will reap corruption from the flesh. The principle of life is going to hold for the prostitute of the Euphrates River, Babylon
the harlot, as well. God does not like proud people. And if there's anything that's true of Babylon, it is that she is arrogantly proud.
Pride vs. Grace
1 Peter 5:5 says, "You younger men likewise be subject to your elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. For God is
opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." God does not like proud people, but God gives a lot of grace to those who are humble. So, you
didn't get something that you thought you were entitled to. How dare you be denied this recognition? That's what the proud spirit says. But the
humble person says, "I think I should have been treated differently. I think I should have had the recognition. I think I should have received the
benefit. I wonder what God is going to do now to straighten this out." That's the role of humility. God is opposed to be the proud, but boy, He will
stand by your side, and He will carry you through when you take the humble role. If you don't, you are negative to the truth, and that finger of God
reaches up there and punches the button to the Thessalonians syndrome. From then on, the lies of Satan become the truth of God to you.
When I hear something like that, it makes the hair stand up on the back of my head. I'm fearful of ever being in a position where God punches that
button. You ought to take it seriously. God does not go for proud people.
Furthermore, for those who are willing to take the position of humility and subjection the truth, God gives not only grace, but James 4:6-7 tell us
that he gives us greater, super-abounding grace. Therefore, it says that God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Submit,
therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. So, don't come around and tell us that the devil made you do it, because he can't
make you do it. You resist him, and he will walk away from you, discouraged and defeated.
The view of Babylon is even worse. She thinks she sits as a queen, a royal personage. But God says, "Let me tell you what you really are." He uses a
word that is significant in Scripture and that completely exposes the arrogant haughtiness of Babylon. We shall look at that next time.
Dr. John E. Danish, 1993
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