Our Babylonian Captivity

Revelation 18:4 says, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, My people, that you be not partaker of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.’”

This is the voice of God speaking to “My people”, in the very last days before the return of Jesus, to “come out of Babylon.” But then of course the question is, who are “His people” and what is “Babylon the Great”?

As far as what “Babylon the Great” is, I’ve already written a rather personal post on that called “Is the USA ‘Babylon the Great’?” You can click on the link there to read the post, it might surprise you. But frankly, it grieves me a lot that there is so much confusion and rancor about who God’s people are. So that’s one of the things I aim to address here.

I’m going to guess, if you’re reading this, that you are a Christian. So let’s look at an earlier chapter in the Book of Revelation that also talks about the people God is addressing . In chapter 12 of Revelation, another chapter where debate rages when it shouldn’t, we see “the woman in the wilderness”. Who is “the woman in the wilderness“? (Revelation 12:6 & 14)

It says in that chapter, “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. And they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Revelation 12:11) Who has that been for the last 2000 years? It’s been the people of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Only. No ethnic group, not DNA check or genealogical testing. “You are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And if Christ’s, then Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28 & 29) Somebody needs to speak plainly about this.

Who is supposed to “Come out of her My people” in Revelation 18? The same ones who were spoken of in Revelation 12. The endtime church. The bride of Christ “who has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7) . No one else. May God grant faith and boldness to those who know this truth and may they proclaim it that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). He wasn’t at the time of the Early Church and He isn’t now.

“There’s neither Jew nor Greek, there’s neither bond or free, there’s neither male nor female in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). But the vast majority of modern Christians have been taught that Christianity for the last 2000 years is just a “parenthesis”. This is not true. Through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit poured out on Christian disciples, missionaries, pastors and evangelists for the last 2000 years, they have  “been for salvation unto the ends of the earth” (Isiah 49:6). That’s not a parenthesis.

But who are those folks in “Babylon” in Revelation 18 who God calls in the very last days to come out? It’s virtually ever Christian alive right now in this world. Because in the last days, “no man will be able to buy or sell unless they have a mark in their right hand or forehead” (Revelation 13:17) . Right now the body of Christ can rock along in their present “Babylonian Captivity”, as Martin Luther wrote about 500 years ago.

But the hour will come when the goose will be cooked, our number will be up and it will be a case of “Choose you this day who you will serve.” (I Kings 18:21) Will you serve the New World Order which will have the economics of the world so tied up that you’ll have to received their economic “mark” in your hand or forehead? Or will you obey God’s call and command to “Come out of her, My people”? (Revelation 18:4)

The final days are not going to be comfortable for easy Christians and rock-along disciples. There’s going to be a division, clear and plain. At the time of Elijah, backslidden Israel of that day was so weak and double minded, like so many believers are now, that they really didn’t know what or who to believe. So Elijah called them to Mount Carmel and told them, “How long do you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord be God, serve Him. But if Baal (the heathen worldly god of the hour that most of them served then) be God, then serve him!” (I Kings 18:21)

But in the final endtime, it’s not going to be as easy as that. It’s going to be clear and simple. Get on board and join in with the New World Order and its economic plan. Or be a renegade, an outcast, an enemy of the nation and “your people”.

“Our citizenship is in heaven“, Paul said (Philippians 3:20). But for many people, their national pride and allegiance will sorely test their commitment to God when the final world empire comes and all your “friends” bid you to jump on board with the New World  Order.

I hope you are making plans now. I hope you are already coming out of Babylon in heart and mind. If so, that final split may not be so tough. You’ve seen that you’re not of this world, you “have no continuing city” (Hebrews 13:14) in this life but you seek one to come. Around 3500 years ago Joshua told the recently delivered people of God, who had been led out of Egypt towards the promised land, “chose you this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Would it be the Lord God? Or the gods of Egypt which they’d just been delivered from, or 1000 years later the gods of Babylon, or 2500 years farther on, the gods of these times.

The people of God for millennia have said with Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Who will do that in the days to come? Who will come out of Babylon the Great? Few? Many? Any? God help us that there will at least be a few. But then Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) If He does, it will only most likely flourish in those who have come out of Babylon.