THE THREE BABYLONS versus BABYLON, INC.

Rome’s Religious Babylon

. . . I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy . . . and the woman was arrayed in PURPLE and SCARLET colour, and decked with GOLD and PRECIOUSSTONES and pearls, having a GOLDEN CUP in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the BLOOD OF THE SAINTS, AND with the BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS OF JESUS . . . --Rev. 17:4-6

It could be said that the original city of Babylon is INDIRECTLY responsible for the "blood of the martyrs of Jesus." However, its descendant, "MYSTERY BABYLON," the harlot religious city (17:18) which identifies with seven hills (17:9) and reigns over kings (17:18), ROME, is DIRECTLY the CITY drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. There never was any doubt in the minds of the Donatists, the Albigenses, the Waldensians, the Paulists, the Anabaptists, nor the Whore’s Protestant daughter reformers as to the identity of the WHORE. Moreover, there never was any doubt in the minds of any of the "martyrs of Jesus." The Roman Catholic Church bears the name of the cruelest, vilest, most vicious political empire ever on the face of the earth. The Roman Catholic Church, as a religious system, has no equal when it comes to cruelty, treachery, greed, viciousness, and blasphemy (except, perhaps, Islam). If you doubt this, try passing out this article to them - especially in Latin countries.

Rome’s Commercial Babylon

For ALL NATIONS have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have COMMITTED FORNICATION WITH HER, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. -- Rev. 18:3

The original idolatrous city of Babylon was on the trade route, deeply involved in the commerce of the day. So is her idolatrous counterpart—Rome! Significantly, wine (18:3, 13), fornication (18:3, 9), incense, drugs, sorcery (18:13, 23), slaves and souls of men (18:13), religious commerce, music, candles, ceremonies, and deception (18:16, 23) are among Roman religious and commercial interests. Abraham Lincoln’s opposition to the commerce of the Catholic slave states and the Catholic church rewarded him with death. The families involved in the murder conspiracy, from Booth to the Suratts, were devout Roman Catholics. The deeply religious Mafia and the Roman church have and have had deep commercial interests in both body and soul slavery, gambling, prostitution, drugs, and so forth, all within the free enterprise system (tax free). All this plus spiritual fornication!

Fundamentalists are fast waking up to the fact that the brethren can fare badly under the capitalist system. Why? Capitalism and free enterprise have never and can never guarantee religious freedom! Godless capitalism can persecute as easily as godless communism. It can also be ruthless and inhuman. An in-law described to us how an elderly co-worker earned the same wages for 30 years in an expensive auto sales/service garage. He then developed cancer, and no one (except our in-law) went to the hospital or the funeral home. No cards, no phone calls, and no flowers! Yet, when the manager of an auto parts store, integrally associated with the garage business, died; he received the works!

The evangelistic John Birch Society in one Blue Book boasts a 60% Catholic membership. They love to hold their meetings in Baptist churches, but you are not allowed to witness for Christ in these right wing, capitalist meetings. Christians have fared as well under some benevolent dictators and monarchs as well as the capitalistic, free enterprise. One Polish Baptist pastor claims that communism freed them from Catholic tyranny. What makes the difference is whether God is allowed in the political system or not. The Bible teaches charity in sharing your wealth with the least fortunate (voluntarily). It also teaches investment for profit. It also teaches that false balances and illicit commerce are not to be found in those endeavors. Men should not be cheated out of wages, pensions, or insurance in the name of capitalism and free enterprise.

Rome’s Political Babylon

. . . that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. -- Rev. 17:18

. . . ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have ONE MIND, and shall give their power and strength to the beast . . . these shall HATE THE WHORE, and shall MAKE HER DESOLATE . . . -- Rev. 17:12, 13, 16

Rome, whether the empire or the church, has never kept its lust for power or its political ambitions a secret. Our passages seem to indicate two classes of politicians - the kings of the earth, who bow to Rome (17:18), and the ten kings, who have ties with the beasts (17:12-17). It seems that to realize his own ambitions, the beast must somehow amalgamate the whore’s peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues together with the ten kings who hate the whore (17:16) along with her commercial and political empire. If we look closely, we may see much more in common with the Roman church, communism, and godless capitalism than meets the eye. All are universal in scope, all are godless, all are expansionist, all are imperialist, and are all desirous of power, property, and control.

These seemingly strange bedfellows might be brought together if they all thought there was something in it for them. The only question is how to get them together and who will ultimately run the show. Headquarters Rome doesn’t seem to last too long being destroyed by the kings who hate her (18:2-24); the ten kings have power only an hour and relinquish their kingdom to the beast (17:12, 13). The false prophet (perhaps a Pope) and those who take the mark (for buying and selling (and those who worship the image make it to the war with the Lamb (19:19, 20). Maybe, the Pope strikes a deal and sells the city down the river. It wouldn’t be the first time (ref. Irish history and Italy, WWII). Well, needless to say, they all end up in the lake of fire.

Babylon, INC.

We fundamental Baptists have concerned us, for the most part, with castigating and separating from "Ecclesiastical" or "Religious Babylon" and marking the compromisers, who refuse to separate from it. Yet, we have compromised with, blinded ourselves to, and ignored the rest of that wicked system.A careful study of Revelation 18 will reveal that "Babylon," although primarily religious, is also a political, social, and an economic entity.

Far from being involved in Marxist politics and economics, Babylon has abundance, delicacies, and riches while boasting merchants and trade (Rev. 18:3, 7, 9, 11-17, 19, 23).

Her system of greed s affects governments, nations, and the inhabitants of the earth in religion, economics, society, and politics (Rev. 17:2, 15, 18; 18:3, 9, 23). Found in her are the influences and control of nations by devilish religion and sorcery (Rev. 18:2, 23); ceremony and festivity (Rev. 18:23); sins and immorality (Rev. 18:4, 5); music, work, and, craft (Rev. 18:22).

The United States began with old English common law, which was based upon biblical law. Gradually, she shifted from biblical common law (crime and punishment) to the Babylonian legal system of Hamite "equity." Such "preventive" type law requires a license or a permit to do almost anything (or else face fine or imprisonment). Rights are no longer rights but become "privileges" that can be taken away. How easy it will be for the Antichrist to convince this legal system to take his "mark" in their hands or foreheads (Rev. 13:16).

Because the shift was so gradual, neither patriots nor born gain churchmen were aware of what has and will continue to happen. Because of this lack of awareness, we have not noticed the eroding of our rights and liberties and most of the Babylonian substitutes, which did not easily disturb our moral or spiritual sensibilities.

Abortion, pornography, prohibitions of prayer and public religious display, health and fire and E.P.A. restrictions, imposed tax burdens, involuntary servitude (tax collecting) on churches, restrictions on churches and Christian schools and children's homes are but a foretaste of the future wrath sublime. The final phase of the Babylonian system, whose subjects become slaves of the state (Rev. 18:13), is almost upon us. Babylon, Inc.

Now, all "incorporated" churches are impotent, unable to do anything about it; they have surrendered their constitutional rights for corporate rights and tax immunity for tax exemption. One only needs to consult a thesaurus to find out what has happened. The synonyms for "incorporated" are as follows: united, assimilated, combined, embodied, consolidated, merged, included, joined, and so forth. It does not take very much thought to conclude that a state incorporated church has united or joined to the state or assimilated into the state or combined or consolidated or merged with the state or included in or embodied by the state. In other words, a "state" church! It is the body (corpus - incorporation) of the state - not Christ. If the state has not bothered your (its) incorporated church for not embracing its "public policy," rest assured that it is not because the state is unable to do so nor does not have any the legal right to do so. It is only because it does not choose to do so . . . yet!

Under Constitutional and biblical law, one can voluntarily surrender one’s rights and become a slave (which incorporated churches have unwittingly done, at least in their states, through ignorance). Under Babylonian law, one can be forced to become a slave. Now, you may say that this type of rhetoric is premature, but it is almost too late, if not too late. Oh well, you were going to ignore it all and try not to understand it all anyway. Right?

-- by Herb Evans,Flaming Torch - Jan/Feb/Mar 1996, p. 10 (expanded 3/5/03 by combining two articles)