Modern technology has made our lives easier, faster, better, and seemingly more interesting; the world has become a global village. You can connect from one side of the world to the other within seconds. Artificial intelligence is overtaking humans; we live in a time where everyone is busy making their very own life successful. They are least concerned about whether the way they are choosing to achieve it, is wrong or right! Many people seem to believe lies and hate the truth. Do you wonder why we live in a world full of lies and deception? Because the truth hurts. Although, it can also set us free. When you have the truth, you have peace. We have peace in believing that what God has promised He is able to perform.
The Lord has provided human beings with the most powerful machine—the brain—to think and then decide which way to follow. Unfortunately, the majority choose the attractive, easy, and exciting life, forgetting that appearances can be deceptive. This world is full of deception. Lying about something seems to be much more widespread while speaking truth is less common.
If it were not for the deception of error mixed with truth, many in the world, who are hopelessly intoxicated with the wine of Babylon, would be convicted and converted by the plain, cutting truths of the Word of God. But, false Christianity is so confused and discordant, that the people do not know what to believe as truth. The sin of the world’s impenitence lies at the door of the church. Satan is willing to use 99% truth in order to mix in 1% of lies! Some churches may teach 99% truth in some cases; but the 1% error is always a perversion of the truth, creating confusion. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
Truth is eternal, and conflict with error will only make manifest its strength. There is a vast difference between truth and error; though through the influence of sectarianism many have concluded that the difference is quite unimportant. It makes no difference, they say, what a man believes if he is only sincere. But, it is quite clear in the Scriptures that men may sincerely “believe a lie,” and that, as a consequence, they will be damned. Those “who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Most Christians admit that we must worship God in spirit, to be accepted by God, but, it is no less a requirement for us to worship Him in truth. Since all God’s requirements are just, we may, notwithstanding the lies of sectarianism, attain to a knowledge of the truth.
“Satan will work with all his deceptive power to influence the heart and becloud the understanding, to make evil appear good, and good evil. The stronger and purer the faith of God’s people, and the firmer their determination to obey Him, the more fiercely will Satan strive to stir up against them the rage of those who, while claiming to be righteous, trample upon the law of God. It will require the firmest trust, the most heroic purpose, to hold fast the faith once delivered to the saints.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 431
On this battlefield comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.
There is confusion everywhere. Wickedness is increasing. Society is in a terrible state as it was in the time of Noah. How was it in Noah’s day? “GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5
“The inhabitants of the antediluvian world turned from Jehovah, refusing to do His holy will. They followed their own unholy imagination and perverted ideas. It was because of their wickedness that they were destroyed; and today the world is following the same way. It presents no flattering signs of millennial glory. The transgressors of God’s law are filling the earth with wickedness. Their betting, their horse racing, their gambling, their dissipation, their lustful practices, their untamable passions, are fast filling the world with violence.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 633
What is confusion?
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or as quickly as you normally should. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembering, and making decisions. Wine (false teaching) or alcohol make people drunk and disoriented.
Bebel, means [Heb.] Confusion; disorder. [Revelation 14:8.] “The term ‘Babylon’ is derived from ‘Babel’ and signifies confusion. It is employed in Scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion. In Revelation 17, Babylon is represented as a woman—a figure which is used in the Bible as the symbol of a church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church.” –The Great Controversy, p. 381
“The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy and sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, ‘For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’” –Testimony Treasures, vol. 2, p. 362. It is our individual duty to walk humbly with God. We are not to seek any strange, new message.
FIVE PHASES OF BABYLON/BABEL
- The Tower of Babel
“Here they decided to build a city, and in it a tower of such stupendous height as should render it the wonder of the world.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 68
“And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.” Genesis 10:8–10
“For a time the descendants of Noah continued to dwell among the mountains where the ark had rested. As their numbers increased, apostasy soon led to division. Those who desired to forget their Creator and to cast off the restraint of His law felt a constant annoyance from the teaching and example of their God-fearing associates, and after a time they decided to separate from the worshipers of God. . . .
“These enterprises were designed to prevent the people from scattering abroad in colonies. God had directed men and women to disperse throughout the earth, to replenish and subdue it; but these Babel builders determined to keep their community united in one body, and to found a monarchy that should eventually embrace the whole earth…. The magnificent tower, reaching to the heavens, was intended to stand as a monument of the power and wisdom of its builders, perpetuating their fame to the latest generations” –Christ Triumphant, p. 68
“Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:9
- Babylonian Empire
Now we come to the Babylonian empire which displayed its strength with the great image set up by the King Nebuchadnezzar in the plains of Dura. He then issued a decree that all who would not bow down and worship this image should be killed.
“Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” He said, as he despised God!
“In vain were the king’s threats. He could not turn the men from their allegiance to the Ruler of the universe. From the history of their fathers they had learned that disobedience to God results in dishonor, disaster, and death; and that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, the foundation of all true prosperity. Calmly facing the furnace, they said, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so [if this is your decision], our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.’ Their faith strengthened as they declared that God would be glorified by delivering them, and with triumphant assurance born of implicit trust in God, they added, ‘But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’” –Prophets and Kings, p. 507
“All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” Daniel 4:28–31
3. Roman Catholics—Babylon, the great Whore.
“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Revelation 17:5
“The woman (Babylon) of Revelation 17 is described as ‘arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness:….and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots.’ Says the prophet, ‘I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.’ Babylon is further declared to be ‘that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.’ Revelation 17:4–6, 18. The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom is Rome. The purple and scarlet color, the gold and precious stones and pearls, vividly picture the magnificence and more than kingly pomp affected by the haughty see of Rome. And no other power could be so truly declared ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ as that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ. Babylon is also charged with the sin of unlawful connection with ‘the kings of the earth.’ It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot; and Rome, corrupting herself in like manner by seeking the support of worldly powers, receives a like condemnation.”–The Great Controversy, p. 382
- Protestant & charismatic churches
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8
“Babylon is said to be ‘the mother of harlots.’ By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore, it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries.” –Ibid., p. 382
- Seventh-day Adventist Church
It is startling to hear that the SDA Church has departed from the truth in some of their teachings, but this is reality. After their departure from the faith in World War 1, the candlestick was removed from their midst and handed to the faithful remnant who refused to partake of the apostasy and were thus disfellowshipped. There has been a delay in the proclamation of the everlasting gospel in its purity. In the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, the failures of the church today are compared to the failures of Ancient Israel when each generation shared in the guilt of their fathers because they not only shared the same fallen human nature but exercised the same unbelief. There are many tragic evidences of backsliding, disobedience to the Spirit of Prophecy, and even apostasy. The history of the church since 1888 gives clear evidence of this departure from truth.
“Those who can ignore all the evidences which God has given them, and change that blessing into a curse, should tremble for the safety of their own souls. Their candlestick will be removed out of its place unless they repent. The Lord has been insulted. The standard of truth, of the first, second, and third angels’ messages has been left to trail in the dust. If the watchmen are left to mislead the people in this fashion, God will hold some souls responsible for a lack of keen discernment to discover what kind of provender was being given to His flock.” –Notebook Leaflets from the Elmshaven Library, vol. 1, p. 58
“The atmosphere of the church is so frigid, its spirit is of such an order, that men and women cannot sustain or endure the example of primitive and heaven-born piety. The warmth of their first love is frozen up, and unless they are watered over by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, their candlestick will be removed out of its place.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 167. “And he [an angel] cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. . . . And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:2, 4
“This scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844. A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue, until they are led to persecute those who hold it sacred.” –The Great Controversy, p. 603
“Of those who boast of their light and yet fail to walk in it Christ says, ‘But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.’” –The Review and Herald, August 1, 1893
Independent ministries, and groups involved in independent ministry
“God has a church upon the earth who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 61
“God is teaching, leading, and guiding His people, that they may teach, lead and guide others. There will be, among the remnant of these last days, as there were with ancient Israel, those who wish to move independently, who are not willing to submit to the teachings of the Spirit of God, and who will not listen to advice or counsel. Let such ever bear in mind that God has a church upon the earth, to which He has delegated power. Men will want to follow their own independent judgment, despising counsel and reproof, but just as surely as they do this, they will depart from the faith, and disaster and the ruin of souls will follow. Those who rally now to support and build up the truth of God are ranging themselves on one side, standing united in heart, mind, and voice, in defense of the truth.” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 2, p. 158
During the Great Apostasy, many gospel truths were changed or lost. These truths were restored in the days through the faithful pioneers of the Advent movement. “The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” Isaiah 58:12 (Isaiah 61:4). “The prophet here describes a people who, in a time of general departure from truth and righteousness, are seeking to restore the principles that are the foundation of the kingdom of God. They are repairers of a breach that has been made in God’s law—the wall that He has placed around His chosen ones for their protection, and obedience to whose precepts of justice, truth, and purity is to be their perpetual safeguard.” –Prophets and Kings, p. 677
The truth is able to save. It will be the shield and buckler for the saints in the time of trouble, their seal and passport to the city of God. When the time of trouble, the wrath of God is poured out in the seven last plagues, and the wicked of earth will be cut off, the faithful will be protected as described in Psalm 91. “He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that escapes by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” Psalm 91:4–10
“Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.” Isaiah 26:2. Ah! Here is the grand result. The gates of the city of God will be thrown open, and the righteous nation that keeps the truth will be welcomed in. And since the law of God is the truth, how beautifully does this harmonize with the last benediction of the coming One: “Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14
How can we know the truth?
“The acquisition of this inestimable knowledge is not the exclusive privilege of the wise and prudent of this world. The poor may obtain it as well as the rich; especially if they be poor in spirit. No collegiate course of instruction can avail so much toward gaining this knowledge, as a spirit of humble obedience to the will of God. We shall find a genuine and infallible guide to the knowledge of the truth in the word of God.
“There is a ‘present truth,’ 2 Peter 1:12, for the present time. The present truth is that God is now moving out a message, Revelation 14:9–12, by which to restore His down-trodden truth to all the remnant of His little flock, in order to prepare them for translation into His everlasting kingdom at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is near, even at the door.
“Reader, if you would be of that happy number, obey the truth.” –Truth, Roswell F. Cottrell, p. 12–13
“The Lord is soon coming. Talk it, pray it, believe it. Make it a part of the life. You will have to meet a doubting, objecting spirit, but this will give way before firm, consistent trust in God. When perplexities or hindrances present themselves, lift the soul to God in songs of thanksgiving. Gird on the Christian armor and be sure that your feet are ‘shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.’ Preach the truth with boldness and fervor. Remember that the Lord looks in compassion upon this field and that He knows its poverty and its need. The efforts you are making will not prove a failure.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 237. Amen.
Daniel Kimeu