Babylon

“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.” Rev. 18:2

This is one of the most terrible and sad messages that we find in the Bible. The divine presence has left the churches and evil spirits and demons have moved in. And this is our message that we must proclaim to the fallen churches and to the world. It may seem to some as a hate message but yet it is a message of love. We are to call people out of Babylon before it is destroyed.

We must point out the sins of the fallen churches to the people and hope that their eyes will be opened to see the danger in which they are. It is like calling people out of a burning house before they perish in the fire.

People in the fallen churches think that they are listening to the messages from God while it is Satan speaking false doctrines to them. When you point out the sins of Babylon to the people they may hate you as the Pharisees hated Jesus when He said to them that, “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” John 8:44.

Nowhere is there so much deception as in religion. People are deceived in everyday life, but never so much as by the fallen churches. Heaven and eternal life are offered to the people without sacrifice and obedience to the law of God. These are pleasing fables that the people like to hear. Some churches go to the extent as to say that their church is infallible. Catholics believe this. They put tradition and the word of the church above the Bible.

Even the Seventh-Day Adventists are saying that it does not matter how far they go in apostasy that they are still the church of God, because Sister White said that the Seventh-Day Adventist church is not Babylon. At the time when Sister White said that the Adventist Church was still teaching correct messages. She made it clear that it was the commandment keeping that made the church the church of God.

“Again I say, The Lord hath not spoken by any messenger who calls the church that keeps the commandments of God, Babylon.” 2 Sel. Mes. P. 68

“God has a church upon the earth who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments.” T. M. p. 61

When the Seventh-Day Adventists decided to participate in the Armed Forces and joined with the kings of the earth in their warfare, then they did not keep the commandments of God anymore and consequently became part of Babylon.

In the following testimony she wrote clearly that the church is not infallible, but rather is in danger of becoming Babylon. “We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clean unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” Test. On Sexual Behavior p. 188

Until today no decided reform movements have been made in the Seventh-Day Adventist church but rather backsliding and apostasy.

WHAT DOES THE WORD “BABYLON” MEAN?

“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.” G.C. p. 381

“The existing confusion of conflicting creeds and sects is fitly represented by the term ‘Babylon’ which prophesy (Revelation 14:8, 18:2) applies to the world-loving churches of the last days.” P. P. p. 124

“Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome’s example of iniquitous connection with ‘the kings of the earth’ – the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of the world. And the term ‘Babylon’ – confusion – may be appropriately applied to these bodies, all divided into almost innumerable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories.” G. C. p. 383

WHAT MADE THE CHURCHES BABYLON IN 1844?

“As the churches refused to receive the first angel’s message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God. They trusted to their own strength, and by opposing the first message placed themselves where they could not see the light of the second angel. But the beloved of God, who were oppressed, accepted the message, ‘Babylon is fallen’, and left the churches.” E.W. p. 237

“When the churches spurned the counsel of God by rejecting the advent message, the Lord rejected them. The first angel was followed by a second, proclaiming, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ Rev. 14:8 This message was understood by Adventists to be an announcement of the moral fall of the churches in consequence of their rejection of the first message.” The Story of Redemption p. 364

“Adventists, seeing that the churches rejected the testimony of God’s Word, could no longer regard them as constituting the church of Christ, ‘the pillar and ground of the truth’; and as the message, ‘Babylon is fallen’, began to be proclaimed, they felt themselves justified in separating from their former connection.” The Story of Redemption p. 366

Rejecting the first angel’s message made the churches Babylon. The message of the Millerites proclaimed Christ’s second coming in 1844 which had an error in it yet it was a message sent by God and by rejecting it they became Babylon. The divine presence left these churches. The Adventists in the second Angel’s message started to call the people out of these fallen churches even that their fall was not yet complete.

Only one divine message rejected was enough to make churches Babylon. The rest of the teachings were the same among the early Adventists, as the other denominations.

“But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the Adventist message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time they have fallen lower and lower.” Maranatha p. 171 The fall of the churches was progressive, as it has been also among the Seventh-Day Adventists.

But from the beginning of the fall the people were already called out of these churches. Seventh-Day Adventists have rejected many divine messages, and not only one as did the churches in 1844.

Christ our Righteousness message has never been accepted by the church as a whole since it was rejected in 1888. The Health Reform message has been ignored as the Adventists admit that 87 percent of their ministers do eat meat. Joining in the ecumenical movements directly against the divine counsel.

Accepting military service by the members, breaks the sixth commandment directly. Many other false teachings can be added to this list which proves that the Seventh-Day Adventists are following the popular churches in their errors and in rejection of the truth. There are honest individuals among the Seventh-Day Adventists and our work is to call them out before it is too late to save them. Also other churches have true Christians among them who have not heard the present truth.

“At the proclamation of the first angel’s message, the people of God were in Babylon; and many true Christians are still to be found in her communion.. .But the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord still in Babylon, will heed the call, ‘Come out of her, My people’.” Spirit of Prophesy 4 p. 239-240

“In the days of the Reformation, the gentle and pious Melancton declared, ‘There is no other church than the assembly of those who have the word of God, and who are purified by it.’ Adventists, seeing that the churches rejected the testimony of God’s word, could no longer regard them as constituting the church of Christ, ‘the pillar and ground of the truth’; and as the message, ‘Babylon is fallen’, began to be proclaimed, they felt themselves justified in separating from their former connection.” Spirit of Prophesy 4 p. 237

THE MESSAGE OF REVELATION 18

The message proclaiming the fall of Babylon is repeated by another angel or church in our days.
“Revelation 18:1, 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… 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.” G. C. p. 603

Our work and message today is to call people out of Babylon. We are not allowed to soften the message, but proclaim it as God has given it in Revelation Chapter 18. Whoever dares to reject our message does reject God and the Holy Spirit and their own salvation. (Matt. 10: 13-15)

Let us be as faithful sentinels on the wall, warning the people of the coming doom, and offer them the remedy to cure their spiritual sickness.
AMEN

Timo Martin