UNDERSTANDING THE SPIRIT OF BABYLON
Babylon in this third day refers symbolically to the Church that is in captivity to carnal Christianity and spiritual immaturity. The spirit of Babylon is symbolically depicted in Revelation 17 and 18 as a harlot that causes men to commit fornication both spiritual and physical but primarily spiritual:
Revelation 17:1-5 KJV: And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones 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.
Spiritual Fornication and Adultery in the Church today
Now spiritual fornication or adultery is described as friendship with the world, which is described as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life:
James 4:4 KJV: Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I John 2:15-16 KJV: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh refers to an inordinate love for physical indulgences like eating, sleeping and of course sex.
The lust of the eyes refers to an inordinate love for material things.
The pride of life is an inordinate love for human recognition, ambition and position.
These lusts make up the world and any Christian who loves the world is controlled by the spirit of Babylon. The pride of life: love for human recognition and position, is the reason for so much competition for positions and so much title totting in the Church today. Everywhere you go you hear of Bishop this, Apostle this, Prophet this etc. This was exactly what Jesus condemned in the Pharisees, which represent the present day leaders of the Church in Babylon:
Matthew 23:5-7 KJV: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
An inordinate love for something is a desire that makes you neglect your fellowship with God, in prayer and in the word.
Colossians 3:5 KJV: Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Operation of the spirit of Babylon in the church today
The influence of the spirit of Babylon is prevalent and widespread in the Church today and many Christians are ignorant of its operation in their lives. Many Christians do not realize that spiritual forces are behind the natural desires of the flesh and the mind causing them to become inordinate to the point they very subtly steal the time and energy we should spend with and for God:
Ephesians 2:2-3 KJV: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
This spirit is released in the preaching and teaching of many genuinely born-again and spirit-filled ministers of the gospel who either deliberately or unconsciously emphasize only material, physical and financial blessings in their ministry and omit the weightier matters of the Word: judgement, mercy, which give the fear of the Lord and faith for the salvation of our souls which will produce perfection and spiritual maturity.
1 Peter 1:9 KJV: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Matthew 23:23 KJV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Jesus tells us here not to neglect teaching on giving of tithes and offerings and material and financial prosperity; but we should not overemphasize them to the omission of the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy and faith. These are more important than material blessings.
Satan through the spirit of Babylon has deceived the majority of the Church, by this subtle error of overemphasis on material blessings and omission of teaching on the fear of the Lord and faith for perfection and maturity, to keep the Church in captivity to carnal Christianity.
Leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem and Zion
The nation of Israel was carried into captivity in natural Babylon. In Babylon they were in captivity but not in bondage as they were in Egypt. In Babylon they were comfortable materially and financially though they were in captivity.
Similarly today the church is financially and materially comfortable in spiritual Babylon.
When God told the children of Israel that they could leave Babylon and return to Zion most of them did not because they were comfortable in Babylon. Similarly today the majority of the Church do not want to leave Babylon and go up to Zion: they are materially and financially comfortable in Babylon and do not desire to make the necessary spiritual sacrifice and discipline it will take to leave Babylon and go to Zion.
They do not care that the material things they love in Babylon are choking the word in their lives keeping them in captivity to carnal Christianity and spiritual immaturity sending leanness to their souls:
Mark 4:19 KJV: And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Psalms 106:15 KJV: And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.
However, God is about to bring judgment to the Church in spiritual Babylon and is now commanding His people to leave Babylon and go up to Jerusalem and Zion to build the temple of God: the third day perfect Church:
Rev 18:2-4 KJV: And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, 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.
Ezra 1:1-3 KJV: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Isaiah 2:2-3 KJV: And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
