SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 241ASeptember 18, 2005
Armageddon – Not in the Far Distant Future – Part 6
An Exposition of Revelation 16:13 to 18:24
Ezekiel 33:3-6 – If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; [4] Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. [5] He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. [6] But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
The primary Scripture, among those on which I will be expositing in this series, specifically warns those setting under false teachings to break away from the religious “her” that is teaching them today.
Revelation 18:4 – 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.
This Scripture lets me know there are saved men and women who are in the “her” of this verse, because it calls them “my people.” The primary purpose of this series is to specifically identify the “her” and to implore those “in her” to come “out of her,” and to warn those not in “her” to stay “out of her.”
Now, I shall continue expositing from where we left off in Part 5.
Revelation 18:1,2 – And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. [2] And he 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.
The irregular churches in the late first century, until they united with the Roman Empire under Constantine, had already introduced baptismal regeneration, which naturally caused them to start baptizing infants, and in the fifth century infant baptism was established as a law of the Catholic Church. Worship of the Virgin Mary and the sale of Indulgences began in the fifth century, and the doctrine of Purgatory was introduced in the seventh century, followed by saint and image worship in the eighth century. Infant communion was initiated in the tenth century, transubstantiation of the elements of communion in the eleventh century, and confession of sins to the priest (auricular confession) in 1215. The Bible was deemed to be forbidden for the common man in 1229, and the Catholic inquisition began in 1231. All of these unscriptural doctrines and practices finally led to the great Protestant Reformation.
The Spirit warned us in the Word by Jude that there would be a departure from “the” faith. “The” faith has the definite article preceding it because it does not refer to the doctrine of salvation alone, but to a system of the teachings of Christ that were once delivered to the first church that Jesus called out and organized, and to the chains of churches commissioned out of it. The Spirit provided the system of doctrine recorded in the New Testament. It was never necessary to add to, or take away from, those teachings recorded in the completed New Testament. The New Testament was to be the only rule of faith and of practice for all of the local churches of the Lord.
Jude 1:3,4 – Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. [4] For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
A church that denies the full efficiency of the blood of Christ to be the full atonement for all sins, has turned the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denies that the one time sacrifice was enough, having to add baptism and church sacraments to it. The men who crept into the first New Testament churches introduced the errors that caused them to become irregular churches. And those irregular churches are the ones that united in the marriage of church and state under the famous Roman Emperor Constantine. This merger of church and state is what we now identify as the Catholic Church.
These men who teach false doctrine appear outwardly to be more submitted to God at times than those who are truly committed to Christ.
II Corinthians 11:14,15 – And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
I Timothy 4:1-3 – Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
The Catholic Church long ago departed from “the” faith, “giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” And this is how she became “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit.” She is “a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”
REVELATION 18:2 – And he 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.
Many false teachers crept into the churches, and caused them to be irregular because of their additions to the Word. They were the tare seeds of the Devil, and in Scripture “unclean and hateful birds” are associated with “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit.” The Devil has been planting religion’s tare seeds among God’s seed in local churches from the beginning.
Genesis 3:15 – And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between THY seed and HER seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The Lord knew the Family of God, made up of all his children, would grow to encircle the entire earth. We often show a tree with the names of our family hanging out on the branches. God’s tree consists of all believers of all the ages. Some believers exist in most churches, even if the church is irregular in belief. The Lord gave the parable of the tares and the wheat to tell believers not to physically and violently try to remove the tares, which are the Devil’s seed, from among them. It would cause some of the true believers to be rooted out which were not the Devil’s seed. He advised all believers his angels would separate the tares (Devil’s seed) from the wheat (God’s seed) at the end of this age.
Matthew 13:24-30 – Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: [25] But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. [26] But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. [27] So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? [28] He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [29] But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
There will be many tares who thought they were saints, which will be shocked to hear that Jesus never knew them as his children. They will have prophesied in his name, cast out devils in his name, and performed great miracles in his name, but none of what they did was by his power.
Matthew 7:19-23 – Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. [21] Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
As Jesus ended the parable of the tares and the wheat, he continued on the same theme in the next parable on the great growth and branching out of his kingdom, but warned that certain types of unclean birds would find lodging places in it, while not actually receiving the sap from the tree itself. They would lodge in the tree, but they would not be a spiritual fed part of his tree.
Matthew 13:31,32 – Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: [32] Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
The birds are the evil tares of Matthew 13:24-30, and they represent the unclean and hateful birds that are caged in the Vatican City.
REVELATION 18:2 – And he 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.
The Roman Catholic Church is filled with unbelievers of the truth, because they do not teach nor know the truth. They think themselves to be the temple of God, but they are a habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit. If you are a believer you need to “come out of her,” because you should not desire to remain yoked spiritually with non-spiritually fed unbelievers.
II Corinthians 6:14-18 – Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
At the beginning of this Update, I listed the doctrines the Catholic Church has added to the completed New Testament. If you are a believer in Christ as the total atonement for your sins, you need to come out of her for the following reason.
REVELATION 18:4 – 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 22:18 – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
REVELATION 18:5 – For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Her sins have reached to heaven because they are based on her ritual of self-righteousness. They have ever been increasing in depth skyward toward heaven because they have never been taken away by faith in Christ’s righteousness alone as total atonement for all sins. She has no concept of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. She preaches it from her lips, but adds forms of works to receive it, and continued works to retain it after having supposedly received it. She has rewarded God’s plan of salvation by grace alone with her own plan of salvation by grace and works. God will reward her double for adding works to grace by judging her and finding her wanting in works performed by grace. She has glorified herself and her works, thinking she sits as God’s bride, the queen of heaven by her works of righteousness.
REVELATION 18:6 – Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. [7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
The Catholic Church believes she is the bride of Christ, the queen of heaven, but the beast will buck her off his back and burn her churches in his domain, and God’s plagues will come upon her in one day.
Revelation 17:1,15,16 – 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: [15] And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. [16] And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
REVELATION 18:8 - Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Lord willing, we will discuss her plagues and judgments in the next Update.