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THE SECOND ANGEL'S MESSAGE WARNS THE WORLD THAT BABYLON IS FALLEN - WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WE MUST UNDERSTAND THIS AS GOD IS CALLING HIS PEOPLE OUT OF BABYLON

There are many interpretations today regarding who Babylon is. Some believe her to be a literal city like Jerusalem, New York, or a place like Mecca. Some believe her to be the nation of America or the European Union. While others believe her to be some false religion like Islam. But are these claims based on Bible truth? This is what we will find out on this page. We know that this subject is of great importance, because in Revelation 18:4 God gives a warning for His people to "come OUT of Babylon", lest they share in her plagues and be lost. So it is VITAL that we find out exactly who Babylon is. First, let us read the second angel's message concerning Babylon.

Revelation 14:8 ...'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.'

Let me first point out something important. It says Babylon is fallen. Is this talking about literal Babylon? No, it can't be, because that kingdom fell many thousands of years ago. So we must be looking for a 'spiritual', 'symbolic' Babylon. And what about the fall? Could that be a literal fall, as in destruction? No, it's not possible, because in Revelation 18:4 God says that Babylon IS FALLEN and yet He is calling His people to come OUT of Babylon AFTER she has fallen. So this 'fall' must be a 'spiritual' fall. Do you see this?

Look at Jesus' words of warning to the church at Ephesus ... "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art FALLEN, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." ... So you see? It is a spiritual fall from grace and truth.

Now some may read Revelation 14:8 and say; "it says Babylon is a city, so it must be a city!" Well, let us put this to the test, remembering that the warning is of a spiritual fall, not a literal one. Could Babylon be the city of Jerusalem? Well, do you know what happened to Jerusalem in AD70? It was destroyed in judgment from God due to the Jews rejecting God's Son Jesus Christ. So the Jewish nation and Jerusalem had already fallen spiritually and literally thousands of years before this end time proclamation. Therefore it makes no sense to make this proclamation in the end times when Jerusalem had already fallen thousands of years prior. So what about any other city like New York or a place like Mecca? Well, let us just ask ourselves - has any city like New York or place like Mecca ever been a holy place? This 'fall' as we have seen is a spiritual fall - a fall from grace. So has any city like New York or place like Mecca ever been a Christian place of worship and holiness? No. The cities of this world are man made places that reject God, so they have nothing to 'fall' from, as they have always been in a fallen, unholy state. The same applies to Mecca and any false religion like Islam. They have nothing to fall from, as they have always been fallen right from their conception.

So could Babylon be a nation like America? After all, America was built upon Christian principles, and it can be said that it has 'fallen' from it's original purpose and position. No this cannot be because a nation in Bible prophecy is represented as a BEAST, which Daniel 7:23 confirms. But Babylon is portrayed as a WOMAN. The beasts of Revelation 13 are nations, with America actually being the second beast of Revelation 13. So America cannot be represented as a woman and a beast. That would just be confusion.

Then who or what is Babylon? Applying the rule that she has to be something that has 'FALLEN from grace', there is only ONE entity that Babylon can be. But first, let me share something with you from Revelation 18:

Babylon has fallen and become the habitation of devils and hold of every foul spirit (vs.2).

The kings of the earth have committed fornication with Babylon (vs.3).

The voice of the bridegroom and bride shall be no more heard in her when she is destroyed (vs.23).

Please take careful note of the above, as we shall prove exactly who Babylon is. We are told that Babylon is fallen and become the habitation of devils and every foul spirit. This means that previous to this fall, Babylon was pure and was not the habitation of devils and foul spirits. Can that apply to any city or nation or false religion? No, as they have been the habitation of devils and foul spirits from their inception. We are also told that the kings of the earth have committed fornication with Babylon. What does it mean to fornicate with someone else? It means you are married to someone and you have an adulterous affair with someone else. Look at how God described this in Ezekiel regarding HIS PEOPLE:

Ezekiel 16:26-32 ...'You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger. You have played the WHORE also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an harlot, in that you scornest hire; But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband.'

Do you see what God is saying? His people committed FORNICATION with the nations around them. Israel was "married" to God and therefore by making unholy alliances with the heathen nations and civil authorities, they committed adultery and fornication. Now apply that to Babylon in the end times. Can a literal city, or nation, or false religion be accused of this? No! Cities and nations are where kings and leaders rule, so they cannot be accused of committing fornication with kings. Cities, nations or false religions are not "married" to God in the first place. There is only one entity this can apply to - THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.

Look at what the Bible says about God's people:

2 Corinthians 11:2 ...'For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to ONE HUSBAND, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.'

Now as I said, a literal city or country cannot commit fornication with the kings of the earth as Babylon is said to have done, because the kings and leaders of this world are the RULERS over the cities and countries. Can a false religion like Islam commit fornication with the kings of the earth? No, because to commit fornication agaisnt God you have to be married to Christ in the first place, and Islam is not married to Christ. It cannot be Jerusalem or the Jews either, because they fell spiritually and literally thousands of years ago as mentioned further above. The fall of Babylon can only be the fall of one entity - the Christian churches.

They are the ones who are supposed to have 'one husband' and one KING - Jesus Christ. So they are the only ones who can be charged with committing fornication with the world.

Let me prove this point even more. Did you notice in Revelation 18:23 that it says "the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in Babylon" after her destruction? Now whether you take this literally or symbolically, this can only apply to ONE entity - CHURCHES. Where do we hear the voice of literal brides and bridegrooms? In churches. Where do we hear the spiritual voice of the bride and bridegroom (Christ and His people)? In churches. Friends, Babylon can be none other than the various churches of the world.

In Revelation 17 we are told of 'MOTHER Babylon' who has daughters. That mother is none other than the Roman Catholic Church, that 'great harlot' who sits upon the beast - the old Roman empire and nations of Europe, controlling them. So who are the daughters of 'mother' Babylon? They can be none other than the various Protestant churches who came out of their mother. But this proclamation of 'Babylon is fallen' cannot be pointing to the Roman Catholic Church, because she has been fallen from very early on in her inception. So the proclamation must be pointing to her various daughters - the Protestant and Evangelical churches of the world.

But why are they fallen? If you take a look at our FIRST ANGEL'S MESSAGE page, or our THREE ANGEL'S MESSAGE page, you will see that the first message of Revelation 14 was given in 1843 and 1844, in fulfillment of the 2300 day prophecy of Daniel, announcing that the "hour of God's judgment" had come [the investigative judgment]. This message was designed to arouse the churches to see their worldliness and sin and cause them to repent and make preparation to meet their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This message was also designed to bring the churches to the truth about the law of God and His holy 7th day Sabbath. But sadly, the various Protestant churches [and of course the Roman Catholic Church] rejected this first message from God, and thus they became "fallen Babylon."

"The worshiping establishments now in operation throughout Christendom, incased and cemented by their respective voluminous confessions of faith, and their ecclesiastical constitutions, are not churches of Jesus Christ, but the legitimate daughters of that mother of harlots the Church of Rome ... A reformation of popery was attempted in Europe full three centuries ago. It ended in a Protestant hierarchy, and swarms of dissenters. Protestantism has been reformed into Presbyterianism that into Congregationalism and that into Baptistism, etc., etc. Methodism has attempted to reform all, but has reformed itself into many forms of Wesleyanism. All of them retain in their bosom, in their ecclesiastic organizations, worship, doctrines, and observances, various relics of popery. They are at best a reformation of popery, and only reformations in part. The doctrines and traditions of men yet impair the power and progress of the gospel in their hands." (On Baptism, p. 15 [cited in Daniel and the Revelation, by Uriah Smith, 1882, p.756]

The Protestant reformation was ordained of God. But the various churches, instead of moving forward in faith and in the light of God's Word, settled into their various established creeds and held onto many 'relics of popery' like Sunday keeping, the trinity god, immortal soul, worldly hierarchy, etc. But the announcement that the various churches had fallen in Revelation 14, due to rejecting the first angel's message, is repeated again with the 'loud cry' of Revelation 18:

Revelation 18:1-5 ...'And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 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. 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. 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. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.'

Since the rejection of the first angel's message by the various churches in 1844, they have been steadily increasing their sin and worldliness, to the point where, as the angel in Revelation 18 says, they have "become the habitation of devils and foul spirits." And OH! how people need to wake up to the condition of the churches today and heed the warning to COME OUT of them! The world has so influenced the churches of today through worldly music, entertainment, selfish gain and meddling in politics, that there is little to no resemblance of the original church of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Just look at how much the churches are involved in politics today. It truly can be said of the various churches that "the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her." The truth of God is rejected and the creeds and traditions of man are cherished. Simplicity of life and sacrifice for the gospel has been replaced with riches, possessions and power! The word 'Babylon' itself means 'confusion.' And oh how much confusion there is among the various churches of the world!

Oh how art thou fallen Babylon! The churches haven't just 'left their first love' as Jesus warned Ephesus, they have gone into full blown fornication with the world! And what is the warning from God? "Come OUT OF HER My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." (Rev.18:4)

But what are the various churches of the world doing today? They are deceiving the world into this ecumenical movement, saying COME IN and UNITE WITH US, in direct opposition to God's express COMMAND for His people to COME OUT. God warned that the world would be 'made drunk with the wine of her fornication' and oh how this has come true! Satan is deceiving the world to UNITE for the 'common good.' And all who unite with Babylon and the world WILL receive of the 7 last plagues and be forever lost. The 7 last plagues BELONG to Babylon, as Revelation 18:4 confirms. And those who hold onto the fallen churches, instead of heeding God's call will receive of those plagues and be lost.

And remember, God's call isn't just for us to physically come out of the fallen churches. Remember Lot's wife? She physically came out of Sodom, but her heart was still in that city, which is why she lost her life. In the same way, if our hearts are still in Babylon then we will lose out also. So please heed God's warning friend. It's time to come out fully of the various churches and be followers of Jesus Christ, not man.

Please see our important page relating to this - WE ARE COMPLETE IN CHRIST

For more on who is that 'MOTHER' of harlots, see - WHO IS THE WHORE OF BABYLON

THE FIRST ANGEL'S MESSAGE - THE FEAR OF GOD

THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE - COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND FAITH OF JESUS