"Mystery, Babylon The Great (Part 2)

Revelation 17:4 

 "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:"

        We left with a question from  our last Devotion Study. Why give a "bride" the name of a "City"? The answer is that it is not unusual in the Scriptures. The same angel that showed John in this chapter "Mystery, Babylon the Great" also came to John in chapter 21:9-10 and said; "come hither, I will shew thee the Bride' "The Lamb's wife," he did not show John a woman, but the great city, the "Holy Jerusalem" descending out of Heaven from God

        Here we see that a ""city" is called a "bride because its inhabitants, and not the city itself is the bride. "Mystery, Babylon the Great," the "bride of Antichrist, then is not a literal city, but a "System" a religious and apostate "System." As the Church, the Bride of Christ, is composed of regenerated followers of Christ, so "Mystery, Babylon the Great," the bride of Antichrist, will be composed of followers of all False Religions.  The river Euphrates, on which the city of Babylon was built, was one of the four branches that flowed into the Garden of Eden. And Satan doubtless chose the site of Babylon as his headquarters.

        As to the word "Mystery," The Papal Church has always surrounded herself in mystery. The mystery of "Baptismal Regeneration;" the mystery of  "Miracle and Magic" whereby the simple memorials of the Lord's Supper are changed by the mysterious word  "Transubstantiation,"  from simple bread and wine into the literal Body and Blood of Christ; the mystery of  the  "Holy Water," the mystery of  "Lights on the Altar,"  and other superstitious rites and ceremonies mumbled in a language that tends to mystify, and causes confusion; "which is the meaning of the word Babylon." 

        All this was a "Mystery in John's day, because the "Papal Church" had not yet developed, though the "Mystery of Iniquity" was already at work (2 Thess. 2:7). It is now no longer a Mystery, for it is easy to identify the "Woman;"  "Mystery, Babylon the Great, because John described her as the "Papal Church." In Rev. 17:4 we read that the "Woman" was 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 of her fornications. Now who does not know that scarlet and purple are the colors of the Papacy? (The office and jurisdiction of a pope). Tomorrow we will finish Chapter 17 of "The Great Mystery" and move forward to Chapter 18 "The Fall of  Babylon."

        Amen!!

Reading: (Rev. 17:1-5) 

Ref: (HGSB, BSB)

        (C. Larkin) 

May God Bless You

 And Your Family

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry