Come Out of Her, My People

Bring clarity and understanding, Lord, as I contemplate Your truth. Amen


"Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues" (Revelation 18:4)


A contrast is made between the two presentations of Babylon in Revelation chapters seventeen and eighteen. The first ecclesiastical Babylon (Revelation 17), a symbolic portrayal of worldwide false religion; the second is possibly a more literal depiction of commercial Babylon and a worldwide economic system. Whether or not there will be an actual resurrected city of Babylon from which the antichrist will reign, Babylon is equated here with his thriving evil empire.


A global economy will make this city prosperous beyond words. No one will be able to buy or sell without the mark of the beast, so in every transaction the antichrist will get his cut. Inestimable wealth will be his. He will continue to swell with power and defiance. Anything he desires will seem to be at his fingertips.


Every luxury known to man is described here in these passages of Scripture (vv. 11-13). But it is a list of "impressive" things which are quickly and irrevocably reduced to rubble when Babylon is suddenly and cataclysmically destroyed. As the ominous voice from heaven declares, "...all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you and you shall find them no more at all" (Revelation 18:14).


The message is clear: not only should we avoid the devil's counterfeit religion, but we should ignore his imitation of success and happiness too! If it looks to you like the people of this world have it made while Christians scrape by - don't envy Babylon. The world's treasures are swiftly fleeting. God's pleasures are forevermore! (Psalm 16:11).


Now the spirit of Babylon is already in the world (1 John 4:3). And God calls us to come out from the world and be separate (2 Corinthians 6;17). He doesn't want us to be burned by keeping company with Babylon! And He doesn't want His Bride sullied by the ways of the world. Remember, you belong to Christ. This could be the very day He returns for His Bride, the church!


~Adrian Rogers~