Deliverance In The Whirlwind -- Part 3

2008-10-4 05:04:00

Deliverance In The Whirlwind -- Part Three

by E. T. Tennyson
(Published circa 1959)

World-System -- Not The Earth

For if this is the correct application of this symbol, then the history of the WORLD-SYSTEM of ancient Babylon becomes the FATE of our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM -- not the fate of our good earth -- and since historians show how literally was fulfilled this prophecy of doom upon ancient Babylon, we must conclude that this is the dire FATE of our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM of things upon the earth! And those who have walked over the crumbling walls and the heaps of stones where ancient Babylon once stood, will attest to the literal fulfillment of this prophecy! For this was such a far-reaching pronouncement of doom that even today, after centuries of time, no person will dare spend a night there, and from that day to this Babylon has indeed been in PERPETUAL DESOLATIONS.

Historians have this to say about it:

"It [ancient Babylon] is now a desolation, the great city has become heaps, the land a wilderness for wild beasts, and the Arabs refuse to pitch the tent, and the shepherd to fold sheep there." (Smith"s Bible Dictionary, page 31.)

If the very site of ancient Babylon's SYSTEM of religion, commerce and politics has gone into the dust and has become an abomination, and if this is a symbol of the fate of our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM of religion, commerce and politics, then this symbol of BABYLON THE GREAT becomes of vital concern to all of us! And it is obvious that few have understood the tremendous significance of this symbol. For the majority of commentators today theorize that BABYLON pictures organized religion or perhaps the Roman Catholic part of it, and because they have come out of this part, they assume that they have obeyed the command to "come out of BABYLON" (Revelation 18:4), and of course they feel safe and secure! But it is now obvious that this belief is quite childish, and that no person upon this earth today has come out of BABYLON! First, most of these who have come out of one part of organized religion have merely gone back into another part, and second, BABYLON is far too old and much too powerful to picture the Roman Catholic Hierarchy or any other religious organization!

For while the Roman Hierarchy is some 1600 years old (call it 1900 if you like), that which is symbolized by BABYLON is almost 6,000 years old. For in BABYLON "was found the blood of the prophets, the saints, and ALL that were slain upon the earth" (Revelation 18:4), the prophet tells us, and of course this would include Abel who was slain almost 6,000 years ago. Obviously then that which is pictured by BABYLON is almost 4,000 years older than the Roman Catholic Hierarchy -- much too old to be fulfilled in any one religious organization -- and it is obvious that men have failed to see the far-reaching significance of the symbol BABYLON THE GREAT!

Gate To God -- Yet Confusion

Of course one of the parts of BABYLON is organized religion including the Roman Hierarchy, and while the very name means "gate to God," it has become confusion (Babel), and nothing is more confusing than the Babel condition of the hundreds of sects and religious organizations of our WORLD-SYSTEM! But there is more to BABYLON than organized religion! For other than her confusing commercialism and competitive economy, like her counterpart ancient Babylon; our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM is made up of organized-disorganized nations and kingdoms who quarrel and battle constantly, and in the short space of one generation millions have shed their blood in two major World Wars!

The God Of This Gentile World

While perhaps not everyone will be able to understand the mystery of this symbol, to those who can understand it will be obvious that the prophets used the symbol, of BABYLON THE GREAT to picture our Gentile BABYLONISH WORLD-SYSTEM with its three organized yet disorganized parts. For while nothing is more disorganized than our Gentile world, actually it is secretly or MYSTERIOUSLY organized under the now unseen "god of this world" who has "blinded the minds" (2 Cor 4:4) of millions to this fact. This whole confusing and mysterious conglomeration is pictured as a woman or organization by the prophets, and exactly like the Revelator, many who read these lines will marvel as they begin to understand the mystery of BABYLON THE GREAT!

Come Out During The Whirlwind

How utterly ridiculous then for one to think that he has come out of BABYLON! Certainly no man should be so foolish as to think he can come out of BABYLON (THIS WORLD-SYSTEM) and still eat, and it is obvious that those who think that they have already come out of BABYLON, and who therefore feel safe and secure, have missed the whole point! For mark carefully that we are not told to come out NOW, but we are warned to come out of BABYLON just before she receives her plagues in the coming Armageddon WHIRLWIND. For as the mighty WHIRLWIND takes up the waters of the oceans and brings to naught her trading by sea, note that it will sweep away the civilization of BABYLON -- THIS ORGANIZED --- DISORGANIZED WORLD-SYSTEM --- and note that only those who have come out and who stand afar off (certainly in underground shelters) will survive the Armageddon Storm of that day:

"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen [falling], and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird . . . Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues ['her calamities,' says the Concordant Version]. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities . . . And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her shall stand afar off [in underground shelters?] for FEAR of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked in gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company of ships [Ship Companies], and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off [in underground shelters?], and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like unto this great city . . . wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour she is made desolate." (Revelation 18:2-20)

If we can grasp this whole picture as the Revelator saw it, we can understand why the day is approaching when men must come out of our BABYLONISH WORLD-SYSTEM during its utter destruction, and perhaps the best way to do this is to visualize a busy street in any large city of the world! See the hustle and bustle, the bright lights, the store windows filled with "all things which are dainty and goodly, with fine linen, purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, precious stones, and pearls!" See the manufacturers, carriers, the shipmasters, the ship companies and "the merchants of these things" Visualize this whole "commercial" conglomeration held together and stabilized by "religion" and ruled over or controlled by "politics", and you can see BABYLON THE GREAT as this BABYLONISH WORLD-SYSTEM exactly as the prophet saw it!

But mark well in the account above that neither the merchants, shipmasters, sailors, nor any others are condemned for trading, working, making a living, nor even for getting rich in this BABYLONISH WORLD! Rather these are favored with the WARNING to come out of her just before she receives her calamities in the WHIRLWIND in order to save their own lives! As a matter of fact, note that this BABYLONISH WORLD herself is not condemned for the "dainty and goodly things, and the riches" men have gotten through her, as there is no other way to acquire the things men must have in order to live!

She Has Organized The Whole Earth

For BABYLON "reigneth over all of the kingdoms and nations of the earth" (Revelation 17:18), and it is utterly impossible today to leave BABYLON or to live or make a living outside of her. Even if one moved to the remotest island of the sea, he would still be subject to registration for military service, taxes, social security, old age pensions, etc., as BABYLON today has organized the entire earth! While this may come as a shock to those who honestly believe that they have come out of BABYLON, from now on we must understand that we not only live in BABYLON but we all work for BABYLON, as there is no other way to live and work upon this earth. The prophet expresses it as being IN the world (BABYLON) but not OF it! For while those who know BABYLON will be destroyed are not OF it, no man can come out of it until the day of its destruction, as BABYLON symbolizes this whole organized-disorganized world ("kosmos" -- Greek world-system)!

Babylon's False Claim

But it is interesting to note that it is not for organizing the earth that our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM is condemned by the prophets, but it is because of a false claim! For while she is branded as "this present evil world" who is "widowed" from God, and who must come to an end after the times of the Gentiles, she has deceived the nations and led them to believe that somehow she is God's QUEEN or God's WORLD-SYSTEM which shall have no end and therefore see no sorrow. Men believe this false claim, and because of it millions of good people actually love this Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM, and they refuse to believe that it will ever come to an end! Even right from childhood we are taught to look upon this WORLD-SYSTEM with great awe and reverence, and the man today who refuses to venerate its three parts of religion, commerce, and politics may be called a non-conformist, a radical, a heathen, an atheist, an infidel, or anything else that is supposed to be bad. For its leaders claim that it is God's QUEEN or WORLD-SYSTEM, and it is for this very deception that she must be destroyed :

"How much she bath glorified herself and lived [leading men to look up to her as God's WORLD-SYSTEM], so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, 'I sit a QUEEN, [or I am God's WORLD-SYSTEM of things], and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.' Therefore [because of this false claim] shall her plagues [In the Armageddon WHIRLWIND] come in one day, death, mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire [picturing destruction]; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." (Revelation 18:7,8)

History bears out the prophecy that every king of the first six Gentile world-governments (heads of the beast) claimed that his rule was by "divine right," and therefore that the Gentile SYSTEM of things was God's QUEEN or WORLD-SYSTEM, and the seventh-head of the Gentile beast of our day, the League of Nations and/or United Nations, has carried on the tradition by falsely branding itself "the political expression of God's Kingdom on earth!" So while we may see both bad and good in the three parts of religion, commerce and politics of "this present WORLD-SYSTEM" which the prophets call BABYLON THE GREAT, she is definitely and finally condemned by God's prophets for falsely professing to be God's QUEEN or God's WORLD-SYSTEM, and she is therefore doomed to destruction!

The Wine Of Her Fornication

This false claim is obviously the doctrine of "devils" out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan), out of the mouth of the false prophet (BABYLON), and out of the mouth of the beast (Gentile world-government) that carrieth her (Revelation 16:13,14), or the false "wine of her fornication (idolatry)" which has made all Gentile nations drunk with Power and habitants of the earth (Revelation 17:2; 18:3)! For it is obviously because of this one false claim that the leaders of the Gentile nations far overrate their importance and scoff at the very thought of the times of the Gentiles coming to an end!

Moreover, the so-called Christian nations of BABYLON have even gone so far in her, fornication (idolatry, self-worship) as to take the name Christendom, and millions, of the inhabitants of the earth honestly believe that they now live in God's WORLD-SYSTEM of things. And to show just how widespread is this deception or fornication, millions today (perhaps many who read these lines) actually believe that they are a part of God's true WORLD-SYSTEM, and they would be shocked at the words of the prophets that God's true Israelite WORLD-SYSTEM or Church-Kingdom is not upon this earth, and that it will not come until the end of the times of the Gentiles.

For while we are not condemned for living in BABYLON, neither for enjoying the dainty and goodly things from our good earth, we can look beyond doomed BABYLON to the new JERUSALEM which is to come, and be ready come out of BABYLON just before she receives her plagues: "For in mount Zion and in JERUSALEM shall be DELIVERANCE, as the lord hath said." (Joel 2:32)

Babylon Is Falling

For while we can agree with the prophets that BABYLON is gradually falling, and is becoming the habitation of devils, and the hold of every unclean and hateful thing, it is certain that no person could leave BABYLON now for any length of time and still live!

And in actuality, the only possible way to come out of BABYLON, even for a little while, would be to go UNDERGROUND -- go into the rocks of the mountains or shelters of the earth! And while the UNDERGROUND shelters can be prepared in advance, certainly there would be no point in going into them and leaving BABYLON until just before the WARNING is given that the Armageddon WHIRLWIND is about to sweep her from the face of the earth!

Rising Of The Atheistic Nations

And swept from the earth she shall be; for today she is not only "mothering" daughter-kingdoms and daughter-organizations who profess to be Christendom -- which is enough to warrant her destruction -- but she is "mothering" other unclean and hateful things in the form of atheistic and communistic nations who have "raised up against the Lord." And mark that Jeremiah substantiates the Revelator that it is because of all of these unclean and hateful things "in the midst of BABYLON" that the DESTROYING WIND of Armageddon will sweep her clean and utterly empty her land in the coming day of trouble:

"Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them [of this BABYLONISH WORLD] that rise up against me [the atheistic nations who are openly against God], a DESTROYING WIND [the Armageddon WHIRLWIND]; and will send into Babylon fanners [whirling winds?], that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the DAY OF TROUBLE they [the WHIRLWINDS] shall be against her round about." (Jeremiah 51:1,2)

Babylon Could Have Been Healed

While the prophets appear to hold out no hope for the atheistic nations who are openly against God, there was a possibility, it seems, that our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM might have been healed of her fornication (idolatry), and perhaps towns, cities and maybe whole nations might have survived the Armageddon WHIRLWIND! For BABYLON was a golden cup in the Lord's hand, and perhaps if our leaders -- religious, financial and political -- would tell the people flatly that no part of our Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM is Christendom or God's SYSTEM, that there is no salvation in her, and that the New Jerusalem-Government is above and is yet to come, then BABYLON could be healed and might somehow escape!

But this would take away the false glory and the power of her leaders, and therefore it is not likely. So BABYLON is not healed, and individuals must be warned to flee out of the midst of her. For she is doomed, the prophets warn, and it is now up to every man to save his own life:

"Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his own soul [life]: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine [her false claim that she is Christendom, Christ's QUEEN or Church-Kingdom]; therefore the nations are mad [with power and false glory]. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed." (Jeremiah 51:6-9)

Flee Babylon -- Into The Earth

But while it is indicated that BABYLON'S leaders will continue to look upon her as something grand and glorious even to the very end, the prophets were not ashamed to speak of her as an unholy thing whose sins have reached unto heaven! And with the prophets we must now point out that nothing can prevent her utter destruction! For as the mighty WHIRLWIND takes up the sea, causing the multitude of waters and vapours to ascend up to the heavens from the ends of the earth, the Lord will not prevent it from sweeping BABYLON from the face of the globe, says the prophet. And as he continues, note that he warns individuals to flee this Gentile WORLD-SYSTEM during the time of vengeance, and: "let every one go into his own EARTH (underground shelter)," he warns! For while the Hebrew word "erets" is mistranslated "country" in this text definitely means EARTH, and obvious refers to underground shelters:

"We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and LET US GO EVERY ONE INTO HIS OWN EARTH (Underground shelter -- 'erets' -- mistranslated as 'country'): for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies....When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightenings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind (Armageddon WHIRLWIND) out of his treasures." (Jeremiah 51:9-17)

Certainly these are words of doom for our whole BABYLONISH WORLD-SYSTEM and daughter organizations! For she will never swallow her pride and be healed, the prophet tells us, and therefore she must be swept away in the Armageddon WHIRLWIND. Certainly no one wants to be a calamity howler, but this is a matter of life and death, and the time long past for concealing these warning words simply for fear of being called a prophet of dooms. For earth's millions know nothing about it, and the few who have heard of Armageddon have been led to believe that it is a mere time of trouble between men, and they have no idea that it is a literal WHIRLWIND that will sweep this earth and melt the hearts of the bravest of men!

A Way Out For A Great Multitude

But while there is no way of healing our BABYLONISH WORLD nor of saving her daughter's kingdoms and organizations, there is a way out for a Great Multitude of individuals, the prophets tell us. For while Isaiah also paints a black picture of this terrible day of doom, he also shows that there is a way out for individuals. For note that he too warns that the only way out in that day is for "every one to flee into his own EARTH (underground shelter)"! For here again the Hebrew word "erets" is mistranslated as "land"; for of course the English translators could not understand why the prophets would warn men to flee into their own EARTH ("erets" or underground shelter), and they simply changed the word "erets" to "country" or "land." For in some 400 other places in the Bible they correctly translated the Hebrew word "erets" to EARTH:

"The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see . . . Howl ye: for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: and they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrow shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the WORLD [BABYLON] for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people [family] AND FLEE EVERY ONE INTO HIS OWN EARTH [underground shelter -- 'erets' -- mistranslated as 'land']." (Isaiah 13:1-15)

-- End Of Part Three --

  

"I join as a co-sponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system and the economy as a whole."
  -- John McCain - May 25, 2006