The Battle of Armageddon

There are hundreds of books available on this apocalyptic issue of the Battle of Armageddon, but what is the real truth according to the Word of God and without the usual speculation? This is the goal of our adversary. Confusion! If Satan can perpetuate enough false theories, then those searching for truth will become so confused that they will throw in the towel and assume that God has given us an impossible task in understanding Bible prophecy. Friends, this is just not true. There is a correct interpretation and it relies on relevant history and most significantly, the Bible, and can and should be done without speculation.

Book number eleven of the New York Times best selling Left Behind series called Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages was launched on April 8, 2003 in the wake of a $5,000,000 advertising campaign. Armageddon is being read across the U.S. by Christians and secular searchers looking for answers in the midst of a time where America is now at war against Terror. Leftbehind.com, in its description of Armageddon’s basic story line, portrays a final remnant of scattered believers as being drawn inexorably toward the Middle East along with all the armies of the world when history hones in on the battle of the ages.

Although embedded in well written fiction, the book Armageddon echoes the non fiction theology of a small group of evangelical Bible teachers which is now being eagerly read by millions. The scene: History’s last battlefield in the Middle East. Nature of conflict: Military. Final contestants: The Powers of Earth versus the Jews. Epicentre: A small valley northwest of Jerusalem where “all the armies of the world” will converge for “the battle of the ages.”

According to books like Armageddon, radio programs like Irvin Baxter Jr.’s Politics and Religion, TV networks like Paul Crouch’s TBN and Pat Robertson’s CBN and high budget apocalyptic films like The Omega Code, the Bible’s final prophecies will revolve around modern Israel and the blood stained city of Jerusalem. Supposedly, during history’s last moments, the Almighty will finally pulverize Israel’s invading enemies and defend His chosen people, the Jews. This end time scenario is now being taught in Christian circles all over planet Earth.

This belief that God will ultimately defend Middle East Jews at the Battle of Armageddon is so strongly embedded within the twenty first century evangelical psyche that it has even crept into politics and influences United States foreign policy toward the Jewish State [1]. The U.S. not only supports Israel as a democracy, which it should, but countless U.S. citizens, including politically active, prophecy minded Christians in Washington D.C., who strongly believe that if the U.S. support Israel, than God will support the U.S. From California to New York, on TV and radio, it is often heard, “He who blesses Israel will be blessed, and He who curses Israel will be cursed.” This often repeated phrase is actually a misinterpretation of Genesis 12:3 which contains one sentence that was spoken to Abraham alone and not the Israeli nation.

Personally, I am Jewish and love Jewish people. I also believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour. As any Christian should, I long to see God’s blessing come upon both Arabs and Jews alike. The purpose of this document is not to condemn U.S. support for Israel or to try and solve a seemingly unsolvable Middle East mess; rather it is to take a second look at what the New Testament, and especially the book of Revelation really says about Israel, Jerusalem and the Battle of Armageddon. Is the Left Behind blockbuster book, Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages, correct in its core assumption that God will defend modern Jerusalem during Earth’s final war? Is the current “God Is Behind Israel” theology of so many evangelical Christians really correct? Or could there be something very wrong with this picture?

First of all, the New Testament actually describes two Israel’s, not just one. It is critical that we understand that this truth has seismic implications. Paul wrote, “They are not all Israel, which are of Israel” Romans 9:6. What does this text actually mean? Have a close look. Those “of Israel” refer to people belonging to the literal Jewish nation. But just because people are “of Israel,” or Jewish, does not necessarily mean they are truly “Israel” indeed!

To clarify, Paul said there is an “Israel according to the flesh” (1 Corinthians 10:18) and an “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:14-16) centred in Jesus Christ. To keep it simple, we will call the first group, Israel One, and the second group, Israel Two. Israel One is composed of “Israelites … according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3-4) which refers to literal Jews who can trace their blood line back to Abraham, but who do not currently believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

Quite pointedly, Paul wrote, “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God.” Romans 9:8. Hence Israel One, although it has a wonderful religious heritage, is made up largely of people who spiritually “are not the children of God.” In the New Testament sense, “the children of God,” applies only to those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord. (see John 1:12). “The Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), or Israel Two, refers to a composite group made up of both Jews and non-Jews who believe in the Crucified One, have died to self and been born again. (See Galatians 6:14-15). This group is called “the Israel of God” because it is God centred, being made up of people who have a genuine experience with the Lord. Sadly, the majority of Middle East Israelis today don’t fit this description (although Jesus is working among them and many are coming to a full faith in Him).

Have a closer look at Romans 9:6-8 and observe who the promise belongs to. “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall your seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Who does the promise belong to now? Paul writing to non-Jews, or Gentiles said, “And if you belong to Christ, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28-29. Don’t miss this, for it is of extreme importance. This passage teaches that if a Gentile “belongs to Christ,” he is mystically injected into “Abraham’s seed,” which according to Isaiah 41:8, is “Israel.” In Galatians 6, Paul summarized his doctrine by saying that anyone, circumcised or uncircumcised, who becomes a “new creature” through faith in Jesus, is now part of “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:14-16). They belong to Israel Two.

Here’s the explosive question: Which group out of Israel One or Israel Two is Heaven’s focus in the book of Revelation? Is it “Israel after the flesh,” that is, modern Israel, with its present capital of Jerusalem? Millions of Bible prophecy believing, conservative, politically active Christians think so. Left Behind’s 11th book, Armageddon, says so but what does Revelation really teach? The answer will not be discovered casually, but through a deep study of God’s Word.

When we open Revelation’s mysterious pages, we discover predictions about mount Zion (Revelation 14:1), the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 7:4-8), Jerusalem (Revelation 21:10), the temple (Revelation 11:19), Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8), Babylon (Revelation 17:5), the Euphrates river (Revelation 16:12), and Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). Thus Revelation uses the terminology and geography of the Middle East in its prophecies.

But wait a moment. Once again, here’s the mega question: Does God want these prophecies to be applied to those literal places in the Middle East and to “Israel after the flesh” centred in modern Jerusalem (Israel One)? Or did God intend for a spiritual application of these prophecies to “the Israel of God” which is centred in Jesus Christ (Israel Two), that is, to a spiritual Israel made up only of born again Jews and Gentiles scattered around the world? Most theologians apply Revelation to Israel One and to literal Middle East locations, but is this right?

Let’s start at the beginning of Revelation. The Bible’s last book is ultimately, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). Jesus Christ is the Source, the Centre, and the Interpreter. In chapter 1, John was “in the Spirit”, and do not forget this, when he saw Jesus walking “in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.” Revelation 1:10-13. The idea of “seven golden candlesticks” takes our minds back to the seven branched candlestick inside the Jewish temple before it was destroyed in 70 A.D. by Roman armies. Yet in Revelation, “the seven golden candlesticks” are clearly symbolic.

Explaining “the mystery,” the Interpreter tells us what they represent, “the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20. Hence, in Revelation’s very first chapter, and I am going to call this “Exhibit A” for it reveals a truth I wish to develop, Jesus Christ took something extremely Jewish and used it symbolically to represent His Church. As we shall see, this is the key interpretive principle to understanding the entire book.

Now enter Exhibit B. In Revelation 2, in a dictated letter to “the Church in Thyatira” (Revelation 2:18), Jesus reproved His people for allowing “that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants…” Revelation 2:20. Jezebel was a wicked woman in Old Testament days who entered Israel and caused many problems. Was Jesus saying “Jezebel” had been reincarnated or resurrected, and was literally teaching deception within Thyatira? Obviously not. A little reflection reveals that He used the word, “Jezebel,” as a symbol of an evil movement that was affecting His Church. As with the seven golden candlesticks, God’s Messiah took something from Jewish history and applied it to His Church, “the Israel of God.”

Now enter Exhibit C. In Revelation 3, the Heavenly Interpreter dictated another letter to “the Church in Philadelphia” (Revelation 3:7) in which He said a Christian could become “a pillar in the temple of My God,” and have a place “in the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem.” Revelation 3:12. Do not miss the significance of this. Not only did Jesus again use Jewish imagery, the temple, and apply it symbolically to His Church, but He also identified another city, “the New Jerusalem,” as God’s real city. And this city will not be a remodelled earthly Jerusalem with its bullet holes covered and the blood of suicide bombers scrubbed away. This one “comes down out of heaven.” (ibid.)

Remember, in Revelation’s first chapter, John was “in the Spirit” (Revelation 1:10) when he received his vision. In fact, throughout Revelation he was “in the Spirit” seeing different things (Revelation 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). When one is “in the Spirit,” he sees through Holy Spirit eyes instead of with flesh vision eyes. Remember also, Paul described two Israel’s, one “after the flesh,” and the other “in Christ.” So again the question is, Which Israel is the focus of “the Revelation of Jesus Christ”? When God’s final prophetic masterpiece of the Apocalypse talks about “Israel” (Revelation 7:4), “mount Zion” (Revelation 14:1), “Jerusalem,” (Revelation 21:10), “the temple” (Revelation 11:19), “Sodom and Egypt” (Revelation 11:8), “Babylon” (Revelation 17:5), “Euphrates” (Revelation 16:12), and “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16), do these refer to literal, war torn, earthly, fleshly places not too far from Iraq, north of Yasser Arafat’s headquarters, south of Baghdad and west of Jordan?

Now enter Exhibit D. The fact is, every specific reference to “Jerusalem” in God’s last book concerns a “New Jerusalem” (Revelation 3:12; 21:2, 10) which sits on a heavenly “great and high mountain [Mount Zion]” (Revelation 21:10; 14:1), that houses “the temple of God … in heaven” (Revelation 11:19; 15:5; 16:1, 17) and is the final home a victorious “Israel” (Revelation 7:4) which “follows the Lamb wherever He goes.” Revelation 14:4, 1. The enemy of God’s “New Jerusalem” is a “great city” called “Mystery Babylon” (Revelation 14:8; 17:5; 18:2) which “sits on [the] many waters” (Revelation 17:1) of the “great river Euphrates” (16:12) until God’s wrath finally demolishes it at “the Battle of Armageddon.” Revelation 16:16, 19. What is happening here? A little reflection combined with Holy Spirit enlightenment shows that Revelation is ingeniously using the terminology and landscape of the Middle East in a unique, heavenly and spiritual sense.

Let’s look closer at “the great river Euphrates.” The Bible says, “And the sixth angel poured out his vial on the great river Euphrates; and its water was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.” Revelation 16:12. Those who interpret Revelation’s Middle East terminology literally, such as in Left Behind’s 11th book Armageddon, usually apply this passage to Asian kings marching across a dry riverbed to shoot bullets at Jews at the Battle of Armageddon. One well known American radio preacher suggests a Turkish dam might be the means of drying up the river [2]. Is this what Revelation 16:12 is really about?

In order to understand this mysterious prophecy, we must first study some Bible history about ancient Israel and literal Babylon. In 605 B.C., “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” came “to Jerusalem, and besieged it” Daniel 1:1. Jerusalem was conquered and Judah was taken captive for 70 years. Daniel 9:2. After 70 years, an amazing set of circumstances occurred. The Euphrates was dried up, Babylon was conquered from the east and God’s people were delivered. This history forms the background for a true understanding of Revelation 16:12.

Ancient Babylon literally sat on the Euphrates (Jeremiah 51:63-64) and a wall surrounded the city. The Euphrates ran through Babylon, entering and exiting through two spiked gates whose bars reached right down into the riverbed. When these twin gates were shut and all other entrances were closed, Babylon was pretty much impregnable.

In 538 B.C., on the night of ancient Babylon’s fall, her king and subjects were drunk with wine (see Daniel 5). The guards were also drunk and they forgot to fully close the double doors. Over 100 years earlier, God had predicted concerning Babylon and the river Euphrates, “I will dry up your rivers.” Isaiah 44:27. The Lord also spoke about “Cyrus,” the man who conquered Babylon, saying, “I will…open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.” Isaiah 45:1. Moreover God called Cyrus “my shepherd” and “his anointed” Isaiah 44:28; 45:1. Hence Cyrus was a type of Jesus Christ. And do not miss this, he came “from the east.” Isaiah 46:11.

Housed in the British Museum in London lies the famous Cyrus Cylinder which describes how Cyrus, a general of Darius, conquered Babylon. Cyrus and his army dug trenches upstream alongside the Euphrates river which diverted the flowing water. The river gradually went down as it ran through Babylon and no one noticed. That night, at the height of Belshazzar’s drunken party (see Daniel 5) the water became low enough for Cyrus and his men to quietly slip under the double doors, which had been left open. Quickly they overran the doomed city, killing the king (Daniel 5:30), and conquering Babylon. Then Cyrus issued his famous decree to let Israel go. (Ezra 1). The Jews were free. Ingeniously, “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” makes use of the dusty history of this ancient event and then applies it with stunning, apocalyptic force to another “Babylon,” another “Israel,” another “Euphrates,” and another deliverance from “the east.”

In the Old Testament, the battle was clearly between the literal nation of Israel and literal Babylon (Daniel 1). In Revelation, we also find a struggle between “Israel” and “Babylon.” Revelation 7:4; 14:1, 8. As you would well know, the majority of prophecy teachers apply this, at least the “Israel” part of it, to literal Jews on the west bank. But let’s be consistent. What about “Babylon”? Does this apply to a rebuilt city south of Baghdad? Some would say yes, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

In Revelation 17, a shiny angel beckoned to John: “Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters.” Revelation 17:1. “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy … having a golden cup in her hand.” Revelation 17:3-4. “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Revelation 17:1, 3-5. John was “in the Spirit” (Revelation 17:3) when he received this prophecy. So we must be “in the Spirit” to interpret it correctly.

The woman’s name is “Mystery Babylon.” The word, “Mystery” is very significant. In Revelation 1, the true Interpreter, Jesus Christ, used the same word as He applied the Jewish imagery of “seven golden candlesticks” to His Church. In Revelation 17, the same word is applied to the enemy of His Church, to “Mystery Babylon.” And this greater “Babylon” has no application to the ancient city whose sun cracked bricks are now whitening south of Baghdad.

In Old Testament days, literal Babylon sat on the literal river Euphrates. In “the Revelation of Jesus Christ,” “Mystery Babylon” also “sits on many waters” (Revelation 17:1), but these waters do not refer to the literal murky Euphrates now trickling through modern Iraq. Proof is found from one primary text and this text is so explosively significant; it’s like detonating a spiritual nuclear warhead against error. John’s angel interpreter explained, “The waters which you saw, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” Revelation 17:15.

According the angel interpreter, the “many waters” of Revelation’s Euphrates represent “people” all over Planet Earth who now support “Mystery Babylon.” They are “drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Revelation 17:2. “Wine” is obviously symbolic, as is “her fornication.” The “wine” stands for Babylon’s false doctrines, while “her fornication” applies to her unlawful union with “the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:2.

“Mystery Babylon” is also “a woman.” Revelation 17:3. A woman in prophecy represents a Church. God likens His people to a “wife” that “has made herself ready” for “the marriage supper of the Lamb” Revelation 19:7, 9. The Babylonian woman has also “fallen.” Revelation 14:8. This must mean that “Mystery Babylon” in Revelation represents a globally supported Church that has “fallen” away from her true lover, Jesus Christ, and from Bible truth. She is represented as a sinful kingdom as she rides a scarlet [sin] coloured beast [kingdom] because she changed the Ten Commandments of God as prophesied in Daniel 7:25. But God still has people inside of Babylon whom He calls, “My people.” Before the last act of history’s drama, God calls them to “come out.” Revelation 18:4. Why? Because the river Euphrates is destined to run dry.

“The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up.” Revelation 16:12. Left Behind’s Armageddon and countless other theologians apply this drying up of Euphrates to a literal drying so Asian armies can shoot bullets at the Jews at the Battle of Armageddon. But what does the Bible say dries up the river? Turkey? No. The Word says, “the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates.” This “vial” is one of the seven “vials of the wrath of God.” Revelation 16:1. Hence, it is the wrath of God and not Turkey that dries up the Euphrates! What does this mean? If the “waters” represent “people,” and if the vial of wrath falls on the water, then this means God’s wrath will finally be poured upon people who steadfastly continue supporting Mystery Babylon the Mother of Harlots.

When Heaven’s judgments fall on the swirling waters of Babylon supporting people, reality will be inescapable. They will realize that they have been misled. Then they will “hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” Revelation 17:16. Hence their misplaced support for a false system will vanish. This is how Babylon’s water will dry up, preparing the way for “the kings of the east.” Revelation 16:12.

In Old Testament days, Cyrus came from “the east” to conquer literal Babylon. Isaiah 44:26-28; 46:11. The word, “east,” means “sun rising,” and the name, “Cyrus,” means, “sun.” Cyrus came not to attack the Jews, but as their deliverer, and again, Cyrus was a type of Jesus Christ, the “Sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2). In Revelation, God’s angels come from the east (Revelation 7:2), and Jesus Himself said, “As the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:27. Therefore just as Cyrus came from the east to deliver literal Israel from the clutches of literal Babylon, even so will King Jesus descend from the eastern skies with “the armies which were in heaven” (Revelation 19:14) to conquer spiritual Babylon and to deliver “the Israel of God” (Israel Two) at the Battle of Armageddon!

What about “Armageddon”? Surprisingly, this exact word is found only once in the Bible, in Revelation 16:16. The Word says, “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.” Honestly, there is no literal “place” anywhere on Earth bearing this exact name. It is true that there is a valley north of Jerusalem which was called “Megiddo” (Judges 5:19) in Bible days. It was a place where the armies of Israel often met foreign enemies in bloody battles. Because “Megiddo,” sounds like, “Armageddon,” millions assume this same place will be the location of a final showdown against the Jews. But again, is this correct?

“Armageddon” represents the apex, the climax, the final battle in Revelation. Will it be a military battle in the Middle East? Let’s be consistent. Throughout Revelation we’ve seen Middle East terms like the “seven golden candlesticks,” (Revelation 1:20), “Jezebel” (Revelation 2:20), “Mount Zion,” (Revelation 14:1), “Jerusalem,” (Revelation 3:12), “the temple” (Revelation 11:19), “Sodom and Egypt” (Revelation 11:8), “Euphrates” (Revelation 16:12) and “Babylon” (Revelation 17:5) used in a heavenly, Christ centred, spiritual sense. When it comes to “the Battle of Armageddon,” which is a phrase depicting the grand finale in the greatest apocalyptic book ever written, does it make sense for God’s last book to suddenly shift gears away from its thematic focus by pinpointing a literal, local, high tech, Middle East based conflagration involving Russians, Chinese, Syrians, and literal Jews?

We do not have to guess. The answer is in the context surrounding Revelation 16:16. While it is outside the scope of this document to discuss the fascinating details, here are the main points:

The battle involves “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” (Revelation 16:14), which could not possibly fit inside the valley of Megiddo.

Revelation’s focus is “the temple of heaven” (Revelation 16:17), not a supposedly soon to be rebuilt Jewish temple on earth. See also futurism.

The affects of Armageddon are global, far beyond the Middle East. Revelation 16:18-20.

The primary system identified as being destroyed at Armageddon is spiritual “Babylon” (Revelation 16:19), not China, Russia or Syria. See who is the antichrist today.

In essence, “the Battle of Armageddon” depicts the final battle between King Jesus and His heavenly armies (Revelation 19:11-19) against the worldwide forces of Satan referred to in the Apocalypse as “Mystery Babylon.” At the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the devil loses and his global kingdom comes crashing down. Jesus doesn’t need to nuke His foes, but only to use His “sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 1:16; 19:15), which represents His Word of truth (Ephesians 6:17). When Christ descends from the east, He will deliver “Israel” from the clutches of “Babylon.” But which Israel will He deliver? According to the thematic genius of the entire book of Revelation, it must be “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) centred in Jesus Christ whose home and dwelling place is the “New Jerusalem.” Revelation 21:10.

In conclusion, the Middle East remains a powder keg, and the U.S. struggle against Muslim radicals like Osama bin Laden continues, and there’s no earthly peace in sight. In the midst of such a “Red Alert” environment, millions of America’s politically active Christians believe God Himself is not only behind modern Israel, but that He will finally annihilate the enemies of the Jewish State at Armageddon. Left Behind’s Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages proclaims this forcefully. Yet, as we have clearly seen, this doctrine is contrary to the New Testament. Beyond this, the teaching is actually harmful because it adds gasoline to an already raging Arab fire. An America at “War Against Terror” doesn’t need this!

A careful study of “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” proves that Christianity’s massive “God Is Behind Modern Israel” theology is just simply not true. Not that God doesn’t love Modern Israel, the Israeli people, and Jewish people. But as we have seen, Revelation’s focus is not on “Israel after the flesh” (Israel One), but on “the Israel of God” (Israel Two) composed of both Jews and non-Jews (including Arabs) centred in Jesus Christ. If there was ever a time we needed not only to “walk in the Spirit,” but to interpret prophecy according to the Spirit, it’s now.

Real peace can be found in only one place, and it’s available to Jews, Muslim Palestinians, and Christians alike. It’s found at the foot of the cross, in the heart of a Man who loves and died for the entire world. Let’s surrender our lives to Him, so we can be part of His Israel of God.

CHECKING IN

Old Jim and Jesus 
A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray.
Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while.
His shirt was kinda shabby and his coat was worn and frayed. The man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away.
In the days that followed, each noon time came this chap, Each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap.
Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him, "What are you doing here?"
The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, for finding strength and power.
I stay only moments, see, because the factory is so far away; As I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kinda what I say: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM CHECKING IN." The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine. He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime.
Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks." He hurried to the door. The minister knelt at the alter-- he'd never done it before.
His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD, HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY. SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN." Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some.
At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill. The hospital staff was worried, but he'd given them a thrill.
The week that Jim was with them, brought changes in the ward. His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward.
The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, When no flowers, calls or cards came, not a visitor he had.
The minister stayed by his bed, he voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn.
Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a winsome smile; "The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while everyday at noon He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see, He sits right down, takes my hand, leans over and says to me: "I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM, HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN, SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP, AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY, I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY, AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS CHECKING IN."

The Origin of Babylon

The Origin of Babylon, Sun Worship and the Sunday Sabbath – The Church Of Satan

Satan's church had its beginning at Babylon with the construction of the Tower of Babel on the plain of Shinar by the River Euphrates many generations after the deluge. At the time of the construction of Babylon at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-4), mankind had multiplied and spoken one language. Cush who was the son of Ham and grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:1, 6), helped to plan with his son Nimrod, a blueprint by which to rule the world of humanity through a wicked counterfeit religion. Nimrod was the originator of sun worship and founder of Babylon. A Bible translation called the Targum says, “Nimrod became a mighty man of sin, a murderer of innocent men, and a rebel before the Lord.”

The beginning of Nimrod's evil plan had its origin at Babel which was later known as Babylon. This city of Babylon with a tower “whose top may reach unto heaven” was built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10; 11:4). 

They called the tower “Babel, the gate to heaven,” but God called it what it was which was, “Babel, confusion,” for there God confused the language of the people which forced them to scatter. This heaven defying group of people wanted one government to rule the world and one religion to sway the hearts of mankind. This was Satan's attempt to defy God and His authority and the ring leader of his scheme was Nimrod. But God came down and stopped this world wide rebellion at Babel, in defiance of His command for mankind to replenish the earth (Genesis 9:1) by confusing their language into many languages so they could not understand one another's speech. Mankind discontinued the building of Babel and were scattered to different parts of the world (Genesis 11:8-9).

Nimrod had a plan to weld together and strengthen this evil religious system and so he married his own mother who was Semiramis. She was the first deified queen of Babylon and Nimrod was the first deified king. Semiramis was as wicked as her son Nimrod, and as much sold out to Satan and devil worship as did he. Incest was used here as a basis to unite this newly false religious system. Nimrod and his mother/wife would be greatly used by Satan in the following centuries to send countless millions and even billions of souls to hell.

Satan's plan was to develop a counterfeit, opposition system of religion to attract worship away from the true God of Heaven. This false system had its sacrificial plan just as God had a plan of sacrifice. But Satan's pagan worship required the offering up of human beings, which was often the sons and daughters of the worshipers. A counterfeit holy day was instituted in honor of the sun god, (Sun-day) and this was designed by Satan to rob God of his peculiar authority as the Creator of the universe as designated by His Holy day the Sabbath.

Have you noticed how occult symbols are typically reversed? Example: The occult symbol for a cross is an inverted cross. Most have never noticed that God uses the 6:1 principle. That is, you have 6 of something normal and then on the 7th something special happens. Example: God created the world in 6 days and the 7th is a special day of rest and worship. Crops were grown for 6 years and the 7th year the land was rested. Slaves were kept for 6 years and were to be set free on the 7th year. There are 6 weeks from Passover to the 7th week being Pentecost. There are 6 months from Passover to the 7th month being the Day of Atonement. Bible chronologists say we are currently approaching the end of 6000 years since creation and if Christ returns at the end of 6000 years, we will then have the 7000th year being the 1000 year millennium. (See Revelation 20:1-15) So 6000 years + 1000 years (millennium) = 7000 years. None of this is by chance and is God’s plan. Observe the days of the week below.

Sunday Day 1

Monday Day 2

Tuesday Day 3

Wednesday Day 4

Thursday Day 5

Friday Day 6

Saturday 7th Day Sabbath

The first six days are normal but the 7th day is the “Sabbath of the Lord thy God.” Remember that the occult uses the reverse symbol or is the opposite (in opposition) to God. So if Sunday was Satan's plan for a day of worship, and we have seen historically that it is, then his week would be the reverse of God's week. Instead of being the 6:1 principle it would be 1:6. As seen from the table below, this is the case and so it is not just two days side by side. It is the occult equivalent and this is not by chance but Satan's choice.

Sunday Counterfeit Sabbath

Monday Day 2

Tuesday Day 3

Wednesday Day 4

Thursday Day 5

Friday Day 6

Saturday Day 7

Nimrod's and Semiramis' followers plunged so deeply into sin and the occult that they even sacrificed babies to Satan in their worship of him. This became a common practice until Shem who was one of Noah's three sons and the great uncle of Nimrod, in his anger and wrath killed Nimrod and cut him up into small pieces as an example to others not to commit such abominable sins and not to follow such evil religious practices. (Shem was a godly man and it was through his seed the Messiah would come.)

Because of Nimrod's death, the followers of Nimrod and Semiramis were stunned and experienced much grief. Their religious hero was dead. They were afraid to continue in their worship of Satan for fear that what happened to Nimrod would also happen to them. For a short time the practices of this counterfeit religion ceased but Semiramis, the mother/wife of Nimrod, had a brilliant idea of how she could successfully revive her and Nimrod's pagan religion and give it a new form. Semiramis proclaimed that her son/husband Nimrod was then officially a god, and she as the mother/wife of Nimrod was a goddess. She then announced herself to be “The Queen of Heaven” and that she should be worshiped as such. She claimed that her spirit was the moon and when she died she would dwell in the moon, even as Nimrod was already in the sun. What a devilish brainstorm inspired by Satan!

Satan was laying the foundation for every system of falsehood and error the world has ever known. They took the truth of God and turned it into a lie and “worshipped and served the creature (on a wider application also includes Satan) more than the Creator.” Romans 1:25. This system of paganism, while professing to be the true religion, is actually devil worship. It professes and claims to be the truth of God but in reality it is Satan's masterpiece, the “mystery of iniquity.”

As Satan's church gained momentum, Semiramis pushed this satanic religious order underground. The followers of this counterfeit religion had to take secret oaths. The secret societies (some unscriptural lodges of today) thus had their beginning. The confessionals and priesthood were set up. The followers of this pagan religion confessed their sins to their priests. (what church continued this unbiblical pagan tradition?) See also 1 Timothy 2:5, Luke 5:20-21. By so doing, Semiramis could control her followers and exercise lordship over them. She boldly and brazenly proclaimed that she and her priests were the only ones who understood the mysteries of God and that they were the only possible way to God. Because of dedication to and fear of this false religious system, the followers of this religion fearfully complied.

Semiramis and her priests of Satan were deep into the occult, magic and illusion. They were masters of lies and deception. Everywhere there were statues or idols of this mother/child cult. Semiramis was soon hailed as “The Queen of Heaven” (Ashtarte). Her symbol became the moon and her husband/son Nimrod, was then called “Baal” (the “sun god”) Nimrod's symbol became the sun. The city of Babylon was the seat of Satan worship until its fall to the Medes and the Persians in 539 BC. At this time the Babylonian pagan priests left Babylon and went to Alexandria and Pergamos.

It should be noted that the majority of the Babylonian pagan priests went to Pergamos more so than Alexandria, so for many centuries after the fall of Babylon, Pergamos became the new seat of Satan (Revelation 2:12-13), but around 129 BC, opportunity arose for them to leave Pergamos and go to Rome and thus Rome became the final seat of Satan where he set up his church, and hence sun worship, which was practised on Sunday, was most prevalent in Alexandria and Rome by the time of Christ.

Church historian Socrates Scholasticus (5th century) wrote: “For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries [of the Lord's Supper] on the Sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this.” – Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5, ch. 22.

So Baal worship was in full swing. It caught on fast and spread to many parts of the world. In Egypt, Semiramis became known as “Isis”, “The Queen of Heaven.” Nimrod became known as “Osiris”, the husband/son, and frequently called “Horus” (the sun god). In Phoenicia, Semiramis and Nimrod were worshipped as or known as Ashterath and Tammuz; in Greece, Aphrodite and Eros; in Rome, Venus and Cupid, and in China, Mother Shing Moo and her child.

When the cold season began every year, they believed their sun god was leaving them. It was on December 25th that they noticed the gradual return of the sun god. So they called this day the birth of the sun. Tammuz was hailed as the son of the sun. He was idolized and even worshipped and the first letter of his name became the symbol of sun worship. Human sacrifices to the sun god were offered on this initial letter made of wood, known as the cross “T” and this “T” for Tammuz is also the true origin of Catholics crossing themselves. His birthday of December 25 was honored more and more. Satan worked many years before the conception and birth of the true Messiah to counterfeit through sun worship His miraculous conception and birth. Satan succeeded many times in leading God's people into sin and pagan sun worship.

The true date of the birth of Christ is most likely between July and September but since the exact date of Christ's birthday was unknown, it was suggested, “Why not call it the same date as the birth of Tammuz, which was December 25?” This was the time when the sun had reached its lowest point on the horizon and started back up into the heavens and so the sun god had come to life, so to speak. So gradually December 25 came to be known as the birthday of Christ. The Papal Church finally instituted a special mass on that day, “Christ's Mass,” and so December 25 became “Christmas.” The yule log burning in the fire followed by the green tree lit with candles all came from the pagan worship representing Nimrod being dead, while his spirit still lived on in the sun and was alive again in Tammuz his son.

Jesus was crucified and resurrected in the spring of the year near the time of the moon festival. The devil was at work once again to bring the idea of having a celebration at the same time as the heathen but calling it “in honor of the resurrection.” And in regards to the worship of the moon goddess Semiramis, the so called queen of heaven. The cakes to the QUEEN OF HEAVEN were round and on them was cut a cross in honor of the sun god, and they were offered to the queen of heaven and today we call them “hot cross buns.” (Read Jeremiah 7:16-18). The forty days of “weeping for Tammuz” became Lent and at the close of Lent came Easter Sunday. The prophet Ezekiel was shown even greater abominations. (Read Ezekiel 8:12-18). This goddess Ishtar (Easter) came to be known as the goddess of springtime as in “new life,” or as history records it, the “goddess of reproduction.” The pagans would go to some mountain side early Sunday morning and worship this goddess as the sun was rising in the east. They gave themselves to immorality and indecency of every description. The eggs and rabbits were used as symbols of fertility and germination and hence “new life.” It all came into the Church gradually and was all blessed by the Catholic Church and given to the world. And some people wonder why God calls the Catholic Church Babylon!

The use of temples, and these dedicated to particular saints, and ornamented on occasions with branches of trees; incense, lamps, and candles; votive offerings on recovery from illness; holy water; asylums; holydays and seasons, use of calendars, processions, blessings on the fields; sacerdotal vestments, the tonsure, the ring in marriage, turning to the East, images at a later date, perhaps the ecclesiastical chant, and the Kyrie Eleison are all of pagan origin, and sanctified by their adoption into the Church.” — An Essay on The Development of the Christian Doctrine John Henry “Cardinal Newman” p.373.

It has often been charged… that Catholicism is overlaid with many pagan incrustations. Catholicism is ready to accept that accusation and even to make it her boast… the great god Pan is not really dead, he is baptized” — The Story of Catholicism p 37.

As time elapsed, stories spread worldwide about Semiramis and Nimrod as Baal worship was everywhere. (The above information on the beginning of Satan's church and its unscriptural practices is found in The Two Babylons, by Rev. Alexander Hislop) In his book he has composed a list of names adopted in other parts of the world that can be traced back to Semiramis and Nimrod in one way or another. The list of names are as follows:

SEMIRAMIS or Ashtarte	NIMROD or Baal the sun god
Cybele (Goddess Mother) Asia	Deoius (Asia)
Fortuna (Pagan Rome)	The Boy Jupiter (Pagan Rome)
Isis (The Queen of Heaven) Egypt	Osiris or Horus (Egypt)
Isi (Goddess Mother) India	Iswara (India)
Venus (Rome)	Cupid (Rome)
Ashterath (Phoenicia)	Tammuz (Phoenicia)
Aphrodite (Greece)	Eros (Greece)
Irene (Goddess of Peace) Greece	The Boy Plutus (Greece)
Ishtar (Babylon)	The Winged One (Babylon)
Rhea (Mother of Gods)	Orion (Constellation)
Diana (Ephesian)	Bacchus (God of Party going) of Ancient Greece
Shing Moo (Holy Mother of China)	The Centaur (Greece)

Satan pulled it off well as he had the whole world trapped into some form of Baal worship. The entire world had lapsed into polytheism (worship of many gods or idols). Mankind no longer desired to serve the true and living God and to accept His scriptural plan of salvation. (Romans 1:18-32).

Around 2000 BC in Abraham's day, Baal worship and its pagan rites had so permeated the human race that God called Abraham out from it to be the progenitor of a nation of people (the Israelites or Jews) who would be instructed by God through Moses and the prophets to be a shining light and an example of godliness to the heathen nations and reveal to them God's scriptural plan of salvation (Genesis 11:26-12: 1-5; Exodus 19:5-6; Hebrews 11:8).

The Jews were greatly blessed by God as His chosen people, who were to serve as His representatives of godliness to those heathen nations who had become entrapped by paganism, to evangelize those godless nations and to show them God's love. The Jews were repeatedly told that if they were to sin by serving other gods, to depart from the Lord and fail God in their mission as His representatives to those nations trapped in Baal worship, the Jews would suffer terribly at the hand of God and be dispersed into all the nations of the earth. (See Deuteronomy 4:1-40; 6:14-18; 7:6-26; 8:6-20; 10:12-20; 11:1-28; 12:28-32; 29:16-29; 30:11-20).

Before his death, Moses foretold that after his death the Jews would disobey and turn to other “gods” to worship and serve them (Deuteronomy 31:27, 29; 32:16-29). After Moses' death, Joshua took command and led the children of Israel across the River Jordan into Palestine. The Jews were ordered to exterminate the Canaanites of the land because they were so wicked and so deeply involved in the evil practices of Baal worship, and to take the land as their dwelling to be used for the glory of God in leading the ungodly nations to God and His plan of redemption. The Jews took the land and exterminated some of the inhabitants of the land but not all. The Jews here had already begun to disobey God. They soon became weary in their conquests of Palestine and stopped fighting. Soon afterwards the Israelites departed from their worship of the Lord and started to worship and serve other gods as Moses had predicted. The Jews soon became so involved in Baal worship and its pagan practices that some of them even sacrificed their children to Satan.

Because of their disobedience to God's command to be faithful in their worship of and service to the true and living God, the Jews would have to suffer. On many occasions God allowed the children of Israel to be captured by their enemies and to be persecuted. When the Jews cried out to God in sorrow for their sins, the Lord delivered them. The Lord raised up Judges to secure their deliverances. After each time the Lord brought about the deliverance of the captured, suffering children of Israel, the Jews would plunge back into sin and Baal worship. As time passed the Jews became even more involved in pagan worship in spite of God's warnings and chastisements. God raised up prophets to warn the Israelites to repent or suffer more. Prophet after prophet was raised up for that purpose and many of them were executed by the Jews. In 722 BC the ten Northern tribes were captured by the Assyrians and scattered never to return, and in 586 BC the Babylonians captured Judah and Jerusalem. This was the third time Babylon came up against them but this time brought about their total destruction as everything was torn down. After the Babylonian captivity in 539 BC at which time Babylon had fallen to the Persians, the Persians granted the Jews in Babylon permission to return to Jerusalem.

Many Jews did return to Palestine during the years 539 BC, 457 BC and 445 BC. Others doubtless returned between those years and after 445 BC. See also Daniels 70 weeksand prophecy of weeks. In 70 AD the Romans under General Titus captured Jerusalem and persecuted the Jews. The Jews final dispersion took place at this time. After 70 AD, the Jews had been dispersed into all the nations of the world to suffer. Nearly all nations who had received Jews eventually turned on them and persecuted them. The Jews have been the most hated and persecuted people in history and have suffered more than any other people. They disobeyed God and they had to suffer as God said they would.

When the Roman Empire was in power during the earthly life of Jesus and during the early Church period, the Roman Caesars were to be worshipped as gods. The early Christians were persecuted by the Romans because they would not bow down to the pagan Caesars. Satan directed this persecution of the early believers in an effort to stamp out Christianity. But instead of wiping out Christianity, persecution resulted in its growth! As more Christians were put to death, more and more Christians rose up to replace them. Satan saw that his directed persecution of the early believers would not obliterate Christianity so he moved to attack the Church from within instead of from without.

Satan devised a plan by which he would lay the foundation for and establish his own counterfeit church. Under Satan's direction paganism would get a new face. Satan would introduce to the world his own version of a “Christian Church.” As was indicated earlier, the Caesars were worshipped as gods. As the Roman Empire was near disintegration, the pagan Caesars did not want to lose their power in controlling the world, so they decided on a plan by which to keep their power and influence in the world. The Roman Caesars simply exchanged their Roman togas for religious costumes. Thus they could control the world's governments and their economies through religion.

After Constantine defeated Maxentius in 312 AD in a battle for the throne of Rome, Satan continued in his clever plan to build his own version of a “Christian Church.” After his ascension to the Roman Throne, Constantine issued his Edict of Toleration in 313 AD to stop the persecution of the true believers in Christ. Under Constantine the Christian Church for a time found relief from persecution. Satan had now temporarily stopped his persecution of the Christian Church from without, but he would now proceed to attack the Church from within. Since John said that antichrist came from the Church, one might ask who is the antichrist today?

Under Satan's direction, Constantine set up the “Council of Nicaea” and presided as “Summus Pontifex”, the official title of a Pope. Constantine's job was to mix paganism with a perverted form of Christianity to make his new religious organization look respectable. This mixture of paganism with some of the teaching of Christ was Satan's version of a “Christian Church.” This powerful religious institution would be later used by Satan to send millions of souls to hell and to cause the deaths of many Bible believing Christians.

Many changes took place in this Babylonian pagan church. Under Constantine, the pagans were permitted to bring their statues and idols of Semiramis, “The Queen of Heaven”, and Nimrod, “Baal”, “The Sun God', into the Church. The names were changed to the Virgin Mary, “Queen of Heaven” and little Jesus, “The Sun God.” For example: Is this Catholic image Mary and baby Jesus or is it Semiramis, “The Queen of Heaven” and son Nimrod? Note the pagan trident symbol from the head of what is supposedly baby Jesus and that the hand is displayed with two fingers and a thumb prominent, being another way of symbolizing the trident and is a Satanic hand sign symbolic of occult powers. This is also used by high Church officials and priests in blessings invoking the sign of the cross by motioning their right hand with two fingers and thumb casually extended. It is also found in freemasonry of which origins can be found in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church erroneously say that Peter was the first so called Pope of this Papal system but in fact it was really Constantine. So under Constantine as its first Pope, the Roman Catholic Institution as we know it today had its beginning. 

The Roman Catholic Church grew in power as the people in Rome were again under the priests and each succeeding Pope. Constantine had fifty Bibles made of perverted manuscripts composed by pagan worshippers of Baal from Alexandria. Alexandria was not only the seat of Baal worship but was also the headquarters of the most liberal philosophers. Those wicked philosophers produced their own perverted version of a Bible, and fifty such copies were made for Constantine to be given to the new “Church” over which he presided. The Latin Vulgate, authored by Jerome and based on the above fifty Bibles, later became the Roman Catholic Bible, which was kept from the people so that unscriptural traditions would have greater emphasis in the minds of the followers of the Pope.

The above information can be found in the books, The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop and the Angel of Light by Jack Chick. Alexander Hislop in his book also traces Roman Catholic sacraments, ceremonies, doctrines, confessionals, priesthood, etc. back to ancient Babylonian Baal worship. Roman Catholicism is based on ancient Babylonian Baal worship and on the man made traditions of the Church fathers. Catholicism is not based on the teachings of God's Word or on the Scriptural plan of salvation. So we find that Satan has had a long term plan for his church and sun worship. But what was his final plan, as in what became of this sun worship, which was practiced on Sunday, and was initially most prevalent in Alexandria and Rome? Too many people are too quick to write off the fourth Commandment as unimportant when clearly it is.