Today’s message summary of May 3, 2015 from Pastor Gus Brown:
Revelation Chapter 17 refers to Babylon as “Babylon, the Great.”
Revelation 17:1-18
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.” So he carried me away in the Spirit to a desert. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and 10 horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She had a gold cup in her hand filled with everything vile and with the impurities of her prostitution. On her forehead a cryptic name was written:
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE VILE THINGS OF THE EARTH.
Then I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of the saints and on the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the 10 horns, that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction. Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and will be present again.
“Here is the mind with wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for a little while. The beast that was and is not, is himself an eighth king, yet he belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
He also said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. The 10 horns you saw, and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His plan by having one purpose and to give their kingdom to the beast until God’s words are accomplished. And the woman you saw is the great city that has an empire over the kings of the earth.”
Satan knows that he can move nations, countries and people to a place where they adapt to more and more immoral behavior. People are being conditioned mentally to accept things that you normally would not accept. The worst is coming. God warns His people to stay clear of this deception and see it for what it really is.
If you are not careful, Satan will rob you of many things. He seeks to destroy.
Jeremiah 51:6
“Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It us time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves.”
Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.
1 Peter 5:8
Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
Ephesians 5:8-14
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light–for the fruit of the light results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth–discerning what is pleasing to the Lord. Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made clear, for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.
God will not force you to seek Him and His holiness. He will let you continue into your ways, but God desires for you to come out of the “playpen” of the world, and to seek Him with a relationship. He will respond to your prayers that seek Him and a humble way of living.
Nimrod was the founder of Babylon and builder of Assyria. He was a grandson of Noah.
From Babylon, and its founder, Nimrod, comes every heresy that has even been spoken or taught.
Abraham and Nimrod were two important men after the Great Flood. Right after the tower of Babel is when Abram is called and is renamed Abraham by God.
Micah 5:6
They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod with a drawn blade. So He will rescue us from Assyria when it invades our land, when it marches against our territory.
Genesis 10:8-12
Cush fathered Nimrod, who was the first powerful man on earth. He was a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord. That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a powerful hunter in the sight of the Lord.” His kingdom started with Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen, between Nineveh and the great city Calah.
Nimrod means, “We shall rebel.”
Abram’s name means, “Father is exalted.”
Abraham’s name means, “Father of a multitude.”
Genesis 17:1-8
When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty. Live in My presence and be blameless. I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.”
Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: “As for Me, My covenant is with you: you will become the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you. And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.”
Abram was raised by Terah (Genesis 11:26) and came up under Nimrod’s system. His family moved to Ur of the Chaldeans. The Lord scattered everyone throughout the earth. God called Abram in Genesis 12:1:
Genesis 12:1
Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
Note that the Tower of Babel was a move to become independent from God. God had to scatter the people in order to prevent this from happening. Nimrod had set up a system of self-worth and independence from God. Through God, Abraham set up a system of faith. Of this, two groups emerged: Christianity and Islam.
From Nimrod comes Babylon and Assyria (Ninevah). These are the two cities that destroyed the nation of Israel.
Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom in 721 B.C. Babylon destroyed the Southern Kingdom of Israel in 586 B.C.
Jonah 1:1-2
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.”