Why Babylon MUST Fall

Reference Daniel 2:31-45

     In the above scripture we read about a vision given to the first king of the world's first world-dominating empire.  I have myself recently wondered what made other seeming world dominant powers like ancient Egypt or ancient China different.  The answer is as follows: Those kingdoms and kingdoms like them lasted for many years, were very great and fought battles along their borders with their neighbors.  Sometimes they won and sometimes they lost, but little changed over centuries.  The thing that made Babylon and the kingdoms that followed in its tracks was that this kingdom has always been expansionist and empire-building.  Therefore, for the sake of simplicity, while I will mention the many various forms that it took and is even now taking, I will refer to all successive kingdoms as "Babylon," which I believe the Bible does as well.

     The first king of this expansionist kingdom was Nebuchadnezzer, king of Babylon.  He was the one that initially received the statue revelation via a dream.  It is very interesting to me that although He gave the interpretation to Daniel, yet the Lord chose to give the dream itself to the pagan king, rather than to one of His own prophets.  That however, is beside the point of this article.  Nebuchadnezzer's kingdom was the head of gold in the dream.  The next kingdom to arise defeated the Babylonians and took over the world domination position.  They were the Medo-Persian empire, which rose to power in 529 BC and were the chest and arms of the statue in Nebuchadnezzer's dream.  This was the dominant world power until 334 BC when Alexander finally defeated the Medo-Persian empire and Greece then took the scepter of power over this world dominating, expansionist force.  The Greek empire was represented as the bronze belly and thighs of the statue in the dream of Nebuchadnezzer.  The Greek empire continued the paganism and the expansion of the kingdom that was the world dominant power.  146 BC is the date commonly accepted by historians as the time at which the Roman empire rose to domination of the world of the day.  This empire was shown as the lower legs of the statue, being made of iron.  Rome continued to push the borders of the empire outward, built on the Greek political process called democracy, built on the pagan practice and religion of Greece and became ruthless builders of this humanistic, Godless society.  At last, the empire broke down into the forms of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Church, in combination with a myriad of smaller royal governments.  This is represented in the dream by toes of clay and iron.  It is thought by some scholars that the clay and iron (which do not mix) represents rulership by the government (iron) and the people (clay), or in other words, a government that arises from among the people. For the first three centuries AD, Babylon was unable to crush the fledgling church, despite her best efforts.  Finally, she tries another, more sinister approach - go undercover and befriend the Christians.  Constantine then becomes a "Christian," simply renames many Roman gods and practices, changes the names of its gods to saints and continues a new look of religion with the same heart as it had before.  At this time, "church buildings" are built after the Roman temple model, "church" leaders are put into place that are not appointed by God. God's sacred calendar is changed - holidays based on pagan holidays are renamed and instated, Sabbath is usurped by the day of the sun god, and all of God's appointed feasts and times are changed in accordance with Daniel 7:25.  Babylon, at this point, becomes multifaceted but still firmly in control and eventually ushers in the dark ages with all of its brutality and curses.  In those centuries, any who chose to follow another way, or to be true seekers of God, were dealt with ruthlessly as in the preceding days, as the more overt Roman Empire.

      Getting back to Babylon through the centuries in general, of course, from a purely human standpoint, there were advantages and advances within this empire that made it at least somewhat desirable to be a part of it.  Cooperate with any of the forms of this empire and life was advanced, progressive, prosperous and appeared "civilized."  Declare and stand for any other kingdom, including a spiritual one or refuse to declare the godhood of the empire and life was precarious at best, ended painfully at worst.  Eventually Babylon in these "toes of iron and clay" morphed into the more modern mini-kingdoms of France, England, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands and Denmark, and they continued to push the borders of Babylon, although not in a spirit of cooperation.  Babylon becomes known as "modern Western Civilization." But Babylon was never choosy who her emissaries were to be, or that they fought amongst themselves, so long as her agenda was ultimately being filled.

     What finally provided some respite to ruthless Babylon?  It was a small group of determined, God-fearing saints who finally left the shores of Babylon and sailed for a new world.  When they arrived, they being God-fearing peoples, only wanted to build the kingdom of God.  Therefore, they arrived with kindness and sympathy toward the native people.  Everywhere they went, the love of God and the fruit of the kingdom of God went with them.  Unfortunately, Babylon was not far behind and was licking her chops.  Over the course of time, everywhere that missionaries went into new, uncharted territories on this earth, education, health and prosperity followed, along with spiritual freedom for those who entered in.  Again, the kindgoms of this earth, i.e. Babylon, is always right behind gobbling up everything in her path and grinding the indiginous peoples of the world under her insatiable wheels.  When Britain left the shores of the USA in the late 18th century, Babylon did not.  The ruthless ways of Babylon continued west through the new US government, through hundreds of broken treaties, slavery, greed and massacres.  One of the very best illustrations (of which there were so many) of this process was in 1782 when some Native American Moravian Christians, 28 men, 29 women and 39 children, were taken from their Ohio homes, made to kneel and had their skulls crushed with mallets by American militia men. They were then scalped. One could also say, "Babyonian militia men."  This became known as the Gnaddenhutten Massacre and can be easily looked up online.  Over the first two centuries of American history, this sort of scenario playing out was all too common.

     Now, in the 21st century, here we are with Babylon having conquered most of the entire planet.  She has enslaved and killed countless millions in her expansion and lust for power.  She is dressing people in a common dress, has them similarly entertained and following a common "science" religion.  She takes the "we are so humanitarian and kind" approach in the west and is hated and resented by an increasing number of peoples worldwide.  Unfortunately the USA still embodies the two-faced Babylon to the indiginous peoples of the world and is becoming more and more hated.  Also unfortunate is the fact that without Christ, these people don't understand that they are not fighting a country or its people, but a principality that still rules the world in policitics, commerce and religion.  Some call the USA "the great satan" because they know that there is something demonic about the empire building, "we-are-superior" attitude of this Babylon, that is not necessarily found in the individual American.  Many people abroad say, "We love Americans but don't like your government." So because they lack understanding, they try to fight it in the way that their false gods tell them to and it is a lose/lose situation.  What Babylon does to people today is keeps them in addictions to money, lust, substances of all kinds and foolishness.  It is the force that keeps Africa used, abused and impoverished up to this very day. (If you are not queasy about murder, bad language, etc., a perfect example of how Babylon affects Africa is found in the movie Blood Diamond.) Babylon is found in every broken marriage, sleazy TV show, sleazy movie and the general Godlessness of the medias.  She is found in many forms of politics and the multiple corrupt democracies of the world (don't kid yourself - democracy, so far, is the best system for secular governments, but still, she invented it).  This is a good point to ask yourself, who invented democracy?  Babylon did, in her ancient Greek days - so what is democracy doing in church government???  What is the Biblical pattern for church government?  We have become so numb that instead of just praying, asking Him and believing God to put Godly church government together, we hope that we can pray and He'll work through our secular form of government within the church.  God is so gracious, He often does do that, but it is not His ideal.

     We do not believe in strapping bombs to ourselves and blowing ourselves up, starting military-type revolutions or rioting or any of the other fanatical things people do in their ignorance to fight injustice.  We don't even believe in sending emails, writing thousands of letters, chanting in the streets, etc.  Some of these can help to stem the tide, but ultimately, these will all fall short. 

     So how do we handle Babylon? 

     First, we are told over and over again in scripture, "Come out of her my people!"  We are told not only to leave Babylon, but to "flee from Babylon!"  A picture of this can be found in the story of Lot and family fleeing from Sodom and Gomorrah - it is also found in the Pilgrims fleeing Babylon in Europe.  This is also found in an individual, a church, an organization, any group of people who recognize that practices that they are involved in or beliefs they have that are not scriptural, move away from them, no matter how traditional, good, accepted or enduring they are.

     Second, we do not become obsessed with Babylon or her overthrow, but we stay focused on the Lord. We simply press in to know the love of our Father and who He is more and more.  Know your God.  Get filled with God.  Love Him.  For some of us, the more difficult mandate is to allow God to love YOU and lavish on YOU all the good things He's wanting to give to you.

     Thirdly, we go.  We go where He sends us and where He sends us only.  To move where I think God should move, out of human sympathy, because I simply want to get involved or any other reason, can be rebellion and void of God's authority if God is saying, "No," so it is important to know.  Of course there are times when God will allow us to make up our own minds about something, but again, we must know that He is either ordering or permitting it.  Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is at hand."  Where is "at hand?"  The tips of my fingers.  The tips of your fingers.  The soles of our feet.  In our faces.  In our words. Where we go, when we go dripping with God's presence, we go in God's power and the darkness must flee!  Light overcomes darkness, the kingdom of God is expanded.  Do what God gives you to do for today, today. Do what is "at your hand" to do.  Listen to God.  Don't try to force tomorrow.  We will expand the kingdom as we reach out in faith to set Babylon's prisoners free from being lost, sickness, death, hatred, unforgiveness, hurts, and every other tyranny. 

     Know that this battle ultimately is God's property - it is His battle.  It is HE who is going to win it, not us.  He only honors us by letting us participate!  Ours is to be positioned and doing OR NOT DOING as He commands.  No army can win where everyone sees the situation and knows the enemy, but is doing what they think everyone should be doing in order to win.  No, there is only one commander and anyone not getting their marching orders from Him is illigitimate, no matter how good it looks.

     I will end this with an encouraging word.  Zechariah 9:13 firmly states, "Judah is my bow, and Israel is my arrow.  Jerusalem is my sword, and like a warrior, I will brandish it against the Greeks."  -NLT.  Another place he says, "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver." Isaiah 49:2 -NIV. We are the bow, arrow and sword in His hand, but it is the Lord Himself who is doing the fighting.   Let's be where we are supposed to be when He reaches out to pick us up and use us!  In the end, we win and Babyon is destroyed forever - Revelation 18

-BBE-

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