Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 17 refers to Aaron's rod that budded, sprouted, and yielded fruits.
We are powerless and have no hope like a rod, but if we are before God and close to Him as well as faithful to Him, we will surely experience the spiritual growth that glorifies His name until we are glorified with Him forever.
But, Babylon or the great harlot is the opposite, namely one who is not faithful to God and others. He is far away from God.
Satan uses the unfaithfulness to destroy the marriage and shepherding.
Revelation 17:1,5
17:1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlotwho sits on many waters,
17:5. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The great Babylon is the name of the great harlot who replaces Jesus' name in the church that does not hold fast the true teaching Word and becomes unfaithful, so it becomes the false church.
Revelation 17:14
17:14. "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
The attitude to God's calling determines the faithfulness.
Romans 8:28-30
8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
8:29. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
8:30. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God calls us to make our life good and glorify us. If we understand God's calling, we will surely become faithful until the finish line, so we win with Jesus and are glorified with Him.
Revelation 17:3-4,15-16
17:3. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
17:15. Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
17:16. "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
The great Babylon who was extremely pampered in the lust of the flesh by the animal or Satan will be ended in the hatred, persecution, and be burnt with the fire.
The growths of Babylon are as follows:
Ad. 1. The Tower of Babylon.
Genesis 11:3-4
11:3. Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
11:4. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
Making a powerful name for oneself happens because of cleverness, riches, position, et ceterato save and unify.
Babylon was built from bricks which were made from mortar to build the city and tower.
The mortar refers to the men who were made of the dust of the ground.
Genesis 2:7
2:7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Exodus 1:10-14
1:10. "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land."
1:11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
1:12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
1:13. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
1:14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage -- in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
When the Israelites were in Egypt, Pharaoh afflicted them to build the supply cities by making brick from the mortar. It means building the world to be left because of being without Jesus' name. All things are in vain up to perdition.
How great a man is, without Jesus' name he is like a brick that is used by Satan to build the world. He just commits sins up to the peak, so he will be destroyed like the great Babylon.
Matthew 1:20-21
1:20. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
1:21. "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
Outside Jesus' name, all things will be messed up and destroyed. That is why Jesus must come from heaven to save the sinners. Jesus' name is the only one that can unify and save the sinners (brick) as well as lift up to heaven.
1 Peter 2:1-5
2:1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2:2. as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
2:3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
2:4. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
2:5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We must experience the new birth to receive the power of Jesus' name. The facts found in it are as follows:
Hebrews 6:4-5
6:4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
6:5. and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
It is the same as tasting God's kindness. Living in righteousness and just desiring the pure milk of the word mean hearing and obeying the true teaching Word. All things will become good.
As a result, we become the living stones or the beautiful ones.
1 Peter 2:9-10
2:9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
2:10. who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
It is the same as becoming a royal priesthood, namely the priests and kings.
If one does not become as baby anymore, so he does not become simple as well as need the Word anymore, the good thing will become bad up to destruction.
Acts 2:37-38
2:37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
2:38. Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By experiencing the new birth with the blood sign (repenting), the water sign (water baptism), and the Spirit sign (Holy Spirit baptism) we receive the powerful name of Jesus to make all things good and lift us up to heaven.
We do not need to make a name for ourselves by legalizing all ways like the tower of Babylon that will be destroyed.
Ephesians 2:1-2
2:1. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2:2. in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
We have already been dead in sin. It is the same as becoming the brick, namely Satan's tool that has no life.
Ephesians 2:3
2:3. among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
We are played by Satan, so we just follow the lust of the flesh. Consequently, we are by nature children of wrath, so we fall and are destroyed.
Ephesians 2:4-10
2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
2:5. even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
2:6. and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2:7. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
2:8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
2:9. not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2:10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
By grace we have been saved through Christ's sacrifice, and we receive the powerful name of Jesus to make the brick alive. We become the living stones or the priests and kings.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
12:4. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
12:5. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
12:6. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
The priests and kings are equipped with diversities of gifts and differences of ministries in the same true teaching Word. And there are diversities of activities by the love of God the Father.
The gift is started from the yearning to minister. God will give the will to minister.
There are differences of ministries, but the same true teaching Word or one command. We must be responsible in the ministry. The priests are the pillars that must be responsible.
We minister with God's love, so we experience the activities of God up to eternal life.
1 Peter 2:5
2:5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We are used in the building of the perfect body of Christ, starting from marriage, shepherding, and so on. It is the same as placing Jesus as the Head. He is our only hope. He is everything in our life.
Jesus willingly dies on the Place of a Skull or Golgotha to prove that He is the Head who is responsible to His body.
That is why we may not doubt to cry on Jesus' name.
Psalm 124:8
124:8. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
There is the creation power in the name of Jesus to protect and take care of our life in the midst of the difficulties of the world.
There is the helping power, so the impossible thing becomes possible.
Acts 3:5-10
3:5. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
3:6. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
3:7. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
3:8. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.
3:9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
3:10. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
There is the healing power that heals the impossible disease. One who is lazy can become faithful and fervent in the ministry. The uncleanness becomes righteousness and holiness. Failure becomes success and beauty. One who becomes burden for others can become God's witness.
The powerful name of Jesus makes us perfect, so we are worthy to greet Jesus when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds. We enter the New Jerusalem.
God blesses us.
Revelation 17 refers to Aaron's rod that budded, sprouted, and yielded fruits.
We are powerless and have no hope like a rod, but if we are before God and close to Him as well as faithful to Him, we will surely experience the spiritual growth that glorifies His name until we are glorified with Him forever.
But, Babylon or the great harlot is the opposite, namely one who is not faithful to God and others. He is far away from God.
Satan uses the unfaithfulness to destroy the marriage and shepherding.
Revelation 17:1,5
17:1. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlotwho sits on many waters,
17:5. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
The great Babylon is the name of the great harlot who replaces Jesus' name in the church that does not hold fast the true teaching Word and becomes unfaithful, so it becomes the false church.
Revelation 17:14
17:14. "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
The attitude to God's calling determines the faithfulness.
Romans 8:28-30
8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
8:29. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
8:30. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
God calls us to make our life good and glorify us. If we understand God's calling, we will surely become faithful until the finish line, so we win with Jesus and are glorified with Him.
Revelation 17:3-4,15-16
17:3. So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
17:4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
17:15. Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
17:16. "And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
The great Babylon who was extremely pampered in the lust of the flesh by the animal or Satan will be ended in the hatred, persecution, and be burnt with the fire.
The growths of Babylon are as follows:
- The tower of Babylon. It is the beginning of Babylon.
- Babylon in the time of Daniel the prophet that was controlled by the three kings with their characteristics as follows:
- King Nebuchadnezzar.
- King Belshazzar.
- King Darius.
- King Nebuchadnezzar.
- The great Babylon or the great harlot [Revelation 17].
Ad. 1. The Tower of Babylon.
Genesis 11:3-4
11:3. Then they said to one another, "Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar.
11:4. And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
Making a powerful name for oneself happens because of cleverness, riches, position, et ceterato save and unify.
Babylon was built from bricks which were made from mortar to build the city and tower.
The mortar refers to the men who were made of the dust of the ground.
Genesis 2:7
2:7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Exodus 1:10-14
1:10. "come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land."
1:11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses.
1:12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.
1:13. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.
1:14. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage -- in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.
When the Israelites were in Egypt, Pharaoh afflicted them to build the supply cities by making brick from the mortar. It means building the world to be left because of being without Jesus' name. All things are in vain up to perdition.
How great a man is, without Jesus' name he is like a brick that is used by Satan to build the world. He just commits sins up to the peak, so he will be destroyed like the great Babylon.
Matthew 1:20-21
1:20. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
1:21. "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
Outside Jesus' name, all things will be messed up and destroyed. That is why Jesus must come from heaven to save the sinners. Jesus' name is the only one that can unify and save the sinners (brick) as well as lift up to heaven.
1 Peter 2:1-5
2:1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2:2. as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
2:3. if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
2:4. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
2:5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We must experience the new birth to receive the power of Jesus' name. The facts found in it are as follows:
- [verse 1] We must lay aside five major sins or the brick's system or the sinner's ways. Do not take it back! It means repenting, so we have the blood sign--the blood baptism.
- [verse 2] Being as newborn babes. It means experiencing the new birth through the true water baptism, so we have the water sign.
The true water baptism is that one who has died to sin or repented must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him--the heavens are opened--to receive new life or the heavenly one, namely living in the anointing of Holy Spirit. We have the Spirit sign, namely Holy Spirit baptism.
Hebrews 6:4-5
6:4. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
6:5. and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
It is the same as tasting God's kindness. Living in righteousness and just desiring the pure milk of the word mean hearing and obeying the true teaching Word. All things will become good.
As a result, we become the living stones or the beautiful ones.
1 Peter 2:9-10
2:9. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
2:10. who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
It is the same as becoming a royal priesthood, namely the priests and kings.
If one does not become as baby anymore, so he does not become simple as well as need the Word anymore, the good thing will become bad up to destruction.
Acts 2:37-38
2:37. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
2:38. Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
By experiencing the new birth with the blood sign (repenting), the water sign (water baptism), and the Spirit sign (Holy Spirit baptism) we receive the powerful name of Jesus to make all things good and lift us up to heaven.
We do not need to make a name for ourselves by legalizing all ways like the tower of Babylon that will be destroyed.
Ephesians 2:1-2
2:1. And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2:2. in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
We have already been dead in sin. It is the same as becoming the brick, namely Satan's tool that has no life.
Ephesians 2:3
2:3. among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
We are played by Satan, so we just follow the lust of the flesh. Consequently, we are by nature children of wrath, so we fall and are destroyed.
Ephesians 2:4-10
2:4. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
2:5. even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
2:6. and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
2:7. that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
2:8. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
2:9. not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2:10. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
By grace we have been saved through Christ's sacrifice, and we receive the powerful name of Jesus to make the brick alive. We become the living stones or the priests and kings.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
12:4. There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
12:5. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
12:6. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
The priests and kings are equipped with diversities of gifts and differences of ministries in the same true teaching Word. And there are diversities of activities by the love of God the Father.
The gift is started from the yearning to minister. God will give the will to minister.
There are differences of ministries, but the same true teaching Word or one command. We must be responsible in the ministry. The priests are the pillars that must be responsible.
We minister with God's love, so we experience the activities of God up to eternal life.
1 Peter 2:5
2:5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
We are used in the building of the perfect body of Christ, starting from marriage, shepherding, and so on. It is the same as placing Jesus as the Head. He is our only hope. He is everything in our life.
Jesus willingly dies on the Place of a Skull or Golgotha to prove that He is the Head who is responsible to His body.
That is why we may not doubt to cry on Jesus' name.
Psalm 124:8
124:8. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
There is the creation power in the name of Jesus to protect and take care of our life in the midst of the difficulties of the world.
There is the helping power, so the impossible thing becomes possible.
Acts 3:5-10
3:5. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
3:6. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
3:7. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
3:8. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God.
3:9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
3:10. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
There is the healing power that heals the impossible disease. One who is lazy can become faithful and fervent in the ministry. The uncleanness becomes righteousness and holiness. Failure becomes success and beauty. One who becomes burden for others can become God's witness.
The powerful name of Jesus makes us perfect, so we are worthy to greet Jesus when He comes a second time on the glorious clouds. We enter the New Jerusalem.
God blesses us.