BABYLON AND ARMAGEDDON Lesson 12 for June 23, 2018

Babylon the great and the alliance of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet, will be finally destroyed. It’s important to know how the last battle (Armageddon) will take place, so we will be ready to take the right side and avoid being destroyed. BABYLON: What is Babylon? Babylon is fallen ARMAGEDDON: What is Armageddon? The two mounts The end of the controversy

WHAT IS BABYLON? “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” (Revelation 18:3) Babylon was a destroyed and lost city when John wrote the Revelation. Nobody remembered its location. Therefore, Babylon is a spiritual metaphor here. Jerusalem—the city of God—represents those who worship God correctly, and Babylon [confusion] represents a chaotic and corrupt worship. Unfortunately, “all the nations” worship in Babylon’s style (Revelation 18:3)

BABYLON IS FALLEN “And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!’” (Revelation 18:2) Once all the religious systems are corrupted, the Holy Spirit will descend with power on the Remnant. The faithful worshippers who remain in “Babylon” but are unaware will be called out (Revelation 8:1-5) The literal city of Babylon fell when Cyrus conquered it. He diverted the waters of the Euphrates, drying up its riverbed. Spiritual Babylon will fall when the “spiritual Euphrates” is dried up during the sixth plague (Revelation 16:12). Then the last battle will take place: Armageddon.

Har-Mageddon: Mount of Megiddo. Is it a real or symbolic place? WHAT IS ARMAGEDDON? “And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” (Revelation 16:16) Har-Mageddon: Mount of Megiddo. Is it a real or symbolic place? Mount of Megiddo does not exist. Everything is symbolic in the sixth plague: The dragon, the beast, the false prophet, the frogs… If that were literal, there would be no need to dry up the Euphrates to attack Palestine nowadays. Armageddon is the high point of the spiritual worship battle. It’s a battle in the great controversy between Christ and Satan. We are called to keep our clothes washed in the blood of Jesus, because the Second Coming is near (Revelation 7:14; 16:15)

The key question is, who will you worship? THE TWO MOUNTS “Elijah went before the people and said, ‘How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing.” (1 Kings 18:21 NIV) MOUNT CARMEL For God: Elijah For Satan: The priests of Baal and Asherah The false worshippers cannot make fire God is worshipped ARMAGEDDON For God: 144,000 For Satan: the false trinity [Babylon] The false worshippers make fire come down The beast is worshipped As at Carmel, people worship and follow false gods today, but God has true witnesses. This time, the roles are changed, and the people of God are persecuted. The key question is, who will you worship?

THE END OF THE CONTROVERSY “Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” (Revelation 16:19) The destiny of Babylon is determined at Armageddon. Those who decide to worship the beast and its image by accepting a false day of worship will be destroyed “with the brightness of His coming.” (2Ts. 2:8) Those who remain faithful to God—like Elijah—in the final battle will go with Jesus at His Second Coming (1Ts. 4:17) There is no neutral ground in this battle: “He who is not with Me is against Me.” (Luke 11:23)

“The battle of Armageddon will be fought “The battle of Armageddon will be fought. And that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps. The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us and the Captain of the Lord’s host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle.” E.G.W. (Selected Messages, vol. 3, cp. 57, p. 426)