Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End

 Babylon's end is good news for Jehovah's people, but how do the nations view it? John tells us: "And the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her and lived in shameless luxury will weep and beat themselves in grief over her, when they look at the smoke from the burning of her, while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and say, too bad, too bad, you great city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!' " - REVELATION 18:9, 10.

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated -"Get Out of Her, My People" - Conclusion

 Under the Mosaic Law, if an Israelite stole from his fellow countrymen, he had to pay back at least double in compensation. (Exodus 22:1, 4, 7, 9) In the coming destruction of Babylon the Great, Jehovah will apply a comparable standard of justice. She is to receive twice as much as she gave out. There will be no mercy to temper this justice because Babylon the Great has shown no mercy to her victims. She fed parasitically on the peoples of the earth to keep herself in "shameless luxury." Now she will experience suffering and mourning. Ancient Babylon felt that she was in an absolutely secure position, boasting: "I shall not sit as a widow, and I shall not know loss of children." (Isaiah 47:8, 9, 11) Babylon the Great also feels secure. But her destruction, decreed by Jehovah who "is strong," will happen quickly, as if "in one day"!

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing At Babylon's End

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My Children"

 The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah's words in his letter to the Corinthians, saying: "Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what fellowship; do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? . . . 'Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,' says Jehovah, 'and quit touching the unclean thing,' " The Corithian Christians did not have to leave Corinth in order to obey that command. They did, however, physically have to avoid the unclean temples of false religion, as well as spiritually separate themselves from the unclean acts of those idol worshipers. In 1919 God's people began to flee Babylon the Great in this way, cleansing themselves of any residual unclean teachings and practices. Thus, they were able to serve him as purified people.  - 2 CORINTHIANS 6:14-17; 1 JOHN 3:3. 

Ancient Babylon's fall and eventual desolation was a punishment for her sins. "For clear to the heavens her judgment has reached." (Jeremiah 51:9) Similarly, the sins of Babylon the Great have "massed together clear up to heaven," so as to come to the attention of Jehovah himself. She is guilty of injustice, immorality, oppression, robbery, and murder. Ancient Babylon's fall was, in part, vengeance for what she had done to Jehovah's temple and his true worshipers. (Jeremiah 50:8, 14; 51:11, 35, 36) The fall of Babylon the Great and her eventual destruction are likewise expressions of vengeance for what she has done to true worshipers over the centuries. Indeed, her final destruction is the beginning of vengeance on the part of our God." - ISAIAH 34:8-10;61:2; JEREMIAH 50:28. 

Next time: Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My People" - Conclusion

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My Children"

 How, though, do God's people get out of Babylon the Great? In the case of ancient Babylon, the Jews had to make a physical journey from the city of Babylon all the way back to the Promised Land. But more was involved than that. Isaiah prophetically told the Israelites: "Turn away, turn away, get out of there, touching nothing unclean; get out from the midst of her, keep yourselves clean, who are carrying the utensils of Jehovah." (Isaiah 52:11) Yes, they had to abandon all unclean practices of Babylonish religion that might tarnish their worship of Jehovah. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My People" - Continue

Strong words, those! So action is required. Jeremiah urged the Israelites in his day to act, saying: "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, . . .  For it is the time of vengeance belonging to Jehovah. There is treatment that he is paying back to her. Get out of the midst of her, O my people, and provide each one his soul with escape from the burning anger of Jehovah." (Jeremiah 51:6, 45) In a similar way, the voice out of heaven warns God's people today to flee from Babylon the Great in order not to receive part of her plagues. Jehovah's plaguelike judgments on this world, including Babylon the Great, are now being proclaimed. (Revelation 8:1-9:21; 16:1-21) God's people need to separate themselves from false religion if they themselves do not want to suffer these plagues and ultimately die with her. Besides, remaining within that organization would them share in her sins. They would be as guilty as she is of spiritual adultery and of shedding the blood " of those who have been slaughtered on the earth." - REVELATION 18:24; Compare EPHESIANS 5:11; 1 TIMOTHY 5:22. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My People!"-Continue

 Is it really so urgent to flee out of Babylon the Great, withdrawing from membership in the world's religions and making a complete separation? It is, for we need to take God's view of this old-age religious monstrosity. Babylon the Great. He did not mince words in calling her the great harlot. So now the voice out of heaven informs John further concerning this whore. "For her sins have massed together clear up to heaven, and God has called her acts of injustice to mind. Render to her even as she herself rendered, and do to her twice as much, yes, twice the number of the things she did; in the cup in which she put a mixture put twice as much of the mixture for her. To the extent that she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, to that extent giver her torment and mourning. For in her heart she keeps saying, 'I sit as a queen, and I am no widow, and I shall never see mourning.' That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong" - REVELATION 18:5-8.

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - "Get Out of Her, My People"

 John's next words point to a further fulfillment of the prophetic pattern: "And I heard another voice out of heaven say: 'Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receiver part of her plagues.'" (Revelation 18:4) Prophecies of ancient Babylon's fall in the Hebrew Scriptures also include Jehovah's command to his people: "Take your flight out of the midst of Babylon." (Jeremiah 50:8, 13) Similarly, in view of the coming desolation of Babylon the Great, God's people are now urged to escape. In 637 B.C.E. the opportunity to escape from Babylon caused much rejoicing on their part. (Revelation 11:11, 12) And since that time millions of others have obeyed the order to flee. - Compare MATTHEW 24:15, 16. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - The Traveling Merchants - Conclusion

 As foretold by the glorious angel, religion has been deeply involved in such corrupt business practices. For example, there is the Vatican's involvement in the collapse of Italy's Banco Ambrosiano in 1982. The case has dragged on through the 1980's, until the unanswered question being: Where did the money go? In February 198 Milan magistrates issued arrest warrants for three Vatican clerics, including an American archbishop, on charges that they were accessories to fraudulent, but the Vatican rejected an extradition request in July 1987, amid an uproar of protest, the warrants were nullified by Italy's highest Court of Appeals on the basis of an old treaty between the Vatican and the Italian government. 

Did Jesus have a tie-in with questionable business practices of his day? No. He was not even a property owner, for he had "nowhere to lay his head." A rich young ruler was advised by Jesus: "Sell all the things you have and distribute to poor people, and you will have treasures in the heavens; and come to be my follower." That was fine admonition, for it could have resulted in his getting rid of all anxieties over business matters.  (Luke 9:58; 18:22) In contrast, Babylonish religion often has unsavory links with big business. For example, in 1987 the Albany Times Union reported that the financial administrator of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, Florida, U.S.A., admitted to the church's owning stocks in companies that make nuclear weapons, R-rated movies, and cigarettes. 

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Chapter Thirty-Six/The Great City Devastated - The Traveling Merchants - Continue

 International trading in arms is soaring beyond $1,000,000,ooo,000 each year, while hundreds of millions of humans are deprived of life's necessities. That is bad enough. But armaments appear to be a basic support of the world's economy. On April 11, 1987, an article in London's Spectator reported: "Counting only directly related industries, some 400,000 jobs are involved in the U.S. and 750,000 in Europe. But curiously enough, as the social and economic role of building weapons has grown the actual question of whether the producers are well defended of has slipped into the background." Huge profits are made as bombs and other weaponry are traded all over the earth, even to potential enemies. Some day those bombs may come back in a fiery holocaust to destroy those selling them. What paradox! Add to this the graft that surrounds the arms industry in the United States alone, according to the Spectator, "every year the Pentagon inexplicably loses $900-million worth of arms and equipment. It is no wonder that the merchants of the earth come up unfavorable mention in Revelation!

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Chapter Thirty -Six/The Great City Devastated -The Traveling Merchants

 Who are "the traveling merchants of the earth"? No doubt we would today call them traders, commercial giants, wheeler-dealers of big business. This not to say that it is wrong to engage in legitimate business. The Bible provides wise counsel for business people, warning against dishonesty, greed, and the like. (Proverbs 11:2; Zechariah 7:9, 10; James 5:1-5) The great gain is "godly devotion along with self-sufficiency." (1 Timothy 6:6,17-19) However, Satan's world does not follow righteous principles. Corruption abounds. It is to be found in religion, in politics-and big business. From time to time the new media expose scandals, such as embezzlement by high government officials and illegal trafficking in arms.

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