Babylon

“Your merchants were the great men of the earth.” Rev. 18:23.

Commerce is one of the harlot’s methods of working. In this verse her workers are described as merchants. This is the harlot’s way of spreading God’s kingdom on earth. We are well aware of the crude and manifest deceit of the Catholics: “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Businessmen only think in terms of their own personal advantage and financial gain.

The truth is the narrow way, and it is hard to bear. You do not gather many followers, nor can you count on much financial gain by speaking about the narrow way. If you want any financial gain, you have to turn the gospel into a lie. We have already seen how this is done, and there are hundreds of preachers who travel around and offer heaven at the cheapest price. The important thing for them is to gain followers—customers. They do not do as Jesus did when some came and wanted to follow Him. He showed them the “eye of the needle” and pointed them to the narrow gate. “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!” Notice how Jesus confronts them with the eye of the needle. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matt. 8:19-20.

Another said, “Let me go first and bury my father.” Then came the eye of the needle. “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” “And another also said, ‘Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.’” But Jesus replied, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

“Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

Jesus was not seeking financial gain from them; therefore He could speak like that. He was not eager to win followers who were financially well-off. Not at all! He said, “Give [it] to the poor . . . and come, follow Me.” We can see that Jesus was not a businessman.

The minister’s salary is a great problem in denominational assemblies, and it is important to agree on an amount. “How much will I get for preaching the gospel? What will my salary be? I used to earn well in times of revival! How are we going to get money in the collection? Let us try and get him to speak here for a while, because he draws large crowds that bring in the money we need just now, because the treasury is just about empty! No, we cannot afford to invite him, because he charges a minimum of . . . for each meeting,” etc.

Those who are not entirely bewitched and who have even the slightest insight into the internal affairs of the various assemblies must conclude that the whole thing is just business. When they want to print special Christmas, Easter, or Pentecost issues of their magazines, they use advertising tricks that we recognize as coming from the world. They are well illustrated, have an attractive cover, and the contents are light and entertaining. You can hear that the advertisements cater to the first man—the flesh. “This is good business, an appealing and profitable publication!”

“Babylon the Great” is truly a fitting name for the harlot. She is compared to a merchant city. Her merchants were great men on this earth. How many preachers there are who have become great in this world! The Pope in Rome is evidence that defies all contradiction. And look at her daughters. The higher up you are in the denominational hierarchy, the more of this world’s glory you will receive. You become a man with status and prestige. You are on familiar terms with the rich in this world, and you gain influence. You gain the ear of the local politicians, as well as those on the national scene. There is no aroma of death coming from you that would make them feel uncomfortable. 2 Cor. 2:15-16.

Even in Paul’s time he could say that the many were corrupting God’s Word for personal gain. But the people are drunk—drunk with the wine of the harlot’s fornication. They are bewitched because all this activity is supposedly carried on in Jesus’ name and for spreading God’s kingdom. “Shame on you for writing such things about religious work! All you do is judge!” This is the cry we hear from the drunk and bewitched. They want none of Daniel’s light, searching into their relationships and affairs while their business is so profitable.

“I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.” Rev. 17:6.

Many have had to lay down their lives in the battle against all this witchcraft, and there will doubtless be many more martyrs in the future. Rev. 6:9-11. The harlot’s first murder victim was Abel. Cain also brought an offering, but he was earthly, and Abel’s offering judged his sacrifice. “Repent!” “No, I would rather kill Abel.” This is how the harlot began to drink the blood of the saints. She has continued to do this relentlessly down through the ages.

You who read this and are beginning to resent the light of Abel’s sacrifice, you too are beginning to shout with the masses, “Away with Him!” I would like to give you a warning: Wake up from your bewitched state and acknowledge the truth, and it will set you free. Think this over! It is not the work of the bride that falls under this judgment, but the work of the harlot. If you defend it, your end will be terrible! Rev. 18:21. “But there is also some good there,” you say. Of course there is, because in all this sorcery, good and evil are mixed together. The very essence of the harlot’s work is to mix good and evil, pure and impure, holy and unholy, flesh and spirit, heaven and earth. “Therefore thus says the Lord: . . . ‘If you take out the precious from the vile, you shall be as My mouth.’” Jer. 15:19. “And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Ezek. 44:23.

Do not be afraid of God’s Word that divides and separates. Go out from the harlot!