by Dr. Vance Havner
O ftentimes old names are given to new places. Novelist 0. Henry called New York, “Bag dad on the Subway.” In a biography of Calvin Coolidge the former president is called “ Puritan in Babylon” . I cannot think of a better name for Coolidge or Washington. The name of Babylon runs throughout the Bible and, in its applications, throughout history. Years ago, a remarkable book, “ The Two Babylons” set out to prove that the mys tery religions of ancient Babylon have been per petuated through the centuries and appear in Ro man Catholicism today. Of course, such a book would, be frowned upon by liberal scholars now. With Rome making advances toward Protestantism and Protestants beginning to fall in love with Rome, to mention such a position would bring down upon our heads the charge that we are with out Christian love and holy tolerance. One has only to check with the Bible and his tory to discover that the story of Babylon from start to finish — and we have not reached the end — is one of the most astounding records in the annals of mankind. It starts with Bab-el, “ the gate of God,” where men tried to build a tower to heav en. You will remember that God had said, “Let us make man” and after the flood man said, “Let us build us a city and a tower and let us make us a name.” Then God said, “Let us go down and there confound their language.” That is history in a nut shell. God makes man. Man builds his Babel. God confounds man and we have been living in that confusion ever since. But there is another chapter. Babel was man’s effort at unity and God cursed it with tongues that no one could understand. Pen tecost, when God come down again, was God’s plan of unity and He blessed it with tongues that everybody could understand. Babylon began with Babel, founded by Nimrod, the arch-apostate of the patriarchal age. Babylon became one of the most fabulous cities of all time and the mother of pagan religion that persists to this day. There is no more amazing record in all 10
history than the way the mystery cults of that day have permeated the world in countless chang ing forms and variations, counterfeits of the true, unto this very hour. God separated Abraham from all this idolatry but God’s people Israel were plagued with it and under Jezebel it was grafted into their religion and brought about their captivity. In Baalism it corrupted Judah as well. Nowadays the minister who preaches on Thyatira is strictly up-to-date, for Jezebel is still with us and Babylon still flour ishes. The Book of Revelation tells us of a future and final Babylon, man’s last civic masterpiece, the counterfeit of the heavenly Jerusalem that comes down from above. Some scholars believe that a literal Babylon will be built on the site of the old metropolis. Others hold that Rome is meant. Still others see only a figure for concentrated evil as opposed to God and His “ history within his tory.” John on Patmos saw a vision of a harlot riding a scarlet-colored beast. Together they represent the final Babylon in two aspects, the one ecclesiastical, the other political, the final amalgamation o f a col lectivized humanity into a world-church and world- state under Antichrist. The harlot is Satan’s coun terfeit of the true bride of Christ, His church, and the political Babylon is Satan’s false imitation of the Kingdom of God. Antichrist is also a false Christ, a pseudo-Christ, a false Messiah, whom a deceived humanity will gladly receive. This frightening, monstrous double-deception is growing before our very eyes today and many fine church people are being deceived thereby. This is the beast of Revelation 13 and his number is 666 which Dr. Torrance says is “ the number of so- called Christian civilization without Jesus Christ. It is the number of every attempt to organize the world in a form that appears marvellously Chris tian but is in reality anti-Christian.” We are re minded today of the unholy mixture of the sons of God with the daughters of men before the flood. THE KING'S BUSINESS
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