The title of the prior post spoke of Judgment Day, and it being a Day of Darkness and of Ignorance Covering the World. Today a deeper look into the word of God and His explaining the ignorance and darkness as a result of men teaching their own creations, thereby confusing themselves and those they have led astray from His Truth.
We know Babylon speaks of the state of confusion that now covers and captivates the world. We also know its fall into self-destruction is what is spoken of in the latter chapters of Revelation.
Be it know, as we begin to look into and speak the truth we will unavoidably, without fear, stir up those mired in this ignorance, they unwittingly rising to the defense of the darkness, which they have not only been taught, but also hold others in its confused grip.
Revelation 17 tells of Babylon as a great mystery, saying, “And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.”
The Greek word musterion here rendered “mystery,” is used three other times in the book of Revelation, each time speaking of the same secret surrounding the same seven headed beast and the unfaithful women who rides it/them.
In Revelation 1:20 we are told of the “mystery” being of the seven angels of the seven churches, meaning the mystery being uncovered in this book of Revelation (apocalypse – removing the covering) is the messengers of the churches and more specifically their falling away into corruption and confusion.
In the verses prior we read of the LORD telling John not to fear, and of His being first and the last, and having the keys to unlock death and hell. This is speaking of the seals that are eventually unsealed, as the mystery, piece by piece, is uncovered.
Revelation 1
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.
The same two-edged sword, we read of in verse 16 above, coming from the mouth of the LORD, is the same fiery sword that later comes from His mouth in the destruction of Babylon. It is telling of His word as the key, and when they and the book are silenced/closed there is confusion and hell, and when He opens and speaks there is salvation. We know from Revelation 5 what is unsealed is the book, that was locked when it became corrupted by this falling away.
Revelation 5
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders says unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And have made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that lives for ever and ever.
Before going on it is important to understand the mystery is Babylon – the secret is the confusion of those trying to make themselves seem as if they have some knowledge, which they don’t have because the LORD hasn’t sent them nor has He told them anything (except to repent).
To this point we understand what Peter and Paul are telling us when many times they speak of the false prophets who will be among us – these messengers (angels) of death in the churches. We know from Peter, in 2 Peter 2, that these false teachers will bring, have brought, in damnable heresies even denying the LORD who bought them. We know from Paul, 2 Thessalonians 2, that the day of the LORD doesn’t come until this falling away (from God and His truth) has occurred, and these men infest all the judgment seats.
We know from Paul, 2 Corinthians 11, the true identity of these men who make themselves out to have greater knowledge, knowing every detail as their means of weaving their web of deceit. “13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
The mystery is the confusion, and by it the people of God are unable to know the time, unable to see what is right in front of their face. AND they will never see it as long as they are listing to those who have told the lies, or expecting them to lead them out of what they have led them into.
They know what Revelation 18 says of their city they have built, and it being in flames as their works of corruption are burning. They refuse to repent because they are protecting their own kingdom and cursing God to do it. They do the work of Satan by keeping God’s people from seeing the time, because if they did see it they would know exactly what they must do.
So, the minions, the masses of confusion, will attack this truth until their end, choosing to perish rather than repent. They have chosen their end.
The next use of the word musterion is in Revelation 10:7 speaking of this sounding off. Again, we see the book being open as what ends the mystery, and it becoming in the mouth of the reader words as sweet as honey.
Revelation 10
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spoke unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make your belly bitter, but it shall be in your mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This takes us to this time and those hearing my words but not understanding them, because of the confusion caused by these fallen away messengers, of Babylon, confusion the mother of the fallen away (harlots).
The word musterion is actually used twice in Revelation 17, the first as we have seen to tell of the secret of the confusion (mystery Babylon), and the other as John (the angel delivering God’s words) explains the “mystery of the women,” beginning in verse 7.
The further description is found in verse 8, when we are told of the one perishing. We are also told prior of this one as being drunk in the blood of the prophets and martyrs of Jesus (killing off those God has sent to correct them). We know from our recent studies this is telling of the pattern the LORD speaks of in Matthew 23 where he ends saying:
Matthew 23
31 Wherefore you be witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the prophets.
32 Fill you up then the measure of your fathers.
33 You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom you slew between the temple and the altar.
36 Truly I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets, and stones them which are sent unto you, how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not!
38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
39 For I say unto you, You shall not see me henceforth, till you shall say, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD.
John then goes on to tell of his seeing this and wondering with great admiration. Greek word here rendered “wonder” is thaumazo, from thauma, the word translated as “admiration.” A more correct rendering of the words should include the ideas of the wondering being of not understating or perceiving the end of the events being seen. This is understoond in its being immediately followed by the further description giving understanding to those not having the mark of confusion (in their heads).
There we are told of these many, who we are later told of having one mind (the wicked one as the many), and fighting against the Lamb (the many with the mind of Christ). These wicked men are those who infest what “was” the church, became not the church by falling away (“is not”), and now they go into perdition (perishing), and all the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life, wonder (thaumazo). They wonder because of the confusion, unable to understand what they are seeing, because they are looking for something else (the lie that will never come).
The Mystery Babylon is the established church fallen into this final eighth form in total confusion. This is why we read in Revelation 18 the LORD Calling his people out from among them, as we have seen in Hebrews 13. There we are called to go outside the camp, to meet the LORD, bearing his light burden, yoked together with him in the reproach bought upon us by knowing Him, and preaching this repentance in spirit and truth.
Revelation 18
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double.
7 How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the LORD God who judges her.
Therefor the LORD says in 2 Corinthians 6:2. “I have heard you in an acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I have rescued you.” Then in verse 16 He says, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” He then in verse 17 & 18 tells us, “Wherefore, come out from among them, and be separate, and touch no unclean thing (defiled by the dead), and I will receive you, and be a Father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters.”
We are called to come out from under the confusion they have caused to cover the earth in total darkness. And without our doing so we will never see the time nor will we see/know the LORD.
The above, 2 Corinthians 6:17 calling us to come out from among them, as does Revelation 18, quote from and refer to Isaiah 52:11, and thereby the full chapter giving us the necessary context.
Isaiah 52
1 Awake, awake; put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake yourself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose yourself from the bands of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus says the LORD, You have sold yourselves for naught; and you shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus says the LORD God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
5 Now therefore, what have I here, says the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, says the LORD; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that does speak: behold, it is I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Your God reigns!
8 Your watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, you waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 Depart you, depart you, go you out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go you out of the midst of her; be you clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.
12 For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.
13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14 As many were astonished [wondered] at you; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
