Bible Study On Revelations 18 - The Judgment Of Babylon

A study of the eighteenth chapter of the book of Revelations shows that the day is coming when Babylon will be punished for her misdeeds that brings calamity upon the world on account of the great apostasy into which its inhabitants will be led.

As we seek to connect the dots in the book of Revelations concerning the succession of world events we need to get a better understanding of the role of Babylon in the fulfillment of end-time prophecies. The first hint of Babylon's involvement in last-day events is found in Revelation 14:8. In this particular verse it is said that Babylon has made all nations drunk with the wine of her fornication.

In order for us to determine the meaning of the phrase 'wine of her fornication' we need to determine who this Babylon is. In my Bible study on Revelation 17 I see where Babylon is again mentioned under the symbol of a woman.

The clear biblical interpretation of this 'woman' symbol is said to be "that great city that reigneth over the kings of the earth" (Rev. 17:18), and sits on seven mountains (Rev. 17;9). Furthermore, in the scriptures woman in symbolic form usually refers to a religious entity (a church, see Jer. 6:3; Eph. 5:21-27).

The woman, Mystery Babylon the great, is obviously an impure religion since she is categorized as a whore. And this is what explains the fornication part. Since the woman is a symbol, her fornication cannot be seen as literal; it must also be accounted as symbolic. She commits fornication by departing from her Lord and went a whoring after other gods just as Israel did in days of old (Exod. 34:16; Ezek. 6:9).

As we examine each description as well as the biblical solution to the symbol, we can only be led to one conclusion - this great city that sits on seven mountains is none other than the city of Rome and her religion.

Like Jerusalem, Mystery Babylon was once a faithful city but she has now become a harlot (Isa. 1:21). As a harlot she will lead the world into the same kind of prostitution of which she is accused, and hence, the world will suffer the same punishment that will be meted out against her for such an offense.

But she will not be punished just for her apostasy because she is not just a participant or a mere victim in this whole end-time saga. Even a peripheral Bible study on Revelations 14, 16, 17, and 18 will show clearly that this woman will be very much at the helm dictating world affairs. According to Revelation 17, she will reign over kings and will make the inhabitants of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The eighteenth chapter of the book of Revelation outlines the details of her sins for which she will be rewarded and manner of her retribution. When we consider the extent of divine judgment upon this city of fornication it can only lead us to contemplate the magnitude of her offenses. Certainly, God does not impose punishment more than what the crime deserves.

It is interesting to note the manner in which she will be punished. If we should only confine our Bible study about Mystery Babylon to Revelation 14 alone we may be lead to conclude that God will personally cause fire and brimstone to fall upon that seven-hill city for its iniquity. But based on what we read in Revelation 17, the destruction of Babylon will be the work of the ten kings.

At some point these ten co-rulers with the beast (Rev. 17:12) will have reason to turn against her. A Bible study on Revelation 17 will bear out the fact, "these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." Rev. 17:16. Indeed, God's judgment will be executed upon Babylon at the hands of her own allies (Rev. 17:17).
by: Steve Sterling
About The Author

To find out more about the role of Mystery Babylon in the last days and who will be her chief partners in crime, go to: www.prophecyecourse.com and sign up for the FREE END-TIME PROPHECY SEMINAR on how to interpret Bible prophecy. You may also download a copy of the End-time Prophecy Ecourse.

Steve Sterling is a prophecy researcher who has been studying end-time Bible prophecy for over 25 years. He has written many articles and makes many presentations on the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. His latest contribution to the ongoing debates on the book of Revelation is the End-time Prophecy Ecourse

A Successful Passover Seder

Seder is a great time to reconnect with those people who live with you, whom you know, and your family! Chances are between work, school, social commitments, and other functions you guys don't get to spend much time together. Preparing a lavish meal and sitting down to enjoy it as a family is a great way to develop your familial relationships while having fun.

Food is the best way to gather friends and family for a proper Seder. Nothing gets people to the table like Seder plates overflowing with tasty Jewish foods. Prepare food and ask others who dine with you to bring something too. Even a loaf of bread or a bottle of wine can add to your spread. When it comes to a Passover Seder the more the merrier, especially if they are bringing food.

Make sure you have a family Haggadah for everyone who is coming. You can ask guests to bring their own but this creates confusion. Namely different Haggadahs have different page numbers, even though their contents are the same. You can purchase sets of family Haggadahs and use them for years to come. Last I checked, a sequel to the Haggadah is not underway, so you don't need to worry about your copy falling out of date.

If food and Haggadah reading isn't enough to tempt your family to the table you can always rouse them with Jewish gifts. People love getting and giving gifts. It's a great way to express your love for someone while demonstrating how much you know about them. Jewish gifts are especially meaningful because they speak to your greater, shared heritage and traditions. Anything from a Kipa to a Judaic piece of jewelry is a good Jewish gift.

To add a bit of drama to your Passover Seder, why not use a matza cover? People gather around the table, and at its center is a mysterious item draped in a festive cloth. Then when everyone is gathered and anticipation is running high, voila! Matza! The kids will go wild! You can use the matza cover again when hiding the matza.

Make sure to stock up on Jewish wine before any Seder. Seder's require you to drink a lot of wine. Also most guest will probably want to do some extracurricular wine drinking beyond what the Seder calls for.

So get your invites together, start prepping your food, and dust off that Seder plate. Passover Seder will be here soon. Are you ready?
by: Mark Etinger
About The Author

Whether you need kippas, Seforim, Yarmulkas or the latest in Jewish music - www.eichlers.com is your one stop, online Judaica Store.

 

The World's Finest Worship Training

Worship training is available in many types as of late, from worship conferences to online training and most of it, especially online, is relatively inexpensive. Which means that there are ample opportunities to receive training, but many inexperienced worship leaders either select not to get worship training or cannot find the related materials that can provide them a huge benefit as they be taught to guide their congregations in inspired, anointed worship.

Get the Right Worship Training Your self

Like most types of lessons, worship training requires some time and effort in your half, and often some expense. Some material is offered on the internet without cost, however this tends to be patchy and haphazard at best, that means which you can study the skills over a long period of time, but you cannot shortly and successfully study what you might want to supercharge your worship leading gift. Blogs like ours, for instance, provide numerous material and our free podcast is one other amazing instrument to help younger worship leaders study the skills required to turn into more effective. Nonetheless, the actual training is far more potent, easier to apply and offers far superior outcomes to the countless hours of looking out the web for training!

Different worship leaders provide completely different features of training relying on their explicit slant on the skills you need. Many talk about your motivation and getting your coronary heart proper, and that is extraordinarily necessary, however within the numerous seminars I've run most individuals want me to go a unique direction. What many inform me they need is practical, straightforward to use techniques for making the worship expertise wonderful, together with things like tips on how to mix songs, learn how to go up keys and how to organize and produce the songs themselves.

So in case you are starting out and taking a look at training ideas, be sure you study materials which is sensible and works in your state of affairs to rapidly and effectively improve your worship leading abilities.

Decide to Worship Training for Your Staff

I consider that a terrific worship leader is not solely gifted and anointed at leading worship, however brings the very best out of his staff members. This is the reason you could not only get the most effective worship training for yourself, but it is advisable to cross it on to your staff members in order that they too proceed to develop in their talents and gifts.

Henry Ford as soon as mentioned, �My best good friend is the one who brings one of the best out in me� and that is what a worship leader must be for the crew members. Whether or not they are nice or poor at their instruments or singing, my purpose is all the time to develop their items, skills and relationship with Christ to the point where they continue to develop, enhance and get higher of their field.

So, one of the best training in worship leading is not just one thing you should use but something you can go on to encourage and improve the members of your team. The query is, �How do you introduce worship training to your staff?�

Develop Worship Training in your Practices

The most sensible and effective way to develop training in your team is to do so in practices. Most often, practices are simply rehearsals for the songs being finished on Sunday, or learning new songs, however if you're getting nice worship training yourself, why not put aside quarter-hour to go on some nuggets of fact to your workforce?

Skills like music arranging, mixing songs, going up keys, developing solos and open worship can and ought to be explored collectively as a workforce, and the skills you be taught in your training might be passed on to others. This not solely helps them by enhancing their skills and talents, but it surely additionally builds your credibility with the band and improves the general worship experience.

The world�s greatest Worship Training is something which you could acquire yourself, then pass on to your team members in order that together you can lead your congregation in anointed, dynamic worship!
by: Darin B
About The Author

Darin Browne is an internationally recognized Praise and Worship leader who has been leading worship for over 20 years in quite a lot of churches throughout most denominations in lots of countries around the world. He has produced an unbelievable online training package. Check it out for free at Worship Traning Online

The author invites you to visit:http://worshipleaderonline.com

Spiritual Books

Spiritual books are known to be our best friends for their unconditional love towards us. Reading, generally, has always been one of our favourite hobbies. As far as spiritual inspiration and knowledge is concerned, there is no substitute of acquiring it other than from spiritual books. These books are fuel for our thoughts and beliefs, they provide us the inspiration and courage to stand up for what we feel is right for our growth.

Spiritual books have begun to multiply in number in recent times. And it is true that once we go through the work of writers who have had spiritual inspiration, our lives get changed.

Tired of leading stressful and unhappy lives, people with a desire to lead peaceful lives are resorting to spirituality. Thus spirituality is on the rise. Walking on the path of spirituality not only helps us to realise our real Self, but it also inspires us and drives us to lead a joyous life. If we intend to relax and attain peace of mind we should read spiritual books.

A good way of selecting these inspiring books is to search online for them. We need to select a few good spiritual books available in the market and start reading it religiously. We should make a regular habit of reading them, set up a time of the day for the same, and put our whole mind on it. While reading spiritual books we should not be watching TV or eating or doing anything else.

We slowly begin to see the world around us in a different perspective. We begin to comprehend why a person is behaving the way he/she is. We learn to take things in stride and move on without getting much baffled from his/her behaviour.

Spiritual books help us clarify a lot of our doubts which otherwise seem difficult to resolve. We must believe that our time invested in spiritual reading will definitely change our lives. We become very positive. Our attitude and point of view for life also changes. Realizing our dreams and aspirations will become easy and we shall experience joys like never before.

This blissful experience is an important facet of spiritual inspiration coming through books. Nonetheless, mere reading won�t help us unless we learn to apply these principles in our day to day affairs. Spirituality is not about reading alone, it is about being and becoming. We need to understand the writer�s point of view and begin to follow it in our lives with determination. This is important because without doing this spiritual books will produce no good results.

For people like us who are moved by spiritual inspiration, it is necessary that we seek wholeheartedly until we reach our destination. And once we begin to find spiritual realisation, we must keep seeking until we are convinced, at the deepest level of our inner being, of the eternal reality that God, is our own real Self.

For some of us, this realisation might happen in an instant explosive revelation; for others, it will occur quietly and gradually. Whenever it happens, we will all know.
by: Gian Kumar
About The Author

Spiritual Inspiration means realizing your full potential and attaining success as well as attaining happiness and peace of mind. It is also said, that among all knowledge, there is one that all of us should know, and that is Spirituality. For more information visit: www.booksonspirituality.com

 

The Garden of Forking Paths

Dr. Yu Tsun, professor of English, a man committed to "living in the present," and a Chinese spy for the Germans during WWI, reflects on his great ancestor, Ts'ui P�n, a learned and famous man who renounced his job as governor of Yunnan to undertake two tasks: to write a vast and intricate novel, and to construct an equally vast and intricate labyrinth, one "in which all men would lose their way." Ts'ui P�n was murdered before completing his novel, however, and what he did write was a "contradictory jumble of irresolute drafts" that made no sense to subsequent readers; nor was the labyrinth ever found. Tsun visits a Dr. Albert, who excitedly explains he has solved both mysteries-the chaotic and jumbled nature of Ts'ui P�n's unfinished book, and the mystery of his lost labyrinth; they are one and the same: the book is the labyrinth.

Based on a cryptic letter from Ts'ui P�n himself stating, "I leave to several futures my garden of forking paths," Dr. Albert realized that the "garden of forking paths" was the novel, and that the forking took place in time, not in space. Ts'ui P�n's novel attempted to describe a world where all possible outcomes of an event occur simultaneously, each one itself leading to further proliferations of possibilities. Albert further explains that these constantly diverging paths do sometimes converge again, though as the result of a different chain of causes; for example, he says, in one possible timeline Dr. Tsun has come to his house as an enemy, in another, as a friend. Though thrilled with the explanation, Tsun draws a revolver, and murders Albert. The newspaper headlines, "Tsun Kills Albert," gets the message to Berlin, and Albert Park, the secret location of British artillery, is bombed as Tsun goes on trial. All the paths of past and future, Britain and Germany, converge in the Garden of Forking Paths. (Jorge Luis Borges)

Towards the beginning of the Seder, we hold a Matzah in our hands and break it in two, stepping into the forking paths of history. The paths of past, present and future converge on Pesach as we relive the exodus from Egypt as if we were there, as if it was here, projecting its lessons into the future. We step into the labyrinth of time, considering all possible outcomes of choices, the diverging paths of the two pieces of Matzah.

It is impossible to enter the world of free choice without considering the forking paths. The four rivers of Eden converged and forked because the story was not inscribed in stone. Each choice is an adventure that offers numerous possibilities. Our's too, is a Garden of Forking Paths.

The Metzorah (Biblical leper) prepares for atonement after weeks of being enclosed by the walls of his room unable to step into the Garden, by bringing two birds. One will be offered on the Altar; the other will be released to soar into the sky. He does not know which bird will be offered and which will fly. The Kohen will choose. The Metzorah forfeit his ability to enter the Garden of Choices when he focused only on the negative. The walls that enclosed him were his own. He did not see the world as offering different paths. He saw only one way; his own. The Kohen reintroduces him into the Garden of Forking Paths, the world of choices, and reminds him that he can choose to soar into the garden, or remain stuck in his preprogrammed world; a world of death.

We spend much of the Seder speaking of history and God's promises, and forget His first promise of freedom; a life of free choice, a future of possibilities. I hold the two pieces of the broken Matzah in my hand ready for the Seder as an adventure of choices; which approach will I use this year? I have no idea, other than to live every aspect of my life as a Garden of Forking Paths.
by: Rabbi Simcha About The Author

Learn & discover the Divine prophecies with Rabbi Simcha Weinberg from the holy Torah, Jewish Law, Mysticism, Kabbalah and Jewish Prophecies

The author invites you to visit:http://www.thefoundationstone.org

Life Is About Evolution

If you truly want to be a person of influence you first have to embrace evolution. Wisdom will always let you know that fighting change is definitely a losing battle so it is imperative that you move towards being a more evolved enlightened human being. One of the great principle of life is stated this way; "Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change."

If you truly want to transition or transform from someone who moves through life unconsciously to a person who becomes the wealthy individual who's completely aware of and completely at ease with all things around him or her then you must embrace change. It doesn't matter at all where you are from or what you've done in the past, you're never trapped in any circumstance, relationship, cycle, or situation unless you say and/or believe you are. It's always better to take each and everyday and treat it just as it is; a new day with new opportunities to do what's right.

If you're at a point in your life where you realize you're going in the wrong direction which means you're producing the wrong results then simply in most cases do the opposite of what you're doing right now. Trust me this will make a world of difference and you'll almost see small and/or big result quickly. I know this is easier said then done but when you add courage and persistent practice to your constant thought pattern that's saying "it's time to make the necessary changes" then I'm absolutely sure you'll make great progress in living a more happy and fulfilled life.
by: Dee Gibson
About The Author

I'm a man that loves to empower everyone on how to become better.
The author invites you to visit:http://www.imperfectchristians.com