The Spiritual Roots of Babylon

Let us first revisit the preceding chapters of Isaiah, which consistently address judgment. Indeed, whatever belongs to the world will be judged by God. Among these judgments, Babylon faces the most severe. Isaiah chapter 15 speaks of Moab, chapters 18-19 of Egypt, chapter 14 of Babylon, and chapter 21 revisits the downfall of Babylon. Why does the term Babylon hold such significance in the Bible? Babylon can be traced back to Genesis chapter 11, where the Tower of Babel stood in Babylon. The word Babel is closely related to Babylon, both located in modern-day Iraq. The spiritual root of this place lies in promoting one's own name. When a person promotes their own name, they will face severe judgment.

However, after the Bible narrates how God confused the languages of the people at Babel, chapter 12 introduces Abraham. God tells Abraham, I will make your name great. In other words, if people promote their own name, God will diminish it, even leading to their destruction. But if people promote God's name, God will make their name great. This is a remarkable phenomenon. The spiritual environment of Babylon is characterized by promoting one's own name, love for the world, and indulgence of the flesh. I believe chapter 21 should be titled The Inevitable Fall of the Worldly. Observing the world, one will discover that the pursuits and thoughts of some individuals are identical to those of Babylon.

Those Who Promote Their Own Name Face Judgment

When a person harbors such Babylonian intentions and pursuits, they will, under the influence of the spirit of Babylon, love the world and promote their own name. Consequently, they will face the same judgment as Babylon. Therefore, the prophet Isaiah speaks not only of the nation of Babylon but also of the judgment awaiting those who share the same pursuits. The swatting flies and tigers we see today all exhibit characteristics of Babylon. Their indulgence of the flesh and pursuit of pleasure are typical of Babylon's spiritual state.

A prophecy against the Desert by the Sea:

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland,
an invader comes from the desert,
from a land of terror.
A dire vision has been shown to me:
The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot.
(Isaiah 21:1-2)

The prophet sees a dire vision of treachery and destruction. When one pursues these things, they will be judged. These verses speak of treacherous and destructive individuals who pursue their own names and engage in the culture of the strong. Where does this culture originate? It has roots in Cain, then Lamech, and later Nero, among other great figures.

The subsequent phrase The traitor betrays, the looter takes loot (Isaiah 21:2) signifies that God will raise a new nation: Media and Persia. Media and Persia was an empire greatly used by God, and this Persian Empire destroyed Babylon. When Isaiah wrote this book, the Babylonian Empire had not yet risen; the Assyrian Empire still existed. The Assyrian Empire was overthrown by the Babylonian Empire, which in turn was overthrown by the Persian Empire, and the Persian Empire was overthrown by the Roman Empire. These were the four most powerful empires.

Therefore my loins are filled with agony;
pangs have seized me, like those of a woman in labor.
I am distraught at what I hear,
I am dismayed at what I see.
My heart falters, horror assails me;
the twilight I longed for has become a dread to me.(Isaiah 21:3-4)

When the prophet wrote this passage, he personally experienced the reaction to God's judgment under the dominion of the spirit of Babylon. His reaction was a physical sensation. In other words, a person pursuing Babylon and promoting their own name will experience agony and be seized by pangs like those of a woman in labor. Why does this occur? Because they are pursuing their own name.

Observing carefully, we see that if people try to promote their own name, they will experience these consequences. After experiencing these consequences, they will become distraught. This passage describes the reaction of a person under the dominion of the spirit of Babylon; this reaction is, in essence, God's judgment. When a person experiences this reaction, they should realize that they are promoting their own name. Recently, I have noticed that when I lead people in prayer, some say, Pastor, my knees hurt, my femoral heads hurt, and so on. In their hearts, there is unforgiveness and bitterness, which causes joint pain.

What Belongs to the World Will Inevitably Fall

They prepare the table,
they spread the rugs,
they eat, they drink!
Get up, you officers,
oil the shields!
This is what the Lord says to me:
Go, post a lookout;
let him report what he sees.(Isaiah 21:5-6)

These people are in a state of revelry, so you must understand that the spirit of Babylon is very powerful. To what extent is the spirit of Babylon powerful? Babylon is repeatedly emphasized in Isaiah, and even in Revelation, the things of Babylon are mentioned repeatedly. The spirit of Babylon is closely related to the world.

With a mighty voice he shouted:
Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!'
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every detestable beast.(Revelation 18:2)

This verse says that Babylon is a dwelling for demons, a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every detestable beast.

For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
'I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.'
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her
and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning,
they will weep and mourn over her.
Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
'Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one moment your judgment has come!(Revelation 18:3-10)

Revelation chapter 18 consistently speaks of the fall of Babylon. In other words, Babylon is closely related to commerce, political power, and kings. The evil spirit behind this is extremely wicked. Here, it is observed that even though these revelers have posted lookouts, it is of no use. Then, they see troops of horsemen coming, and the horsemen say that Babylon has fallen, and all the carved idols have been shattered on the ground. What belongs to the world will inevitably fall. Whether in Isaiah or Revelation, this is what is being conveyed.

Do you love the world? Are you pursuing your own name in this world? In fact, many people do not come to church with a heart that loves God but with a heart that loves the world. God punished me because I initially built the church according to the Babylonian model, which was a great sin. I thought I had money, power, and relationships that I could use to support me. If it were about comparing these things, I have read more books than most people, my knowledge is greater than most people, and I learned things very thoroughly. However, those things all belong to the world.

Some people might say, I want to stay by the pastor's side because I can ask him for help with my resume, I can turn to him when I lack relationships, and I can ask him for help when I go for interviews. But these are all worldly things; they are the dark powers of Babylon. How can a church possibly be built through such dark powers? Therefore, after God disciplined me, I came out of this. Any church built through any worldly means will inevitably fall. But thank the Lord that I repented quickly. Although I loved God at that time and my foundation was not wrong, my way of serving was wrong. I must come out of the city of Babylon and come out of the Babylonian way.

No Longer Borrowing the World's Logical Systems

I ended up using it on Brother ZH because he was studying at a private school and only had a white card for one month at that time. In this difficult situation, I used my personal connections once, and never dared to do so again. Thank God, when I came out of the spirit of Babylon and smashed these idols, I no longer used my personal connections. So if someone is looking for a job, even if I can easily help you find one, I will not accept it. May God lead you. Isn't it better that you don't go through personal connections or the world's logical systems? Everyone, don't worry, all carved idols must be smashed to the ground. No matter what you are, no matter what your motivation is, or what form you are in, anything done in a worldly way will eventually be overturned.

I hope brothers and sisters will know to come out of Babylon, because the great city of Babylon must fall. Why does the city of Babylon have a special attraction? Because the kings of the earth commit fornication with it. What does it mean to commit fornication? It means to collude with it. The logical systems used by the kings of the earth are all Babylonian logical systems, and the logical systems used by the merchants of the earth are also Babylonian logical systems. So it is recorded in Revelation: Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

I was quite moved when I read Revelation.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his number, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)

Here it says that the old John saw a sea of glass, and on it were some who had overcome the beast and the image of the beast and the number of its name. So what are these three things? The beast is actually the earthly regime, the image of the beast is the false religion, and the number of its name is the spirit of Mammon. That is to say, Babylon has several characteristics: first, politics; second, economy; and third, religion. These three spirits are very powerful. If you overcome these three, you will stand on the sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. This passage speaks of the overthrow of Babylon, this worldly system.

I encourage brothers and sisters, what is in your heart, the world's logical system or God's logical system? If you have a worldly logical system in your heart, you will often encounter a situation where all disasters come together overnight. This is its characteristic. And when it comes, you will be full of pain, and the pain will seize you, like a woman in labor. I am in pain and cannot hear, I am terrified and cannot see. My heart is in a flutter, terror frightens me. The twilight I longed for has become my trembling. When these corrupt officials in China are arrested, those corrupt officials with the Babylonian logical system, at the moment of their arrest, everything collapses together. So brothers and sisters must not think that you can go far in that logical system. In fact, you can't go far, and the final terror is very deadly.

Those Without Destiny Live in Fear

Verses 11 and 12 speak of the message of Edom. Seir and Dumah are both places in Edom and are representative nouns of Edom.

The burden against Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; return!'' (Isaiah 21:11-12)

What is this saying? It means that these people of Edom are also a worldly logical system, which is just another way of expressing it. Edom is the descendant of Esau, and Esau is the one who lost his destiny and the right of the firstborn. That is to say, a Christian who loses the right of the firstborn and loses his destiny is pursuing everything worldly in this world. There is no destiny in him, and all that is in him is worldly. He will live in fear and will constantly ask, watchman, what of the night, what of the night? We must know that one who lives in the world's logical system will live in fear. Whether you have peace and joy in your heart is a spiritual matter.

A person without destiny lives in fear, not knowing when death will come. The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; what does it mean? It means that death can come at any time, and it is useless for you to be terrified and afraid. When a person loses his destiny, he actually lives in a kind of fear, and this deadly thing can come at any time. What can you watch for? You can't watch for anything.

Next, from Babylon to Edom, from verse 13 to the end, there is talk of another worldly logical system called Arabia.

The burden against Arabia. In the forests in Arabia you will lodge, O traveling caravans of Dedanites. To meet the thirsty bring water; meet the fugitive with bread, O inhabitants of the land of Tema. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, and from the distress of war. For thus the Lord has said to me: Within a year, according to the year of a hired man, all the glory of Kedar will fail; and the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it.'' (Isaiah 21:13-17)

The Arabs are descendants of Ishmael, and Ishmael is the descendant of Abraham and the Egyptian Hagar. So you will find, what characteristics do the descendants of Hagar have? That is, he was born of the flesh. Although God also promised him to become a great nation, and God also provided for him, it was still because he was born of the flesh that he became an independent descendant and could not inherit God's promise. Since he cannot inherit God's promise, those born of the flesh are archers.

Anyone who has the shadow of Hagar on them, or the shadow of Ishmael on them, anything that is not born of faith or God's promise, he will be in this situation. These worldly logical systems, carnal logical systems, and logical systems that have lost their destiny will all become objects of God's judgment. Of course, you can see that Babylon is ranked first among the objects of judgment.

And the remainder of the number of archers, the mighty men of the people of Kedar, will be diminished; for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it. (Isaiah 21:17)

These mighty men of Kedar, no matter how strong you are, no matter how good your skills are, God will deal with you. This is the descendant of Ishmael.

Rejecting the World's Logical System

I would like brothers and sisters to think about one thing, what is the logical system in our hearts? If you are afraid of your boss at work, you are carrying a worldly logical system, because you are afraid of your boss because you are afraid of losing your job. Why are you afraid of losing your job? Because you are afraid that you will not be able to live if you lose your job. In fact, this is not the case. This is the world's logical system.

Those who have the victory over the beast and over his image and over his number are not under this economic control, nor under political control, nor under religious control. These three major controls, we have talked about the several mountains on the Chinese people before. Now I will talk to you about the several mountains on Christians, which are the beast - political, the image of the beast - religious, and the number of the beast's name - economic. Why is the number of the beast economic? Because it was said earlier that those related to numbers cannot do business or the like.

We need to be very clear about one thing, any political, religious, or economic thing is actually controlling people. Is your job closely related to you personally? Do you live by your personal job? No, in fact, people still live without jobs, as long as there is God, because God has the final say. But if people cannot overcome such an environment, you will be very hard, you will live in such a logical system of Babylon, and then be in pain, panic, flustered, terrified, and trembling. Such a state is no different from what Cain and Lamech experienced. They all lived in fear.

After reading Isaiah Chapter 21, know that the worldly logical system will inevitably collapse if you live in it, because God will completely overthrow such a logical system. It's okay if the logical system is overthrown, but it would be troublesome if your whole person is overthrown. It's best not to overthrow the whole person. Put some effort into your own logical system and completely deal with it.