Be Ye Separate

Babylon Rising!

 

In the Apostle John’s description of the end times in the Book of Revelation, he draws a vivid picture of Mystery, Babylon the Great, and the woman who rides the Beast in Revelation 17. It pictures the worldwide union of Church and State. The woman, the false church, provides the wine of false doctrine that intoxicates the inhabitants of the earth into believing their evil deeds are righteous, sanctioned by God himself.

 

In chapter 18, John heralds the fall of Babylon the Great at some point in the future, but notice how he describes what that world system is like at its zenith before the fall –

 

Rev 18:3 NKJV  For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,

 

[This relationship is described as “fornication”, the voluntary joining together of body and spirit outside of holy matrimony. This is not sanctioned by God and is anything but righteous. It is idolatrous.]

 

and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

 

Luxury is somewhat of a mistranslation in this context. The Greek word is “strēnos” and can also be translated as, “excessive strength which longs to break forth”. Seems more appropriate in this case.

 

In the very next verse, another voice cries, “Come out of her my people”. Separate yourselves lest you get caught up in it and perish along with the wicked. Similar to when Moses told the people to separate themselves from the sons of Korah before they were swallowed up by the earth. (Num 16:26)

 

 

 

Rev 18:4 NKJV  And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

 

“my people” – come out of her my people – come out of that unholy, idolatrous union that has so infected the people through and through

 

Body and spirit, hearts and minds joined in unholy alliance for the sake of greed and power. The merchants of the earth have waxed exceedingly rich.

 

These merchants of the earth are faring quite well today. In fact, since the Wuhan virus officially struck –

 

U.S. Billionaires Gained $1 Trillion Since The Pandemic Started

650 American billionaire’s wealth increased by $1 Trillion since March 18^th.

Jeff Bezos +$69.4B --- Elon Musk +$101.6B --- Bill Gates +21.4B ---

Mark Zuckerberg +$47B --- Warren Buffet +$20.8B --- ALL +$1.0087 Trillion

The kings and merchants of the earth are presently consorting together with the great false church to expand their influence and bring about this union of Church and State to form the one-world governmental system described in Revelation 17 and 18.

 

According to them, this system is necessary for the conservation of world resources to be allocated carefully in accordance with their superior intellect for the common good of all. What does it matter if they are lavishly compensated along the way in return for their humanitarian efforts?

 

Notice this excerpt from an article posted by NBC News –

 

[Tip of the hat to our brother in Christ, Richard Robbins, for finding this gem.]

 Dec. 8, 2020, 8:17 PM CST

By Haley Messenger

The Pope means business.

Capitalism met Catholicism on Tuesday, as some of the world’s biggest business leaders announced a new partnership with Pope Francis.

The alliance, known as the Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican, aims to create a more inclusive, fair and sustainable economic landscape by taking pledges toward sustainable development goals focused on areas such as climate action, peace and justice, quality education and gender equality.

“An economic system that is fair, trustworthy, and capable of addressing the most profound challenges facing humanity and our planet is urgently needed,” Pope Francis said in a statement.

The Council comprises 27 core members known as the Guardians of Inclusive Capitalism, who represent companies with over $2.1 trillion in market capitalization and 200 million workers.

Included in this unholy alliance are the leaders of Bank of America, Johnson & Johnson, MasterCard, VISA, British Petroleum, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the United Nations. One I’ll mention by name is, Ms. Fiona Ma, the California State Treasurer.

 

They’re led by none other than Lynn Forester de Rothschild, Founder of the Council and Managing Partner of Inclusive Capital Partners and third wife of Sir Evelyn Robert de Rothschild, the heir of the Rothschild family dynasty and financial adviser to the Queen of England.

 

They state this on their website –

 

Knowing that words alone are not enough, each organization is making a series of commitments about how we will operate our institutions to advance
Inclusive Capitalism.
 
TO DATE WE HAVE 232 Commitments
from 31 ORGANIZATIONS

 

This is all part of “The Great Reset” using the moral panic of the COVID-19 pandemic as the catalyst to fundamentally re-make the world system under the control of the elite. Who else would we look to for our salvation?

 

What is The Great Reset? This from their own website –

 

Right now we have a small window of opportunity to reset and shape the future we want.

The Great Reset is a creative industry movement to embed the positive environmental shifts that have happened during lockdown as THE new normal.

Our industry has power and influence but we need lots of people to choose to use it. We must grab this opportunity to help shape a society that puts mankind and our planet’s needs first. To do this we need to:

• Reset ourselves to become agents of change, not just passive receivers of briefs
• Reset our work so what we create promotes sustainable values, attitudes and behaviours.
• Reset our impact by reevaluating what we measure and celebrate as ‘success’

The World Economic Forum, the United Nations, the IMF, even Prince Charles, and the merchants of the earth have spoken. Only they have the power and influence to grab this opportunity. And now they have the harlot of Babylon to assist by uniting world culture under the banner of a single ecumenical religious theme.

 

They will use the moral panic they have created around a virus to bring about the social changes they desire.

 

Are you not familiar with the term, “moral panic”?

 

Moral panic is the social theory introduced by Stanley Cohen in his 1972 book entitled "Folk Devils and Moral Panics."

 

A moral panic is described in this way by Ashley Crossman in her article updated July 14, 2019 entitled, "A Sociological Understanding of Moral Panic".

A moral panic is a widespread fear, most often an irrational one, that someone or something is a threat to the values, safety, and interests of a community or society at large. Typically, a moral panic is perpetuated by the news media, fueled by politicians, and often results in the passage of new laws or policies that target the source of the panic. In this way, moral panic can foster increased social control.

Moral panics are often centered around people who are marginalized in society due to their race or ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, or religion. As such, a moral panic often draws on known stereotypes and reinforces them. It can also exacerbate the real and perceived differences and divisions between groups of people. Moral panic is well known in the sociology of deviance and crime and is related to the labeling theory of deviance.

Examples of this are evident today in the COVID-19 panic and in the social justice warrior movements of Antifa and Black Lives Matter. This is not by accident. These are not spontaneous grass roots uprisings. They have been planned, orchestrated, and funded by the very elite who will usher in The Great Reset framing a new world order.

 

Looking around us at the condition of the world we see, we are no longer slouching toward Gomorrah, we’ve plummeted headlong into it. We are finding ourselves as righteous Lot did, living among the exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD. (Gen 13:13)

 

And just like Lot living in the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah, we must prepare ourselves to live in a hostile world without allowing ourselves to be tainted by it.

 

We are in a war for our hearts and minds. (Eph6:12) When an army takes over a nation the greater war is to capture the hearts and minds of the captives. The enemy is marshaling his forces against us and we better ready ourselves now to protect our hearts and minds from the onslaught.

 

In the World…

 

Jesus Christ prayed these words the night he was arrested.

We read them every Passover.

 

Joh 17:14-17 KJV

(14)  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

(15)  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

(16)  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

(17)  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

 

Why would he pray that? Why not just take out his true believers while he had the chance? All 120 of them! The people of the world are going to hate them and persecute them anyway just like they did him. Why not at least move them to a place of safety?

 

Joh 15:16 KJV  Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Joh 15:18-21 KJV

(18)  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

(19)  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, [separated you, sanctified you] therefore the world hateth you.

(20)  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

 

[But if they do what I say, they will do what you say also]

 

(21)  But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

 

The world will hate you and persecute you because you are not of the world. But you’re in the world for a reason. If he had taken them out of the world at that time, we wouldn’t be here. The gospel of the Kingdom cannot be preached if there are none left to send. (Rom 10:14-15) That’s what Christ was telling them.

 

Joh 17:18 KJV  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

 

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Rom 10:17)

 

So, we’re here for the duration until Christ comes to get us.

We have been commissioned by Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. (Matt 28:18-20) We have been sent to minister to those who oppose themselves and don’t even know it. But perhaps now the disruption and chaos in the world has gotten their attention and their minds are focused on more important things, spiritual things. We must be patient with them apt to teach them the truth when they are ready.

 

2Ti 2:24-26 KJV

(24)  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

(25)  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

(26)  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

 

That’s why he left us here. To develop godly character and multiply the talents we were given, to occupy ‘til the Nobleman returns.

For this purpose, we are to be in the world.

 

… But Not of the World

 

Paul warns us 2 Corinthians chapter 6 to separate ourselves now from those who would spiritually defile us in. This is relevant now in our day. Just as John urged “my people” to come out from among them in Revelation, we can separate ourselves now. We don’t have to wait ‘til later.

In the first half of the chapter, Paul reminds them of all what he and the apostles had been through on behalf of the church at Corinth. Yet despite the trials, they were still cheerful and rejoiced in their calling.

In the second half, Paul appeals to the church to not take their calling lightly, not to receive the grace of God in vain, not to be so cavalier in relinquishing their hold on their sanctified state.

 

But the Corinthian church has managed somehow to drift back into the world and has allowed worldly values to seep back into their lives. Paul tells them they can’t have it both ways. They must separate themselves. They must avoid evil companions and evil practices, and the pollutions of idolators, lest they defile the temple of God, which they are. They are followers of Christ, not only by their profession, but in reality, temples of the Holy Spirit, dedicated to and employed for the service of God and separated from all uncleanness.

It is this exhortation that we’ll examine today, to come out and be ye separate.

 

2Co 6:14-18 KJV

(14)  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

(15)  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

(16)  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

(17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

(18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2Co 7:1 KJV  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

[Excerpted from David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary]

This speaks especially to the issue of influence. Paul is not suggesting that Christians never associate with unbelievers (he makes this clear in 1Co 5:9-13).

The principle is that we are to be in the world, but not of the world, like a ship should be in the water, but water shouldn’t be in the ship! But if the world is influencing us, it is clear we are unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And this unequal yoke, or ungodly influence, may come through a book, a movie, a television show, a magazine, or even through worldly Christian friends. Most Christians are far too indiscriminate about the things they allow to influence their minds and lives.

We all like to believe that we can be around ungodly things as much as we want, and that we are strong enough to ward off the influence. But we must take seriously the words of Scripture: Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits” (1Co_15:33). It needs to come back to the simple question from Rom_12:2: are we being conformed to this world or are we being transformed by the renewing of your mind?

 

Meaning of these words –

Be ye not “unequally yoked” together with unbelievers –You can’t help but find yourself side by side with unbelievers. Be not unduly influenced by unbelievers. It means in a spiritual sense. Often this is applied to marriage. You can’t be of like mind with those who don’t have the same Biblical worldview. It’s discordant. It’s the opposite of a musical chord. In a musical chord, the notes complement one another in a harmonious way. Being unequally yoked with an unbeliever is disharmonious, it’s cacophonous, like musical notes that don’t strike the ear quite right. It’s disquieting, unsettling, even contentious.

What “fellowship” hath righteousness with unrighteousness – You know the feeling that you get when you come to Sabbath services and see our brothers and sisters in Christ who are of like mind and spirit? It’s uplifting. It’s calming. It’s a comfortable feeling that you can be yourself, let down your guard, because these people understand you, and believe as you do. They get it. We are not to have that same sense of companionship with unbelievers. By its very nature it’s going to be a bit more guarded and superficial. You can’t discuss certain things because they have an unrighteous viewpoint discordant with yours and therefore you cannot wholly embrace them as you would a brother or sister in Christ.

What “communion” hath light with darkness – Can light and darkness coexist in the same space? Just as cold is the absence of heat, so darkness is the absence of light. True believers and unbelievers are different as night and day. Communion is participation in common practices as in sharing the same faith and worship. How can we do that in a deep spiritual sense if we’re not eating of the same true bread and drinking of the same living water?

What “concord” hath Christ with Belial – the Greek word is sumphonēsis (soom-fo'-nay-sis) Sounds kind of like another word doesn’t it. “Symphony”. It’s the only place this word is used in the Bible. It means to be in harmony, in complete agreement, as in a covenant. Can Christ be in covenant with Belial? No way! Nor should we be in spiritual agreement with non-believers.

What “part” hath he that believeth with an infidel – a piece of. Is there a spiritual part of us that is part and parcel of an unbeliever? Imagine you have a disposition that is not very Christian-like that is the same as that of another, maybe your father who is not a believer. Maybe you’re too quick to anger, or too judgmental.  Interesting that he chose the word, “infidel”. It has the sense of having a part of their spirit of infidelity as a part of yours.

When you hang out with others, you have a tendency to pick up their attitudes and disposition.

You’ve maybe heard the expression, “birds of a feather, flock together”. Well, the converse is also true. “Those who flock together, become birds of a feather.” The Bible puts it this way –

Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." (1Co 15:33)

 

What “agreement” hath the temple of God with idols – in the sense of approval or assent; tolerance but more than that, to condone. It means to condone or advocate. It’s in the same sense as the LGBTQ community that doesn’t just want our tolerance. They demand our approval, our complete agreement with their lifestyle. We must endorse, sanction, validate, and even celebrate it. This is the sense of the word “agreement” in this context. Would God endorse or celebrate idols in his temple? Would we? Are we not the temple of God?

“touch not the unclean” – the Greek here does not mean touch as we might think of touching something with our finger. Nor is this necessarily a reference to clean and unclean meats, though that would be part of it. The word means “to attach oneself to, to fasten one’s self to, adhere to, cling to”.

We are not to cling to worldly ways. We are not to attach ourselves to the immoral, the covetous, the impure, the foul practices of this world.

Christ gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age. (Gal 1:4) How could we reward his sacrifice by once again entangling ourselves in it and attaching ourselves to it?

 

Gal 5:1 KJV  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

2Pe 2:20 KJV  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

 

Be Ye Separate

 

[Excerpts from The Biblical Illustrator]

Separation unto God is demanded (2Co_6:17). This does not imply we have to be secluded like monks. If the Church is so withdrawn from the world, how would we preach the gospel of the Kingdom to those God calls during troubled times?

“But exactly from what amusements, affiliations, and activities are we to separate ourselves?” Each must be guided by conscience and Scripture to separate ourselves –

·       From all that is condemned by God’s Word

·       From all that is injurious to our spiritual welfare

·       From that which, though not unlawful, is not needful for us, and may set a bad example

·       And even from that about which we are unsure whether it is lawful or not, we must withdraw ourselves.

If a mother is uncertain as to whether some berry that her child wants is poisonous or not, she will most assuredly not give it to her; and if we are undecided as to whether some activity or amusement that clamors for our attention will prove harmful to our [spirit], let us give God, not our hearts, the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Excerpts from The Expositor’s Bible]

We are to have no compromising connection with anything in the world which is enmity with God. We can be as loving and gracious as we please, but as long as the world is what it is, the Christian can only maintain himself in it in a wary and watchful attitude. There always will be things and people to whom the Christian has to say No!

Almost everybody in a Christian Church makes a good start with this task: we cleanse ourselves from obvious and superficial defilements; but how few of us carry the work on into the spirit, and how few carry it on ceaselessly towards perfection.

 

God is more interested in the condition of our spirit than he is the condition of our bodies. Though that is important and he has promised to provide for the needs of the body, he is most concerned with the condition of our spirit.

 

There is an instinct in those who are perfecting holiness in the fear of God which tells them not only what things, what ideas and practices, but what persons, what individual characters - are not to be made friends of.

 

Interestingly, it is recognized at once where our kids are concerned: people are careful of the friends their children make.

 

It ought to be recognized just as easily in maturity as in childhood: there are men and women, as well as boys and girls, who distinctly represent evil, and whose companionship is to be declined.

 

Not denying that an unbeliever may have much that is admirable about him: but for the believer the one supremely important thing in the world is that one thing which the unbeliever denies. Therefore, the more earnest we are about our faith the less we can afford the unbeliever’s friendship. We need all the help we can get to fight the good fight of faith. A friend who remains silent when we stray from the faith, or one whose words trouble it, is a friend no earnest Christian dare keep.

 

Come out from among them, and be ye separate…

And I Will Receive You

 

2Co 6:17-28; 7:1 KJV  …and I will receive you,

(18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2Co 7:1 KJV  Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

 

This is the only place in the Bible that this word is used.

eisdechomai “receive”

ice-dekh'-om-ahee

It means to take into one’s favor: - receive.

It means we are taken into God’s divine favor. It means final acceptance, acceptance into God’s family as one of his very own. It means vindication. It means validation.

 

[Excerpts from The Biblical Illustrator]

Here is compensation for all the sacrifices you may be required to make. What matters it that you leave old fellowships, even father, mother, or children?

Our loving Father is waiting for us. He’s waiting for us to forsake all in this life. He’s waiting for us to forsake even our very lives for his sake.

And he will receive us with open arms.

Like the prodigal son returning home, the father waits for his return and rejoices as he sees him walking up the road.

It is one thing to have the conviction that God made us, and another to be assured that He loves us with as much individual tenderness as if no other created being existed. The infinite God does not love each of us any less because we’re but one of a multitude.

 

Focus On the Eternal

 

Be ever expectant, waiting for the consolation.

Remember the man waiting in the Temple for the Lord Jesus to be revealed to him so he could go to his grave in peace? It says he was waiting for the consolation of Israel. The NLT says, “eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel.” We are the Israel of God are we not? And we eagerly await the Messiah to rescue us. (Gal 6:16)

Luk 2:25-32 KJV

(25)  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy [Spirit] was upon him.

(26)  And it was revealed unto him by the Holy [Spirit], that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

(27)  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

(28)  Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

(29)  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

(30)  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

(31)  Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

(32)  A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

 

We live our lives expectantly waiting for the consolation; waiting for the Father to receive us, to take us into his divine favor at last.

And not we alone.

Even the whole earth and all creation groans in earnest expectation of the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:18-19 NKJV

(18)  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

(19)  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

 

 

Rom 8:35-39 KJV

(35)  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

(36)  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

(37)  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

(38)  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

(39)  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

We shall separate ourselves from the world but nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Come out from among them and be ye separate and our Almighty God will receive us.

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