THE STRATEGY OF "MYSTERY BABYLON"
by Pam Clark (pamclark@prophetic.net)
Rev 17:3-6 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Many of us have been led or perhaps even led ourselves to the wilderness because of the spirit of Mystery Babylon. What is this spirit? We can tell from the context that it is not a woman but rather symbolism for the false or anti-Christ or harlot Church.
The word "mystery" here in the Greek is the word: musterion, which is derived from the word, muo, meaning (to shut the mouth); a secret or "mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites): - mystery.
We could consider all the "secret organizations" out there but we can also consider the "rites of friendship" that are based on secrecy and "sacrifice" and the value of "trust only me." In Christ you are free of those things. Often things like that are only the satanic snare of a set up to take your life in one form or another. They set you up for unGodly commitments. People who are Christian come to the Light and present the Light as the way to go, to shine it on a hill for others to SEE.
But the enemy knows that if he can flatter a Christian and make them think they are unique and "special," that he often has them right where he wants them. It may not be apparent at first, but later you realize the dishonesty and other's lack of commitment and your weakness is exposed. How many illicit activities take place under "secrecy"? Circumstances will be manipulated to lead you the wrong way. Of course it is always justified in the beginning and the importance of guarding "the truth" with secrecy is a very big deal. And there is often a rite that goes with it that leads the victim into other rites that are not so honest or legal.
We are snared into "pledging our love, faithfulness and fidelity", and we know that "bad things" will happen if we share or betray this confidentiality. The result may be a "loss of love" or an endeared project or person and to betray it means everything "will fall apart." It's "Mystery Babylon." Some will enforce it with force and even death. Blind loyalty will be demanded "at all costs" and it will be.
This is something that we must understand by the Spirit because "the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him" but if you read the rest of that verse in Psalm 25:14, it finishes with "and He will show them His Covenant."
Deuteronomy 29:29 says "The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. "
There is a reward for getting it right in the Spirit. The "way" may be a mystery, but the evidence is shown in love and blessings and good fruit. The "way" is the way of wisdom and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear is that God enforces His way and transgressors will be punished.
When people want to enter into "secret covenants" (where the word "coven" also comes in), you must discern the purpose of the "secret." Is the darkness to hide the Light or to hide you or others from the Light? When people want power or goods illegally, they will enter into "covenant relationships" that are not based on God's Word, or in a distorted meaning of it.
Often when you confront them on this, you will get the response of Jezebel, a spirit that gets extremely angry and threatens and many times destroys. The destruction is pure evidence of unholy fear and intimidation and the fruit of an evil alliance. Since Satan is also known as an "angel of light", which is a Bible term for a form of deception, it means that it will present itself as "a good angel" or messenger when in fact the true motive and goal is a temporary pleasure that leads to destruction.
The adulterous temptress in the book of Proverbs shows the mixture of this temptation. She "paid her vows" and now can afford "the secret." Wrong!
Proverbs 7:6 "For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
The wounded are tempted because they will believe this is the path of justice, but the truth is that the enemy just sees it as an easy kill. The enemy comes only to kill, steal and destroy and he will not do otherwise. Humans will get snared in that they will believe the compromise. But even strong ones get fooled by the attraction of it and lose everything - whether it's business or family or a Godly reputation.
As the Church in this nation, we have often not seen the compromise until way after the fact. It is here and then that we need to seek the Lord for His Deliverance. He is wondering if we will even understand and ask. When we do, He acts. He cannot fellowship and share who He is and walk together with us if we are not agreed.
It's sad when we have not been taught to see this early on but the point of this article is to tell you now. Wisdom cries in the streets, it's even on the news on a daily basis. God is calling, we just must hear and answer and then turn to His ways.
"Shhhh! I can't tell you. It's a secret. You are the 'only one' who knows..." and you can pretty well be sure you are probably not the only one who knows! After being its victim you can often see when others are in the snare.
Sometimes God is using this to make us reach out to Him with more strength. Our inner man begins to yearn and travail and this develops a spiritual strength or inner stamina. This inner strength will allow us to confront other spiritual situations and prevail, and the last days battles will be more spiritual than natural.
But this is why knowing the true Spirit is so important. God will use contrasting situations to make us call out to Him. When we are in the company of believers we should be able to freely and strongly share the truth about many things.
John 3:20-21 "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Spiritual elders in the Church are not a legal council as much as they are those who have walked with God and know Him well. Those who really know Him well, knows how He operates and they can offer wisdom. Wisdom will restore and judge those who refuse to be restored. Their stand is not based on a system of man but on the power and truth of the Holy Spirit. It works!
Agreement in God becomes a Spiritual force and haven for life and righteous living. All mankind will be exposed to the truth and then be given opportunity to determine their choices. The point of our travail is for those who may have been deceived for a season and the truth was hidden or veiled in a mixture.
Isaiah 30:20-21 "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."