The bringing in of the evening light by the Holy Spirit has been the clearing away of much mystery from prophetic texts. The voice of the angel said, in speaking to Daniel, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end.” Dan. 12:4. We have reached the time of the end—the evening, and the book is unsealed and revealed and the “wise understand”; but “none of the wicked understand.” Many texts of Revelation were fulfilled and understood when the evening light flashed across its pages. We will quote a few.
Revelation 14:6-8.
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, [pg 478] and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Angel is from the Greek anggelos, and means agent or messenger. “Heaven” does not refer to the glory world above, but to the work of God and heaven here upon earth. This angel is a messenger or servant in the work of the Lord. He has the everlasting gospel to preach to the people. The burden of his ministry is, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” The evening or time of the end is reached, the hour of God's judgment, the time of the bride's especial preparation for the coming of the bridegroom. This ministry is closely followed by another messenger declaring, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
“Babylon is fallen.” This is a prediction against mystery Babylon the great and her harlot daughters—Catholicism and Protestantism. This God's pure ministry has been preaching for the last two decades. Sectism is in a fallen condition. It is fallen into the depths of worldliness. She has opened her bosom and invited the world in to revel with her. She has prepared [pg 479] a potion of charming delusive spirits, by which she has intoxicated and inflamed the blood of nations. In the last few years the concerts, fairs and socials are frequented by both the professed Christians and non-professors, and in their dress, conversation, and general manner, they are undistinguishable. Sectism to-day in not enticing people to enter her fold by preaching the everlasting gospel, but she allures them by her seducing love decoction of lewdness, worldliness and licentiousness. Babylon is fallen.
Some of the Old Testament texts contain a spiritual import. “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompense.” Jer. 51:6. This language is especially forcible at this present day. We have reached the time of the Lord's vengeance.
“Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.” Jer. 51:7. The woman (mystery Babylon and her daughters) sitting upon the scarlet-colored beast had a golden cup in her hand. Rev. 17:4. The day was, as we have before spoken, when God did save some souls in sectism and gave them the Holy Spirit's power. But Satan has succeeded in emptying the golden cup of that which was divine and filled it with intoxicating potions that have allured nations to commit fornication with her.
“Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” Jer. 51:8, 9. Babylon can never be healed. She will not be healed. She is irredeemable. Destruction is her doom. “Forsake her and let us go every one into his own country.”
Hear the lamentation of the children of God in their captivity in Babylon: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows, in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” Psa. 137:1-4.
Perishing souls in sectism would love to serve God better, but in their captivity they can not sing the songs of praise and glory.