Babylon is not merely a geographical location or an ancient empire; it is a spiritual system—a "deadly mixture"—that stands opposed to the perfection and grace of God (Yah’shua).
To understand Babylon, we must go back past the towers of Mesopotamia, all the way to the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. It was there that the first seeds of Babylonian confusion were sown, and it was there that the "deadly mixture" was first presented to humanity.
Jesus uses a phrase that often causes confusion, if not condemnation, in the hearts of believers. In Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14, He says, "...for many be called, but few chosen."
This phrase follows two of His most powerful parables: the parable of the workers in the vineyard who are all paid the same wage regardless of when they started, and the parable of the wedding feast where one guest is cast out for not wearing the proper garment.
Is this phrase a warning of exclusion, a looming threat that implies our salvation is conditional upon our performance? Or is it a profound revelation of God's unchanging nature and His redemptive plan?
Legalistic preachers often use this text to condemn their audience, preaching, "Get right with God or get left behind!" or "Repent, or you won't be chosen!" This mindset forces people into a law-abiding, Pharisee-like way of thinking. In doing so, they miss the very heart of the Gospel and risk causing believers to fall from grace by returning to a works-based system (Galatians 5:4).
So, what is the true meaning behind Jesus's words?
One of my earliest memories when I became intimately aware of the love and presence of Christ was the ancient Hebrew blessing, Baruch ha ba ha Schem Adonai (בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה)? It's a phrase bursting with deep and intuitive meaning:
"Blessed be He who cometh in the Name of the LORD."
The original Hebrew text cuts right to the heart of it: "Blessed be He who cometh in the Name of Yahveh." This isn't just a greeting; it's a deep declaration of authority, identity, and divine purpose. It is a very personal statement, using the Personal Name of the Blesser Himself.
But who is it that comes in His Name?
There's a subtle, yet dangerous, distortion of a powerful biblical truth propagated in most Christian circles: the idea that the Body of Christ should embrace complacency because "the battle belongs to the Lord." This notion, often spread by well-meaning songwriters and leaders of religious institutions, can unfortunately lead believers to believe they have zero dominion, power, and authority. This is precisely what the enemy desires – for us to believe this lie so he can prance onto the battlefield with pride and joy, unhindered.
Let's unpack this crucial truth, not by dismissing "the battle belongs to the Lord," but by understanding it within the full context and counsel of God's Word, especially through the lens of the fully accomplished work of Christ.
This riddle, given by Samson, isn't just a clever puzzle; like many ancient parables and prophetic utterances (e.g., in Proverbs 1:6 or Psalm 78:2), it carries a deeper, veiled truth. From a New Covenant, grace perspective, it becomes a powerful metaphor for the triumph of Christ and the lavish blessings that flow from His completed victory.
Sometimes it is difficult to see the forest for the trees … or the trees for the forest being bogged down in minutiae and losing sight of what's truly important or how everything fits together. On the other hand our over-generalization may cause us to lose touch with the practical realities because we get too absorbed in our doctrines, our theology and church traditions (Mark 7:13).
The Mirror
Isn't it remarkable how children often mirror their parents? A son might resemble his father, and a father may desire his son to think and act like him. Similarly, a mother often hopes her daughter will follow in her footsteps. When you observe them together, their similarities are striking.
In Genesis 1:26, God declares, "Let Us make man in Our image and likeness." This declaration implies that God intended for humanity to reflect His nature, to behave like Him, to think like Him, and to rule like Him.
The divine declaration, "I Am that I Am," is followed by the creative act of making man in His likeness. This suggests that God desires humans to embody His very essence.
Dug out
Most, if not all, of these feasts are of man-made pagan or occult origins, dedicated to elusive imaginative heathen gods. Should these feasts be celebrated at all?
Imagine Perfection.
Imagine having more than you could ever need, living in a world without danger. Picture a life filled with beauty, tranquility, peace, love, health, and boundless contentment. Imagine a perfect love relationship with someone who couldn't love you more. Imagine the cool of a summer evening, simply being. This is paradise, this is Eden!
Would I stay in such a place? Would I give it up?
We all have a certain standard.
And it has a lot to do with our upbringing and how we are influenced.
So, I looked up what the word standard means, fundamentally.
Isn’t a dictionary a great tool? It shows us what the words we are using really mean, even though we use them randomly, daily and sometimes carelessly.
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Similarly, calling someone a child or childish, offends that person maximally.
However, in the economy of Jesus this is not true and we may even find that the exact opposite is appropriate.
There is this cool, prophetic history in the book of Numbers (13 and 14) which resulted in Joshua and Caleb being the only ones from their generation to enter the promised land - Joshua and the dog ... and the children from the younger generation.
How is this significant?
The higher being concept
Sometimes something happens and we loose control.
Can you remember those cvc children's books where you start off by reading in written text and every now and then a word is substituted by a picture in the sentence?
Here is some logic to start this post of with:
What is so significant about the last three verses of the book of Malachi?
When reading God's Word, how do we read it?And the word of יהוה came unto me, saying,
Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?
Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?
Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? Eze 15:1-5
