River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-10

III.
We all remember the history of the
ancient city Of Babylon, with its most
wonderful walls and its hanging gar
dens. We all remember that it was
built across the River Euphrates, which
flowed through its center and was
supposed to protect it fully from the
hazard Of invasion. Besides its vast
storehouses of food it had the river
fer its water supply Babylon was
therefore considered impregnable.
Mystic Babylon, Christendom of our
DAY, is most mastery organization.
Its walls are built of ignorance and
superstition. whose great foundations
were laid centuries ago Ancient
Babylon's great gates of brass, which
came down to the level of the Eu-
pirates, represented Mystic Babylon's
worldly wisdom. human ingenuity and
dexterity of organization, to maintain
the control Of the symbolic waters and
to protect the "city'' from a possible
approach from that direction.
In the symbolic language of the
Scriptures the word water has two dis
symbol for Truth; (2) Water also sym
bolizes revenues from outside people
and Kingdoms. In harmony with this
latter thought we read that the woman
with the golden cup sits upon many
waters; land the waters which thou
sawest are peoples. and multitudes.
and nations, and tongues" Revela-
ton 17:1-15.) This woman" does not
reign over one nation or people alone;
her rule is catholic, or general; for all
nations were made more or less drunk
with her false doctrines" The water
of the River Euphrates, flowing
through Babylon. might therefore be
understood to symbolic the peoples
and nations supporting Mystic Baby
Ion by contributions. tithes, offerings
The Euphrates to Be Dried Up.
In the Revelation not merely is the
name Babylon used long after the an
cient city was SO blotted out of exist
ence that for centuries it's site was un-
known, but the symbolic description in
cludes also the River Euphrates. OF
that great river we read, THE water
thereof was dried up. that the way of
the Kings Of the East might be pre-
pared" Q6:12.) If we are correct In
our Interpretation that the waters of
that river signify revenues from all
nations. the drying up of the river i'm
plies a cessation of the revenues of
Babylon, decline in the contributions
which heretofore have made her
from rich and poor of all nations for
her support
1t is in full accord with this Divine
prediction Of what is yet to come
that we hear cries of distress rising
from all denominations, both Catholic
and Protestant, to the effect that the
revenues of the churches are being
dried up" and this at time when the
world is larger in population and In
wealth than e#er before.
History tells us that ancient Babylon
was captured by Cyrus the Great and
his army after a siege of considerable
length, which was unsuccessful until
his soldiers digged fresh channel for
the river and turned aside it's course.
Thus was the River Euphrates dried
up; and the Medo-Persian army entered
the ancient city suddenly in the night
While these events were occurring, the
princes of Babylon, corresponding to
the notables Of Christendom, were
holding high carnival, rejoicing in their
security, Boosting of the strength of
their walls, the impregnability of their
gates and the sureneSS Of their waters.
AS then they were using the golden
vessels of the Lords Temple from
which to drink their wine, so now, in
the hour of Mystic Babylon's fall, we
may expect something to correspond to
this-a spirit of boastfulness, of pride,
of intoxicatiOn with error, apparently
drawn from the Divine Word
At this moment of their exuberance
there appeared In Belshazzar's ban
quet-hall a hand, which wrote the
words, "Mene. Meme, Tekel, UphGrsin'-
the days of your rule have been num-
bered by God and are finished; you are
weighed in the balances and found
wanting; your kingdom is divided and
given to the Modes and the Persians
Daniel 5:25-28.) The strong symbolic
language used in respect to Mystic
Babylon corresponds so we'll to the
prophetic language respecting ancient
Babylon that we are warranted in IN
Outstanding that city to have been a
prototype Of Mystic Babylon and her
fall prefgure of Christendom's fall.
"FIee Out of Baby on"
When foretelling the disaster upon
Babylon the Prophets of Israel gave to
Gods people the message, Flee out of
Babylon; deliver every man his SOUL
his life-and terrible descriptions.
which seem grossly exaggerated unless
we view the matter from the stand
point already suggested the ex-
periences of the ancient city were fig
urative and prophetic of the much
more serious experiences of Mystic
Babylon. then long future. If further