Babylon the Great

**Babylon the Great** is the World empire of false religion.

## World religions

There are sincere people in all religions. It is good news that God sees those people and cares about them. But, religion has been used for evil ends (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4; 11:13-15). According to news reports, some religions are even involved in terrorism, genocide, war, and child abuse (Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 12).

The Christian person glorifies God, but religions including Christendom, displease Him. They teach ideas that are not in the Bible, including false teachings about God and about the dead. But God wants people to know the truth about him (Ezekiel 18:4; 1 Timothy 2:3-5).

God is not deceived by religions that claim to love him, but who are really in love with the World and things in the World (James 4:4). God’s Word refers to all false religion as “Babylon the Great”. Babylon was the ancient city where false religion began after the Flood of Noah’s day. Soon, God will bring a sudden end to religion that deceives and oppresses mankind (Revelation 17:1, 2, 5, 16, 17; 18:8).

## False practices

Millions were brought into the Church from Paganism. Pagan priests became christian priests and the pagan holidays came to be called by christian names—Christmas, Easter, and Valentine's Day being some of these holidays. Christmas is a pagan celebration, deriving from Saternallia, that focuses on pleasures, and involves idol worship.

The cross is a Pagan symbol used to identify with Christ's execution. However, *stau·ros`*, the torture device that Jesus died on, does not mean a cross, rather it's a long thick stake typically made of timber. Wearing the cross, a misrepresentation of Jesus execution, as an adornment, finds its way into idolatry.

## Get out of her

God has not forgotten the sincere people who are scattered among false religions worldwide. He is uniting such people by teaching them the truth (Micah 4:2, 5). People who love God are willing to make changes to please him. The Father, God Jehovah, cares about people who love what is true and good. He urges them to leave false religion behind (Revelation 18:4).

In the first century, when sincere people heard the good news from the apostles, they responded with joy. They learned a new way of life from Jehovah, the "Living God" — a happier way of life with a purpose and a hope. They are a good example for us today because they responded to the good news by putting God Jehovah first in their lives (1 Thessalonians 1:8, 9; 2:13).

The Father, God Jehovah, welcomes into his family of worshippers those who turn away from false religion. If you accept God's warm invitation, you will receive his friendship, a new and loving family of fellow worshippers of Jehovah, and everlasting life (Mark 10:29, 30; 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18).

## Babylon exiles

An example for Christians to get out of Babylon can be studied about concerning the Jewish exiles leaving Babylon in the sixth century BCE (Isaiah 52:11). Those exiles were returning home to Jerusalem primarily to rebuild the temple and restore true worship (Ezra 1:2-4). God wanted his people to leave behind all traces of Babylon’s religion. Notice that He gave them a series of commands: “Touch nothing unclean,” “get out from the midst of her,” and “keep yourselves clean.” Jehovah’s pure worship must not be tainted by false worship. *Spiritual cleanness* involves keeping free of the teachings and practices of false religion.

## Judgement

God will bring joy to every land through the coming judgment on false religion. It will bring worldwide relief from oppression. Never again will false religion mislead and divide mankind. Everyone living will be united in the worship of the only true God (Revelation 18:20, 21; 21:3, 4).

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 GN, *What Is the Good News About Religion?*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 God's Kingdom Rules!, p. 100-104
3. ↑ *stau·ros`*, falsely depicted as a cross, was a hanging pole.

	* “The Greek word [stau·ros`] properly . . . means merely a stake.”—Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.
	* “A pole in the broadest sense. It is not the equivalent of a ‘cross.’”—Crucifixion in Antiquity.
	* “A strong stake, such as farmers drive into the ground to make their fences or palisades—no more, no less.”—History of the Cross.
	* “It never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle, but always of one piece alone.”—The Companion Bible.
	* “An upright pale or stake . . . It never means two pieces of wood joining each other at any angle.”—A Critical Lexicon and Concordance.