⁴ And upon her forehead was a name written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH: the Whore of Babylon, sitting on the beast with many names. This is the false church that sold her body to the world, mixing herself with the world, embracing the pride, greed, pleasures, envies, wars — pretending to be the pure bride of Christ. How is she a whore? Proverbs tells us: She naively embraces evil, and knows nothing. She promises understanding, but gives nothing but lies. She shares her bed with the world; embracing possessions, wealth, covetousness, power, sexual pleasures, elegant furnishing, pride, an overabundance of food, much idleness, prestigious clothing, grand buildings like castles, etc. She promises you wisdom, understanding, God's approval, and eternal life — without any requirements of change in your life, without any discipline, without any reform, without any restraint of your lusts and passions — all she asks is your loyalty and financial support. Give her that, and she will assure you that you are one of God's favorites, destined for wealth, on your way to heaven, and with no need to do anything except celebrate your salvation. But all her promises are like the lying promises of a whore, which she is, constantly committing adultery with the world. But she is grand, 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 the filthiness of her fornication. She lives in magnificent buildings, richly furnished, with music, choirs, music directors, organs, rock and roll bands, candelabras, chandeliers, beamed ceilings, stone archways, stained glass windows, entertainments, food, social gatherings, people dressed in rich clothing, etc. This whore and her whore master, the beast with horns like a lamb and many names of blasphemy, tells you that Jesus loves you just like you are: a slave to sin; it doesn't matter, he will be your excuse, you need do nothing except go through a few rituals and ceremonies periodically. No need to change your heart, no need to repent, no need to give to the poor — give to her, so she can maintain her rich lifestyle and make you proud to be a member of her prestigious, admired-by-the-world assembly. Babylon means confusion, and confusion has veiled the true hope and faith from being realized, substituting ritual and a form of godliness without power, to supposedly justify and excuse continuing to live in sin, in enmity to God. From the Word of the Lord within: "Babylon is great and mighty. Babylon the great: aggrandizement of self. Oh Christendom, be not at ease in Babylon!"

Isaac Penington's BABYLON THE GREAT DESCRIBED, THE CITY OF CONFUSION, IN EVERY PART WHERE ANTICHRIST REIGNS is available for reading on this site, and it is in amazing detail, yielding complete understanding of the false church, the Whore, and her ways.

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