奧秘的巴比倫─啟示錄
接下來我們將來看啟示錄十七章7-18節，這裡更進一步闡釋『奧秘的巴比倫』─『大淫婦』與她的工作。
天使對我說：你為什麼希奇呢？我要將這女人和馱著她的那七頭十角獸的奧祕告訴你。
你所看見的獸，先前有，如今沒有，將要從無底坑裡上來，又要歸於沉淪。凡住在地上、名字從創世以來沒有記在生命冊上的，見先前有、如今沒有、以後再有的獸，就必希奇。
智慧的心在此可以思想。那七頭就是女人所坐的七座山，
又是七位王；五位已經傾倒了，一位還在，一位還沒有來到；他來的時候，必須暫時存留。
那先前有如今沒有的獸，就是第八位；他也和那七位同列，並且歸於沉淪。
你所看見的那十角就是十王；他們還沒有得國，但他們一時之間要和獸同得權柄，與王一樣。
他們同心合意將自己的能力、權柄給那獸。
他們與羔羊爭戰，羔羊必勝過他們，因為羔羊是萬主之主、萬王之王。同著羔羊的，就是蒙召、被選、有忠心的，也必得勝。
天使又對我說，你所看見那淫婦坐的眾水，就是多民、多人、多國、多方。
你所看見的那十角與獸必恨這淫婦，使她冷落赤身，又要吃她的肉，用火將她燒盡。
因為神使諸王同心合意，遵行祂的旨意，把自己的國給那獸，直等到神的話都應驗了。
你所看見的那女人就是管轄地上眾王的大城。
許多書以『奧秘的巴比倫』─『大淫婦』，還有十角和七頭為主題。在第9節說到七頭就是『女人所坐的七座山』。對這些古人而言，包括約翰與他的直屬門徒，清楚指出這女人坐的山頭就是羅馬。正如18節所陳述的，羅馬是以『座落在山丘上的城』聞名，也是約翰啟示錄時期管轄地上眾王的大城。所以在1855年復臨運動之前，每個人似乎一致同意此大淫婦就是羅馬。在復臨運動期間，開始發展出新的末世論，就是啟示錄所投射的每件事都會在未來應驗。
再一次，此淫婦被稱為『奧秘的巴比倫』，因為此雛形是在巴別塔發生的。人的愚昧以為他們能靠自己的智慧與能力來蓋通天的塔，所以主變亂他們的語言，好讓他們不再做如此愚蠢的事。同樣的事在康士坦丁大帝於羅馬統一天下時發生，他們以為可以靠自己的智慧、能力與權力，就可以在地上建立神的國，所以主以同樣方式來阻止此愚蠢的事─透過變亂他們的語言。現在我們有超過上萬種不同的派別或『語言』。
我們必須棄絕我們可以倚靠自己的智慧、力量或能力就可以帶出神的國的愚行。我們必須謹記在心，主會祝福許多祂不會居住在其中的事。因著亞伯拉罕是祂所揀選的器皿，神就祝福以實瑪利，但將以實瑪利帶出來並不是神的意圖，而是亞伯拉罕試圖幫助神來實現祂的旨意。因此，我們必須定意追求祂的同在，而不單是祂的祝福。
耶穌將建造祂的教會，祂將成為教會唯一的頭，祂是祂教會合一的唯一根基。我們試圖使用來使神百姓合一的每個其他教義或方法，最後只會將他們分散的更遠。唯有高舉祂，人才會真正被帶向合一。這即是何以使徒所傳的福音『傳基督是從死裡復活了』（哥林多前書15:12）。』
整個教會需要認出並為我們的歷史悔改，承認那是『我們的歷史』，不單是『天主教』的歷史。事實上每個教會運動都跌入中古世界領袖所跌入的同樣事情中，倘若我們沒有認出來，並為這些事情悔改，我們將繼續這麼做。我們必須回到使徒的福音，傳揚耶穌與復活，並定意活出使徒在耶穌裡的信心，而不是在我們裡面的。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week12, 2018)
Mystery Babylon—The Book of Revelation
Week 12, 2018
Rick Joyner
Next we will cover Revelation 17:7-18, which further elaborates on and identifies this “Mystery Babylon,” the “great harlot” and her works:
Then the angel said to me, "Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
"Here is the mind that has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.
The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
"The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.
These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."
Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth" (NKJV).
Many books have been written on the subject of this “Mystery Babylon”—the “great harlot”—as well as on the “beast” with ten horns and seven heads. The seven heads are identified in verse 9 as “the seven mountains on which the woman sits.” To the ancients, including John and his direct disciples, this clearly identified Rome as the place where the woman would sit. Rome was known as the “city on seven hills” and was also identified at the time of John’s Revelation as the city that reigned over the kings of the earth, as stated in verse 18. So, everyone seems to have concurred that the identity of this harlot was Rome until the 1855 Advent Movement. It was during this movement that eschatology was developed that projected everything in the Book of Revelation as being fulfilled in the future.
Again, this harlot is called “Mystery Babylon” because of the way that it models what happened at the tower of Babel. Men foolishly thought that they could build a tower to heaven by their own wisdom and strength, so the Lord scattered their languages so that they could not go on with this folly. The same thing happened when Christendom was united under one head in Rome. They thought they could establish the kingdom of God on earth by their own wisdom, might, and power, so the Lord thwarted this folly in the same way—by scattering their languages. We now have over ten thousand different denominations, or “languages.”
We must renounce the folly that we can bring about the kingdom of God on earth by our own wisdom, strength, or power. We must keep in mind that the Lord will bless many things He will not inhabit. Because Abraham was His chosen vessel, God blessed Ishmael, but it was not His intent to bring Ishmael forth—rather, it was Abraham’s attempt to help God out in bringing forth His purposes. Thus, we must resolve that we will pursue His presence, not just His blessings.
Jesus will build His church and will be the only Head of the church. He is the only basis for the unity of His church. Every other doctrine or method that we try to use to unite God’s people will only end up scattering them further. It is only by lifting Him up that men will truly be drawn together in unity. This is why the apostolic gospel “preached Christ and the resurrection from the dead” (see I Corinthians 15:12).
The whole church needs to recognize and repent of our history, acknowledging it as “our history,” not just the Catholics’ history. Virtually every other church movement has fallen to the same things the leaders during the Middle Ages fell to, and we will continue to do so if we do not recognize and repent of these same things. We must return to the apostolic gospel, preaching Jesus Christ and the resurrection and resolving to live by the apostolic faith that is in Jesus, not ourselves.