Mystery Babylon and the One World Church have many very sharp characteristics. One of those characteristics is usually called “Replacement Theology.” There are certain religious groups that are Biblical in some areas of their beliefs but proponents of “Replacement Theology” in another area. I do not believe we can characterize all of these as Mystery Babylon, but they have a tendency in that direction. What is “Replacement Theology”? It is the belief that the true Christian church has taken Israel’s place for the whole of the church age and for the whole of the future. Israel as a distinct people or a specific nation has no future prophetically according to this theological view. Nothing could be more wrong and contrary to Scripture.Anyone that denies Israel as a chosen people and a chosen nation is aiding and abetting the Antichrist and his developing “One World Religion.” I must be fair to everyone, so I say kindly that not everyone that believes this false idea of “Replacement Theology” hates the Jewish people. But anti-Israel or anti-Semitism is usually the end result of “Replacement Theology.” When the chosen people of the Father Himself are relegated to the back burner of Biblical thinking, the process that follows is naturally contrary to truth. There are several major doctrines that cannot be reconciled to any idea that rejects the nation of Israel. The millennial reign of one thousand years has a profound Jewish connection. The Seven Years of the Great Tribulation has a clear connection to Israel as a nation, to the Jews as a people, and especially to the third temple. Every prophetic event on the calendar is left in confusion when Israel as a nation and as a chosen people is removed.
Anti-Israel designs of any description are demonic. Satan has hated God’s chosen people from the moment Abraham was called. This occurred many years preceding the name of “Israel” being given to Jacob as he wrestled with God. It was all part of the seed of woman and the promise of the Messiah. Trace the Bible truth and its history of revelation from the first mention of the seed of woman to Abraham and, from there, all the way to the cross. Then, pull Abraham and Israel out and God’s great design becomes absolute folly. God is sovereign, and His great plan of redemption is absolutely perfect. No stone has ever been left unturned as God has guided those chosen to effect His final plan. To read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, to see the prominence of the people of the coming Prince and King of Kings, and then to try to remove them out of this eternal mosaic of redemption is folly. The whole picture of the harmony of the Bible is full of holes when Israel is rejected in the end time events.
Nothing reveals the missing links and emptiness of present day theology more than the rejection or confusion surrounding Israel. The whole Bible is a Jewish book. To throw the Jews out is to render the Bible broken and destroyed. This effort is out of the imagination of unconverted man. It is inspired by none other than the fallen angel that God cast out of heaven, and God has prepared Hell as his final abode. As we approach the final hour, it is to be expected that Satan will take out all the stops to destroy God’s plan and the family that was part of the Father’s gift of His only begotten Son.
Anti-Israel at the Highest Level
Two extraordinary movements are occurring simultaneously in the church world. These two movements cannot be so intimately related by accident. The church world has become tolerant of everything and everybody, including homosexuals, Muslims, and every kind of religious faith right down to paganism. At the same time, the Jews are out of favor. That kind of thinking is bizarre and mindless. The Muslims are in, but the nation of Israel is out. The homosexuals are becoming priests and ministers, but the Jews are the troublemakers and the cause of world tension and wars. The liberals on the left in the church are ready for anything but Old Testament believing Jews and New Testament believing Christians. Satan is the only possible source for such diverse thinking right in the house of God.
The Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) recently made the decision to begin the process of divesting its monies from all companies that do business with the nation of Israel. After the Presbyterians made this decision, the World Council of Churches, representing three hundred and forty denominations, issued a call to member churches to do the same. We are talking about Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Methodists, United Church of Christ, Lutherans, and almost every worldwide church. Numerous visits by delegations of religious leaders to Israel or Arab countries have ended in statements of support for almost anyone and everyone, except Israel. One group of Presbyterians met with the terrorist group Hezbollah, and later issued a statement blaming Israel for the conflicts.
Let me share a report by the “Institute on Religion and Democracy” that studies the human rights efforts of mainline churches. This report included the United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), and the World and National Council of Churches. The report was for the years 2000-2003. They found, “…that one hundred ninety-seven human-rights criticisms by mainline churches and groups, thirty-seven percent were aimed at Israel and thirty-two percent at the United States. (That translates to seventy-three incidents attributed to Israel and sixty-three attributed to the Untied States. Ed. Note) Only nineteen percent of these criticisms were directed at nations listed as ‘unfree’ in Freedom House’s respected annual listing of free, partly free, and unfree nations. So Israel was twice as likely to be hammered by the mainliners as all the unfree authoritarian nations put together. The fixation on Israel left little time and inclination for these churches to notice the most dangerous violations of human rights around the world. Not one nation bordering Israel was criticized by a single mainline church or group, the IRD report says. No criticisms at all were leveled at China, Libya, Syria, or North Korea.” (Institute on Religion and Democracy) What a travesty of judgment by religious leaders.
Bishops of the Episcopal Church in Massachusetts conducted a demonstration in front of the Israeli Consulate proclaiming a “Christian-Muslim alliance”. South African Anglican Bishop, Desmond Tutu, announced that Israel is an “apartheid state.” Liberal religious leaders are happily using this charge to promote their “hate Israel” campaign. The Catholic Church has preached “Replacement Theology” for hundreds of years and promoted their Amillennial view that Israel has no future as part of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on this earth. It has become impossible to find fellowship with local religious leaders without embracing the Muslims, the Hindus, the Mormons, and almost every conceivable expression of religion. Bible believers must prepare for religious isolation in every community of the world. It is not future; it is present.
It’s a Miracle: America is Still Pro-Israel
Only God could have enabled America to still be so strongly pro-Israel. The Pat Buchanans and the Robert Novaks (both anti-Israel) are out there, with many others, and the liberal left is extremely soft, when not critical, on Israel. Were there not many Jews in Hollywood and Washington, both politicians and wealthy businessmen, the liberals would quickly follow the anti-Israel rhetoric of Europe. The Clintons embraced Arafat during their eight years in the White House, but President George W. Bush is staunchly pro-Israel. His decision to support a Palestinian state in the nation of Israel is prophetically demanded, although I would imagine obnoxious to him. If there is one God-fearing characteristic of America that is honored by God, it is our defense of this tiny nation called Israel. Because of this, I am expecting a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit in revival to at least touch the godly remnant of saints in America with a harvest of souls.
There is a host of Evangelicals that are strongly pro-Israel but are slowly melting into the framework of the One World Church. The Catholics are making incredible in-roads in Evangelical circles. No religious denomination in the world has been more openly anti-Israel than Catholicism. Arafat and other terrorists have been embraced by the Pope and by Catholic spokesmen. A growing attitude that you meet among Protestants and Evangelicals is the false assumption that the Catholic Church is the Mother Church, and all of the denominations are breakaways from them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Catholicism hijacked the church in the capital city of Rome in the fourth century, but God had a true church that never bowed to this pagan imitation. In spite of the apostasy in religious circles, the Eternal God will inspire enough Americans to continue to be pro-Israel until the end.
Theological-Bent Toward Mystery Babylon
The Charismatic movement has utterly robbed the large portion of Pentecostals of their prior fundamental foundation. The Pre-Tribulation, Pre-Millennial truths were foundational to the Pentecostal world until the Charismatic movement emerged. Many of the leaders of the early Charismatic days came out of churches that were mainline denominations with very little theological strength. They knew practically nothing about end-time theology, and what they did know was skewed. This weakness in understanding the great eschatological revelations left them vulnerable to any human revelation that developed. Consequently, the “Kingdom Dominion” theology has swept a large portion of them into this ancient Catholic thinking. Fifty years ago, when I came to faith in Christ, the great strength of these churches was a yearly prophecy conference where everybody packed the churches to learn about our Biblical future. That day is long gone among Pentecostals.
“Replacement Theology” is automatically the new thinking when anyone embraces “Kingdom Dominion” theology. It cannot be both ways. There is no kingdom future for the nation of Israel if the church is going to establish the kingdom. If the Paul Crouches, Pat Robertsons, and Rick Joyners are going to lead the world into a one-world church, then Israel as a nation is out and has no national future. Either Jesus Christ returns with His saints after the seven years of Tribulation to establish the Kingdom, or this mind-distorted view of an unbiblical church does it with their schemes and mystery revelations. Benny Hinn had a revelation on television with Paul Crouch in which he saw Trinity Broadcasting Network becoming the revelation of Heaven on earth. He said, “Men won’t need to go to heaven to see it, they can look at TBN and see heaven.” (Benny Hinn on worldwide television). It’s all a progressive slide into “Mystery Babylon”.
The Biblical Truth Will Prevail
It’s thrilling to proclaim the absolute infallible Word of God that Biblical truth will prevail. It is not maybe, but factual, that: “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (St. Matthew 5:18b) It is beautiful to search the Word of God and to view God’s future plans, written in advance. There are some great Bible truths that “…we see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12), but there are many great truths that cannot be confused. Biblical eschatology has been laid out in the Book of Revelation in perfect chronological fashion. The two books studied the least, and denied the most are Genesis and Revelation, yet those are the two books where every foundation of Scripture is beautifully provided.
The chronological picture of the end time events is given to us by Jesus Christ in that great piece of Divine literature called “The Book of Revelation”. The order is simple. The church age ends at the conclusion of chapter three. The church is never called the church from chapter four until the end of the book except one time when He is reaching back before chapter four to warn the church of His coming. The saints are called elders from chapter four until chapter nineteen, verse fourteen, where they become His army and follow Him back to the earth as He and the saintly army defeat the Antichrist and proceed to establish His kingdom on earth. “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (Revelation 19:13-14)
Between the time when His elders are seen in Heaven after the supernatural Rapture in chapters four and five, and the scene in chapter nineteen, a seven year tribulation or redemption for mankind and this earth will occur on this planet. From chapter six through chapter eighteen, Jesus lays out the scene of darkness and judgment on this earth. Instead of a great church movement of dominion on earth, it is an apostate church of Mystery Babylon, led by religious harlots and big-time preachers doing the business of Mystery Babylon. We have a world full of “big-time religionists” who have denied “old-time religion”, and they are preparing to do the business of the Antichrist and his false prophet. Many are denying that there will be a literal Antichrist individual. Rick Joyner says that “the man of sin is the sin of man.” They are obligated by their theological confusion to deny many great revelations of the “Book of Revelation.” The “preterists” say that the book of Revelation was all fulfilled in the first century when Rome destroyed Jerusalem. Another false idea is to relegate this book to a non-literal mosaic depicting spiritual warfare between good and evil. The latter view is popular with Charismatics in Dominion Theology. Nobody has the right to deny literal truth.
Israel is clearly in the very center of these developing events. It was Biblically proclaimed that Israel would be back in her nation and that it would be in a trouble-saturated time. “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zechariah 12:2-3)
The prophets spoke of the Seven Years of Tribulation as “Jacob’s Trouble”. “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” (Jeremiah 30:7)
But then, the prophet Isaiah saw the hand of God bringing Israel to her knees in repentance. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zechariah 12:10)
When Jesus returns with the Raptured church, then to be called “His army”, the nation of Israel will rejoice at His coming and receive Him as their King. Even the Eastern Gate entering onto the Temple Mount has been closed for centuries awaiting the Messiah to enter triumphantly. Jesus Christ will make Jerusalem His world capital, and He will rule Israel and the world from the throne of David. To remove Israel out of this developing triumph and glory is the ultimate blasphemy. All that do so shall pay a bitter price. For one thousand years, He and His national family of Israel, and His glorious Bride, the saints of the ages, will reign over a new paradise of earthly glory. The long-awaited Sabbath will have come.
Mystery Babylon, and her hordes of deceived church denominations and members, will be judged with the Antichrist, the false prophet, and the “One World Church”. The Bible tells us that they will worship at our feet, and confess the error of their religious schemes. “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:9-10)
Be faithful to the infallible truth of holiness and Biblical living. Come out of Babylon and all the religious facades. If it is not totally true to the Bible, you must not allow its error to fill your heart or mind. Some will say “pick the meat off the bones”, but half-truth is always more dangerous than lies.
Joseph R. Chambers