Hi Fester,
Here is a couple of emails to add to what Maques has posted.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,6335.0.html ---------
>I do have a question for you about the mystery,
> Babylon the Great, in rev 17:5. When I read further
> down in verse 18, it said that "the woman whom you saw
> is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the
> earth". It doesn't speak as though she was a
> religious system as you've stated. Could you give more
> insight that I may have missed?
Ray's reply:
A "city" in this case is used of a "religion." See Gal. 4:25-31--Jerusalem in Israel and Jerusalem ABOVE are two women--two RELIGIONS; two CHURCHES.
http://bible-truths.com/emails.html#Islamic -------------------
It is interesting that you picked Islam and Judaism to know their fate. I am curios as to why you didn't include Christianity in this list?
The Islamic faith bears no resemblance to the Teaching of Jesus Christ and the Apostles. There is but ONE NAME under heaven by which men MUST be saved, and that name is Jesus Christ. All those who reject Jesus Christ, He will reject them. Not for eternity, but in their first life. Islam is decidedly NOT the Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Judaism is a totally corrupted version of the religion of the Old Testament Israelites. The Jews, likewise, as a nation, as a race, and as a religion, TOTALLY reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Jesus will, likewise, reject them. Not eternally, but in their first life.
Now then, Pastor, we have a far larger and far greater and far more evil religion extent in the world today that either Islam or Judaism. Gee, who could they be?
"And the woman [a woman is used symbolically to represent a church in Scripture] was clothed with purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, brimming with ABOMINATIONS and the UNCLEANNESS of the PROSTITUTION of her and the earth. And on her forehead is written a name:
Secret
Babylon the Great
the mother of prostitutes
and the abominations
of the earth"
(Rev. 17:4-5).
Now notice Rev. 18:4,
"And I hear another voice out of heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, My people, lest you should be joint participants of her sins, and lest you should be getting of her calamities, for her sins WERE PILED UP TO HEAVEN, and God remembers her injuries."
Do you see that God plead with "HIS PEOPLE" to come out of her? What great religious system of this earth is God pleading for His people to COME OUT OF? Islam? Judaism? Hinduism? Confucianism? Jehovah's Witnesses? Mormonism? Hardly.
Notice again,
"Hither! I shall be showing you the sentence of the GREAT PROSTITUTE who is sitting on MANY WATERS [peoples and nations], with whom the KINGS OF THE EARTH [this church is not off in a corner some place, she is consuming the very 'KINGS OF THE EARTH'], commit PROSTITUTION [spiritual idolatry], and those dwelling on the earth [that's a lot of people, Pastor, 'THOSE DWELLING ON THE EARTH'] are made DRUNK [spiritually] with the wine of her PROSTITUTION." (Rev. 17:1-2).
What HUGE religion is blanketing the earth like no other religion in the history of the world?
What religion teaches the most hideous and damnable false doctrines far worse than an pagan or heathen religion in the history of the world?
Which religion teaches that Jesus Christ is NOT THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, THAT HE WILL NOT SAVE SINNERS, THAT HIS MISSION WILL BE A FAILURE AND A SHAME, AND THAT HE WILL, IN FACT, THROW BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN AND BOYS AND GIRLS INTO A HELLHOLE OF FIRE AND BARBECUE MOST OF HUMANITY FOR ALL ETERNITY WITHOUT HOPE OR WITHOUT MERCY???
Now maybe you are beginning to see where God is going to lay much blame for the darkness of spiritual deception covering the world today.
Hope this helps your understanding a little better.
Thank God there is coming a white throne judgment and lake of purifying FIRE to cleanse the world of all the carnal-minded darkness that mankind has wallowed in for centuries.
May God continue to guide you into His perfect will for your life!
Sincerely,
Ray