Babylon is not the Symbolic CIty of False Religion.

by proplog2 73 Replies latest jw friends

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  a Christian

  Proplog,

  I wrote: each one of them exercised political control over ALL of God's covenant people.

  You responded: You are using the word "ALL" when the correct word would be "many" or even "most". ... Each time the Jews were subjugated to a different nation the number of expatriots increased. By the Roman times there were significant Jewish populations along all the trade routes from Spain to India, and Northern Africa - even Ethiopia.

  When I use the words "covenant people" I am not just referring to people who had some Jewish blood in them. Rather I am referring to Jews who strived to maintain their covenant relationship with God by attempting to follow all of his laws, including those which required them to regularly make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at its temple for forgiveness of their sins.

  ALL Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Afterwards ALL Jews who endeavored to keep all of God's laws, including those laws requiring them to offer sacrifices at Jerusalem's temple, fell under the political control of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and then Rome. They did so as each of those nations successively exercised political control over Jerusalem. As they did so, by exersising political control over Jerusalem, "each one of them exercised political control over ALL of God's covenant people."

  After God's "new covenant" replaced his "old covenant" Rome went from exercising political control over ALL of God's old covenant people to exercising political control over ALL of God's "new covenant" people, Christians. Rome's first act of such control was the execution of Jesus Christ himself. Subsequent acts of such control included various minor and major restraints imposed upon Christianity throughout the Roman empire. However, Rome exercised political control over ALL of God's new covenant people for what may have been only a brief period of time. Rome did so only until Christianity spread to parts of the world that were not controlled by the Roman empire.

  Since the First Century no one nation has ever exercised political control of All of God's covenant people. In order for a government to do so again that government will have to be a world government. Since the first six kings ( Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome ) all exercised political control over ALL of God's covenant people, I think that doing so is what puts a "king" on Revelation's king list. If this is the case then the seventh king has not yet come. For in order for a government to exercise political control over ALL of God's covenant people today, Christians who now live in every nation on earth, that government will have to be a world government.

  Mike
• 

  proplog2

  A Christian:

  You seem to be saying that in order to make it to the "Revelation list" absolutely every single person in a covenant relationship with God must come under it's domination. If there is the slightest possibility that some number aren't under its domination it then can't be considered part of the "Revelation List".

  This is a rather idealistic concept that you could never establish to any REAL degree of certainty.

  I would also add that you are probably the only one who would ever try to defend that concept.
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  proplog2

  This thread has gone beyond its original purpose - which is fine. My purpose was to bring up a discussion of Babylon the Great because of the distribution of Kingdom News 37 wherein the Watchtower continues its teaching that Babylon the Great is False Religion and that no other conclusion is logical. It should be clear from the initial points that there were political entities that were described as carrying on fornication with all of the kings of the earth. There were also political entities that could be described as being involved in sorcery. Therefore the Watchtower is in error.

  I will no longer be participating in this thread. Thanks to all who have followed it and participated.
• 

  a Christian

  Proplog,

  You wrote: You seem to be saying that in order to make it to the "Revelation list" absolutely every single person in a covenant relationship with God must come under it's domination.

  What I am saying is that I see only one important thing that all six of the kings who made the Revelation "king list" had in common. They all, at least for a brief period of time, exercised political control over all who were in a covenant relationship with the God of the Bible.

  I would be interested to know what you believe the six ancient kingdoms referred to in Revelation ("Five have fallen, one is ...") had in common, which could not be said of any other ancient nation, the distinguishing feature which put them and no other nations onto this king list. I believe that identifying that qualifying characteristic will go a long way in helping us identify the seventh king which we are told would later make Revelation's "king list" ("one is yet to come').

  I know you have said you will not be participating in this thread any longer. So maybe you can send me a private message with your opinion on this.

  I would also be interested in reading anyone else's opinion on this matter.

  Mike