The fourth vision is that of the New Jerusalem, which is covered from chapter 19 through chapter 22. These four visions compose the entire content of the book of Revelation. So we see that this book simply speaks about these four things: the local churches, the world under God’s judgment, the great Babylon as a harlot mother with many harlot daughters, and the New Jerusalem.
The local churches are in the beginning, and the New Jerusalem is at the end. In between are the world and the great Babylon under God’s judgment. God is going to get rid of them. The world will be judged, and Babylon will go up in smoke! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! To God, a thousand years are as one day. If we will be patient, we will see Him judge all the items of the world and the mixture of Babylon. The seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls are all for judging these two categories of things. God is going to judge them completely and thoroughly. We have the full assurance that they will be entirely eliminated by His judgment.
There are three places where we may be today; of course, the New Jerusalem as the fourth place is in the future. Where are you? Are you in the local churches, the world, or Babylon? Praise the Lord, we must be in the local churches. We should not be in the world or remain in Babylon any longer.
Where is the Roman Catholic Church? Unquestionably, it is in Babylon. Then where are the denominations? We all must answer this question before the Lord. I am not saying that there are no real believers in the denominations, and I am not saying that there is nothing of the Lord there.
The great harlot is gilded with gold, precious stone, and pearls, but she is a mixture. This harlot is the same woman mentioned in Matthew 13. In the seven parables of that chapter, there is a parable spoken by the Lord of a woman who put some leaven into fine flour. Christ is the fine flour given to us by God as our food, but here is a woman putting some leaven into the flour. Leaven in the Bible speaks of that which ruins or corrupts. A mixture of fine flour with leaven is something impure. The flour is of God, but the leaven is of this woman, the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, there is a mixture.
The denominations more or less follow in the same steps. So the great Babylon is the mother of many harlots. It is exceedingly ugly. All the bread we eat day by day is made of flour with leaven. When it is leavened, it is much easier to eat. This is just the excuse of Christianity. Christianity uses mixture so that it will be easier for people to join them.
Many times I have said that the birth of Christ, the incarnation of the Lord, is the fine flour, but Christmas is the leaven. How much pagan corruption and ruin has been brought in by the great harlot with Christmas! If we are clear about this, we will have nothing to do with Christmas and its Santa Claus, Christmas stockings, and Christmas tree. Have you ever traced the history of Christmas? All these things came from paganism. Even December 25, a date chosen by the Roman Catholic Church, is a pagan day for worshipping the sun god. All this mixture came from the mother and is followed by the daughters.
We know where the Roman Catholic Church is, and we know where the denominations are, but where are the free groups? I believe we all know. I do not like to say anything regarding this, but I have the burden to present this picture to you. This is not my interpretation or my opinion. If we are honest before the Lord and faithful to His Word, we must look at this picture to consider where we must be. I do not like to say where the free groups are, but I am certain that they are not in the local churches.
If we mean business with the Lord and sincerely go on with Him, where must we be? There is no argument; we must be in the local churches. You may say that you are one hundred percent against the great Babylon and the world, but where are you? Are you in the local churches? Simply to say something definitely negative is not enough. We must be definitely positive. Are you Mr. Smith? No. Are you Mr. Johnson? No. Are you Mr. Brown? No. Then who are you? You may say that you are nobody, but you are still somebody. You may use a lot of different terms—nondenominational, interdenominational and super-denominational—but where are you and who are you and what are you?
My burden from the Lord is to present a picture of His last book to us. Then we will know where we must be. Some may say that they do not care for this, because in time they will be in the New Jerusalem. They are not for the local churches or for the great Babylon, but for the New Jerusalem. This sounds nice, but where are they in these days? If we all could be in the New Jerusalem now, that would be wonderful! But I am afraid we must remain on the earth for some years. Then what shall we do with these years? It is very difficult to wander about without a home. If we are faithful to the Lord, we must make a decision about this matter.