#5 - The Fall of Babylon - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Prophecy

Prophecy is an aspect of Bible study. And we Adventists are a prophetic church. We study prophecy. Those who study mathematics are called mathematicians. And those who study prophecy are called what? Prophets. So we are prophets because we study prophecy. Today I'll be talking about the fall of Babylon. The fall of Babylon. And my presentation will basically be based in Revelation 17 with several references in chapter 13. So we are going straight to Revelation 17:E1. And before we read, let's pray so that the Holy Spirit may lead us. Father in heaven, this is your word which you have placed in the midst of sinful men that by it they may know your will and obey it. Therefore, we invite you to help us understand this word so that we may know what to obey in Jesus name. Amen. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven BS came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment," that's crema in Greek, of the great hallot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Chapter 17 is in parentheses. There's a very interesting technique in the book of revelation where several chapters are in parenthesis. Otherwise, generally the book of revelation is written chronologically using a technique um our professor. I read it in my mother tongue. Cabras because I can't be able to read it the way people in Zimbabwe had read it. Professor Oswell, there is a technique in Hebrew literature called kayazim. Can you say kayaim? Kaism is very interesting. It is mostly found in apocalyptic literature that is revelation and Daniel but is also found in proverbs and elsewhere. It means that the book has two sections like the book of revelations 22 chapters and has two sections chapter 1 to 11 and chapter 12 to 22. The people who inserted the monks who inserted the chapters understood the concept of kayazm and so chapter 1 to 11 is chronological. So chapter one is a a prologue or an introduction. Then the theme begins chapter 2 to chapter 3 the theme of seven letters to the churches. Chapter four and five is an introduction to the next theme of opening of the seals which begins in chapter 6. Chapter 7 is in parentheses. When you finish chapter 6, you are supposed to continue with chapter 8. So chapter 7 is in parentheses highlighting information on some of the issues which have been raised in the presentation of the theme and all the ideas that the book of revelation have are presented in chapter 1 to 11. Chapter 12-22 is a repetition of all that has been presented but in reverse order the scazm meaning that chapter 22 presents ideas that are roughly in chapter one. So kaism is like this chapter 1 to 11 chapter 12 to 22 22 1 but I'm not talking about kaism I was introducing parenthesis parenthesis parenthetical form so chapter 17 is in parenthesis other the theme of kma judgment begins in chapter 12 and moves chronologically up to chapter 18. Chapter 17 is a parenthesis. All right. So, um that's the point that is there. Now, let's look at uh Babylon. So, he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and 10 horns. I like you to show the woman. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Let's see the picture of that woman before we continue. Or it's me who has the picture. All right. And on her forehead a name was written, mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. Now behind the tribulations, the forces that will unleash terror on the people of God is a triumvirate confederation or a lands of dragon, beast, and false prophet. We find these things in Revelation. There's the dragon. There is the beast of Revelation chapter 13. The dragon is in Revelation 12. The beast is Revelation 13. And the false prophet begins in Revelation chapter 13. These are the people or the forces that will unleash terror on the people of God. Jesus says in Matthew 24:29, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. after the tribulation will commence the judgment or the punishment of the powers that persecuted the people of God. Revelation 17 describe the punishment or fall of the lead human power the beast otherwise an immoral woman or Babylon. I want to mention and I believe that all of you have been following with us. We said from the beginning that when God wants to punish a community or a family or a nation, his punishment comes in two phases. He begins by punishing the righteous. Then he will punish the wicked. If a family and I know we have families is rebellious against God and God wants to deal with that family and I know that God has is even currently dealing with families that you could be knowing hopefully not yours. If you see your family is going through crisis after crisis, crisis after crisis, you must sit and ask yourself what is wrong. You will notice carefully that God begins by punishing good people first. Why? They have a good mind to think and see the problem which this family has been committing so that they may correct it. And after punishing good people, he ends up by punishing the wicked. So here the tribulation or the time of trouble I've been talking about it the people of God which is actually I was saying that's judgment or crossexamination of our witness. The people of God will suffer trials first and they have already begun and they will continue progressing up to the highest point which Jesus describes in Matthew 24 that it will be so severe. That is the thing that will test your commitment to God. And if you are not very committed to God, you'll make one of these two choices. Either you'll quit your faith or you'll become very committed. Those who will find it a little bit more bearable are those who are taking this time when we have relative peace and tranquility as an opportunity for commitment. Right now you can be committed and you grow in your relationship with God. When the time of the tribulation comes, you'll not be surprised. you'll not risk denying the faith. So when I'm talking about the fall of Babylon, the people of God have been tried and now God starts dealing with this Babylon thing. So after the tribulation will commence the judgment of the powers that persecuted the people of God. Revelation 17 describes the punishment or the fall of the lead human power the beast otherwise an immoral woman of Babylon. I'll break down all these things into small palatable pieces. What's Babylon? apostate religious power woman that causes the nations of the world to embibbe false doctrines. You have seen Revelation 17:E2 it says with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Meaning that this is a power that causes nations to get her doctrines and allow those doctrines to formulate their policies and laws. Revelation 14 says that Babylon is fallen because she has made all nations drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Wine are teachings. Fornication is interaction. So this will drive the nations to pass unbiblical religious laws. The people of God will reject these laws and therefore attract the wrath of the world nations. That's Revelation 13:15. Let me just read 13:15 says he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. So people who will reject unbiblical religious laws will be persecuted, will betrayed. Let's go back to the seven-headed monster. You saw a woman with a cup of wine on top of a sevenheaded monster. If you are sitting on the horse, it means you are the one driving the horse. This woman is the one driving this monster and she's using the wine that is in her cup to drive the monster. Now, if you look at um the screen, I've written Revelation 17:1 on on the left hand and Revelation 17:7 on the right hand. Let's read what's on the left hand. Then one of the seven angels who had the seven balls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I'll show you the judgment of the great hallot who sits on many waters. This great hallot, what is she sitting on? A sevenheaded monster or many waters? Look on the right if you can post it on the screen. Verse 17 says, "But 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." So many waters is the same as the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the 10 horns. We are looking at the seven-headed monster. Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw were the hallowed seeds." That mean that seven-headed monster are peoples, multitude, nations, and tongues. Meaning that right now the representation of nations is the United Nation. So this harot is driving the nations. These are the nations of the world driven by the wine of the woman or the teachings. I'm comparing Revelation 17 and 13. I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the matters of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Chapter 13 says, "It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them." Now, the woman in Revelation 17 is the sevenheaded monster in Revelation 13. So you need to be very careful here because the ideas that are ascribed to the woman in 17 are the same ideas that are ascribed to the beast of Revelation 13. For example, drunk with the blood of the Matias of Jesus 13. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Another thing if you read 13 you'll hear and the world wondered after the beast in chapter 17 verse 6 says and when I saw her I marveled with great amazement the beast that you saw there's a concept in Revelation 17 called the beast that was and is not and yet is the beast that you saw and is not and will ascend. Oh, the beast that you saw was and is not and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to pedition. 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. Compare Revelation 17:8, which I'm reading, with Revelation 13:8. You see that concept is the same. Verse 8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lambs lain from the foundation of the world." Verse chapter 17:8, "Whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world." Those two concept are the same. 13:8, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lambs lain from the foundation of the world. 17 the same meaning that the woman is the beast of Revelation 13. Revelation 17:9 here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. I want to read something from Andrew's Bible commentary on what that verse means. Mountains in the Bible have often been used as a symbol of kingdoms or empires. Jeremiah 21:25, Zech 352-5, Daniel 2:35. The seven mountains on which the prostitute Babylon sat thus stand for seven successive empires that have dominated the world throughout history and through which Satan has worked to oppose God. I'm pursuing that the sevenheaded monster. Chapter 17:10 says, "There are also seven kings. Five are fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time." I'm getting that from the Antichrist. Did that book is no longer here. I never see it. Now let's look at the kingdoms and the biblical remark. The first kingdom which has been presented in scripture as a beast is Babylon. At the point when the prophetic focus is on world history at that point five kingdoms have fallen. So we have Babylon which fell in 539 BC. Meopasia which fell in 330 BC, Greece which fell in 168 BC, Pagan Rome which fell in 4476 BC and purple Rome which fell in 1798 which means the prophetic torch is focusing on world history after the fall of purple Rome around 1800 when France Napoleon he called himself emperor meaning he did not just rule France but he ruled the whole of Europe that is the one who is then who takes over from France. France Napoleon was there very briefly. Remember America had just gotten independence around 177576. The one that comes which is ruling the world right now is America. The seventh head. The seventh head you have seen now Babylon, Meopasia, Greece, Pagan Rome, purple Rome, France, America. Let's look at the beast that was and is not and yet is. And the beast that was and is not is himself also the eighth head meaning he will come after America and is of the seven meaning he's part of the seven heads and is going to pition. So we know that beast Because the word addition has already been used in association with the beast in revelation 13 which we identify as papar. Now at this point I want to make something clear. There is a difference between the papacy and the catholic church. Don't confuse the papacy and the catholic church. The Catholic Church belongs to God. Salvation Army Church belongs to God. African Holy Spirit Church belongs to God. These are the people of God. Some of them may not know as much truth as you do, but God has faithful people there and he calls them members of my church. At a certain point, they will come all of them and we shall be one group and if you are here and you are not serious with your commitment, you will exit and they will take over your position. A Christian church is a church of God. Even if it has a name in western we have enough Christian groups enough of them and especially inland and not alland you subdivide land cabas That's Cababras. That's Malava constituency. We have enough of them. And you can narrow down to my sublocation. It's called Timbito, my friend. We even have those worship on Sabbath. They play play drums. They talk in tongues and they worship Sabbath. Do you know that those churches belong to God? You need to know that. So, Papa Rome is the eighth head. It comes after USA, but it is part or among the seven heads. While USA is still a superpower, Papa Rome will influence it to pass religious laws, particularly enforcing the mark of the beast. religious laws that are opposed to God. This will lead to the persecution of the people of God because the people of God will reject these religious laws and they'll be persecuted. So let me repeat that point how the process will move. Religious laws will be passed. The reason for passing religious laws I'll be mentioning to you in a while will be valid. Those who oppose those religious laws will be seen to be extremely unreasonable and idiotic. So that when the nations will go after them to persecute them and to arrest them, they will believe that they are doing the right thing. And that will be the commencement of the tribulation of the people of God. So uh Revelation 17:12 and 13. Let's continue. The 10 horns which you saw are 10 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. Whenever the 10 horns are mentioned in Bible prophecy, they refer to Europe. Europe will also support purple Rome in taking up the authority to pretend the religious affairs of the world. The Bible says one hour with the beast is 14 days in Bible prophecy. 15 days in Bible prophecy. Meaning that when Europe comes on the stage to support religious laws which are fronted by the papacy, their support will take 15 days. And what will they do within the 15 days? Look at the next slide. These will make war with the lamb and the lamb will overcome them. Meaning they will persecute us. But that persecution will make us even more strong spiritually. So when the Bible says they will overcome them, it means they will not be able to conquer and subdue the people of God to succumb to give into their demands. The Bible says, "For he's Lord of lords and king of kings and those who are with him are called, chosen, and faithful." Look at Revelation 16:1 17 and 18. It says, I'm giving that comment right. Europe, America and the papacy will severely persecute the people of God. This will take 15 days after Europe has joined the rebellion. This will be the highest point in the rebellion which also will mark the end of probation according to Revelation 16:1 17 and 18 that marks the end of probation. and the 10 horns which you saw on the beast, these will hurt the harot, make her dissolate and naked and eat her flesh and burn her with fire. So after 15 days, 15 days Europe will attack what currently we see as Vatican probably after discovering their mistake and destroy and burn it. This destruction is presented Revelation 18. I want to read a few points in Revelation 18. I begin with verse 10 of verse 8. Um, therefore her plagues will come in one day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. Look at verse 10. Standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, "Alas, Alice, that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour your judgment has come." Look at verse 19. They threw dust on their heads and cried out weeping and wailing and saying, "Alas, Allah, that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her well. For in one hour she's made desolate. It's Europe that will destroy Babylon in one hour. At this time also the plagues will start falling. So where are we on the prophetic timeline? Factors that will bring about the crisis of the end are fast mobilizing. Increase in wickedness continues to bring about natural catastrophes as divine restraint diminishes. It also continues to bring about economic depressions. Political demonstrations are the order of the day. World religious leaders are right to conclude that the answer to all these have to be spiritual. They are now voting for religious unity we call ecumenism and passing of religious laws. Now I wanted to bring the latest the very latest of course at the time I was preparing this presentation July 16 2026 right America celebrated 250 years of independence and I got this in Spectre magazine. It says on May 17, 2026, crowds gathered at the National Mall to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. At first glance, the official government event known as Rededicate 250 could have easily been mistaken for an evangelical worship service. The 9hour participants included Ben Carson, a 7th Day Adventist who currently serves as the national advisor for nutrition, health and housing at the US Department of Agriculture. And Jonathan Roomie who portrayed Jesus on the chosen that was a TV program. US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of War Pete Hex, and Senior Advisor of the White House Faith Office Paola White Kaine appeared through pre-recorded messages. Aside from a single Jewish speaker, the stage was occupied almost entirely by evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics. Rededicate 250 was as partisan as it was sectarian with no prominent Democrats involved. The event represents a broader trend noted across the US. On both regional and national levels, religious and political ideologies have continued to merge. Amid these legal challenges, Texas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Alabama still require public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. In Missouri, State Senator George Holi responded to accusations of Christian nationalism, saying, "Some will say I'm advocating Christian nationalism, and so I do." Project 2025, a set of policies compiled by the right-wing think tank Heritage Foundation, includes several religious proposals alongside opposition to abortion rights and LGBTQ plus protections. The document suggests incentives for Sunday observance as a day of rest. Though Trump never officially endorsed Project 2025, 32 of its 38 writers work within the Trump administration. How many people wrote Project 2025? 38. How many work in the Trump administration? 32. What is some of the proposals of project 2025 incentives for Sunday observance as a day of rest? I also checked on some information from Europe. the writer. I hope when I was editing uh maybe I deleted or what I edited this morning. For over a year, the Polish Parliament has been discussing a proposed law requiring businesses to close on Sundays. In late November, lawmakers in the lower house approved the bill, which will now be sent to the Polish Senate and President who are also expected to approve it. Before the vote, a group of Catholic bishops released a statement directed toward the parliament in support of the law. Sunday laws sometime disguised in laws governing working hours called working time directive are being pushed throughout EU nations, European Union nation, right? Proponents of these laws suggest they make workers lives better, improve public health, and foster a better environment for families. Consider the recent history of the push for Sunday as an enforced day of rest. November 206, EU bishops called for recognition of Sunday as a common day of rest for workers. June 2015, Pope Francis issued the encyclical la on care for our common home. If you are serious, get that document and read suggesting a Sunday rest is needed for the care and well-being of our planet. This thing of climate change is part of an esqueological factor that we cannot avoid. July 2014, the popular mented Sunday being used for business and not whatever. Now, biblically, Revelation 14:6, then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of water. Now the purpose of the three angels message it is for all the inhabitants of the earth to respond to the gospel call not the three angels message are not the gospel they are asking you to respond to the gospel and I'm I've listed three things which is the purpose of the angel's message. Number one, settling in the gospel truth. I told you some two days ago or three, I don't know that is sealing. Seeing is being settled in the gospel truth. Number two, being assured of salvation by looking at Christ's ministry in the heavenly sanctuary. Three, embracing faithful Sabbath worship. That is the purpose of the three angels message. I have two comments. a comment here and I answer a question that was raised. You notice that many of the religious laws that will be passed are supported by Adventists. For example, when they say LGBTQ, yes, we we don't want that. I've had enough problems with students uh when they say this and that respecting parents that we shall love it and we shall continue saying yes yes until they reach Sunday and then when we say no we shall look unreasonable. How come you have been in support and then here you change your mind? Some Sunday keepers who are faithful to God will oppose Sunday legislation and some Adventist unfaithful people will support it. Number two on that point how is your Sabbathke keeping right now somebody's watching your children are going to school on Sabbath. Even you go to work on Sabbath particularly those who are doing very critical jobs advisor to the president he has called you on Sabbath on set house because he has a very serious issue that he would like you to advise and you happen to be an elder in Nairobi central will you go or you'll not inadvertently or even deliberately we are breaking the Sabbath so when we just wake up from nowhere and say we want to observe the Sabbath. We shall look very unreasonable and we shall be punished. So where are you? Respond to the three angels messages. Settle yourself firmly in the gospel truth and keep the Sabbath day. worship God. The question that I asked was uh please you can ask questions by writing or sending me a message. Uh the question is very simple. I'll answer it in about 15 seconds. In heaven there are 24 elders at the throne of God. The question says, how come there are no women? Does it mean only men are holy enough to go to heaven? That's a very good question. In heaven, we shall lose our gender. So, we shall be gender neuter. We shall be neither men, male nor female. So, I can guess this is a we theologians we like saying something called sanctified guess. Some of those elders are women. Even more of them could be women. Now I've answered that question. So I want to pray. Write your question. You do not want to miss tomorrow's presentation is about Revelation 18:1. Silence in heaven. May God bless us in Jesus name. Let us pray. Father in heaven, may the word that we have studied find a place in our hearts and transform us after your likeness. We pray with thanksgiving in Jesus name. Amen.