2009.11.8 Lisa Julie Tami Red Dragon Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin" - Dual Plan

Then comes the interpretation.

Mene—measurer; Tekel—reckoner and weigher; Upharsin—troops and conquerers. In other words: the kingdom of Bel limited, weighed and delivered into the hands of conquering troops.

While the astonishment over the handwriting kept the feasting company at the kingly court spell-bound, Cyrus, who had previously tapped the river so that the water flowed into his canal, marched his men under the wall, hurried to the court and took the whole company captive—a terrible foreshadow.

The historians, in describing the destruction of Babylon, give us an account of the historic fulfillment of all the prophecies speaking of its overthrow and ruin. Only piles of stones and pieces of walls remain here and there, and the whole thing constitutes a home for wild animals. Herdsmen cannot under any circumstances be induced to stay there over night.

It is well worth the time spent for every, sensible being to read the prophetic declaration of God—concerning the end of all the great nations which have followed their natural inclinations in building oppressive cities and institutions which in turn have caused a violation of the law of equity—and compare history therewith. The final judgment of God will bring total destruction over the Babylonian creation now existing. The great cities, Nineveh, Tyre, Sidon, Samaria—piled up in honor and for the ease of some, and for the oppression and slavery of others—have met the same fate as Babylon. Total ruin has been the end thereof at a time when the height of glory was reached.

Look at Jerusalem, called the "holy city," the "city of God !" Christ, whom they drove out from it as a "seducer" and a "leader" of a revolutionary mob, says, "The days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee around, and keep thee on every side. And shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation." Luke 19: 43 & 44 Compare the history of the Jews as written by Josephus and see what a terrible time the Jews had when these few words were fulfilled. Famine caused them to eat their own children. Their dead ones filled houses and streets, and there was no one to bury them. The Roman soldiers cut out the bowels of their living captives in search of gold which they thought the Jews had swallowed.

Now, if Elohim's chosen people met such a terrible fate on account of turning their hearts to things created by man, what then will happen to the mystical Babylon, whose record of iniquity, oppression and murder dates from the earliest time and has continued down to the present period?

And now comes the test to stir up all the evil elements and ripen all the people for the harvest.

Rev. 18: 6-24 gives a direct prophetic description of its fate. The Revelator has placed the prophetic telescope before you; look through it, and you will see a terrible smoke coiling up toward heaven. You can see great ships coming to the cities.; but the merchants stand there crying; they throw ashes on their heads because no one "buys their merchandise any more"—hence, they cannot sell the merchandise brought by the ships. Sorrow and pain follow the glory of "the mistress of the world." In her last oppressive acts, she "boycotts" Elohim's people in that they are not allowed to buy or sell. Yes, she prescribes her own judgment and fills her own cup with deadly poison.

Why doesn't she turn to God? She is too wicked to return. Her doom is already written. The very first rules or principles of heaven applied to man in his fallen state are violated and abused so much that a whirlpool of evil, causing indescribable wickedness and suffering, has been created thereby.

The Three Successive Messages

In Rev. 14: 6-10, three successive messages are described. They contain the warning voice of Elohim to the inhabitants of Babylon at the time his judgment is executed upon it.

1. The first message.

"And I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven, having aionian glad tidings to announce to those who dwell on the earth, even to every nation, and tribe, and language, and people—saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; because the hour of his judgment is come, and worship him who made the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water."

The "hour of God's judgment is come" is the cause of this special warning. The message opens the judgment-scene and sets in motion the stream of emigration from Babylon out to Zion. The judgment of God is then revealed on "the mistress of the world"—the foundations of the kingdom of Nimrod begin to shake.

These messages are given to the world during the time that heaven is "shut up"—a period of three and one-half years—when no rain falls. What Adventists, especially S. D. Adventists, claim in regard to these messages will, to their sorrow and disappointment, be revealed when the time for their real fulfillment has come.

"Fear God, give glory to him, worship him who made the heavens and the earth and the fountains of waters !" is the message addressed to the worshippers of Baal. They have forgotten Jehovah. Bel's glorious inventions, even with regard to drinks, have hidden the marvelous works of the Creator of the world. Now he comes for the purpose of calling the worshippers of Baal to account for their actions. Their time is up, and Elohim requires a settlement for the use and abuse of his work of creation. Such language as is quoted above indicates that the inhabitants of the earth are brought into a condition where they realize that they are dependent upon Jehovah for the very water they drink. The drought is then prevalent.

The messenger (Greek, angelos) who gives the warning is the same one described in the tenth chapter. He holds the little opened book in his hand in which the judgment of God is written, and declares by him who lives eternally, who has "created the heavens, the earth and the sea, and the things in them," that time shall be no longer. (v. 6.) If we connect the contents of these texts, it is plain that the same messenger gives all the messages in succession. However, there is a pause at the end of each message while the result of each has a chance to develop within the kingdom of Bel. Then the movement of the messenger begins again, and it seems as though another proclaimer follows in the wake of the preceding one.

"Mid-heaven," not Babylon, is the territory where his proclamations are carried out. Mid-heaven, in prophecy, lies between the boundary or the limits of Babylon and the development of the most holy apartment of the sanctuary of God. The messenger has his work assigned outside of the limits of Babylon—in the desert.

2. The second message.

"And another, a second angel followed, saying, Fallen is Babylon the great, who has given all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

The first message, announcing God's judgment over Babylon, stirs up the wrath of that great harlot. She is exposed to the people who have sustained her, and they withdraw from her service. Then the wrath of her fornication—instead of her pretended love—will be revealed. The red dragon is called into service to defend her, but still she is falling, falling, falling! At that very time, she will mark her loyal subjects in order that her unmixed wrath may be poured on everyone she is unable to control fully. Her burning thirst for the blood of the saints of God will show itself by the multitudes she will devour—she will be burning mad.

3. The third message.

"And another, a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: If anyone worship the beast and his image and receive a mark on his forehead or on his hand, even he shall drink of that wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled undiluted in the cup of his indignation: and he shall be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises up for ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who worship the beast and his image, and if anyone receive the mark of his name."

This is Elohim's ultimatum to the indignant Babylonians. They make up their minds to root out the armies and the people of heaven; but, in proportion to the results of their wrath, the cup in the hand of God fills up with wrath mixed without mercy, which he pours over the heads of the worshippers of Bel's and Mauzzim's inventions. Terrible will be their end! It is a thousand times better to die as a martyr for the words and works of God; you then have the blessed hope set before you:

"Blessed are those dead who die in the Lord; yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow after them." (Rev. 14: 13.)