| 15. Babylon is fallen, is fallen! |
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or: Only one way Home |
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“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”
Rev 18:1-3
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It has been illustrated so far that the angel referred to by the Scripture brings a message which comes from Heaven, more specifically from the heavenly Sanctuary, having Jesus Christ, our High Priest as a sender. We could see that His message is primarily a message of peace, a message of reconciliation between the man and God, reconciliation made through His intervention when the man was away from Him and who, on being afraid of the consequences of his sin, turned his back on Him. We could see that the reconciliation was realized only by paying the highest price, as a proof of God’s love, namely His only Son’s sacrifice on the cross, of that Son who chose to be sentenced and separated from God in those excruciating moments on Calvary, thus bearing the curse of sin on behalf of the whole Earth. Through this overwhelming sacrifice not only did the man receive forgiveness of sin, but was also offered salvation. This means for the last generation, for us, both protection of the judgments that are to come and eternal life. We have learned that all these are offered only in Christ, the only One able to change our actions from a “filthy garment” into “robes and [make] them white in the blood of the Lamb.” |
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By receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we are given power to resist when He returns “in His own glory and in His Father's and of the holy angels”, glory that would destroy us instantly unless we have been previously anointed by God, by recreating His own image in us, as a fulfillment of the words “Be you holy, for I am holy”. The illumination made by the Holy Spirit will create the context for a sudden and unexpected fulfillment of the words: “and the earth was lightened with his glory”, the glory of Christ's righteousness manifested through people who have been redeemed and made holy, forgiven and clothed with His righteousness. A cry with a strong voice will be heard that very moment: “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils!”, words emphasizing, in contrast to what has been presented above, the tragedy of Babylon, of the Papacy and of all those who identify themselves with its demonic principles, contrary to the principles and actions of Christ. |
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While Christ, the One who became incarnate in the likeness of sinful flesh, makes intercession for us and cleanses His people by presenting His lifeblood as the price He paid for our redemption; while the entire Heaven is concentrated on Christ’s Church, His Bride whom He clothes “with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” and “in fine linen, clean and white” so that she should reflect the image He bled for and paid for with toil, sorrow and sweat, on November, 29,1998 the Papacy issued a papal bull according to which forgiveness is offered and can be obtained through the man’s personal efforts to do good works. |a
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Therefore, the old Babylonian principle based on reaching to the heavens by personal efforts is back on the history firmament. People foolishly strive again to build towers in order to reach the unreachable. The moment of this papal bull is identical in importance to another moment in the Middle Ages when indulgences were introduced. This is the moment when the Papacy openly declares once again that it is in their power to forgive sins, clearly stating its saving power, on ignoring Christ and the redeeming power of His sacrifice, on ignoring His Calvary, the pain in His heart when He uttered: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” According to the Papacy, the man’s salvation can no longer be obtained by the only way of salvation found by God from eternity (since the moment He conceived the Plan of Salvation), but by the good works a man can do, through his filthy garment spotted with Christ’s blood. By this act, an institution which should have represented Him and his principles fulfilled the prophetic words written by the apostle Paul – the one who paid with his life just like Peter the preaching of the Gospel of righteousness through Christ – which state: |
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“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”
2Th 2:3-4
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Nowadays, thousands of people have accepted and acquired the principles of undermining the vital importance of Christ's sacrifice, principles that are based on the Papacy's intercession for them so that their sins be forgiven by God. Unfortunately, this intercession which has become so popular is not made with God, but with His enemy: “And it is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird […]”. Not only the Papacy and its leader (the great apostate) will suffer God's judgments but also those nations of the world who share its principles. They will all have the same fate “for all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” (Revelation 18:3). Their fate is sealed by the words: |
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“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. [...] and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Rev 19:17-21
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Apart from accepting a false righteousness (the action of committing fornication with her) that of our personal merits as a “visa to heaven”, mankind have also accepted another lie just as dangerous as the one presented above, a delusion as old as the history of sin on Earth. This delusion refers to the permission granted to the Papacy to dispose at will of the “souls” of people, to juggle with them and their salvation, a delusion having as fundament (if one can say so) the lie uttered by Satan when the man was “promised”: “You shall not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). |
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God had clearly shown the man the consequences of a possible fall, even before sin arose in the world: “for in the day that you eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17). God fully realised the complexity of the consequences of man’s ignorance of His warning, and the most important and disastrous consequence of his disobedience to Him would be that “You shall surely die.” By disregarding God’s words and by accepting Satan’s (“You shall not surely die”) the Papacy created its concept of purgatory. The idea that the man is immortal gave the Papacy the opportunity to juggle with people’s “souls”, on directing them either to heaven, purgatory or hell – according to its state of heart (satisfied or not by the advantages gained from its selling of good works). The reality which the Holy Scripture presents, regardless of the suppositions accepted by various beliefs, has been one and the same from the very beginning: the man is dust and all his labour under the sun is “till you return to the ground; for you were taken out of it: you are dust, and you will return to dust.” (Genesis 3:19) and only One is immortal, the One to whom belongs the glory, as it is written: “the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; [...] to whom be honour and power everlasting.” (1 Timothy 6:15-16). |
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The record of the Scripture regarding the human nature (from the beginning to the end) presents in a perfect unity only one truth: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). A living man or a living soul is the combination between the dust moulded by Him (and thus resulted a body formed from dust) and the breath of life (breathed into the nostrils of that created body). This was the moment when what had been dust before became “a living man” or “a living soul”, a created human being in which God put love out of His love, soul (feeling) out of His soul (His feeling), He put Himself through the Spirit. The man lives through Christ, the “Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9). As long as Christ’s breath of life is in the man, that man is alive, meaning he is a living soul; the moment in which He withdraws His support of life from the man (the breath of life), that man dies and thus dust becomes dust again. This is the moment when, the being created according to God’s image, becomes nothing more than what he had been before Christ brought him to existence, before His endowing him with the capacity to reason (mind) and have feelings (soul), namely he becomes dust again. For it is written: |
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“Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.” “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not [...] Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun [...] Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
Psa 104:29; 146:4; Ecc 12:1,7; 9:5-6,10
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“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will [...] For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself [...] Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”
Joh 5:21,26,28-29
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This correct understanding of the state of the dead (when a man dies, he goes neither in heaven nor in hell) offers us – according to the Scripture truth – a secure foundation in our fight against Satan's sly tricks, meant to deceive us and uproot our faith in Jesus Christ. |
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The prophesies of the Scripture regarding the last days of history, those prophesies referring to the last and greatest conflict between good and evil, when “shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21) reveal a terrifying reality mankind will have to face: apart from the beasts (powers) which arise, the enemy of both God and the man (Satan – the Dragon) will make every effort to win, and thus attempt to deceive as many people as possible. What the prophesies reveal is frightening. The reality we have to face is right in front of us. On our way Home, we will have to walk through the thick darkness created by those powers (the United States and the Papacy; Protestantism and the traditional churches; spiritualism and paganism) which will choose to form an alliance against the people of God. |
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“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.” “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
Rev 16:13-17; Rev 17:14-15
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There will soon take place events that nobody can possibly imagine. There will be an unprecedented social confusion. Yet, one thing is for sure: the conflict between countries, peoples, cultures or tongues will turn into a conflict between kingdoms (Matthew 24:7), between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, between those who decide to worship the man and Satan and those who worship God, a conflict between those bearing the mark of the beast and those bearing God's seal of seven. Everyone will have to make a decision that will have eternal consequences and we must not forget that there is an enemy whose most important purpose is to have you by his side. |
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“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. [...] Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of Spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. [...] Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His Word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion.” “Satan is a cunning foe. And it is not difficult for the evil angels to represent both saints and sinners who have died, and make these representations visible to human eyes. These manifestations will be more frequent, and developments of a more startling character will appear as we near the close of time.” “Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error [...] They will lament the great wickedness in the world, and second the testimony of religious teachers, that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday [...]” “Satan will turn the people from the law of God. Notwithstanding this, so well will he counterfeit righteousness, that if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect. Crowned heads, presidents, rulers in high places, will bow to his false theories.” 1
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“The time is coming when Satan will work miracles right in your sight, claiming that he is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established upon the truth of God, then you will be led away from your foundation.” “He will indeed transform himself into an angel of light. But while he will bear the appearance of Christ in every particular, so far as mere appearance goes, it will deceive none but those who [...] are seeking to resist the truth.” 2
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“Satanic agencies in human form will take part in this last great conflict to oppose the building up of the kingdom of God. And heavenly angels in human guise will be on the field of action. The two opposing parties will continue to exist till the closing up of the last great chapter in this world's history.” “In the closing period of earth's history the Lord will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right. [...] Angels that excel in strength will protect them.” 3
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We are the ones to decide for ourselves which kingdom we want to belong to, whom we choose as our defender and which law we shall stand for. The record of the Scripture clearly shows what the fate of Babylon and those who adhere to its principles is going to be. Sooner than we can possibly imagine, God's judgments will fall upon those who will not take a clear stand for the Scriptures and Christ whom they testify. |
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“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. [...] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”
Rev 19:11-16,19-20
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“And I heard another voice from heaven [Sanctuary], saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
Rev 18:4-5
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God has a people whom He takes great delight in, a people in which He has invested all His love by giving Himself to death so that it should have the chance to live. Everyone who accepts His invitation, His forgiveness, takes up his cross and follows Him is one of His children whom He will take under His protective wings on the day of His wrath. Nowadays, this people is scattered and many who belong to it do not even know it, but they will all hear and understand God's last call. The moment of the long-awaited reunion has come! Soon the earthly family will be reunited to the heavenly one, but first of all, those who are scattered must come out of Babylon and follow no one but Him. They must come from darkness to light, from deception to protection, and leave all lies however convenient they might be and follow the one and only Truth. It is everyone's right to be freed from all lies, all deception, to be relieved of the burden of sin, of anything that could possibly enslave him. Prophecy must be fulfilled: |
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“I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. [...]” “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.” “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.” “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”
Isa 43:6-9; 43:18-21; 44:3-4; 51:11
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“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you [...] Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Isa 55:1-3,6; Rev 22:17
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Note:
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Click here to access the document:
IT: http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/docs/documents/hf_jp-ii_doc_30111998_bolla-jubilee_sp.html
EN: http://www.apostolate.org/apostolate/documents/jp2_INCARNATIONIS_MYSTERIUM.HTM
RO: http://www.catholica.ro/documente/index3.asp?id=24
You are presented below a few illustrative excerpts taken from this document.
With regard to the required conditions, the faithful can gain the Jubilee indulgence:
1. In Rome, if they make a pious pilgrimage to one of the Patriarchal Basilicas, namely, the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour at the Lateran, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major and the Basilica of Saint Paul on the Ostian Way, and there take part devoutly in Holy Mass or another liturgical celebration such as Lauds or Vespers, or some pious exercise (e.g., the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, the recitation of the Akathistos Hymn in honour of the Mother of God); furthermore, if they visit, as a group or individually, one of the four Patriarchal Basilicas and there spend some time in Eucharistic adoration and pious mediations, ending with the “Our Father”, the profession of faith in any approved form, and prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. To the four Patriarchal Basilicas are added, on this special occasion of the Great Jubilee, the following further places, under the same conditions: the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the Basilica of Saint Lawrence in Campo Verano, the Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love, and the Christian Catacombs.
2. In the Holy Land, if, keeping the same conditions, they visit the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, or the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem or the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
3. In other ecclesiastical territories, if they make a sacred pilgrimage to the Cathedral Church or to other Churches or places designated by the Ordinary, and there assist devoutly at a liturgical celebration or other pious exercise, such as those mentioned above for the City of Rome; in addition, if they visit, in a group or individually, the Cathedral Church or a Shrine designated by the Ordinary, and there spend some time in pious meditation, ending with the “Our Father”, the profession of faith in any approved form, and prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
4. In any place, if they visit for a suitable time their brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (the sick, the imprisoned, the elderly living alone, the handicapped, etc.), as if making a pilgrimage to Christ present in them (cf. Mt 25:34-36), and fulfilling the usual spiritual and sacramental conditions and saying the usual prayers. The faithful will certainly wish to repeat these visits throughout the Holy Year, since on each occasion they can gain the plenary indulgence, although obviously not more than once a day.
The plenary indulgence of the Jubilee can also be gained through actions which express in a practical and generous way the penitential spirit which is, as it were, the heart of the Jubilee. This would include abstaining for at least one whole day from unnecessary consumption (e.g., from smoking or alcohol, or fasting or practising abstinence according to the general rules of the Church and the norms laid down by the Bishops' Conferences) and donating a proportionate sum of money to the poor; supporting by a significant contribution works of a religious or social nature (especially for the benefit of abandoned children, young people in trouble, the elderly in need, foreigners in various countries seeking better living conditions); devoting a suitable portion of personal free time to activities benefitting the community, or other similar forms of personal sacrifice.
Given in Rome, at the Apostolic Penitentiary, on 29 November 1998, the First Sunday of Advent.
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