A number of years ago, Dr. Evarts Graham was doing pioneering experiments on cigarette smoking. His smoking machines would extract tar from cigarettes, and they would paint that on the back of experimental animals. He found that cigarette smoking and cancer were related, because these animals were developing a cancer that was indistinguishable from human cancer. Dr. Evarts Graham himself was a smoker who smoked over a pack of cigarettes every day. And as he continued to do experiments on the effect of cigarette smoking in the lungs, he himself developed lung cancer.

He wrote a letter to his colleague and friend, Dr. Alton Ochsner, a famed cancer lung surgeon in New Orleans. Dr. Ochsner said it was the saddest letter he had ever received. Dr. Graham said, “I am so sorry to tell you that I have cancer in both my lungs, and it is malignant. I won’t be living much longer.” Dr. Ochsner said the brilliance of Dr. Graham’s mind did not keep him from getting lung cancer. He knew from the experiments that he was performing that cigarette smoking was related to lung cancer, but he himself did not do what he needed to do to prevent getting cancer himself. He knew, but he did not do it. Most of the time, our problem in life is not that we do not know—it is that we do not do.

Daniel chapter 4 relates the story of how Nebuchadnezzar finally accepted Jesus into his life and accepted God’s rule as supreme. It is a beautiful story of redemption and illustrates the lengths God will go to in order to save just one person. In the next chapter we read what happens when a person ultimately rejects God’s offer of salvation.

In one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible, king Belshazzar of Babylon was hosting a party in his palace when, in the midst of the festivities, a mysterious hand appeared and wrote several words on a wall in the room where the party was taking place. “It was not the hand of the priest that rent from top to bottom the gorgeous veil that divided the holy from the most holy place. It was the hand of God. When Christ cried out, ‘It is finished,’ the Holy Watcher that was an unseen guest at Belshazzar’s feast pronounced the Jewish nation to be a nation unchurched. The same hand that traced on the wall the characters that recorded Belshazzar’s doom and the end of the Babylonian kingdom, rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom, opening a new and living way for all, high and low, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile. From henceforth people might come to God without priest or ruler.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1109

Unable to interpret the writing on the wall, the king summoned his counsellors—the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers—to tell him the meaning of the writing. Once again they were unable to interpret the meaning of God’s messages. King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and his countenance changed. The Queen, when she saw that, told the king that there is a man in the kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God.

The king then called Daniel and asked him to tell him the meaning of that mysterious message. Daniel stated; “God has numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. . . thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” Daniel 5:26–27. “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldean slain. And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” Daniel 5:30–31. That night the Persians invaded. Cyrus the Great, king of Medo-Persia, broke through the supposedly impenetrable wall of Babylon by cleverly diverting the river flowing into the city so that his soldiers could enter through the river duct. Historical records show that this invasion was made possible because the entire city was involved in a great drunken feast. If there was any doubt about safety and security, it was forgotten in the frenzy of the hour. For, after all, Babylon’s walls were high, the city shielded further by the deep waters of the Euphrates. Food was abundant. There was nothing to worry about. So, that very evening, the mightiest kingdom in the world was overthrown, and Belshazzar leaned on Bel, the chief god of Babylon, instead of leaning on El, the God of Daniel and the supreme God of the universe.

Babylon had fallen. The story of Belshazzar illustrates the truth that, “Pride goes before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18. The Bible tells us in the book of Revelation that Babylon is going to fall again. The question is: How do we understand the future fall of Babylon? In what way does this affect the people of God?

Ancient Babylon was a leading world power. The Babylonians ruled a significant section of the planet, and the city of Babylon was a center of wealth and influence. Babylon was also a religious center without rival in the world. The religion of Babylon was characterized by idolatry, ancestor worship and sun worship. Tammuz was a god worshiped by the Babylonians. As we already know—the name “Babylon” is derived from the word “Babel” meaning “confusion,” a description of the confused pagan teachings of Babylon. “Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:9

In the book of Revelation, spiritual Babylon is represented in two ways. Firstly, as a city, demonstrating a parallel with ancient Babylon. And secondly, as a woman, representing a spiritual entity, or a church. This symbolism of a woman representing a church comes from the following Bible verses. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.” Jeremiah 6:2. “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 11:2

Reference to Babylon as represented as a woman comes from this verse, “Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” Revelation 17:1

This woman is sitting on a beast (a nation, “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth.” Daniel 7:23). “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” Revelation 17:3. This depicts a union of church and state. She was, “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour.” Revelation 17:4. She persecuted God’s people (“drunken with the blood of the saints.” Revelation 17:6), and was located in a city on seven mountains (“The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.” Revelation 17:9).

Each of these identifying marks point to the church of Rome, or Catholic church, as being the Babylon of the book of Revelation. “And on her forehead was a name written; MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. Revelation 17:5. Just as the woman, or the mother of the woman in Revelation 17, represents a church, her daughters, also women, represent apostate churches that follow her. The mother church, “Babylon,” is the church that, like ancient Babylon, has confused the world with her teachings. The daughters’ churches are those that follow the teachings of the mother church. They teach her errors as truth, even though those errors have no Biblical basis and rest only upon human authority. Doing so they are also a part of what the Bible calls, spiritual Babylon. Just as wine is intoxicating (confusing), the teachings of Babylon have intoxicated and confused. Because of Babylon’s influence, many people in the world today reject some of the plainest teachings in the Bible, and accept the confusing wine of Babylon. Sun worship was practised in ancient Babylon, and Sunday, the day of the sun, has replaced the Bible Sabbath day as the day of worship for many Christians. While many are unware of the origin of their worship, they break this commandment of God and practise unbiblical worship.

God calls men and women from all these apostate churches to, “Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4. This is a message of life and death; it is the message given by Jesus, the Faithful Witness. It is our message as individuals and as a collective group (Church). Will you go in the Name of Jesus to warn the people and invite them to unite with the faithful remnant of God? There is a last dance, there is a last drink, there is a last party, there is a last night for everyone, when your time runs out. No one will be lost because of what they did not know. They will be lost because they did not do what they knew they should. People will be lost because God shone His light upon them, and they turned their back; they rejected the light.

On June 5, 1947, a man was with his friends in the LaSalle Hotel in downtown Chicago, playing cards late into the night. At 1 o’clock in the morning, he called his wife and said “Honey, I will be home after a few more hands of cards. His wife said, “Darling, please come home now. It is late. Please, I am worried about you. Don’t stay out any later.” But he said, “no, just another hand of cards.” Within minutes, a wiring shortage caused a terrible fire at the LaSalle hotel, and 60 people died. The next morning, they pulled the man’s charred body out of the ruins. He knew he should have been home with his wife and family, but did not do as he knew. He pleaded with his wife to be with his friends just a little longer, just give me a little more time for “fun.”

This story is a sad reminder that, while God offers salvation to everyone, there will be many individuals who, nevertheless, choose to reject Him. God is just and merciful and will judge everyone accordingly. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14. Those who are lost will not be lost because of a lack of knowledge. They will be lost because they choose to be lost. Since God is love, He cannot force people to choose salvation and to obey Him.

Friend, it is ultimately your choice whether or not you will follow Jesus or the idols of this world.  Joshua made it plain for His people. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Will you accept God’s call and choose Jesus now? I have chosen Jesus and His offer of salvation; I hope you will do the same. Let me tell you, friend, this is the best choice I have ever made. May God bless you. Amen!

Nicholas Anca