Urgent Word for the Church: You’re Living in The New Babylon!
In this article, I want to give a stern warning to this generation: BEWARE OF BABYLON.
Babylon is the earthly culture, a system of knowledge created by satan to rule the earth. It is presented as wisdom and knowledge, but is not from heaven. It is from the earth for the earth and does not reproduce eternal fruit or righteousness. It deals in facts, not truth. There is a truth from heaven that rules and has power over earthly wisdom. This is God’s plumb line.
God’s heavenly system is the reproduction of God’s will, ways, and words. It is the reproduction of heaven’s truth and knowledge on the earth that has power over dark knowledge, even knowledge that presents itself as good. There are two armies on the earth right now. The Babylonian system is creating a demonic army of tares—and heaven is creating a heavenly army of wheat. This is the showdown at the end of the age. Joel speaks of these two armies that will be present at the end of the age in Joel 2.
The End-Time Babylonian Army
Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the Lord is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains.
A people come, great and strong,
The like of whom has never been;
Nor will there ever be any such after them,
Even for many successive generations.
A fire devours before them,
And behind them a flame burns;
The land is like the Garden of Eden before them,
And behind them a desolate wilderness;
Surely nothing shall escape them.
Their appearance is like the appearance of horses;
And like swift steeds, so they run.
With a noise like chariots
Over mountaintops they leap,
Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble,
Like a strong people set in battle array.
Before them the people writhe in pain;
All faces are drained of color.
(Joel 2:1-6)
Joel prophesied about a Babylonian army coming against Israel, the people of God. This army was powerful, organized, and relentless in their destruction. He trumpeted a warning to God’s people to wake up and prepare for the coming of this great and terrible army. But Joel’s prophecy will be ultimately fulfilled in the last days, before the day of the Lord’s return to the earth. This end-time Babylonian army will be led by the most demonized man in human history—the antichrist—who will ruthlessly war against God’s people and bring destruction to the earth.
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army (Revelation 19:19).
God is sounding the trumpet again today through His prophets to alert the Body of Christ that a great and terrible army is arising in the earth. This army operates out of the Babylonian system of confusion. The ways of this Babylonian system are so wickedly crafted that even Eve was deceived by it in the Garden. She was not tempted by fruit but by the desire for the knowledge of good and evil and to be “like God,” even though she was already made in His image and likeness. The Babylonian system operates out of the knowledge of good and evil. This knowledge appeals to us because it causes us to feel empowered and in charge like God and desiring self-glorification. It elevates the human mind and human ways of thinking over the Spirit. It pridefully seeks to exalt itself against the knowledge of God and His ways (2 Corinthians 10:5).
So, let’s look closer at how these two armies that Joel prophesies about are fueled by the increase of knowledge in the last days. Scripture tells us in the book of Daniel that in the last days, knowledge will increase.
But you Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4).
We can look around us and see that knowledge is increasing. We live in the information age and technology is increasing at exponential rates. Those feeding off the Babylonian system of dark knowledge of good and evil are becoming emboldened and many are gaining incredible wealth. There are some who have acquired more wealth than many nations and have submitted themselves to the beast, the antichrist, spoken of in Revelation 17. They are kings but have not received a kingdom. They know each other and are networking with plans of global domination based on their own designs on how the earth and God’s people should be ruled.
“The ten horns which you saw are ten 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. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14).
These “kings” are not currently political heads of state, but they are behind the scenes controlling nations through their money and dark ideology of population control, international banking, earth’s production, pharmaceuticals, and the development of a one world government. The Bible says they receive authority for one hour of agreement and will try to overcome the Lord and His army. In their time of “authority,” they raise up their Babylonian army to make war with God’s end-time army, as we saw in Joel 2:1-10 and Revelation 19:19.
This Babylonian army is fierce, “a people great and strong.” They strike terror in the hearts of the saints and those on the earth. They operate as counterfeit kings and priests, worshipping the beast and releasing his plans and lies into the earth to control this army and advance satan’s end-time plans. Many worship satan and access his power through satanic rituals, including sacrifices with the blood of innocents and abominations of murder, sexual perversion, pedophilia, and cannibalism. Even when confronted with the power and judgments of God, they will not repent of their wickedness.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts (Revelation 9:20-21).
We can see shaking and captivity happening today with so much confusion released from this demonic rulership. They use a war of words to create chaos and lawlessness. Words are shooting like arrows from politicians, the media, social media platforms, and even the many in the Church. They create confusion, fear, bondage, and lawlessness to fuel the violence of this army unto control. This army believes in the ways of self and earthly knowledge devoid of the wisdom of God.
The plans of Babylon sound like wisdom but believing and following these plans will lead to destruction, even for some of God’s elect. Their objective is to rage against and destroy the Lord and His chosen and faithful. While they have come under the influence of the beast and are given authority for a limited time, they are actually fulfilling God’s purpose (Revelation 17:17) by stirring up, waking up His sleeping bridal army. This Babylonian army rises up and begins to destroy and consume the inhabitants of the earth, but then the Lord steps in and His voice is heard by His remnant.
The Lord gives voice before His army; for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:11)
The Holy Spirit is warning God’s people to come away from this system of Babylon, or they will be overtaken by it. When Jesus came and tore the veil from heaven to earth through His death and resurrection, we can be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is the breaking in of the voice of the Lord that calls to His army and awakens her to His plumb line and truth.
God’s End-Time Army
“Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (Joel 2:12).
The voice of God, which is the plumb line of truth, is being restored to God’s people, bringing clarity and hope. The first thing the voice of the Lord did in the book of Joel was to call God’s people home to Himself at the heart level. Today, the Lord is redefining His church as a temple built by His own hands where His Spirit dwells, not a building you attend on Sundays. God said to Israel in Joel’s day, “Return to Me with all your heart.” Church, God is again trumpeting His voice to us today saying, “Return to Me with all your heart.” He wants all of our hearts.
“God is saying to leave Babylon, the culture of this age, and come home to His trustworthy leadership. He is saying there can be no mixture in His Kingdom ways. He requires full allegiance.”
In His words, “Return to Me with all your heart,” He is saying to leave Babylon, the culture of this age, and come home to His trustworthy leadership. He is saying there can be no mixture in His Kingdom ways. He requires full allegiance. The days of being “of” the world are over. He is saying to His church, “No mixture anymore.” Your ways have to be “Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit.” We have to turn and bow in humility and meekness. We live in the world but we cannot be of the world. We cannot continue to give our affection to and trust in the things of the world. We cannot continue to elevate our minds and our conclusions over the leadership of His Spirit.
So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm (Joel 2:13).
God’s Fivefold Promise
The promise to the Lord’s army, for those who turn to the Lord wholeheartedly in this hour is fivefold. There will be the double portion of grace to pour out the following:
1. Grain, New Wine, and Oil
The Lord will answer and say to His people, “Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, and you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations (Joel 2:19).
This represents the Promised Land provision given to the children of Israel for their obedience. Israel offered grain and new wine in the temple as a way of fellowshipping, of communing with the Lord. Jesus offered grain and new wine at the Last Supper, signifying His body and blood, as a way of communing with His disciples (1 Corinthians 10:16). The grain and new wine, then, is a promise of communion, union with God that strengthens and protects us as we follow Him even when faced with difficulty. The oil, as discussed in a previous chapter, is the anointing that produces power on our words and actions. The anointing is a yoke breaker, casting out demons, breaking off sickness and wrong thinking (Isaiah 10:27; Luke 4:18-19). It clears the path for healing, salvation, boldness, empowered teaching, and exponential increase.
The promise of grain, wine, and oil also appears in Deuteronomy and Haggai. The Jews historically kept a Mezuzah on the arch of the doorway which quotes Deuteronomy 11:13-14:
And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil.
Is the seed [grain] still in the barn? As yet the vine [wine], the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree [oil] have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you (Haggai 2:19).
This creates an internal strengthening of our spirits and strong connection with the Godhead. God desires a people who have turned to Him in love. His promise is to use us to destroy the enemy through our obedience and authority. He will tear down the Babylonian army as He makes His priests and kings rulers over His Kingdom.
“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: ‘I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them; the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. ‘In that day,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of hosts” (Haggai 2:21-23).
2. Former and Latter Rain
Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23-24).
In this promise, God is not talking about water coming from the sky, He is speaking of knowledge and wisdom coming from heaven that will increase. This is the knowledge of God. The Word of God was made flesh and came down from heaven so that we could know the nature and character of God. In the flesh, we could relate to Him. He wasn’t a distant image or unrelatable God. We could know God. He sent His only begotten Son to save us. God is supernatural. His words supersede matter. Even the waves obey Him. The more you know Him, the more you become like Him. The Bible tells us in Daniel:
But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase (Daniel 12:4).
I believe this former and latter rain speak of an outpouring of the knowledge of God. The army of God will have greater anointing and relational connection with God because knowledge is raining down in double measure. As we encounter the knowledge of who He is—His love, His mercy, His kindness, His nature, His power—more than any other generation; we will bow at the beauty of this experience. How is it even possible to be this close to and with Him. This is not knowledge that puffs up but knowledge that destroys pride. This is knowledge destroys every lie and establishes the truth of who He is in His love and authority. We will be transformed into His likeness. This knowledge will explode in us like a nuclear bomb; and through this reality, we will do great exploits, not loving our lives unto death.
…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits (Daniel 11:32).
We will not play religious or political games because we are so plumbed in truth. As we roll into the last days, persecution and control will become more and more intense. How do we prosper during those times? Increasing in the knowledge of God increases God in us and our understanding of how to speak to these things. We will get wisdom on how to prosper in our souls, how to grow our businesses in times of hardship; we will thank Jesus for our food and watch it multiply. We will say, “STOP, GROW, MULTIPLY, LIVE, GO AWAY” and it will happen.
3. Restoring Provision
The LORD says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts. It was I who sent this great destroying army against you. Once again you will have all the food you want, and you will praise the LORD your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will my people be disgraced (Joel 2:25-26 NLT).
God promises to strengthen His army by restoring to them all the resources that had been stolen during their times of rebellion. As we fully return our hearts without mixture back to God, He says He will bless our provision. He makes the same promise in Haggai to Zerubbabel, that while shaking has begun, in the midst of shaking He will pour out His provision, the silver and gold.
I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies (Haggai 2:7-8 NLT).
4. The Spirit of Prophecy: Plumb Line of Truth
And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions (Joel 2:28).
The voice of God, which is the plumb line of truth, is being restored to God’s people, breaking in like a trumpet with clarity and hope. Just as it was when Haggai and Zechariah began to prophesy to God’s people to rebuild Zerubbabel’s temple, so it is now that God is declaring through His prophets that His finishing work of the capstone generation is at hand.
The promise of the outpouring of God’s Spirit, not in the form of a short-lived revival but in the form of a transformative awakening will enable an explosion of the prophetic. Wisdom and knowledge will flow from heaven to earth like never before, and there will be great signs and wonders at the hand of God’s governmental army. It will cause many to come into their right minds and millions will come into God’s Kingdom filled with the zeal of the Lord. God will awaken His army so they are fully equipped to bring in His end-time harvest.
5. The Glory of God
“The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,” says the LORD of hosts. “And in this place I will give peace,” says the LORD of hosts (Haggai 2:9).
As I mentioned in Chapter 7, the greater glory of God is reserved for the last generation. The promise of Zerubbabel’s temple that was never poured out in the physical temple became a symbol of the glory of God being poured out at Pentecost, the former glory. The latter temple of our generation will be greater than that of the former foundational church. It is the increase of the knowledge of the love of God that transforms us from glory to glory.
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Ephesians 1:17-18).
Scripture connects the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son and their desire for us to come into this Triune relationship. As the knowledge of God increases in our generation, we will be caught up into this great love. This love will cast out all fear and we will surrender to love, creating a fearless army of love-sick warriors. The glory will shine out of us that we surrendered all to the One we fully believe and trust. Jesus speaks God about us:
And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world (John 17:22-24).
Two Olive Branches Shining in the Last Days
Satan is establishing an order of Babylonian kings and priests to release hell on earth. The only way for the church to stand firm against them is by starting to mature now as God’s kings and priests, serving in the power and authority of our High Priest and King Jesus Christ to release heaven on earth. Only heaven’s authoritative words wielded by His chosen and faith-filled army will withstand the coming deluge of demonic onslaught.
The Lord is redefining His Church in our day as a living temple built by His own hands where His Spirit dwells, not a man-made building you attend on Sundays. Both Joshua and Zerubbabel, who were God’s chosen king and priest, had to come out of Babylon and rebuild the temple in the midst of opposition from the Babylonian system. Joshua, in his role as priest, was cleansed so His mind wasn’t connected to the culture but connected to the Kingdom. Zerubbabel was granted the double portion of grace to withstand opposition and complete the building of the temple.
Today, God is cleansing His people as priests and empowering them as kings to complete the building of God’s end-time temple that He established at Pentecost. Even though we are surrounded on every side with darkness that shall cover the earth, it is the greatest hour for the Lamb and His saints to overcome. Like the shining lampstands in Zechariah’s vision, God’s priests and kings will shine with light and the glory of God.
Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you (Isaiah 60:1-2).
