When the assembly of Christians keeps itself separate and holy before the Lord, the needs of the local community will be met by one means or another. But when the churches compromise the worship of the Lord in order to make themselves understandable and attractive to the community, then neither God nor the community will be served.

The babylonish Christian systems are prostitutes. They take of the spiritual graces that have been given to them by the Lord God and attempt to use His Glory for their own ends.

Babylon says, "I am a queen."

How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. (Revelation 18:7)

She claims to be no "widow," but she is a widow. The Lord is not her husband.

She claims to be a queen. But the Lord will have no queen. His wife is His body, His glory, not His queen. Queens are separate individuals. They share with their husbands in the majesty of their kingdom and sometimes compete with them for power.

The true Bride of the Lamb is an eternally indivisible, integral part of the Person of Christ. She is not separate from Him. She does not compete with Him. How could she? She has been formed from His Substance and lives by His Life.

Babylon, the religious systems, will never understand the oneness of Christ and His Wife. They believe themselves to be queens, to be married to the Lord. They make sure that they live in sensuous pleasure and believe they cannot be harmed. But their destruction shall come in one hour and they shall not be seen again in God's creation.

Babylon is a prostitute by nature, ready to sell herself in order to gain the approval of the world. She does not keep herself for a husband nor could his heart safely trust in her. She is a proud, imperious woman who calls herself by the name of the Lord, but who chooses to wear her own clothes and eat her own bread.

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. (Isaiah 4:1)

The "seven women" are the denominations of our day, and the "one man" is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Babylon is a murderer. Satan wants to be like God in every way but God has chosen Jesus to receive the fullness of the inheritance. Therefore Satan is filled with envy and murder, and does everything in his power to destroy everyone who loves and serves Jesus.

We behold Satan in the religious leaders of Israel. They were filled with satanic envy and therefore sought to murder the Lord's Anointed.

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; (Matthew 26:59)

But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. (Matthew 27:20)

For he [Pilate] knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy. (Mark 15:10)

This is a clear picture of Babylon in action. The leaders of the religious system were filled with murderous rage against the innocent Jesus, the Lamb of God.

To be continued.