Bryan Picken does
the cover art for us, which he has been doing for many years! He has been doing
this from his prison cell in Michigan, often facing many obstacles. He has also
been "guilty" of having some rather great insights! Below is an
article he wrote about the Babylon of the Book of Revelation. The pieces of the
puzzle fit together very well. There are also spiritual, political, and commercial
aspects of Mystery Babylon. RAC
She is called the great whore sitting
upon many waters (which are peoples, nations, and languages - Rev. 17:15), a
great city, a woman dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold, precious
stones, and pearls. She sits upon a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten
horns, which are kings and world leaders (Rev. 17:7,12). In her hand is a gold
cup filled with the obscene and filthy things produced by her whoring with
intoxicates the nations. She is further described as being:
A
home for demons, a prison for unclean things and every unclean and hated bird.
All the nations drink from the wine of God's fury through her. She has
unrestricted luxury making business men rich. There is music heard in her.
Trades are made and work for all. Light and the voice of the bridegroom and the
bride along with the blood of those who testify about Yeshua.
The ten horns of the beast she rides
(which are world leaders - Rev. 17:12) will one day rejoice over her
destruction, because they could not restrain her content. They will plot to end
the "magic spell" she holds over the whole earth, and will accomplish
this in a single day. This is done to bring to pass the will of God who put it
in their hearts to do, for He hates her abominations (Rev. 17:16-17).
So what, or who, is this Babylon? We have missed her arrival
on the world stage, although we are hopelessly in love with her. The reason for
our apparent blindness is simple. We have incorrectly sought out a physical
city in a physical location, failing to remember that she sits atop the beast
(governments of the world). It is the seven heads of the scarlet beast which
are described as sitting on the seven hills, not Babylon herself. No single nation
exclusively holds her domicile. This is because she is not in a place.
Rather, she is the place: A place without boundaries, free from national
laws. A site where mankind goes to fulfill their darkest desires.
The
Internet is such a place, and it fits Yochanan's
description perfectly. The Net, as we know it, is ethereal, without
physical boundaries, because it is "in the cloud." The Net's dominion
is in the air, the realm of HaSatan (the Adversary), sitting atop the whole
earth.
Anyone,
at any time, can travel to any location within her almost instantaneously,
without even leaving the comfort of their Lazyboy
chair.
But
already many world leaders seek to limit the content found on the Net. Our current
world leaders hate what is available online (Julian Assange and Wikileaks, anyone?),
often because it exposes their wicked deeds. Lawmakers are routinely calling up
tech companies and web designers to accuse them of online evils. China has made
backdoor deals with Facebook to restrict Chinese access, while Middle Eastern
countries, along with Russia openly limit Internet movements. Yet the world
can't get enough.
The
news is rife with stories of malware plagues and online hacking, while radical
sects away the opportunity to destroy the web. Silicon Valley, which is a
desert, holds the brains of the Net and is actively trying to harden itself
against such attacks.
Yochanan
("John") makes clear that the businessmen of the world become rich in
her (including many online businesses), that we listen to music in her (do you
still have a record collection?), trade and do business in her (how many hours
a week do you work online?). Many testify about Yeshua through podcasts and
other sites making it all too easy to "hear the voice of the bridegroom
and the bride" online. A favorite way to get the Word is audio Bibles. Did
you hear a voice, anyone?
Yeah,
the whole world marvels long with Yochanan after Babylon.[1]
All are drunk by her wine in the forms of technology, websites, goods, and
services. The luxury and the flashiness of her cup (e.g., in the shape of a
cell phone or tablet) hides the wickedness within her boundaries. Where else
can you find "cargos of gold and silver, and precious stones and pearls
and fine linen... and the souls of men (Rev. 18:12-13)." The answer is,
"Where else but the Net?"
No one thirty years ago could have guessed at her identity because the world had never seen such a marvel. Now, however, it is becoming evident. The Net of Babylon hangs over every nation and is used with every intent of the human heart. Soon we will do all of our buying and selling online (another prophecy revealed!) and no one will buy or sell without her.[2]
The
founders of this amazing city all describe having received dreams and visions,
as if from heaven, telling them to build this marvel: From Jim Clark who
founded Netscape to its president, James Barkdale;
from Bill Gates of Microsoft to Gary Devor of Pixelon; and everyone in between. Everyone of them is
testifying of the same aspiration. The Internet, of course, is what I am
referring to, and they built it! It is a place, and fits the prophetic
description perfectly.
The
harlot affects everyone who touches her, decent or not. We've seen otherwise rational
people turn nasty via email or social websites. It's just unnatural. Also, how
many people are addicted to their phones (especially the smart phones)? Mankind
is hopelessly drunk on the Net.
When
the ten horns have their way and the Net is destroyed, the world will mourn.
Think of how terrible this will be for those who grew up with the system. It's
something no one, including Babylon herself, believes will happen. Does she not
call herself a queen? She says, "I am no widow. I will never see
sorrow".[3]
Yet her destruction is coming. Will you be prepared for that day? God even now
is calling us to leave her. Mashiach has warned us that even the very elect
could be deceived. "My people, come out of her so you don't share in her
sins, so that you will not be infected by her plagues...
[4]
The
destruction of the Net is coming. Those whose hearts of been directed by God
will seek and accomplish her annihilation. They do so to hide their evil plans
and to plunge the world back into darkness. Be forewarned: Bavel,
the Mother of harlots, sits over the whole earth to this very day. Her Net is
cast far and wide, entrapping all who fail to discern her shape. You have been
forewarned!
Editor's Comments:
It would be hard to imagine life without
the Internet today. The Net can be used for good or for evil. Commerce,
communication, and information sharing are all very much tied into the Net. If
and when the Net is destroyed, it will be catastrophic to the world and to
civilization in general, almost throwing the world back to the Stone Age.
I
personally gather much information via the Net, and to verify things that I
already know. Our website www.petahtivah.com also gives easy access for
our readers to get additional information. It would be very difficult for me to
conduct this ministry without the Net. I presume that we also have been caught
in the Net! RAC