Matthew 13:31-32, “31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”
Here Jesus equates the kingdom to the tiny mustard seed which when it grew into a tree, and birds would nest in its branches. The early church was small and persecuted and kept its purity, the Church in Smyrna.
With time, the church lost much of its purity as it “married” the state resulting in great but abnormal growth, becoming the Church in Pergamum. Then the birds came and roosted in it. Matthew 13:4, “And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.” Mark uses the specific word Satan and Luke, the Devil. Here "birds of the air" are demons. The implication, the kingdom became a nesting place for Satan and his agents.
In Ephesians 2:2 Paul speaks of "The prince of the power of the air." Appropriate description considering what is broadcast through the air. The eye is Satan's portal, little wonder porn is so prevalent on the Internet. For the most part, television airs immoral behavior, propaganda and denigrates Christians and Christianity. Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Apt description of the mainstream talk hosts.
Jesus was looking down the corridors of time as He forewarned the disciples that during His absence the kingdom would experience a phenomenal growth but not an equivalency to success and growth in the Word. It would become a “The habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”
Jesus followed with Matthew 13:33, “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”
Tying these together, leaven means corruption and is a Biblical symbol of evil. The mustard seed parable pictures an abnormal growth of the church. The tree in Daniel 4:20-22 represented King Nebuchadnezzar who had grown mightily. In his pride he would be cut down, but a stump was left. A type of the mega churches of today?
The woman who hide the three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened likely is a false prophetess, Revelation 2:20, “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” Is this the Church in Thyatira?
Revelation 17:4, “And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:” This has the ring of the regalia found in the Roman Catholic Church.
Revelation 17:5, “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the earth. The Roman Catholic Church has shed the blood of Christian martyrs down through the centuries. The woman is pictured as drunk with their blood. In the last century, the Vatican signed a concordat with Hitler purported to guarantee religious freedom for Catholics. Although there has been redaction of church history, to the best of my knowledge Hitler was never excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
Superficially Mystery Babylon sounds like the Roman Catholic Church alone, however, she is the mother of harlots. The Catholic Church has over billion adherents but there are many people caught up in the watered-down prosperity message, the Church in Laodicea.
There have been many changes in worship during the nearly 2000 year church age. No longer are we like the early churches in Ephesus or Smyrnah. We are now the church of Laodicea. Revival is needed, nevertheless, I rather expect that the decline in Bible grounded churches will continue and if one wants to really seek the Word of God, it will be within small groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment