Bully's Blog

God calls His people to represent Him to others who don’t know Him. When, through unbelief, these mediators forget that God is in charge, not them, they become ‘squatters’ in God’s house. They act like they own the place and mistreat God’s true children.

God sends messengers, prophets, to warn them. If they don’t listen to the warnings, He replaces them altogether. We observe this situation with Ahab and Jezebel, whose seizing Naboth’s family property by murdering him described their national sin in microcosm. This was Naboth’s children’s inheritance, and Ahab’s job was to protect it, not seize it. Shades of Eden.

Of course, Jesus called first century Judah a ‘Jezebel’ because she was oppressing those she was supposed to shepherd, and stealing their land. Eventually they would kill Christ as Naboth outside the city, and their own words would be applied to them in judgment:

The chief priests and leaders answered, “He will kill them in some horrible way. Then he will rent out his vineyard to people who will give him his share of grapes at harvest time.” – Matthew 21:41

The Babylon of Revelation was this Jezebel. Just as God spared Ahab and let the judgment fall on the next generation, so He would do the same in the first century. “This generation” was given one more chance.

The Reformers called the Roman Catholic church the “mother of harlots.” Their interpretation of Revelation was wrong, but their application was right on target. The church leaders were lording it over God’s people for their own gain, and there was another Exodus from a church that became Egypt.

Do we see this today? I have heard that established but dying churches in Britain are making it tough for new evangelical churches, refusing to allow them to use their buildings and facilities, and accusing them of undertaking “unauthorised” worship within their parishes. To these Ahab’s and Jezebels, “parish” means a territory they control, not one they are responsible to serve.

This is hardly persecution, but the principal is the same. Once these squatters have had their chance to repent, God will deal with them. We have already seen one very large denomination here in Australia ‘implode’.

Babylon’s children are always cut off, and the true Jerusalem is always rescued from barrenness.