Crystallization-Study of Jeremiah and Lamentations
Message Nine
God’s Judgment
upon Egypt and Babylon
OPENING WORD
OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
John 17:14 I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world.
Rev. 18:4 …Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues.
Word of Appetizer
What is the principle of Babylon? What should our attitude be toward Babylon?
The principle of Babylon is mixing the things of man with the Word of God, and the things of the flesh with the things of the Spirit. It is pretending that something of man is something of God. It is receiving man’s glory to satisfy man’s lust.
Revelation 18:4 says, “And I heard another voice out of heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues.” Second Corinthians 6:17-18 also says, “Therefore ‘come out from their midst and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.’” According to God’s Word, His children cannot be involved in any matter containing the character of Babylon.
Spiritual Burden
The book of Jeremiah presents a picture of God’s coming in to punish and judge the nations, which typify aspects of the world. In speaking concerning the nations, Jeremiah mentions Egypt first and Babylon last. This indicates that, in God’s view, the world is first Egyptian and then Babylonian. When God judges Babylon, His judgment of the nations will be complete. For the accomplishment of God’s economy, the church, God’s New Testament elect, must be separated from the world in all its aspects.
CONCLUDING WORD
OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
The Revelation of the Truth
The book of Jeremiah presents a picture of God’s coming in to punish and judge the nations, which typify aspects of the world.
Jeremiah 46:2-28 speaks concerning God’s judgment on Egypt; Egypt typifies the world of making a living and of enjoyment, with which Satan, the ruler of the world, typified by Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, occupies and usurps the people chosen by God for His economy.
Jeremiah 50 and 51 speak concerning God’s judgment on Babylon; God will judge Babylon to such an extent that nothing of Babylon will remain in the universe.
The Experience of Life
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.
To us the things which we need for our existence may simply be earthly things, or they may become a world, a system of Satan. When you are preoccupied with eating, eating becomes an item of the world to you. When you are preoccupied with marriage, marriage becomes an item of the world to you. We should not love any occupying or preoccupying thing. Rather, we should give our love fully, wholly, and absolutely to the Lord.
Practice and Application
Rev. 18:4 …Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues.
Today in our church life there should not be anything Babylonian. We should clear away any rebellion against God, any exalting of ourselves, and any worshipping of idols. We must come out of every situation where man’s power is mixed with God’s power, where man’s ability is mixed with God’s work, and where man’s opinion is mixed with God’s word.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—
TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1: The book of Jeremiah presents a picture of God’s coming in to punish and judge the nations (Jer. 46:2; 50).
(What is the significance of the fact that in speaking concerning the nations, Jeremiah mentions Egypt first and Babylon last?)
T2: The church, as God’s New Testament elect, must be separated from the world in all its aspects (Jer. 48:1; 49:1, 7).
(Please give examples to illustrate that the nations typify aspects of the world.)
Day 2
T1: All the worldly people today have been usurped by Satan, not knowing God’s purpose (1 John 5:19; Acts 26:18).
(Please explain how Satan put people under his control by the advanced development of his world system.)
T2: Egypt typifies the world of making a living and of enjoyment (Gen. 12:10; John 12:31).
(Please explain how Satan, the ruler of the world, typified by Pharaoh occupies and usurps the people chosen by God.)
Day 3
T1: The more we are delivered from the fall, the simpler we become regarding what we need for our existence (Matt. 8:20).
(Please illustrate that if we look at the life of the Lord Jesus, we will see how simple He was regarding the necessities of human existence.)
T2: The world is an evil system arranged systematically by Satan (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4).
(Please use your experience to illustrate that anything can become an item of the world to us, if that thing occupies us and preoccupies us.)
Day 4
T1: The religious aspect of Babylon the Great (Rev. 17:1).
(Please illustrate that Revelation 17 is an unveiling of religious Babylon—the apostate Roman Catholic Church.)
T2: The material aspect of Babylon the Great (Rev. 17:4).
(Please illustrate that Revelation 18 is an unveiling of material Babylon—the city of Rome.)
Day 5
T1: The principle of the tower of Babel involves the attempt to build up something from earth to reach unto heaven (Gen. 11:4).
(Please illustrate that people do not see that they are limited and they attempt to do the Lord’s work by their own natural ability.)
T2: The principle of Babylon is mixing the things of man with the Word of God (Rev. 17:1-5; 18:4).
(Please explain what our attitude should be toward Babylon.)
Day 6
T1: Babylon the Great will have two falls (Rev. 17:16-17; 18:2, 2).
(Please explain when the fall of religious Babylon and the fall of material Babylon will take place respectively.)
T2: In the Bible there are two prominent cities—Babylon and Jerusalem (Jer. 51:61-62; Rev. 21:2, 10-11).
(Please explain the different endings of these two cities.)
