In Revelation and the End Times, we saw that Babylon (or Bavel) is a demonic spirit which seeks to subjugate the people for the benefit of the elites. It does this by causing confusion. Revelation 18:4 tells us to come out of Babylon, lest we share in her sins, and lest we receive of her plagues.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 18:4
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
In the chapter, “America: Land of Babylon”, we saw that the Babylonian Empire is today headquartered in the United States of America. At the end of the Tribulation the United States will fall. (At the time of this writing, in 2020 CE, this event is at least 27 years away, and quite possibly longer.) Yet although Babylon is headquartered in the USA, her empire spans the globe, and consists of the combined political and economic systems of the three Avrahamic faiths (torahless Christianity, Judaism, and Islam).
And in addition to the (torahless) Christian, Jewish, and Muslim worlds, Babylon also uses secular democracy to do her bidding. (See Revelation and the End Times for details.) Thus she is an overwhelmingly strong political and religious empire which has no parallel in earth’s history. Yeshua tells us that Elohim is secretly using these three politico-religious groups to conquer and break down the whole earth.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 13:33
33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”
To explain the parable, meal is ground seed; and in this case, it refers to the seed of Avraham (Judah, Joseph-Ephraim, and Ishmael). The seed is ground, which tells us that it is denatured. Further, it is leavened with false doctrine (and false doctrine is sin, because sin is the transgression of the Torah).
Mattityahu (Matthew) 16:11-12
11 “How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? — but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
While the torahless Christians, Jews, and Muslims all seek to serve the Elohim of Avraham, they all depart from Yahweh-Yeshua’s Torah in one way or another. That is why all three measures of meal are leavened (i.e., sinful). As we saw in Revelation and the End Times, the sinful leaven will be burned out in the first of the Great Tribulation, and the kingdom which is left will be ruled over by the saints (i.e., the Nazarenes), who will serve as Yeshua’s body here on earth.
Daniel 7:27
27 “Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him [through His body].”
However, before we the people of Yeshua can rule and reign as His body, first we must avoid being polluted by leaven ourselves. This means we must flee Babylon, as Revelation 18:4 commands. In practical terms, what this means is that we need to separate ourselves both from rabbinical Judaism, and from the Church system, and discipline ourselves to do everything which Yeshua has commanded.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make disciples in all nations, immersing them in My name,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amein.
[Note: to understand why we immerse in Yeshua’s name only, see “Immersion in Yeshua’s Name Only”, in Nazarene Scripture Studies Volume 3.]
In Nazarene Israel, in the chapter, “The Papacy as Anti-Messiah”, we saw that it is the Babylonian church (and especially the Catholic Church) teaches against the Torah. By contradicting His Torah, it “speaks pompous words against the Most High.”
Daniel 7:25
25 “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and Torah. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.”
Some people find it hard to separate from the church. Some may have family members or friends who are still in the churches, and they do not want to judge them (not even with righteous judgment). However, we need to remember that it is secretly the Babylonian church which rides the New World Order Beast government.
Hitgalut (Revelation) 17:3-6
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.
5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Yeshua. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
In Nazarene Israel we also saw that the Catholic Church has many daughters, including Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Independent churches (including the Evangelical movement). All of these teach against the Torah, and are part of the Babylonian Beast system, and that is why it is important to separate ourselves.
Sometimes physical separation is not possible (perhaps because we have family in the church, or for some other reason). However, even if we cannot separate ourselves physically, we should strive to make as clean of a mental and emotional separation as we can, because in many ways, Scripture tells us that we become like those we surround ourselves with.
Mishle (Proverbs) 12:26
26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
Not to separate from the church system when Elohim clearly commands separation is at best double minded; yet as we saw in “Double Mindedness: Schizophrenia” in Spiritual Health and Healing, double mindedness is a failure to purify ourselves.
Yaakov (James) 4:8
8 Draw near to Elohim and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Thus, if we do not purify ourselves by fleeing Babylon, we are impure (and Elohim will not take an impure bride).
The temptation for the natural man is to want to make excuses for those in the churches (or in the Messianic movement), so we can continue to associate with them. However, those in the churches do not keep Yeshua’s commandments, and Yochanan (John) informs us that none one who fails to keep Yeshua’s commandments knows Him.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 2:3-4
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
In Nazarene Israel and other places we explain that it was Yahweh-Yeshua who gave the Torah to Israel at Mount Sinai (since Yahweh the Father has never left the throne room). Thus, no matter whether we are talking about the Torah of Moshe, or the Great Commission and the Fivefold Ministry, these are Yahweh-Yeshua’s commands, and to know Him, we must also keep them, as Yeshua Himself also says.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Adon, Adon,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Adon, Adon, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice torahlessness!’”
While it is not our business to go around judging people, we are commanded to flee Babylon—and in practical terms, the only way to do that is to discern whether or not the other party bears good or bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit—and those in the churches bear bad fruit, because they do not obey Yeshua’s commandments.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 7:17-20
17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
Again, it is not our purpose to judge people, but it is also not our purpose to please people (but Elohim). That is why we must inspect the fruit. That is also why Shaul tells us that if anyone preaches any faith other than the original apostolic faith, to let them be accursed.
Galatim (Galatians) 1:6-10
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the favor of Messiah, to a different Good News,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Messiah.
8 But even if we, or a messenger from heaven, preach any other Good News to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other Good News to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men, or Elohim? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Messiah.
Perhaps we had a minister in the church who treated us nicely, and we have fond memories of them. What we must remember is that while they were kind to us, they were winning us to their blasphemies against Elohim, and seeking to ensure that we did not purify ourselves, so that we might be approved in the day of judgment. While their behavior might seem nice in the flesh, it is not nice in the spiritual. In the spiritual it is a camouflaged evil.
The thing believers so often forget is that questions of doctrine are not a matter of liking or not liking someone. It has nothing to do with their personality. Rather, it has to do with whether they preach Yahweh-Yeshua’s true Torah, or something else.
Sin is the transgression of the Torah, and teaching against the Torah is a Matthew Chapter 18 (separation) issue.
Yochanan Aleph (1 John) 3:4
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
When someone is breaking or preaching against the Torah, he is sinning—and sin must be put outside the camp.
He who has ears, let him hear.