[Bates’ Pamphlet #2] Second Advent Way Marks and High Heaps

THIRD WAYMARK. THE FALL OF BABYLON

“And there followed another angel, saying Babylon is fallen, that great city, (What for?) because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” - She has made all the world drink from that cup of poison. Revelation 17:4. Hence as John says, “the inhabitants of the earth are made drunk” - and the only remedy pointed out by God to heal his people of this awful malady, and make them sober again, is to come out of her altogether, for while you stay there you will be continually drunk with her poison. BP2 59.2

I feel that I have now come to a waymark which has been represented under so many false colorings by the majority of these messengers, making it very difficult for all the honest hearted to keep their eyes upon it long enough to be fully satisfied of its identity, that I need wisdom from God to direct, and by his help I will try, not to go all over the ground, which has been ably done by the minority, but touch some of the points, and show it fulfilled as it stands in our pathway. I at first supposed that this should be called the second waymark, instead of the tarrying time; but I think it will be seen where I have placed it, by the time I have described the fifth waymark. It is true it began to be seen before the second one, but its prominency was not fully discovered until we had passed the most trying part of the tarrying time: “And there followed another angel” - that is, during this judgment hour cry, some of the same messengers, with others that had been joining the ranks, commenced the second message, saying as in the text, “Babylon is fallen.” Many of the prominent and leading angels or messengers, utterly rejected this message, while others were burdened and pained to be delivered. - This message began to be heard in the fall of 1843, and increased in proportion to the first, down to the tarrying time. Here the subject began to be pretty thoroughly discussed, but still a great number of virgins could not, or would not understand it, on account of the difference of opinion among messengers. Not that any of them doubted the message being given, for that could not be disputed any more than the first; but what the scriptural meaning of the fall of Babylon was. As the Advent Shield was introduced here in the tarrying time, for the especial purpose of reviewing all the past, so that our standard may be perfect and clear, this subject was canvassed under their iv. article, page 112. What is Babylon, and what is the fall of Babylon? They answer on pages 119 and 120, that Babylon is the world, and her fall the coming of Christ. Notice one thing here; the authors of this standard work opposed the giving of this message in its main features. They called Babylon “Babel,” “the city of Rome,” “the Catholic Church” and lastly “the World.” But those that had been burdened with this subject and felt the cry in them, insisted upon it that these were mistaken, for Jesus had said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.” And they knew perfectly well that they had not been to Babel, nor into the Catholic church, nor to the city of Rome, to preach this doctrine, neither were they burdened to preach it to all the world; but to the organized churches, where God’s people were. It now began to be more clearly discerned that the standard work had not given the scriptural exposition of Babylon and her fall; for the mighty cry of these flying messengers with this second message, began to make the nominal organized churches tremble to their foundations. At this crisis another effort was put forth to check these disorganizers. Mr. Miller now came out with a different exposition, showing that Babylon would fall twice - first on the French Revolution, in the eighteenth century, second at the final destruction of all things. It was clearly seen that this position, if followed, would preclude the necessity of the 2nd and 3rd messages that were to follow the first, in Revelation 14:6, 7, until the saints were immortalized. And yet, in other parts of the book (from which I shall quote by and by) he clearly showed that this was the time for the message, and it was actually being given. BP2 60.1

Subsequently he came out again with his view of Revelation 14:6-20, where he says, “I regard the woman or mystical Babylon as the fallen church, and all churches that have the papal spirit. But it does not follow that there can be no churches that love the Lord in sincerity.” I wonder if there is such an organized church to be found. I think this globe will be searched in vain for it. BP2 61.1

He further says of the loud cry (first waymark) in Revelation 6, 7, “that it will continue until Christ comes in his kingdom. The 2nd message in 8v., the fall of Babylon, will take place after Christ comes. And further, that the angel in 18:1, 2, is the Lord Jesus descending from heaven to take the kingdom. When the angel has declared or is declaring the fall of Babylon, then the 3rd angel that followed the 2nd in 14:9-12, is showing the fate of his worshippers, and that the 13v. is the resurrection, and must synchronize with chapter 18:4, come out and meet him in the air, - 14 - 16v, here the saints are called to meet the Lord in the air. Then 17 - 20, the vine of the earth is reaped. And this is the harmonious view of the scriptures. To apply them differently is to pervert them”. Now I don’t mean to pervert the scriptures, neither can I receive this exposition. It is evident from 18:4, that God’s people are called out of Babylon, that they may not receive of her plagues. BP2 61.2

How many plagues are there? The angel says seven. Now, Mr. M. taught us that time, and I suppose fully believed, that six of these plagues had been poured out. Indeed, he has taught in his book, and in almost every place where he has given a course of lectures, that the seven last plagues (of course there are no plagues to come after the last,) would be poured out before the gathering of the saints. - The 16. of Rev. shows clearly that six of them will be poured out before Christ comes (See 15 v.) Now if God’s people have to wait in Babylon until Christ takes them out at his coming, as he has here attempted to show, then there is no meaning to the 4th v. of the 18, where God’s people are called out of Babylon to get clear of, or receive not of her plagues! Now I say this same text is proof positive that God’s people are called out of Babylon before the last plagues are poured out. And Babylon certainly falls before the Third Angel calls them out. BP2 62.1

Once more the voice from Heaven in 4th v. says, Come out of her my people. Then if they do obey this call, it certainly will be an act of their own will in obedience to the voice from Heaven. Will it be so when Christ comes? No, no. The Apostle tells us that the Saints will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and caught up in the air. This certainty is a very different act. The Saints then must go, they cannot avoid it. So we see that the meaning of the text is voluntary, while the latter is involuntary. This is only a few out of the many difficulties that this exposition would have led God’s people into if they had followed it. BP2 62.2

For it was very evident that there were two processes for Babylon to pass through. After her fall and God’s people had come out of her, viz:- 1st, “utterly burned with fire, 8v. 2nd, found no more at all,” 21st v. BP2 62.3

About this time [August 1844] ten thousand extras of the Voice of Truth, containing the Editors, S. S. Snow, and Geo. Storr’s Exposition were published, showing what was Babylon and her fall, etc. etc. This presented the subject in so clear a light, and in accordance with the teachings of the Spirit, that it was clearly seen that Babylon, that great city symbolized by a “woman seated upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns,” represented the existing organized churches which had now fallen in consequence of rejecting the doctrine of the Second Advent of our Saviour, which was now being given by the messengers that were flying through the midst of Heaven, just as the Jewish Church fell by the rejection of the First Advent. See 23rd Chap. of Math. BP2 62.4

And the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, on which the Woman is seated, represented, “the kingdoms of this world drunken with the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” The Woman a symbol of the fallen Church, and the ten horned beast a symbol of the kingdoms of this world, just as closely united and connected together as the woman is seated on the beast: witness the union of Church and State supported by civil, Military and Naval power throughout all Christendom. Still it is difficult for many to distinguish between the woman and the beast she is seated upon. They confound it and make both one. Now to illustrate by a simple figure, for instance, a beautiful, gay dressed woman seated upon a great red horse; now who would run the risk of being laughed at for his ignorance by saying that the horse and woman were one, and there was no distinction. Would it not be perfectly plain that they were two. The woman riding and the horse carrying the woman, - so closely connected together that when the horse moved, the woman moved also. Would it not be obvious, also, that they were born separate, and at a certain period of time the woman mounted the horse, and became thus united and closely connected with him by riding about the world at her pleasure. Well then, in the same point of view, look at this mystery Babylon, which is called a Woman, and this ten horned beast (which represents the kingdoms of this world) carrying her. In Revelation 12:6, 14, John sees her entirely separate from the beast, struggling with these beastly kingdoms to maintain her honor and purity. She was then the pure Church. In the 17 chap. the Angel directs John to look at her again. She is now about 1260 years older than when he last described her. What a mighty change. She has now become a drunken harlot. With wine? No. But with the blood of God’s dear children, 5:6. - Matthew 23:34, 35. She has made the inhabitants of the earth drunk with her poisonous cup, and the kings of the earth while thus intoxicated, have unlawfully united with her, and she rules, guides, and directs them as the rider does the red horse. She is now riding at her leisure full of names of blasphemy, with this blasphemous name written on her forehead, MYSTERY BABYLON, THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The 15th v. interprets the 1st v. and says, “the waters she sets upon are peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues.” These are what the beast represent. BP2 63.1

The woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth. That is they are perfectly under her control. This is the Mother, Papacy, Catholicism, or the Roman Catholic Church. She has harlot children, what do they represent, the Protestant and Greek Church, in all their organizations, represented in the 18 chap. The Angel says they were divided into three parts, 16:19. It is brought to view again in the 11:13th v, where it says “a tenth part of the city fell.” This we have invariably taught, transpired in the Revolution in France not far from 1790. The tenth part of what city fell then? We say the tenth part of Babylon. How did it fall, did the territory of France fall? No. O, that would be a tenth part of the beast. Did the people fall? No. What then? why Ecclesiastical power both in the Catholic and Protestant Church was destroyed. Was that the coming of the Lord? No, it was the fall of the tenth part of Babylon. Here then is further proof that the fall of Babylon is not the coming of the Lord. But it is demonstrated to be the organized Churches. BP2 64.1

Still further, according to John’s vision in 14 Revelation. Babylon must fall in the time that the angel is giving the everlasting gospel at the hour of God’s judgment, for he says there followed another angel. Then this was the next thing in order after the flying messengers had fairly introduced the Second Advent doctrine, and it was opposed and rejected by the Churches. Their cry was, Babylon is fallen, is fallen. She has rejected the message of the angel that preceded. It was now obvious that she had drank from the cup of poison so deeply, that it had seized her vitals. She therefore utterly rejected her coming Lord. BP2 64.2

Where is the history for the fulfillment of this event? We answer. Just where it ought to be, following in its order, and no where else. When this subject first began to be introduced in 1843, the most of the professed nominal Churches had closed their doors against the Second Advent doctrine, and began to treat the message with scorn and contempt. Some however looked at it more favorably until this message was presented in a clear Scriptural light, they then withdrew, and began stoutly to declare it the doctrine of the Devil. At this crisis the loud cry from Heaven was nervously proclaimed, come out of her my people, etc. Now I do not remember of hearing an objection against this doctrine’s being in its proper order. If, as we fully believed, we were now called to go out and meet the Bridegroom, this message was just where it should be; of this, thousands were fully convinced, for it was just what we were witnessing all around us, and it fully accorded with the predictions of Isaiah, Jer., Paul and John. By comparing Revelation 17; 2, and 18:9, it was perfectly evident that no other body could commit this sin of fornication with the kings of the earth; but the organized Churches, the professed people of God, whose law requires them to be separate from the world. Every sect is therefore guilty, for they are unlawfully connected with the world, and consequently condemned. BP2 64.3

This way mark was now distinctly seen in our pathway, linked in with, or chained on to the judgment hour cry, and stretching its way through the tarrying time, crying mightily with a strong voice [as was never heard before, nor since Oct. 1844], “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become [not will be] the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” BP2 65.1

This message now moved onward with the rapidity of the first, causing in its flight the nominal Churches to shake mightily. How then could this be the work of the Devil as many have said. Even the Churches themselves knew that it was the very opposite of any thing the Devil had ever done for them before. We will now look at what was set up for the BP2 65.2