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(Cont. from Page 797). 798. "GET OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, IF YOU DO NOT WANT
TO SHARE WITH HER IN HER SINS". By saying, "get out of her", means that one must stop attending every place of false religious worship, every church, congregation, or kingdom hall. This is necessary in order to get out of "Babylon the great". Revelation chapter 18 refers mainly to her false teachings, injustices, self-glorification, shameless luxury and adulteries. The places where these unGodly acts are carried on are not individually described, for they are within and among those people who perform them. Being part of a certain religion or religious organization cannot excuse one as not being in "Babylon" if the kind of false religious worship exposed in The Opened "Little Scroll" exists in and among you. Revelation 7:14 speaks of a "great crowd" of people coming "out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb". This symbolically described cleansing is not instantaneous on one believing in Jesus' shed blood for forgiveness of sins; otherwise it would also mean that becoming a Christian 'in the last hour' would become a reality. No, rather it is a progressive cleansing. For until this spiritual cleansing has taken place, with a "great crowd" finally coming out alive through the "great tribulation", then Revelation 7:15‑17 cannot be fulfilled. As it is written: "…and they washed the robes of them and they whitened them in the blood of the Lamb. Through this they are in sight of the throne of The God". (Greek Translation). In addition, those of the "great crowd" cannot presumptuously say: "Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb", until they have been finally saved. Salvation is only through the "great tribulation". However, it is true to say that many are "rendering Him sacred service day and night in His temple". But to state Revelation 7:15-17 as being fulfilled today is presumptuousness beyond compare. The "elders" of Revelation 7:11 represent the 144,000 anointed ones gathered to heaven before God's throne. All this will have taken place before the fulfilment of verses 15 to17. The salvation of the "great crowd" of "other sheep" will have been completed after the final test of integrity, when the thousand years have been ended, and satan has been let loose out of his prison and "advanced over the breadth of the earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city". (Rev 20:7-9). Those not misled will be completely saved. The above teaching is to correct the misinterpretation of the Word of God by the sect of JWs in the publication: 'Then is Finished the Mystery of God'. Pg. 205-208. 13/2/77. |
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