| From Fear and Fascination to Faith and
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| | their blood be avenged, but God avenged
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| FactsMy first encounter with the book of
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| | all the blood shed on the earth on
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| Revelation was fear. Who didn't get a few
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| | Mystery Babylon, (v. 24).Jesus predicted
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| chills running down their spine about the
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| | the same for Jerusalem. In Matthew
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| number 666, the "mark of the beast," the
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| | 23:34-37, Jerusalem is charged with the
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| seven plagues and this dramatic portrayal
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| | blood guilt of all the righteous blood
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| of the endtime? That fear kept me from
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| | shed on the earth up to that time. Jesus
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| wanting to know more about this book,
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| | would send more wise men, scribes and
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| though I was drawn to it.Then I stumbled
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| | prophets whom he said they would scourge
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| across a study that made an intelligent
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| | in their synagogues and persecute from
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| versus fanciful media-hyped approach to
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| | city to city until he destroyed
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| the book. It addressed it as a coded
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| | Jerusalem. It therefore matches perfectly
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| message, but written to the first century
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| | with this description.4. The "Mystery
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| church who were part of its history and
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| | Babylon" Was Once a Queen.This identifies
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| time. That evidence focused on the date
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| | the city as having a covenant
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| of the book. It raised and answered the
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| | relationship with God. Neither ancient
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| question, was it written pre or post A.D.
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| | Rome, nor any other modern city could
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| 70?Thirdly, an investigation of the
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| | appropriately be styled as God's wife.
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| internal evidence and alignment with
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| | Through the Old Covenant, God was married
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| other texts as commentary overruled the
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| | to Jerusalem, (Jeremiah 2:14). Because of
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| temptation to rely on imagination and the
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| | her unfaithfulness, God threatens
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| media. This was one of the most
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| | divorce. While Mystery Babylon claims to
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| enlightening and satisfying decisions in
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| | be a queen, she is widowed. (Revelation
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| my quest to understand the message of
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| | 18:7)5. The Antithesis of the Two
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| Revelation. What follows are a few keys
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| | CitiesThe contrast of the two cities in
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| that were convincing to me.What Is A
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| | Revelation are a strong clue to the
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| Mystery?A mystery is not something which
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| | identity of Mystery Babylon. After the
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| cannot be known, but simply that which is
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| | great city, Mystery Babylon is destroyed,
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| not known until it is revealed. The seven
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| | God blesses a New Jerusalem. That implies
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| points in this article are now a mystery,
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| | an Old Jerusalem. This is the same
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| but if you read further, they will become
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| | antithesis running throughout the New
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| manifest to you.In Revelation, "Babylon"
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| | Testament expressed in covenantal terms.
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| is a code word for the mystery city. The
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| | (See Galatians 4:24-26; Hebrews 8:6-13;
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| book is not about ancient Babylon nor
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| | 12:18-23). The new Jerusalem however is
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| modern day Iraq. Babylon was used as a
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| | not an earthly city but one which comes
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| sign to disguise in military-type code,
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| | down out of heaven prepared as a bride
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| the identity of the city. Why? It's
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| | adorned for her husband, (Revelation
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| because this city was marked for
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| | 21:1-3).Paul writes that the church is
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| destruction. The political climate of the
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| | the bride of Christ, 1 Corinthians 11:2;
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| day made it extremely dangerous to speak
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| | Ephesians 5:23-31, Hebrews 12:22, 23).
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| openly of destroying this city, (Acts
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| | The new holy city Jerusalem, takes the
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| 6:14) especially by Christians who were
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| | position as bride while the former
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| viewed as its chief enemies. The
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| | adulterous wife receives death by fire.6.
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| preaching of Jerusalem's impending
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| | Come Out of Her My PeopleThe call to
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| destruction led to Stephen's martyrdom,
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| | God's people to come out of Mystery
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| (Acts 7).Its connection with ancient
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| | Babylon" (Revelation 18:4) further aligns
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| Babylon was its moral decay and idolatry.
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| | with the ancient city of Jerusalem. Prior
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| Ancient Babylon's fall was precipitated
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| | to its destruction, Jesus warned that his
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| by their pride and disrespect for God,
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| | disciples should flee the city to avoid
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| the persecution of God's people and the
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| | its plagues of destruction, famine and
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| profaning of the temple's holy vessels .
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| | death. (Matthew 24:15-17; Luke 21:20-22).
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| Thus Belshazzar's feast led to the demise
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| | 7. Trodden Down of the GentilesIn Luke
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| of his kingdom. Hence the term Mystery
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| | 21:24, Jesus remarks that Jerusalem would
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| Babylon.1. "The Great City, --Where The
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| | be trodden down of the Gentiles until the
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| Lord Was Crucified)Further identifying
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| | times of the Gentiles were fulfilled.
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| Mystery Babylon as the great city
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| | Unfortunately, today, many believe the
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| (Revelation 17:18; 18:10), leads us to
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| | Gentiles are rulers over the people of
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| clue number one. The great city of
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| | God. This is impossible as that period
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| Revelation is identified as the city
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| | ended in A.D. 70 when Rome destroyed
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| spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where
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| | Jerusalem. It was the time when all
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| also our Lord was crucified." (Revelation
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| | things written were fulfilled, coming to
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| 11:8)Besides the actual city, there is
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| | pass before that generation passed away,
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| only one city in the Bible ever referred
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| | (Luke 21:22, 32). As old Jerusalem was
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| to as Sodom. It is Jerusalem,
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| | once called the faithful and holy city,
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| (Deuteronomy 32:32; Isaiah 1:10). The
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| | John prophesied that it was measured for
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| description, where also our Lord was
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| | destruction, (Revelation 11:2).Old
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| crucified is strong evidence pointing to
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| | Jerusalem Is A Perfect MatchEverything
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| Jerusalem. Further, it could not be that
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| | said about Jerusalem in the gospels, is
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| a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem,
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| | symbolically described for Mystery
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| Luke 13:33. Jerusalem was called the city
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| | Babylon in the book of Revelation. There
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| of the great King. (Matthew 5:35) To the
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| | are more contrasts and parallels but
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| Jews it was the greatest city in the
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| | these should at least get one
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| world.2. The Golden Cup of
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| | thinking.Fanciful and colorful charts as
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| AbominationsThe imagery of the filled cup
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| | those presented by John Hagee and others
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| of iniquity indicates that God's period
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| | will forever fail to properly identify
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| of longsuffering had run its course.
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| | the Mystery Babylon as long as they are
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| Genesis 15:16 shows why God expelled the
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| | pointed in the future and toward some
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| Amorites from the land in order that
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| | city or nation that has no antithesis
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| Israel might inherit Canaan. The reason
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| | with old Jerusalem. Further, a modern or
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| he did not do so immediately was because
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| | present day Jerusalem, does not descend
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| the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet
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| | from heaven and can never be the holy
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| full. Their cup of sin yet had room for
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| | city of Revelation 21.The message and
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| more and did not run its course until the
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| | meaning of Revelation seems best and most
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| time of the Exodus.Jesus spoke to the
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| | easily understood when one values the
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| people of Jerusalem warning them that
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| | shortly to come to pass, time is at hand
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| they would fill up the measure of their
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| | time parameter of the message keeping it
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| father's guilt in killing the prophets.
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| | within a contemporary, historical setting
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| See point #3. Paul says they had filled
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| | of its first century hearers, (Revelation
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| up the measure of their sins and would
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| | 1:1, 3. It may not frighten us as much,
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| experience the coming wrath. (1
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| | but it certainly encourages us with the
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| Thessalonians 2:14-16).3. God Would
| |
| | message of faith, confidence in God's
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| Avenge All The Righteous Blood Shed on
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| | sovereign power and victory over the
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| Earth By Jerusalem.Mystery Babylon was
| |
| | forces of evil.William Bell is the author
|
| guilty of shedding the blood of the
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| | of "The Re-Examination, a critique of
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| apostles and prophets, (Revelation
| |
| | futurist eschatology showing Christ's
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| 18:20). However, God avenged the blood of
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| | return in the first century.
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| the apostles and prophets. Not only was
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| |
|
