Whenever something falls, it’s obvious that it must have come from a higher level. The concept of Babylon as religious confusion is tied into the understanding that what is known as Babylon was once on a higher spiritual plane but then sank lower spiritually. Hence the term “fall.”

How does an individual or group sink lower or decline in the spiritual sense? Some key Bible principles immediately come to mind:

“Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” (John 9:39–41).

“It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4–6).

“To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

“The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:30, 31).

When Christ began His earthly ministry, the Pharisees were somewhat ignorant of His exact mission, but once the Light of the world came to them, they became keenly accountable for that Light brought to them. When they chose to reject it, they underwent a spiritual fall. They fell into a lower condition than they had been before. The same situation is true for any and all in every age who rejects light from heaven when it comes.

“It is dangerous to utter a word of doubt, dangerous to question and criticize divine light. The habit of careless and irreverent criticism reacts upon the character, in fostering irreverence and unbelief. Many a man indulging this habit has gone on unconscious of danger, until he was ready to criticize and reject the work of the Holy Spirit.”1

“It is not alone those who openly reject the Testimonies, or who cherish doubt concerning them, that are on dangerous ground. To disregard light is to reject it.”2

We learned in this issue of the Reformation Herald that the second angel of Revelation 14 pronounces the fall of Babylon. When the religious bodies were provided with the light of present truth for their generation and they rejected it, their state of confusion was less “innocent” than it formerly had been. They experienced a moral fall. Why? Because the opportunity to be delivered from confusion had graciously been provided by God, yet the majority were not interested in accepting it.

Truth is progressive. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

“Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them” (John 12:35, 36).

“Light becomes darkness to all those who will not walk in it. In order to be accepted and blessed of God as our fathers were, we must, like them, be faithful. We must improve our light as the ancient, faithful prophets improved theirs. God requires of us according to the grace that He has bestowed upon us, and He will not accept less than He claims. All His righteous demands must be fully met. In order for us to discharge our responsibilities, we must stand on that elevated ground which the order and advancement of holy, sacred truth has prepared for us.”3

“This generation is responsible, not only for all the light that God has imparted to past generations through His Spirit and word, but for the more abundant light now shining. We cannot be accepted and honored of God in rendering the same service and doing the same works that our fathers did. In order to be blessed of God as they were blessed, we must be faithful in improving the increased light, as they were faithful in improving the light that God gave them. Our heavenly Father requires of His people devotion and obedience according to the light and truth given them, and His claims are right and just. He will accept nothing less than He claims; all His righteous demands must be fully met, or they will remain in force against the transgressor.

“If rational beings really desire the truth, God will give them sufficient light to enable them to decide what is truth. If they have a heart to obey, they will see sufficient evidence to walk in the light. But if they in heart desire to evade the truth, He will not work a miracle to gratify their unbelief. He will never remove every chance or occasion to doubt. If they honestly, sincerely grasp the light and walk in it, that light will increase until lingering doubts will be dispelled. But if they choose darkness, their questioning and caviling over the truth will increase, their unbelief will be strengthened, and the light which they would not accept will become to them darkness, and how great will be that darkness! It will be as much greater than before the light came, as the light which was rejected was clearer and more abundant than the light which first shone upon them. Thus it was with the Jewish nation; thus it will be with the Christian world in every generation. The rejectors of light treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath. There are those who walk amid perpetual doubts. They feed on doubts, enjoy doubts, talk doubts, and question everything that it is for their interest to believe. To those who thus trifle with the plain testimonies of God’s word, and who refuse to believe because it is inconvenient and unpopular to do so, the light will finally become darkness; truth will appear to the darkened understanding as error, and error will be accepted as truth. When thus shrouded in error, they will find it perfectly natural and convenient to believe what is false and will become strong in their faith.

“There are men who have so long rejected light and truth that, like Pharaoh, they have become hardened in heart and fastened in unbelief. They crave error; their appetite is for falsehood. They drink up scandal against those who believe the truth as an ox drinketh up water, while they reject, with demonstrations of anger, the truth, pure Bible truth, which would give health and vigor to the soul. When there are so many false teachers, who lead men away from the path of obedience into that of transgression, we need to pray constantly that we may be led into all truth, and that we may not hesitate to stand in defense of the truth. Those who transgress God’s law will have much to say about charity; and when the truth is spoken they talk of the liberality and license given in God’s word. But love for Christ and for the souls for whom He died will lead to the utterance of faithful warnings and appeals by the servants of God.

“Those who walk in the light will progress; they will grow up to the full stature of men and women in Christ Jesus. This is the result of sanctification through the truth, and this is what God requires of all. Truth is progressive; and those who are preparing for the last great day will go forward in accordance with the accumulated light which shines upon them from the prophecies and from the lessons of Christ and the apostles. No one will be condemned in the day of Judgment because of a lack of knowledge which he never had an opportunity to obtain. The light which never shone upon him will never be his darkness. The truth which God’s messengers have presented by pen and by voice, the treasures of the word of God which they have opened to the people, the light which has penetrated the darkened chambers of the mind, will, if rejected, be witnesses against them in the last great day. The testimony which will come with condemning power upon the sinner, and which will close his mouth before God and testify of his guilt, is the fact that he saw the light, but for various reasons in harmony with the carnal heart, would not receive it. He would not receive the truth that was given to save him. The greater the light, the greater the obligations.”4

In addition to the confusion on various issues, compromises on health reform, church order, the sanctity of marriage, and the violation of other biblical principles have caused some turmoil and confusion among believers in recent generations. In reality, when we come out of “Babylon,” ultimately we will need to end up coming out of its various systems as they pertain to religion, economics, politics, health, and education. Sooner or later, God’s people must be delivered from the confusing entanglement of systems that the Babylonian network has established.

“The Christian’s life is one of progression. He goes forward from strength to strength, from grace to grace, and from glory to glory, receiving from Heaven the light which Christ, at infinite cost to Himself, made it possible for man to obtain. The Christian cannot let his light shine before men, unless he is ever receiving divine illumination. He must ever receive strength and glory from the accessible heavens, that he may be able to meet new temptations and bear heavier responsibilities. Untried events await the Christian, new dangers even surround him, and unexpected temptations continually assail him. Our great Leader points to the open heaven, bidding us apply there for light and strength to enable us to overcome.”5

The series of angels found in Revelation includes another angel depicted in chapter 18. With God’s help, we will study about that other angel later this year in a future issue of the Reformation Herald. But suffice it to say that this angel repeats the message of the second angel of Revelation 14, with the additional mention of the corruptions that have been increasingly affecting the churches since the second angel’s message was first given in 1844. The question for us is: Will we be part of this entire upward movement toward purity and holiness through the drawing of Christ and a departure from confusing Babylonish mentalities and practices—or will we fall by the wayside by rejecting heaven-sent truth as it increasingly pours forth from God’s Word? The choice is ours.

“As God gives us light, we should make use of it; God will not give us a second ray, while the first is not appreciated. We must praise the Lord for the light already graciously given, and reflect it upon those around us. Then more light will shine upon us, and as we praise, we shall know that ‘the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’ Do not say, I will praise the Lord when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us. How will you know when the Holy Spirit is poured out, unless you walk in the light day by day? You are to go about your duties, advancing step, by step, according to the counsel of the Lord, and you will find that you will have light and peace and joy and will make melody in your heart unto the Lord. Thus the people of God will mingle their praises with those of the hosts of heaven and sing songs of thanksgiving with the angels of God.”6