1GC Rev. 17:3,4. Note that this woman of Rev. 17 is just the opposite kind of woman to the one presented in Rev. 12. This would show that as surely as the pure woman of Rev. 12 is the Lord's true church, this impure harlot woman is Satan's counterfeit religious system. Rev. 2:9.

2GC Rev. 17:5. God's name for this great counterfeit system is "Babylon the great." The word "Babylon" comes from the word "Babel" (Gen. 10:9, margin), and this word "Babel" means confusion. Gen. 11:9, margin. The name Babylon, which signifies confusion, is certainly a fit name for this present-day system of worldly churches and religions, which on many points are following discordant, unscriptural ideas and worldly ways in place of obeying the plain commands of the Lord, whom they profess to follow.

3GC Rev. 17:18. This impure woman is declared to be the great city which dominates the government of earth.

4GC Rev. 16:19. This great city is divided into three special parts.

5GC Rev. 16:13. These three special parts are designated as the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The dragon of this combination is paganism. The beast is Catholicism (Rev. 13:18); and the false prophet is apostate Protestantism, which has proved itself untrue to the Bible which it took as its only guide at the time of its birth.

6GC Rev. 14:8,14. One part of the special message that God is sending to the world is the last days just before Jesus appears on the cloud is that this system of worldly churches constitutes fallen Babylon. As we see how the churches have become worldly, having lost their spirituality, and how the Modernist section has repudiated the Bible, we see that Babylon--the popular churches--is indeed fallen, just as God said it would be in the last days.

7GC Rev. 18:2,4. This special message that Babylon is fallen will also call all of God's people out of this great worldly religious system of paganism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, into God's remnant church to keep all His commandments. God's call is, "Come out of Babylon, that ye be not partakers of her sins." As sin is the transgression of God's law (1 John 3:4), it is evident that God is calling His people out of all these worldly churches (Babylon) in order that they may keep His commandments.

8GC Rev. 14:12. Those who come out of Babylon in response to God's special message of Rev. 14:8 and 18:2,4, are designated as those who keep the commandments of God.

9GC Rev. 12:17. God's remnant church  is distinguished by the keeping of the commandments.

10GC John 10:27. God's people are an obedient people--they obey His voice. This means that all of God's people will come out of these fallen churches, out of Babylon, into His remnant flock to keep His commandments.

11GC Matt. 12:30. There is, and will be, no neutral ground; either we will stand with Babylon, which will be destroyed at the appearing of Jesus (Rev. 18:8,21), or we will stand with the obedient remnant, which will be victorious on the sea of glass. Rev. 14:1; 15:2,3. Choose this day on which side you will stand. The seven last plagues  are coming. God's call for this hour is, "Come out of her (Babylon), my people...that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:4. It is just as important for us to come out of Babylon as it was for Lot to flee from Sodom before the fire of God fell on that city or for Noah and his family to come out of the world into the ark before the Flood came. If you have not responded to this call to come out of Babylon, decide this moment that you will come out and surrender all to Jesus Christ to obey Him.