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Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The church at Corinth is no different than “the seven churches of Asia”. Corinth had many very commendable attributes. God had truly decked them with His gold and silver and precious stones. Here is the harlot of Rev 16,17 and 18. Here is the harlot who has committed fornication with all the kings of the earth, within each of us.

Eze 16:10 I [ God, Christ within us] clothed thee [ you and me] also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
Eze 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Eze 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Eze 16:16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Eze 16:17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

“Images of men” are not physical idols, but are “idols of the heart”.

Eze 14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Eze 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Eze 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Eze 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn [ yourselves] from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Eze 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Eze 14:8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I [ am] the LORD.
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand uponhim, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Eze 14:10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh [ unto him];

This is all of us, as newborn babes in Christ. This is all symbolized for us by the church at Corinth. The church at Corinth had been given every conceivable spiritual gift and had waited upon and expected the coming of Christ, and still they were “yet carnal” and were mere “babes in Christ” spiritually. Here we have the same seemingly impossible situation we see in Joh 8, where “many believed on Him… [ and yet] wanted Him dead… because they “could not understand His speech or hear His Word”. This is Babylon within us, which appeals to us all as spiritually “carnal… babes in Christ”.

1Co 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1Co 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1Co 1:3 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:4 I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1Co 1:5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and [ in] all knowledge;
1Co 1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
1Co 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“Sanctified in Christ, called saints, in everything enriched by Him, in all utterance, and all knowledge… the testimony of Christ was confirmed in these Christians, and they came behind in no gift…” But in spite of all of these blessings, symbolized by all the jewels with which God decked His wife in Eze 16, this church was not “of one mind and one spirit”, but they were, in the final analysis, “yet carnal… babes in Christ”, still in the bondage which is Babylon. Just like the orthodox Christians of today, this church thought of itself as one church, while following different men instead of following Christ.

1Co 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Those who take pride in being divided from the Word, who identify with the doctrines of men over the Word of God, which is Christ, are “carnal… babes in Christ”, who are yet in Babylon, the very throne of Satan himself.
God’s elect, as His messengers and His angels, as “fishers of men”, do their work “in the sea” also. But the angels and messengers of God should be followed only as they follow Christ.

Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

It is incumbent upon all who would have life to know the voice of the True Shepherd.

Joh 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Knowing the voice of the True Shepherd is life eternal itself.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

We know the Father only through His Son. Therefore it is expedient that we “know His voice” and are able to “try the spirits to see whether they are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world”.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. [“As angels of light”, and as “the light of the candle” in Babylon]
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

It is our candlestick in Babylon that is spoken of at the very beginning of this prophecy, because our walk as Corinthian babes, or as the “cast out” infant of Ezekiel 16 begins in the darkness which is the spirit of Babylon.

Eze 16:5 None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

Yet that darkness is really just “the lesser light which rules the night”, which is Babylon.

Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [ he made] the stars also.
Rev 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have [ somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Rev 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Again, the Jewish economy of Christ’s days in a body of flesh, are the type and shadow of the religious world of today which has no place in it for the words of our Lord and our shepherd. All religions on earth are in complete rebellion against the doctrines of our Shepherd and are all rebelling against His voice. To this very day, it is “those… that believe on Him” and who profess to follow Him, who hate Him the most, to the extent that Christ says all prophets are slain only in Jerusalem.

Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
Luk 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Luk 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Luk 13:35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

As the sons of God, we are not called out of the light, but “out of darkness”. Jerusalem above is the mother of us all. But before we are her children, we are first in the darkness that is “the lesser light” of the harlot mother who wants to keep us in bondage to the laws and traditions of Babylon, symbolized in scripture by “Jerusalem which now is and is in bondage with her children”.

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
Gal 4:23 But he [ who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

“Bondage” and “darkness” are one and the same. And when we think of darkness as light, we are thinking of milk as meat.

Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
Mat 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
Mat 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Mammon is money, and the delicacies of Babylon have a very high price. That price is our life, which we willingly forfeit for the temporary pleasures of this temporary, physical realm. It is for “thirty pieces of silver” that we all betray our Lord, and it is for so little that we despise Christ, our own birthright, and our own lives in Christ . Here are the two Jerusalems of Gal 4, in a later, more mature vision.

Gen 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
Gen 25:25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
Gen 25:26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [ was] threescore years old when she bare them.
Gen 25:27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
Gen 25:28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of [ his] venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Gen 25:29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
Gen 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
Gen 25:31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
Gen 25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I [ am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
Gen 25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
Gen 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Such is the spirit of the great harlot who rules over all the kings of our earth. She has no appreciation for the spiritual value of Christ in us, our spiritual birthright. So she destroys and kills all the prophets who are sent to her.

Mat 26:14 Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
Mat 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Mat 26:16 And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

In closing I want to share a short study on the city of Capernaum which was sent to me by Larry Groenwald in Cape Town, South Africa. It is extremely instructive concerning the time we all spend in Babylon and our attitude during that time. Christ, as our example, “dwelt in Capernaum” after His baptism, just as we dwell in Babylon after our calling.
Here is Larry’s study:

I noticed something very familiar the other day when I read about the city of Capernaum that links [ Capernaum] to ‘the great city’, Babylon (the harlot) and the city of Tyrus, the city who said “I am of perfect beauty”.
What first struck me was the time when Jesus came to dwell in Capernaum and where it was situated:

Mat 4:13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtalim:

Jesus came up to Capernaum (after His temptation by the devil) at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Mat 4). It is situated ‘upon the sea coast.’ People also ‘took shipping’ to seek for Him (for physical miracles) when Jesus ‘was not there’:

Joh 6:24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

[ Editor’s note: Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:]

Jesus taught many times in their synagogue.

Mar 1:21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
Luk 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

[ Editor’s note: Rev 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.]

The reference to darkness when they ‘went over the sea toward Capernaum’ is also significant.

Joh 6:16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
Joh 6:17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

[ Editor’s note: Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.]

The disciples also ‘disputed among themselves by the way’ to Capernaum about ‘who should be the greatest’. In Capernaum a little child was used to teach the disciples humility.

Mar 9:33 And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
Mar 9:34 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mar 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Mar 9:36 And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
Mar 9:37 Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

While in the synagogue [ at Capernaum], Jesus delivered His shocking message on the true Bread of life. Here [ in Capernaum] many ‘went back’ and left Him and ‘walked no more with Him’.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

[ Editor’s note: Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.]

Jesus spent a lot of time in Capernaum. Jesus had to pay taxes there according to Jewish custom of the day that if a man became a resident in any city for twelve months, he thereby became a citizen and paid his proportion of dues and taxes. Capernaum, as Babylon, liked tributes to be paid.

Mat 17:24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
Mat 17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
Mat 17:26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
Mat 17:27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.

[ Editor’s note: Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.]

Jesus performed many physical miracles in Capernaum.

Mat 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
Mat 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
Mat 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Mat 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
Mat 8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with [ his] word, and healed all that were sick:
Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Joh 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
Joh 4:47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
Joh 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
Joh 4:49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
Joh 4:50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

The multitude resorted unto Him’ because of the physical miracles:

Mar 2:13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

It was in Capernaum that Jesus spoke this rebuke:

Joh 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe

[ Editor’s note: Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Capernaum was not spiritually awakened, and was worse than Sodom with their physical lust and pride:

Mat 11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day
Luk 10:15 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell

[ Editor’s note: Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Rev 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Rev 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [ is] the Lord God who judgeth her.]

What is further interesting is that Capernaum was never mentioned in the Old Testament neither outside of the four Gospels. The gospels emphasize the importance of Capernaum in the earthly ministry of Christ when we know Christ [ only] after the flesh:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

However, five of Jesus’ apostles came from or were associated with Capernaum (Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew)

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

I thought to just mention this to you as relating to the study this past weekend.

Thank you, Larry. This demonstrates our walk in Babylon as the disciples of Christ, who were one and all “carnal… babes in Christ” immediately following their calling and our calling. We heal the sick, cast out demons, come behind in no gift, and yet we are “carnal… babes in Christ” who have no place within us for His Words, and we are actually guilty of trying to kill Him thinking we are “doing God a service”.

Joh 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

Peter was thinking he was doing Christ a service, when in reality, by attempting to kill Malchus, Peter was attempting to kill Christ, who had taught Peter to “love thine enemies”. This is but one more example of the proud, corrupt, self righteous and violent spirit which is Babylon, and our part in serving that great harlot within each of us.
Next week, Lord willing, we will learn more about “the throne of God” and where that throne is, and about those who are “in that throne”.

Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.