Come Out of Her My People!
Getting out of Babylon
Gilyana (Revelation) 18:4-5
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, My people, that you have no fellowship with her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues;
5 for her sins have reached even to heaven, and Elohim has remembered her iniquities.”
There are several places in Scripture in which YHWH calls to those who will listen and heed, to come out of the Babylonian system. It is not an easy task, but it is well worth the effort to do so. Primarily, one needs to come out of the Babylonian system in order to be part of His people and also to avoid the plagues, diseases, sicknesses, and rebellious sins in which Babylon participates. Failure to come out of Babylon places one in opposition to YHWH our Elohim. Being in opposition to YHWH our Elohim brings forth discipline which will include all the plagues of Egypt if one does not show forth the fruit of repentance in a timely manner.
The above passage has parallel passages which can be found in the prophet Yirmeyah. Let us examine several passages to help us clearly hear the call of YHWH today!
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 50:6-7
6 “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray; they have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting-place.
7 All that found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, ‘We are not guilty, because they have sinned against YHWH, the habitation of righteousness, even YHWH, the hope of their fathers.’”
Yeshua gave many parables about sheep, equating His people with that very precious and wonderful animal. The passage above states that the shepherds who have come to watch over the sheep have not been shepherds who have had the interests of the sheep or the interests of YHWH our great Shepherd at heart. Many of these shepherds who have come have been shepherds who have taken from the sheep to feed their own lusts. In order to do this, these shepherds have led the sheep away from YHWH and from His protection.
Notice that those who devoured them, that is, their adversaries, claim to not be guilty because of the sin of the sheep. What is the sin of the sheep? They left the habitation of righteousness, which is dwelling in the house of YHWH, which is guarding and keeping and obeying and living His Torah in their everyday lives. When a person moves away from dwelling in His righteous house, Torah, then that person also loses his hope.
One of the astonishing things I witnessed while in Israel, was the lack of life and lack of hope in the faces and eyes of the people. Nearly everywhere I looked I saw no life and no hope. Why? It would seem to me because of two reasons. One, the vast majority of the people who live in Israel today does not keep Torah, nor even tries to keep it. Two, the leaders of the people are seeking peace outside of His Torah with the terroristic nations and peoples around them. After all, what is the point of working to build a home and a life if the government is simply going to come in one day with bulldozers and knock down everything that you built? This is what happened in the Gaza Strip. It was an event that has adversely affected all of Israel in the national mindset.
The thing we of the northern house of Israel need to understand, is that if we are going to be of any help to our brothers of the southern house, then we need to be rock solid on two things; 1) that Yeshua is our Mashiach, and 2) we keep and obey His Torah. Only in this way will YHWH be able to spur Yehudah back to the fullness of keeping Torah and to Yeshua as Mashiach.
There is one other thing I witnessed firsthand while in Israel, particularly among those who were following rabbinic halakah. What I saw was bondage, and absolutely no freedom. This is one thing that Ephramites need to diligently guard against losing: his liberty in the Spirit of the Almighty One. Now I have a lot of love and respect for the orthodox observant Jews. But they are completely bound up in their halakah. In Mashiach Yeshua, we have freedom and liberty to keep and obey Torah the way YHWH meant for it to be kept. Without Mashiach Yeshua there is no freedom and no liberty.
Yes, Yehudah has a lot of knowledge about Torah. Yes, Yehudah has been guarding the Torah for all these many years. Yes, Yehudah has many traditions that are very wonderful and instructive, teaching the true meaning of Mashiach, many of which they themselves do not truly understand. However, over the years they have also adopted practices that are not according to Torah. They have the letter of the Torah, but they do not have the Spirit of the Torah, which is only available to those who accept Yeshua as Mashiach.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 50:5
“They shall inquire concerning Tzion with their faces in its direction, saying, ‘Come, and join yourselves to YHWH in an everlasting covenant that shall not be forgotten.’”
It seems this passage is now coming to pass. Many from the nations are turning away from vain teachings about nothing and turning to the completeness of His Torah and asking for YHWH to open the door for them to return home. He will, in fact, open this door. May it be soon! The question for each person will be: has he come out of Babylon sufficiently enough to walk through that door when YHWH opens it?
It is time to enter into a covenant with YHWH Tzava’ot, a covenant of life and liberty!
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 51:45-46
45 “My people, go out of the midst of her, and save yourselves every man from the fierce anger of YHWH.
46 And let not your heart faint, neither fear for the tidings that shall be heard in the land; for tidings shall come one year, and after that in another year shall come tidings, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.”
Only every twenty years do both Israel and the USA have elections in the same year. The last time was in 2008. The problem is that most people, particularly those who vote, are looking towards those who are running as a solution to the problems in their respective nations. Brothers and sisters, salvation does not lie in the election of the proper candidate. Salvation does not lie in the passage of the right law. Salvation does not lie in the political process, particularly a process that is based upon the Babylonian/Roman system of doing things, rather than upon Torah.
YHWH has commanded His people to get out of Babylon! How can one come completely out of Babylon if he is still participating in her? If a person votes, is this not participating in Babylon? To be sure, it is! Let Babylon do as Babylon will do, and come out of her completely! Please take careful note of this next passage.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 51:9
“We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed; forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country; for her judgment reaches to heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.”
You see, the truth is, every attempt to heal Babylon has been made and continues to be made. But Babylon cannot be healed! It is impossible. In fact, YHWH commands His people to forsake Babylon. We are to go to our own country! So, to what country do you belong? Do you belong to Babylon? Or, do you belong to YHWH and to Israel? How you conduct yourself in an election time reveals to YHWH and to all, what country you claim as your own.
Will you continue to participate in Babylon? Or, will you forsake her and get out of that wretched place? The choice is yours.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 50:8
“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the rams before the flocks.”
The rams go before the flock. The flock follows the rams; where the rams go, so the flock goes. YHWH is saying His people need to be like the rams and not like the flock. We need to get out of Babylon. We are not to wait upon the rest of His people. We are to lead the way out. Don’t wait. Get out now!
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 51:6
“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and save every man his life; be not cut off in her iniquity; for it is the time of YHWH's vengeance; He will render to her a recompense.”
Here is something that each person needs to come to understand. YHWH commands each person to save his own life. What does this mean? In context it means that YHWH expects each person to get himself out of Babylon. YHWH is not going to do it! He has given the call to get out of Babylon. Now He expects obedience to that call.
Like our father Avraham, who received the call of YHWH to get out of Babylon, who then obeyed that call and left Babylon, we too, must first hear this same call to get out of Babylon. Then it is up to us to get out of Babylon. First, we must come out of Babylon spiritually. Then we need to follow up that spiritual coming out of Babylon with getting out of Babylon physically.
When Avraham obeyed YHWH, YHWH protected him in all that he went through. When another king attempted to take Sarah his wife, YHWH protected them both and turned this into a blessing for Avraham. When his nephew was taken captive, Avraham went to rescue his nephew and YHWH protected him. No matter what was happening and no matter where Avraham went, YHWH protected him as He was his Shield and his Rock and his High Tower.
Likewise, YHWH will protect His people as they obey Him. When one steps out in faith showing that he is willing to risk everything in order to follow Him and obey the sound of His Voice, YHWH will come and protect him, and nothing can touch him, except that for which He gives permission. Walking in the fullness of this knowledge and understanding is a blessing and a privilege.
Many today have this notion that Yeshua is going to come back and take them out of Babylon. Brethren, this is not in accordance with Scripture, nor with the pattern set forth in Scripture. YHWH gives the call, and then we must obey that call. We must save ourselves in the sense of getting out of Babylon. This takes faith and trust on our part to step out and actually do something this radical. But if we are going to come out of Babylon and not receive of her plagues and punishment, then we had better figure out really quickly how we are going to obey His call in this matter. He is not going to do it for us! He did not do it for Avraham. He gave Avraham the call, and then it was up to Avraham to do it. As Avraham obeyed, YHWH did protect him. Likewise it is for the children of Avraham; as we obey His call to come out, He will protect us as well.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 51:50
“You that have escaped the sword, you go, stand not still; remember YHWH from afar, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.”
Letting Jerusalem come to your mind is not about a physical place so much as it is a state of mind and spirit. It is about dwelling in peace, wholeness, and completeness, which can only be done in the Spirit of Mashiach. This is only possible when He has filled us with His Spirit. We absolutely need to be filled with His Spirit if we are going to follow the call to come out of Babylon and actually complete this task that He has called us to do.
Yirmeyah (Jeremiah) 50:19-20
19 “And I will bring Israel again to his pasture, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead.
20 In those days, and in that time," says YHWH, "the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Yehudah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I leave as a remnant.”
Only a remnant shall be saved out of Israel and out of Yehudah. YHWH will once again set this remnant upon the land that He promised to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya'aqov.
Here is what this is going to take on our part. It is going to take faith and trust. Faith and trust only in Him and in His Mashiach. We need to stop looking in other places for salvation. So what if the economy is faltering? So what difference does it make who is elected as president or prime minister? Does this change the truth that He is still sitting on the throne? No!
We need to come to that place where we can trust YHWH so completely, that whatever He does is okay with us; that we know that He is working, and working to bring His word to pass. We need to stop fretting over elections, politicians, finances, and whatever else one might fret over. He is Sovereign. Let us live like it. Let us get in His presence and be still and know that He is Elohim.
Tehillim (Psalm) 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am Elohim”
Then we can hear His Voice, and once we hear His Voice, then we can obey His word. In this way then can we come out of Babylon.
ABBA YHWH, please speak to us that we may hear and obey Your Voice; in the name of Yeshua our Mashiach. Amein.
Zerubbabel Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
torah@onetorahforall.com