1917_The_Finished_Mystery_Text

exponents of the Protestant kind recognize thereare two Women especially mentioned inRevelation; the one the true Woman, the Brideclass, the other the false Woman; and Protestantsin general understand that false Woman torepresent the papacy. Then again otherProtestants understand that the Scriptures whichrefer to the mother and daughters refer to thepapacy, and these denominational daughters, orsystems, which sprang from her, and have moreor less of her nature, disposition andcharacteristics. The Bible proposition is that theChurch is a Virgin Church; viz.: not united tothe world at all, and that this is the error that wasmade by the early Church in leaving ChristRevelation 219as the prospective Bridegroom and becomingunited with the nation of Rome. This constitutedan illicit union; for as the Bride of Christ she hadno right whatever to be associated with anyearthly dominion, and that in becomingassociated with the Roman Emperor she lost herstanding. We are to remember that this word‘harlotry' as used in Revelation is merely asymbolical term; there is nothing more than thatto be understood.God speaks of some of His children as being inBabylon. Babylon is the name for the mother, thepapal system, and the daughters also have thesame name. It means confusion, mixture andimproper relationship. Now then some are inBabylon and not of Babylon, just the same as thechildren of Israel were carried captive intoBabylon, but they were not Babylonians. And indue time God sent forth the Message to allNatural Israel that if those who had been carriedin captivity into Babylon desired to return to theLord their God, and to the Land of Promise, theymight do so. Cyrus gave that decree, youremember, and many of them did return."No one is called out of Babylon until he hearsthe Lord's voice. So you and I may have been inBabylon for years and not have had anyresponsibility or any impurity; we were notdefiled, because we did not know any better. But