As we fast approach the end of days, this is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Before we understand what it means, we need to first of all understand what it does not mean. It does not … say that we must come out from the assembled church. It would take another blog to explain why you are so needed in the church. The church needs you! If you don’t like how things are being done or what is being taught or preached from the pulpit then make sure that you have biblical authority and direction from God, then do something about it. When things get really bad you will need the church and fellowship of other believers as much as they need you. I don’t think we will be able to depend on our Facebook friends if the internet is brought down, so we really need to make new friends that live in our communities and share our faith. Now let’s turn our attention to what this verse is really teaching.
So who is the “her” that we need to come out of? The best commentary for the Bible is the Bible. Just go back four verses and we see that the woman (or her) is identified with the great city that rules over the kings of the earth (See Rev. 17:18). And when we read about this great city it does not take long before we realize that she is immersed in the ways of the world. “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls” (Rev. 17:4a), which indicates her luxurious life style. Her wealth is beyond measure as she entices the world to follow her adulterous life style to gain wealth and prosperity. Clearly she teaches the world to worship and serve mammon rather than God. Also, her ways are so immoral that it says she has intoxicated the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her adulteries. To come out of the world Christians must no longer get intoxicated with the craving and acquisition of material things, pilling up debt, and living well beyond their means. Christians must return to a simplistic life style, get out of debt, and help others in need. Christians must stop following her get rich schemes, frequenting gambling establishments, or throwing their money away on lotto tickets. To do so would take a first step out of the world and help you stand firm in the coming days.
The second thing we notice about this great city is her pride and her boast, “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and will never mourn” (Rev. 18:7b). Here is a world that no longer trusts in God, but rather in the works of her own hands. She boasts in her great wealth, her strong military; her tolerance for all religions; her freedom of different lifestyles; and, the expansion of her influence. She boasts in her medical research and wonder drugs, claiming they will heal every emotional and psychological problem. In her pride she no longer needs just one God, but has embraced every man’s religion, yet needing none. To come out of the world Christians need to re-learn humility and total dependence upon God the Father. Christians must not trust in the cures that the world has to offer, but turn back to God and trust in Him alone. Through the study of God’s Holy Word, they believe He will deliver them from every emotional and psychological problem, facing humanity. In humility Christians must stand against those who call immorality good and good they call immoral. If abortion is wrong, stand against it; if homosexuality is wrong, stand against it; if denying the exclusiveness of Christianity is wrong, stand against it. If indebtedness is wrong, stand against it. To do so will take another step out of the world.
Coming out of the world becomes self evident on how we will be treated by the world. It is said that she is drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus (See Rev. 17:6). Take these two simple steps along with practicing your holiness and the world will hate you. They will hate your testimony. They will hate the fact that you are no longer in debt and in need of their services. They will hate you for standing against their perverted lifestyles. They will hate you for not glorying in their pride, but pointing out their errors. They will hate you for rejecting their counseling and their array of psychotropic drugs. They will hate you for not following them in their quest for wealth and prosperity. But in all that God will love you to the end for being His faithful saints, standing firm in the last days. “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes” (Rev. 18:4-5)
Copyright © 2012 Rev. Daniel W. Blair – All content (blog articles) have been published in my new book: “Revelation Truth” available in our bookstore or at a bookstore near you.