Helping Captives to Get Out of Babylon the Great
“HE CRIED out with a strong voice, saying: ‘She has fallen! Babylon the great has fallen.’ And I heard another voice out of heaven say: ‘Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues.’”—Rev. 18:2, 4.
How happy is the lot of all the dedicated Christian witnesses of Jehovah who have heeded the call to get out of Babylon the Great! Just think of the many blessings that are yours if you are one who has done so!
For one thing, you have been made free from her false religious teachings. No longer is your mind shackled by such unreasonable doctrines as that of the trinity; no longer do you fear death because of such morbid teachings as eternal torment and purgatory. You also have been set free from such varied, vain and pagan practices as bowing before images and counting prayer beads. Consider also the freedom that is yours because you no longer stand in fear of false religious shepherds who had overawed you by reason of their garb, their titles, their higher learning and their proud manners. Truly the truth has set you free!—John 8:32.
More than that, because of having fled from Babylon the Great, you know you are not sharing in her sins against both God and man and therefore you will not receive part of her plagues of death and destruction, even as you are not suffering from the plagues of truth poured out upon Great Babylon at the present time.—Rev. 16:1-21; 18:5-8.
However, in the world empire of false religion, Babylon the Great, there are still many unwilling captives. These are honest-hearted ones, lovers of righteousness “that are sighing and groaning over all the detestable things that are being done” in the midst of both Christendom and the rest of Great Babylon.—Ezek. 9:4.
Do you appreciate your having got out of Babylon the Great? Do you love your neighbor as yourself? Do you believe in doing to others the way you would have them do to you? If so then you have no alternative but to do all you can to help other honest-hearted persons who are captives in Babylon the Great to get out of her before it is too late. And make no mistake about it, there is an urgency about fleeing from Great Babylon. Even Satan, the king of Babylon the Great, knows that the time is short!—Rev. 12:12.
There are ever so many ways in which you may be able to help honest-hearted captives to get out of Babylon the Great. One of these is “incidental witnessing.” Are you alert to engage your traveling companion, your fellow employee, your schoolmate or the business caller at your home in conversation? Neighbor love will help you to do so and to steer the conversation to the message of liberation from Babylon the Great, doing so tactfully, of course.—1 Cor. 9:19-23.
And how about “buying out the opportune time” for yourself by arranging your affairs so as to have ever more time for such regular Christian ministerial activity as going from house to house and approaching others with this vital message?—Eph. 5:16.
But do not overlook the fact that for persons to get out of Babylon the Great they need more help than they can get from merely an occasional conversation about God’s kingdom or from having received some Bible literature. They need someone to take a real, unselfish interest in them, one who will study the Bible with them regularly week after week so as to enlighten them and strengthen their convictions so they will have the courage to break away from Babylon the Great.
To help such honest-hearted ones to flee from Babylon the Great is truly a grand privilege. And let it be noted that it is not at all limited to the adults in good health. Many who are feeble, aged and even bedridden are helping others to get out of Great Babylon, some by letter writing, others by using the telephone. Why, even children, some as young as eight years of age, have helped persons to flee from Babylon the Great; first placing Bible literature with such and then regularly conducting Bible studies with them in their homes until they saw their privilege of getting out of Babylon the Great! Surely if an eight-year-old child can do this, every adult can!
During the month of November dedicated Christian witnesses will be spearheading their efforts to help persons flee from Babylon the Great by offering the Bible-study aid “Babylon the Great Has Fallen!” God’s Kingdom Rules! at every opportunity.