Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
This passage of scripture teaches us that Babylon has dispensed her teachings, beliefs, doctrines and forms of worship throughout Christendom and indeed the entire world, in so much that the nations of earth have now become drunken with the wine of her fornication. Wine in this context refers to her doctrinal teachings, among which the most prominent are Sunday sacredness and the natural immortality of the soul. If these doctrines were the pure truths of God's word, the nations and multitudes would never become drunk, for Bible truth has the effect of making people sober, not inebriated.
When Christ was upon the earth, he made the reference to doctrine by the symbol of wine, to show the Jewish people that the old sanctuary system was about to come to and end, giving way to a new and living system by which persons could individually approach the throne of grace. And because the scribes and pharisees were not generally prepared to receive these new teachings, Jesus cautioned them that the new wine being put into old bottles will cause them to break. Let's read:
Matthew 9:15 And Jesus said unto them"... 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
In like manner are the false doctrines of Babylon likened unto fermented wine, but in this instance, the wine constitutes a mixture of truth and error, which is then responsible for the resulting fermentation. Case in point is the papal doctrine which states that people are saved by works, not by grace through faith in Christ. Now, under close scrutiny, we observe that works have a designated role to play in the life of a Christian, for whatever we read and learn of Christ, as is written in the Bible, must translate into godly deeds.
But if left to stand alone, this aspect of the truth will indeed take away our need of The Savior, for if salvation were by the works of the law, then Christ has died in vain. Thus, the Bible truth must lie somewhere between the two. Let's read:
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
The truth of the matter is that our faith in Christ is what produces the good works through the indwelling of The Holy Spirit, but those works are never to be depended on as our passport to heaven, or as actions that can atone for wrongs, thus bringing us into favor with God. Further more, salvation through Christ is a gift and therefore can never be earned or entitled, as many pilgrims endeavored to do.
Thus it is that the sale of indulgences, and the acts of penance go directly against the teachings of scripture, and The Lord will have us to understand that the current emphasis on good works by the current pope Francis, is just a recycled version of penance, by which many millions may try in vain to earn the favor of God without any heart conversion, or submission to his revealed will. This is the reason why he spoke those cryptic words "Who am I to judge", for the statements he made just prior to this one had to do with good works performed by the gay and lesbian community, as evidence of heart conversion, even though their lives remain in the most blatant opposition to the plainest teachings of scripture.
It is therefore necessary that we avoid the spiritual cool-aid of Babylon, by imbibing the unadulterated truths of God's word, for if we do so in sincerity and truth, God will recognize the fact by sending us His Holy Spirit, to guide us into all truth. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and it is the will of God that we avoid the wine of Babylon at all costs. Let's read:
2nd Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!