There are two opposite Mysteries spoken of in the Bible;—the Mystery of Godliness and the Mystery of iniquity. Both are progressive in their development. The Mystery of Godliness progresses upward, however much it may at times seem to be a failure; the Mystery of iniquity progresses downward, however much it may at times seem to be a success. The head of the first is God, Good (in Christ), and the head of the second is Evil, Error (in mortal mind). As Truth, God, Good, is infinite, its Principle must be Eternal; and as evil, error, is finite, having no entity, it must come to an end.
God's cause both in type and antitype is in the Bible represented by Jerusalem, and the opposite in type and antitype, is represented by Babylon. They are both brought to view side by side, in the succession of ages, until Jerusalem reaches the climax of glory, and Babylon goes down to rise no more. (Rev. xxi. 9-11. Rev. xviii. 20.) Jerusalem was made subject to Babylon in the Jewish or typical kingdom age so the Gospel church has been subject to mystic Babylon in the Gospel age. The literal Babylon was the head of human governments as represented by the image, and all the system goes down together. (Dan. ii. 35.) So the mystic Babylon is the mother of harlots, and the whole system, including the daughters, must perish, ere the glorious, everlasting righteousness can be fully introduced. (Rev. vii. viii.)
It is a combination of church and state that constitutes harlotry in the prophecies and in Revelations,—or, the union of the church with the world. A worldly church is an abomination of the earth. A pure church is represented in prophecies as a virgin, or chaste virgin; and a corrupt church is brought to view as an harlot.
