The Bible & Alcohol Use Volume 1 | Page 16

JOEL “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth.” [Joel 1:5] “I shall bring again the captivity of Judah. Ye have sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.” [Joel 3:3] [Deut 32: 18,33,38] ZECHARIAH “And they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine.” [Zech 9:15] “And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine.” [Zech 10:7 ] JOHN THE REVELATOR “If any man worshi p the beast and his image the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out (poured undiluted, Amplified Version) without mixture into the cup of his indignation.” [Rev 14:9,10] In the Lord‟s wisdom, He used fermented spirits over the centuries to hammer home a vital point in the last days. Spiritual Babylon is portrayed as having all the characteristics of a drunken man. In terms every reader of Scripture could understand, wicked Babylon is revealed as being fierce and fornicating. She is drinking pure alcohol, under judgement and insane. At last mighty Babylon falls, only this time for good. Woe unto them who drink the polluted wine of Babylon. Then appears one of the most tender appeals in the entire Bible: an Angel sent from God pleads with humanity, “Come out of her My people.” [Rev 18:4] We are so thankful that God does not ridicule, but actually calls those deceived in Babylon, those with the pure hearts, His people. He judges not upon our knowledge but our hearts. Do you have a heart right with God? Do you need to set aside the drink of spirits and come out of Babylon? 15 MOSES Moses relays the pending judgement of God upon a people who were unmindful of “The Rock that begat thee - For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: For their vine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.” Page MICAH “If a man walking in falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.” [Mic 2:11] “Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap ... thou shalt not drink wine.” [Mic 6:15] “The great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” [Rev 16:19] “I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore .. with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” [Rev 17:1,2] “Babylon the great is fallen is fallen ... for all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [Rev 18:2,3; 14:8] “Babylon, that mighty city ... is thy judgement come for no man buyeth their merchandise any more ... wine ... and souls of men.” [Rev 18:10,11,13]