Revelation 18

In this chapter the tribulation is coming to a close .

And just to review…we have seen the rise of the unholy trinity…the dragon , antichrist and false prophet.

In the last chapter we saw a one world religion form…and observed that this religion would join forces beneath an Antichrist led government to smother out the last of the remnant .

The world at this point will have one ruler, the Antichrist , who will die from a mortal would to the head , before resurrecting and both claiming and being accepted as the world’s “resurrected lord .”

At the end of the tribulation the Antichrist with his new found power as a result of a ten nation confederacy that backs him will turn against the woman/harlot/Babylon and destroy her.

That brings us to verse 1:

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

In the previous chapters we witnessed a marriage between the so called “church” and the state, which we know always has and always will end in disaster .

Demons are behind the devilish dealings of the day as they facilitate the spreading of false doctrine and encourage the denial of biblical truth.

John’s use of the name Babylon is metaphorical and is used to not only describe the literal, evil city of Babylon but all idolatrous worship as well.

In the OT…Babylon ransacked Jerusalem and carried the Jews into captivity - Babylon was the Jews worst enemy.

But if we turn over to the NT - we see that the NT Church has a different arch-enemy…not Babylon…but Rome !

As John penned the words of Revelation, John did not dare speak openly against Rome …so he used the name Babylon to describe the enemy of the church [Rome ] and went on to also apply it to all of God ‘s enemies throughout the ages.

3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

Merchants in this Roman Empire will become rich by exploiting the sinful pleasures of their society. And we are no different today.

We are often tempted to take advantage of a system that is all about enriching ourselves and our lives. Christians are warned in the Word of God to stay away from the lure of money and status and to live according to the values of Christ exemplified in service, giving, self-sacrifice and obedience to Christ.

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;

Could it be that there are those that have escaped receiving the mark of the beast even now?

Without the mark they have somehow survived Satan’s hostile environment. And the True God is calling them out of it!

5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’

8  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

The people of Babylon [the false church] will decide they have no need for Christ because of their belief in their own abilities to provide luxury and security. But their attitude defies God. Not only that but they actively persecuted His people.

Side Note: If you are financially secure…never allow yourself to think you are self-sufficient . Rather, use the resources that God had given you to help others and expand God’s Kingdom!

The false church will pay dearly for and in accordance with the pain and suffering that it has inflicted upon the people of God. Those who have enjoyed this suffering will suffer accordingly. Judgment will happen quickly !

It says in verse 9 that the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality [spiritual adultery] as they joined the prostitute in the worship of the antichrist instead of the One True God!

Persecution will fall swiftly on these… who held high the name of the antichrist…just as they persecuted God’s people for standing for the name of Jesus!

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” 15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” 19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.

This is the collapse of the world’s economy that can no longer be propped up by the failed schemes of satan.

As we stated, those who have been profiting from this evil, weep, because there is no hope for recovery.

In 1929 , when the U.S. stock market collapsed…people literally jumped out of the windows of high-rise buildings…

They did this because they had lost hope . They did this because they had lost fortunes . They did this to end it all!

Millions of other people stood in bread lines because there were no jobs and therefore, no money.

They had to depend on the goodwill of the government for the food they received…those were dark and terrible times!

People may even sometimes talk about the recession of 2008 . How prices kept going up…how difficult it was to find a job…and yet that was nothing like the Great Depression

And the collapse that verses 11-19 is speaking of will be unlike anything the world has ever seen…an absolute catastrophe!

Everything that they have worked their entire lives for will be gone in an instant…

And there is truth wrapped up in this for us … Don’t spend your life pursuing material gain…instead invest in your faith in Christ, your character and relationships with other believers!

20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;

22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more,

23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.

24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

Utter destruction has come to the false system.

Notice the word “sorcery” in verse 23…this word in greek is “pharmakeia ” [farm-a-ky-a] and alludes to drug use , enchantments, spells or potions.

Looking at our world today…Is it so hard to believe that dependencies such as the ones listed above could be used to control the masses of the false religion. That drug use and witchcraft will be part of satan’s system.

But God’s righteous judgment will prevail !! Those who have chose to be apart of the anti-God religious system…from Babel in Genesis to Babylon in Revelation will experience the vengeance of God!

Remember…Babylon is not the literal city but symbolic of the false religious system that has persecuted the people of God throughout the ages.

In One Hour [v.17]… God will avenge the blood of His people! The Books will be balanced !