Revelation 18

MPS

Problems:

missing our sin

having a small view of heaven (look ahead to next chapters)

death, loss, pain of letting go of idols

Gospel:

future glory

Intro:

Good morning.

Between two Worlds

Recap:

introduced to “Babylon the Great”- an image of the god the whole world worships

the love of pleasure, power, prestige and riches

Who likes musicals? I can’t stand musicals, but thats apparently how this script is written

Today: a funeral song. next week a wedding song

funeral song:

look at the structure of the text. looks like the Psalms, why?

because it is in the format of poetry and song

big idea: It’s going down

P1: It’s going down

v1a “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!”

-Babylon the great

[vv1b-3]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,

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.

haunt, haunt, haunt

unclean, unclean, unclean

Jer 50:39-40

“Therefore wild beasts shall dwell with hyenas in Babylon, and ostriches shall dwell in her. She shall never again have people, nor be inhabited for all generations. 40 As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring cities, declares the LORD, so no man shall dwell there, and no son of man shall sojourn in her.

-fairy tales- not what the person appears to be

She is going down

so, get out!

P2: Get Out

[vv4-8] 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;

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.”

so get out!

Run

Evacuate

Illustration: Fires in LA.

-how?

Jesus

Transition: and don’t look back

P3: Do not mourn her

v3 For all nations have drunk

the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

spiritual unfaithfulness

worship of other Gods, other lovers

kings, merchants and nations:

…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.”

the kings mourn her, the merchants mourn her, the nations mourn her

don’t mourn the loss of your old mistress

Kings:

[vv9-10]

comfort, luxury

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.”

Merchants:

[vv11-17a]

Economy, money

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.”

Nations:

[vv17-20]

sailors:

sailors come from all over the world, and saw the world more than any other people in the ancient world. most people were farmers, living and dying in their hometown with their people, rarely stepping more than 20 miles outside of their home

the have-nots:

marvelling at the woman and the beast

the riches of others, the popularity of others, the power of others

celebrity culture

20  Rejoice over her, O heaven,

and you saints and apostles and prophets,

for God has given judgment for you against her!”

It’s going down, so get out

[vv21-24]

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.”

conclusion:

no more rejoicing

It’s going down

get out, and look up