The Kingdom That Is Falling
Notes
Transcript
THE KINGDOM THAT IS FALLING
THE KINGDOM THAT IS FALLING
Revelation 17:1–18
Revelation 17:1–18
BIG IDEA
BIG IDEA
Babylon’s beauty cannot conceal her corruption, the beast’s power cannot prevent his destruction, and the world’s rebellion cannot defeat the Lamb.
BOTTOM LINE
BOTTOM LINE
Do not be seduced by the kingdom that is falling. Remain faithful to the King who conquers.
ANCHOR PHRASE
ANCHOR PHRASE
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
SERMON MAP
SERMON MAP
1. Babylon Makes Rebellion Beautiful
1. Babylon Makes Rebellion Beautiful
Revelation 17:1–6
2. The Beast Makes Temporary Power Look Ultimate
2. The Beast Makes Temporary Power Look Ultimate
Revelation 17:7–13
3. The Lamb Conquers Every Rival
3. The Lamb Conquers Every Rival
Revelation 17:14
4. God Turns Evil Against Itself
4. God Turns Evil Against Itself
Revelation 17:15–18
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
APPEARANCE DOES NOT DETERMINE REALITY
APPEARANCE DOES NOT DETERMINE REALITY
I ate at Cheba Hut today, and they call their twelve-inch subs “blunts.”
So, technically, I had a (twelve-inch) blunt before church tonight.
Some of you just became deeply concerned about your pastor.
Relax, it was a sandwich.
But if you heard that statement without the proper context, you could reach a completely wrong conclusion.
Because what something sounds like, or looks like, is not always what it actually is.
Someone can make their life look perfect online while everything behind the camera is falling apart.
A relationship can look healthy publicly while being deeply unhealthy privately.
Something can appear successful while being spiritually empty.
Something can appear powerful while already approaching its end.
What something looks like is not always what something is.
That is the tension at the heart of Revelation 17.
John sees a woman dressed in purple and scarlet.
She is covered with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
She holds a golden cup.
She influences nations.
She has relationships with rulers.
She rides upon a beast that appears unstoppable.
If we judged the woman only by her appearance, we might call her beautiful and successful.
God calls her Babylon, the great prostitute.
If we judged the beast only by his power, we might call him unstoppable.
God says he is going to destruction.
If we judged the Lamb only by His appearance, we might call Him vulnerable.
God calls Him:
Lord of lords and King of kings.
Revelation 17 teaches us that appearances do not determine reality.
The world asks:
Who possesses the most power?
Who has the most influence?
What is popular?
What appears destined to win?
But Revelation asks a more important question:
Where is it all going?
Babylon may appear beautiful, but she is corrupt.
The beast may appear powerful, but he is doomed.
The saints may appear defeated, but they stand with the victorious Lamb.
God’s Word, not present appearances, determines reality.
Tonight, God allows us to look beneath the beauty of Babylon and the power of the beast so that we can see the true condition of a kingdom that appears to be rising but is already falling.
The title of tonight’s message is:
The Kingdom That Is Falling
The Kingdom That Is Falling
Here is the Big Idea:
Babylon’s beauty cannot conceal her corruption, the beast’s power cannot prevent his destruction, and the world’s rebellion cannot defeat the Lamb.
And here is the Bottom Line:
Do not be seduced by the kingdom that is falling. Remain faithful to the King who conquers.
SETTING THE CONTEXT
SETTING THE CONTEXT
Revelation 16 ended with the seventh bowl of God’s wrath.
A voice came from the throne declaring:
“It is done!”
The cities of the nations collapsed, and God remembered Babylon the Great.
Now, Revelation 17 steps backward to explain who Babylon is and why her judgment is deserved.
Babylon is more than one ancient city.
Its spirit first appears at Babel in Genesis 11, when humanity united in pride to make a name for itself apart from God.
Throughout Scripture, Babylon becomes a picture of human civilization organized in rebellion against God:
Religiously
Politically
Culturally,
and Economically.
Revelation 17 primarily exposes Babylon’s religious and spiritual corruption.
Revelation 18 will emphasize her commercial and economic power.
But before God shows John Babylon’s appearance, He announces Babylon’s destination:
“Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute.”
Before John sees her beauty, God announces her judgment.
Before John sees her influence, God reveals her ending.
And that brings us to Point One:
1. BABYLON MAKES REBELLION BEAUTIFUL Revelation 17:1–6
1. BABYLON MAKES REBELLION BEAUTIFUL Revelation 17:1–6
What the world finds attractive, God exposes as corrupt.
GOD REVEALS BABYLON’S DESTINATION Revelation 17:1–2
GOD REVEALS BABYLON’S DESTINATION Revelation 17:1–2
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.
Notice what the angel promises to show John.
He does not say:
“Come, and I will show you how beautiful Babylon is.”
He says:
“Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute.”
Before John sees her beauty, God announces her judgment.
Before John sees her influence, God announces her ending.
God reveals Babylon’s destination before allowing John to be impressed by her presentation.
Sin normally approaches us in the opposite order.
Sin does not begin by showing us where it will lead.
It shows us what it promises to provide:
pleasure;
freedom;
approval;
belonging;
control;
influence;
or relief.
It does not immediately show us the damaged conscience, lost trust, spiritual emptiness, or judgment at the end of the road.
Sin shows you the invitation. God shows you the destination.
The woman is depicted as a prostitute because her influence is fundamentally spiritual.
Throughout Scripture, sexual unfaithfulness frequently represents spiritual unfaithfulness.
Humanity was created to know, love, worship, and belong to God.
Babylon takes the worship that belongs to God and redirects it toward pleasure, power, wealth, false religion, human achievement, and self.
Her ultimate sin is not merely immorality.
Her ultimate sin is seducing the world away from God.
Verse 2 says:
With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
She influences both rulers and residents.
The kings align themselves with her for power and political advantage.
The inhabitants become intoxicated because Babylon makes rebellion feel pleasurable.
Intoxication alters someone’s perception of reality.
It weakens judgment.
It lowers restraint.
It makes danger feel harmless, and compromise feel normal.
Babylon intoxicates people until rebellion no longer feels rebellious.
A culture can normalize what God condemns.
A government can legalize what God calls sinful.
A religious movement can spiritualize what God calls idolatry.
A crowd can applaud what God will judge.
But popularity cannot determine truth, and legality cannot determine morality.
God’s Word, not culture, determines what is true and good.
BABYLON USES POWER, AND POWER USES BABYLON Revelation 17:3
BABYLON USES POWER, AND POWER USES BABYLON Revelation 17:3
Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
The woman is sitting upon the beast.
The beast represents Antichrist and his political kingdom, organized in rebellion against God.
The woman benefits from the beast’s political power.
The beast benefits from the woman’s religious influence.
The woman uses the beast for power, and the beast uses the woman for influence.
The woman represents the final worldwide religious system that will help unite the world under Antichrist, according to some scholars, like John MacArthur
False religion provides spiritual legitimacy to political rebellion, while political authority gives false religion power and protection.
Their relationship is not built upon covenant faithfulness.
It is built upon mutual usefulness.
This does not mean that Christians must withdraw from public life. Christians can vote, lead, advocate for justice, hold office, and serve their communities faithfully.
The warning is against exchanging faithfulness for access to power.
The church must never exchange:
truth for influence;
holiness for acceptance;
the gospel for protection;
conviction for security;
or allegiance to Jesus for proximity to powerful people.
The church does not conquer by riding the beast. It conquers by belonging to the Lamb.
Every human authority is temporary.
Jesus alone is King.
BABYLON’S BEAUTY CONCEALS HER CORRUPTION Revelation 17:4–5
BABYLON’S BEAUTY CONCEALS HER CORRUPTION Revelation 17:4–5
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.
Everything about her communicates wealth, status, royalty, beauty, and success.
Babylon does not initially appear repulsive.
She appears attractive.
That is part of her danger.
Counterfeits only work when they resemble something valuable.
Satan does not ordinarily present evil by saying:
“Here is something that will destroy you.”
He presents it as:
love without truth;
freedom without holiness;
spirituality without Christ;
belonging without surrender;
identity without a Creator;
and salvation without repentance.
Babylon makes rebellion beautiful enough to be mistaken for freedom.
Verse 4 continues:
She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
The cup is made of gold.
The outside appears valuable.
But its contents are corrupt.
The danger is not that the cup looks worthless.
The danger is that it looks beautiful enough to drink from.
Babylon does not advertise destruction.
She advertises desire.
The cup may look different in each person’s life:
sexual compromise;
approval becoming an idol;
a relationship pulling you away from Christ;
success becoming the source of your identity;
money pursued without integrity;
spiritual experiences disconnected from Scripture.
The question is not merely:
“Does this look attractive?”
The question is:
“What is inside the cup?”
Does it agree with Scripture?
Does it honor Christ?
Does it lead toward holiness?
Where will this path ultimately lead?
Biblical discernment evaluates the contents of the cup, not merely the appearance of the cup.
Verse 5 says:
The name written on her forehead was a mystery:
babylon the great
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
What Babylon disguises through beauty, God publicly identifies by name.
She presents herself as royalty.
God identifies her as a prostitute.
She offers a golden cup.
God reveals its corruption.
She promises life.
God announces her punishment.
BABYLON’S BEAUTY HIDES HER VIOLENCE Revelation 17:6
BABYLON’S BEAUTY HIDES HER VIOLENCE Revelation 17:6
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
Babylon is not merely drunk on pleasure.
She is drunk with blood.
The woman who appears beautiful, wealthy, cultured, and spiritual is revealed to be violent.
She persecutes God’s people because they bear testimony to Jesus.
Their allegiance to Christ exposes her lies.
Babylon begins with seduction.
When seduction fails, she turns to persecution.
She first says:
“Join us.”
When believers refuse, she eventually says:
“Silence them.”
The world may tolerate Christianity as long as Christianity remains private, silent, morally flexible, and spiritually harmless.
Conflict begins when Christians testify that:
Jesus alone is Lord;
Scripture is true;
sin requires repentance;
salvation is found in Christ alone;
and no human authority deserves ultimate allegiance.
Faithfulness does not mean becoming unnecessarily harsh or combative.
We speak the truth in love.
We treat people with dignity.
We demonstrate the character of Christ.
But love cannot require us to deny the truth.
Kindness cannot require compromise.
If the world only accepts our Christianity when our Christianity agrees with the world, it is not Christ they have accepted. It is a Christianity they have recreated.
Ask yourself:
What is Babylon making attractive to me?
What compromise have I accepted because the world calls it normal?
Where will this path ultimately lead?
Do not merely look at the cup.
Look inside it.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
The woman makes rebellion appear desirable.
The beast makes rebellious power appear unstoppable.
Babylon says:
“Desire me.”
The beast says:
“Fear me.”
But the beast’s ending has already been announced.
2. THE BEAST MAKES TEMPORARY POWER LOOK ULTIMATE Revelation 17:7–13
2. THE BEAST MAKES TEMPORARY POWER LOOK ULTIMATE Revelation 17:7–13
The world marvels at a kingdom already going to destruction.
THE BEAST COUNTERFEITS CHRIST Revelation 17:7–8
THE BEAST COUNTERFEITS CHRIST Revelation 17:7–8
John says:
“When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.” (v. 6)
The angel responds:
“Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.
John sees something astonishing, but astonishment is not the same as understanding.
John requires revelation from God to interpret what he sees.
The same is true for us.
Something can be impressive, popular, charismatic, apparently miraculous, or spiritually emotional without being from God.
A spiritual experience should never be interpreted apart from the Word of God.
Verse 8 says:
The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction.
This language deliberately resembles the description of God:
“Who is, and who was, and who is to come.”
But the beast cannot reproduce the eternality of God.
He can only imitate it.
This connects this with the counterfeit resurrection introduced in Revelation 13.
The beast apparently returns from death or destruction, causing the world to marvel and follow him.
But his counterfeit is incomplete.
God is the One:
“Who is, and who was, and who is to come.”
The beast:
“Once was, now is not, and yet will come.”
God is eternal.
The beast is temporary.
God comes to reign.
The beast comes from the Abyss.
God lives forever.
The beast is going to destruction.
The beast may imitate resurrection, but he cannot escape judgment.
Satan produces counterfeits because he wants the worship that belongs to Christ.
The beast’s apparent resurrection deceives the world.
Christ’s true resurrection saves everyone who believes.
The beast returns to deceive. Jesus rose to save.
THE WORLD MARVELS AT WHAT GOD HAS CONDEMNED Revelation 17:8
THE WORLD MARVELS AT WHAT GOD HAS CONDEMNED Revelation 17:8
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast,
The world sees the beast’s apparent return, supernatural power, and global influence and concludes that he is unstoppable.
But heaven has already announced his destination:
He is going to destruction.
Imagine a building that has already been condemned.
The lights may still be on.
People may still be conducting business inside.
From the outside, it may appear active and successful.
But its present activity cannot overturn the verdict already issued against it.
That is the beast’s kingdom.
The beast may still be powerful.
The nations may still be amazed.
But God has already announced the verdict.
A kingdom is not permanent simply because it is presently powerful.
THE SEVEN HEADS REVEAL A SUCCESSION OF REBELLIOUS KINGDOMS Revelation 17:9–11
THE SEVEN HEADS REVEAL A SUCCESSION OF REBELLIOUS KINGDOMS Revelation 17:9–11
“This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
This is one of the most debated sections of Revelation 17.
The seven hills naturally associate Babylon’s imagery with Rome:
The city is historically famous for its seven hills and the empire persecuting believers in John’s day.
But the angel does not stop with geography.
He says the seven heads are also seven kings.
John MacArthur understands these kings as representing successive world empires that have oppressed God’s people and dominated human history:
Egypt;
Assyria;
Babylon;
Medo-Persia;
Greece;
Rome;
and Antichrist’s future kingdom.
Five had fallen.
Rome existed in John’s day.
The seventh kingdom was still to come.
The beast becomes an eighth while also belonging to the seven because Antichrist’s restored kingdom grows out of this historical pattern of rebellious world empires.
Christians differ concerning the exact identification of every king, and we should not pretend the interpretation is without difficulty.
But the central theological point is clear:
Every kingdom opposed to God rises temporarily and falls inevitably.
Verse 11 ends by repeating that the beast:
The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
The passage does not want us to become so fascinated with his identity that we forget his destiny.
Prophecy was not given merely to satisfy curiosity.
It was given to strengthen faithfulness.
The primary question is not:
“Can I solve every detail?”
The primary question is:
“Will I remain faithful when rebellious power appears unstoppable?”
THE BEAST’S ALLIES POSSESS BRIEF AND BORROWED AUTHORITY Revelation 17:12–13
THE BEAST’S ALLIES POSSESS BRIEF AND BORROWED AUTHORITY Revelation 17:12–13
“The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.
Within the futurist interpretation, these are ten rulers who will form a final coalition under Antichrist.
Their authority lasts:
“For one hour.”
That does not necessarily refer to sixty literal minutes.
It emphasizes the brief, limited nature of their reign.
Verse 13 says:
They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
They surrender their authority because they believe Antichrist represents the winning side of history.
But the side they join is already going to destruction.
Their power is real, but it is borrowed.
Their coalition is impressive, but it is brief.
Their allegiance is unified, but it is misplaced.
The world pressures Christians to align with whatever appears culturally certain to win:
Follow the momentum.
Adopt the approved beliefs.
Do not stand against the crowd.
Do not risk being left behind.
But Christians do not determine truth by counting which side has more people.
We determine truth by listening to the King.
Never surrender eternal allegiance for temporary acceptance.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
The beast has gathered his rulers.
The world’s rebellion appears organized.
Its authority appears unified.
Its goal is now revealed:
“They will wage war against the Lamb.”
Everything seems to be moving toward the Lamb’s defeat.
But verse 14 tells us the ending before the battle is even described.
3. THE LAMB CONQUERS EVERY RIVAL Revelation 17:14
3. THE LAMB CONQUERS EVERY RIVAL Revelation 17:14
Jesus wins because Jesus is King.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
THE WORLD’S REBELLION ULTIMATELY TARGETS JESUS
THE WORLD’S REBELLION ULTIMATELY TARGETS JESUS
The rulers do not merely wage war against Christianity as an institution.
They wage war against the Lamb.
Behind the world’s rebellion is hostility toward the rightful rule of Jesus Christ.
The world may accept a Jesus who offers encouragement, requires no repentance, exercises no authority, defines no truth, and judges no sin.
But that is not the Jesus revealed in Scripture.
Jesus is not merely a spiritual advisor.
He is not one option among many.
He is not waiting for the world to grant Him authority.
Jesus is:
Lord of lords and King of kings.
Every earthly ruler exercises authority beneath His ultimate authority.
Every human kingdom exists by His permission.
Every rebellious power has an expiration date.
The final conflict is not a contest between two equal kingdoms.
Satan is not God’s equal.
The beast is not Christ’s equal.
The outcome is never uncertain.
THE LAMB CONQUERS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS
THE LAMB CONQUERS BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS
Verse 14 does not say the Lamb wins because He assembled the larger army.
It does not say He wins because He developed the superior strategy.
It does not describe Him narrowly surviving a close battle.
It says:
“The Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.”
Jesus conquers because kingship belongs to Him by nature and by right.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
Revelation’s imagery remains intentionally surprising.
Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but John repeatedly sees Him as the Lamb who was slain.
Jesus conquered through:
His perfect life;
His sacrificial death;
His victorious resurrection;
His sovereign reign;
and His promised return.
At the cross, Jesus appeared defeated.
His enemies mocked Him.
His followers scattered.
His body was placed in a tomb.
According to appearances, the kingdoms of this world had won.
But the cross was not the defeat of the Lamb.
It was the means of His victory.
At the cross:
sin was paid for;
judgment was satisfied;
Satan was defeated;
forgiveness was secured;
and redemption was accomplished.
Then Jesus rose from the dead.
The beast counterfeits resurrection.
Jesus entered death, defeated it, and came out alive.
Babylon possesses beauty.
The beast possesses temporary power.
But Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and on earth.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
THE LAMB’S PEOPLE SHARE IN HIS VICTORY
THE LAMB’S PEOPLE SHARE IN HIS VICTORY
Verse 14 says:
“And with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”
Notice where believers are:
“With Him.”
Our confidence is not ultimately found in our strength.
It is found in our relationship to the victorious Lamb.
Believers are described in three ways:
Called
Called
God graciously called us out of darkness and into the Kingdom of His Son.
Chosen
Chosen
Our salvation began in God’s grace, not in our superiority.
We did not recognize Babylon because we were naturally wiser than everyone else.
Jesus sought us, saved us, and made us His own.
Faithful
Faithful
Those genuinely called and chosen by God remain faithful to Christ.
Their faithfulness does not earn their salvation.
It demonstrates the reality of their allegiance.
The saints may appear defeated because Babylon persecutes them.
They may lose opportunities, relationships, influence, security, or even their lives.
But if they are with the Lamb, they stand with the One who conquers.
It is better to appear defeated beside Jesus than successful beside Babylon.
Faithfulness may cost you something now.
Compromise may reward you temporarily.
But you must decide which ending you want to share.
The beast’s followers share his destruction.
The Lamb’s followers share His victory.
POINT THREE APPLICATION
POINT THREE APPLICATION
Faithfulness is not merely believing Christian doctrine privately.
Faithfulness is living with recognizable allegiance to Jesus.
Does the way you date reveal that Jesus is King?
Does the way you use money reveal that Jesus is King?
Does the way you speak and treat people reveal that Jesus is King?
Does the way you respond to pressure reveal that Jesus is King?
The question is not only:
“Can you identify Babylon?”
The deeper question is:
Will Babylon identify you as someone who belongs to the Lamb?
The Lamb’s followers are not described as impressive, influential, or culturally accepted.
They are called, chosen, and faithful.
Not perfect, but faithful.
Not always fearless, but faithful.
Not powerful by the world’s standards, but standing with the King who conquers.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
TRANSITION
TRANSITION
The world gathers against the Lamb, but it cannot defeat Him.
Then the chapter reveals that evil cannot even remain united with itself.
The woman and the beast appear to be partners.
But their alliance is built upon usefulness rather than faithfulness.
Eventually, evil turns against itself.
4. GOD TURNS EVIL AGAINST ITSELF Revelation 17:15–18
4. GOD TURNS EVIL AGAINST ITSELF Revelation 17:15–18
Evil’s alliances collapse, but God’s Word will be fulfilled.
EVIL’S ALLIANCES EVENTUALLY COLLAPSE Revelation 17:15–16
EVIL’S ALLIANCES EVENTUALLY COLLAPSE Revelation 17:15–16
Verse 15 explains that the waters upon which Babylon sits represent:
Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
Babylon’s influence is vast.
Her system reaches the world.
But global influence does not equal eternal authority.
Babylon may sit upon many waters, but she does not sit upon the throne.
Verse 16 says:
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
The beast that carried the woman eventually destroys her.
MacArthur understands this as Antichrist using the final false religious system to unite the world and establish his power. Once that purpose has been accomplished, he destroys the system and demands worship for himself.
The woman believed she was using the beast.
The beast was using the woman.
Evil can cooperate, but it cannot covenant.
Its relationships are transactional.
Once usefulness ends, loyalty ends.
That is also what sin does.
Sin promises to serve you but eventually enslaves you.
Sin promises to satisfy you but eventually consumes you.
Sin promises freedom but eventually leaves you in ruins.
The very kingdom Babylon trusted becomes the instrument of her destruction.
Whatever you use to replace God will eventually fail you, control you, or consume you.
GOD REMAINS SOVEREIGN OVER HUMAN REBELLION Revelation 17:17
GOD REMAINS SOVEREIGN OVER HUMAN REBELLION Revelation 17:17
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled.
This is one of the most important statements in the chapter.
The rulers believe they are executing their own plan.
The beast believes he is building his own kingdom.
The nations believe they are rejecting God’s authority.
Yet even their rebellion cannot escape God’s sovereignty.
God is not the author of their evil.
They willingly act according to their sinful desires, and they remain responsible for their actions.
But God is so sovereign that He uses even their rebellious decisions to accomplish His righteous purpose.
The kings have their purpose.
The beast has his purpose.
Babylon has her purpose.
But above every human and demonic purpose stands:
God’s purpose.
They give their authority to the beast:
“Until God’s words are fulfilled.”
Not until Satan accomplishes everything he wants.
Not until history moves beyond God’s control.
Not until God is forced to develop another plan.
Until God’s words are fulfilled.
Every judgment will occur exactly as God has declared.
Every kingdom opposed to Christ will fall.
Every promise God has made will stand.
Every word will be fulfilled.
History is not moving toward Satan’s victory. History is moving toward the fulfillment of God’s Word.
This means believers do not need to panic when evil appears organized.
God is not surprised.
God is not absent.
God is not improvising.
God is not struggling to recover control.
The world’s rebellion is real, responsible, and destructive.
But it will never overthrow the sovereignty of God.
BABYLON’S POWER CANNOT PREVENT HER FALL Revelation 17:18
BABYLON’S POWER CANNOT PREVENT HER FALL Revelation 17:18
The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
Babylon possesses extraordinary influence.
She shapes nations and rules over kings.
But remember how the chapter began:
“Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute.”
Her influence cannot prevent her judgment.
Her wealth cannot purchase her deliverance.
Her beauty cannot conceal her corruption.
Her alliances cannot preserve her kingdom.
Her power cannot rewrite God’s verdict.
Babylon appears to rule over the kings of the earth.
But above Babylon stands the King of kings.
The kingdom opposed to Christ may appear to be rising, but Revelation identifies it as the kingdom that is falling.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
READ THE PRESENT THROUGH THE ENDING
READ THE PRESENT THROUGH THE ENDING
Babylon appears beautiful, but she is corrupt.
The beast appears unstoppable, but he is going to destruction.
The rulers appear united, but their authority lasts one hour.
The saints appear defeated, but they stand with the Lamb.
The Lamb appears vulnerable, but He is Lord of lords and King of kings.
If you interpret reality only by what you see right now, Babylon may look attractive and the beast may look terrifying.
But faith does not interpret the ending by the present.
Faith interprets the present by the ending God has revealed.
So ask yourself:
1. What is Babylon making attractive to me?
1. What is Babylon making attractive to me?
What golden cup are you tempted to drink from?
What compromise looks beautiful because you have not examined its contents?
2. Where does that path ultimately lead?
2. Where does that path ultimately lead?
Are you evaluating it only by what it promises now—or by the destination God has revealed?
3. Will I remain faithful to the Lamb who conquers?
3. Will I remain faithful to the Lamb who conquers?
When following Jesus becomes costly, will you remain with Him?
Do not drink from the cup simply because it is golden.
Do not join the beast simply because he appears powerful.
Do not surrender your convictions simply because compromise appears easier.
Do not fear the world as though the world writes the ending.
Babylon is falling.
The beast is going to destruction.
The rulers’ authority is temporary.
God’s Word is certain.
And the Lamb is King.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
GOSPEL INVITATION
GOSPEL INVITATION
LEAVE THE FALLING KINGDOM
LEAVE THE FALLING KINGDOM
Near the end of Revelation, two women are presented.
There is Babylon, the prostitute.
And there is the Church, the Bride of Christ.
Babylon seduces the nations.
The Bride belongs faithfully to Christ.
Babylon dresses herself in temporary luxury.
The Bride is clothed in righteousness provided by Christ.
Babylon ends in destruction.
The Bride enters eternal joy with the Lamb.
But none of us naturally belongs to the Bride.
We have all participated in Babylon’s rebellion.
We have looked for identity, pleasure, belonging, freedom, and life apart from God.
We have all drunk from the cup of sin.
Because of our sin, we deserve the cup of God’s judgment.
But Jesus accepted that cup in our place.
In the garden, Jesus prayed:
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
At the cross, Jesus drank the cup of judgment sinners deserved.
He took our guilt.
He bore our punishment.
He died in our place.
Then He rose from the dead.
The beast counterfeits resurrection to deceive the world.
Jesus truly rose from the dead to save sinners.
Jesus takes people who participated in Babylon and makes them part of His Bride.
He cleanses us.
He forgives us.
He clothes us in His righteousness.
He calls us His own.
The invitation tonight is not:
“Understand every symbol in Revelation so you can be saved.”
The invitation is:
Leave the kingdom that is passing away and belong to the Lamb who reigns forever.
Repent of your sin.
Trust in Jesus Christ.
The Lamb who died has risen.
The Lamb who rose reigns.
And the Lamb who reigns will return.
Do not be seduced by the kingdom that is falling. Remain faithful to the King who conquers.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
The Lamb conquers because the Lamb is King.
