Revelation 18 & 19

Remember that in Revelation Ch 17 we saw the Great prostitute, Babylon...this was not literal Babylon, the city (which had been long destroyed), but the world system which Satan, the great red dragon, is behind...that lures men all over the world to worship the devil and reject God...

Tonight we’ll take a very quick look at the destruction of Babylon, this world system that opposes Christ and His people in Rev 18 and then the rejoicing in heaven over Babylon’s destruction along with the wedding of the Lamb and the return of Christ as the great Conqueror in Rev 19...

We’ll read and do a little commenting through these 2 chapters...FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS BELTS!

Revelation 18

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.

Another great angel (some think it is Christ) announces the fall and destruction of Babylon...

And here is WHY she has fallen...

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.”

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;

5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

and God has remembered her iniquities.

Another voice (that of God? Another angel?) Come out of her...this has always been God’s message to His people in regards to Babylon, and is to us tonight as we sit here...COME OUT OF HER...Behind her is Satan and her great invitation is to love the world and forsake the living God...

NOTE: babble (babylon) wanted to build a tower that reached to heaven...God stopped it...but what HAS reached to heaven here is her SINS (“heaped as high as heaven”)

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.”

Babylon’s judgment will be in measure to how she has has sinned...she will be paid back for ALL her sin...and it will happen suddenly, quickly...

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.”

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.

All those who in some sense profited from the sin and evil of this world system weep and wail because it come to an end...which means ultimately that THEIR END has come, as well...

And a call to rejoice over this destruction comes to those who suffered at the hands of the world system...remember that the great prostitute was drunk with the blood of the saints...

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.”

Babylon’s destruction is sure. This world system that opposes God and that is fueled and designed by Satan, offers the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...BUT we are told COME OUT or share in her sins and suffer her judgment...but for those who do NOT come out, the judgment is sure...all that promises real life and real joy and satisfaction will come to an end...will meet its judgment...and so will all who have worshiped it with their lives...

Revelation 19

Then there is rejoicing in heaven...

1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

2 for his judgments are true and just;

for he has judged the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her immorality,

and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

3 Once more they cried out,

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

small and great.”

NOW...The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God

the Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and exult

and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his Bride has made herself ready;

8 it was granted her to clothe herself

with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

NOTE: Because God reigns, His Son will get His Bride...the CHURCH! US!!

Those who have been hated and persecuted and even killed by the prostitute, the beasts, the dragon Satan, are now, because of the resurrection, the BRIDE of the Lamb...

The Bride is ready, pure and spotless...HOW? V8: because “it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure...the righteous deeds of the saints.”

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 

NOTE: there was a call to COME OUT of the world and now there is an INVITATION to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb...