Coming Economic Collapse
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
It was a dark year in 1929 when the industrialized world experienced the greatest downturn in history. This economic depression lasted 10 years but some of the effects lasted longer. A third of all banks failed unemployment was around 25% and homelessness increased exponentially. Housing prices plummeted through the floor 67% and international trade itself collapsed 65%. What led to this crash? Many aspects of the roaring 20’s led to the stock market crash. Consumer spending had reached an all time high in the U.S. American companies were mass producing goods and consumers were buying. Economic prosperity and carefree living for many. A surging economy created a mass of consumerism However what began with a roar ended with a crash.
These days we are always on the lookout for recessions and economic downturns - but there is coming a future economic collapse such has never been seen before nor will ever be again. In the Great Depression many who were highly invested went bankrupt and the same is true for any who are heavily invested in the world system. The collapse of the economy is so great and so complete to show that investing apart from God only brings returns of loss, disappointment, sorrow and complete utter spiritual bankruptcy. The coming economic collapse - the fall of Babylon - is described with four voices or four cries. Lets look at it and really take it in - because we need to see we should not be heavily invested in this life or this world - we should be investing in the life to come and investing for eternity.
1 After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast.
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess. 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues.
5 For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Pay her back the way she also paid, and double it according to her works. In the cup in which she mixed, mix a double portion for her.
7 As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.” 8 For this reason her plagues will come in just one day— death and grief and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.
9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come.
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer—12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble;
13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves—human lives. 14 The fruit you craved has left you. All your splendid and glamorous things are gone; they will never find them again.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls;
17 for in a single hour such fabulous wealth was destroyed! And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out, “Who was like the great city?”
19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning, Woe, woe, the great city, where all those who have ships on the sea became rich from her wealth; for in a single hour she was destroyed. 20 Rejoice over her, heaven, and you saints, apostles, and prophets, because God has pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you!
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently and never be found again. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again; the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;
23 the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slaughtered on the earth.
The Voice Declaring
The Voice Declaring
1 After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen! She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast.
3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath. The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess.
John sees another angel having great authority coming down from heaven. The glory radiating from this angel is amazing and the splendor is illuminating the earth. The angel calls out with a mighty voice. This voice is declaring condemnation - condemnation directed to Babylon the Great. Wait a minute didnt we talk about Babylon falling last time in chapter 17? Babylon was not only an ancient city and powerful empire but also became a symbol of man’s rebellion against God. In chapter 17 Babylon represented Paganism and Spiritual Idolatry of false religion - the harlot. Babylon also represents the world system that is opposed to God. The two are similar but they are vastly different as well.
Two manifestations of Babylon one religious and one economic or commercial and material.
Mystery Babylon - a harlot and woman - guilty of religious abominations and destroyed by political power that previously had supported her.
Commercial Babylon - great city - marketplace - guilty of greed and self-indulgence - destroyed by sudden act of God
Best to view them as intertwined yet distinct. Religious Babylon is judged at the mid point of the tribulation and Commercial Babylon is judged at the end of the Tribulation period.
The voice declares the condemnation of Babylon - saying “it has fallen” and again repeating Babylon the Great has fallen. A home for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit. The city is so utterly desolate and fallen that only the demons and unclean spirits are there. A haunt is like a garrison or watchtower. The evil spirits keeping watch over Babylon like birds waiting for their prey, building their nest in the broken towers rising from the ruins. I read a news story about vultures harassing ranchers cows and livestock - vultures are scavengers and they usually only eat dead meat but apparently they are watching overhead for the live cows and swooping in to bite at them.
What is the reason for her condemnation and fall? She participated in utter corruption with the nations and their merchants. Babylon’s sins was not limited to idolatry but included pride, greed, and hoarding wealth. The Babylonian system has polluted the whole world. Intoxicating the people, nations, kings and merchants with all the riches and allurement she had to offer. Catering to those who desired to love themselves. Described with drinking of wine - what begins with a sip ends with drinking deeply and becoming intoxicated and continuing to want more. Babylon the world system continues to offer the desires that people think they want when they live for pleasures and possessions. Money is king in this economic system and it controls the people, nations and kings. It is not because the details of life and its luxuries are wrong, but because they are allowed to usurp God’s place in the hearts of men
What controls you? The answer to that question tells you who or what is your king.
The Voice Calling
The Voice Calling
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues. 5 For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Pay her back the way she also paid, and double it according to her works. In the cup in which she mixed, mix a double portion for her. 7 As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.”
8 For this reason her plagues will come in just one day— death and grief and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.
John at this point hears a second voice from heaven and the voice is giving a call or a command. This voice is not identified and this voice is calling for a separation. God’s people are being called out from World Economic System Babylon - come out and come away. The temptation to compromise will be as great for those believers in the tribulation period as throughout all the ages for all believers. Commercial Babylon with its materialistic lure is a constant temptation and threat that must be safe guarded against. Two reasons to come out
So as not to share or become a participant in her sins
To not become a recipient alongside her with the plagues she will receive.
The call to come out is imperative and urgent - it is to be done now without delaying any further. It is also a decisive choice and act. The separation is not only physical but also mental. Materialism/Consumerism is not to be a way of life for believers and is definitely not to be a source of security. identity or happiness. One such example of someone immersed in Babylon and being called out is Lot when he lived in the city of Sodom. It is seen throughout the Bible that God calls His people to separate themselves from that which is worldly.
1 The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
11 Leave, leave, go out from there! Do not touch anything unclean; go out from her, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
8 Escape from Babylon; depart from the Chaldeans’ land. Be like the rams that lead the flock.
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
14 Do not be yoked together with those who do not believe. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Her sins have piled up to heaven - like the tower of Babel. God has remembered her crimes. There are two things that God will do with your sin. Those who follow after the materialistic world will have their sins remembered and their iniquities known, but those who follow God and believe in Jesus have Hebrews 8:12
12 For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.
She will be paid back what she is due and on top of that double according to her works. This references the restitution required for burglary and theft. That which is stolen must be paid back double.
4 If what was stolen—whether ox, donkey, or sheep—is actually found alive in his possession, he must repay double.
7 “When a man gives his neighbor valuables or goods to keep, but they are stolen from that person’s house, the thief, if caught, must repay double.
9 In any case of wrongdoing involving an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or anything else lost, and someone claims, ‘That’s mine,’ the case between the two parties is to come before the judges. The one the judges condemn must repay double to his neighbor.
This economic system of Babylon steals her luxury - steals from those who invest and follow her.
Three-fold sin of commercialism, consumerism, and materialism - self-indulgence - she lived luxuriously - pride — she glorified herself and sits as queen and finally put her security in it all - I am no widow and will not see grief.
7 You said, ‘I will be the queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or think about their outcome. 8 “So now hear this, lover of luxury, who sits securely, who says to herself, ‘I am, and there is no one else. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children.’
9 These two things will happen to you suddenly, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. They will happen to you in their entirety, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells.
Those who are heavily invested in the worldly system and materialism and consumerism heavily trust it. Like her they think their position is safe and their security sure. It is for this very reason her plagues will come in one day. Her plagues are named - death, grief, and famine
The collapse of the economic system and the fall of Babylon is certain because the Lord has judged her. Let His people understand and come out and be separate.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
The Voices Mourning
The Voices Mourning
9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and shared her sensual and excessive ways will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far off in fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour your judgment has come.
11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo any longer—12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble;
13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and slaves—human lives. 14 The fruit you craved has left you. All your splendid and glamorous things are gone; they will never find them again.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls;
17 for in a single hour such fabulous wealth was destroyed! And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off 18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out, “Who was like the great city?”
19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning, Woe, woe, the great city, where all those who have ships on the sea became rich from her wealth; for in a single hour she was destroyed.
Voices that are mourning and lamenting. The world is mourning the fall of Babylon infact they are described as standing a far off and will be weeping and mourning over her as they see the smoke of her destruction. They will lament saying woe woe in a single hour your judgment has come. Their mourning however is selfish. They sorrow over the loss of pleasure and luxury - they are dazed at the speed at which the judgment on her came. Verse 11 says the merchants of the earth weep and mourn because no one buys their cargo any longer. Gold, silver, jewels, and pearls, fine linen, purple silk, and scarlet and all kinds of fragrant wood products, objects of ivory, objects of expensive wood, brass, iron, and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh and frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, grain, cattle, sheep, horses and carriages and slaves — human lives. The list of worldly products and items of commerce - luxuries and excessiveness galore. Read that last one again - slaves — human lives - certainly we know that people have been bought and sold as commodities and nothing more than objects or pieces of property - today people are bought and sold for sick pleasures and trafficked to earn more money for those who own them.
They mourn because their hope of gain is gone. A picture of one who is abandoned to the wealth of this world with no acknowledgement of God.
The fruit they crave has left and all the nice and luxurious things are gone - never to come back again, gone forever.
The merchants of these things who had become rich from her weep and mourn say woe woe the great city in a single hour wealth was destroyed. The shipmaster, sailors, seafarers, and all who do business by sea stood afar off weeping mourning woe woe for in a single hour she was destroyed. None of these group mourn the city because they loved her - they loved the riches and their wealth.
Look at the unhappiness that comes when men misplace their trust by putting it in things and seek happiness from the details of life. It is like a sinking ship.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The Voices Rejoicing
The Voices Rejoicing
20 Rejoice over her, heaven, and you saints, apostles, and prophets, because God has pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you! 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently and never be found again.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again; the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;
23 the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again. All this will happen because your merchants were the nobility of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slaughtered on the earth.
In contrast to the mourning and weeping is the call for rejoicing. The voices of rejoicing as they are called to celebration comes from the saints, the apostles and the prophets. The celebration is because God has pronounced judgment. Not rejoicing in her judgment but rejoicing because she is judged. Rejoice means “to cheer, gladden,” but in the passive voice as it is here, it means “be happy, rejoice, make merry.” The passive voice means “allow yourself to receive happiness, joy, from the truth of God’s Word about Babylon and its destruction.” This is what God’s Word should do for the believer when it is known and believed.
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
How important it is for us as God’s people to look at events from God’s point of view. God’s judgment of Babylon is vindication for His martyred saints. God has fulfilled His promise and avenged them. Rejoice as I said not in the destruction in judgment but rejoice and celebrate the righteous resolution God’s judgment brings. God’s judging sets things right again.
Her fall is final and complete the picture given here of a large millstone reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 18:6
6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.
Babylon applies because she led others into sin and while it is terrible to led yourself into sin it is more terrible to lead others with you into sin. Therefore she will be thrown down violently never to be found again. This world system will pass away and the fall will be great - will this fall hurt us? Only to the extent that we are invested in the mentality of Commercial Babylon.
None of her musicians ever to be heard again
No craftsmen ever to be found again
The mill will never be heard in her
No light will shine
No weddings or joyous occasions
Why?
Because her merchants were the nobility of the earth. Those invested in Babylon and all of its celebrity highlights and luxury were the same who were honored and looked up to. Showing money and luxury as the god to be desired - this happens even in the church.
All the nations were deceived by your sorcery - deceived by poisoning the minds - demonism, drugs, media, propaganda is the norm - drug addiction and deceptive advertising
In her is the blood of the prophets and saints - it is because of Babylon’s worldliness and world system that the church has been persecuted and killed - in the name of serving their desires for luxury and fleshly appetites
Conclusion
Conclusion
In graphic and poetic language we see John describe here how industry and commerce of Babylon will come to an abrupt end - in one hour. We are called to come out and be separate from worldly things do not permanently satisfy or last. The worldliness and love of pleasures and possessions is a deceptive form of idolatry - satanic in origin with a destructive end. People and souls sold as commodities - perhaps you say you are not a slave - as people become accustomed to luxury and things, with more bills to pay, they find themselves unable to break loose from the system - they find themselves enslaved to it.
We are to be in the world but not of the world - where do you see your home? If its here then everything will be invested here and stored here - but if this is not home then we are visitors passing through - lets travel lightly and store our treasures in our home
19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Is Babylon your home or is it heaven?
If heaven is not your home the call has now come to you to come out from there and separate from Babylon and separate from the world - Come out from her and come into the family of God. Dont delay because the stage is now set for the Second Coming of Jesus.