The Fall of Political/Commercial Babylon
The Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Revelation 18 (NLT)
1 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.
2 He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
3 For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”
4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.
6 Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.
7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’
8 Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
9 And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.
10 They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”
11 The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods.
12 She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.
13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.
14 “The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”
15 The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,
16 “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 In a single moment all the wealth of the city is gone!” And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance.
18 They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?”
19 And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”
20 Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, “Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.
22 The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
INTRODUCTION:
I- What does this passage say about God’s judgment upon political/commercial Babylon?
I- What does this passage say about God’s judgment upon political/commercial Babylon?
A- Her fall will come as an act of divine judgment.
A- Her fall will come as an act of divine judgment.
(Revelation 18:1, 5, 20)
Revelation 18:1 (NLT)
1 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.
Revelation 18:5 (NLT)
5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.
Revelation 18:20 (NLT)
20 Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.
B- Her destruction will be complete.
B- Her destruction will be complete.
(Revelation 18:2, 6, 8-10)
Revelation 18:2 (NLT)
2 He gave a mighty shout: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture and every foul and dreadful animal.
Revelation 18:6 (NLT)
6 Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her.
Revelation 18:8–10 (NLT)
8 Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day— death and mourning and famine. She will be completely consumed by fire, for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
9 And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains.
10 They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for you, O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you.”
C- her destruction will be permanent.
C- her destruction will be permanent.
(Revelation 18:21-23)
Revelation 18:21–23 (NLT)
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted, “Just like this, the great city Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again.
22 The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will ever be found in you again. The sound of the mill will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
II- What are the sins for which political/Commercial Babylon is to be judged?
II- What are the sins for which political/Commercial Babylon is to be judged?
A- Rejection of God’s rule in favor of self-rule.
A- Rejection of God’s rule in favor of self-rule.
(Revelation 18:7)
Revelation 18:7 (NLT)
7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’
1- This began with Cain.
(Genesis 4:16-17)
2- Israel chose this path.
(1 Samuel 8:1-20)
1 Samuel 8:1–20 (NLT)
1 As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba.
3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.
5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.
7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting me, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer.
8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment.
9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”
10 So Samuel passed on the Lord’s warning to the people who were asking him for a king.
11 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots.
12 Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment.
13 The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.
14 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.
16 He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use.
17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.
18 When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said.
20 “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”
B- Pursuit of materialism and sensuality.
B- Pursuit of materialism and sensuality.
(Revelation 18:3, 7, 12-14)
Revelation 18:3 (NLT)
3 For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”
Revelation 18:7 (NLT)
7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’
Revelation 18:12–14 (NLT)
12 She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble.
13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.
14 “The fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again.”
C- The mistreatment and oppression of other people.
C- The mistreatment and oppression of other people.
(Revelation 18:13 b)
Revelation 18:13b (NLT)
13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, wagons, and bodies—that is, human slaves.
D- Persecution and murder of God’s people.
D- Persecution and murder of God’s people.
(Revelation 18:24)
Revelation 18:24 (NLT)
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
III- GOD’S COUNSEL TO HIS PEOPLE.
III- GOD’S COUNSEL TO HIS PEOPLE.
(REVELATION 18:4)
Revelation 18:4 (NLT)
4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.
A- Separate from and reject the ways of the world.
A- Separate from and reject the ways of the world.
(2 Corinthians 6:17-18)
2 Corinthians 6:17–18 (NLT)
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
(Phil. 3:20)
“20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”
CONCLUSION: