Babylon's Demise
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Revelations 18 Intro
full every kind of demonic activity, using power and manipulation to control you.
Earlier described as the great Prostitute ( Harlot in Rev 17
The word Babylon comes from the Hebrew word Babel - which means to confuse - representing pride,
A symbol of mans ultimate rebellion against God. It represents all that God is not
It is the worlds economic and political system. It has no room for God , neither does it want any.
it is the Rome of today. a cesspool of sin and wickedness.
Let me tell you about Rome
Founded on a myth that Romulos and Remus twin brothers fought over the location and the Gods favored Romulos
Largest most influential city in the known world
It was surrounded by seven famous hills - which is referred to in Rev 17:9.
It was regarded as one of the greatest civilizations in History
Interesting the deeds of Augustus were proclaimed as euangelion which we translate the good news or the Gospel.
You became subject to the emperor - He became your God
In return he would distribute free grain to each local family and monthly games for you to enjoy
all. Today I would call this food stamps and football.
Augustus ( which means worthy of worship) ( he is depicted as human and divine) was hailed as Pax Romana- The peace of Rome - by instilling fear with all those he conquered. So Caesar is the long awaited savior.
Taxation was huge - Just like today. Produce tax, sales tax, temple tax, occupational tax, custom tax, transit tax etc. During the birth of Jesus everyone had to be counted - Why/?TAXES
It was governed by the local elites - Some called them client rulers.
Herod the great became an elite puppet of Rome.
Luke attributes the kingdom to be under Satan
And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,
and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.
Revelation 18 (ESV)
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.
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.
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.”
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;
for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
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.
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.’
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.”
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.
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.”
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,
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,
cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
“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!”
The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
“Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
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
and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”
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.
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”
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;
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,
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.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
WHY SUCH DESTRUCTION?
Her fall was announced in Revelation 14.
Jeremiah 51 and 52 speak of its destruction
THE REASONS FOR ITS DESTRUCTION
The city is destroyed for its many sins.
A. It has become a den of demons (18:2). 2nd timothy says it was full of people who were after pleasure not God.
2 Timothy 3:4 (ESV)
treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
B. It is filled with immorality (18:3a).
C. It is materialistic to the core (18:3b).
D. Its sins are as high as the heavens (18:5).
E. It is totally proud and arrogant (18:7).
F. It has deceived the nations and killed the saints (18:23c–24).
G. It is buying and selling human slaves (18:13b).
THE REMOVAL (18:4): God orders his people to leave this corrupt city.
We are always called out-
Abraham was called out
Israel was called out of Egypt.
Lot was called out of Sodom - His wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.
We are to separate ourselves from sin because it is going to be judged
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
THE RETRIBUTION (18:6, 8, 10b, 17a, 19b): The city is destroyed by God himself.
A. The severity of the destruction (18:6): She is given double punishment for all her evil deeds.
B. The suddenness of the destruction (18:8, 10b, 17a, 19b): Fire from heaven consumes the city in a single moment.
V. THE REACTION (18:9, 10a, 11–16, 17b–19a, 20)
A. Great remorse by the unsaved (18:9–10a, 11–19a)
1. What the merchants of the world cry out (18:10a, 16, 19a): “How terrible, how terrible for Babylon, that great city!”
2. Why they cry out (18:9, 11–15, 17b–18): Because there is no one left to buy their cargoes of precious metals, clothing, wood, ivory, brass, iron, marble, perfume, food, cattle, and even human slaves.
They were no remorseful because of the sin they were remorseful because they could not profit off of it anymore
B. Great rejoicing by the saved (18:20)VI.
THE RESULTS (18:21–23b): The city disappears from the face of the earth, resulting in:
A. No sound of music in Babylon (18:21–22a)
B. No industry in Babylon (18:22b)
C. No light in Babylon (18:23a)
D. No joyous weddings in Babylon (18:23b)
Conclusion;
What relevance is this to me?
This demonstrates the divine judgement of God, in light of His great Mercy
Does he want to go around destroying cities - NO
Does he operate like Rome , with pressure fear, and intimidation- NO
Does God have to deal with sin - YES
Scripture says the wages
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is all about Hope - why because you know in advance what is going to happen
You have been given an a true escape route
Not like the escape routes the Russians gave the Ukrainians. Full of mines and killing.
God has provided you a way of escape
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,