Rev. #64-pt 5~18:6-24 COMMERCIAL BABYLON’S DESTRUCTION 7-24-10
We’re still talking about commercial Babylon’s destruction, let me say again, that I can’t say what city this will be for sure, and most of the materials I’ve read are not sure either, there’s a few that seem to think that the old Babylon will be rebuilt but I can’t see that, how many years does it take to build a city? I’m not talking about a building, but a city.
Some think that it might be Rome, but Rome doesn’t have a seaport for shipping.
Some think it might be Jerusalem because Jerusalem is called “the Great City” in
Revelation 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
And Israel does have 3 major seaports.-but I don’t believe God meant His beloved city.
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Ø And then there are others that think “commercial Babylon” is symbolic of the last day’s commercial system, and this is certainly possible.
And I have read that there are others that think that the Great city might be N.Y. City, so I’ll just have to say, I DON’T KNOW for a certainty. But here in this chapter 18: we read “the Great city” 5 different times, so where ever it is, God will give to commercial Babylon exactly what she deserves even the world system of commercialism if that is what it is, and I am leaning in that direction.
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Ø Well we left off last time with verse 6, so we’ll begin there today.
6Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Repay her double according to her works . . . mix for her double: Double restitution was required in the Old Testament in cases of theft Exodus 22:4-9 This could be telling us how Babylon has made her wealth - through dishonest dealings.
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7How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
In this verse we see her three-fold sin. 1st- Self-indulgence (lived deliciously). 2nd- pride (glorified herself - sits as a queen). 3rdly- (am no widow, and will not see sorrow).
All these things are characteristic of worldliness and materialism.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
The root of Babylon’s degeneration was her pride, self-security, godlessness, and glorification of wealth and luxury, all directed toward self-exaltation. The Lord God in His omnipotence will be her Judge.
Ø Here is what is going to happen to Commercial Babylon the great city, which ever and where ever she may be.
Isa 47:9–11 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries,**{magic: witchcraft.} and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.** ( a spell:— + charmer)
10For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.
Ø I want you to pay close attention to this verse, verse 11—LISTEN--
11Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth:-- and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off:-- and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. --
Let me read verse 8 along with that.
8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
This word utterly means - to burn down (to the ground - consume wholly:- burn up).
The 1st thing that comes to mind is a nuclear explosion, or explosions, the people that are suppose to be watching out for the safety of our nation believe that Iran is still working on a nuclear bomb, power plants so they say, but any realistic person can see what their really doing, if they already have, or if their going to have a bomb soon it will be to late for the nations whom they consider their enemy, and our nation would be 2nd behind Israel.
If there should already be any in their possession it would be no hard thing to slip suit case bombs into our cities, the President and others don’t’ seem to care who comes across our borders any way, some of our supposedly leaders act as though Arizona is not a state, well Arizona is a state and all the other states are to see to it that she protected.
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We’re told here in verse 8 that Babylon will be utterly a burning heap, not might be but it’s going to happen.
When that day rolls around her plagues will all come at once, come in one day
Only God knows when this day will come, God is a God of order; He does nothing by chance or happenstance.
All this will come upon her in one day, and let me say that God has already set an hour, a day, a month, and a year that He will call away His church. God is a God of order.
Ø How do we know this? Back in
Chapter 9:13-15 we read about these monstrosities that are let out of hell at a particular time.
13And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 15And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Notice; God had pre-selected down to the very hour, and a day, and a month, and a year when these demon monstrosities would be turned loose on the earth dwellers.
He is a God of precision.
Only God knows when all this is to take place, but no body else does, Jesus said in
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
This verse plainly tells us that He knows the day and hour, so in His Omniscience He at this time knows when all this will happen, Jesus said-- but my Father only.
Regardless of the location, the burning of the city is symbolic of the fall of its political and economic might, be it a single city referred to as Babylon, or be it the world system of commerce.
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9And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
The time of this burning is the bowl or vial judgment at the end of the Tribulation, very close to the return of Jesus Christ.
10Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Their mourning is also characterized by fear lest they have the same judgment which has overcome the city, and for this reason they stand afar off.
So great is the heat and smoke of her burning that these kings must stand at a distance, afar off. Some think this may be an indication that nuclear weapons are used in the judgment of these commercial centers.
How sad is the hour of judgment when it is too late for mercy.
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11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:--
the merchants of the earth are the people that are involved in buying and shipping the different things named in the coming verses, these are not weeping & mourning because of the love of this city in particular, It’s plain that the mourning is rooted in self-interest: for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore.
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12The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Ø This long list of things are all luxuries, none are necessities.
souls of men: The profits of commercial Babylon have come through cruelly using others. They sold the bodies and souls of men. This idea has many applications, none less so than today’s widespread prostitution and pornography.
Those who lived for the luxuries of commercial Babylon will be tormented by hell all the more:
shall find them no more at all. Ultimately, hell will be a place of unfulfilled desire.
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14And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
This attire that we read here is close to the same attire that the Great Religious Whore wears back in chapter 17:4.-only here its said that this great city was clothed in it, displaying the great city’s fabulous riches.
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17For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Ø And let me remind us that
Revelation 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded,** {2nd trumpet judgment} and as it were a great mountain burning *(meteorite) with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;--- and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
The burning of the city is symbolical of the fall of the whole powerful commercial system.
19And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
These ship masters & sailors and all that traded by way of the sea also cried and bemoaned her just as the Merchants do, its because their means of importing & exporting their goods was ended, not because of their great love of the great city its self.—wherein**(the goods and also the sea-ports are destroyed.) were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
Ø Notice that their sorrow at commercial Babylon’s fall is selfishness, there’s no way to recover from such destruction,
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20Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Ø Here we have a call to the heavens and the people of God:
Rejoice over her: Should God’s people rejoice when judgment comes? Yes, but we don’t rejoice in the destruction in judgment. Rather, we rejoice in the righteous resolution God’s judgment brings. Realize that this is not the grace period, grace has passed, this is the Great Day of Gods Holy Wrath, He is taking vengeance on the earth dwellers.
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21And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Ø John in his vision now sees a “mighty angel”
This Mighty angel took up a great millstone and with his great power and speed violently threw it into the sea to illustrate to John how swiftly this Great city Babylon would simple disappear as the stone sunk, it would be found no more at all.
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22And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
John describes how the industry and commerce of Babylon comes to an end.
Shall not be heard . . . shall be found anymore . . . shall to be heard in you anymore . shall not shine
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24And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Ø One man said this:
The extent of this charge is an indication that this great city is possible symbolic of the world system at large, he says, there is no one literal city that is responsible for all who were slain on the earth. And we would have to say that this surely is true, so again, who is this city, or is the city symbolic of the world systems?
I can’t say for sure, and evidently can no one else, one day we’ll know, there’s many things that we’ll just have to wait to find out, the main thing is to be sure your saved and then you want be here to experience these horrific things that are surely going to happen, because God said so.
