The Coming Economic Crash
By Dr. James O. Davis
There is coming an economic calamity and crash, an economic disaster that is going to make the depression of 1929 and recession of 2008, look like a little blip on the radar screen of time. We don’t know how far we are from it, but we know it will take place.
In Revelation, chapter 18, we read, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and become the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.”
What on earth is Babylon? In Revelation 17, Babylon is the Bible’s cryptic and descriptive name for the value system of the ungodly age and the kingdom of Antichrist. It is called Babylon because its system, its ideas, its philosophies root all the way back to the Book of Genesis.
There was a man named Nimrod who built the Tower of Babel. It was mankind's first attempt at humanism; for man to establish his independence apart from God. Man was at the center and the circumference of all that was done there. God judged the Tower of Babel. Nimrod was the main leader of that time period. His name means, “rebel.” Three times in the Book of Genesis he is called “a mighty one.” Nimrod was a picture of the coming Antichrist who will rule over the last Babylon. Babylon began with the Tower of Babel and it will end in chapter 18 of the Book of the Revelation.
Is this Babylon described the ancient, actual city, or is this Babylon simply symbolic of a system? Is it a city, a system or both? If it is a city, will Babylon actually be rebuilt on the shores of the River Euphrates? Some think so but no one can be certain. One thing I am certain of is this: Babylon stands for a wicked and vile system. It is the counterpart to the holy city, the New Jerusalem. In Revelation 18, we will see the destruction of commercial Babylon.
THE DEPRAVITY OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM
God speaks of the system as a city. First, I want you to notice the depravity of the city (Rev. 18:1-8). This depravity includes the sin of godlessness. This system is actually infested with demon worship. The system of Antichrist, the system of Babylon is a system of Satanism. It is a system of the occult, witchcraft and astrology. The Bible is predicting that in the last days we’re going to see demons have a free rein upon this earth like they’ve never had before. The bottomless pit, the abode of spirits who have been incarcerated there will be released during the Tribulation.
You know, I’ve been amazed at two things. I’ve been amazed, number one, that people will not believe the gospel, but I’ve been perhaps even more amazed at what people will believe – what they will believe when they will not believe the Bible.
Second, I want you to notice not only the godlessness of her sin, but I want you to notice the grossness of her sin (verses 3-4). God speaks of her filthiness. God speaks here of fornication. Fornication is used in the Bible in two major ways: First of all, it means the actual, physical sin of sexual immorality. Secondly, it means the sin of unfaithfulness and spiritual immorality, lusting after other gods and whoring after other gods.
Now that word sorcery comes from the Greek word pharmaka, and it literally means an enchanter with drugs. Pharmaka is the source for the word, “pharmacy.” I believe the Antichrist is going to legalize drugs. I believe that marijuana will be freely sold on the world markets. I believe that cocaine and heroin and all of these drugs will be there. This speaks of the illicit use of drugs, the ability to enchant people’s minds by drugs.
On the heals of her godlessness and grossness, we see the greatness of her sin, for the Bible goes on to say, “For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities and reward 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.” God is saying that her cup of sin is filled to the brim.
I believe the apostle John here is making a play on words. The Ancient Tower of Babel was being built up to heaven. God is saying there is coming a day, and it may be not far off, that God can tolerate sin no more. It seems at times that God overlooks sin, but I want you to know that the sword of vengeance will not sleep. God says, concerning the greatness of her sin, that her punishment is going to be double the greatness of her sin. She is going to have double trouble.
Moreover, in the midst of her wickedness, the Word of God describes the gleefulness of her sin. Verse 7 reads: “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously…” Isn’t that an interesting word? She had lived deliciously. “…so much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, I sit as a queen. I am no widow, and I shall see no sorrow.” Antichrist and his kingdom will be living high, wide, and handsome. God’s Word warns us not to envy the kingdom of Antichrist. A man is a fool who envies fools.
Now the spiritual tide begins to turn a different direction. I want you to note the guiltiness of her sin (v. 8). The collapse, the fall, the demise, the judgment – quickly, in one day, literally, in one hour. This world will be unprepared the judgement comes. The merchants of this world and the wheeler-dealers of this world will not be ready the economic crash hits this planet.
THE DISASTERS WITHIN THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM
Second, I would like for you to notice not only the depravity of the city, but I want you to notice the disappointment concerning the city. When Babylon falls, there are going to be those who are going to weep and wail. And there are literally three classes of persons who will be heartbroken when the collapse comes, when the fall comes.
The first class of people is comprised of the monarchs (v. 9-10). They have yielded their allegiance to the Antichrist. They have put all of their eggs in one basket. They have put all of their hopes in one man. The World Bank, the Tri-Lateral Commission, the European Economic Federation, all of the Middle East OPEC nations – they will have all come together and say, “At last now, we have an economic system that will last and there will be happiness and prosperity for all.” Yet, all they can do is sit in a distance and bewail and bemoan and all of their armies and all of their resources cannot stop what is happening. There is going to be a centralization of wealth with one system and one ruler. You’ll not be able to buy; you’ll not be able to sell without a mark on your right hand upon your forehead.
The second class of people will be the merchants (v.11). The merchants, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. Think about it for a moment. The great conglomerates, monopolies, the great wheeler-dealers, sitting behind their mahogany desks will witness their financial collapsing all around them. Everything will be wiped out in a one hour.
The third class of people include the mariners. Babylon made rich all the mariners in the sea by reason of her costliness! In one hour, the transport companies will cease to exist. They will weep worldwide as source of finance has dried up.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM
Now, John the revelator, writes about the destruction of the city (v. 20). John writes, “Rejoice over her, thou heavens, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And 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. And 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; And 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 [were – notice the past tense] the great men of the earth; for by they sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of them that were slain upon the earth.”
God will bring the violence in His judgment. It’s like a millstone cast into the sea. I want you to notice not only the violence of it; but note the vastness of it. I want you to notice a bundle of “no mores” that are found in these verses:
• no more music
• no more manufacturing
• no more marriage
What He’s saying is, all of the joys, all of the felicities, all of the happiness, all of the hope that men have ever had are going to be dashed to the ground. They’re coming crashing down.
I want to read verse 24: “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all of them that were slain upon the earth.” These men and women, who refuse to go along with the Antichrist and his system, it cost them their very lives. These are fearful days that are coming on the earth. There’s coming a collapse of the entire economic system. In a single hour it will come crashing down.
