Revelation Lesson #18 Series

A thorough study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass. (Rev. 1:1)

Welcome to our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ given unto Apostle John.

I am Phillip Smith, your host and fellow servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As we continue our study in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as given to John, we begin in chapter 18.

Chapter 17 introduced the beast on which the woman, Mystery, Babylon The Great, sat. We will learn more about this beast in chapter 18.

Rev. 18:1-3. 18 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

John has seen another angel, one with great power. This angel has been given higher authority perhaps over many other angels performing their tasks of which he might be commander. He has a great magnificent illumination of light about him. This signifies his authority is given by God who through his son illuminates great ‘light’--righteousness.

The message, from this angel with authority, witnesses that Babylon The Great has fallen. This Mystery woman, the whore of Babylon, has fallen. Her power over filthiness and abominations against God has collapsed. The ten horns–ten kings who hate her–have made her desolate and naked. (17:16)

Her domain has become a habitation for devils, evil peoples dominated by evil spirits of Satan. (the hold of every foul spirit) It discloses her hold on binding and holding these people and their evil spirits as in a bird cage holds a bird. (every unclean and hateful bird)

Remember, Satan tried to bind every soul in Hell–the grave. (Sheol) Jesus, upon his resurrection, broke the bonds of Hell (gates). He has kept Satan from permanently holding any saint from the resurrection by God.

By the power over weak minded men, Mystery and her fornications enticed men to sell their souls to her for earthly gain and pleasure. She caged them, holding them from the possibility of escape. She shielded them from hearing the truth of God and Jesus Christ.

Do we see men doing this same thing today in our earthly realm?

Verse 3 tells of the things she held over mankind of which she tempted evil men. These men became rich from her ‘delicacies’. The fornication the men committed with her is the idea of turning our righteous soul to partaking of the delicacies of the world; all forms of debauchery, filthiness, greed, thievery, lies, etc. Perhaps many of these men who partook of her filthiness held a form of godliness but denied the power thereof. (2 Tim 3:2-5)

Rev. 18:4-6. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 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.

A warning has been declared from heaven by another angel doing the task of God to all the ‘called’ of God. “Come out of her!” God has called us to righteousness. We are not to sin willfully when we know our deeds are evil. Are we to sin more that grace may abound more? “God forbid.” This angel is trying to make the believers recognize her fornications and not become a party to her wrath. God has remembered her iniquities and he is going to reward her double what she has done to the saints of earth. (vs. 6) (parallel passage; 2 Cor. 6:14-18)

God has declared unto His spirit servants, angels, to double unto her double according to her works. In this realm, before the Judgment Day, there will be a time of wrath upon the unjust who have partaken of her delicacies and unto her the wrath of God shall be doubled.

Remember this has come from one of the angels having the last vials of God’s Last Wrath upon evil mankind. Vs. 1 says it was told to John after ‘these things’ which was from the declaration that Babylon has fallen. It is after John was shown the woman riding upon the beast. (17:1)