Today we will be studying Revelation chapter 18 and the fall of Babylon. We saw in yesterday's study of chapter 17 that Babylon is a symbolic term meant to be understood two ways, the overall earthly kingdom of satan during the great tribulation as well as the actual geographic capital city of satan’s earthly kingdom. They are one and the same and today we will see the total and systematic destruction of both and exactly why it had to happen. Let’s get at it:
18:1-3 – “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 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. 3 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.”
We open with an angel descending from heaven to deliver a message for the entire earth. This angel has great authority, illuminates the entire earth with his glory (remember the earth will be dark from the fifth bowl), and speaks with a mighty voice that the entire planet can hear. This angel is here to deliver a message. The message? Babylon is fallen, satan’s kingdom is done. We’re given a few specific reasons. It has become the dwelling place of demons. It was in the vicinity of Babylon that 200 million formerly bound demons were loosed during the sixth trumpet (Rev 9:13-16). There were also demons released during the fifth trumpet (Rev 9:1-11). And in addition all those fallen angels that accompanied satan when he was cast from heaven (Rev 12:4,9) Secondly, Babylon had followed its flesh and followed sensuality. They had committed great sexual immorality and grown rich and lived in great luxury. All because of taking the mark of the beast and following satan. What riches they reaped and what a cost they are soon to pay.
18:4-8 – “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; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 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. 7 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.’ 8 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.”
Another voice, presumably Jesus, as He specifically calls to “my people”, has a judgement for Babylon. He first calls His people out of Babylon for He knows the irresistible temptations it offers. The sin and debauchery were rampant and it infected people like a plague. I heard a saying one time, “if you hang out in a barber shop long enough, eventually you’ll get a haircut.” Folks, if you hang out with people that easily practice sin and embrace it, eventually you’ll get a haircut. God says they will be paid back double for what they have done to others. The judgment upon this great city will come quick and fast and be total. It will come in a single day and burned up with fire.
18:9-17 – “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. 10 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.”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 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, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
14 “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!”
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
We next enter into a rather odd inclusion. Verses 9-17 deal exclusively with the commerce of the soon to fall city. Apparently, Babylon enjoyed wealth like never before. And it trickled down to many. The kings of the nations enjoyed it first. This is no surprise, we see this in spades today. In fact, can somebody please tell me how it is a prerequisite that to be President of the United States you must first be rich? When did this happen? Where are the regular people? What a travesty this office has become. Like somehow rich people can rule better. In fact, right here we will see it is clearly the opposite. We’re told in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” People that are consumed with their own accumulation of wealth make pitiful leaders.
As the city is laid to waste, the rulers stand far off in fear. They are far off, retreated to their own safety, as the city burns they abandon her quickly and easily. They discard her like satan discarded the prostitute church in Revelation chapter 17. This passage is quite a condemnation on what God thinks of money, power, luxurious living, and selfish pleasure. The kings of the world had all this and here they stand weeping and waling as they see it all burn. We've heard a warning on this somewhere before, yes? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)
Next, we see an examination of the merchants. What is the difference between a money hungry merchant and a money hungry king? The merchants have no title, nothing else changes. These business men craved one thing and one thing only, money for themselves. We see them weep and mourn the burning city as they see all of their product, customers, and profits going up in flames. We’re told of 28 items or categories that will all but cease to be traded. Anyone operating a profit generating business this day will be permanently out of business in one hour (Rev 18:17) It reminds me of the many stock market crashes the US has had. All the effort of people to earn, invest, monitor, and nurture money, gone in a flash as they jump off the nearest building, not able to imagine their lives without their money. Sad, sad, sad.
Folks, where is your treasure today? In your bank account? In your 401-k? Where do you get your comfort? Is your safety and comfort found in Jesus and the eternal salvation He offers or in your pension fund? We’ve seen it through all history and we see it right here, it can all be gone in a flash. Poof. The economy crashes and your 401-k is cut in half. Your company folds and your six figure job is gone in 5 minutes. And after that job is gone all the debt you accumulated to “live the good life” will come calling. God has a message here. That satan and his unbelieving followers served themselves and it ultimately led to nothing but weeping and wailing as they watched their money and possessions burn.
18:17b-20 – “And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
“What city was like the great city?”
19 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. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”
The destruction of the city also devastates the transportation industry. Apparently, Babylon was also a great distribution center and it goes from thriving to non-existent in one hour. These shipmasters and sailors cried out and weep and mourn as they saw the smoke of the city burning. They recall her greatness as they see her burn, forever gone. They automatically go back to the “good ol days” as they recall all the piles of money they had made. Now gone forever.
18:21-24 – “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; 22 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, 23 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. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
The destruction of Babylon will not be partial. It will not be some of the city. It will be total and absolute annihilation. Nothing left. When God destroys it, it will simply not exist, it will “be found no more.” No more music, no industry, no production, no light, nothing. We hear Spiderman’s uncle say that “with great power comes great responsibility” and this is what these rich men were guilty of. “For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.” The great men that should have been leading people towards God were doing just the opposite. In their own greed and coveting they were leading people towards satan instead. Oh, what people will do for money.
A while back Margie and I were eating at Cane’s chicken and as we were eating a 8-9 year old kid approached our table. It was 8:30 at night and he was dressed in only pajamas. He asked us if we would like to buy a candy bar to support his baseball team. I glanced down at the candy bars and saw that these were regular old bars from Wal-Mart, not the very specifically packaged "fund raising" type. We politely declined and then I watched him. He proceeded to cautiously make his way around the entire restaurant delivering the same rehearsed script. He looked so down trodden and weary. An act? As he finished his rounds, he walked out the front door, got into a car and I watched it pull into the next parking lot, a Burger King, where he got out and proceeded inside to continue his job. My heart broke. I wanted to follow and approach the car and just ask them, why? Why use this child like this? But of course, I knew the answer, money. The pursuit of money makes us do bad things. We step on people, use people, neglect family, and become so selfish that the world appears as one big cash register. Money is fleeting and the things of this world will quickly fade away but the things of the Lord will stand forever. This chapter today speaks volumes in where our focus lies today. Are you focused on building your own kingdom or are you focused on expanding God’s kingdom? One will stand at the end...the other will not.
God bless you in your daily study of God’s Word, may it be bringing you ever closer to the lover of your soul ~ Dan
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