SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 18
IMPORTANT VERSE:
“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plague.” (Revelation 18:4)
THE FALL OF BABYLON (vs. 1-24)
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say” “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given, pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her with a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boats, I sit as queen: I am not a widow, and I will never mourn. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shred her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more – cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth’; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.
They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered. The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!”
Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “Woe! Woe!, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.!
Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.
THOUGHTS: (By Warren Wiersbe)
The harlot and the bride are each identified with a city. The harlot as Babylon and the bride as heavenly Jerusalem. The heavenly city will be the bride’s home for eternity, but Babylon will be destroyed by God. The world’s economy will be ruined.
Babylon symbolizes the whole godless world system that caters to the appetites of sinful men and women. True believers have nothing in common with the harlot and her city and should be separated from them.
When God judges sinners, earth laments and heaven rejoices. Most people are concerned primarily with satisfying their physical desires. They are not concerned about spiritual or eternal things. They live for the temporary and the immediate, not the eternal.
VIEW POINT FROM LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE:
Babylon was a metaphorical name for the evil world power and all it represents. Merchants in the Roman Empire grew rich by exploiting the sinful pleasures of their society. Many business people today do the same thing. Businesses and governments are often focused on greed, money and power. Many are tempted to take advantage of an evil system to enrich themselves. Christians are warned to stay far away from the lure of money, status and good life. We are to live according to the values Christ exemplified in service, giving, self-sacrifice, obedience and truth.
The people of Babylon had lived in luxury and pleasure. The city boasted of being The Queen on the throne. The powerful wealthy people of this world are also susceptible to this same attitude. A person who is financially comfortable often feels invulnerable, secure and in control, feeling no need for God. This kind of attitude denies God and his judgment against it is harsh. We are told to avoid Babylon’s sins. If you are financially secure, do not become complacent and deluded by the myth of self-sufficiency. Use your resources to help others and advance God’s kingdom.
Those who are tied to the world’ system will lose everything when it collapses. What they have worked for a lifetime to build up will be destroyed in one hour. Those who work only for material rewards will have nothing when they die or when their possessions are destroyed. What can we take with us to the new earth? Our faith, our Christian character, and our relationships with other believers. These are more important than any amount of money, power or pleasure.
Those who are in control of various parts of the economic system will mourn at Babylon’s fall. The political leaders will mourn because they were the overseers of Babylon’s wealth and were in a position to enrich themselves greatly. The merchants will mourn because Babylon, the greatest customer for their goods will be gone. The sea captains will no longer have anywhere to bring their goods because the merchants will have nowhere to sell them. The fall of the evil world system affects all who enjoyed and depended on it. No one will remain unaffected by Babylon’s fall.
This list of various merchandise illustrates the extreme materialism of this society. Few of these goods are necessities – most are luxuries. The society had become so self-indulgent that people were willing to use evil means to gratify their desires. Even people had become commodities and sold as slaves to Babylon.
God’s people should not live for money, because money will be worthless in eternity. And they should keep on guard constantly against greed, a sin that is always ready to take over their lives.