The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Pamphlet 1904 Rev kc 48

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.
The end of all religious confusion has come,
for Jesus Christ has returned.

And so it is that we have reading in chapter 18 of Revelation the advanced news report about the fall of Babylon the great. We continue now in verse 14 with the lament of her lovers over her demise.

Rev. 18:14
And 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.
The "ripe fruit" (even the hope of salvation), i.e. all of your heart's desires, are gone along with all its luxuries and splendor! You've been harvested out of season!
[15] The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
The merchants are those great men or lords (see vs. 23 & Strong's) who became "Fat Cats" by peddling her "musterion", her false religion. They ought to stand in fear because they are gettin' it next!
[16] And 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!
So beautiful she was! She looked so pretty! Yes, there's no doubt about it, Packaging Sells! In other words, you can dress up a religion (even call it a Christian one) to look so good and holy with fancy buildings and priests in flowing robes, that people will just flock to it to partake of her golden cup!
[17] For 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,
You should check out the word "hour" used here. It is translated "season" in 2 Cor. 2:7, "short time" in 1 Thes. 2:17, as well as "hour", both literally and figuratively which can be determined by the context wherein it is used. In this case it means "instantly" or as we say "in an instant" or "just like that".
hora, ho'-rah, Greek 5610; apparently a primary word; an "hour" (literal or figurative) :- day, hour, instant, season, × short, [even-] tide, (high) time.
Those shipmasters, the captains who steer the whore's "love boats", and all those who have been participating in the orgy, now try to distance themselves from Babylon! Too late though, the party is over!
[18] And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Holy smoke, look at her burn!
[19] And 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.
To "cast dust on one's head" is an expression meaning to "mourn".  And what a "pity party" we see  going on here, weeping and wailing. Lament, lament, lament! That great city of whores, run by none other than "Puff the Magic Dragon" himself, is "gone up in smoke". Poof! She's gone!
[20] Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
The battle is finally over. The good guys win! Praise God!
[21] 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.
Babylon will disappear forever, just like taking a big stone and casting it into the middle of the ocean. Got the PICTURE?

"Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder shaped like a millstone and threw it into the ocean and shouted, 'Babylon, that great city, shall be thrown away as I have thrown away this stone, and she shall disappear forever.' (Living Bible)

[22] 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;
If you have studied the book of Daniel then you should remember that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, a type of the king of Babylon to come, had "set up" a golden image to be worshipped by all the people of the world.

Here's the decree:

Daniel 3:7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
Of course, those lads Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who had the Seal of God in their foreheads, would not bow a knee to the image. So the king threw them into the fiery furnace which was heated "7 times" hotter, but the fire of that great tribulation that they endured did not singe one hair on their heads! Sound like Revelation chapter 9 to you? It should.

We have studied in this Book of Revelation that the beast, Satan, "sets up" his image, i.e. that he says he is Jesus, and the people who go to church will hear the sound of the music and sing praises to the one sitting in the temple claiming to be God. (They know not that he is the son of perdition). Yes, they will kneel to and worship Satan, who will appear in the image of Christ.

Well guess what? It's going to end with the fall of Babylon! His music shall be heard no more!

[23] 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 the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
There will be no more flickering light trying to imitate the real light of truth. It's over.

Now, do you remember in the last chapter what we read concerning the great whore? Rev. 17:2 "With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

The analogy is also made here that they have been drugged by her poison, i.e. deceived by her sorceries. Here's Strong's definition of "sorceries".

pharmakeia, far-mak-i'-ah, Greek 5331; from Greek 5332 (pharmakeus); medication ("pharmacy"), i.e. (by extension) magic (literal or figurative) :- sorcery, witchcraft.

pharmakeus, far-mak-yoos', Greek 5332; from pharmakon (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion); a druggist ("pharmacist") or poisoner, i.e. (by extension) a magician :- sorcerer

Satan has a great many people in the world and in our nation strung out on booze and drugs. He's already got their souls in bondage with literal poison. The rest are in worse shape, for they are poisoned from the doctrines of men swirling in the golden cup of the beautiful looking whore which when they "sip from it", they "hallucinate" into imagining that they are seeing and worshipping Jesus, when in fact it's just the disguise of the beast, a mere image!

Oh the awesome power and deception of religion! It is ever so intoxicating. Our people are spiritually drunk already but they know it not, for they are in denial! They think they are OK! That is what deception is. Their church is so big and beautiful and the people are so nice and friendly. Let us go sip from the cup!

[24] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Oh the awesome power and deception of religion! It is ever so deadly.

We now conclude this study of chapter 18 with the words of Jesus Christ direct from His explanation of the first of the 7 Seals in Mark 13 and Mat. 24.

Here is the #1 WARNING:

Matthew 24:4
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Many, not just a few ministers and preachers, but MANY, who claim to represent Christ and go around proclaiming "Jesus is Lord" and "Praise the Lord" will then hand you the golden cup!

So next time, before you take a sip, look in the golden cup and see if what's in it is from the Word of God.

Of course you'll have to know what the Word of God says to make that determination, won't you?

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.


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