Revelation chapter 18
The fall of that Great City Babylon
Revelation chapter 18
The fall of that Great City Babylon
Now, with all that as background, and if you understand chapter 17, then you can read and understand chapter 18 all on your own! It is simply the judgment and fall of that great city. Sure, there are a few English words that don't quite bring forth the full meaning of the Greek, which we will look up, but even as it is written in the KJV you can read and understand this chapter.
Let's begin.
The Truth from our Father is light. This angel has great glory and great authority, which means lots of "thumping power".Rev. 18:1
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
"The show is over for you wicked whores and sluts in Babylon. Yes, that means you, Satan, and all your filthy, trashy, evil kings and birdbrains that you have caged in this city."[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.
The whole world is drunk and screwed up! And the Rulers and CEOs have become "Fat Cats" through your "miracle performances" and "straining". Here are the two words "abundance" and "delicacies" from Strong's.[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.
abundance
dunamis, doo'-nam-is, Greek 1411; from Greek 1410 (dunamai); force (literal or figurative); specially miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself) :- ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, might (wonderful) work.delicacies
strenos, stray'-nos, Greek 4764; akin to Greek 4731 (stereos); a "straining", "strenuousness" or "strength", i.e. (figurative) luxury (voluptuousness) :- delicacy.
Have you read Jeremiah 50 and 51 yet? What are you waiting for? The type has been set forth. Babylon is going to be the recipient of the LORD's vengeance when He returns. The warning is clear... Come out of her![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.
Come out of confusion! Do you remember from chapter 16 who it is that the vials are poured out upon, i.e. receives the 7 plagues? It is those who are confused, deceived. It is those who do not have the Seal of God in their foreheads! We just read Rev. 18:4 which documents that people can come out this religious confusion and escape the plagues. How is it done? By absorbing the truth of God's Word into their minds, which is in their foreheads, thereby "sealing" themselves.Jeremiah 51:6
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.[7] Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
Her sins "stink to high heaven" and our Father knows and remembers what she's done to His children.[5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Boy is she going to get it![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.
She glorifies herself in purple and scarlet robes, and decks herself with gold and precious stones, and houses herself with magnificent structures with stained glassed windows and cathedral ceilings. She's quite a religion! Looks great![7] How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
And she claims she's a Queen! She says she is not a widow, which means she has a HUSBAND. Did she wait until the great wedding feast of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to wed Him? No, she's a WHORE!
Is she married to the real "Jesus in Jerusalem"? No, she's married to "Satan in Babylon".
That one day is the Day of the Lord, the 7th Trump. For her it will be the 7th Thump![8] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Gone up in smoke, the whole damnable thing! They've been stripped of everything and now stand naked.[9] And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Destroyed with the blast from the 7th Trump![10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
It shall be a sad day for those whose god is filthy lucre![11] And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Did you catch those last two items? Satan wants your soul and he's willing to buy it! Is that something new, like a new revelation or something? Hardly![12] The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,[13] And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Do you recall from chapter 12 that the dragon (you know who) drew a third of the sons of God away from God in the 1st earth age? Do you know how he did that? Have you ever read Ezekiel 28 concerning the prince and king of Tyrus, Satan?
This is in the "world that then was", the 1st earth age. This should remind us of what Satan will do when he is cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:7-9) and comes to earth. Here's the apostle Paul in 2 Thes. 2:4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." He hasn't changed a bit!Ezekiel 28:2
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:
Remember his power structure in Rev. 12:3 was basically the same as he will have when he comes here (Rev. 13:1)? This guy buys friends and influences people with the gods of money and power and ego. Daniel records that he will do the exact same thing when he arrives. Like we said, he hasn't a bit![3] Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: [4] With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures:
He was really something in the world that was. People just loved his trafficking and riches. And it all went to his head! But the point is that he will operate the same way when he gets here! So the question is... "How much will you take for your soul?" The "Anti-Jesus in Jerusalem" will prepare a mansion for you, and give it to you! If you'll follow him! Most of the world will! Will you?"[5] By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
Written by the hands of Jeremiah and John, are the words from the Lord our God, "Flee out of the midst of Babylon", "Come out of her my people!"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.
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!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 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![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,
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![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!
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".[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,
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!
Holy smoke, look at her burn![18] And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
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![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.
The battle is finally over. The good guys win! Praise God![20] Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Babylon will disappear forever, just like taking a big stone and casting it into the middle of the ocean. Got the PICTURE?[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.
"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)
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:[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;
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.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.
We have studied in this Book of Revelation that the beast, Satan, "sets up" his image, i.e. that 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!
There will be no more flickering light trying to imitate the real light of truth. It's over.[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.
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.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!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
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!
Oh the awesome power and deception of religion! It is ever so deadly.[24] And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
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:
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!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.
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?
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