Study – Grow – Know

Revelation 18 Part 3

June 27, 2023 at 10:52 AM Leave a comment

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Revelation 18:21-24 details the final and absolute destruction of Babylon. It is swift (when it happens), and certain. There are two main reactions to the destruction of Babylon, which we will note. Let’s take a look at the text.

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.’

The above text notes clearly that at some point in the future, Babylon will be destroyed and it’ll happen with violence. John saw a mighty angel who took a giant millstone and threw it into the sea. This was what he saw in the spiritual realm. What John saw as a result of that in the physical realm is listed in verses following.

• –Rejoicing of unbelievers
• Music
• Production of goods
• Industry
• Activity

Babylon is overthrown with violence because of the violent way Babylon destroyed the prophets and believers in God. The bulleted list of description in the above text indicates that everyday things that are part of life will no longer exist in Babylon. I take this to mean that this Babylon, while certainly being an economic system will also be a physical place, location and/or city. There are numerous indications that this Babylon will be physical as we’ve noted previously. If the types of things that occur in life – conversation, music, production of goods, industry itself and human activity – all indicate a physical location.

Ultimately, there will be three main reasons why Babylon – the city and the system – will be destroyed by God.

1. Men who enriched themselves due to their pride in Babylon (v23)
2. Deception – Pride stemmed from being deceived (v23)
   1. Babylon deceived all the nations into thinking that joy, security, honor, and meaning in life (i.e., “success”) come through the accumulation of material wealth. (Constable)
      –Babylon used SORCERY (Greek: *pharmakeia)
3. Blood of the saints (v24)
   –“Blood violently shed cries out for vengeance until it is rewarded by the punishment of the murderers. The destruction of Babylon answers to that punishment.” [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 347. Cf. Genesis 4:10.]

It is interesting to note that the Greek word pharmakeia is where we get the English word pharmaceutical. Has Big Pharma played any part in gaining dominion over people? Just consider the past few years and you’ll have the answer.

Believers throughout history since the inception of Nimrod’s Babylon system via Tower of Babel, have always lived within the Babylon system. However, it is one thing to live within the system and another thing to adopt that system’s attitude and to live by its rules.

• –Self-centeredness (living only to fulfill selfish pleasures)
• –Using and/or stepping on others to get what is wanted
• War
• Sales
• Power

–Ultimately, it’s all about money leading to power so that powerful people can gain dominion over the rest. Christians must not lay up treasures here on earth by endorsing the system of Babylon.

The destruction of Babylon marks the effective final phase of the 7-year Tribulation period leading to its end. It officially ends with the physical return of Jesus in Revelation 19.

After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The above verses of Revelation 19:1-10 highlight a complete contrast in heaven versus what has just transpired on the earth. On earth, there is despair, grief and shock at what has transpired with Babylon. At that point in the Tribulation, Babylon will be the system of commerce used throughout the world with whatever city representing Babylon will be the physical headquarters at the time.

Revelation 19 has two parts to it.

1. Heavenly hosts rejoicing at the complete destruction of Babylon, and
2. –Events surrounding our Lord’s physical return to the earth

In Revelation 19:1 we see praise rising in heaven because of Babylon’s destruction. Babylon represents the latter day Tyre & Egypt and Antichrist will be the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre combined.

The four songs in Revelation 19:1-5 look back to the judgment of Babylon, and the song in Revelation 19:9-10 looks forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The harlot dies, but the bride begins to enjoy new life. [Note: Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 355.]

The reason for praising Babylon’s destruction is seen in Revelation 19:2. Heavenly residents praise God for His:

• Truth
• Judgment
• Righteousness
  –

It is only right that Babylon, which brought moral ruin on the earth, should lie in ruins. (Constable)

All people will have made their decision to follow God or Satan at this point in the Tribulation and there will be no changing sides. Those who have, through deceit and delusion followed Satan will have their eyes and understanding opened to eventually understand that they were in fact, deceived into believing what they wholeheartedly believed.

Verse 3 reinforces the idea that Babylon is dead forever. No longer will she deceive through immorality, and spiritual adultery by leading people away from God and following Satan.

Revelation 19:4-5 shows the 24 elders raising their voices in praise to the One who sits on the throne – God the Father. An angel calls out from near the throne for continual praise to God and to fear the Living God for His righteous judgments.

Revelation 18 and 19 teach us because God is holy, righteous, perfect in judgment, the world will reap the consequences of their sin and denial of God. As Christians, we need to practice living lives that reflect our fear of offending God, the only wise God, the only God. We must design our lives so that our love for God and our growing fear of offending Him by sinning would take over our lives allowing us to live the way He wants us to live, so that He and He alone is glorified. We must decrease and He must increase. We cannot love or fear offending Him enough in this life. We can simply submit to Him and endeavor to live the way He would have us live.

Next time, we will deal with two things from Revelation 19:6-16:

1. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and
2. –Preparation of Christ’s physical return to the earth

Entry filed under: christianity, Demonic, devil worship, eternity, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, Satanism, second coming. Tags: antichrist, Marriage Supper of the Lamb, revelation 18, Revelation 19, second coming, tribulation.