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VERSE 1: (Chapter 18)
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Another ANGEL Comes Down
"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory."
This verse starts out with "And after these things". After what things? After everything that John witnessed in verse 17. After the angel finishes revealing to John the last form of Gentile world power = "BABYLON THE GREAT". After the angel explains "the woman" and the "ten horns" which will be ten kings. After this is all revealed to John in Chapter 17, a different angel "comes down from heaven".
This angel, in Chapter 18, will come directly down "from heaven". He has his orders from God. He leaves heaven to "come down" to the earth. This is going to be a very fearful angel. He will have "great power". None of the previous angels were given the title of "having great power".
We are told here that this angel has "great power" and that "the earth was lightened with his glory". This angel may be one of the angels that is really close to God Almighty. Exodus 34 records the account when Moses went up into Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. When Moses came down from the mountain, Moses' face shone. Exodus 34:29 says: "...Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone". Verse 30 says: "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him." Moses' face shone because he was with God. This angel will shine so brightly that "the earth was lightened with his glory". That's exceedingly bright and a great reflection of God Almighty.
This angel is going to light up the whole earth. Every single person alive will see this angel's "great power" and "his glory".
VERSE 2: (Chapter 18)
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BABYLON Is FALLEN
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, and is become the habitaton of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
When the "glory" of this strong angel lightens up the whole world, he is going to cry out "mightily with a strong voice". His voice will be very loud and with authority. He has an announcement to make. He will have the world's attention with the light of "his glory". Then he will cry out "mightily" for all to hear.
This is what the angel cries out: "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen". The whole world will know that Babylon has fallen. Remember, Babylon will control the world's economic system. The wealth of the world will be mainly controlled by Babylon. Isaiah 14:4 calls Babylon "the golden city". The whole world's economic system will fall. It will be much, much worse than the crash of the stock market.
Babylon will also be the head of the one-world religious system. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 calls the Antichrist "that man of sin" and "the son of perdition" "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." The Antichrist will be called the king of Babylon. He will have his worshippers. However, when this angel from heaven comes on the scene, he will expose the Antichrist with the "great power" of his glorious light. Babylon will fall. It will be such a great fall that the whole world will know that Babylon fell.
When Babylon falls, it will "become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." In Revelation 16:13 we studied about "three unclean spirits like frogs". Verse 14 of Chapter 16 also told us that "they are the spirits of devils". Our verse also describes them as "hateful birds". When Babylon falls, every demonic spirit imaginable will use Babylon for their "habitation" ... "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils".
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VERSE 3: (Chapter 18)
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NATIONS In ALLIANCE With BABYLON
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed formication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
Verse 3 here informs us to why Babylon is fallen. It is because Babylon, the religious center of the world, commits fornication against God. The first commandment mentioned in Exodus 20 (v.3), God says: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Fornication is when you cheat on someone. Babylon falls because it has 'cheated' on God. It worships idols instead of worshiping God. It puts wealth and worldly possessions before God. They worship their own success.
Babylon "the great" caused "all nations" to join together with her. Babylon became "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS" (ch. 17:5) to "all nations". "The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her". In other words, "all nations" and the "kings of the earth" are all in 'bed with Babylon'. They are in an alliance with Babylon. The nations will be committing "fornication" with Babylon.
"The merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies." All the nations will grow wealthy through the policies and through all the merchandise Babylon has to offer. Many nations will become dependent on Babylon and its goods.
When this angel cries out "Babylon is fallen, is fallen", all the nations will also suffer greatly. They had "waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies". Their profits will be all gone.
VERSE 4: (Chapter 18)
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GOD CALLS To HIS PEOPLE
"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."
"Another voice" calls out from Heaven. This is not another angel. This is the voice of Christ. Only Christ can claim people as His own. He says "Come out of her, MY people".
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In this verse, the Lord is instructing His people, "My people", to "Come out of" Babylon. From Genesis through Revelation, God has taught through His Word, to be separate from sin, to separate from worldly ways (John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is an excellent book/movie on this topic). Our verse indicates that the Lord may even have a few of His children, "My people", in Babylon. In 2 Corinthians 6:17, God commanded His children: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."
The Lord is talking to His people in our verse. The Lord tells His people to "be not partakers of her sins". The Lord is referring to Babylon's sins here. The Lord also tells His people that if they are "partakers of her sins", then they too will experience the plagues that God has ready to pour upon Babylon ... "that ye receive not of her plagues". God says in Galatians 6:7 "Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." From Genesis to Revelation, God has stressed this principle. Adam and Eve sinned and they reaped consequences for their sin. People who live through the Tribulation Period will also reap consequences for their sin. Yes, Adam and Eve were saved but God still punished them. People during the Tribulation Period will be punished for their sins. We, today, are punished for our sins. Yes, Jesus paid for our sin upon Calvary. That is for salvation. The punishment referred to here is for correction. Hebrews 12:5b-9 says:
"..."My son (saved person), despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"
Please refer back to Revelation 7:1-17 in our study for understanding the saved that go through the Great Tribulation Period, especially verses 13 - 14 of Chapter 7.
VERSE 5: (Chapter 18)
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GOD REMEMBERS
"For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
The Lord is telling everyone that "her sins have reached unto heaven". "Her" refers to Babylon. Babylon will be stronghold of Satan and a "habitation of devils" (v.2). Multitudes and multitudes of people will follow after Babylon. People have become greedy, liars, false accusers, murderers, thieves, and so on. Evil will be at its peak of evilness during this Tribulation Time. It will "reach unto heaven". In other words, sin will have gotten so bad that those in Heaven don't want to tolerate it anymore. It will be like when we say that 'we've had it up to here' and place our hand above our foreheads. That gesture that we do to show others that "we've had enough", is like God, the Father, saying it has "reached unto heaven". The Lord Jesus is warning people that His Father has had enough! His Father is very upset with sin and especially with Babylon.
The second half of this verse tell us that "God hath remembered her iniquities" In Ezekiel 17:19 God says: "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompense upon his own head." Jeremiah 25:14 states: "For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands."
"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye shall be taken with the hand." (Ezekiel 21:24). God does remember and His hand of judgment is coming soon.
VERSE 6: (Chapter 18)
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BABYLON Earns JUDGMENT
"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."
In verses 1 - 3 of our chapter (18), the angel with "great power" is the one talking. In verses 4 - 5, the Lord Jesus is pleading again with people to "Come out of her, my people". Then we go back to the strong angel with "great power" talking to the Lord Jesus.
In verse 1 of our chapter (18), we were told that this angel also lighted up the earth with "his glory". When we are in our house and it is dark, we cannot see the dirt. But when the sun rises and the sunbeams shine through the windows, we notice the dirt. This angel is like the sunbeams. He will shine "his glory" on all the earth. All the filth will be revealed. This angel shines "his glory" on Babylon and encourages the Lord Jesus to "Reward her even as she rewarded you". This angel knows how people have sinned and turned their backs on the Lord Jesus. This angel loves the Lord with great love. He loves the Lord so much that this angel asks the Lord to "double unto her double according to her works".
This angel saw when people took Jesus and hung Him on the cross. This angel, that has "great power", watched as generation after generation rejected his Lord. And this angel saw as Jesus wept over every person who refused to accept Christ as their Saviour be carried away by Satan's demons into the depths of Hell forever.
This angel asks Jesus first to "reward her even as she rewarded you (Jesus)". Then the angel asks Jesus to "double" her judgments because of her works ... the evil works Babylon did that goes against God's Word. Then the angel asks the Lord to overflow "the cup which she hath filled". The angel says to "fill" it "double". Overflow it just like Babylon overflowed the earth with all the blood of the saints.
Then this angel, that has "great power" with the Lord, continues in the next verse to reveal more of the sins of Babylon ...
VERSE 7: (Chapter 18)
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MORE Of BABYLON'S SINS
"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."
The angel is still speaking "mightily with a strong voice" (v2). He is announcing that Babylon "hath glorified herself". This is called pride. Satan uses this on people all the time. Just look at tv commercials. Satan causes people to think they need to be in great physical shape, dress expensively, have their hair done stunningly, and drive a sporty car to be 'higher' in society. This is how Babylon will be. It will be all about "herself". Most people think about themselves first. They glorify themselves. Even today, we live in "it's all about me" society. People seem to care more about themselves, talk about themselves, and don't want to hear how the other person is doing. They have JOY totally backwards. It should be "Jesus, Others, You' but today most people put Y for themselves, Others, and Jesus last. Stop and listen to conversations around you. You will hear it.
This angel also announces that Babylon "lived deliciously". Babylon will be living off all her riches that she obtained through deceit from other nations. Anything she wanted, she took. Babylon will cause "torment and sorrow" to many families all over the world. This strong angel requests to give Babylon "torment and sorrow".
This is what Babylon says "in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow". She has it all. Her heart is lifted up in pride, Psalm 73 describes wickedness: "... I saw the prosperity of the wicked" (v.3). "...pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth" (v.6-9). "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches" (v.12).
Babylon will think she is untouchable. Babylon will believe that she is established forever as the richest country on the earth and will rule all. She says in her heart: I ... "sit a queen and am no widow". Babylon will believe that it will "see no sorrow". In other words, Babylon will think it is so strong that no one will dare to go up against it.
VERSE 8: (Chapter 18)
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BABYLON'S JUDGMENT
"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."
God starts this verse with the word "Therefore". Therefore means 'because of'. These judgments are going to happen to Babylon because of her sins. The Lord is making sure that we understand that He will be pouring these judgments upon Babylon because of her sin, not because He wants to.
Next, we see that God is going to allow "plagues" to "come in one day". A plague is "A contagious and very destructive disease, accompanied by loathsome eruptions" according to the definition of a plague in the 1954 version of 'The System Bible Study' book. These "plagues" will come upon everyone that is joined or associated with Babylon. We just studied in verse 4 of this chapter, that God tells His people to get away from Babylon. To take a stand and be separate. Again, it will be the people's choice. God does not 'force' people to follow Him.
Notice that God says "plagues". It is plural. More than one plague. God even reveals what these "plagues" will be. Right in this verse, God tells us that the "plagues" are "death, and mourning, and famine". The diseases of this plague will cause "death". It will cause "mourning", because of the pain and because of the loss of so many loved ones. Then the "famine" will hit. People will starve to death. Children will starve to death. Animals will starve to death. Starvation is a very slow process of death. You would think everyone would be praying to God by now. You would think that because of all these judgments that God Almighty has poured upon the earth already, the people would be running to Him. But no. Three times in the book of Hebrews, God tells people "harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 3:8; 3:15; and 4:7). But these people will "harden" their hearts.
People will harden their hearts more than ever during the Tribulation Period. Satan will have a very strong pull on people during this time. Jesus told us about the evilness in people's hearts when He was here on earth: "And this is the condemnation, that Light (Jesus) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19). The Lord continues to say in John 3:20: "For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved." God says in Zechariah 1:4b: ""Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD."
Because people will not repent and turn to the Lord. The Lord must bring judgment. The Lord reveals to us that Babylon will "be utterly burned with fire". Babylon will not just have a few areas burned, all of Babylon will be burned. God uses the word "utterly" to describe "burned". Babylon will be "utterly burned". In other words, there will be nothing left of Babylon. It will literally be burnt to the ground. And this will all happen "in one day".
The last part of this verse informs us that God is very strong. It says: "for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." Hebrews 12:29 says: "For our God is a consuming fire." And again, in Deuteronomy 4:24, the Bible says: "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." Romans 12:19b God says: "...Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:31).
VERSE 9: (Chapter 18)
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The KINGS BEWAIL
"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."
When God judges Babylon, "the kings of the earth" will see it. They may see it from a far distance, or they may see it on tv and on their phones. Either way, everyone "shall see the smoke of her burning". This will not be some little bonfire. The whole city will be up in flames.
Most of the world will be astonished when they see "the smoke of her burning", but the "kings of the earth", the world leaders, will really "bewail" and "lament for her". "Bewail" and "lament" means to be cry out with GREAT agony. The leaders will be devastated.
The leaders, "the kings of the earth", that will feel the most devastation will be the ones who "have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her". Babylon has forsaken God and set up idols. Babylon lures "the kings of the earth" into spiritual fornication by her wealth. Now everyone wants to get as far away from her as possible. The next verse tells us why ...
VERSE 10: (Chapter 18)
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FEAR In An HOUR
"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."
Verse 10 goes on talking about "the kings of the earth". They will stand "afar off" from Babylon. These leaders, "kings", will be "Standing afar off". In other words, they will get as far away from Babylon as they can. They will be afraid: "for the fear of her torment". These leaders will see great destruction come upon Babylon and they will be afraid.
These nations that will be in alliance with Babylon will be guilty, too. They all will refuse to serve God, and they will serve themselves instead. Jeremiah 25:14 says: "For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands." These great kings will realize that this could happen to them also.
These leaders will see God's judgment come upon Babylon in one quick hour. The whole world will be taken off guard. They will be utterly shocked. These "kings" will be saying over and over ...
"Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come."
VERSE 11: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANTS CRY
"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:"
Here we see "the merchants of the earth weep and mourn". Merchants are people who make and sell merchandise. They are owners of corporations. Whether they are large companies or small companies, they are all "merchants". They are business people. These business people, "merchants", are from all over "the earth". These merchants are from different nations. These "merchants" will include oil companies, lumber companies, banks, car manufacturers, and the list goes on.
We also see that these "merchants of the earth weep and mourn". They will be crying and mourning. They will feel very sad and very broken hearted. However, these leaders are not crying over the loss of life. They are not really crying because the city is destroyed. They are crying and mourning because their riches are gone. Their wealth, their profits, will all be destroyed. That is why they will "weep and mourn", "for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:"
VERSE 12: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANDISE
"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."
This verse is a list of some of the more expensive "merchandise" that will be destroyed with Babylon. This is what the "merchants of the earth weep and mourn over". People need to realize that this list, even though expensive and beautiful, cannot come with them when they die. These things are useless when they die. Things are given to us on this earth to use temporarily for the Lord. These "merchants" did not use their items for the Lord. They are self-indulged. The Bible tells us in Colossians 3:2: "Set your affection on things above, NOT on things of the earth". Jesus even said in Matthew 6:19: "Lay NOT up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
GOLD
SILVER
PRECIOUS STONES
These merchants' hearts will be attached to the list of items in this verse. These people will be covetous and rely upon their profits to sustain them. They will not trust in God. They will trust in their riches. Look what Psalm 52:1-7 says to these "merchants" and anyone else who thinks they are self-reliant ...
"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? ... Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Thou lovest all devouring words ... God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living ... Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness." (Psalm 52:1-7).
VERSE 13: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANDISE Continues With SOULS
"And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankinscense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."
This verse continues the list of the merchandise that the "kings of the earth" will lose. First, we see a list of items used for medical purposes: "cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankinscense, wine, and oil".
Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants and may help manage blood sugars, reduce inflammation and protect against heart disease.
Odours affect the central nervous system. It can induce relaxation and ease stress. Incense was burned in the Tabernacle. In Exodus 30:1, God told Moses "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon".
Ointments were originally very costly. Ointments are used for a variety of medicinal purposes.
Frankincense is a plant-based medication. It was used as a respiratory medication. The Lord had the Israelites mix frankincense with cinnamon and oil for a soothing aroma (Exodus 30:22-33; Leviticus 2:1-2).
Wine reduces the risks of cardiovascular disease, dilate arteries and increase blood flow.
Oils were also used for medicinal needs. In Luke 10, the Good Sarmatian found a man beaten and left for dead. Luke 10:34 says that this Good Sarmatian "went to him (the wounded man), and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
Next in our verse, we read: "fine flour and wheat". This is the food supply. This is the best quality of food ... "fine flour and wheat". Not only did Babylon have the best medical ability on the earth, they also controlled the very best of the food supply ... "fine" flour and wheat.
Then we encounter the "beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots". A moral attribute, that many people in Rome believed in, is that a nation can be judged by the way they treat their animals. Ancient Romans were very fascinated with wild animals. The Roman Colosseum use to house many wild animals. Many animals were kept for entertainment by the wealthier people.
Roman emperors use to host public entertainment which would include wild animal hunts. They would also have gladiator fights in the arena using "horses and chariots". The ancient Roman Colosseum was also used for public executions. Remember Daniel and the Lions Den? In Daniel 6:1-26 tells about how Daniel was publicly thrown into the den which housed the wild lions. The lions were hungry, but God delivered Daniel from the lions.
As for the "sheep" in this verse, they were a very important part of the possessions of ancient peoples. They were used in sacrificial offerings. Jesus is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Jesus was sacrificed on the Cross for our sin.
Then we see that there were "slaves" in Babylon. The Bible contains many references to slavery. It was an ancient common practice. However, the real sin laid in how the slaves were treated. God gave the Israelites the commandment concerning slaves in Exodus 21:2-11. The Lord even reminded the people in the New Testament about how they are to treat their servants: "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven" (Also see Ephesians 6:5-9).
The Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians for many years. The Egyptians were very mean to the Israelite slaves (see Exodus 5:7-19). People in the United States had slaves from around 1776 - 1865. Under the law, an enslaved person was treated as property that could be bought, sold, or given away. People were even allowed to rent a slave. Just like the Israelites were mistreated, so were the slaves in our country mistreated.
Finally, in this verse (still verse 13), there is the mention of "souls of men". This is human trafficking. Human trafficking takes away the "soul" of people. Victims are kidnapped. They are abused. Most victims are children and women. They are sold to wealthy people for a lot of money. Victims are usually never heard from again. The victims' families are critically devastated. Victims are ruined for life. All this is done for the evilness of money and sexual pleasures. The strong angel in Revelation 18:6 asks the Lord to "double" the judgments upon Babylon because of this sin and many others. And rightly so ...
According to ourrescue.org, there is child sex trafficking reported in all 50 U.S. states! 54% of victims are women and there are over 49.6 million victims worldwide. Human trafficking generates over $173 billion in illegal profits per year. It is the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States according to UNICEF in 2024. We need to fall on our knees and ask God to stop these tragedies!
VERSE 14: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANDISE Continues With DANTIES
"And the fruits that thy soul lusteth 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."
This Lord is continuing to tell the "kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her (Babylon), shall bewail" (v.8), that even the "fruits" which they "lusteth after" will be "departed from" them. These leaders are told that "all things which were dainty and goodly" will be "departed" from them. These leaders can search all over. They can try to grow and replant "fruits" and they "shalt find them no more at all". God's word says that these things shall be "no more at all". This will end their lucrative global trading in Babylon.
All this judgment will come from God Almighty because people 'cheat' on God. They worship idols, they are prideful; but most of all, they do not want to have anything to do with God.
Jesus said this in John 5:42, and He will say it to these merchants: "I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you." "And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life." (John 5:40).
VERSE 15: (Chapter 18)
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MERCHANTS Stand FAR AWAY
"The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,"
Notice that the Lord distinguishes between the merchants. He is not saying all merchants, He is talking to "The merchants of these things". And the Lord tells us what things when He tells us that they will be the merchants "which were made rich by her". The merchants, which will be raking high in the profits from Babylon, will be the ones that will be emotionally attached to Babylon. When Babylon is destroyed, it will demolish their wallets, their bank accounts, and their houses.
These merchants, business owners, are going to "stand afar off". In other words, they don't want to be associated with Babylon anymore. They all wanted to be part of Babylon while she was prospering, but as soon as she is in trouble, they will run. They run because they are also afraid of what she is going through ... "torment, weeping and wailing". They are afraid these things may also happen to them. These associates will not, and cannot, 'comfort' Babylon.
"Torment" would be like being in a cage or jail and having someone on the outside of the bars agitating you. There would be nothing you could do about it. "Weeping and wailing" are the most bitter tears anyone can ever cry. "Weeping and wailing" usually happens due to the loss of loved ones ... father, mother, child, family member, friend, or spouse. When someone loses a loved one, they usually hang their head down. They are sad and there isn't much that can lift them up. They are like weeping willow trees. It's branches just can't be forced to stay in an upward position.
VERSE 16: (Chapter 18)
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The REPEAT
"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!"
When God says something twice, we need to pay extra special attention. It is double serious. God had said these same words in Chapter 17, verse 4: "...Alas, alas, that great city Babylon". God also repeated the same words as in our verse: "purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup" (17:4). God is giving plenty of warning.
Another thing to consider about these verses is that Satan is the Antichrist. He tries to be a copycat of God. He wants to be God. All through Satan's history, he has tried to mimic the Lord in every way that he can. In Chapter 21 of Revelation, we will be studying about New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City, coming down out of Heaven from God. During the Great Tribulation Period, Satan tries to set up his city ... Babylon ... the same Babylon that we are studying about. Babylon is described in Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation as being the "great city" with purple, scarlet, precious stones, and pearls and decked with gold. When we study Chapter 21 of Revelation, you will read about the beauty of New Jerusalem. New Jerusalem will have gates of pearls, a foundation of precious stones, and the street will be of pure gold. Satan knows this. He's read it. He knows that God already described New Jerusalem in the Bible. So Satan will fashion Babylon to replicate God's Heavenly Jerusalem. Satan wants to fool people into worshipping him. It's easy to see this once you compare Babylon in chapters 17 and 18 to New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.
VERSE 17: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANT MARINES
"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."
This chapter tells us, for the second time, that Babylon is going to be totally destroyed in just one hour. We read in verse 10: "...for in one hour is thy judgment come". In this verse we read "For in one hour so great riches is come to nought". It will not take long for God Almighty to destroy Babylon ... just one hour. Maybe God is giving that one hour for people to get out of Babylon. God had told them in verse 4: "...Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues". God will be giving these people another choice. It is totally up to them, just like God gives you choices and it is totally up to you what you choose to do.
We also see in this verse that the "great riches come to nought". This will not be just a few billionaire's riches, this will be "great riches". Riches that the whole world will be dependent upon. God tells us in Proverbs 27:1: "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." We are not guaranteed to be alive tomorrow. James 4:14 says: "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Don't work your life away trying to make money. Live for the Lord each day. You are not guaranteed another breath tomorrow and you definitely cannot take anything material items with you.
We go on to read in our verse: "And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off". Another name for a shipmaster is the ship's captain. He holds the ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel. These are cargo ships. These ships are considerably large in size. They will carry anything from food, oil, livestock, and more. These ships will want to go into the harbor of Babylon, but they won't be able to. These large ships that will be wanting to load or unload their cargo, will stand "afar off". They won't be able to approach Babylon by any means.
VERSE 18: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANT MARINES
SEE THE SMOKE
"And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!"
According to Statista's website, there were over 18,000 General Cargo Ships in the world on the seas during 2023. That didn't include oil tankers, container ships, or other vessels. Many merchant ships will be sitting on the sea watching Babylon burn. "They saw the smoke of her (Babylon) burning".
A lot of ships will sit and watch Babylon burn. All the captains and sailors will cry out in utter amazement at the site of Babylon on fire. They will be anchored "afar off" as they witness Babylon, the greatest city on earth, be destroyed. The merchant marines will witness "this great city" burn down. It will be a fearful sight. And as they watch Babylon, and see "the smoke of her burning", they will cry out "What city is like unto this great city!"
VERSE 19: (Chapter 18)
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The MERCHANT MARINES
WEEP and WAIL
"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 their heads" was an ancient practice to show utter hopelessness and helplessness. These merchant marines will be very devastated. They will be "weeping and wailing". They will not be able to be comforted. They will be "wailing" ... crying bitterly out loud. They will be sobbing profusely and crying loudly "Alas, Alas that great city", Babylon.
These merchants will realize that "all that had ships" that "were made rich" by Babylon, had lost all their profits. They would now be financially broke. Their shipping businesses will now be ruined. The merchants will not be sorry for the loss of the lives of those in Babylon. The merchants will be crying for the loss of their money. They will not cry for the loss of human life. No. They will be "weeping and wailing" "by reason of her (Babylon) costliness (money)".​
1 Timothy 6:10 says: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows". Money is not the "evil", but "the love" of the money is. These merchants will love their money extremely and will be extremely devasted when all their money is destroyed.
The last part of our verse says: "for in one hour is she (Babylon) made desolate". This is the third time in Chapter 18 that God tells us that He will destroy Babylon "in one hour". God said this in verse 10, verse 17, and now in verse 19. How many times does God have to say something before mankind will pay attention to it? We need to take heed that this is going to happen. The Tribulation Period is very close. The Rapture is about to happen. People need to get saved. Everyone needs to see themself as a sinner and ask Christ to come into their hearts before it is too late.
Two times in the gospels, Matthew 24:44 and Luke 12:40, Jesus said: "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man (Jesus) cometh at an hour when ye think not." You need to be ready (saved) before you die. You cannot be saved after you die. You must "be ready".
VERSE 20: (Chapter 18)
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The ANGEL INSTRUCTS
HEAVEN To REJOICE
"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her."
In verse 1 of our chapter (18), we had studied about how the Lord's angel came "down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lighted with his glory". In verse 2, we were told that this angel has a "strong voice". It is this angel that is saying these words in our verse here (20). This wonderful angel is shouting with his "strong voice" to those who are in heaven. He specifically calls to the "holy apostles and prophets".
This special angel is not talking to those on the earth. He is speaking to those in heaven. The apostles and prophets are in heaven. We studied in chapter 1 of Revelation about the qualification of an apostle. This is in Acts 1:22: "Beginning from the baptism of John, unto the same day that He (Jesus) was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection." As stated in Chapter 1, there is definitely no one alive today who physically witnessed Jesus' resurrection nor His ascending into Heaven.
There are no prophets living today. A prophet was someone who revealed the unwritten Word of God. People did not have the complete Bible. They had some scrolls, but not all of them back then. Today, God has now given us His written Word, the Bible. It is complete.
We do not need anyone 'prophesying'. All God's prophesy ended with the Book of Revelation. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is Complete. It is finished. All the prophesy we need is contained in Revelation. This is why God put the following two verses in Revelation 22, to confirm and assure us that prophets ceased with the completion of His Holy complete Word:
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Revelation 22:18-19
Let's now see what this angel with his "strong voice" is saying to those in Heaven!
First, this angel tells the "holy apostles and prophets" to "rejoice". Rejoice means to show great joy and delight. This angel is encouraging those in Heaven to have a victory party.
This angel, that lights up the earth, informs why those in Heaven should rejoice. He says: "for God hath avenged you on her". Wow! Here is their Heavenly Father fighting for them! God does not say here that He "avenged" Babylon for Himself. God says He will do it for those "holy apostles and prophets". God stands up for His children. He will bring vengeance upon those who hurt His children. We are not to try to 'get even' with others who may harm us. Our Heavenly Father will do that. He tells us in Romans 12:19: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
VERSE 21: (Chapter 18)
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A STONE is THROWN
"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."
Now we see another angel, "a mighty angel". This angel "took up a stone like a great millstone". A millstone is used to grind grain. This angel, that God uses here, is a "mighty angel". The angel needs to be "mighty" because this will be a "great millstone". A normal sized millstone, which is large, can weigh up to 2,500 pounds. This angel is going to 'take up'' "a great millstone". It will weigh a lot more than 2,500 pounds!
This "mighty angel" is going to pick up this "great millstone" and "cast it into the sea". He is not just going to drop it or give it a toss. It will be like taking it over his head and slamming it down "into the sea". It will be thrown down with "violence". God is using this angel to give a demonstration of what He is going to do to Babylon.
The "mighty angel" announces loudly why he is casting down this "great millstone". He will say: "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all." This angel will be demonstrating that as a "great millstone" is "cast into the sea", so will Babylon be destroyed. Think about this. If you take a stone and cast it into a body of water, can you find it again? Can you swim there and search the very bottom of the sea for that precise stone you threw in? Not very likely. It will be 'gone forever'. It will never be yours again. This is the example that this "mighty angel" is teaching us. Babylon will be so utterly destroyed that no one will ever be able to find it. You would have a better chance of locating your stone at the bottom of a sea than for Babylon to ever be rebuilt or come into existence again. There will not even be any archeological remains left for anyone to discover ... ever ... "and shall be found no more at all".
VERSE 22: (Chapter 18)
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DESOLATION DESCRIBED
"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;"
Desolation is the state of complete emptiness and destruction. The Lord continues to stress the devastation that is going to happen to Babylon. God is saying that this is very serious. He is reminding Babylon of all the people, businesses, and factories that it is composed of. God reminds Babylon that they have "harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters". They had joyous times. However, their joy is not for the Lord. God commanded people in Psalm 98:4 to "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." But Babylon would not "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord". They made their music unto themselves. They sang about their lovers, their cars, their drug experiences, and their beer. They did not sing about God Almighty.
This verse goes on ... "and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee;" God tells Babylon that all their "craftsman" will be gone. They shall not be found anywhere. They will all become missing people. There will be manufacturers, steel workers, farmers, and so on. All these people will be physically gone. Their bodies will be incinerated in seconds. One minute people will be at work, and the next second they will be gone forever. No remains left.
God continues telling Babylon that "the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee". Remember, a millstone is used to grind grain. God is telling Babylon that no more food will ever be made again there. Babylon will be literally destroyed.
VERSE 23: (Chapter 18)
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SPIRITUAL DESOLATION
"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 they merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."
In John 1:9 that Jesus "lighteth every man that cometh into the world". Whenever a baby is conceived, God instills in the baby the desire to love God. "Every man", every person born is given this light. It is up to each individual to choose whether to keep their candle lit or to blow it out by continually rejecting God.
When we first started studying Revelation, we studied about the seven church ages. These seven church ages were God's little lights in the world. He called them "candlesticks" in Revelation 1:20. In Revelation 2:5, Jesus says: "Remember, therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." God gave Babylon plenty of warnings and plenty of time. Therefore, God is going to remove the "light" of any of His candles from Babylon. It will be total spiritual darkness. People of Babylon will not have to worry about anyone witnessing to them. True churches will be gone forever. It will be a terrible time of spiritual darkness and true hopelessness for Babylon. "And the light of the candle shall shine no more at all in thee".
And if this isn't bad enough, God says in this verse: "and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee". God foretold of this back around 607 B.C. in Jeremiah 16:9: "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride."
Jesus is the bridegroom. There are many verses indicating that Jesus is the bridegroom: (Matthew 9:15; 25:5; Mark 2:19; Luke 5:34; John 3:29; Jeremiah 33:11 and more). In Revelation 3:20 Jesus said: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any many hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Sadly, because Babylon has rejected the Lord, God will no longer stand at Babylon's door. God will stop 'knocking' and pleading with Babylon to repent. Jesus called unto Babylon when He said in Matthew 11:28: "Come unto Me". Babylon would not listen to God's voice. So, the Lord says to Babylon: "the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee". "The bride" is the Lord's saints. "The bride" will be the ones that will be witnessing for the Lord. "The bride" invites people to come to the bridegroom. "The bride" invites people to be saved. "The bride" tells people about the Lord. "The bride" prays for people. Not only will Jesus no longer call unto Babylon, but He will also no longer allow His saints to be a witness to Babylon either. The Bridegroom, the bride and the Spirit of God will totally forsake Babylon.
In the last half of this verse, the Lord even tells us why He will not let His Light shine towards Babylon. He tells us why He will not let Babylon hear the voice of His bride. And He tells Babylon why it will not hear His voice anymore. God tells us because: "thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived."
God tells us that Babylon's wealthy men ... "great men" ... felt that they didn't need God. They worshipped their finances. Money is these "great men's" god. And to add to even more evil, these "great men" practiced sorceries. Sorcery is using power to gain assistance. In other words, they lied and tricked people into working for them in order to get more wealth. They caused others to do evil deeds so "the great men" could get what they want. Babylon will be so 'good' at deceiving people, threatening people, and even making false promises in order to prosper Babylon. Babylon, or should we just say Satan's domain, will be so diabolical that it will deceive ALL nations ... "for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived". Just like Satan deceived both Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, so will Satan deceive all nations.
VERSE 24: (Chapter 18)
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GUILTY Of MURDER
"And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
This verse reveals the last devasting truth about Babylon for this chapter.. Babylon has the history of killing people, especially Christians. This is traced back to the very beginning of time and goes all the way through the Great Tribulation Period.
We were told in Chapter 17, verse 6, of Revelation that Babylon is guilty of the "blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus". We are told again here in Chapter 18 that "in her (Babylon) was found the blood of prophets, and of saints and of ALL that were slain upon the earth". Babylon will not just kill a few people but will kill millions of people.
The blood lineage of Babylon can go clear back to Genesis when Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4:8) around B.C. 4003 (time according to Old Scofield Bible). Let's look at some of the prophets and martyrs and how they were killed:
The prophet Isaiah: According to legends, Isaiah fled from King Manasseh into the wilderness. He was said to be captured, tied up and placed in a sack. The sack, with Isaiah in it, was said to be placed in a hollow tree trunk and then sawed in half (gotquestions.org).
The prophet Jeremiah: According to church traditions, Jeremiah is thought to have been stoned to death in Egypt. (gotquestions.org).
The prophet Ezekiel: Was slew by the chief Jews in the land of the Chaldeans because he rebuked them for worshipping idols (sacred-texts.com).
The prophet Joel: Was supposedly beat with a club. He was then taken back to his home village and died within two days. (sacred-texts.com).
The prophet Amos: Was tortured, then killed, by the priests of Bethel (sacred-texts.com).
The prophet Habakkuk: Was stoned to death in Jerusalem. (sacred-texts.com).
The disciple Stephen: Was stoned to death. ( A.D.33) (Acts 7:59).
The apostle Peter: Was crucified upside down around A.D. 65. (NeverThirsty.org).
The apostle Andrew: Was tied to a cross, which took several days for him to die (NeverThirsty.org).
The apostle James: Was beheaded by King Herod 1.(NeverThirsty.org).
"And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." (Hebrews 11:36-38).
There have been millions of people who have been killed for being a Christian. People have not only been martyred all through the Bible, but also throughout many countries today. There is a great magazine called the 'Voice of Martyrs' that shares real stories of today's persecutions. It gives accurate details of what Christians are going through TODAY all over the world. There are people being tortured, jailed, dismembered, and beheaded today! You can ask for free magazine at vom.org (Voice of Martyrs). This magazine has been publishing true accounts of today's martyrs since 1967. Please don't hesitate to request a copy. It will truly open your eyes to what is really going on in our world!
We may not see the killing of Christians openly right now here in America, but we will.
End of Chapter 18
​Continue to Chapter 19...
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