In Revelation 18 and 19:1-6 we see how different people react to the destruction of Babylon, which Pastor Brian believes to represent Jerusalem. The Earth (kings, merchants, and mariners) lament its doom because it will mean the end of their riches. However, Heaven rejoices, and the inhabitants of heaven worship God because His judgments are true and righteous.
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The Lament of Earth and the Joy of Heaven
Revelation 18:1 – 19:6
In today’s study today, we are going to see the doom and demise of Babylon, the Great Harlot.
Remember that Babylon is also called The Great Harlot. In our previous studies, we surveyed various theories as to what Babylon is or represents. Some believe she is the World Council of Churches, others the Roman Catholic Church, others the World, others Rome, and others Jerusalem. After surveying these interpretive options, I suggested that the one that seems to fit best is Jerusalem.
- Jerusalem stands for unfaithful Israel under the Old Covenant. She was like a great harlot, who had repeatedly and continuously gone after other gods and committed spiritual adultery against Jehovah.
- Babylon is called “the great city” in Revelation over and over. The first time “the great city” is found in Revelation is in 11:8, and there we are told it is where “our Lord was crucified” – Jerusalem.
- We are repeatedly told that Babylon would fall suddenly. That was true of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, the siege itself was 5 months, but the breaching of the walls marked an exact day in which Jerusalem was conquered and fell.
- Babylon is responsible for persecuting and killing God’s true people – 17:6; 18:24. That is exactly what Jesus accuses her of in many different ways – Mt. 23:29-39; 21:33-34. It is what we see in the Book of Acts (Stephen, James, Peter, Paul). It is what we read of in the epistles – 1 Thess. 2:14-16.
- It also fits the time indicators in the book of Revelation. We are told in the 1st and last chapters of this book that these things “must soon take place”; “the time is near”; “do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.”
So, I’m going to take the position that Babylon in the book of Revelation stands for Jerusalem, which represents unfaithful Israel under the Old Covenant. God brought the Old Covenant worship to a bitter end in 70 AD, when He ordained that the Roman armies would conquer and destroy Jerusalem. When that took place, the temple was destroyed – not one stone was left standing upon another. The priesthood was obliterated. The sacrificial system was shut down. All of the trappings of the Old Covenant were razed and removed. God had divorced his Old Covenant harlot, because she continually broke the covenant He had made with her.
Of course, chapter 18 is not the first time we read of her doom and destruction.
- The first time we read of Babylon is in 14:8, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
- Then in chapter 16, we read of 7 angels with 7 bowls of wrath, which I believe are describing Jerusalem’s destruction
- The 7th bowl of wrath is poured out in 16:17-21. In 16:19 we are told “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.”
- Then in chapter 17 she is described as a great harlot sitting on the beast (Rome). Eventually, Rome turns on the harlot, make her desolate and naked, burning her up with fire, describing what Rome did to Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
That brings us to chapter 18. We will move through this chapter fairly quickly, just making a few comments here and there.
Chapter 18 is a Chapter of Lament. We find three different kinds of people grieving over Babylon’s destruction: kings, merchants, and mariners. This chapter does not introduce much new material. Rather it repeats much of what we have already learned in previous chapters.
1. The Lament of Earth (18:1-19)
18:1-2. After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.” The fact that apostate Israel was heavily influenced by Satan and his demons has already been brought out in chapter 9 where the bottomless pit was opened and a vast number of locusts came forth to torment men. We learn from Josephus’ writings that the Jews in Jerusalem for the final few years seemed to be under Satanic control: the loss of all ability to reason, the frenzied mobs attacking one another, the deluded multitudes following the most transparently false prophets, the crazed and desperate chase after food, the mass murders, executions and suicides, the fathers slaughtering their own families and the mothers eating their own children. Satan and the host of hell simply swarmed through the land of Israel and consumed the apostates.
Jesus had even said that when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, he looks for another dwelling place. When he cannot find another place he decides to return to his house, finding it unoccupied, swept and put in order. Then it takes along seven other spirits more wicked than itself and go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.” (Mt.12:43-45). Demons are rarely mentioned in the Old Testament, but they seem to be everywhere in the ministry of Jesus. Perhaps they came out in full force, hoping to stop Jesus in His mission. But of course, Jesus triumphed over them. He cast them out of people again and again. That generation was like a man who was delivered from demons. But that generation did not believe on Jesus Christ. They did not invite Him in. So the demons came back in even greater power and force and completely controlled that Jewish generation.
18:3. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality. As you read the Old Testament, you will read how Israel, time after time, made alliances with the pagan nations in order to give her strength and security, rather than trust in Jehovah. When they made alliances with those nations, they would end up worshiping their gods: Baal, Molech, Ashtoreth, Asherah, Chemosh. “The kings of the earth committed acts of immorality with her.”
18:4-8. 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have [a]piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back even as she has paid, and [b]give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. 7 To the degree that she glorified herself and lived [c]sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ 8 For this reason in one day her plagues will come, [d]pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
God’s people are told to come out of Babylon, so that they do not receive of her plagues. There must be a separation between these believing Jews and the unbelieving Jews. They must come out of her. Jesus told His disciples the same thing. He said in Mt. 24:15-20 that when they saw the abomination of desolation (Jerusalem surrounded by armies) they must flee to the mountains. They must not take time to get things out of house, or turn back to get their cloak. It will be especially hard for pregnant women or those nursing babies, and they should pray that they would not have to flee in winter or on a Sabbath. That is exactly what happened. When the Christians in Jerusalem saw the Roman armies approaching Jerusalem, they heeded Jesus’ words and fled Jerusalem, and were not destroyed with the unbelieving Jews.
We are told that her sins had piled up as high as heaven. Jesus said in Mt. 23:32 “Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers.” He said in vs. 35 “so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth… Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” In 1 Thess. 2:16 we read that “they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.”
Jerusalem saw herself as a queen, and not a widow and will never see mourning. She was riding the Beast. She believed she was quite secure, had it made in the shade. She was in bed with Rome, and Rome would protect her. However, Rome turned on her and destroyed her.
18:9-10. 9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived [a]sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
In 18:9-19, there are three groups of people who lament and grieve over the destruction of Jerusalem: kings, merchants, and mariners. At the end of the description of each of these three groups there is the same refrain: “Woe, woe, the great city!” We find it in vs. 10, 16, and 19.
Here we read of the kings of the earth who committed acts of immorality with her. This is probably a reference to the pagan nations around Israel with whom she had engaged in trade, and had committed spiritual adultery through idolatry.
18:11-16. 11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes of gold and silver and precious [a]stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and [b]bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and [c]spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and [d]slaves and [e]human lives. 14 The fruit [f]you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and [g]adorned with gold and precious [h]stones and pearls;
Here we read of the merchants that lament over Jerusalem’s destruction. They grieve over Jerusalem’s destruction because they enriched themselves from trade with her. The temple was the engine of revenue that made some fabulously wealthy. The outer courts of the temple had more in common with a Carnival than a place of worship. There were all kinds of people (concessioners) hawking their wares. They sold animals for sacrifices and engaged in money-changing for a profit. This same kind of trade also existed along the streets of Jerusalem. You would have people all over the world streaming into Jerusalem for the great religious festivals. All them needed food, lodging, animals to sacrifice, Jewish money, etc. The merchants who made a great profit from their commerce now lament that it is gone up in smoke.
18:17-19. 17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every [a]passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, 18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her [b]wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’
Not only did kings and merchants lament Jerusalem’s destruction, but also those who made their living at sea. This would speak of foreign traders from all the nations of the world that did business with Jerusalem, and became very wealthy in the process.
2. The Joy of Heaven (18:20 – 19:6)
18:20-24. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you [a]saints and apostles and prophets, because God has [b]pronounced judgment for you against her.”
21 Then [c]a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. 22 And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of [d]saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Up until now we have had lamenting and grieving over Babylon’s destruction. But something different takes place here. We have rejoicing! From who? Heaven, saints, apostles, and prophets. Why? Because verse 24 says that in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth. Remember back in 6:9-11, we saw a vision of saints under the altar crying out “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will you refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” They were given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of martyrs were killed. Well, apparently the full number had now been killed, and God did judge and avenge His own martyrs by destroying their persecutors.
19:1-6. After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying,
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants [a]on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying,
“Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying,
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Here we see heaven’s response to God’s judgment of Jerusalem. It is worship! Interestingly, the NASB includes the word “hallelujah” only four times, and every one of them are found in this chapter (19:1,3,4,6). Why do they worship? Because God’s judgments are true and righteous. They praise and exalt God for His justice, glory, and power, as well as His salvation. This worship is deafening! All participate (all you His bondservants, the small and the great; a great multitude). It is like the sound of many waters and the sound of mighty peals of thunder. What is the theme of their praise? The judgments of God!
Conclusion
What would the Holy Spirit have us learn from chapter 18:1-19:6?
- God will judge every evil act. It may never happen in this life. Sometimes we might get the wrong impression of God. We might conclude that He is indifferent to evil and sin, because evil men seem to get away with their wickedness and there are no consequences. Israel committed spiritual adultery for centuries. Someone might conclude that God was indifferent to their sin. God is not indifferent; He is just extremely patient! He is long-suffering. But God will not delay wrath forever! Judgment Day is coming in which all sin and transgression will be punished.
- Do not be envious of wicked men. That is what we find in Psalm 73. The psalmist says in verse 2 that his feet came close to stumbling and his steps had almost slipped. Why? Because he was envious of the arrogant as he saw the prosperity of the wicked. In verses 4-14 he describes their wealth and lavish lifestyles. Then in verse 16 he says, “When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight until I came into the sanctuary of God.” What did the psalmist come to understand? Verse 18, “Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!”
Brothers and sisters, don’t be envious of wicked men! Don’t be envious of the super rich, those who indulge every fleshly desire. They may seem to have everything in this world, but they have nothing in the world to come. You are those who should be envied! Though you may have little in this world, you have infinite treasure in the world to come! You are those who will rule and reign with Christ! You are those who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of your Father. You are the sheep who will hear Christ say, “Come you who are blessed of My Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for You from the foundation of the world!”
- Learn to Worship God for All His Attributes. There are some attributes of God that we never praise Him for. When is the last time you praised God for His justice and wrath? And why don’t we? I think it is because we somehow think those attributes are less worthy and commendable than His grace and mercy and love. But is that true? No! All of God’s attributes are His perfections.
1 Pet. 2:9 says that we are to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Well, those excellencies are not just His love, mercy, grace, and faithfulness. God’s excellencies are all His attributes, and none are superior than others. That means that God’s wrath and justice in His judgments should be extolled and honored and praised just as much as His mercy and grace.
We should be able to say, “Lord, Your justice is right, and good. Your wrath is right and good. Your judgments are right and good.” That is what all of heaven declares! No one in heaven is embarrassed or shy about praising God for His judgments. In fact, when heaven praises God for His judgments, it is a deafening roar! If that is the case, then why should we hold back? Learn to see everything about God as worthy of worship, and give Him praise for the totality of His perfections!
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