REVELATION 18 BABYLON THE GREAT IS FALLEN2011 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Revelation 18 Babylon The Great Is Fallen

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2011.

As we look at chapter 18 of Revelation this morning, once again I think it's important to consider where we've been and understand the context of the book of Revelation and the things that we've been studying. We first of all go back to chapter 1 verse 19 where Jesus gives us the outline of the book of Revelation. He says,

He divides it into three parts by telling John to write down the things which he had already seen. Those are the past things. We find that recorded in chapter 1 where John writes down for us the vision of Jesus that he had on the island of Patmos.

Then Jesus tells John to write down the things which are, that is the things of the present. And the present includes today as we study these things and up until the rapture of the church. It's the things dealing with the church age and that's found in Revelation chapters 2 as well as 3.

And then we have the things which are yet future, where Jesus tells John to write down the things which will take place after these things. And these future events are what we've been studying for the past many weeks, beginning in chapter 4, and then we'll continue that until the end of the book. And so we're studying through future events, things that are yet to take place.

What are those future events that we're studying through? Well, it begins with, we've been looking at it for many weeks now, the rapture of the church. We talked about it back in Revelation chapter 4, the time where the church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air. We're taken out of this world and then Paul says we will forever be with the Lord from that time on.

Well, as the church is out of this world, the world now will go through seven years of tribulation. This tribulation period will take place on the earth and it will be very terrible. We've been studying it and that's what we've been working through since chapter six. All of the judgments, the destruction, the death, the mayhem, it's really hard for us to imagine that

these things that will be going on during the tribulation period. It will be the worst time the world has ever seen.

That seven-year period comes to an end with the return of Jesus Christ, which we'll get a glimpse of next week in chapter 19. Jesus returns, he puts an end to the battle of Armageddon, and he establishes his kingdom here on the earth. He rules and reigns on the earth for 1,000 years. It's called the Millennium or the Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus physically and literally rules and reigns on the earth for 1,000 years.

During that time there's peace,

There's righteousness, the earth is restored and renewed, and Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for the reign of Christ all the way until the very end. At the end, he's released for a short time, and Satan leads one final rebellion against God, which of course does not succeed. He fails once again to rebel and overthrow the plan of God, and it brings upon him and his demons the final judgment.

It's called the Great White Throne Judgment found in Revelation chapter 20. There Satan and his demons are cast into the lake of fire and it tells us in Revelation 20.15 that whoever is not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire at that time. It is the final judgment for those who have rejected God and his Savior Jesus Christ.

Well, the book of Revelation closes in chapter 21 and 22 with the look at the rest of eternity, the new heavens and the new earth that will be created, the new Jerusalem that descends out of heaven, and then the rest of eternity that God has in store for us.

And so these are the things which must shortly take place. They're going to happen. There's nothing that any person, any nation, any army, any kingdom can do to thwart these things. They're going to take place exactly the way that God has described.

Well, like I said, as we've been studying since chapter 6 of Revelation, we've been looking at the tribulation period. And this tribulation period began with the opening of a scroll that had seven seals. And as each seal was opened, there were judgments that were taking place upon the earth. And so Jesus opened the first seal and the Antichrist came forth conquering and to conquer. He rose to power on the earth.

And then he opened the second seal and there was war throughout the earth. The third seal was opened and there was worldwide famine. The fourth seal was opened and a fourth of the earth was killed because of all these things that were going on. The fifth seal was opened and John sees the martyrs in heaven being comforted by God.

The sixth seal is opened and there's catastrophic events going on. Great earthquake, stars falling from the sky and just great catastrophic events happening. The seventh seal is opened and there's silence in heaven for 30 minutes and in the midst of this silence...

seven angels come forth, each one of them having a trumpet. And as each one sounds their trumpet, there's judgments that are taking place on the earth. And so we went through and studied the seven trumpet judgments.

The first one sounded and a third of the trees were burned. The second one sounded and a third of the sea was turned to blood. The third trumpet sounded and a third of the fresh water was made bitter. The fourth trumpet sounded and a third of the stars were darkened. The fifth trumpet sounded and there was five months of demonic torment upon the earth. Then the sixth trumpet sounded and there was four angels who were released and they lead an army that kills one third of mankind. The

The seven trumpets sounded and the temple in heaven was opened. And as the temple in heaven is opened, seven more angels come forth, each one of them having a bowl full of the wrath of God. And as each one pours out their bowl upon the earth, there are judgments that are taking place upon the earth. And so we saw in chapter 16, these seven bowl judgments.

The first one was poured out and there was a foul and loathsome sore that came upon those who had the mark of the beast. Then the second bowl was poured out and the sea turned to blood. The third bowl was poured out and the fresh water then became blood. The fourth bowl was poured out and the sun was given power to scorch men on the earth with great heat. The fifth bowl was poured out and there was darkness on the whole kingdom of the Antichrist. The

The sixth bowl was poured out and the kings were gathered together to the place Armageddon for that final battle. And then the seventh bowl was poured out and there was great earthquake and hail. And finally, the way is prepared for the return of Jesus Christ, which we'll get into in chapter 19.

But before we get there, we're taking a look at a subject that is important, a subject that we discussed last week, but we continue this week. The subject is Babylon.

It's something that was mentioned in that seventh bowl as it's being poured out. In Revelation chapter 16 verse 19, it tells us during that judgment that great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And so there's a specific judgment in that seventh bowl that is aimed at or specific towards this cup.

Babylon, that is referred to here in chapter 16 verse 19, as well as chapter 17 and chapter 18. Now Babylon really has two different parts to it. The first part we studied last week in chapter 17, and that is the Babylonian religious system.

This is a system that has its roots way back to the time of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel. There's a practice, worship practices that were developed there that continue on to this very day and will be prominent there in the tribulation period. And this Babylonian religious system, which is leading people into a false religion, is

will be destroyed and receive the judgment of God right around the middle of the tribulation period.

Here in chapter 18, we're looking at the second part of the subject of Babylon, and that is the Babylonian commercial system. That is their merchandising, their economy, and that type of thing. And really what we're talking about here in chapter 18 is idolatry. Idolatry in worshiping the gods of covetousness and greed, and we'll see that all throughout the chapter. Now,

Now, this aspect of Babylon will be destroyed at the end of the tribulation period. Some have described the Bible as being a tale of two cities. The first city, of course, would be Jerusalem. It is the most mentioned city in the Bible, and much of the plan of God centers around the city of Jerusalem, both in the past as well as the future. It's mentioned over 800 times in the scriptures.

The second most city that's mentioned is the city of Babylon. Mentioned almost 300 times throughout the scriptures. Babylon has long been...

towards God and against the things of God. False religion began in Babylon. We discussed that last week in chapter 17 with Semiramis and Tammuz and the worship of these two people. The Tower of Babel also is there. That's where Babylon was built. It was there in the area of Babel. And so the false religious system originated there and it's been against God in that way. But also commercialism began in Babylon. And so

The first banks were developed and found in Babylon as well as many of the business practices that are still going on today were developed and practiced first in Babylon. And it's a way of attacking God and going against the plan of God as we'll see throughout the passage this morning.

And so the subject of Babylon is an important one. It's a long-standing one. It's a long history of rebellion against God. And specifically, we're looking at the commercial aspects of this Babylonian system.

Now when it talks about Babylon in Revelation chapter 18, we need to kind of get a good idea of where this is and what he's talking about because he's referring to a city and he's referring to it by the name of Babylon. Now there's basically two schools of thought on what this means or what Babylon is or where Babylon is that is discussed among scholars. And so the two schools of thought, the first one is that Babylon

In referring to Babylon, it means a literal Babylon. That is, the city of Babylon that once existed will be rebuilt there in Iraq on the Euphrates River where it once was. It will be rebuilt and it will become the commercial center of the world during the time of the tribulation period.

Now the reason for understanding it this way is because there's promises of judgment that were given through the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. And the promises of judgment do not seem that they were fulfilled exactly the way

that they were described. And so it seems like there's still a judgment that needs to be brought upon a literal city of Babylon, according to the prophecies in Jeremiah and Isaiah and elsewhere. And so there's a good amount of scholars and commentators who believe that it's a literal Babylon that will be rebuilt. The second school of thought is that the place Babylon is

more speaking of a central commercial city, a major commercial city that will exist during the tribulation period.

Now it's possible, we talked about the possibility of the European Union being the reunited or revived Roman Empire, which the Antichrist will lead. And so it's possible that within the European Union, there will be a place that is the central place of commerce, the central place of the economy and those types of things. And that would be the subject then of this judgment. Many have looked at this chapter and

suggested that the United States is this Babylon that is referred to because of the place that we have in the world's economy and the luxuries that are here. And that's interesting and that's something you can consider. But also keep in mind, we don't know how it's going to be after the rapture.

And so the prominence that we once had, for sure we already don't have, and things are changing quickly. And then after the rapture of the church, the commercial centers of the world, I'm sure, will be changed, and the economies of the world are going to be shifted as well. And so some believe that it's a literal Babylon that will be rebuilt. Others believe that it's a major commercial city, the major commercial city of the tribulation period that is being referred to here.

Good people on both sides, and you can wrestle with that in your own mind. But as we discussed this idea of Babylon and the commercial system that was in place, you might be asking, you know, what is so bad about this commercial system or commercialism?

Well, I want to give you a quick preview of some of the things that the Lord is dealing with in Babylon here in chapter 18 and why it is so bad. In verses 1 through 3, he talks about Babylon being involved in spiritual fornication, that is, idolatry and the worship of false gods. So the reason for this judgment is this idolatry that is central to and core, a core part of this Babylonian commercial system.

In verses 4 and 5, he talks about the great sins that are there in Babylon. And so this is not a commercial system that is established on righteousness or good principles, but there's great sin that is involved and intertwined in this system.

In verses 7 and 8, we see that Babylon glorifies herself, that there's great pride and arrogance, self-sufficiency and self-indulgence in this Babylonian commercial system. In verse 13, we see that it enslaves people.

In verse 23, we see that this Babylonian system deceives the nations. And then verse 24, we'll see that this Babylonian system kills Christians as well as others. And so there's a lot wrong with this system. And as we consider these things, I really want to challenge you

This is a system that will exist during the tribulation period and God is going to bring judgment upon it. And as we consider how God feels, what God thinks, what God says about this future system,

It's very important for you and I to consider the times that we're living in, the economic system that we're a part of, the commercial system that we're living in. As we understand how God feels about these things that are going to exist in the future, we can see many of them in place and active right now. And there really is a challenge for you and I to come apart from

to come out from amongst this commercial system that even exists today, to be separate and be devoted to the Lord. And so we'll be looking at that and I'll be encouraging you in that throughout our study this morning.

There's five things I want to point out to you in regards to Babylon's fall here in chapter 18. The first one is found in verses 1 through 3. And that is that Babylon's fall is first of all announced. Verse 1 says, "...after these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory."

And he cried mightily with a loud voice saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.

Here what we see in verses 1 and 2 is an announcement is being made. It's made by this angel. It says another angel comes. Now we've seen this over and over again throughout the book of Revelation. It seems that God has angelic beings that are devoted to and reserved to these specific times and functions throughout the tribulation period. And so this angel has the responsibility to announce the fall of Babylon.

And so he comes and it says that the earth is illuminated with his glory. And so apparently this angel is brilliant. There's light that emanates from him. And as he comes on the scene, the earth is illuminated. As he sheds the light of God on the world and on this system, the sins are apparent as we'll see in this chapter. And so God's judgment will come upon the sins that are going on in this commercial system.

And this angel declares, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. The city, the system will be completely destroyed. So much so that it will become uninhabited. He goes on to say that Babylon has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.

And so this place will be uninhabited as a result of the judgment of God. It will just be demons and hated birds, perhaps like vultures that are found there in Babylon. But there won't be inhabitants, there won't be the things that once existed when the judgment of God comes out upon Babylon. Now why this great and severe judgment against Babylon? Well, he tells us in verse 3, he says, For, here's the reason,

For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. Here's the reason for the destruction and judgment of Babylon. Because they have led the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Now when he's talking about fornication here, he's not talking about literal fornication or sex outside of marriage, although immorality will definitely be a big part of that Babylonian commercial system. He's primarily referring to spiritual fornication.

Because God is God, and He is the only true and living God, and we are created in His image to worship Him and glorify Him. For us to worship any other God or anything else, any false gods, that is fornication. It is spiritual adultery.

And so the idea here is that this system, this Babylonian system, has caused the nations to involve themselves in idolatry, in materialism, in covetousness, in greed, and many other things. Now we saw back in chapter 17 religious Babylon. And religious Babylon turned people away from God to practice false religion, to worship false gods.

commercial Babylon also turns people away from God, but not to a false religious system, but basically to anything else, to any other kind of pursuit, any other type of passion or devotion.

to greed, to covetousness, to idolatry, to entertainment, and so on and so forth. And this fornication, the influence that this Babylonian commercial system has, it extends to nations, to kings, as well as to merchants.

And so it's widespread, it's worldwide. Babylon's influence is global from the rich to the poor. Everyone is caught up in this commercial system that will exist in that day. It tells us there at the end of verse 3 that the merchants become rich through the abundance of her luxury.

And so this judgment is coming because of these great luxuries, this great abundance by which Babylon is seducing the world to follow false gods and to pursue things that are not of God. Now I want to make clear as we talk about these things this morning that it is not wrong or sinful to have money or wealth or nice things and so on and so forth. It is wrong for those things to be your God though.

It's not wrong to have those things, but for those things to be your God, that is completely wrong. If you remember, Abraham was blessed by the Lord, right? So much so he had flocks and herds and servants, and he was blessed so much that him and Lot had to part company because there was too much fighting going on between their servants.

Now, wouldn't that be a nice problem to have? You know, you had so many servants that your neighbors, you know, your neighbor's servants and your servants, they couldn't get along, so you had to move away because, you know, they just had too many servants and too many problems as a result. That'd be, I think I'd like to have that problem. Uh,

But the point is that God blessed Abraham, right? And so to have stuff, to have wealth, to have things isn't in and of itself wrong. But for those things to be your God, for that to be your life pursuit, for that to be your passion and devotion, for that to be your priority, that is wrong and sinful. Because you are pursuing things that are not of God.

Abraham was pursuing God and he was walking with God in relationship with Him and God blessed him and there's nothing wrong with that. But for us to seek after those things instead of God and not putting God first is idolatry. And so Babylon, this commercial system, seduces the world to pursue the things of the world and to seek after the riches and the things of this life.

Now again, as we study these future judgments of this commercial system that will exist in the tribulation period, we need to check our own hearts and our relationship with today's commercial system, which has similar and many similarities or similar traits to the system that will exist during the tribulation period. This morning I want to ask you, is your passion, is your devotion,

Is your priority on the things of God? Is that your focus? Is that what your life is about? Or have you been caught up in today's commercial system, which has got you focused on the things of this world, the things of life right now? Because if those things are your focus and your passion and your devotion, then you are practicing idolatry, much like the nations of the tribulation period will.

pursuing after the things of this life instead of God is idolatry. And it's where our focus should not be. And so this judgment is announced here in verses 1 through 3 on this system that is leading the world away from God, pursuing the things of this life and this world. Well, as we go on in verses 4 through 8, we see that Babylon's fall is in one day. It's going to be a quick judgment that takes place.

We start out looking at verse 4 and 5. It says, And so as we go on now, this announcement has been made and now God speaks out. And He says,

Come out of her, my people. He's calling out to his followers right before he brings this judgment. The judgment is announced, but before he actually brings it, he calls to those who are faithful to him and he says, come out from her. Leave that Babylonian commercial system. Lest, number one, you share in her sins and lest, number two, you receive of her plagues.

And so he calls his people to separate themselves from the system, from the sins that are involved in that Babylonian commercial system. But then he also calls them to separate themselves physically from the location of the system because of the plagues and the judgments that God is going to be pouring out upon Babylon. Maybe it reminds you of Lot in the Old Testament there in Genesis chapter 19.

Remember, he's living there in Sodom and God has announced that he's going to bring judgment upon Sodom. But before he actually brings judgment, he goes and he gets Lot and he leads him out of the city and whoever of his family would come with him. He takes them out of the city and then the judgment is poured out upon Sodom and Gomorrah. In a similar fashion, he's calling the people that are his, that belong to him during the tribulation period, Sodom.

To separate themselves from the sins of Babylon. That is that there are those who follow the Lord but they've been caught up in this commercial system. And he says, hey, now's the time to get out. Move away from there. Break away from those sins. Break away from the idolatry. Because the judgment of Babylon is about to come. So come out from them so that you do not partake of their judgment.

And I think that's a theme that God wants us to consider today. That's a theme that God needs to remind us of throughout this week. This idea of coming out from among them and being separate.

You and I, as we look forward to this future judgment, this future system, we can see great similarities in the system that we live in today. The economic system, the commercial system, and the society that we live, especially here in the United States, has great similarities to this Babylonian system. And that's why it's led many people to suggest that this is, you know, in reference to the United States.

But whether or not that's the case in the end, for right now, we need to figure out, we need to let God speak to us whether or not we're in right standing with Him in regards to this commercial system that exists today. Have you set your focus on the things of God? I want to encourage you and challenge you this morning to set your focus on God and come out from her and be separate. Separate yourself from this commercial system. And that means...

Stop living beyond what you can afford. See, the commercial system has tricked people, has seduced people, has blinded people so that they're coveting and craving. We'll see it later on in chapter 18. Things that they can't afford. And so it enslaves people, bringing people into bondage so that they can obtain those things which they cannot afford. And that, unfortunately, is commonplace today. We, in the economy that we live in today, are reaping the results of

of this mindset, this philosophy of enslaving ourselves to get the things that we cannot afford, living beyond our means, living beyond what God has apportioned for us. Come out from her and be separate. Stop spending more than you make. Stop living beyond what you can afford. Separate yourself from today's commercial system, which involves covetousness, idolatry, greed,

All of these things that Babylon is going to be judged for. I want to encourage you today. Come out from her. Be separate. Separate yourself. That means also free yourself from the bondage that you've created by living beyond what you're able to afford. Get out of debt. Now, I know that is a long journey. Trust me. I know that it's a long journey. It's a hard journey. It's a painful journey.

to get out of debt. But listen, you can do it. And you need to do it. Come out from her and be separate. Separate yourself from this system which causes us to be focused on the things of this life and the things of the world instead of the things of God. We need to free ourselves. Well, really, we need God to free us from the seductions, from the covetousness, from the things that are in this system that cause us

to focus on this life instead of God. And so he calls his people to come out from the midst of Babylon. And I think that God is speaking to all of us today to come out from today's system, to be separate, and to make sure that our priorities are right, that our actions are biblical, that we're living according to what God has called us to live.

Not the status quo, not keeping up or just kind of, you know, in the same way that everybody else is living. No, we're to come out from them and be separate, to be obedient to God, even if it costs us dearly. You know, there's some, perhaps today, God would have you come out and be separate and that means that you need to change careers. That you need to stop pursuing that thing that it's idolatry.

There's some that God would say to you, hey, you need to lay those things aside, live simply so that you can be focused on the things that I have for you. For some it means, hey, you need to stop pursuing that education. For some it means you need to start pursuing an education. Whatever God's speaking, it's individual, but we need to be obedient to God above and beyond the desires and the cravings of our hearts and our flesh.

We need to come out from this system to be separate. Going on in verse 6, it says, Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. And so God is preparing now for judgment upon Babylon. And he says that the judgment is going to be brought upon her doubly.

He says, repay her double. It's double for her of this judgment that will be brought. Babylon's judgment is going to be terrible. Now, why double? Why so much judgment upon Babylon? Well, I would suggest to you in Luke chapter 12, Jesus talks about the servant that knew his master's will but did not do it. That servant will be beaten with many stripes.

But in contrast, the servant who did not know his master's will and did not do it, he'll be beaten with few stripes. Now there's still consequences for disobeying God, but those who know the will of God and then disobey it, there's a greater judgment, a greater punishment for them. And we've seen throughout the book of Revelation that

The tribulation period that people will know that it's God who's bringing these judgments, but they will refuse to repent. And so when you get here to the end of the tribulation period, this commercial system, this Babylon will have known the master's will, but refused to do it.

And so the judgment that will be brought upon them will be terrible. Verse 7, In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow. For she says in her heart, I sit as queen and am no widow and will not see sorrow. Here we get to see some of the problems of the Babylonian system. There's pride, there's arrogance, and there's self-indulgence.

It says here, she glorified herself and lived luxuriously. This Babylonian system is consumed with itself and causing people to be consumed with themselves. And they're satisfying themselves well beyond the actual needs. And so this goes well beyond, you know, the necessities of life and food and clothing and those types of things. Now, again, let me remind you, it's not wrong or sinful to have money or things, but

But it is wrong to use them in a way that does not glorify God. And here this Babylonian system, what do they do? They glorify themselves. This is about glorifying self, living luxuriously. It's about self-indulgence, selfishness. Also, we see this arrogance, this self-confidence, as this system says, I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and I will not see sorrow.

this Babylonian commercial system will be a marvel to mankind. It will be amazing. It will be, wow, this is what we've always dreamed of. It would never be imaginable that this system could be destroyed. Arrogance, self-sufficiency. I will not see sorrow. I'm not going to see problems. I'm not going to see troubles. Now again, these are things that we see in our current times. In fact, I would suggest to you this is the reason for

The economy that we're facing today. Because a couple of years ago, everybody was saying, I sit as a queen, I'm no widow, I'm not going to see sorrow. Things are going to continue. And they went forward into self-indulgence, glorifying self, living luxuriously, not thinking that they would ever see sorrow or no problems would come because the system is so great.

Living beyond what God has called them to live. And then the result is the devastation when everything falls apart. In the same way, these will be arrogant. Thinking that they're beyond the judgment of God. Refusing to believe God. So verse 8, Therefore, her plagues will come in one day. Death and mourning and famine, she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord who judges her. So God says, Therefore, her plagues, the judgment will come in one day. It's going to be quick.

Much like Sodom and Gomorrah. It's just going to happen. And one day, bam! The system that everybody knew, everybody loved, everybody thought would be strong and would never fail, it's going to be destroyed. Why? Because strong is the Lord God who judges her. You think the system is strong? They certainly will. But God is stronger. And no matter how strong your economy is, it cannot defeat the plans and purposes of God.

And so the judgment will be in one day as God will show his glory and show his strength as Babylon is thrown down. Well, the third thing we see in verses 9 through 14 is that Babylon's fall causes mourning. There's great sorrow and agony as Babylon falls. Verse 9 says, "...the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her when they see the smoke of her burning."

standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city, for in one hour your judgment has come. And so here we see that the kings of the earth are going to mourn. They're going to weep. They're going to be in agony because of this destruction that comes upon Babylon, that mighty city. Again, they're thinking, it's impossible for this city to fall. But here it is. The judgment of the Lord has come.

And so they mourn. Now, why do they weep and mourn? Are they weeping and mourning because of the lives that are lost? Are they weeping and mourning because of, you know, the people who were impacted by this judgment? No. They're weeping and mourning because they lived luxuriously with her. They're weeping and mourning. They're wailing because now they're

Their covetousness, their cravings, their longings will not be fulfilled. They're weeping for themselves because they won't get what they want. They won't be able to have those things that they desire. We see that as well in verse 11. It says, "...and the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore." So in that day, as Babylon is destroyed, the merchants also will weep and mourn and wail.

Again, not because of the people who were impacted, but because no one buys their merchandise. It's a selfish mourning. They're weeping and they're mourning, not a godly sorrow that brings repentance, but a sorrow because all the things that they've desired and craved, now they will not be able to have. What is it that they were selling? Verse 12 and 13 goes on to tell us,

What kind of things are they selling? Basically, everything.

clothing, jewelry, gold, silver, cars, you see there the horses and chariots, you know, transportation, anything that you can imagine, this is what they're selling and they're weeping and mourning because nobody's going to be buying these things anymore. But notice at the end of verse 13 something very important. All of these things that they're selling and at the very end it says, and bodies and souls of men. And so this commercial system will involve horses,

Human trafficking. The bodies of men will be sold, will be purchased. But not only the bodies, as terrible as that is, the souls of men will be enslaved as well. The souls of men will be enslaved by this system. You remember Proverbs chapter 22 verse 7? It tells us there that the rich rules over the poor and the borrower is servant to the lender.

This commercial system of that day and even today enslaves the souls of men by seducing them, by causing them to chase after those things that they can't afford, that they don't need, that God hasn't given to them. But enslaving them by giving them interest to purchase those things or charging them interest to purchase those things. Enslaving them with debt.

The Babylonian commercial system will enslave people physically, emotionally, financially. And again, the call to God's people is come out from among them and be separate. And there's many who are slaves to the lender today. We've been enslaved by pursuing the things that God hasn't given to us, by not being focused on the things of God. Verse 14 says,

The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you. And all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you. And you shall not find them no more at all. This is why they weep and mourn. Because the things that they longed for, that their souls craved, have gone from them. All the luxuries that they desired, that they were pursuing, their gods, are now gone. That's why they weep and mourn.

Because they will not be able to have the things that they crave, the things that they covet, the things their soul longs for. Now they can't have it. Again, come out from among them and be separate. We are not to have this same system or be in the same system. Remember what Jesus said? Your life does not consist in the abundance of the things that you possess.

It's not about the things that our soul longs for. It's about what has God given to us? What has God called us to do? We need to be focused on Him. We need to come out from among them and be separate, be different, not be caught up in this world system that exists today and that will exist in that tribulation period. So there's great mourning here because their lusts, their cravings will not be satisfied.

Point number four, as we go on, verses 15 through 19, is that Babylon's fall causes weeping. It's really a continuation of the same thought here. In verse 15 it says, "...the merchants of these things who become rich by her will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing and saying, Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls."

Here again the merchants are weeping and wailing. Why? Because of all the stuff that they lost. That great city and all the awesome clothing and the precious stones, the wonderful things that were there. Oh, what a great tragedy to lose those things. And so they're weeping and mourning.

Over this verse 17 for in one hour such great riches came to nothing. Keep that in mind. Every ship master all who travel by ship sailors and as many as trade on the sea stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning saying what is like this great city. So the merchants are crying out there. They're weeping because well their riches came to nothing.

And that is the reality about this world's riches. It comes to nothing. They come to nothing. They're worth nothing. Although it seems like there's a great delusion that the riches of this world have great value, the reality is they're worth nothing. Remember Jesus taught us. He said, don't lay up for yourselves treasures here on earth.

Why? Well, because moth and rust destroy. It comes to nothing. He says, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth. Riches come to nothing. He says, the shipmaster and all who travel by ship, we're talking about the supply system now, the transportation. Now they join the weeping. And again, notice they're not crying out and saying, oh, Lord, forgive us. They're saying, oh, man,

What happened to our great city? Verse 19, They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing and saying, Alas, alas, that great city in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth. For in one hour she is made desolate. Oh man, we had great plans and we became rich. Oh man, this great city, now it's gone. It's not cries of repentance. They are weeping and wailing greatly because their God is dead.

Their God is this system. That's what they pursued. That was their priority. That was their devotion. That was their passion. And now their God is dead. Now their God was always dead, but now they found out, they've discovered, they've learned that their God is dead. Listen, there is one true and living God. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He's the creator of the heavens and the earth. He's the one who loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son.

To die upon the cross, to pay the penalty for my sin and your sin that we, by believing in Jesus, might have everlasting life. That's the God that we're to be focused on and devoted to and passionate about and are to be consumed with. But too many today are consumed with a false God. A God that they don't know yet is dead, but there will come a day when they discover their God is dead and it will cause them to weep and to wail greatly.

Because those things have no life and cannot satisfy. They cannot satisfy. They're longing for, they're craving after, they're lusting after, and they cannot satisfy. You remember what Jesus said? He said, look, if you're thirsty, come to me and drink. I can satisfy you. He's the only one. He told the woman at the well in John chapter 4, he says, look, if you drink from this water, you're going to thirst again. But if you drink of the water that I give you, you will never thirst again.

Jesus can satisfy us in a way that nothing else can. But in those days, in that tribulation period, they will be pursuing and seeking after the things of this life and this world. It will come to nothing. And they will weep. They will mourn greatly because they will discover that their God is dead. And as you and I consider these things that are yet to happen, we need to consider our own hearts and lives today. Who are we worshiping?

What is our life's passion and pursuit? Is it really the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Are we pursuing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ above everything else? Or will we discover one day that our God is dead because we've been worshiping something else? Well, the fifth point, verses 20 through 24, we see that Babylon's fall is permanent. Verse 20 says, "...rejoice over her, O heaven."

Interesting contrast here. He calls all the prophets, the apostles, to rejoice because God has brought vengeance upon this system.

Not only has this commercial system led people away from God, but it's persecuted and killed the followers of God. And so as you consider this idea and seek to come out from among them and be separate today, understand that it probably will result in persecution. This world system that we live in today, much like the one that will exist in the future, hates the followers of God and oppresses and persecutes the followers of God.

But again, I challenge you to consider the words of Jesus who said, hey, what profit is it for you to gain the whole world but forfeit your soul? Sure, you can chase after all these things and be part of this world system. But what profit is it to you if you get everything and then you spend eternity in hell? There's no real profit there. Those things come to nothing.

And so it's worth it to receive trouble and affliction and persecution from this world system, to come out and to be separate now to experience the treasures in heaven that are laid up for you. So Babylon here is destroyed. He says, God has avenged you on her because they've persecuted the followers of God. And here the angel goes on to declare the finality of this judgment. Pay attention to the word anymore throughout verses 21 through 23.

It says,

And the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 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. This judgment will be final. After this, as God sets up His millennial reign, the thousand-year reign of Christ, the system that will be established in those days will not be the Babylonian system. It will be a system that is based upon righteousness.

This system will never live again. It will be permanently, completely destroyed. Never rebuilt. Music will never be again part of this system. Craftsmen will never again be part of this system. Marriages will never again be based upon or part of this system. Why? He says, Notice that.

He says, your merchants were the great men of the earth. Now, the great men of the earth, as we look around today, are the merchants. It's all about the money these days. You know, the political things are no longer really about the issues. It's about the money. The wars that are fought, it's about the money. It's about the covetousness. It's about this system. And he says, by your sorcery, all nations were deceived. Look at God's perspective today.

on this commercial system. It's sorcery. It's deception. It's seducing people and bringing them into bondage into these things that are not part of God. There's a great danger here. There's a great sorcery, a great deception that is going on right now and especially in that tribulation period in this Babylonian system.

And again, that's why we need to come out from among them and be separate. Listen, you don't want any part of this system. This is what God says. This is what God thinks about this system. We need to be separate to cut ourselves off from the seductions of this world, from the sorceries of this world, from the deception that is going on in our society. Something that exists very, very clearly here is

in the United States. Other parts of the world, I'm sure, as well. But for us, man, it's so clear. There's so many similarities. We need to watch out. We need to come apart and be separate. Finishing it off in verse 24, it says, And in her was found the blood of the prophets and saints and of all who were slain on the earth. And so in this system, it wasn't just about the buying and selling and bringing people to pursue their covetous and lustful desires. But there was the persecution. There was the killing.

of the followers of God and all who are slain on the earth. There's crime as a result, there's murder, there's war as a result of this system, of this covetousness, which has its roots way back into the early days of Babylon. It reminded me of what Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 6.

Remember in verse 10, he says, for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Oh man, we can see that verse lived out visibly before us today. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. People have pursued covetousness and idolatry and it's brought upon them

Our society, all kinds of evil. And even some have strayed from the faith, consumed with and caught up in the things of this world. And they've pierced themselves through with many sorrows. They've brought affliction and hurt to themselves because of this love of money. And so the judgment of this system is just. The judgment is severe. It's righteous. And it's something we need to consider today.

And in considering that, would you turn with me please to Revelation chapter 3. Just look at this quickly as we close. In Revelation chapter 3 we have in verses 14 through 22, Jesus' letter to the church of Laodicea. We call it the lukewarm church. And as Jesus is writing to this church, there's some interesting parallels that we need to consider to this Babylonian system.

In Revelation chapter 3, we'll pick it up in verse 14, it says,

Because you say, notice this, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eye salve that you may see."

Verse 2.

Lord, give us an ear to hear because this church here, Laodicea, is a church, as you look at these things, these characteristics of this church, you find this is a church that's caught up in this Babylonian commercial system. Because what they say of themselves is, I'm rich, I've become wealthy, and I have need of nothing. They've been caught up in the things of this world. They've lived in luxury. I have need of nothing. I have...

provided for myself. Look at this wonderful system. Look at this wonderful things. But their assessment of themselves was not God's assessment of them. He says, you don't know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. He says, what you need, you need to get from me, not from this world or not from what you can supply.

This church was caught up in the world system and focused on the things of the world and as a result was lukewarm, not cold and not hot. God was not their God. But the things of this life was their God. But notice what he says.

For those who are in that system, for those today, perhaps you today are in that same way. You're not cold, you're not hot because you're partly in the Lord. You know the Lord, but you're caught up. You're pursuing the things of this life. He says in verse 19, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore, be zealous and repent. And that's what I want to encourage us with today. Be zealous and repent. Come out from among them and be separate.

We need to break off our ties to this commercial system that is full of idolatry and covetousness and greed and lust. We need to break ourselves off of these things. Jesus says, I'm here at the door. I'm knocking. And if anyone answers, I will come in and I'll dine with you and you'll dine with me. Jesus says, look, I have what you need. I'm knocking. I'm here. I want to help. I can help set you free. And he who the Son sets free is free indeed.

There's many today who need to be set free, who need to break away, who need to come out and be separate, be zealous and repent. Let's pray. God, I pray for those that you're speaking to right now. Lord, that they would be zealous and repent, Lord. Lord, it might come at great cost. It might mean changing careers, changing location. It might mean radically altering their life. But Lord, it's worth it in the pursuit of you.

Lord, it's worth it to receive the everlasting life that You offer. Lord, it's worth it to receive all that You have in store for us. God, help us not to gain this world but forfeit our souls. Help us, God, to see past the illusions and the deceptions of this world, to see the reality. Lord, we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. We need You. And so, God, help us to pursue You first and foremost.

Lord, help us to make you our chief passion and desire. Lord, that we would love you with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength and nothing would be in competition for the devotion to you or our passion for you. Lord, we'd keep you first in our lives. Help us, Lord, to be zealous, eager, willing, and to change, repent, and stop living the way that we are and start living the way that you want us to.

Lord, I thank you that you're willing, that you're ready to come in to help us, to dine with us, to meet our needs, to satisfy us. Oh, Lord, you're so good. So, Lord, help us to turn to you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. This morning, there's going to be some of us up here. If you need to get right with God, maybe you need to turn, maybe you need to get broken free from this system that this world has.

we'd love to pray with you. We'd love to help you. Whether it's your first time or your hundredth time, we'd love to be a part of that work. Anything else going on? You need healing or anything? We'll be up here. We'd love to pray for you for that as well. God bless you. You're dismissed. Go forth and be separate from this world system. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.