"9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived 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.’
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 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 bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and 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 slaves and human lives. 14 The fruit 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 adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; 17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every 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 wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”
21 Then 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 saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my privilege to have you here with us today. We are especially grateful for those of you who have been sharing the ministry website with all of your family and friends. Your faithfulness and commitment to share God's Word with others continues to bring about tremendous results. People are responding to God's Word! This is all so amazing. We ask you to p ray that God will continue to give us boldness to speak the truth in ministry in the face of adversity in the coming days!All for His glory!
In my many years of ministry, I’ve heard people ask the question, "How far can I go with my boyfriend/girlfriend, before it’s technically a sin?" Let me begin with saying, that's a dangerous mindset because it plays with idea of sin. In fact, that’s a warning sign. A true believer in Christ who is spiritually healthy and flourishing in God's Word will not flirt with temptation. Rather, I strongly encourage people to ask, "What are the boundaries and how far can I stay from it?" A genuine Christian will stay far from the path of destruction. I believe if you find yourself wondering how close you can get, than you’re not in a healthy place.
I Corinthians 10 says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide
the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." There is always a way out of temptation. The key is to keep your focus on God. Allow me to remind you, that because grace is available to you, it isn’t an endorsement to do whatever you want. God's grace and forgiveness does not remove the consequences of sin.
Remember the words of Hebrews 12:6, "For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives."
Let us pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, thank You for this rich truth. Thank You for Your wisdom and clarity so that we might understand and apply Your Words to our lives. May we live in the light of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We thank You for that precious gift. Lord, help us while there is yet opportunity, to be faithful to proclaim Your saving gospel to this perishing world. We pray for every person who is gathering treasure for themselves. We ask that You would soften the hearts, open their eyes and ears, and reveal them to us. Reveal those to us You want us to bless and richly bless the lives and families of those who have helped us. We know that every good and perfect gift comes from above. We thank You and praise You, giving You the glory.
In Christ's name
Amen
Today's Message: Luxury's Lament
As we return to God's Word today, we again come to the book of Revelation chapter 18. Open with me your Bibles to Revelation chapter eighteen. Revelation
chapter18. This is the third time that we've found ourselves in this marvelous chapter. There's just so much rich treasure here to mine. Scripture clearly tells us that in the end of human history, God will have the last word with sinners. God has promised to bring furious judgment on this world.
Acts 17 the Apostle Paul teaches, "because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."
And, in
Romans 2 Paul tells us "
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds." Jesus Christ will judge every person who has ever lived.
Open with me your Bibles to Revelation chapter eighteen. Revelation chapter18.The book of Revelation is loaded with judgment. In fact, from chapter 6 all the way through chapter 19, judgement is the theme. The seven seal judgments, the seven trumpet judgments, and the seven bowl judgements. Then, the return of Jesus Christ, which is the final judgment of the earth. As Christians, we will, at last, comprehend how great is the love of our God for us. With one more chapter to go, we are nearing the end of this series on judgement. Through the eyes of the Apostle John, we have seen and experienced the powerful imagery of judgment, while he was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos. I am certain, however, that we will never be able to understand it as fully, as those who will experience it first hand in the final days of human history. In fact, the Apostle Peter said even the prophets, looked into what they were
prophesying to figure out what time and what person they were speaking
about. However, the message is clear, there is coming a terrible time of judgment on sinners and the earth. And at the end of that three and a half year period will come a time
known as the Day of the Lord, in which the full blazing fury of God will
fall on this world, then comes Christ and establishes His kingdom.
I invite you to follow along with me as I read these first
three verses to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts for
what the Spirit of God is saying to us. Listen for the voice of our
Lord. Revelation 18:9-24. "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 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.’ “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more— cargoes of gold and silver and precious 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 bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and 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 slaves and human lives. The fruit 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. 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, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 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 wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”
Then 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. 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; 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. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."
Let's pick it up at verse 9, where we left off. Judgement Lamented. "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning."
First, we meet the leaders, the kings of the earth. The kings here refer to a wider group of kings than the ten nation confederation. This includes all the other kings of the earth who are caught up in her commercialism. God, in His grace, has been warning them, and warning them, in these judgments that have been pouring down on them, they would not cry over their sin, but they will cry over the loss of their city. The Antichrist is ruling a one world empire, of which Babylon is the heart and soul. And every other ruler is connected to the system.
And, as long as Babylon was still intact, the system was still in operation. But when the city begins to burn and they begin to see the smoke, they weep and lament. They all mourn because of the destruction of Babylon. They mourn because her commercialism means the control of the people and luxury in their courts, all of which is now lost. They have literally tied all their passions into this system. This is a very fatal blow. This means the destruction of the capital of Antichrist’s world government
In verse 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.’" Obviously, this is geographically located. Because if Babylon were the whole world, you couldn’t stand at a distance from it. As the city burns, they realize this is a preview of what is to come. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah? This isn't the first time God has done this in judgement. We know there’s going to be a great coming together. This may well be part of the motivation for them to go to Armageddon.
Then, in verse 11, there's second weeping. "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more." Notice their weeping and mourning is purely monetary. They are upset because no one can by anything. They won't weep over their souls, but they'll weep over their wallets. In spite of the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments and the bowl judgments, up to now it’s business as usual.
In verses 12-13, John gives us a list of twenty-eight categories of items. "cargoes of gold and silver and precious 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 bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and 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 slaves and human lives."
It’s very interesting to note the union of the merchants and governments. In fact, we’re seeing that today. They're becoming totally dependent on each other. I'd like you to note, that all the wailing and weeping is for the luxuries, indulgence, and extravagance; no necessities are mentioned. Precious stones and costly metals, fine fabrics, luxurious furnishings made of citron , a costly
and fragrant scented wood from North African used in inlay on doors and expensive furniture. Other expensive materials were ivory, brass,
iron, and marble. Then, there were perfumes and spices, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep and horses, chariots which were transportation items. Things which could only be afforded by the ultra-wealthy. Then he adds "and human lives." Literally the Greek has, "body and souls of men," an idiom for a person who was owned body and soul.
Once God destroys Babylon, it bankrupts the system and everything begins to disintegrate. Look at verses 14-15, "The fruit 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. 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" Because their lusts and passions can no longer be satisfied they're weeping. Their weeping will be endless, in hell forever .
Verse 16, now, they're weeping and mourning "Saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls." Talk about materialistic! All they can think about is all their stuff., because that's all they live for. Sounds familiar doesn't it? People are that way today, more money, more stuff and more power and prestige. Well, it's all gone, forever! It's interesting, that when God created the world, Babylon was at the center of the world. It was the first inhabited place in the world.
In
I Timothy 6, Paul said "But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance
and gentleness."
And, in
James 5, James says "
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your
gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness
against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned an
d put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you."
Is it any wonder why Jesus said "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"
Verses 17-18, "For in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every 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?’"
I believe that we are seeing this decay of our nation today. People have become more and more materialistic, they only love America only for what they can get out of it. That's what happens when people fail to live by faith and the principles of God’s Word, the biblical principles upon which this
nation was founded. Notice what's missing here, true repentance! Tragically, as we draw nearer to the end, this mental attitude will significantly.
Then, in verses 19-20, we see a tremendous contrast, a stark warning as we conduct our lives in a world that is already so dominated by the mental attitude of commercial Babylon. "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 wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."
The same angel who started speaking back in verse 4, speaks again and the angel says, "Rejoice over her, O heaven." By the way, rejoice is a command. Allow yourself to receive happiness, joy, from the truth of God’s Word about Babylon and its destruction. God’s Word should do the same for the believer when it is known and believed. I have been asked, "How can heaven rejoice when these people are going to be damned to hell?"
First of all, people damned to hell, because in their heart they made their choice against every conceivable warning. They can rejoice because righteousness triumphs, and Christ is exalted, the kingdom of heaven awaits. Christ has endured mockery and humiliation long enough, and so have His people. If you are a Christian, you understand that.
Verse 21 says, "Then 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."
Listen as I read
Jeremiah 51:60-64, "
So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, and say, ‘You, O Lord, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’ And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."
I believe this is a good explanation of this particular text in Revelation. When the angel violently throws down, the destruction of Babylon leads to the destruction of the rest of its system. For centuries, people wondered if that could ever happen. It happens folks, it happen, never to be found again. By the way, Babylon today is a ceremonial city where musicals are put on. Well, now the party will be over. Obviously, the people in it will go down with it.
Jesus foretold this day didn't He? Listen to
Luke 17, "And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and
destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in
the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying,
they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed."
Verses 21-22 tells us, "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; 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."
No more entertainment, no more industry: no music, no industry, no mill, no grain, no food, nothing. When are bad, people often seek to escape their problems in places of night entertainment. The people who escaped outside, will find nothing left. By the way, the world’s been dark since the fifth bowl, so the city had to be lighted another way than daylight. I believe it will be very similar to Las Vegas, ironically also a city of sin. In other words, all of the normal things of life stop. Because the whole world was materialistic, deceived by the corruption of all the people they looked up to and corrupt leadership, judgement is justified. Interestingly enough, the word sorcery is the Greek word "pharmakeía," meaning the use of medicine or drugs. By the way, it's from the root word "pharmakeus," from which we get the English word pharmacy. Babylonian system will use whatever method it can to poison the minds of men and to deceive them. Just think about that..
Verse 23,"And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." Corrupt leaders not only deceived people, but the whole system was murderous against the saints, slaughtering them. The murder and martyrdom of the people of God over the centuries and crimes against the people of God. Poisoned minds the murder of the saints. This Babylon system, ruled by the Antichrist is going to be the killer of the prophets, the preachers, and the saints.
In Closing..
My, how this attitude has infiltrated the church today. Because they worship and long for wealth and luxury and compromising biblical principles
and priorities to play the harlot with the merchants of Babylon. In the leadership of the pulpit, character, integrity and righteousness mean nothing. Wickedness, greed and deceit, professing bearing the Name of Christ!
When Christ returns, He will expose the true nature of a man's heart, exposing their hidden motives, assessing their soul’s status. "Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels."
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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