WHAT’S GOT THE GRIP ON YOUR HEART?

Revelation 18
Bob Bonner
April 2, 2006

Two years ago, Becky and I did something we have never done before. We made an unbelievable deal on leasing a car, from which we actually made money rather than lost money. This coming month that lease ends and we needed to think about replacing that car. Knowing this was going to take place, I started looking on the Internet for used cars, auctions and so forth. Last week we came upon two vehicles we could afford to purchase. The more expensive one had many more bells and whistles on it than the less expensive one. Both were excellent buys. For a while, the one with all of the bells and whistles had a grip on my heart. I was tempted to get it, and why not? I had saved up the money so as to do it. I have been as faithful as I know how in returning to the Lord what is His in tithes and offerings. Surely, I had the freedom to purchase either of the two cars. 

However, for the past fifteen years, I have lived with the growing understanding of the biblical truth that all of the money I possess is ultimately God’s money. Therefore, every purchase, whether it be buying a hamburger or a more expensive item like a computer or car, has become a spiritual issue rather than just a monetary issue for me. More often than not, when I pull out my wallet, I pause to consider, “Is this something I really need? Will this purchase really bring joy to the Lord? Is this how He would want me to use His money?” As a result, on this occasion I chose to buy the less expensive vehicle, for that was the sense both Becky and I had that the Lord wanted us to do. I fully believe that at another time, He could free me to blow the whole wad on something a little nicer. But for now, that’s not what we sensed He wanted us to do.

Having said that, twice in this last week the Lord has taught me two new lessons as it concerns being a better steward of His finances. Here, I thought I had already understood all of the biblical principles there are concerning how I am to be a steward of God’s money, and boom! Two more new lessons. Up until those two lessons, I didn’t realize that according to God’s Word, there were these two areas I was missing in my giving to the Lord. Which just goes to show you, that learning how to handle one’s finances in this highly commercialized, consumer hungry, hedonistic world in which we live is a constant schooling process for all of us. 

As time goes on, I predict that the number of Christians being faithful to Jesus in how they spend His money will decrease. I say that based on two facts: The first is the recent past track record of how Christians return His money to the Lord. Every year the amount that Christians return to the Lord by way of financial gifts decreases from the previous years. The second fact is revealed in our study for this morning, concerning what will be driving the future economic engine that will run this world.

In Revelation 18 we will see the future political-economic environment that will be the norm for the day. This political-economic system will not be something that just shows up a few years before the Tribulation begins, but it is something that is already at work right here and now, in the United States. Whether you consider yourself to be rich or poor in this country, it matters not. We are already surrounded by, and to a certain degree, each of us is caught up in, the greedy economic system that will eventually play a key role in the destruction of this world. Hence, as we look at this chapter together, please consider your own situation. I suggest you be asking yourself these questions: “How much do you really seek to honor God with all that He has entrusted to you? Do you really have a grip on your finances, or do your finances have a grip on you?”

Having said all of that, let’s look at what the future financial world will be like shortly before Jesus comes again. With the final destruction coming from the last bowl judgment, found at the end of Revelation 16, the stage is set for the dramatic and climactic second coming of Christ, revealed in chapter 19. Before this event. However, before we get to chapter 19, chapters 17 & 18 give a future detailed description of two Babylons. Last time we noted in our study of Revelation 17 that the Babylon that was in view was the spiritual Babylon, not the literal city of Babylon. It was a Babylon that represented the corrupt religious system of the world, the false apostate Christian church.  Revelation 18, on the other hand, points to the end results of the political-economic system of Babylon, whose home base was in the literal city of Babylon.

The Babylon in view in chapter 18 will replace “New York City” as the financial center of the world. I don’t know what will happen to NYC, but this literal city, Babylon will be the hub of the Antichrist’s worldwide commercial empire, which will rule the world during the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. 

Different than our study of Revelation 17, which was filled with symbolism, Revelation 18 is to be taken almost entirely as literal. There are very few markers or indicators that point to this chapter as being symbolic. Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on Revelation, divides this chapter into four parts based on four different voices. I’m going to use his four-voice division of this chapter as our outline by which to study this chapter. The first voice is the voice of CONDEMNATION, found in verses 1-3.

Revelation 18:1, “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.” Note that this is a later revelation and not the same or a continuation of the vision from Revelation 17. Also, this vision does not come from the same angel as the one in Revelation 17, but a different angel. Hence, we have a whole different subject being discussed in this chapter.

 Let’s continue reading: “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.  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.’”

Verse 2, explains that after the downfall of the city of Babylon, as described back in Revelation 16, Babylon subsequently becomes a habitation for demons, a bird cage full of evil spirits.

In addition, verse 3 reveals two reasons for the impending judgment that brings the downfall to this city. First, is its wretched pursuit of pleasure and sensuality which will be embraced by kings and nations worldwide. Imagine, today’s home of these Islamic fundamentalists, whose laws demand sexual purity, becoming the “Hollywood” of the world.

The second reason given for this city’s specific judgment is closely tied to the first. It’s drivenness for sexual perversion and pleasure is only matched by it’s passion for wealth. This reminds me of what wealth and power did to Saddam and his sons before the sons were killed. These extremely wealthy, proclaimed followers of Mohammad used their wealth to override their religious conviction against purchasing women as sex slaves to use in orgies, and when finished with them, dispose of their bodies!

Although this chapter begins with sensuality as the cause for Babylon’s destruction, the real issue being addressed in the balance of this chapter, is Babylon’s and the world’s worshiping at the feet of the idols of commercialism and consumerism. As we continue reading, in verses 4-8, we will now hear the call or voice of SEPARATION. Keep in mind that these verses are directed at those who are reading or studying this letter today and, in the future, those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

“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; for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”

Then, in verses 6-8, there are three separate calls for Babylon to receive her just desserts, the judgment of God. “Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived 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.’ For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.” 

When I read verse 4, I’m reminded of God’s warning to the believer, Lot, in Genesis 19:15-22. Lot was told to leave Sodom and Gomorrah, to leave behind its worship of false gods, to leave behind its drivenness and pursuit for pleasure, wealth and sensuality, so that he would not be caught up in their sins and be destroyed by the judgment that was coming upon the city. 

In the very same way, this angel is warning us, to forsake the political-economic systems of this world that drive us to pursue personal pleasure and wealth first, rather than God. Today, there are few if any geographical neighborhoods one can physically flee to in order to avoid these political-economic pressures for pleasure and possessions. During the end times, there will be even fewer...like none! The challenge we face is a difficult one: live in a culture that has been embalmed with the passions to seek after wealth and personal pleasure, all the while being told by God not to become like them. Rescue them, but do not be like them.

Another sin revealed in verse 7, that is being judged by God today and will clearly be judged in Babylon in the future is pride: “She hath glorified herself!” She saw herself as a queen who could never be dethroned, self reliant, filled with false confidence and pride, things which are an anathema to God. God is not condemning wealth, but wrong attitudes that are often associated with the wealthy. For instance: For us to live proudly in luxury while ignoring the genuine needs of others around us is flat wrong. Do you realize that every three years, God commanded the Israelites to give one tenth of their income, above their normal tithe, to meet the needs of the poor? Do you realize that as Christians, we are commanded to give regularly to the poor? Do you have a set schedule in your giving to give to the poor? You don’t? You are living in disobedience to the Lord.

Something else that I think is interesting in these verses is how the three plagues mentioned in verse 8, relate to the sins spoken of this far: pestilence (which is a term that can include sexually transmitted diseases along with other bugs that destroy crops), mourning that comes from loss, whether by death or destruction of goods, and famine which strikes at the quantities and great varieties of food that the wealthy have come to enjoy. These three plagues are a fitting answer to Babylon and the West’s proud boast in their economic-political powers and self reliance. In the end, after these three plagues are over, the city will be burned with fire.

As a result of God’s judgment on the capital city of the western empire, Babylon, the next voice we hear is not surprising. It’s the voice of LAMENTATION coming from the kings, leaders and commercial merchants of the world brought on by their financial losses.

We read in verses 9 -11, “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.” The terms, “weep” and “mourn” are two different terms: the first describing the vocal lament or crying out, and the second describing the beating of one’s breast. Together, they emphasize the depth or degree of this lament. Their loss has captured their very souls. They are beside themselves. They are like the investors who when the Stock Market crashed and they lost all their wealth, were so distressed that they took their own lives. Deep weeping and mourning.

In verses 12-13, we will read a list of 28 different “commodities” that will be lost as a result of this judgment.  “...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 [probably via cable and satelite TV] 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!’” 

What a great contrast we see between the Kings of the Earth’s responses in Revelation 18 and Revelation 17. In Revelation 17, the Kings of the Earth rejoiced over the removal of religion, because now they could have their own way. They became a moral law unto themselves. But here, in Revelation 18, there is no rejoicing, just mourning and weeping. And for what? Their loss of present possessions and future consuming power! 

Isn’t this typical of us! We won’t lament or weep over our sin, or the lost going to hell because they don’t know Jesus, but we will lament, mourn, weep and fret over the destruction of our nation, or our wealth and loss of possessions like our homes! By the way, did you notice the last commodity mentioned in the list of 28 items being sold and bought? That it will be human beings? Slave trade will be back in vogue! What an illustration that the further we turn away from God, the less we value human life.

Note too, the quickness with which the city of Babylon will be destroyed. Twice it speaks of being here one moment and in “one hour” (which may be literal) it’s all destroyed. That tells us that the bowl judgments are going to happen quickly, not over a several day or week or month period of time.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that even during the Great Tribulation economic activity will take place, up to this point. Then, it will suddenly stop! World wide, merchants will mourn the loss of their ability to procure possessions as well as sell them.

In verses 20-24, we come to the last section of this chapter. Where as the previous section we hear the voice of the grieving, a lamentation, in these next verses we hear the voice of glad tidings or CELEBRATION. We read, “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”

Note heaven’s unique perspective. The long awaited retribution, vindication and vengeance of God. No wonder when we get to Revelation 19 we read of the saints in heaven singing the Hallelujah chorus over God’s righteous judgment against the earth.

“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; [there go the theater and the arts] and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; [there goes building construction] and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; [there go the factories] and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; [there go the utilities] and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; [there go the neighborhood and family parties, because nobody will be left to party] 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.’”

These words, and the six-time repeated expression “any longer” describe the total destruction and abandonment of Babylon such that even the light of a lamp will not shine in her. The very silence of the city is a testimony to God’s devastating judgment upon Babylon. There will never be another marriage in Babylon, because there will be no more people left to get married there.

Why such a devastating and total destruction of Babylon? Three abuses are mentioned as though they were indictments against her, in verses 23-24: Abuses of the proud and arrogant rich against the poor; sorcery which refers either to the use of drugs or occult practices or both; and the wholesale slaughter of God’s people, the prophets and saints, and others who refused to bow to the Antichrist.

At this point in history, the political-economic system of “the beast” will at last be destroyed. All that will remain will be for Jesus Christ to come from heaven and personally meet and defeat “the beast”, his armies and the armies of the world. This He will do Revelation 19, and then, in Revelation 20, Jesus will establish His righteous millennial kingdom on earth.

There is an obvious point of application one can take away from this chapter. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET OUT OF BABYLON! What do I mean by that? By get out of Babylon, I mean two things: First, to those of you who have not committed your lives to serving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, to avoid being part of the disaster of Babylon, now’s a good time to do so. Now is the time to turn your life over to Christ and allow Him to instruct you as to how to live, how to invest the rest of your life here on earth. Now’s the time to make sure that should you die today, you will know whether you will spend eternity separated from God or with Him. 

A second way to apply getting out of Babylon is for those of us who already know Jesus, but we still have Babylon, and its financial system ruling our hearts. Hence, maybe a better way to state this application for us would be: NOW IS THE TIME TO GET BABYLON OUT OF US! Now is the time to remove Babylon, the world’s financial way of looking at our lives from our hearts!

Allow me to quote Warren Wiersbe, as he speaks to the Babylonian economic system and what it has done to the lives of many.  He writes,

 “The system intoxicated the people of the world with all the riches and pleasures it had to offer. It catered to those who were “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). Christians in every age have had to heed the warning of 1 John 2:15–17. [Just in case, you don’t know what those verses say, they read: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. ]

Wiersbe continues:

How easy it is to become fascinated by the things the world has to offer. Like a person taking a sip of wine, we can soon find ourselves drinking deeply and then wanting more. The world system that opposes Christ has always been with us, and we must beware of its subtle influence. The world system satisfies the desires of the earth-dwellers who follow “the beast” and reject the Lamb. But worldly things never permanently satisfy or last. The love of pleasures and possessions is but an insidious form of idolatry, demonic in its origin and destructive in its outcome.

How much does future Babylon’s economic system have a grip on your heart? I’ve noticed that the biggest excuse for many men and women today for not spending quality and quantity time alone with the Lord, is their pursuit of business or more money or more pleasure or more possessions. Fellow pilgrim, is that true of you today?

I remind you of these words of Jesus in Mark 8:34-37, “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself , and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’”

One last reminder: Romans 12:2.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

How can you have your mind transformed? By getting into a study of God’s Word, so that you will know what He says is most beneficial and wise for you, and in this case, in the area of your work and finances and your spending. I would encourage you, if you have never taken a biblical course like Crown Ministries, that introduces you to what the Bible says about you, God and His finances, please sign up and take that course the next time it is offered. Why? What will be the benefit for you if you do? Two benefits: First, when you do things God’s way financially, God will bless your life. Not necessarily by making you rich, but by bringing a sense of freedom for you concerning money issues in your life. But more important than that, you will “prove” to those around you that God is real and good and that He gives stability, purpose and direction to life when they see you obeying Him.

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