Revelation 18 describes destruction by fire--God's fire--of "Babylon the Great", an evil system that has greatly stirred God's wrath.
Comparison between the "Babylon" of Chapter 17 and the Babylon of Chapter 18.
These two Babylons are not the same
for following reasons:
The Babylon in Chapter 17 is a religious Babylon.
The Babylon in Chapter 18 is a commercial
Babylon.1
(18:1) "And AFTER these
things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having
GREAT power; and the earth was filled with his glory."
God has evidently given a special power, to this angel--hence,
the words "having great power".
(18:2) "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, `Babylon the great is fallen, and is become the (resort) of (demons), and the (dwelling place) of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird.'"
Remember our earlier discussions
of such disgusting, vile American sins, the very nature of which
are filled with demons and their activity?
This Nation Is THE CENTRAL NATION
In The World.
(18:3) "For all nations have drunk of the wine and the wrath of her (passionate unchastity), and the (leaders) of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the (businessmen) of the earth (have become) rich through the abundance (excessive luxury) of her delicacies."
This is another powerful, over-flowing
statement. This city/country is THE CENTRAL nation in the
world at this time.
Good examples of the luxurious products
to which the word `delicacy' may further refer are: automobiles,
T.V. sets, VCR's, homes, furs, expensive clothing, toys, and yachts.
LEADERSHIP. Babylon is clearly the world leader in two areas symbolically mentioned.
* 1. Wine--values, ideas, culture.
* 2. `Delicacies' are commercial. The world has reached this point--with America.
The New Age editor of "USA Today" describes this trend:
Global communications, universal
trends, and common aspirations are making us more alike than we
are different. We gradually are becoming one world.2
"Much of the common ground comes from the GLOBAL SPREAD of U.S. pop culture--which has become EVERYBODY'S culture. ...It's a WORLDWIDE network of shared experience."
"...history will look back on
this as the `AMERICAN Age.'"3
(18:4)--"I heard another voice from heaven saying, `Come out of her, MY people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.'"
Herein lies God's PRINCIPLE of judgment: God will issue repeated warnings to repent before destruction. These warnings will be given to and through His. But, He has set a specific DAY for destruction. That day will dawn as any other.
And, destruction will be total.
(18:5)--"For her crimes and transgressions--are piled up as high as heaven and God has remembered her wickedness and her crimes--and calls them up for settlement..."
This is a statement of staggering
proportions, and totally unique.
(18:6)--"Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double."
The 50-70 megaton nuclear blasts with which Russia would obliterate America would also trigger massive earthquakes. Thus, America would be doubly-destroyed, just as God foretold.
America's leadership in these sins
has been instrumental in leading untold millions, perhaps billions,
of precious souls into eternal Hell. Is it any wonder that God
singles her out for "double" punishment?
(18:7)--"How much she has glorified herself, and lived (luxuriously), so much torment and sorrow give her; for she says in her heart, `I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.'"
Many of my friends believe that this good life will never end. Certainly, the very rich believe it with all their heart.
Americans lead the world in the wealth of her businessmen.
The number of billionaries per country.
USA 40+
Japan 24
West Germany 13
United Kingdom 7
Hong Kong 6
Canada 6
Saudi Arabia 5 4
What is the attitude on the
part of Americans toward this wealth?
One French author stated: "I know of no other country where the love of money has taken stronger hold on the affections of men..."5
This passage also implies that, at the time of God's destruction, this nation will be at her HEIGHT of power and monetary influence. Is America at her economic zenith now, or are we in serious decline?
"...The average American has NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD. By almost any measure of health and wealth...we are demonstrably better off now than in the...50's and 60's."6
America is now at her zenith of
economic power in comparison to the other nations of the world.
(18:8)--"Therefore, shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for (mighty) is the Lord God who judges her."
Historically, no nation has ever been utterly destroyed in one day. As we look ahead to verse 10, God further narrows Babylon's destruction to a single hour. The nature of nuclear destruction is complete, utter devastation, within seconds and minutes. This destruction occurs from blast, radiation, and (fire)--hotter than the sun's surface.
Can you also see the land itself
VOMITING OUT the people which had so defiled it
by their repeated heinous sins? (Leviticus 18:24-25).
(18:9)--"And the rulers and leaders of the earth, who joined her in her immorality [idolatry] and luxuriated with her, will weep and beat their breasts and lament over her when they see the smoke of her conflagration."
World leaders are weeping because this loss threatens their own luxurious wealth. Does America really buy from all other nations of the world to such a degree?
"...The Third World now relies
upon the United States to buy 65% of its manufactured exports,
compared with only 45% in 1979."7
Country Exports Imports
USA 322 Billion 460 Billion
Japan 265 Billion 187 Billion
W. Germany 323 Billion 236 Billion
This information shows that the
USA imports more than both Japan and West Germany combined.
Remember Jesus' words, "...no one will buy their cargo anymore..."
(18:10-17a, Amplified Bible)--"They (the rulers of the earth in verse 9) will stand a long way off, in terror of her torment, and they will cry, `Woe and alas! The great city! The mighty city, Babylon! In one single hour, how your doom (judgment) has overtaken you. And earth's businessmen weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their (cargo) any more."
"Their merchandise is of gold,
silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk,
and scarlet (stuffs); all kinds of scented woods, all sorts of
articles of ivory, all varieties of objects of costly woods, bronze,
iron, and marble; of cinnamon, spices, incense; ointment and perfume;
of wine and olive oil; fine flour and wheat; of cattle and sheep,
horses, and conveyances; and of the bodies and souls of
men."
I. In verses 10 and 15, God says that the rulers and the businessmen are standing a "long way off" in their intense lamenting over the loss of this great nation. The North American continent is UNIQUELY SURROUNDED on all sides by immense bodies of water.
II. Verse 11: this great nation was unique. She alone bought such a huge amount of the cargo from the other nations of the world. No nation could replace her.
Other statistics which show clearly that America is unique in the world's economy.
1. "The international banking system: In 1988, the Clearing House Interbank Payments System the UNIQUE US-BASED electronic-transfer network in and out of the US, processed 33.9 million international transfers with an aggregate value of $165 trillion..."8
2. Compare the wealth of nations in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Assign the US an index score of 100...Listed below are the scores of the other nations."
India--PPP 17 Red China--PPP 19 S. Korea--PPP 31
Taiwan--PPP 36 Singapore--PPP 46 USSR--PPP 47
Italy--PPP 54 Hong Kong--PPP 58 Britain--PPP 66
E. Germany--PPP 70 Japan--PPP 77 France--PPP 79
W. Germany--PPP 849
3. America's loss to the world's economy would be devastating. The world would lose THE MOST PRODUCTIVE agricultural exporting continent in the WORLD.
Revelation 6:4: the second rider out of heaven was on a flaming red horse; this rider carried a huge sword, bringing great war upon the earth.The literal fulfillment to Revelation 6:8 would follow--famine, plague, disease.
III. The economy of this great nation is described in 18:12-13, and 16, as vast, multi-faceted economy. The key emphasis is on the volume of merchandise which this economy IMPORTS.
* This economy also imports and exports `chariots' or `conveyances'. Our modern vehicles of `conveyances'--cars, trucks, planes, buses, tractors. Imports of this type of product into and out of the American economy is enormous.
* This economy deals with the souls of men.
Sins of which America is guilty
result in people's precious souls being diverted from eternal
life in Jesus and into Hell. God's words are accurate: "TRAFFICKING
IN THE SOULS OF MEN."
(18:17b-19)--"...And all
ship captains and pilots, navigators, and all who live
by seafaring...stood a long way off, and exclaimed as they watched
the smoke of her burning, `What city could be compared to the
great city!' And, they threw dust on their heads, as they wept
and grieved, exclaiming, `Woe and alas, for the great city, where
all who had ships on the sea grew rich through her extravagance
from her great wealth! In one single hour, she has been destroyed,
and has become a desert.'"
(18:20)--"Rejoice over her, heaven, and holy [saints] apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her."
Romans 12:19, "... for it
is written, `Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.'"
(18:21)--"And a MIGHTY angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, `Thus, with such violence, shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be heard no more at all.'"
This destruction of this nation
will evidently be of UNPARALLELED VIOLENCE, producing a
destruction, the likes of which have NEVER been seen BEFORE
in world history.
(18:22-23a)--"And the voice
of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall
be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatever
craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of
a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light
of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice
of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all
in thee..."
(18:23b)--"...for thy merchants
were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all
nations deceived."
(18:24)-"And in her was found
the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain
upon the earth."