Tag: fallen is Babylon
The announcement of judgment!
Scripture reading for December 26th: Job 28-30, Revelation 18
Revelation 18: 1-3 “After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.””
John is viewing yet another mighty angel, illuminated with God’s glory, making the announcement of God’s judgment. He proclaims the fall of ‘Babylon the great.’ In the mind of God, it is already accomplished. When God speaks, it is done! God also reveals the reason for this fall–demons now dwell there and those birds and beasts are under demonic oppression. This world system of humanism and demonic lies, like sexual immorality, have captivated all the kings of the earth and merchants of the earth. They make war, enslave people, fixate on money and riches, centered only on themselves. God, through this angel, proclaims the fall as taking ‘one hour’! A second voice from heaven–very probably Jesus Christ, calls to those redeemed during this final period of judgment: “Come out of her, My people!”
Revelation 18:4-5 “Then I hear another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”
Prayer: Father God, it is comforting to me and Your people that You are so patient with all mankind, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance by turning away from evil. Your cry to ‘Come out’ penetrates the darkness of this evil world system. Lord, let the holy fear of God bring wisdom to those still foolishly living in luxury and evil. I offer my body and voice today to share Your urgent call!
Job 28:28 “And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'”
The judgment of Babylon
Scripture reading for December 24th: Zephaniah 1-3, Haggai 1, Revelation 18
Key Scriptures: Revelation 18:2-3 “And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.””
John saw another bright and shining angel come from heaven with an announcement for the earth. This angel announced the fall of the world system of religion, government and business under the control of Satan through Babylon. This corrupt counterfeit system was marked by God for destruction. It had corrupted the earth and all of its inhabitants. It was a home for demonic spirits of rebellion. It enslaved people in luxury, sensuality and materialism blinding them from knowledge of God Almighty, the Creator.
Zephaniah 1:17-18 “I will bring distress on mankind, so that they shall walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord.”
Prayer: Lord, I rely on Your mercy through Jesus Christ for deliverance from Your wrath, which I deserve. Help me to faithfully tell others of Your great mercy through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Blessed to die in the Lord!
Scripture reading for December 23rd: Revelation 14:1-20
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:13) This is the second of the ‘beatitudes’ or ‘blessed’ statements found in Revelation. It is a curious ‘blessed’, speaking of the dead who die in the Lord as blessed. As we read this chapter, we come to understand why this is so.
John saw the Lamb and the 144,000 who were marked with His name standing on Mt. Zion. They were singing a new song that only they could learn. This special company had been redeemed from the earth and followed the Lamb. They were holy, having kept themselves from the defilement of sin on the earth, and set apart as an offering to Him. (Revelation 14:1-5)
Next John saw three angels flying in mid-air. The first angel was proclaiming the eternal gospel to those still on the earth. “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Revelation 14:7) God is faithful to warn all men of what is to come. The first and greatest commandment is to love God and worship Him only. Men must not worship the creation, but the Creator of all things. This angelic messenger proclaims this eternal gospel.
The second angel proclaimed the fall of Babylon. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” (Revelation 14:8) Those living on earth were drunk on the wine of the evil world system of Babylon. God announced the fall of this system again during the great tribulation. He had done this through Jeremiah over 600 years earlier. (Jeremiah 51:45-49)
The third angel announced the warning to resist the beast and his mark or face the full fury of God’s wrath! The penalty was laid out for those receiving the mark, “He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever.” (Revelation 14:10b-11a) This warning was to call the saints to remain faithful to Jesus and prepare for endurance. Death would be blessed for those saints who endured!
The True and Just Judge!
Scripture reading for December 29th: Revelation 14-16
As the revelation of Jesus Christ continued, the theme of judgment flows through the vision. John saw the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion and 144,000 redeemed from the tribes of Israel. They were those who had kept themselves pure and followed the Lamb. (Revelation 14:1-4) This company was praising the Lamb with a new song that only they could learn.
John saw another angel flying in mid-heaven proclaiming an eternal gospel to those on the earth. “He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth the sea and the springs of water.”” (Revelation 14:7)
“A second angel followed and said in aloud voice: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”” (Revelation 14:8-9) A third angel warned of the wrath of God against those who had the mark of the beast. They will have no rest and the smoke of their torment will rise forever. God does nothing by judgment unless He warns His people by the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7)
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” Yes”, says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor and their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:13)
“Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)
Those who read and heed this book are promised a blessing! (Revelation 1:3) God also encouraged those who trusted in Him and gave them instructions to help them in the warfare and patience needed in the last days. Death for the believer brings rest from the warfare and rewards for standing true to the Lord! He will come like a thief for those not ready, but His people will be awake, aware, and prepared by the blood of Jesus!
The bowls of wrath poured out on the earth, and men were terrified, but curse the God of heaven and refuse to repent! (Revelation 16:9, 11, 21) Sin takes us farther away from God, blinds us to the only way out and ends in terrible judgment! “You are just in these judgments, You who are, and who were, the Holy One, because You have so judged, . . .” (Revelation 16:5)
Gone in one hour!
Scripture reading for December 27th: Revelation 18:1-24
John’s visit to heaven continues with the appearance of a shining angel with great authority. This angel announced the fall of Babylon the Great. God’s judgment would come upon her because she had become home to every demonic power and had used her evil to cause all nations and kings to become drunk on her evil wine of adultery. This is the spiritual adultery of idolatry!
“Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes. . . .Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” (Revelation 18:4-5, 8) God called His people out of Babylon. Babylon was to be suddenly destroyed. In just one day her plagues would overtake her. She would be given back double for all her sins! This verse echoes the warnings from Jeremiah six hundred years before Christ! ” Flee from Babylon, run for your lives! . . .Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.” (Jeremiah 51:6-11)
John next heard the report of the kings of the earth mourning because of the fall of Babylon. They would see the smoke of her burning and weep and lament over her downfall: “Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! (Revelation 18:10) The kings of earth now speak of this destruction taking place in one hour! In just one hour all the glittering wealth of Babylon had come to ruin and the world system of humanistic power and trade was gone forever.
The saints were called to rejoice because of the judgment of God on the system that had mistreated them. “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” (Revelation 18:21) John saw this mighty sign in heaven and was probably reminded of the prophesy of Jeremiah. He also had something similar to do in Babylon with his prophesy. (Jeremiah 51:59-64) The end of all will come suddenly and violently for those who are in rebellion against God!