The Judgment of Babylon

Two Sundays ago, we were in Revelation 17 and saw that in seven-year earthly tribulation, Babylon will be both a system of belief and a specific place just like Hollywood is a system of belief and a specific place, and Wall Street is a system of belief and a specific place.

 

In Revelation 17, Babylon is system of belief.  In Revelation 18, Babylon is specific place.  It may even be the headquarters, if you will, of the system of belief.

 

This system of belief will be religious but not Spirit-led.  This system of belief will promote prosperity and success but oppose being born-again. 

 

If I could summarize Babylon as a system of belief, I would say it will be the worship of wealth or the idolatry of money and things.  In other words, it will be materialism, and Revelation 18 speaks of its headquarters. 

 

It could literally be Babylon rebuilt and restored.  It could be Rome as Peter used the term on 1 Peter.  It would be Jerusalem. 

 

Regardless, in Revelation 18, we see the Judgement of Babylon, and this judgment will take place at the end of the seven-year earthly study.  It will precede the second coming of Christ. 

 

3. The Judgement of Babylon will be Deserved, Revelation 18:1-3.

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 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! 3 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.” 

 

Why you ask?  This system of belief and specific place will be irreverent, immoral, and influential. 

 

This angel in verse 1 is different from the seven angels, but he has great authority and loud voice.  He will cry mightily, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.” 

 

Notice then the irreverent at the end of verse 2.  This specific place will be the dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and cage for every unclean and hated birds.  Think of vultures and what attracts them. 

 

In verse 3, this system of belief and specific place will be immoral.  We saw this last week, but Babylon is described as engaged in fornication or spiritual immorality or unfaithfulness.

 

Third, this system of belief and specific place will be influential.  All the nations have drunk her wine, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.  Her influence will be far and wide. 

 

 

19. The Judgement of Babylon will be Deplored, Revelation 18:9-19.

9 “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, 10 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.’  11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 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 find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 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! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’  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.’ 

 

When Babylon falls, the system of belief and the specific place, many will lament and grieve and deplore her falling because her influence is so vast.

 

First, the monarchs will deplore her falling.  Look at verses 9-10. 

 

They will weep and lament because they will commit fornication with her and live luxuriously with her when she falls. 

 

Second, the merchants will deplore her falling.  Look at verses 11-16. 

 

These are merchants of goods and unfortunately of people.  They will become rich by her, and they will weep and wail at her falling.  Verse 16 says that in one hour, such great riches will come to nothing.

 

Third, the mariners or shipmasters or sailors will deplore her failing.  Look at verses 17-19.

 

Again, they will cry out and mourn with dust on their heads and weep and wail.  For they had become rich by her wealth, and in one hour, she will be gone.

 

 

• The Judgement of Babylon will be Definite, Revelation 18:20-24.

20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”  21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 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. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

 

Because of Babylon’s hatred for Christ and Christians as seen in verse 24, the apostles and prophets will rejoice with this judgment from God that will be definite. 

 

Verse 21 says a mighty angel will take up a millstone and throw it into the sea pronouncing judgment on Babylon, this system of belief and this specific place.  She will be thrown down and will be found no more.

 

From this point forward, Babylon will have no music.  She will have no utility.  She will have no light.  She will have no people, and she will deceive no more.

 

 

Applications

As we think about the application of this text to our lives, notice the invitation from Jesus in verses 4-5. 

 

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

 

Jesus invites His people to leave that way of living for it is sinful, and God will judge it.

 

I am reminded of His words in Luke 12:16-21.

 

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’  21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

 

Instead, seek first His kingdom.  Invest in eternity.  Then provide for your family.

 

Luke 16:31-34, 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.  32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

1 Timothy 5:8, 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

 

But keep in mind, there is a difference between providing and living in luxury.  That word is used three times to describe Babylon and her followers.  Therefore, it is not good: 3, 7, 9.

 

Seek first His kingdom.  Invest in eternity.  Provide for your family.  Come out from the way of materialism.