02.54. LECTURE No. 54 -- Rev_18:9-24; Rev_19:1-9
LECTURE No. 54 -- Revelation 18:9-24; Revelation 19:1-9
Mystery Babylon Stands for Political Confusion. Religious Confusion, and Commercial Confusion - Present Wrongs Must Be Stopped - Commercial Babylon Also Will Be Judged and Destroyed- Commercial Babylon Is Rich, Nevertheless She Will Come to Poverty and Sorrow Under the Judgments of God - The Church of God Is Poor Now But Will Be Rich Some Day - Kings, Merchants and Shipmasters Will All Mourn Over the Fall of Babylon - The Fall of Babylon Will Be a Cause of Rejoicing for All the Saints of God - The Hallelujah Chorus - Babylon Will Never Rise Again - Even the Glorified Saints Will Share in the Victory and fill Rejoice and Sing in the Hallelujah Chorus - The Marriage of the Lamb Will Come - The Importance of This Event - The Church Is the Bride of Christ
Mystery Babylon
WE have progressed in our present study to Revelation 18:9 where our present lesson will begin. Revelation 17:1-18 and Revelation 18:1-24 have to do with the subject of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.”
We have already pointed out that the word, “Babylon” comes from the word, ‘‘Babel,” which means “Confusion.”
Generally speaking, the word Babylon has a threefold application, so that we speak of religious Babylon, political Babylon, and commercial Babylon.
Religious Babylon stands for all that is wrong in religion; political Babylon stands for all that is wrong in politics; and commercial Babylon stands for all that is wrong in business or commerce.
Present Evil Things and Systems Will Be Destroyed
Everyone admits that there are many things which are wrong in these three phases of human life today. It is natural, therefore, to believe that in due time, God will intervene with terrible Judgments to put a stop to all things that are wrong in religion, politics, and business.
From our previous studies we have already learned how the ten kings will destroy ecclesiastical Babylon and will put an end to all false religions in their effort to compel men to worship the Antichrist.
Commercial Babylon Also to Be Destroyed
Revelation 18:1-24, which we are now studying, has to do with the destruction of commercial Babylon!
Before the destruction of commercial Babylon actually takes place, however, God will send out a warning to His people lest they should be overtaken in the terrible judgments which He will mete out upon those who are associated with this terrible system.
This is confirmed in Revelation 18:4-5, where John said,
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.”
That God intends to bring a terrible reward upon those, who will be associated with commercial Babylon, is revealed in Revelation 18:6-8 of this chapter, where it says,
“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. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliriously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” A Fateful Boast
Notice please, that in the seventh verse just read, commercial Babylon is quoted as saying, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” The Rich Exalt Themselves Above The Church
Certainly, my friends, these are words of boasting that are akin to blasphemy. The rich of the earth have always exalted themselves above the church of God. Today, we who are Christians can right-fully declare that we are the sons of God, for in John 1:11-12, speaking of Christ, it says,
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”
We who are Christians know that Christ was born King of the Jews and that someday He will reign as King over all the earth, and that those who suffer with Him shall also reign with Him.
But we must also admit that during the present dispensation those who are Christians, are, in many instances, the poor of the earth.
Just now, Jesus, the Son of God, the head of the church, the Messiah of Israel, and the Saviour of the world, is absent from the earth; for after His resurrection from the dead, He ascended into heaven. Therefore, the church of Christ, now upon the earth is in widowhood, as it were, while Christ, the head of the church is absent. All the future hopes of the church, therefore, await and depend upon the return of Christ to receive the church, which is His bride, unto Himself.
Commercial Babylon Full of Pride
Commercial Babylon, therefore, seems to be taking all of these things into account, and in her pride and carnal security she boasts, saying, “I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.”
Why should those who have become rich through their association with commercial Babylon feel themselves in want of anything? As long as men have money, they have plenty of friends, and their joy is full.
On the contrary, most of the people of God, these days are poor, despised, and persecuted. Is it any wonder, therefore that commercial Babylon despises the church of God upon earth today and lifts up herself in pride and boasts because of her carnal and material security?
Note, however, that because of her boastful attitude, God has forewarned her of complete destruction, saying “Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” The Fall of Babylon
Now, let us read what is stated in Revelation 18:9-19, where we have a detailed account of the fall of commercial Babylon, it says,
“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
“And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
“And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.”
Even the Kings of the Earth Will Mourn In receiving his vision of these things, the first thing the Apostle John saw and took note of was the mourning of the kings of the earth over the destruction of the City of Babylon. When this comes to pass, however, that is what we have every reason to expect.
No one doubts but what the kings of the earth, for the most part, are closely associated with commercial Babylon, and that the very success and future of their thrones, in most cases, depends upon their cooperation with the evil system of commercial Babylon.
No wonder, therefore, when they see the City of Babylon, which will become the fountainhead of the great commercial systems of the earth, destroyed in a single hour, they will weep and mourn and bewail their loss. Without the support of commercial Babylon, they know that their very thrones are endangered, and that they will crumble and fall.
Merchants and Sailors Also Will Mourn Not only will the kings of the earth mourn over the loss of this great city, but in Revelation 18:11, it says,
“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.”
Also in Revelation 18:17-18 it says,
“And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!” The Righteous Will Rejoice When Babylon Is Overthrown
Now while all this mourning is going on upon earth over the destruction that will come upon commercial Babylon, in Revelation 18:20-24 of our lesson text, we have an entirely different view of the subject, for it says,
“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
“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: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”
Thus, my friends, we see that the destruction of Babylon, which will cause great mourning upon earth will cause great rejoicing in heaven and rightfully so. For long centuries of time, the godly men and women of the earth have witnessed, and testified against the unjust practices of commercial Babylon, but the great leaders of industry in every age have given little heed to the combined testimony of the prophets of old, or to the witness and testimony of the Christians of the present age.
Just because those of us who believe in the things that are right, are in the minority, the leaders of these great commercial systems have despised and rejected us and have made us poor by withholding from us their financial support. This they have done in spite of the fact that we are the servants of God and are actively engaged in those things that are well worth while, both for time and eternity. The Righteous Have Long Been Persecuted On the other hand, as Dr. Seiss says, in his book on “The Apocalypse”:
“If the world can find a Balaam, ready to compromise himself for gold, to bless it for a price, and to speak God’s benediction on its lusts and passions, him it will honor, and to him will Balak’s nobles come; but for the Elijahs, Isaiahs, Jeremiahs, Peters, and Pauls, their fate has ever been to be mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn asunder, slain with the sword, nailed to the cross, thrown to wild beasts, or compelled to seek asylum in deserts, mountains, and dens and caves of the earth, being destitute, tormented, afflicted, because they condemn the godless, its Ahabs, Jezebels, its Herods, and its sins. Compared with the great mass of mankind the true church has always been a ‘little flock,’ toiling with difficulties, opposition and hatred, and never able to make effective headway against the powers holding sway over the race.” But in spite of all these things, we can rejoice to know that the time is coming when all that is false and unjust in commercial Babylon will be destroyed, after which a new order of things will be established upon the earth.
Now let us continue our study reading what is written in Revelation 19:1-6 where it says,
“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
“And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” A Cause for Rejoicing Certainly, my friends, these words indicate a time of great dispensational change.
These words are often spoken of a “The great Hallelujah chorus.” The word, “Hallelujah” is a compound Hebrew word which really means “Praise-Ye-Jah,” or “Praise Ye Jehovah.” We are told that it occurs 24 times in the Old Testament and 4 times in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the word in the original is often translated in the English as “Praise Ye the Lord.”
In the New Testament the word has been written “Alleluia,” which means the same.
The word “Alleluia” appears 4 times in the lesson text which we have just read.
The first “Alleluia” we are told was spoken by much people in heaven. They were filled with rejoicing because God had executed His judgment upon Mystery Babylon the Great. Therefore, they sang in united chorus,
“Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
Conditions Will Change
Indeed, my friends, when people think that things are going to continue as they are now forever, they are entirely mistaken. Today the spirit and power of ecclesiastical Babylon and commercial Babylon and political Babylon reigns supreme over the earth, and those of us who belong to God, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, constitute only a small minority.
We are only a believing remnant from among the millions of earth’s population, and because we are outnumbered and because the powers that be are against us, (that is, humanly speaking) we have little or no occasion to rejoice over conditions as they are now. The word “Alleluia” is the cry of victory for the saints of God. We do not hear it used often these days even in our churches because there seems to be so little victory, even among the children of God.
But when the church has been resurrected and raptured away to heaven, and God executes judgment upon Babylon, and she falls never to rise again, then in united chorus the saints of God in heaven will sing “Alleluia,” for their hearts will be filled with rejoicing over what God has done, and they will give glory and honor and power unto the Lord, and will acknowledge that the judgments of God upon the evil systems of this world were just and right and were executed in righteousness.
Wicked Babylon Will Never Rise Again In Revelation 19:3 of our lesson text it says, “And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.”
From these words we gather that when these things are accomplished, those in heaven will rejoice and be glad and sing “alleluia” because the judgments of God upon Babylon will be permanent and will last forever.
In other words, once these wicked systems go down with a crash, they will never rise again!
Certainly my friends, a realization of these things should be enough to make anyone want to sing “alleluia” unto God, for His righteous judgments upon those who were the enemies of all righteousness. The Redeemed and Glorified Saints Will Also Rejoice
Next to join in the Hallelujah Chorus, according to our lesson text, will be the elders and the four beasts, or living creatures. This is confirmed in the fourth verse, where it says,
“And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.” The four and twenty elders and the four living creatures, were mentioned in Revelation 4:4-11. In our study of that passage we learned that the enthroned elders and the four beasts, or living creatures, represent the redeemed saints of the Old and New Testaments. They, as such, will join in the Hallelujah Chorus, which will occur when God has executed His judgments upon the wicked of the whole earth.
As they sing the Hallelujah Chorus, we are told that they will fall down and worship God, saying, “Amen; Alleluia.” Thus, will they give their assent to all that God will have accomplished by His mighty power.
Many Voices Will Join in Praise In response to their worship, in Revelation 19:5-6 it says,
“And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
Thus, my friends, we see that when this time comes all heaven will reverberate with the Hallelujah Chorus of the saints, and with the voice of God out of the throne encouraging them in their singing of the Hallelujah Chorus! It is simply impossible, I am sure, for us to comprehend now, what an event of rejoicing that will be. What a peon of praise will ascend from the redeemed multitudes to the God of heaven for having executed His justice and judgments upon the wicked. It will then be time for all the saints everywhere to sing “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
When we anticipate these things what a joy for us to know that those of us who are upon earth now and are redeemed through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who have been born again by His Holy Spirit, and whose sins have been atoned for by His blood, will be in that great throng and join with them in singing and saying these very things as an act of true worship unto God. The Meaning of the Lamb
Now, let us consider what is stated in Revelation 19:7-10 of our lesson text, where it says,
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” The Marriage of the Lamb of Universal Interest
Here are words, my friends, which, even though they are brief, bring to our attention an event of tremendous interest and importance. It is an event which angels in heaven, and men upon earth have long waited for with joyful anticipation.
What could be of greater interest to anyone than the forthcoming marriage of the Lamb of God to the church, which is declared throughout the scriptures to be the bride of Christ.
Had it ever occurred to you that all the time Christ was upon earth He remained unmarried? When He is finally married, however, according to the plans and purposes of God, His bride will not be chosen from among the seraphim and the cherubim or any of the angelic hosts of heaven, but the bride of Christ is to be made up of men and women of this world who have believed upon Him and have accepted Him as God’s Son and as their Saviour.
In other words, the great mystery is that the bride of Christ will be made up of sinners saved by grace.
Such a marriage could never be consummated unless Christ had consented to be born in the flesh, which He did nearly two thousand years ago when He came from heaven and was conceived by the Holy Ghost and was born of a virgin mother in Bethlehem of Judea. We must recognize, therefore, that He was truly both God and man. In other words, He possessed the nature of God and the nature of man in one personality. Our Bodies to Be Like His Glorified Body
We who are Christians know that in the moment of our resurrection from the dead, we shall receive a glorified body like unto His glorious body, which means that when these things have been accomplished, His nature and ours will be one, for by that time He will have perfected us in His own image!
Understanding these things, the Apostle Paul was justified in saying in 2 Corinthians 11:2,
“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Truly, my friends, we who have believed in Christ are betrothed to Him, and just as we are waiting for Christ to return for His bride, Christ Himself is waiting for His bride, the church, to be called out: from among both Jews and Gentiles through the preaching of the Gospel, as a people for His name. When the Church Is Completed Christ Will Come When those who are to make up His bride have been called out and the number is completed, then the church age will come to a close, and Christ Himself will descend in the clouds of heaven to receive the church, which is His bride, unto Himself.
This is confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, where it says,
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
Then the Marriage Will Take Place When these things shall have taken place then the marriage will be consummated in heaven at which time Christ will present us to Himself as a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, as stated in Ephesians 5:27.
Thus, my friends, from these and many other scriptures, we are ready to affirm that Christ is the Bridegroom and that the church which He purchased upon the cross with His own blood is to be His bride, and that this future marriage is to be consummated in heaven, following the completion and rapture of the church and the destruction of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth,” who now claims to be the true bride of Christ. The Church to Be Beautifully Arrayed
Therefore, in our lesson text, it says of the true church, “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”
It is hard to imagine how beautiful and how glorious the true bride of Christ will be when she hath made herself ready and is robed in the garments of righteousness. The Bride of the Antichrist
How this description of the bride stands out in contrast to the description of the bride of the Antichrist given in Revelation 17:4, where it says,
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.”
Indeed, my friends, the bride of Christ will not be gaudily attired as the bride of the Antichrist will be, but she will be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, and we are told that the linen is the righteousness of the saints.
The righteousness referred to here will not be the imputed righteousness of Christ, which will already have been given to the saints, but it will be righteousness which they themselves will have earned by their righteous deeds while upon the earth. It will be righteousness which they will deserve as a reward for what they have done. What a glorious thought that Christ will not only impute unto us His own righteousness, but that we will be rewarded with the garments which we will have earned as a result of our own righteous deeds done here upon the earth. Certainly, this will make our joy full and complete, for we will then have received His righteousness and our own reward. We cannot speak about the marriage supper of the Lamb just here, but will discuss these things in our next lesson.
~ end of lecture 54 ~