“Babylon The Great” Revelation 18

Babylon the Great came tumbling down, chapter 18.

So we had the religious Babylon. We looked at that.

John called it because she wore this image, the name on her

forehead. Mystery Babylon the Great, the

mother of harlots, the religious Babylon, chapter 18.

Now we come to the economic, commercial, political system of

Babylon that currently rules the world.

And in chapter 18, we're going to see that it's going to crash

and burn literally and suddenly the last days global government

which is gathering and formulating now with the moves

around the world politically. We see today China and Russia

gathering together with North Korea watching a great military

parade. And so we see the governments of

the world in disarray. Our own nation, the UK, other

countries around the world that are in chaos.

There's protests, there's there's massive anti immigration

calls around the world. There's racial divide, there's

the Nationalist Party has shown its head here in Australia and

worldwide and governments have got their fingers and all these

pies the last days. Global government under the

Antichrist will be operating under the rule and the power of

the Antichrist who is a man, but he's empowered personally by

Satan himself. And this commercial political,

economic system is called Babylon as well.

It too has been with us for some time.

It's not just something that's just started along with its

partner, religious Babylon, the false religious harlot of

religion. It has had a lust filled

relationship since Genesis Chapter 11, verse 4 back there.

Genesis 11:4

It's the people there gathered in Babylon and said come, let us

build ourselves a city. You know what a city is?

A place where we'll make decisions, where we'll rule,

where we'll have commerce business.

And in that city, so we have commerce business and politics.

We'll have a tower, a religious centre, the two whose top is in

the heavens, and let's make a name for ourselves will that

power, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the

whole earth. The city they built had as their

capital Babylon. It was called Babylon.

The tower that they built. A cigarette was called the Tower

of Babel. The anti God Babylonian world

system and its tentacles of influence run deep.

I think you and I, once we become born again, our eyes are

open, scales fall off our eyes and we begin to see governments

for what they really are and why they make decisions as they do

because they're never in favour of the church.

They always make decisions that are going to pull apart that

which the foundations look at America on the dollar and God.

We trust the whole Constitution that they put together based on

the commandments of God, the word of God from the Mayflower

that came out. And so we see in our governments

where we used to have prayer and in schools where we used to have

prayer. Now it's interesting that

governments have outlawed prayer in schools.

Governments have outlawed the reading of the Bible.

Governments in America outlawed having the 10 commandments in

places. Amazing governments did that on

the last days of the Tribulation.

This Babylonian political, commercial, economic system will

reach it's zenith in power and corruption, peeking under the

leadership of the Antichrist, a master leader to those people

who place their trust in the economic, commercial and worldly

political system. They will come to a sudden

realisation and it happens and it's going to particularly come

at this time during the tribulation period that where

they've placed all their faith is foolishness because it's all

going to burn down in the day. Hebrews 12/27 says all creation

will be shaken and removed so that only unshakeable things

will remain. The world system is beautifully

defined by John in his letters. 1 John chapter 2 verse 15.

1 John 2:15

John says the writer of the the the writer of the Book of

Revelation as Jesus dictates to him and as he sees the visions,

John the same John said do not love the world and that term the

world is the Babylonian economic, political, commercial

system. Do not love the world.

All the things in the world that makes this up.

He goes on to say, and he's writing to Christians.

It's a warning if anyone loves the world, love of the Father is

not in him, he says in the next verse.

For all that is in the world, all that is in commercial

Babylon, the last of the flesh, the last of the eyes, pride of

life is not of the father, but is of the world.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon says the problem with the church trying

to reach the World is that the world has infiltrated the

church. And today more of the world

occurs on a Sunday morning in church services and a lot less

of God. So much so that the last letter,

the last church, the Church of Laodicea, nothing of God is

happening in the church service with Jesus being outside

knocking on the door. Now to us as Christians, it's

this love of the world, it's ways, it's passions and it's

lifestyle which can strangle and choke the word of God from

bearing fruit in our lives. Doesn't happen overnight.

It happens as you begin to sit in church.

You go in church and then you start to not listen.

You start coming less and you're not getting out anything out of

it. Your worship is not really

there. You're in church, but you'd

rather be somewhere else. The world has got a hold of you

and you're on your way. It chokes the word of God from

bearing fruit in our lives, Jesus said.

Now he who receives seed among the thorns, sour on the seed,

Matthew 13 is he who hears the word and the cares of this world

and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes

unfruitful. And that, my friends, is the

problem of the church today. We are all susceptible as

believers when it comes to worldliness.

The Bible even describes one individual as an example for us

not to follow his name, Demas. He was once a close friend,

travelling companion of the Apostle Paul.

Yet in Paul's second letter to Timothy, he says of Dimas to

Timothy 410 For Dimas in love with this present world has

deserted me. Wow.

This fella originally with Paul, sharing with Paul, going through

the hardships with Paul, but now it's gone.

What a tragedy, a life wasted, a testimony ruined, the gospel

maligned. For Demas not only deserted Paul

and the Saints of the church, he deserted his Saviour.

Worldliness is when you and I say, and it's not so much what

we do, the problem with worldliness, it's in our hearts.

So that's where it chokes everything.

If only I can win Lotto. Well, why then?

What then? All would be fixed.

You see, you've moved from God to winning Lotto.

It's it's explain. That's the truth.

If only I can marry that person. If I can marry that person.

Oh, everything would be just perfect.

Sorry, if only I could get that job.

Oh, that's the job, man. That's the job.

I got the career. That's the job.

If I can get that job, we are. I am set.

Notice the language and all that.

Notice where the heart is and all that.

What's God got to do with any? Each one of those things is

going. Got it.

You can't do any of this. I'm not looking to you in any of

this. If only I can have that

investment, man, If we got that investment, we'd be right.

If only I could win that prize. If only we could get that house.

If we got that house, man, we that's all.

And we answer with then I will be happy.

And so God says, oh Gee, so you don't.

You're not. It's got nothing to do with me.

Exactly. Worldliness cuts got out this

one. After these things, I saw

another Angel coming down from heaven, having great authority,

and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

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, a cage for every unclean

and hated. Notice this bird, 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 a luxury. Notice tentacles are in every

group, every age, every person. After these things I saw another

Angel. What things?

The things of chapter 17, the destruction of the religious

Babylon, the rebellious harlot that cooperated and partnered

with the Antichrist to seduce the world and drown it in

spiritual adultery, Having a religion without God.

In chapter 18, it's now commercial.

Babylon's day of judgement and reckoning by God.

The Angel that comes down from heaven has noticed this.

It says great authority, power, so much so that the earth was

illumined by his glory. Now it's not Jesus.

How do we know that? Because it says it's an Angel.

Simple. But it is a very powerful Angel

of rank. And the earth was lit up by his

splendour. Michael the Archangel, who knows

this mighty Angel in verse 2, cried mightily.

Notice again, Heaven's going to be loud with a loud voice.

Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, he repeats it.

Why the repetition, you might ask?

That's a good question, possibly to refer to the fact that both

the religious and the commercial Babylon are now gone.

Also, it might simply be a resounding emphasis that the

world's system of Babylon will never rise again.

It is fallen, fallen in the last days under the Antichrist.

The harlot, Babylonian World One World Church and the government

in partnership with it under the leadership of the Antichrist

along with the false prophet will be deeply partnered and

demon infested. It says.

Notice this is not my words, John writes down.

And it has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for

every foul spirit and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.

It's interesting that it's saying commercial Babylon

politics. This system is run and

infiltrated by spiritual demonic powers.

That's why we go. How can the government do that?

How can we have abortion as law? How can we have euthanasia as

law? How can we have these things

that you go, Where's the sense in this?

Because it's a spiritual, But notice it says a hated bird,

Bird. Where's the bird put in here?

Was it a cocky in a cage or something?

What is it? In Christ's parable of the

sorrow of the sea, Jesus takes the birds and uses the birds as

a picture of Satan's servants. They come down, they take the

seed. Remember the mustard seed, the

other parable of the mustard seed, It grows up normally and

people, oh, that's the church. And, and the birds nest in the,

in the, in the wings of it, the branches.

No, no, no, it's an abnormal wrong growth.

It grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, shoots out large

branches, and the birds of the of the air come and nest there.

Some regard this, as I said, as a beautiful picture of the

church growing so large that it provides refuge for all the

world. Well, that's a lovely thought,

but it's not biblical truth. You see, the mustard seed plant

has grown into a monstrosity as has done the church, and it

harbours birds and there's remember they've mentioned in

the same breath as demons and every foul spirit.

So it's not like bad, bad, bad. Oh, and then there's these

pretty birds. No, look at the context.

The birds who in the parables are emissaries of Satan

according to the foundational parable of the soils, Mark 413.

In verse 3, we ask why is God judging commercial Babylon?

So throughout the history of the fallen world, Satan has used his

anti God demonic style of government and I think it's

never been clearer than it is today in our nation as well.

Particularly Satan has used his anti God demonic style of

government oppression to also seduce the masses, to deceive

them and to manipulate the people of the world.

Well, if we vote this way, we get the right people in.

Look what's happened. We didn't How many of you went?

How did we? How come we're still voting

people in that do stuff like this?

What is wrong with us? It says for all the nations

notice have drunk of the wine of the wrath of a thorn occasion,

the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, the

whole world has become rich through the abundance of the

luxury. It's interesting that you can

enter parliament, even our own parliament.

You can start off on a modest wage and it's funny how you

leave parliament with millions, 1,000,000 and 1,000,000.

Isn't that interesting? No one ever leaves to say, oh,

just a few dollars, just getting by.

It's fascinating. The entire world is seduced,

seduced into the worship of hedonism.

What's hedonism? Hedonism is the doctrine, and

the church has gone after this as well.

The doctrine of the pursuit of pleasure being the most

important thing in life. We want sermons that bring

pleasure. Tell me how to be happy, how to

have happiness in the search of happiness.

You know the Bible doesn't say come to church and find the

search of happiness. Hedonism is now being spoken of

and and and paraded from pulpits all around the world to Timothy

chapter 3 verse one Paul said of these times.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come,

for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,

boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient appearance,

unthankful, unholy and loving, unforgiven, slanderers without

self control, brutal despisers of good traitors, headstrong,

haughty. And here it is, lovers of

pleasure rather than lovers of God.

I find I want a church where I can go there and it makes me

happy. Well, there's plenty of churches

that will do that, having a form of godliness, Paul goes on to

say, but denying its power. You have all the words, have all

the trimmings to delay it or see it, but the God's not there.

That's so they continue to be able to live in their sin.

This is a good religion from such people, Paul says turn

away. Notice how our own state

government, it's interesting in spite of our current massive

health and housing crisis. It's it's it's just terrible

with my brother the other day trying to age care for him.

Trying to get and, and you got to have the right code.

You got to have the right person to ring to get this code.

Then you're going to contact this group.

They only deal with that mob. We don't do now you got to have

a different code. You got to contact this other

person. And they were considering my

brother not I'll enough yet. He can't walk, he's on oxygen,

he can't drive. The doctor said.

And they assessed him and said no, not enough, can't shower by

himself, can't feed himself. Interesting, interesting.

So our own state government, in spite of our current health and

housing crisis, notice how much a house is going to be in the WA

now continues to spend our government millions of dollars

on what? Concerts?

Wrestling, international soccer teams to build a racetrack that

no one wants. When people are dying and

there's a poor letter in the other day in the front page,

people are dying because they can't get into the emergency

services. You see what is the government

offering? Hedonism.

It's just like Rome in the old days.

We just haven't games games verse 4 and I heard another

voice from heaven saying come out of her, my people, lest you

share in her sins, lest you receive of a plague for her sins

of reach to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities render

to her just as she rendered to you repay her double according

to her works in the cup which she has mixed mixed double for

her in the measure that she glorified herself and lived.

Notice luxuriously in the same measure give her torment and

sorrow for she says in her heart, I sit as queen and I'm no

widow and will not see sorrow. Therefore her plague will come

in one day suddenly death and mourning and famine, and she

will be utterly burned with fire.

For strong is the Lord God who judges her.

God is calling his people to come out of her.

The Babylonian system, the world political system, worldliness,

the system of the world that seeks to lure you into its

clutches, to control you, because it is all coming down.

Babylon has fallen, and now the details of its great fall are

written. A warning from God to separate

the Jehovah Witnesses use this verse to say you can't be in a

union can't be in this and I'm thinking oh that's that's an

interesting place got nothing to do with this Babylon has fallen.

God warns be separate or else will people will be caught up in

the judgement and history will repeat itself.

How Sodom and Gomorrah book of Genesis angels came down went to

see who Lot and his family. The warning come out judgments

coming get away from the city. At this point we know that the

Church of Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation during the

tribulation is in heaven. The church has been raptured,

having been raptured prior to the Tribulation period

commencing. Many unsaved people are left

behind who will come to Christ in the Tribulation.

Many will die for their faith. We know that.

But this is God's warning to these people.

We know that these people will not have the mark of the beast.

They will have been unable to be part of the commercial

Babylonian commercial system. Why?

Because they won't be able to buy or sell.

So this is a warning saying get right away from Babylon,

distance yourself, don't share no sins.

Paul wrote to the believers today, you and I also warning

us, Ephesians 511 have no fellowship with the unfruitful

works of darkness, but rather expose them.

In other words, don't get caught up living a compromised

lifestyle where you are entangled with the affairs of

this world. I can't believe the discussions

I have with people often. And I say, where you been?

What have you been doing? And then the things that you're

getting involved in, I know. And, and it's like you're

committing slow suicide, slow spiritual death.

You're doing just stupid things. You're not putting God first.

You're not loving the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul

and strength first. You're getting involved in other

stuff. And so your family begins to

fall apart, your marriage begins to suffer, your kids go off the

rail, and you wonder why you get entangled with the affairs of

the world. Galatians 51 Paul says, stand

fast. Therefore, I know Helen covered

this with the ladies. Therefore, in the freedom, the

liberty by which Christ has made us free, do not be entangled

again with a yoke of bondage. Come out from the old way that

you used to live. We used to worry about, oh, how

much money do I have to have? Where am I going to do it?

I'm going to worry about this. Oh, where are we going to do

this? How am I going to do that?

If only I can win Lotto, If only I can get that job.

You see, it's all dances together.

Paul wrote two Timothy 24. No one engaged in warfare and we

are. Ephesians chapter 5 and 6 tells

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

us we're soldiers, we have armour on.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the

affairs of this life. Now you might have a busy life

and I say to you, why is it busy?

You mean? Well, I just got so much going

on. And I say to you, well, who

organised that? I've been there.

Because now once you become born again, your life should become

pretty simple. Oh, but we have kids so well,

but we're married, we go, you know, and the Bible says oh, oh,

these are the clauses re examine your life.

Martha or Mary consume with many things, but Mary has found the

one thing that is needed. You have one thing to do, seek

ye first, the Kingdom of God. Seek you first, the Kingdom of

God and God will look after everything else.

Our churches are full of people who are struggling and torn and

oh, I don't know what to do and I'm all over the place.

I need counselling for this and no, you don't.

You need to get your life right with God.

You need to get rid of all the rubbish that you're involved in

and you need to get serious in your walk with God and your

family. No one engaged in warfare

entangles himself with the affairs of this world that he

may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

How can you please God if you're entangled with the affairs of

the world? You're not even available.

People, you know, come to me and say I want to do this in the

church. I want to do that.

Hey, here's something. Come to church every time I'm

here. Start there.

Be in church more than once. Well, I want to do this.

I want to. I don't know what.

No, no. Be in the prayer meeting, teach

in the Sunday School. Have a crack at that.

Oh, yeah. But you know, a few things on.

Yeah, you have. You see, Are you the same

character or person? It takes communion and yet acts

differently at a business meeting or a commercial

enterprise. You're playing in the world and

dancing to its tune on John 215. Do not love the world or the

things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the

love of the Father is not in him.

Jesus said no one can serve 2 masters, for either he'll hate

the one and love the other, or else he'll be loyal to 1 and

despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon,

but this separation is not isolation, monastic.

We're in the world, but we're not of the world.

Jesus tells us in John 17 verse 15.

John 17:15

Jesus said, I do not pray that you should take them, that's us

out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil

one. That's the Lord's Prayer, John

1716. They are not of the world, just

as I am not of the world. Jesus lived in the world, but he

wasn't of the world. He ate with sinners, but he

didn't sin. Vance Havner said we are not to

be isolated, but rather insulated.

That's what your kids are to do, not isolate them, insulate them

moving in the midst of evil, but untouched by it.

Verse 5 for her sins have reached to heaven and God has

remembered her iniquities. Literally the sins of commercial

Babylon and it says in the Greek have piled one on top of the

other like that. That's what the Greek language

says in a huge stack. You see, they tried to reach

heaven, didn't they, with their tower.

But in the end they only reached heaven with their tower of sins.

But for every believer, God no longer remembers our sins.

God remembers Babylon sins, and he's going to judge it doubly.

But the Bible says for every believer, God no longer

remembers our sins. Praise the Lord Jeremiah 3134

for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.

I will remember no more and I thank God for that.

I remember stuff He doesn't. Isn't that good verse?

We're going to run short of time, so we're going to skip to

the end. We're going to fly to the end.

Babylon says I will not see sorrow.

Oh, Oh yeah, that's demonic pride.

Verse 8, Babylon will be utterly burned with fire.

In other words, burned to ashes, totally consumed.

Verse 17, In one hour she will come to nothing.

Verse 20, notice what happens. All of heaven rejoices at her

destruction. So all the people on the earth

are going, Oh no, look what's happened to all my money, all my

stocks, all my shares, all my gold.

Oh whoa, what are we going to do with business?

And in heaven? Different viewpoint.

Everyone's going, you cutie, it's gone, it's gone.

How different it is, how different it is.

You see, at this point the religious and the political

system of the beast has been totally destroyed.

All that remains is for Jesus Christ now to come from heaven,

chapter 19 and personally meet and defeat the beast and his

armies. Tonight I want to ask you a

couple of questions. Are you a citizen of Babylon or

heaven? Do you need to get out of

Babylon? Is your life so complex, so

wrapped up in the things of the world?

Man, you check the papers every day, you watch this and that.

I mean, it all hangs on. Or what's going to happen here?

What's going to happen there? Or are you living in the

wonderful grace and peace of God?

What matters most to you tonight, right now?

Are you drifting? The cross of Jesus Christ draws

our hearts away from the empty and deadly pleasures of

worldliness. Galatians 614 But God forbid,

and that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus

Christ, by whom the world Mystery Babylon has been

crucified to me. It's dead to me now, and I to

the world.