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Satan has always opposed the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning, his heart was lifted up with pride against the Son of God. He inspired, organized, and led a rebellion among the angels of heaven, attempting to overthrow God’s throne, frustrate his purposes, destroy his works, and prevent the triune God from executing and fulfilling his eternal covenant of grace. Though his revolt was totally unsuccessful. (He did not even shake God’s throne, much less overturn it! {See Isa. 14:24, 26, 27}. Yet, the old serpent has never ceased to oppose the purpose of God. He knows he has but a short time until Christ shall cast him forever into the pit (Rev. 12:12). Yet, he continues his rebellion. He continues to inspire, organize and lead men and women in rebellion against the God of heaven. And his primary means of opposition to Christ is organized false religion.
CHRIST DESTROYS BABYLONLesson #32
Revelation 18:1-24
That religious system, inspired, organized, and led by satan, the religion of antichrist, is portrayed as a great harlot patronized by the whole world and a great city of world wide influence and wealth. The name of that great harlot and that great city is Babylon. Babylon represents the world, especially the religious world, in opposition to Christ. The religions of the world have many names. But their essential tenets are always the same. The religion of the world, the religion of antichrist, the religion of Babylon, is the religion of free-willism and works salvation. The religion of Babylon, the hell inspired religion of antichrist by which the souls of deceived multitudes are destroyed, always proclaims that salvation is ultimately decided and determined by man. Free-will, works religion is a satanic antichrist and damning to the souls of men. Both the preachers and the adherents of such religion, like Nimrod, are rebels against God, utterly lost, without the knowledge of the living God. And, like Nimrod, they all shall perish under the wrath of God.
It is popular. Men love it, support it, promote it, and defend it. It has always been the religion of the world. It is wealthy. The world’s most famous, most well respected religious leaders are the servants of this great whore. And the religion of Babylon so thoroughly controls the minds of men that it controls the political, economic, academic, and philosophical powers of the world. The whole world, by the deception of satan, cherishes free-will, man-centered, Babylonian religion. But, thank God, the religion of Babylon, all opposition to the church of Christ, the truth of Christ, and the glory of Christ shall be destroyed. That is the subject of Revelation 18.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT, AN ADMONITION, AND A WARNING (vv. 1-8). A great, mighty angel came down from heaven, whose glory lightened the earth. These mighty spirits, who were created by God to be ministering spirits to those chosen and ordained of God to be the heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14). But these mighty angels are also the instruments by which God executes his judgment upon his enemies. Those holy beings who, by divine direction, have protected God’s church from their enemies in every age shall destroy our enemies in the end.
This mighty angel announced the fall of Babylon as if it had already occurred (vv. 2-3). So sure and certain is God’s judgment upon Babylon that it is recorded as a past event. Notice how the angel describes Babylon. It is not a literal city, but a religious system that encompasses and includes everything opposed to God. It is the habitation of devils, the home of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hated bird! Babylon is the idolatrous religion of the world (Isa. 21:9; Jer. 50:2). The gods of Babylon are the dung-gods of freewillism and works salvation. The dung of Babylon’s religious solemnities has smeared and defiled the whole earth. Had it not been for the Lord’s free, preserving grace, we all would have been swallowed up in Babylon. But God would not allow us to have our way (Jer. 51:7-10; II Thess. 2:10-13).
Yet, even Babylon serves the purposes of God. Though the heresies of false religion are hatched in hell and set in opposition to the throne of God, they are under the rule of God and serve only to accomplish his purpose of grace toward his elect (I Cor. 11:19; II Thess. 2:3). By the spreading fame and popularity of free-will religion, God’s elect are proved. Though all the world goes after Babylon, God’s own will not fall for her lies. When Babylon has served her purpose, she shall be brought to utter destruction. By what means God will publicly destroy false religion, we are not told. But these things are plainly revealed: Babylon will fall suddenly. Her destruction will come from within (Rev. 17:16-17). And God’s judgment upon Babylon is just and well deserved (v. 3). When the world’s religious system is destroyed, the whole earth shall be thrown into chaos and confusion, because it is the religion of the world that governs the economics, philosophy, and politics of the world. When Babylon falls, everything falls.
In verse 4, John records an admonition from the mouth of Christ himself. This is a call which the Lord our God repeatedly issues to his Church in all ages. It is an urgent call to separation, "Come out of her, my people!" (Read - Isa. 48:20; 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:54; Zech. 2:7.) The Lord does not say, "Stay in Babylon and heal her." He does not say, "Find a way to get along with Babylon." He does not say, "Love Babylon, pray for Babylon, and try to help Babylon." God says, "Come out of her, my people!" (Jer. 51:7-10). And all of God’s people will deliberately come out of Babylon (II Cor. 6:16-18). To remain a part of any church or denomination that denies the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ is to line up with the Lord’s enemies and court eternal damnation. To come out of her is to have no fellowship with her, give no support to her, offer no hope to her, and publicly repudiate her doctrines and practices by identifying with Christ, his gospel and his church.
A solemn warning is given to those who set themselves against Christ, his church, and the gospel of his grace (vv. 5-8). The God of heaven is a God who can, must and will punish sin. Here the Lord himself tells us five things about divine judgment (v. 5). (1.) God remembers all the iniquities of his enemies. He has forgotten the sins of his people, because they are thoroughly removed by the blood of Christ. But he will never forget any iniquity of his enemies. (2.) God will punish sinners exactly in proportion to the evil they have done, according to strict justice (vv. 6-7). There are no degrees of reward in heaven. But there are degrees of punishment. And the hottest fires of hell’s lowest pit are reserved for those who despise the free grace of God and trample under foot the precious blood of Christ revealed in the gospel (Matt. 11:20-24). (3.) Divine judgment comes suddenly, swiftly, without warning (v. 8). (4.) It is thorough, complete, without mercy (v. 8). And (5.) God is both willing and able to punish sin (v. 8).
A THREEFOLD LAMENTATION (vv. 9-19). The kings of the earth, the merchantmen of the earth, and the seamen of the earth, when they see Babylon fall by the hand of God, shall all wail because of her fall. The kings, the mighty men of power and influence, in the earth wail for Babylon (vv. 9-10). They have laid in the bed of this great harlot for so long that they have come to love her and depend upon her. By yielding to her influence, honoring her name, and defending her, they have made themselves rich and powerful. Slick politicians (conservative and liberal) have always used religion to promote themselves. But when these mighty men see their whole religious foundation in ruins, they wail for her. Then the merchants wail for her (vv. 11-16). These merchants represent something more than businessmen. They represent all men and women who set their hearts on the wares and luxuries of this world. When everything they cherish crumbles before them, or becomes worthless in their eyes, they wail in agony (Lk. 12:16-21). Without question there is a direct reference here to false prophets, preachers who for covetousness make merchandise of men’s bodies and souls, bringing them into the slavery of the world’s religion to enrich themselves (cf. v. 13 and II Pet. 2:1-3). The third lamentation comes from the mouths and hearts of seamen (vv. 17-19). Like the kings and merchants, the seamen have spent their lives seeking the wealth, power, luxury, and pleasure of the world. But when God brings everything to ruins, when men see all their hopes and desires utterly destroyed, they weep like babies in torment, with broken hearts. The destruction of Babylon is the destruction of the world, its religious, economic, political, and philosophical foundations. When the unbeliever sees everything he has lived for, worked for, and trusted in completely destroyed, he is utterly devastated. Let all be warned. Lay not up treasures upon the earth (Matt. 6:19-21). The fashion, the outward appearance, and the glamour of this world is perishing (I Cor. 7:31). Make provision for your immortal soul (Mk. 8:36-37).
A CAUSE FOR GREAT JOY (vv. 20-24). Babylon’s fall and the world’s destruction is God’s just retribution poured out upon those who have despised and persecuted his elect throughout history. Therefore, all of God’s elect are called upon to rejoice over her. The final destruction of Babylon will be total, climatic, and irreversible (vv. 21-22). A mighty angel appears to execute God’s judgment upon Babylon. He picks up a huge millstone. With one mighty, angry thrust, he hurls it into the sea and says, "This is what shall become of Babylon, it shall be hurled into the sea of God’s wrath forever, never to be retrieved. This wicked world, particularly, this religious world system, with its leaders and its followers, as the center of seduction, shall perish forever. Notice the symbolism that is used to express thorough destruction. All false religious comfort and hope, Babylon, will be gone! All joy, symbolized by music, will be gone! All skill, art, talent, craftsmanship, self-satisfaction will be gone! All food, symbolized by the mill, will be gone! All light shall be gone! All relationships of love and unity will be gone! This destruction of Babylon is a matter of strict justice (vv. 23-24). Babylon’s merchants are the men received and made great by the earth, both worldly and religious leaders! By her sorceries, the world has been deceived (Gal. 3:1). Babylon, primarily false religion, has upon her hands the blood of all God’s saints and prophets (Lk. 11:47-51).The destruction of Babylon will be a cause for great joy! (v. 20). But why are God’s saints called upon to rejoice when the wicked are damned? This joy is not at all a vindictive joy over the torments of personal enemies. It is a righteous agreement with God. It is God’s saints taking sides with God, vindicating him in his justice, and saying, "Amen," to all that he does, because of their hearts’ agreement with him (Psa. 139:21-22). God’s saints will rejoice when God’s enemies are destroyed, because God’s name and honor will then be vindicated.