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Revelation 17 . . .
“a literary triumph of imaginative power”
“one of the most complex passages of the entire book”
Rev. 17Rev. 18
“Apocalyptic literature is a special kind of writing that arose among Jews and
Christians to reveal certain
mysteries about heaven
and earth, humanity and God, angels and demons, the life of the world today, and the world to come.”
Apocalyptic literature “reveals” these mysteriesthrough the use of striking
visions and highly
symbolic language.
Don’t miss the forest for the trees! Let’s not get lost in the details and therefore miss the message Jesus has for us!
Our Guiding Principle
Chp. 1 Chp. 2-3 Chps. 4-22
“Things
which
you have
seen”
“Things
which
are”
“Things which will take place”
Vision of Christ Vision of Consummation
Theophany Talks Tribulations Triumph Together!
Babylon the Great portrayed as a woman, the Great Prostitute who rides
upon the beast (the AntiChrist)
Who or what does this Great Prostitute symbolize?
Babylon derived from word “babel” (Tower of Babel – Genesis 11)
Genesis 11:4Let us build a name for ourselves.
Babylon in the Bible becomes more than just a geographical city … it becomes
symbolic of this evil world system and its design to write the true God out of the
equation of life. It is a mindset that says, “I will be my own god! I need no other!”
Babylon the Great symbolizes . . .
Babylon the Great portrayed as the Great Prostitute
Babylon the Great portrayed as a great commercial center … a city of
great wealth and influence!
The reality of Babylon’s fall (vv. 1-3; 21-23a)
The reason for Babylon’s fall (vv. 4-8; 23b-24)
The response to Babylon’s fall (vv. 9-20)
Outline of Revelation 18
Revelation 18:1-2aAfter 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!
The REALITY of Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:2b-3She 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.
The REALITY of Babylon’s fall
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.”
Revelation 18:21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more.”
The REALITY of Babylon’s fall
Jeremiah 51:63-64When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, “Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.”
The REALITY of Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:22-23And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more.
The REALITY of Babylon’s fall
The reality of Babylon’s fall (vv. 1-3; 21-23a)
The reason for Babylon’s fall (vv. 4-8; 23b-24)
Outline of Revelation 18
Revelation 18:4-5Then I heard 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.
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:6-7Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:8For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:7As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
Self-indulgence
Revelation 18:23b-24For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
Who is in control of Babylon the Great? Who controls this evil world system?
1 John 5:19We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the
power of the evil one.
Revelation 18:23b-24For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The REASON for Babylon’s fall
The reality of Babylon’s fall (vv. 1-3; 21-23a)
The reason for Babylon’s fall (vv. 4-8; 23b-24)
The response to Babylon’s fall (vv. 9-20)
Outline of Revelation 18
Revelation 18:9-10And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:9-10And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:11-12And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:13-14cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:15-16The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:17b-18And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:19And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,“Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her
wealth! For in a single hour she has
been laid waste.”
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Revelation 18:20Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
Deuteronomy 32:43Rejoice with him, O heavens; bow down to him, all gods, for he avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people's land.
The RESPONSE to Babylon’s fall
How should WE respond to Babylon and its impending fall?
Revelation 18:4Then I heard another voice from heaven
saying, “Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.
We must avoid the snare of the mindset of
this world . . .
PrideSelf-indulgenceSelf-sufficiency
“This is a call to live ‘in’ but not ‘of.’ In the city, for where else can we go? But not of the city. It’s no easy task. That is
why we need each other. That is why we need Christian community. That is why Jesus gives us Revelation! The imagery sharpens the issues. The wild imagery sharpens the choices. He gives us the book to reveal (among other things)
what we do not otherwise know:
that the ‘great city,’ whatever its name, is not as ultimate as it thinks. It is falling.
And right in the middle of it is the Lamb who is Lord of lords and King of kings,
who is able to lead us in the ways of the ‘greater city to come.’ Jesus gave us
Revelation to free his church from its ‘Babylonian captivity’ – to free us for the
new city which will never fall.” (Darrell Johnson)
Check out the hair!!!
We need to WAKE UP and GET OUT of bed with Babylon! GET OUT of the
cesspool known as Babylon the Great!
Am I living IN the world? OR
Am I living IN the world but not OF the world?
