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Psalms
118:15-29 The voice of
rejoicing and salvation Is in
the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The
right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. I
shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. The LORD has
chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. Open to me the
gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD,
Through which the righteous shall enter. I will praise You, For You have
answered me, And have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the LORD's doing; It is
marvelous in our eyes. This is
the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray,
O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you
from the house of the LORD. God is
the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns
of the altar. You are my God,
and I will praise You; You are
my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Father God, we give thanks for all you do in our lives. Help
us to prepare our heart this Christmas Season in celebration of the birth of your
Son Jesus. Help us to focus on Jesus and not the commercial and materialism our
society promotes. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 18:1-13 NKJV
This
lesson is about the fall of Babylon at the end of the Tribulation. It will be a
sad day for those that live for worldly pleasure. This is a lesson we need to examine
our lifestyle and see if we fall into living for the world or for Jesus and
promoting His kingdom, and not our self gratification. As human beings we cave
into the pleasures of self so easily, we have to be on guard continually.
1 After
these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great
authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
This angel is a high
ranking angel. It could very well be Michael or Gabriel, but we don’t know
that. Some think this is Jesus, because of the authority and illumination, but
that would discredit the Trinity and go against the Word of God. Angels were
created by God, and the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were always, and will be
forever.
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!
Where is this Babylon that
is spoken of in this verse? Is it literal, spiritual, figurative, or what? It
is literal and spiritual. As you read on in this chapter it is talking about
commerce, and this verse mentions all of Satan’s workers. Some believe this
Babylon applies to Rome rather than to any other city of that age: (a) as
ruling over the kings of the earth (Revelation_17:18);
(b) as sitting on seven mountains (Rev_17:9);
(c) as the center of the world's merchandise (Revelation_18:3,
Revelation_18:11-13); (d) as the
corrupter of the nations (Revelation_17:2;
Revelation_18:3; Revelation_19:2); (e) as the persecutor of the
saints (Revelation_17:6). Others
believe and I also believe it is referring to Jerusalem because that is where
the Antichrist will set up his headquarters.
The literal part is referring
to what the Antichrist will set up during the Tribulation with the buying and
selling (Revelation 13:17 and that no
one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or
the number of his name.)
in a one world order economy, while the spiritual refers to the setting up of
an image that will be a one world order of worshipping (Revelation
13:8 All who dwell on the earth
will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.) the image instead of God. So you can see why it will be “a dwelling place of demons, a prison for
every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird”, since the
Antichrist will be in charge.
This event will happen the
last half of the Tribulation and this angel may be announcing the end is near,
or the battle of Armageddon is about to commence.
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."
For
all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; This phrase has a meaning of great
magnitude. It is referring to the great city of Babylon that will exist at this
particular time, but also for all the false religions that have, are, and will
exist. Anyone who accepts salvation as anything other than Jesus Christ and
Him Crucified, God labels as spiritual fornication.
The word “wrath” tells us
that the anger of God will always be poured out in judgment of anyone that puts
their faith in anything other than Jesus death and resurrection. If salvation
is found in anything other than Jesus shedding his precious blood for us, then
Jesus death was in vain.
The
kings of the earth have committed fornication with her; The rulers of present day, practice
Babylonian religion, therefore committing fornication with the harlot just as
they will during the Tribulation. The Tribulation time period will be a one
world order of worshipping the beast while right now we have rulers endorsing
Islam, Buda, Hindu, etc.
And
the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her
luxury; Merchants in
the Roman Empire grew rich by exploiting the sinful pleasures of their society.
Many businesspeople today do the same thing. It is the pride of life that rises
up within one to excel instead of accepting what God gives us. Businesses and
governments are often based on greed, money, and power. Many intelligent
individuals are tempted to take advantage of an evil system to enrich
themselves. Christians are warned to stay free from the lure of money, status,
and the good life. We are to live according to the values Christ exemplified:
service, giving, self-sacrifice, obedience, and truth.
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.
This voice is not
identified other than it is from Heaven. If it was an angel, beast, or elder it
would have been noted, so we can assume it is a voice of another servant of God
just as John was a servant of God. This servant is warning us to come out of
the religions that preach a false doctrine of salvation. If we stay in religion
that teaches worship to anyone other than Jesus Christ, our advocate, then we
will share her sins, plagues, and judgment.
5 For her
sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Symbolic Babylon is
directed at religion but also pertains to all types of sin. Our sins reach to
Heaven. Each and every time we sin, it is record in a book, and those that
don’t repent these books will be opened to the pages of their life, and will be
used against them at the Great White Throne Judgment, which the only outcome is
the Lake of Fire; this is how God remembers our iniquities. Those that come to
realize they are born with a sin nature and the only thing that will cleanse
them is the sacrificed blood of Jesus Christ by asking Jesus to forgive them
and rule their lives, will be saved, their sins will be forgotten by God then.
Some believe baptism cleanses them of the sin nature, but only faith in Jesus Christ and what He did
on the Cross for us will save us; although baptism is a part of salvation as an
outward sign of our commitment to Jesus, but baptism will not save a person.
6 Render to
her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works;
in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
This voice that is crying
from Heaven is stating to God to show no mercy, in fact to give her a double
portion of judgment because she has deceived the nations and pulled His people
away from Him. This also pertains to the Gentile nations also. In fact any
preacher, priest, or teacher that points people in a different direction other
than Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, God will deal with them much harsher. James
3:1
7 In the
measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure
give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will
not see sorrow.'
In
the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously; We have to keep in mind what “she”,
mainly represents, and that is religion. Jesus and the apostles never taught
religion, in fact they preached against religion meaning customs, rituals, self
sustaining, and the like. When Jesus said come follow me He meant give all up,
and put faith in Him and He will sustain life. The opposite is true with the
harlot. She promotes self works, self gratification, if it feels good do it, pride
of life, etc. in other words live a glorious luxurious life focused on self. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith,
and that not of yourselves; it is
the gift of God.
In
the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit
as queen, and am no widow, and
will not see sorrow;
This voice again states, to give her what she has coming, for what she has done
to God’s people. The powerful, wealthy people of this world are susceptible to
this same attitude. A person who is financially comfortable often feels
invulnerable, secure, and in control, feeling no need for God or anyone else.
This kind of attitude defies God, and his judgment against it is harsh. We are
told to avoid Babylon's sins. If you are financially secure, don't become
complacent and deluded by the myth of self-sufficiency. Use your resources to
help others and advance God's Kingdom.
8 Therefore
her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be
utterly burned with fire, for strong is
the Lord God who judges her.
Therefore
her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine; This phrase tells us that she,
Babylon will be destroyed very quickly. Her demise could be as quick as one
hour especially if this verse is linked to the seventh bowl judgment. Revelation 16:18-19 And there were noises and thunderings and
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great
earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the
great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell.
And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of
the fierceness of His wrath. This
is actually talking about the destruction of the city where the Antichrist’s
headquarters will be.
She
will be utterly burned with fire; This
fire could be from God, or from the earthquake that would rupture gas lines and
storage tanks.
For
strong is the Lord God who
judges her; God has
the elements of nature to bring about his wrath whereas man does not.
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,
These seven years of the
Tribulation the Antichrist will build a system that will make the nations
prosper. They will grow in riches and this will cause them to totally support
all the Antichrist does or proposes to do. They will give it all, but when this
world system collapses, they will mourn because they won’t have anything to
fall back on. What they have worked for a lifetime to build up will be
destroyed in a very short time. Those who work only for material rewards will
have nothing when they die or when their possessions are destroyed. What can we
take with us to the new earth? Our faith in Jesus, our Christian character, and
our relationships with other believers. These are more important than any
amount of money, power, or pleasure.
Satan uses this type of
temptation of worldly pleasures to entice people and draw them away from God.
He also used this tactic on Jesus in Matthew. Matthew 4:8-10 Again, the
devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the
kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will
give You if You will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus
said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is
written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.'
"
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.'
This verse is telling us
that Nations around the world will be watching this destruction and the
aftermath of God’s wrath. They may be fearful of this type of destruction
coming their way. Some will say there has been fighting in the Middle East
since the beginning of time and now it is finished. With all the plagues and
natural events taking place leading up to this event will people repent of
their lifestyles, probably not, because they love the world more than God.
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.
God's people should not
live for money, because money will be worthless in eternity. And they should
keep on guard constantly against greed, a sin that is always ready to take over
their lives. God wants us to work and to provide for our families, and he
commands the proper use of money. But when the desire for money fills our
lives, it becomes a false god. Don't be incarcerated by the desire for wealth.
This list of merchandise
illustrates the extreme materialism of this society. Few of these goods are
necessities, most are luxuries. The desire for nonessential luxuries is what
drives people and merchants. Yet, how many of these luxuries listed are in your
home? Most people will find that they own almost everything on this list. We
are people who truly live in great luxury. We, too, are in danger of being
absorbed in possessions and pleasure. Make sure that your desires lead you in
the right direction. Put boundaries on them. Don't go after everything you see.
Keep your desires on serving God and building his Kingdom by helping others.
Horses and chariots refers
to luxurious vehicles and multiple ones.
The phrase “bodies and
souls of men” could very well be referring to drug addiction.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created
that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him
and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God."
Bill
Wiesbrock https://www.facebook.com/bill.wiesbrock?ref=tn_tnmn
Sinners
Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!
“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner. I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my
sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my
sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins. I believe that only you can forgive sin. I commit my life to you and ask you to come
into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life. I believe that you died to set me free from
my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and
right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are
the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my
Savior.” I believe this and have faith
you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my
heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.” (John 3:16,17;
Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1
John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom.
1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)
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