The Fall of Babylon, Part 2

A lot of the times the prophecies in the Old Testament had a two-fold meaning, both for the nation of Israel at that time and then down the road when the Messiah would return. Now that we are here in the 21st century, able to look at what they wrote about, see what happens in the New Testament.

We're able to put a picture together to understand even more. Let me give you just a little bit of an illustration of that by having you turn with me to Zach chapter 5.

Zach chapter 5, and this will set the tone for our study in Revelation chapter 18. What John the apostle saw in Revelation chapter 18. Is something of great significance because it was seen before. It was seen by Zach the prophet of old. And what John sees in Revelation chapter 18 as he's on the island of Petmus, he sees the final days of man. What man is going to be doing, what man is going to look like right before Jesus Christ returns, before Christ comes back in Revelation chapter 19. So in Revelation 18, we understand the world system.

We understand a little bit about Antichrist, his rule, man's accomplishments, man's ambitions, man's desire. But before John saw what he saw on the island of Patmos, recorded in Revelation chapter 18, Zachariah saw something very similar. I'm going to read it to you. And you're going to say, I don't see that in Revelation chapter 18, but I want to share with you some things that I learned this week and help bring it to light. Zechariah chapter 5, verse number 5. Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said to me, Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.

And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the ephah going forth. Again he said, This is their appearance in all the land or in all the earth. And behold, a lead cover was lifted up. And this is a woman sitting inside the epha. Then he said, This is wickedness. And he threw her down into the middle of the epha and cast the lead weight on its opening. Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a stork.

And they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. And I said to the angel who was speaking with me, Where are they taking the ephah? Th he said to me, To build a temple for her in the land of Shin. And when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal. Now we read that, we think, what on earth did Zach see? He saw the exact same thing that John saw in Revelation chapter 18, except John gets more of the details. Let me help you understand it as we begin our time together in Revelation chapter 18.

The Jews were returning from Babylonian captivity. They had been there for 70 years. Some of them had been there just a little bit longer than that. And they had been there since the Babylonian people conquered Jerusalem in the land of Judah. In coming back from Babylon, there was a renewal of sort. For when they were restored to the land, they gave up their pagan idolatry. As you recall, that Is precisely why they were taken into Babylonian captivity. They were into the religion of the pagan gods.

They had forsaken the one true God. And they were taken away into captivity for 70 years. Having given up that pagan idolatry during their captivity, something else took place. They embraced Babylonian materialism. They had acquired a longing for greed, a lust for g. This passage in Zechariah 5 acts as a rebuke against that lust, that desire for materialism. The desire to gain more because it's wickedness, it is sin. Malachi would speak of it in Malachi chapter 3. He called it robbing God. When Zach sees this vision, the spirit of self-centered materialism which was foreign to the nation of Israel before their captivity because they were a shepherd people.

They acquired this materialistic mentality while in Babylon. In a sense, they had become captured again. They were captured by a people. They were taken away into captivity because they had turned their back on the one true God. But while they were there, There was the influence of materialism that seemed to encompass their lives. So, for some degree, in some degree, they were taken captive again inwardly because of their lusts. For more that serves as a back for the nation of Israel. To this day, it is still captured by the lust for more, the lust for gain, the desire for materialistic wealth.

And so it will be in the last days, the last days of man, as in Revelation chapter 18, the desire, the lust for luxury, the lust for more and more and more. So, Zach 5, verse number 6. This is the Eph going forth. What? Is an e? Well, an E is a container, one bushel basket. It's about eight gallons or about thirty-nine quart. It was used to carry barley. It was used to carry fl. It was even large enough for a small person to fit into. The depiction here is one of a large basket, a large epha. Loaded with the sins of Israel.

It's filled to the brim. The sinners of Israel in this vision are seen as pieces of grain collected in a large basket until it's heaping fu. Sin, he sees something happening with this bushel basket when these two women come and take it and put it in the land of Shinar and set it up on a pedestal. Because he foresees what is going to be happening in the last days, because what's going to happen is going to encompass it. The text says The entire earth, the entire globe, the entire land. So it takes it beyond just the nation of Israel to encompass the entire world.

So Zach's prophecy goes from the people of Israel. To the end in Babylon, when Antichrist rules by offering people wealth. With that as an introduction, turn with me to Revelation chapter 18.

As you were with us in our last study. We began by talking about the announcement of judgment. Let me just read it to you.

Verses 1 to 3. Revelation 18, verses 1 to 3. After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great. She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit. and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality. And the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.

We said last week that the warning for this judgment has already come. It came back in Revelation chapter 14, verse. Number eight, when the angel recorded these words or cried these words, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality. So we know the warning has already come. When we come to Revelation chapter 18, the announcement of that judgment is upon them. And so we see two things: the cry of another angel and the cause for Jehovah's judgment.

Because this is the last days of man, right before Jesus Christ returns. And so with that, you come to point number two: the avoidance of judgment.

The avoidance of judgment. The world has bought into this system. They're cashing in. They're loving the system. They have seen terror. They have seen chaos. They have seen earthquakes. They have seen the sky rolled up like a scroll. They have been stung by scorpions. They have been killed by demons. And yet the world is flourishing financially. The greatest economic boom happens in the last days of man because God wants man to see that no matter what you have and no matter how strong you think you are and no matter who you think is the greatest of all leaders, I am the strong one.

I am the judge of all the earth. And I will bring everything you believe in crashing down because I am the true God. Unless you worship me and serve me, you have no life. You will not live forever with me. And he proves himself once again to be king of the universe. I'm reminded of the words of Christ way back in Luke chapter 6 when he said, But woe to you who are rich. for you are receiving your comfort in full. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn, and you Shall weep.

And when we get into next week, verses 9 and following, you will see these people weeping and mourning profusely, not because of their sin, but because their God Of love for money. Their lust for gain has been destroyed by God. And they will weep and they will mourn because that's what they want. They don't want God. They want m. They want riches. They want wealth. But after the announcement of judgment comes the avoidance of judgment. Look what it says in verse number 4. And I heard another angel, or excuse me, another voice.

From heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues. For her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Two things I want you to see about the avoidance of judgment. Number one, the command.

And number two, the connection. First of all, the command. Here. Of is another angel, another of the same kind, another of the same kind that made the announcement. Not the same angel, but another angel. God is calling to his own. This is remarkable to me. God is calling to who? My people. My people. To do what? To come out of Babylon, to come out of that city, to come out of that system. We've talked about already why we believe this is a literal city, a city that is governed by a system controlled by Antichrist.

But here another angel comes. And says, you need to avoid the judgment that's going to happen. Fallen, fallen as Babylon the Great, it's going to come crashing down. My people, God's people. Come out of her. Get out of that place. Get out of that environment. We know that throughout the entire tribulation period, God is saving people. We know that. The Bible in the book of Revel speaks explicitly to the fact that the greatest number of souls that are saved happen during the tribulation. It is not now.

I firmly believe there will be more souls saved in that seven-year period than the entire time from Christ to this day. The crucifixion of Christ in this day. I firmly believe that. Because in this day, Christ says, narrow is the gate, straight is the way, and few there be that find it in the church age.

But in the tribulation, there is a multitude of people, a great multitude of people who are saved. Never does Christ ever speak of a multitude of people who are saved in the church age. Never. Never. Few there be that find it. But during that seven-year tribulational period, the world hears the gospel through the angel that flies around him in heaven proclaiming the gospel through the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. Through the two witnesses in Revelation chapter 11, how many times have we spoken about them?

The world will hear the gospel during the tribulation. Like they've never heard it before. And there will be a multitude of people who are saved, a multitude who give their life to Christ and who are slain because of their belief in Christ. So we know that people are saved. So, to some degree, we can say that this is an evangelistic call, to some degree. But yet, on the other hand, it's a call to the people who are there, who are born again, and Christ says to them, come out of there.

Get out of there. It could be that you know there's not going to be a chance for those who don't take the mark of the beast to buy or sell or to eat, and they're going to feel the pressure of family to somehow take that mark. And to be a part of that system, if judgment's going to come quickly, be a part of the system so you can at least survive during the last days. The pressure will be tremendous upon Christians. The temptation for the believer in that day will be to somehow survive, to get water to drink.

Food to eat, food to feed their babies, food to nourish their children, to just stay alive, the temptation will be great. And yet, The angel says, don't get caught up in the system. Instead, get out of the city. Get out of there. I believe too, it could be an evangelist call from God's sovereign side. God knows who's elected. We don't know. This could be God's final call to the elect who are in that city. to be saved before the judgment comes and the king returns. This could be God's final call. And the final call is specifically given to the people who are in Babylon, who are sovereignly elected.

And for God's saying, come out of them, my people, because he knows from sovereignty's perspective that who his people are, even though we don't know, right? So he could be calling them out from that pers. The point is: get out before it falls. Get out before it's destroyed. Now listen, this has been the clarion call for Christians throughout the centuries. Get out of there. Get out of the world system. Don't buy into it. And what has happened is that more and more Christians, and this is where the book of Revelation becomes very practical for us today, we get caught up, we get consum with the world system.

And God calls, get out of there. Way back in Isaiah Chapter 48, verse number 20. Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans. Jeremiah chapter 50, verse number 8, you have these words. Wander away from the midst of Babylon, and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans. Jeremiah 51, verse number 8: Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his life. Do not be destroyed in her punishment, for this is the Lord's time of vengeance. He is going to render recompense to her. Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the Lord, intoxicating all the earth.

The nations have drunk of her wine, therefore, the nations are going mad. Suddenly, Babylon has fallen and been broken. Wail over her. Bring balm for her pain. Perhaps she may be healed. We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed. Fors her and let us each go to his own country. for judgment has reached to heaven and towers up to the very skies. Over in Jeremiah 5 Verse number 45: Come forth from her midst, my people, and each of you save yourselves from the fierce anger of the L. God says, listen, get out of there.

Why? So, number one, you don't participate in your sins. You don't participate in your iniquities. And number two, You don't suffer the plagues that are going to come upon her.

Maybe those plagues are the plagues of the bold judgments. Maybe those plagues specifically. Revolve around the bulls in Revelation chapter 16. Maybe that's the case, but it's not just that because those plagues come upon the entire world. The judgment that's going to fall upon Babylon is going to fall first, and then it's going to fall, I think, around the rest of the world.

Because the rest of the world is going to be able to observe what's happening in their city, their great city, and begin to mourn and weep over what is happening and lament. That's what's going on because there will be people who have fled the city and be able to observe it from a distance, as we will see next week, and watch what's happening. And so, while it does encom the bold judgments, I believe that he's referring to certain plagues, certain judgments that are going to come specifically upon that city alone.

So, get out of there unless you fall. In those plagues. Get out of there so you don't participate in their sin. Remember our study in Genesis chapter 19 of Lot? The angels came, get out of there, Lot. Get out of there. Flee now.

You must go now. And they had to grab his hand. And Lot was a righteous man. He was a righteous man. Believe it or not, he was. And the angels, if they didn't grab his hand and drag him out of there, he would have perished in that city. But God took him out of there supernaturally by an angel who carried his family out of there by hand And then he told him to flee. Flee to the mountains. And he said, No, I don't want to go there. Don't want to be there. Got to go to another city. Got to love the city life.

So, don't think for a moment that we as Christians can't get caught up in the world system because we do. And we've got to be very careful about that. And this is where the application of Revelation 18 becomes very strong for us even today. Just think: those of us who are believers who have been caught up in the city's system. Who have been caught up in the world system, who have bought into the drive for wealth and the drive for materialism. Just think of what it's going to be like in those days for those people.

Who are believers. And they have to survive because everything around them is crumbling and being destroyed. And that's God's call to His people: get out of there. Don't be seduced by the system. In the connection, the connection is seen in this way when it says, for her sins have piled up as high as Heaven, they've been glued together. They have been welded together. It's like a new tower of Babel, way back in Genesis chapter 11. Whose sin reached up into the heavens. There's a connection all the way back to Genesis chapter 11, all the way back to the very beginning when man tried to rebel against God.

And try to set up a one-world system. Now you have what Satan always wanted: that one-world system, and that's the connection. The connection way back to the very beginning when man wanted to rule without God. And their sins pile up as high as the heavens. And he says, This: oh, this is so good. He says, and God has rem her ini. Go back to Revelation 16. Revelation 16, verse number 19. And what does it say? And the great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And Babylon, the great was what?

Remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of his fierce wr. This may well be the specific judgment. That reaches its final fury in Babylon. Remember Jeremiah 31, 34? God says, I will not remember your sins.

I will forgive their iniquities, and their sin I will remember no more. For the believer, God says, I remember your sin no more.

For the unbeliever, he says, I remember. I remember your sins. My blood didn't cover your sins because you rejected my life. You rejected my sacrifice. So my blood didn't cover your sins. And I remember yours. The ones in whose sins have been covered, have been cleansed, I don't remember those sins. They've been declared righteous before me. But for those of you who have not accepted my sacrifice, I remember your sins. You are remembered before me, and therefore you will be judged. Condemnation. Will come.

So, where is the world heading? For Babylon, there is no repentance. For Babylon, there is judgment. For Antich's system, although it's amidst a tremendous economic boom, God says, Because you have a lust for luxury and not a love for the Lord, you will be remembered before me and I will destroy you.

And that's the difference between the two people: the Christians and the non-Christians. The Christian has a love for the Lord, and the unbeliever has a lust and a love for luxury. That's the difference. Spelled out explicitly throughout the scriptures, emphasized in Revelation chapter 18, that those people will be destroyed. Need to ask you. If God was going to judge today, would you fall under that judgment? Or would you escape the wrath to come because you know him as Lord and Savior? Do you have a love for the Lord?

Or do you have a lust for luxury, a love for the world? If you do, the Babylonian judgment is yours. If you don't, and you love the Lord, you'll escape that judgment. That wrath is not for you. God will spare you from that because of his promises. O you can ask and answer that question. And I trust you could answer it by saying, Yes, I love the Lord. Let 's pray.