Tucson Mountain Baptist Church

The great commercial center of the global economy is destroyed and burned up in “one hour”. Babylon falls so that the New Jerusalem may come.

“She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.” 1^st Peter 5:13

The “Babylon” of the Apocalypse is the New Rome of the future. We are fast approaching the final round in the struggle for world dominion. The massive and instantaneous destruction that John predicted happened when Rome fell to the barbarians in A.D. 410 and again in A.D. 493. But Physical Rome itself survived.

“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Revelation 18:1-3

Notice the details of Babylon’s final destruction:

1. It is Devoid of human life. “…Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.” v. 2
2. It is Devoured and Burned up by fire. “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, “I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.” Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her.” Vs. 4-9
3. It is Destroyed in one hour. “Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!” v. 10

4. It’s People are Doomed and Afraid to enter her borders. “Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!” The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.” The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” vs. 10-19

5. It is Violently overthrown. “Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.” Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” vs. 20-21
6. It is absolutely Depleted of all activity. “The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.” vs. 22-24

Babylon is judged for her negative Influence, Infidelity, and Inhumanity. This great society, not unlike our own, has forgotten God in all her success. They have forgotten there is No permanent Satisfaction in that which is temporal.

Two commands are given to the people of God. “Come out of her.” The true believers are separate themselves from the false, apostate religion!

Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues” . v. 4

“Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!” “God has judged her for the way she treated you.” v. 20

7. It is God’s Final and Irrevocable expression of wrath.

“Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” v. 21

“Babylon”(Rome) while it has suffered over the centuries, still stands intact today. The empire itself is gone, but the city is still there. So is its materialistic heritage. John’s “Babylon” is the “Rome” or “Europe” of the future. We should not underestimate the Satanic lure of materialistic prosperity, human comforts, and the pursuit of pleasure. The “Babylon” attitude still tugs at every human heart!

Believers are to rejoice, not sorrow, over the judgment and destruction of the materialistic system, that will ultimately return to the dust of oblivion. It will sink into the ocean like the giant millstone and forgotten forever. The Apocalypse is the collapse of civilization itself.

Lord Byron wrote, While stands the Coliseum, Rome shall stand; “When falls the coliseum, Rome shall fall; and when Rome falls; The World.” Amen…So be it!

Therefore my Christian brothers and sisters Rejoice!

The King is Coming!