Revelation 18:9-24
Purpose: To show how God will devastate the world’s economy.
Aim: I want the listener to turn their affection away from material things.
INTRODUCTION: Last time we saw that commercial Babylon, the center of the world’s wealth in last days before Jesus comes back to earth, will be utterly and completely destroyed in a single day.
The last half of chapter 18 describes the results of the downfall of this center of commerce. Our text today not only tells us what God is going to do to Babylon in the future, it also shows us the dangers of the materialism that we all face today.
We will begin today with a bird’s eye view of our text and then we will look at part of James chapter four to see how we can avoid the tragedy of greed.
REVIEW:
1:1-20 I. John’s Vision of the Past "the things which you have seen"
2:1-5:14 II. Christ’s Vision of the Present "the things which are"
Ch.6-22 III. John’s Vision of the Future "things which will take places"
6-7; 12-14 A. Satan’s war against God’s creation: the first six seals
8-11; 13:11-18; 15-18 B. The wrath of God: the seventh seal
1. The preparation for God’s wrath
2. The desolation through God’s wrath
13:11-18 3. The object of God’s wrath: the False Prophet
10, 11a, 17-18 4. The victory of God’s wrath
10:1-11 a. God’s declares victory
11:1-13 b. Temporary defeat for Jewish messengers
17:1-18 c. Permanent defeat for religious Babylon
18:1-24 d. The destruction of material Babylon
Vs.1-3 (1) God’s view of materialism
Vs.4-6 (2) God’s call to forsake materialism
Vs.7 (3) The sins that lead to materialism
Vs.8 (4) God’s judgment on materialism
LESSON:
Vs.9-19 (5) The world’s sorrow
Vs.9-10 "’Weep’ means ’to sob openly.’ ’Lament’ translates the same Gr. word used to express the despair of the unbelieving world at the return of Christ." (1:7).[1] Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (NAU)
Vs.11-13a 2 "The articles divide themselves into seven categories: (1) precious wares (gold, silver, precious stones, pearls); (2) materials of rich attire (fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet); (3) materials for costly furniture (all thyine wood, every vessel of ivory, of most precious wood, brass, iron, marble); (4) precious spices (cinnamon, spice, incense, ointment, frankincense); (5) articles of food (wine, oil, fine flour, wheat); (6) merchandise for agricultural and domestic uses (cattle, sheep, horses, chariots); (7) traffic in men (bodies, the souls of men) (Lee). John drew the list from items known in his day, not from the future time depicted in the prophecy (Alford)." [2]
Vs.13b "slaves and human lives" indicates that slaves are being bought and sold. By the way, slavery is alive and well on planet earth today. Boys and girls are being kidnapped everyday and sold as sex slaves. This helps explain why among a description of ungodly people like homosexuals, liars, and murders, Paul also included "kidnappers" in 1 Timothy 1:9-10.
"The international traffic in forced prostitution, both of men and women, is a tragic but financially lucrative business of modern times and will undoubtedly become even bigger in the evil days ahead. These vice barons are particularly venomous "great men" of the earth, not only amassing great wealth for themselves, but destroying both the "bodies and souls" of the hapless girls and boys who come under their control." [3]
Vs.14 "There is a rare triple negative in the last clause. ["no longer find them"] For all eternity these enemies of God and mankind shall find nothing to enjoy or control. The flames of gehenna await them." Psalm 1:5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. (NAU)
This is why John tells us that it is SO important that we live to please God rather than ourselves. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. (NAU)
Vs.15-19 Three times God says that the wicked that are left alive stay a great distance away from Babylon (Vs. 10, 15, 17). This seems to point to a nuclear or biological destruction.
In verse 9 it says the wicked will, "weep and lament." In verse 11 it says they will "weep and mourn." In verse 15 it says they will be "weeping and mourning." In verse 18 it says they were, "crying." In verse 19 it says that they were, "crying out, weeping and mourning."
It is their loss of wealth that causes their sorrow. They do not mourn the countless lives that were lost, or the devastation associated with the fall of the city, or the corruption in the leaders, or especially their own sin of greed.
Isaiah 47:15 "So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way; There is none to save you.(NAU)
The old hymn said it best:
"And O what a weeping and wailing
When the lost were told of their fate
They prayed but their prayers were unanswered
They cried but their tears were too late."
This weeping is much like Esau’s tears when he learned that he had lost his birthright to his brother Jacob: Hebrews 12:17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.(NAU)
2 Timothy 3:1-4 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control,[e.g. they will spend what they can’t afford] brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (NAU) We either love God or we will love pleasure.
Vs.20-24 (6) The completion of God’s judgment
Vs. 20 "Rejoice is εὐφραίνου [euphrainou], an imperative command, you all be glad! Heaven rejoiced when the devil and his angels were cast out (Rev. 12:12). Jeremiah prophesied that in the day that God destroyed Babylon ’the heavens and the earth and all that is in them shall sing joyously over Babylon’ (Jer. 51:48)."
Look at verses 20 & 24. God will persecute those who persecuted His followers. Luke 18:7-8 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. ... (NAU)
Vs.21-23 "Sorcery is φαρμακείᾳ [pharmakeia]. This term describes "sorcery, magic . . . magic arts" [5] and includes "the use of drugs of any kind for magical effect. [6]
Notice that when God is finished judging Babylon--Babylon is finished forever. The prophet Jeremiah recorded God’s prediction thousands of years earlier in Jeremiah 51:64 ’Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’ (NAU)
Vs.22a Isaiah 24:8-11 The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of chaos is broken down; Every house is shut up so that none may enter. There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine; All joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished. (NAU)
CONCLUSION:
Let me share a story with you about how Satan attacks a Christian. First, Satan shot a poisonous dart at his heel; but the Christian was unharmed because his feet were protected with the message of God’s peace. Next, Satan shot an arrow at his waist, but the Christian repelled this easily because his waist was protected with belt of truth. Then the Devil tried shooting him in the chest, but there he wore the breastplate of righteousness. The Christian knocked away another dart with his shield of faith and his helmet of salvation repelled another arrow. The Devil was determined so he slipped around behind the Christian and shot him in his pocketbook and brought him down.
"In 1928 a group of the world’s most successful financiers met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. The following were present: The president of the largest utility company, the greatest wheat speculator, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, a member of the President’s Cabinet, the greatest "bear" in Wall Street, the president of the Bank of International Settlements, the head of the world’s greatest monopoly. Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging the youth of the nation to follow their examples.
"Twenty-five years later, this is what had happened to these men. The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died abroad, bankrupt. The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison. The member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home. The greatest "bear" in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide. The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide. The head of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide. All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live." [7]
How can we avoid the trap of materialism? How can we truly be content with whatever God has given us?
James gives us the way out. Look at James chapter four. In Chapter five James talks about the problems that rich people have. Here he is talking about the problems that poor people tend to have with material things.
How can we avoid the pain of materialism?
Vs.1a Learn what seeking pleasure causes "quarrels and conflicts"
QUARRELS refer to grudges or feuds that go on for a long time. CONFLICTS refer explosive tempers. When Christians struggle with these problems they are acting like unsaved people. 1 Corinthians 3:3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? (NAU)
Vs.1b-3 Discover where our problems come from "in your members"
By MEMBERS he means the different parts of our bodies, like eyes, ears, and mouths. Pleasures wage war inside of us because they can never satisfy us.
Vs.4 Choose what you really love most "friend of the world...enemy of God"
Turning toward the world is turning away from God and God sees this as rejecting Him and His promises. Psalm 73:27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish; You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You. (NAU)
When we long for what the world can do for us we are saying that God is not enough for us. But God is enough! 2 Peter 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (NAU)
Vs.6-10 See what you really deserve "sinners...double-minded"
Real humility is possible when we see ourselves as God sees us.
Vs.6 &10 God can give us much more than this world ever could.
Vs.6 God sets Himself in opposition to the proud. When we try to outsmart our out maneuver God it’s like throwing an egg against a cement wall and expecting the wall to crumble. Pride makes God our enemy. God is one enemy we don’t want to have.
Vs.7-10 We all have a sin problem. What are we going to do about it? Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (NAU)
"Crucify your sins--which have crucified your Savior!" Thomas Watson
[1]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Re 18:9). Nashville: Word Pub.
[2]Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1995), Rev. 18:11
[3]Henry Morris, The Revelation Record (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983), Rev. 18:13.
[4]Custer, S. (2004). From Patmos to paradise : A commentary on Revelation (201). Greenville, S.C.: BJU Press.
[5]Frederick William Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 854.
[6]Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 397.
[7]10,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.
