Rev. Ch. 18:1-8 Part I: Judgment And Divorce of the Harlot

All right, well, good morning to you. We are in Revelation chapter 18 and we'll begin our study this morning. I want to thank you for tuning in to All Things Fulfilled. We're moving closer toward the end of this great study, an extensive look at the book of Revelation and preparing as much as we could for the study of this book. And now we're on the downside, as we look at chapter 18 to talk about some of the things that are found in this chapter, looking at several things that compare the harlot with first century Jerusalem, with the ancient city of Jerusalem as we contemplated. So, as we begin, chapter 18 describes in advance the aftermath of the fall of Babylon. But remember, those things in the book of Revelation were things which were shortly to come to pass. None of what's going on around the world today, and we've got wars going in several places, wars in Syria. I was just informed that Damascus is about to fall. Of course, you know, there are rebels there and who knows who else is there creating all the chaos that's going on there, but it has nothing to do with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. You've got, of course, the war going on in Palestine has nothing to do with Bible prophecy. The war in Ukraine has nothing to do with Bible prophecy. And of course, there's wars in places in Africa, none of which have anything to do with Bible prophecy. And yet, you know, many people will assert that that is the case, and they will assume that that is the case, and some of them will frighten people because they have them thinking that, you know, we're on the end of the world as we know it. Now, that could possibly be if we keep, you know, poking the bear in Russia with these nuclear weapons, you know, so I don't know what will come out of that. And hopefully, you know, there'll be some sensibility that will prevail, maybe with the transition to the new administration that's coming in, there'll be a little bit more cautious about, you know, getting involved in all of these wars. But nevertheless, as we look at the book of Revelation, what we're looking at is ancient history, as opposed to something that is current and going on today. So we shouldn't be looking at the book as prophecy in the future, but we should see it as the fulfillment of those things that have already occurred. They were, as we said, shortly to come to pass in the first century, as the first verse of the book says, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John, who bore witness of the things which he saw. And he says, blessed is he who reads and keeps those things within it for the time is near. And so John was told that the time was near. And again, in verse 19, he said that these were the things that were about to take place, using the word mellow to demonstrate that. And that's not only stated in the beginning of the book, but it's also stated in the end of the book as well, in chapter 22, verses 6, 10, and 12, etc., and letting us know that all of the events within this book were to be understood as finding their fulfillment in the first century. This is why, contrary to what Daniel was told in Daniel 12 and verse 4, when he was said to seal up the book, for it is for the time of the end, and that he was to go and rest until the end of the days, John was told, do not seal the book, because the time is near. The time had come upon them for the fulfillment of these things. And so when we read the book from that perspective, then we can understand how to apply it, and make sure that we don't make the gross errors of taking it totally out of its historical framework and context, and then trying to apply current events to it. And that's the major problem with dealing with the book of Revelation. And the other important part that we've discussed early on in the lesson, and periodically throughout, is the fact that it was written prior to, that is before, the destruction of Jerusalem, before the Temple fell in 70 AD, which means that, you know, that's fair game to apply the prophecies to that event in such passages like Revelation 11 and 2, and of course, right here in chapter 18, verses 20 and 24, as well as we will see in the ongoing explanation of the chapter. We won't get to those verses necessarily today, but at least you have that understanding of it. And I'm saying this mainly for people who may be listening for the first time, or are not familiar with the book of Revelation, who think that it's speaking about something that is coming in our future. We shouldn't have that idea, but understand that it applies to the ancient city of Jerusalem in the first century, and that is the reference for the text. So chapter 18 describes in advance, but in short order, in terms of when it was going to occur, the fall of Mystery Babylon. Not the ancient city of Babylon, because that had already fallen, but the fall of Mystery Babylon, as we just talked about for the past several weeks or month or so, in Revelation chapter 17. Also in chapter 14 as well, but that was the fall of Mystery Babylon, and Mystery Babylon, of course, is the harlot of which the book refers to. And it shows the vengeance of God's judgment on her fall. It also shows the avenging of the prophets, the apostles, and the saints whose blood had been shed by her, as we see in Matthew chapter 23, when Jesus told them that they were the children of their fathers who had murdered the prophets, and that they were going to shed innocent blood. He said he was going to send to them wise men and scribes, and some of them they would kill and crucify and persecute from city to city, that on them would come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechi, whom they murdered between the temple and the altar. And to make it very clear who he was talking about, he says, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her, how often I would have gathered your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. Using same words and same context and descriptions as we find here in Revelation 18. So you definitely have to use those verses in comparing it with what we have here to understand what is being said. It also marks the completion of the divorce with the national kingdom of Judah, making way for the marriage scene of chapter 19 and also chapter 21. And this is very important because, you know, in ending that relationship with national Israel, this again, as we were just pointing out in the introduction, demonstrates that there is no correlation to any so-called nation of Israel today or state of Israel as it relates to the Bible. Now you can call them a state and it looks like they're becoming a failed state in terms of what they wanted to accomplish with that experiment over in Palestine. But the point being is this is where the divorce ends in the or yes, in the first century concerning ancient Jerusalem that had the temple that existed. And so from that perspective, there is no more national relationship of God with the people of Israel as it was under the old covenant. This is what marks the end of the old covenant on our two guys in the Bible. We've been kind of dealing with Hebrews chapter eight, Hebrew chapter seven and Hebrew chapter eight, that, you know, for the priesthood being changed, Hebrews 7, 11 and 12, it made a necessity, a change also of the law. Well, it was through the law that God related to the ancient nation of Israel. And of course that being changed and a new priesthood coming in, transitioning from Levi to Melchizedek and the tribe of Judah with Jesus Christ being the high priest, and he was not of the tribe of Levi, of course, then that marked the end of that old covenant system and the inauguration of a new. And so that's the divorce. That's the end of God's relationship with old covenant Jerusalem, who is style mystery Babylon in the context. It also shows the justice of God in the judgment upon Babylon, as we said, you know, she had persecuted them. And John the Baptist spoke about this when he said, you know, to the Sadducees and Pharisees, the generation of vipers, who warned you to flee the wrath that was about to come. And again, in first Thessalonians chapter two, 14 through 16, Paul talked about it, the fact that they had killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and had persecuted us. They were contrary to all men and forbidding them to speak to the Gentiles that the wrath of God would come upon them to the uttermost. And we saw that unfolding in previous verses and particularly in chapter 17, as we discussed the end of the harlot from that perspective. And so God's justice was meted out on her. And, you know, as the saints were crying out in a revelation, chapter six, saying, Lord, how long revelation six, nine through 11, you know, with the saints under the altar. And so all of this is now coming to pass in terms of the prophecy being fulfilled on short order in terms of the events marked in the book of revelation. It also shows the impact that Jerusalem had on the nations and the peoples of the inhabited world at that time. You cannot miss the important commercial, you know, influence that Jerusalem had and all of those things that were involved where the nations had to interact with Jerusalem and the impact of her fall. You think about any nation today that is of note and the impact that it would have, for example, on trade, if a nation were to fall. I remember, you know, some of the politicians, you know, they talk about this and they say, well, we can't let this nation fall because they've got all these resources here and they want to take advantage of those resources or they want to make a nation fall so they can take advantage of resources. I mean, there's so many ways that that system plays out of that, that scenario plays out, but they understand the impact of that. And look at all the trade terrorists we're threatening and the trade agreements and the canceling of imports and exports that's in the air now that they're talking about. And you think that won't affect a lot of people? I mean, you're talking about millions and millions of people that could be affected just with countries saying either they will trade with someone or they won't, and particularly if they decide not to, the impact that that could have on the economy and how it would change the lives of many people, etc. So, the scripture in Revelation chapter 18 is presenting that in terms of the fall of Babylon, and we will see that as we continue to move forward. Now, the text says that John sees another angel. Now, this morning, I'm not, let's see if I can get to a point where I can see some of what's going on in the chat. I don't see it as of yet, but now I can see a little bit of what's happening here. So, that's a little bit better for me. All right. So, John sees another angel, and this, I would say, most likely is the Lord Jesus Christ, because as the scripture presents, he comes down out of heaven. John 3 and verse 13, John 3, 31, and several other passages. Also, you may recall in John chapter 6 when he's talking about the bread of life, and the scripture says, you know, I am he who came down out of heaven. So, he was the bread of life from heaven in comparison to the manna in Exodus chapter 16 that had been given. Jesus, of course, stands in the position of that and says that he's the bread of life, and if you want to live, they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood, which the Jews didn't quite understand. They took it literally and thought that he was talking about cannibalism or something of that nature, and that was not the case. But he was talking about the word of God and the life that the word of God brings, and of course, Christ himself is life. But all of those passages refer to Jesus' coming down out of heaven. And even in Revelation 21, when the scripture talks about John seeing this new heaven and this new earth, and where there was no more sea, and then the text says, and I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Well, that's the tabernacle of God coming down to be with men, and of course, Jesus is on the throne in the tabernacle, showing that this was the arrival of his presence, just like passages in Matthew 16 verses 27 and 28 that talk about the Lord coming in his kingdom, and Matthew 24 and verse 30, coming in power and glory. But these passages refer to that, and speaking again of the coming of Christ in the temple in John 14 and verse 23, and even in the earlier verses, you know, when he talks about, let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me, and my father's house were many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you will be also. Now, he's talking about going to the house of God, and as such, that's the temple of God. Then in verse 23, he said, if a man loves me, that he and his father would come and make our home with him. So, these references of Christ's coming have to do with the coming of the kingdom of God, which is a kingdom temple, by the way, you can see that from Zechariah 6, 12 and 13, and that's Revelation chapter 21, where the temple comes down. So, Jesus comes down, and the text says that he has great authority. Remember that all authority was committed to the Son, John chapter 5, 27 and following, that God had placed all judgment within his hands, so it's appropriate then that he is the one who comes down and who makes this declaration about Babylon, and he had warned them, as we've seen in the reference in Matthew chapter 23, that this would happen to them because of their refusal to repent. And over and over again in the book of Revelation, it talks about in spite of the judgments of the wrath of God that was being poured out, the bowls of wrath that was being poured out against them, it says that they still repented not of their sorceries, of their thefts, and of their sins and iniquities. And so, this demonstrates that the judgment of God against them was a just judgment. And as the text further says, this is the demonstration of his authority against them. He had great authority that had been given him so that he exercises, as God did in the old covenant, the judgment upon the nations now and on Jerusalem, by the way. He now executes that judgment upon the nation to which he had come, shed his blood, died, and tried, you know, throughout his life to get them to repent. And then not only that, but extending his long-suffering to them for about 40 years to persuade the nation to repent, as we find stated in 2 Peter chapter 3, when he says that God was not willing that earnings should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so, that time frame has, you know, basically, you know, it's like the hourglass when all the sand has, you know, run out to the bottom, has dropped to the bottom, slowly and slowly, you know, grain by grain, so to speak, it does. And that was the end of God's long-suffering for them, and therefore, the time for the judgment upon Jerusalem. As, you know, the text said in Revelation chapter 17, when it says, you know, one of the seven angels came that had these seven bowls, these bowls of wrath, and talked with me saying, come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. And so, those were the reasons for the judgment. And of course, it was definitely a fair and just judgment of God. In Revelation chapter 10, of course, we see the same thing in terms of this judgment that was being announced concerning them. Now, for the next point that we make concerning this is that it says that the earth was illuminated with His glory. Now, when you think about that, that could only be a reference to the Son of God. In John chapter 1, verses 4 and 5, the scripture mentions that in Christ was light, you know, in Him was light, and this light was the light of men. And then it says, and the light shines in the darkness, and that's the old covenant world of which, you know, He's speaking. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not comprehend it. In chapter 8, verses 11 and 12, Jesus told them, I am the light of the world, and that if anyone followed Him, he would not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. And so, in these passages, it's demonstrating that Jesus is the light. And so, when it says that, you know, His glory, when He came down to the earth, it illuminated the earth or the land. Of course, you know, that would be talking about Christ's presence in the world, being the light. And if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, the Bible says the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses one from all sin. In God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. But then we have the text in 1 Timothy, chapter 6, and verse 16, that speaks about Christ dwelling in light, which no man can approach unto. And of course, this was, you know, His glory during His ascension. But in that context, He was going to manifest Himself, which is what's taking place in the book of Revelation. It is the unveiling of Christ, the manifesting of Christ in His divinity, no longer in a state of humility as He came the first time. And that's what people are looking for. People are still looking for Christ to come back in a state of humility. Well, that was the state where He had given up the glory of His divine essence and presence with God. His divine glory, I guess, would be a better way of saying that, as we see in Philippians, chapter 2, where the Bible talks about He humbled Himself. And He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. Well, that was the humiliation of Christ in becoming as a man. And then He further even humbled Himself by being obedient unto death, even the death of that shameful cross. Well, that was His humiliation and His suffering. That's how He came the first time. I mean, look at the rebuke that He received. You know, He was called a blasphemer. He was, you know, spit upon. He was beaten and crucified and all of these things of disrespect. People want Him to come back in the same form that He did before. And they claim that if He does not, that He's not Christ. Well, prior to His coming into the world, it says in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was not in the physical form then, and He was the same person that transformed. Well, now He's back to reveal His deity. That's what the book of Revelation is about. That's what the revelation of Jesus Christ is, the manifesting of Christ in His deity, His glory. And that's how His return would be, not a visible, physical return, but demonstrating that He is God. And the Scripture speaks about God saying that He was invisible in Romans chapter 1, verse 20. Again, here in 1 Timothy chapter 6, let's look at a text. It says that you keep this commandment, this is verse 14, without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing. And if I recall correctly, the word appearing there is the word epiphaneia, which means the manifestation of a hidden divinity. In other words, He has to reveal Himself in some way so that you know who He is, because you're not going to be able to see Him, touch Him, feel Him in any tangible way from that perspective. And then it says, which He will manifest. So He had to be manifested. And God is using the physical destruction of the temple and those things associated with it to manifest this divine essence and glory of Jesus Christ. As He says, He will manifest in His own appointed time. He who is the blessed and only potentate, as we've seen in Revelation 11, 15, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality. So you can't find it in any other place than anyone else. This is belonging to that which is divine. And so who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see to whom the honor and everlasting power. Amen. So this divine glory of Christ had to be manifested. And that's why it says when He came down, you know, He illuminated the world because of that glory. The earth shone with His glory, according to Ezekiel 43 and verse two. Now He cries out, Babylon is fallen. Babylon, the great is fallen, is fallen. And this echoes Revelation chapter 14 and verse eight that spoke about Babylon, where it says that another angel followed saying Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Babylon is Jerusalem. It's the city where the Lord was crucified. Revelation 11 and verse eight, and their dead bodies shall lie in the street of that great city, which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. That descriptive phrase, where our Lord was crucified, eliminates Rome, it eliminates America, it eliminates any other city or country where people want to, or that people want to ascribe to Babylon. It even eliminates the ancient city of Babylon. John Preston has a great book on that, on Babylon. I can't even think of it now. Who is this Babylon? But at any rate, I encourage you, if you haven't already read it, and I'm sure many of you have, but others of you who are not familiar with it, be sure and get that book because he demonstrates very clearly the correlation between Babylon and Jerusalem. And this chapter does that perhaps as best as any chapter does in the book of Revelation, so be sure and study it and continue to follow along. But as the text is saying, he cries with a loud and mighty voice, Babylon is fallen, that great city, Babylon is fallen. So he's announcing that Babylon was about to fall, that Jerusalem was about to fall. Now this works with a pre-70 AD timeframe. It does not work with a post-70 AD timeframe because Jerusalem would have already been fallen. And that's why the futurists have so much problems trying to understand the book of Revelation and eschatology in general, because they're always pushing things out in the future, overlooking what's already happened. You know, if you're driving toward a particular city and you miss the exit ramp and fasted because maybe you're having a conversation, getting all involved in your music or whatever, and you may be listening to or whatever distraction you may have had, maybe you're looking at something nice along the highway and you miss it. And then you just keep driving and driving and driving, say, okay, we're going to get there soon. We're almost there. And then you finally, it dawns on you that about a hundred miles ago, you passed the city. That's what these people are doing in trying to understand the book of Revelation. They've driven past the timeframe and they keep going and going. They're all the way here up in 2024, still saying, we're going to that destination, but they passed a long time ago in the first century, before 70 AD and that 70 AD. That's the problem with trying to understand this book. And so, this decrying of doom for Mystery Babylon, he stated, and it is a permanent and irrevocable judgment on them. He says that it has become a dwelling place of demons, a habitation of everything that was foul. Look at this text and then compare them with what you see with the destruction of cities in the Old Testament. And you'll see that it follows similar pattern. It says, 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. Now, I want to talk about that on next week and do some comparisons, even show you how this relates to priesthood, day of atonement and the judgment on nations. But we just don't have time to do it this morning because we have run out of time. But again, thank you for tuning in. Let me say good morning to those of you who are here, the ones that I can see, and there may be others of you that I cannot see. So, I'm just unable to see you, but I'm going to start from the bottom. What I can see, there's Dale, good morning, Stephen, Gail, Anne, Carol, Deb, Eric, Tyrone, Alan, and Tyrone. I haven't forgotten you. Every time I'm ready to contact you, I seem to misplace your number. So, I've got to do that, or you can send me a text or post me something here and I will do that. To, I think we've said Robin, but there's Calvin. And again, good morning to all of you. Thanks for tuning in. Hope that you got something beneficial out of the lesson. We are going to be back with you on next week to continue our study in chapter 18. It's a very interesting information that we have here and really begins to tie all of this together in the book of Revelation. So, stay tuned for that on next week. I'll see you then. And until that time, may all of you be blessed with all the blessings of God.