“After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’ Again they said, ‘Alleluia! And her smoke rises up forever and ever!’ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” Revelation 19:1-4.
The first four verses in this chapter, which begins with, “After these things”, are a vision of the response in heaven to the destruction of Babylon.
By the end of this chapter we will see the annihilation of the beast’s armies and the destruction of both the beast and the false prophet.
“For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot…” this is one of the reasons God has allowed things to go on as they have all these millennia.
Satan and men have accused God of unrighteousness and it is only by the convulsions of history that men will realize that God is indeed true and righteous.
It is the stubbornness of mankind that forces these things to go to the end that is prophesied in Revelation. The tribulation is not destiny, it does not have to happen, but it is inevitable because men will not turn to God in Christ for salvation.
For this reason God gives man over to his vile passions, which is what men want; but there will be no Utopia because mankind’s sin nature always drags him down into the mire of filth and depravity. This decline is clearly illustrated in Romans chapter one.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.” Romans 1:18-19.
Notice that men “suppress the truth”, they hold it down, this is a conscious act, not something out of ignorance. This is why the theory of evolution is taught by men who know better; they would rather believe a lie than believe God.
Romans 1:19 continued to elaborate on this by stating that “what may be known of God is manifest [clearly seen – obvious] in them”. These are not vague statements, but clear words.
“…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” Romans 1:21-22.
These same wise fools are the heads of government and the heads of the schools in our country today, and they are teaching our children the politically correct doctrines of fools.
“The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).
How well we see this as the 1960’s generation of rebellious hippies infests both government today, and the school room.
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” Romans 1:24-25.
Having rejected God they are given over to their vile passions and plunge headlong into idolatry.
The principle is like this; God says, “Hey, I am over here, I created you for good not evil. Do not destroy yourselves in this way!” the reply is, “We do not want you or your rules, go away!”
God does not just walk away, He speaks many times, finally they say no for the last time. There is no use in flogging a dead horse.
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves…” Do you see where it says that it is the lusts of their hearts; this is their desire, once again this is a conscious act, not out of ignorance.
“For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting…” Romans 1:26-28.
“God gave them up”, every time God gave them up, men sank lower, until God gave them up to a debased mind, a depraved mind, John MacArthur defined a depraved mind as, non-functional. Think of that, a non-functional mind, a mind that does not work!
This is why talk shows are not just banal twaddle; they are not cogent at all. Ask someone on the street about God, evolution, or morality, you will hear nothing but gibberish.
Men used to reason things out in terms of, if it is not true, it is false, thesis and antithesis. This sort of thinking is useful in every aspect of life whether chemistry, biology, math, even your favorite detective show on television.
“Let’s see,” says the hero, “the blood spatter is over here, yet the body is over there, so it cannot be true that the crime occurred there; so it must be true that the body was moved.”
Do you see how this works? But philosophers kept using this method for centuries to devise a philosophy by which one could live their life; the problem though was that they kept leaving God out of the equation, resulting in failure after failure.
Then a philosopher named Hegel said that this type of thinking is getting us nowhere, so why don’t we combine thesis and antithesis and try a synthesis.
That is to say combine truth with a lie and gain a higher truth! As a result, we have people going around saying that you cannot know truth, or truth is relative. You may recognize this as situation ethics, whatever is right for the moment, do it.
This depraved, non-functioning mind has been a long time coming and now that it is here it is harder than ever to reach many with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is why you cannot argue people into heaven; you cannot reason with them, you cannot water down the word of God so as not to offend them.
It is only the pure word of God interpreted by the Holy Spirit that will reach them and it is the job of the evangelist to speak God’s word, in love at all times.
There is an excellent sermon on this decline illustrated in Romans chapter one called, “A Nation Abandoned by God”, by John MacArthur; you can find it on your computer for the text or hear the 32 minute sermon on line.
The last verse in Revelation chapter 18 says this of Babylon.
“And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Revelation 18:24.
And again in Revelation 19 it is said:
“…He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” Revelation 19:2b.
In Revelation 18:24, God says that He holds Babylon responsible for the blood of “all who were slain on the earth”, while we know that the city is responsible for the death of many tribulation Christians, it is difficult to see how all slain could be included here.
God is also said to have judged the harlot for corrupting the earth with her fornication. This may reconcile the question of the slain of the earth. Bear in mind that ancient Babylon is the site of the first great rebellion of mankind after the flood.
“Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’” Genesis 11:1-4.
After the flood all men spoke the same language, and evidently were traveling together as one group. After the flood God had specifically commanded them to fill the whole earth.
“So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1.
Yet it says in Genesis 11 that they resisted being, “scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth”, in direct contradiction to God’s command. So, big deal! Why couldn’t they stay in one spot if they wanted to?
God actually answered this question in the same chapter.
“And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” Genesis 11:6.
The question here is not so much that mankind would have made much quicker progress working together. Indeed, might they have discovered electricity, built airplanes, or split the atom four thousand years ago?
Maybe, but this was not the problem. The problem was that as a group, a satanic doctrine would have infected the entire human race immediately, and in a very short time man would have to be judged again as they were during the flood.
On the other hand, satanic doctrines would take much longer to infect mankind if he were scattered abroad over the whole earth. And too, if men were to spread out and form clans or countries, such heresies might be fought against with greater vigor.
Look at the Middle East; the rebellions going on over there are the result of the false religion of Islam. Yet the flames have been stoked by the main stream media, Facebook, twitter, and perhaps cell phones.
Can you see this, men and women, whole societies communicating together instantly, as if standing next to each other and the same infection spreads through nations within hours?
Governments are now embracing globalism and once again the whole world is coming together through the language of the internet and stumbling onward to Armageddon.
Returning to our question, why is God blaming Babylon for all the slain on the earth?
“And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” Revelation 18:24?
It is my opinion that it is for the reasons stated above and because Babylon is the first rebellion after the flood. When all men were gathered in ancient Babylon, idolatry began, many of the commercial practices such as banking started at this time. When the people were dispersed by confusing the languages, men took these practices with them.
As a result, though memory fades, the heart of mankind is still in Babylon. Wars are fought for commercial or religious reasons, all of which began in Babylon.
Religious persecution, particularly against God’s prophets and saints who attempt to turn a civilization back to the true God of creation, originate from Babylonian religions.
This is no innocent city, all lines flow back to Babylon. Whether it is the warrior captured in battle whose still beating heart is cut out by an Aztec priest, or an innocent virgin thrown into a seething volcano by idolatrous islanders, the infant sacrifice practiced by ancient civilizations, satanic sacrifices, or the abortions practiced to appease the religion of Humanism, all are Babylonian.
No wonder there is rejoicing when this city and its culture are destroyed forever, “Again they said, ‘Alleluia! And her smoke rises up forever and ever!’”
Since there will be a new heaven and a new earth, how can her smoke rise up forever and ever? Babylon is just like any other city, nothing more than a pile of rocks and mortar.
It is not the smoke of Babylon that rises up, rather it is the smoke of the torment of those who embrace the godless system of Babylon, the evil priests, shamans, and torturers, practitioners of the occult and greedy businessmen. Scripture portrays this much more graphically.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8.
It is the inhabitants of the lake of fire whose smoke will rise up forever. This is not an allegory; it is a very real place, with very real people in it.
Yet, no one is doomed to go there, as long as there is life, there is hope, it is said that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved, and Jesus said the following.
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:37-40.
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
Revelation 19:1-4 taken from godisrevealed.com updated on 3-6-17, reposted on 11-2-22.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.