REVELATION 18
1. THE FALL OF BABYLON (Vs 1-8)
1. “Babylon” in this chapter represents the same religious institution that is called the “harlot” in chapter 17:4-6 and the “Great whore” in Chapter 19:2. See also 17:18. It is Roman Catholicism after all her
daughters and granddaughters have come back home.
2. All of the nations and rulers have (most have already) been corrupted by her.
3. The merchants of the earth have been made rich by her. Romanism has a far greater hold on govern-
ments and commerce than most people think.
4. The fornication here is spiritual fornication – church state intercourse.
5. God calls HIS PEOPLE out of this institution. Yes, there are some Christians in all churches, even this one. God calls His people out of this church so they will not be partakers of her sins and her Plagues. One church is not as good as another, and it DOES matter which church you join.
6. God DOES remember the sins of the wicked – V-5.
7. The church is to be given double her works; history records that they killed Christians by every means from bolling them in oil to having them torn to bits by wild beasts – but God never forgets-V-8.
2. THE WORLD VIEWS THIS DESTRUCTION (Vs 9-19)
1. The rulers who have used her to gain office and power will mourn her destruction but will stand afar off for fear of suffering with her Vs-9-10.
2. The merchants will mourn her destruction because no one will buy their goods anymore. Note the crafts-men at Ephesus – Acts 19:23-26.
3. After the church is destroyed there will be no more sale for such things as “Holy water”, prayer beads, statues of saints, good luck charms and such like. The merchants mourn because they will have lost their customer.
4. She will pray no more souls out of purgatory – for fee – V-13.
3. HEAVEN VIEWS THIS DESTRUCTION (VS-20-24)
1. The saints of heaven are told to rejoice over her destruction. Her destruction is God’s vengeance of them on her-V-20. Please note “I will repay” in Romans 12:19. Yes, God will repay all who persecute His people.
2. Note that the destruction is complete, it is with violence, it is forever – V-21.
3. She will burn no more candles and she will perform no more wedding ceremonies – V-24. Roman Catholicism controls marriage wherever it has the power to do so.
4. For more than a thousand years Roman Catholicism persecuted and put to death Christians; in this
text she will receive “Double her works.”
5. Let us all take heed unto ourselves, and pray God to open the eyes of our government officials, to the danger of getting romantic with the old harlot. She has gained a lot of respectability lately in America.
IT IS LATER (much later) THAN YOU THINK.