Revelation: Part 52

When anyone anywhere responds to this knowledge by having a desire to know this God, God will move heaven and earth to get the message to him.

All right. Now, I’m going to resume reading in Revelation 18:8. For this reason, talking now about the fall of Babylon the great, for this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, “woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city!

For in one hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more; cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense, wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat, cattle, and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and mercedes and porsches and vws. You see, what’s he doing? He is predicting that it is actually through this religious system that mysteriously survived the Roman Empire phase one.

It survived the political. It collapsed near the end of the fourth century. But spiritually, mystically, the power continued. And it shows how that this religious power has always been wrapped up with politics and economy.

And it’s really going to be used to get a grip on the economy as this comes up. And I believe it’s no accident that the European Union has formed. I remember back in 1956 when I first studied all of this and I said, there’s going to be a United States of Europe. People wanted to lock me up for being a crazy man.

Everybody said, that’s impossible. There will never be a European Union. But I saw in prophecy that it had to be. There had to be ten nations emerge out of the ruins of the old Roman culture and people, and they would have to be a contiguous people, and Rome would have to be the capital.

And now, all of these things have come. Now there are associate memberships to the European Union, but do you know, it’s the only ones that are full members, as I’ve said this before, is the western European Union, which is composed of the original ten. Now, I believe that’s going to be the base that the Antichrist is going to come in and use. But it’s going to be the religious power system that will help bring all of these things together.

And that’s what this is talking to us about. Because Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, is that religious system. And so by the way, you remember what I told you last week? There’s a difference between the people in the system and the system.

Because there are a lot of people in the system that are born again. But there’s a system that says perverted is that strain that came right down from the plains of shinar. Now, let’s read on. And slaves and human lives, actually, human souls, in other words, this thing, the worst thing that happens is that it captures the souls of men and women.

Verse 14, the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, and saying, “woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!” And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “what city is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, “woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!

Rejoice over her, o heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” Now, here’s a critical turning point in all of this I’m reading. God is judging this system first and foremost for what they have done to true believers. That’s why it says here God is going to judge her for you.

For what this system has done to you. And it goes on to say in verse 21, then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, so will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. And the sound of the harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; the light of the lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by what? Know what the original Greek word is?

Pharmakia. Ever heard the word “pharmacy”? Comes from that word. It comes from a root word that means to mix poisons.

But pharmakia in the first century when this was written came to be associated with the practice of the occult using drugs. And so it’s a kind of occult worship mixed with the use of drugs. Well, that fits right in today, doesn’t it? And it’s interesting that one of the reasons God continued judging the world after the horrible judgments that are described in Revelation 9, that chapter ends

If you have the guts to be a real revolutionary, come forward right now and accept Jesus Christ as your real revolutionary, and he’ll make a revolutionary that will change lives.

As I prepared for this week’s program, I was again struck by the speed with which events are moving into the scenario the prophets predicted for the end times. I believe we’re there. People on the street are talking about what all of these things mean. Folks that wouldn’t darken the door of a Church or pick up a Bible are now very curious.

This may be our greatest opportunity, maybe even our last opportunity, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ before we’re silenced by political correctness. The message that God has given me is more important now than it’s ever been, for the Church and for the nation.