Dec 22 - Mourning The Loss of Mystery Babylon Ch. 18:9-19

All right, thanks everybody. Good morning. Welcome to All Things Fulfilled, and today we're going to be talking about the subject of mourning the loss of Mystery Babylon. We have pretty much made the rounds of the Book of Revelation. We have a few more chapters to go and should be done with that in just a brief period of time. I'm not sure how long it's going to take for us to get to the end of the book, but it's been quite a journey and challenging along the way. At any rate, regardless of how good or how bad a person is, someone will feel the pain and the loss once that is gone, and nor is it restricted to individuals, but great companies, countries, organizations, clubs, even a favorite musical instrument, or whatever it is that we might value, we will find a way to mourn the loss of it or have sorrow over it. I've had guitars or basses that I really liked, and some of them were quite valuable, and I ended up one way or the other getting rid of them, and it still hurts to this day, and that's been almost 40 years ago. At any rate, that's the case for Old Covenant Jerusalem. Another strange thing that happens is that many are unwilling to accept the death of what no longer exists. I remember, I think it was 1977, when Elvis Presley died, no one believed it. They tried to keep him alive every way they could. They were wearing, you know, these long sideburns, rhinestones studded, brightly colored jumpsuits, dark blue suede shoes, dark shades, etc., and wigs, and they were doing concerts all over the place in the name of Elvis, because they just didn't want to believe that he was gone. And the same way with the Old Covenant, and with Judaism, Jews, you know, wouldn't let it die, and to this very day, there are those who are yet in love with that Old Covenant. You have those such as Hebrew Israelites, you have British Anglo-Israelism, Christian Zionism, Neo-Judaism, and Dispensationalism, etc. All of them are still trying to keep the Old Covenant alive today. And so, you know, it's something that people just have difficulty mourning the loss of things that they treasure so much. So let's look at some of the people who signed the guest list at Jerusalem's funeral. First of all, we have the kings of the earth in verse 9, and these are the people who prophesied, or the people who prophesied in the Psalms, who envied and attacked the church, particularly, and then, of course, attacked the church. And as a result of that, you know, the text mentions that in Acts chapter 4, who by the mouth of your servant David, you know, spoke, and the question being asked, you know, why did the nations rage and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. Acts 4, 26, also Psalm 2 and verse 7. And so, we have this also in the history of ancient Babylon as well, because you have the text that says, flee from the midst of Babylon and everyone save his life, do not be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance. Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord's hand that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine, therefore the nations are deranged. Babylon has suddenly fallen, has been destroyed, wail for her, take bong for her pain, perhaps she may be healed. We want to heal Babylon, but she is not healed, forsake her and let us go, everyone to his own country, for her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies. The Lord has revealed our righteousness, come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God. So, we find that in Jeremiah chapter 51, verse 6 through 10, and also chapter 50 and verse 8, where you have this mourning over ancient Babylon, and this becomes the type or the antitype that we see being fulfilled in Revelation chapter 18, with what occurs with Babylon. And of course, you have the same command, you know, to flee from the midst of her, that was also what was stated concerning Jerusalem in Matthew chapter 24, that the saints were to flee as well. But the kings of the earth were also said to be gathered to this battle of Armageddon, and you see that in Revelation chapter 16, 13 and 14. But they are charged with committing fornication with the harlot, Jerusalem. In Revelation 17, 1 through 2, the text says, 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 drunk with the wine of her fornication. But now, party time is over, and it's time to pay the piper, as they say. Now, why are these kings of the earth mourning? They committed fornication with the harlot, so the days of their profiting from their idolatry was gone. And that refers to their religious and idolatrous activities in drawing her away from God. And of course, partly because of her willing participation in that as well. You have texts like Revelation chapter 2, verse 20 through 22, that indicates the harlotry of Jerusalem. Let's see if we can get there and maybe read that passage for you real quick. In verse 20, it says, nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. And so, he says, indeed, I will cast her into a sick bed and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds. And back to chapter 15, one of the warnings that was given to the church was that they abstain from sexual immorality, from blood, and from idols. So, that would indicate that there was idolatry that was somewhat of a threat to the church in the New Testament. You see Acts chapter 17, even in Athens, and of course, there were Jews there as well. Acts chapter 19, and also in Revelation 9 and verse 21. Paul warned the church against these practices, citing such examples. And then, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, of course, he cites the example from Exodus 32, warning the church, and he cited that example of the golden calf. The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. God also had several warnings against the church, against idolatry in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 19 through 21, and thus in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. And by the way, when you speak about offering things, sacrifice to idols, and participating in these sacrifices, it was a way of making the participant one with the God with whom they sacrifice. And this is why Paul wrote what he did in 1 Corinthians 10, and talked about the jealousy of God, and that you could not partake of the Lord's table, and with the table of idols, because he said, are not those who drink and partake of the table of idols, not one, but those with whom they partake. And so, this is one of the things that was important about giving these sacrifices to idols. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 14 through 16, he says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord is Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they should be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be secret, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you should be my sons and daughters, says the Lord God Almighty. So that was, you know, one of the reasons, along with the others, that God was calling them out from that old covenant system because of its perversion, because of the people who were engaged in idolatry, and he was also wanting the church not to go into that as well. Another example that Paul cited in 1 Corinthians 10 was the people at Morah who engaged in temple worship and ritual harlotry, all fitting the example that he mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10, but also here in Revelation chapter 17. Another thing about these virgins is that they lived in the lap of luxury with Jerusalem, but now it was their time to mourn. Jesus spoke of the mourning of the apostles and the saints, and in Matthew, he talked about this mourning, he says, blessed are those who mourn, I think it's verse 4, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. So, there was a time in which the disciples would mourn, but now comes the time when their enemies would mourn. Oh, excuse me, would mourn. In Josephus chapter, well, 7, chapter 1 and section 1, or paragraph 1, he talks about the time that the Jews were mourning. You can see that the Jews had already predicted this. In Luke chapter 19, he says, now as he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, you have known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that made for your peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes, for days will come upon you, when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side and level you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation. We also have that text referred to in Matthew 24 and verse 2, where he talks about not one stone being left upon another. And so, as he said to them in John chapter 16, verses 1 and 2, he said, the time would come when those who killed the believers would think that they were doing God a service. And that is John chapter 16, verses 1 and 2. But later on in the text, he says, you will weep and lament, and the world will rejoice and be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. So, the tables would turn, and the people who were the enemies of the church would now begin to experience what the disciples experienced, but only in a greater way. In Isaiah chapter 65, verses 13 through 15, he says, Behold, my servant shall eat, but you shall be hungry. Behold, my servant shall drink, but you shall be thirsty. Behold, my servant shall rejoice, but you shall be ashamed. Behold, my servant shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit. You shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen, for the Lord God will slay you and call his servants by another name. Jesus said in Revelation 3 and verse 12, he talked about those who would overcome, that he would give a new name. And showing, therefore, this contrast between those who were rejoicing from the beginning as they were persecuting the saints, but later came to mourn in the time when judgment had come. And notice it says that they would mourn when they saw the smoke of her burning. This calls to mind Sodom and Gomorrah from Genesis chapter 19, verses 24 through 28, where God rained fire and brimstone against the city and destroyed it because of their wickedness. And remember, Jerusalem is mentioned in Revelation 11, verse 8, as spiritually being Sodom and Egypt. It also calls to mind Edom when God talked about the, you know, the unquenchable fire and the burning that would burn Edom and leave it as a wasteland as well. All of these things are typical of what was taking place concerning Jerusalem. And, you know, Jerusalem was some 2,500 miles above sea level. Not 2,500 miles, but 2,500 feet. That would be a long way. 2,500 feet above sea level, almost, you know, five miles. And so, for a long way off, all of those who had been involved with her could see the smoke of her burning, even from a far distance, let alone those who were near. Scripture also says that, in verse 11, the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her. They lost lucrative business and revenue. Many of them, the price of their stock dropped drastically. Some of them, no doubt, made their entire living on Jerusalem and the trade and the commerce that place had at that time. And that was a very severe blow to the hotel and hospitality industry, to livestock, grain produce, bakeries. All of that is recorded in history. Josephus in Antiquities 15 speaks about it. Butchers, poultry, farmers, eggs, water sellers, as well. All of these things are mentioned in history as being losses during the time of Jerusalem's fall. They also participated in bronze, iron, and there were metal workers. And we're to Rome, because of the war industry in 66 to 70 A.D., there was a proliferation of that. And we know about that. I think some of the same thing happened, you know, during World War II. That was a little bit before my time. But nevertheless, a lot of industries were turned into war industries because of that. And so, the same thing. But even then, you know, there comes a loss when that destruction ended because, you know, they were no longer needed as much as they were before. He talks about luxury goods, spices, ointments that we see mentioned in Mark 16, 1, Luke 23, and 5. Revins, cinnamons, trees, also used in the temple for incense. The luxury trade was also increased significantly because of the Herodian court. Arts and crafts, jewelry, souvenirs, scriveners to write out deeds, letters, and other docs to serve as copies. Food, olive oil. Of course, we're very familiar with the Mount of Olives, but also in the Valley of Hinnom, and we have olive trees as well. So, all of these building trades, professions, doctors, barbers, money changers, merchants, all of whom were held in high respect. You had camel caravans. They traded with Greece and Sidon for glass making. Spices from Mesopotamia and Lebanon with cedars. Fishing industry in Tyre. Cyprus with dry figs. Babylonia with costly materials woven from blue, scarlet, and purple, and fine white linen. And all of those things were used in the temple. Spices from India. Wild animals for Herod's court and his sports, for, you know, all of his sporting activity. All of these things were a part of it. You know, grain and fruit that he talked about. Their souls lusted after. You can identify with that, because, you know, one of the reasons I like going to Africa is because there's fresh fruit everywhere. Everywhere you go, you can get fresh fruit, and that's totally unlike what you get here in the United States, when they've sprayed it, and they've gassed it, they've, you know, all kind of wax and stuff on it, so you don't know what you're eating. And so I can understand being in an environment like that, where everything was fresh. They pull it off the tree, off the vine, or straight out of the field, and eat it, and it's absolutely delicious. Tastes totally different. I remember one, a president of Uganda, he said that pineapple in America tastes like ammonia. Look, you know, I've been to Hawaii, and to Africa, and Nicaragua, and Africa have the white pineapple, and then Hawaii has the yellow pineapple, and when you get it straight, you know, from the field, it is absolutely just delicious, and sweet, and totally different from sometimes what you get, that are in the stores, when they're half-ripe here. So, the fruit that they long for, I could personally identify with. And as Eve desired the fruit to be wise, she heeded the serpent. And like men, rather than desiring the fruit of the tree of life, Jerusalem heeded the fruit of unrighteousness from the serpent. And so she committed apostasy, and lost the fruit that she desired, along with other blessings. As the text says, in one hour, her judgment had come, indicating the suddenness of this judgment. And so, these merchants have become very rich by her, and this is why they're mourning, because of all of this loss of commerce. You know, as I mentioned before, you know, we're talking about trade wars that are going on in the United States now, and when you look at resources that are spread out across the world, you have people wanting to export countries because of these resources. And some of them have not maintained their own countries because of the exportation, or the need for the resources that are found in other countries. And hence, we have the aggressive wars, etc., that are done in the name of sometimes, what do they call it, human, oh, I can't even think of the name, that they use. They use this lie that's saying they're going there to protect humanity, when what they're doing is they're setting up bases near these resources, so they can take advantage of resources and use their military to get them. And this, which demonstrates the fact that, you know, these countries depended on the trade, the commerce, the resources, and all of these merchants did the same thing, and their riches came from their interaction with Jerusalem. So, people, you know, tell us sometimes that Jerusalem was not that significant, it was not that important, it was just a little city over here in, you know, in Judah, and, you know, in Palestine, etc., that it was not significant. In the day of old, in the ancient time, that's just absolutely untrue. They were a very, very important center of commerce at that particular time. And then, he says, as we look further in the verse, there's the text I want to mention here, he says in verse 17 and 18, for in one hour great riches came to nothing. Every shipmaster, and all who traveled by ships, sailors, and as many as there's trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, what is like this great city? So again, indicating all of the commerce that went on, even the shipbuilding industry, because you have to repair those things after a while. So, so many people were affected with that. So, you know, you're talking about a city falling. You can imagine what will happen when countries fall, and you've seen that, you know, many times, you know, when you look at Iraq, you look at Libya, you look at even, you know, Syria, and the impact that that has on people, on their lives as well. But when he said one hour, it doesn't mean that Jerusalem fell in one hour, that just indicates the swiftness of the judgment that took place. And several times in the book of Revelation, you can see how the Bible talks about this one hour of judgment as far as that goes. And then he says, they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, alas, alas, that great city in which all who have ships on the sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she is made desolate. So, notice when he talks about the weeping and wailing, one of the words that's used here is the word torment. They would stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. The word torment means to torture, to pain, to toil, to toss, to vex. The reason I bring it up is because there are several passages, not only in this text, but also elsewhere in the New Testament that use the word torment. And we have the idea many times that when we talk about torment, we're talking about, you know, everlasting fire, burning people in a literal hell. I know not everyone shares the views that I have with that. But he said that they were wailing in torment. Well, they weren't dead or anything from that perspective. These were people who were alive, who were being tormented, if you please, from that perspective. In Revelation 9-5, just to look at a couple of passages, he says concerning those who were tormented there, he says that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented for five months. It's the same wording that's being used. So, you're talking about people who were alive that were being tormented. And then in verse 5b, in Revelation 9-5b, he says their torment was like the torment of a scorpion. Now, these were, you know, these locusts that were coming out to torment individuals. Matthew chapter 8, in verse 5, it says, my servant is lying at home, dreadfully tormented. And so, we should study it a little bit more for those who want to use it in that manner. In Matthew 14-24, Mark 6-48, it says, the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed and tormented. Well, how do you torment a boat forever, world without end, as some people believe. In 2 Peter chapter 2, in verse 8, it says, Lot tormented his righteous servant. And again, in Revelation 11, these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. In Revelation 12-2, when it talks about the woman, it says, the woman cried out in labor and pain. The word pain there is the word torment. The same word that we're using here. And then we have in Revelation 14-10, he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. We look at that text and a lot of people assume, well, we must be talking about an eternal torment in an eternal and ever-burning hell. I don't think that's what it's referring to in that passage. And in Revelation 9-17 and verse 18, it says, out of their mouths, pain, fire, and brimstone. And so, this was just the imagery going back to Genesis 19-24. And by the way, there's a text in 2 Peter, I can't remember which verse it is, but it talks about the people of Sodom suffering the vengeance of eternal fire, yet there's no eternal fire burning in Sodom and Gomorrah at this particular day. So, we have to be careful with those terms, I think, as they refer to the utter destruction of Israel at this time. But it says they were weeping loudly and wailing and grieving, feeling that anguish and pain from that perspective. And so, in this case, you know, here they are, throwing this dust on their heads, etc. And then it says that, as we look further in this section, it says, they threw dust on their heads, they cried out, weeping and wailing, saying, alas, that great city which had all the sheeps on the sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she is made desolate. So, that was the fate of Jerusalem, that was the end result of this city that was being destroyed. And God is giving a picture of it in Revelation chapter 18, and bringing this city to its final fate, fulfilling all the prophecies that Jesus had made of it in Matthew chapter 23, when he said, behold, your house is left to you desolate. In chapter 21, when he talks about Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, that's what's taking place. And so, as we conclude here this morning, this was all about the fall of the city of Jerusalem. Again, we said it's not about Rome. Rome was the one inflicting the pain and the punishment on Jerusalem at this time. And of course, it would be out of geographical setting, out of the historical setting, to apply this to America or to any other city, other than the city as the scripture says, this is the city, that great city, wherein our Lord was crucified. Well, that kind of wraps up the message for today. Let's see, take a look at who's here. I know that there were, I saw several people who had joined us, and I want to, you know, take a moment to acknowledge all of you before we get out of here this morning. Let's see if I can go back and, well, we'll start from the bottom. Cindy, welcome, good to see you. Stephen, and to Ellen, Elvin, hey man, we got to get together. Demetrius and I were together on yesterday, and we talked about you. So, if your ears were burning, that's why. Julie, Ann, Ron, and Ron, I need to hit you up as well. You shared something the other day, I want to make sure I get that. Carlos, Carol, Robin, good to see you this morning. Tyrone, we missed yesterday, but, you know, I still got you on the docket, so don't worry. To Prince, all the way from Dubai, good to hear and see you this morning. To Eric, always, Deb, and Paul, Richard, Calvin, and I think that's it. If there are any others who've joined us, we certainly want to say good morning to you. Thank you for tuning in, and we look forward to be back with you on next week, and when we do, we'll look at the last verses of Revelation chapter 18, going into chapter 19, and once again, you know, like I said, it's been a pretty interesting and intriguing study along the way. Thank you for all of your support thus far, and we'll see you. Have a happy holiday season, be safe, and we'll talk to you at the next appointed time.