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Bible Teaching
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The merchants of the earth are primarily the wholesalers,
the people who have built up great wholesale and import-export
businesses. All trade and commerce have stopped. They weep and
mourn because of the destruction of the great Babylonian world
system. They lament not so Babylon itself, but for themselves
because of their loss of business and hope for material gain.
It seems to imply that the fall of Babylon will cause a
worldwide economic collapse. All the currencies of the nations
of the world will have no value, banks will be closed.

Before this all happens it may be that the world will have
moved to a cashless society. In verses 12 & 13 all the
merchandise listed here which have been a symbol of wealth,
luxury, and status, no one is able to buy. Even the wealthy,
government officials, and the kings are no longer able to buy
what they are accustomed to. Everything from gold and silver,
fine linens, perfumes, spices, food and animals
for transportation, sheep, to slaves, men and women.

All these things are mentioned so as to draw attention to the
materialism of the Babylonian world system, to the people's
love of luxury, and to the vast amount of commerce and trade
generated by their desires. The list also implies that even
though the merchants were made rich by these things, they did
not care about the people. All they cared about was money and
wealth.


Verse 14
This is just a general statement of how the rich things and
the expensive things are gone and lost forever.
In verse 9 the kings mourn, in verse 11 the merchants mourn
and now in verse 15 it speaks again of the merchants having
no real concern for the people, just themselves.

Even the sea trade, the shipmasters, (captains, owners,
pilots, and helmsman) stand far off and join in the mourning
and lamenting. This includes international trade and commerce.
They cannot believe that anything could happen to the great
Babylon that made them so rich.





The destruction and catastrophic effects of this destruction
will be world wide. When God's wrath falls upon the godless
societies and cities of the world, and cities crumble by the
hundreds and thousands, survivors will have little left of
the world as they have known it.

Jesus warned against materialism that makes the pleasures of
this world the sole object of life. He said if we would seek
the kingdom of God, everything we really need will be added
unto us. - Luke 12:31


Revelation 11-14
The merchants of the earth 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, 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 and wine and olive oil and fine flour
and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and
chariots and slaves and human lives. 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.


Revelation 18:20-24
Scriptures




Verse 20
In contrast to the weeping & wailing of the kings, merchants,
all the wealthy people of the world, rejoicing is called for.
All heaven, and especially the holy apostles and prophets. In
the Greek the holy ones are included which is the saints, the
true believers) are commanded to rejoice over the destruction
of Babylon because its God's vengeance in their behalf.

The Bible in both the Old and New Testaments remind us that
vengeance belongs to the Lord. The godly are to rejoice over
God's righteous judgment on the world system that has been
dominated by satan and has been full of evil in its pleasures,
luxury, government, and business affairs. If Lot was distressed
and disturbed by the immoral life style of the people of Sodom,
how much more should the children of God be distressed by all
the corruption in the around us today!

Verses 21 thru 23
Now a powerful angel performs a symbolic act by picking up a
boulder and throwing it into the sea where it disappears.
He prophesies that "thus with violence," that is in a manner as
violent as the throwing and sinking of the boulder the great
city, Babylon will be "thrown down" and "found no more."

One commentary said since the destruction was to be swift and
violent, the catastrophe is similar to that which would happen
in an atomic explosion. The city will be utterly devastated
and reduced to ashes.

The sounds of various musicians will be not be heard any more
in Babylon. All the celebrations and rejoicings are at an end.
Even the voice of the bridegroom and the bride will never
again be heard in Babylon.


Verses 23b-24
There are 3 reasons why Babylon was destroyed.

1. Her merchants were the "great ones of the earth."
Their greatness was not good, but full of arrogance and pride.
The political and economic Babylon achieved its domination by
controlling the economy and the markets of the world. but that
has ended now.

2. Babylon is destroyed because of her "sorceries."

The sorceries include the use of magic arts, the occult,
and drugs, leading many people astray. This kind of deception
crept into the churches in the dark ages, and is being made
popular again through such things as the New Age movement.
The same old Babylonian world system is exalting itself today.

3. Babylon's destruction was also because there was found in
her the "blood of prophets, and of saints and of all that
were slain (killed with violence or in violent manner) on
the earth.

The prophets are not identified as any one group, but are most
likely Old and New Testament prophets. The saints would include
those have been martyred, during the tribulation and all down
thru history.

From reading verse 24 we can see that Babylon is more than any
one city. It is representative of all the cities, possibly from
the first city built by Cain to the present, and of the world
system itself. Genesis 4:17


REPENT, AMERICA!
TURN BACK to GOD & HIS LAWS!!


Revelation Chapter 18  Verses 15 to 24

IN ONE HOUR!

 

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, 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, apostles and
prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you
against her. 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 harpists,
musicians, 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; and the light of a 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 your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of
prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain
on the earth."


THIS IS THE JUDGMENT!
that the Light has come into the world, 
and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, 
for their deeds were evil.  

GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
Eternal LIFE. For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already, 
because he has not believed in the name of the only 
begotten Son of God.  John 3:16-19