SERMON - THE BOOK OF REVELATION IN WORDS OF UNDERSTANDING part 21

The Book of Revelation

In

Words of Understanding

Part 21

 

 

We have learned that all false religions have fallen and that in the end only TRUE Christianity will remain. No more man made doctrines and rituals that have been conjured up by false prophets and would-be Pastors will continue to be. Just as God intended, it will be ONLY HIS WORD that will be in the hearts and minds of men.

 

Revelation 18: 1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
   "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!
      She has become a home for demons
   and a haunt for every evil spirit,
      a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird.
 3 For all the nations have drunk
      the maddening wine of her adulteries.
   The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
      and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."

 

God’s appointed messenger, “another angel…(with) great authority…illuminated with his splendor….(and) with a mighty voice,” will announce the fall of all religions other than TRUE Christianity. Sermon 130 sets forth the kings and luxuries of those false religions. 

 

Revelation 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
   "Come out of her, my people,
      so that you will not share in her sins,
      so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
      and God has remembered her crimes.
 6 Give back to her as she has given;
      pay her back double for what she has done.
      Mix her a double portion from her own cup.
 7 Give her as much torture and grief
      as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
   In her heart she boasts,
      'I sit as queen; I am not a widow,
      and I will never mourn.'
 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
      death, mourning and famine.
   She will be consumed by fire,
      for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

 

The other voice John heard was inviting all mankind to “come out of her,” with the “her” being of all religions, and I do mean all religions, and accept TRUE Christianity in lieu of what the others taught and promised. Abandon false religions and false Pastors and come to TRUE Christianity!

 

The, “pay her back double,” will be the punishment God will enact upon those men and women who dared to conjure up the false doctrines and false rituals that poisoned men’s hearts against TRUE Christianity. Those that steadfastly refuse to see the falsity of the ways of these false religions shall see the plagues and spiritual damnation that awaits the followers of lies and deceit.

 

Just as God has repeatedly warned of false prophets and false religions, He now reveals the fate of “she will be consumed by fire…(as) the Lord who judges her” sees fitting.

 

Revelation 18:9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
   " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
      O Babylon, city of power!
   In one hour your doom has come!'   

 

The “kings of the earth,” Leaders of nations and religious groups, will see the horror of their lives as all that they sought to pawn off on mankind is condemned and laid to ruin before their eyes. “In one hour your doom has come,” signifies that there will be a demise that will take a time period to come to full fruition. A smattering of this can be seen today as financial ruin and unemployment, both caused by the misdeeds of political and religious leaders is causing hardships to befall the ordinary man.

 

11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men.

Revelation 18:14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
   " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
      dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
      and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!'

   "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
   " 'Woe! Woe, O great city,
      where all who had ships on the sea
      became rich through her wealth!
   In one hour she has been brought to ruin!
 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven!
      Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets!
   God has judged her for the way she treated you.' "

Again we see the leaders bemoan their losses but not fully realize that the greatest loss is of their spiritual lives. Just as Lot ’s wife looked back on Sodom , any that look back, (wish for the old days of sinfulness), back will suffer the fate of their continuing lust for sin and earthly wealth...

 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
   "With such violence
      the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
      never to be found again.
 22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters,
      will never be heard in you again.
   No workman of any trade
      will ever be found in you again.
   The sound of a millstone
      will never be heard in you again.
 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
   The voice of bridegroom and bride
      will never be heard in you again.
   Your merchants were the world's great men.
      By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints,
      and of all who have been killed on the earth."

 The sea is humanity and the boulder can be seen as damnation! Those that attempt to continue in following the sinful doctrines and beliefs of the false religions, will themselves, receive the wrath of God. That wrath, dear Christians, is eternal removal from God’s presence.

 

(Closing prayer)

 

Almighty God, Father of true Christianity, please hear our prayer. We praise You Lord and wish only to come into Your presence as You wish to have us do. We are Your children Lord and seek to do Your will.

 

Lord, we ask for Your mercies for the many men and women that have been led astray by the many false religions that are taught us since childhood. May Your Word find its way into their hearts and may they see them as Your way to gain salvation. Just as the hymn “Open The Eyes of My Heart Lord,” we ask that You do open their eyes to truth.

 

Father, we ask that You open the eyes of our elected officials, our judges, our police and the many security people charges with keeping us safe. We ask that You send angels to protect our military and shield them from the horrors of war. Those that fall or suffer injury do so for the freedom of us all. Lord, we ask that You reward them with Your everlasting love and, at the time of their death, You send angels to take them to Paradise .

 

These things we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever,

 

Amen, amen and amen.