Will You Mourn The Loss Of… Sin? (Revelation 18-19:5)
GIST: Sin is pervasively destructive, so we can get sucked into its sorrow or rejoice in the glory of His rescue.
Last week, we started a section that extends from chapter 17 to the beginning of chapter 19. This is a section that details the influence and fall of sin. Chapter 17 used imagery depicting sin as a prostitute riding a 7-headed beast, and that’s the imagery we camped out in last week ☺️. Today we’re going to look at the rest of this section (18:19:5), where sin is depicted as Babylon—Sin City.
Admittedly, this is a very large section, so rather than reading the entire passage, then walking through points while breaking down the text, we’re just going to read through the passage and make observations as we go. Then, we’ll try to bring it all together in our takeaways… which happens to also be our gist statement (seamless transition ☺️)→ Sin is pervasively destructive, so we can get sucked in & face the same fate, or be pulled out & rejoice in the glory of His rescue. Let’s pray and dive in!
WALKTHROUGH
“1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice…”
Voice & Authority From God. We’ve talked about this before. Angels are messengers from God. In case there was any doubt, this angel has a mighty voice, great authority, and shines so bright he lights up the earth—all characteristics typically associated with God. Why? Because he’s reflecting the One who sent him. It’s like God wants to leave zero doubt about the source of this message. And what is the message? Sin will be judged by the just God.
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
Let’s make a few observations here.
Dwelling Place For Demons/House of Hell? Babylon represents sin-filled living. Both Babylon and Egypt are as symbols of “sin on full display” throughout the Old Testament. The Roman Empire takes on that same kind of imagery often in the New Testament. That is what’s being implied here. This is not the condemnation of one special city, but the condemnation of those who refuse grace and embrace sin instead. That lifestyle… is natural. In fact, it impacts→
All Nations & Governments. No one is outside of its impacts. The world has embraced sin—been intimately connected to it. Look at the trends in laws being passed and what governments around the world tend to support. Sin is fully accepted. So much so that→
Merchants Get Rich. Why? Sin sells! Why? Because it’s what our world wants to buy.
“4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;”
This is actually the key takeaway, so we’ll come back to this one more at the end. But, here’s the picture being painted in short→Get Out or You’ll Be Sucked In! (On a side note, the most popular interpretation of Revelation taught in the United States started about 200 years ago. That teaching takes a chronological approach to the events in Revelation and holds that the Church is completely removed from Earth at the beginning of chapter 4. Verses like these are reminders that God’s people are still here.)
“5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.'”
This could almost seem harsh if we don’t take the context into consideration. What we have here is→
The Result Of Self-Satisfied, Self-Confident Sinning. Babylon is proud of her destruction. She calls herself a queen, not a widow. That’s a contrast between a woman with means and influence and a woman, in the ancient world, who had absolutely nothing. Sin is selfish. It runs after whatever makes you feel good with no regard for the destruction it causes you or those around you. What is this verse saying then? You’ll reap what you sow.
“8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
This is a picture of Fast & Complete Judgment From The Mighty God. When Jesus returns, sin will be dealt with ultimately once and for all…because He is able. And, let us not forget, because He loves that passionately.
Now, let’s look at the longest portion of this section→
“9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come." 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14 "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!" 15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" 19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"”
Lots going on here, but really it’s one cohesive picture→
Kings & Economies Will Weep Because Their Significance & Purpose Are All Wrapped Up In Sin. The world will be devastated by the destruction of sin because sin has come to define who we are. Let me just make a few quick observations here.
First, they aren’t weeping because they are repentant but because they can’t get what they want anymore.
Second, notice the “wares” include… humanity. Not only is this a reference to the atrocity of the slave trade, but it hits a deeper truth: following the sinful world is selling your own soul.
Third, this is what our hearts naturally long for, but it won’t last. Look at verse 14 again: “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” We’ll be coming back to this in the takeaways as well, but just take a moment to ask yourself what you love more than anything else. What is it that your soul (your very being) longs for?
“21 Then a mighty 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 be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."”
Last week, I said these images of sin are direct contrasts to what defines life with Jesus. We see that very clearly in this section. In fact→
Living For Sin Is A Direct Contrast With What Jesus Has Prepared In Heaven. Let’s break it down like this.
-No music. All throughout this letter we’ve seen pictures of Heaven full of joy and song.
-No beauty. The craftsmen are gone here, but Heaven keeps being described (and will be described even more) as wonderfully made.
-No bread? There is no mill here which means no meals (see what I did there ☺️?), but the verses we’re coming to next week will be describing Heaven, and guess what’s happening there. A feast!
-No light. Heaven is full of the Light of the World!
-No marriage? Heaven is where the ultimate bride (the Church) meets the perfect bridegroom (Jesus). In fact, that feast we’re going to see next week is at the marriage supper of the Lamb!
“1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for His judgments are true and just; for He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." 3 Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great."”
Two quick points here.
First, This Reflects Contrasting Reactions To The Fall Of Sin. More on this in the takeaways, but those who had been defined by sin mourned its loss. What do we see coming from those who are now in Heaven, those whose lives were defined by Jesus? →
Praise For His Justice and Rescue.
Ok, let’s hit some quick→
TAKEAWAYS
Sin is pervasively destructive. It touches the whole world. Do not be surprised when you see it… literally everywhere.
So we can get sucked into its sorrow. “4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;” Jesus tells His people to come out of Babylon, so as not to take part of her sins and judgments. We’re called to flee sin, not embrace it. Too often, we allow ourselves to get all wrapped up in Babylon. We’re like Lot’s family. We still might claim allegiance to God, but our lives demonstrate otherwise. We love sin, and though we’ve been rescued by grace, we keep living like slaves—and it hurts. Look at how you spend your time? Are you consumed with everything this enticing world has to offer, or Jesus? Maybe you’ve never come to Him at all. What Babylon do you need to flee?
Or we can rejoice in the glory of His rescue. There are two conflicting pictures provided for us in chapter 18 and the first part of 19. In chapter 18:9-20, we see the world weeping for fallen Babylon. In 18:4-8 and 19:1-5, we see the saved rejoicing in the triumph of Jesus. What causes you to mourn and rejoice tells a lot about your heart. Are you more concerned with your personal prosperity, position, and popularity; or God’s will being accomplished in the world?
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