XLII. The Fall of Babylon the Great
It will help wonderfully in the understanding of many scriptures if we will remember this: that when the Lord Jesus Christ comes, judgment will fall upon the nations and governments and systems of this world. They have demonstrated their character, and they then meet their doom. All of them are men's efforts to save themselves, men's efforts to control or overcome evil. All, if religious at all, are antagonistic to the Gospel of Christ. Such all worldly systems must be; and when our Lord comes the second time, all these worldly systems of men's devising (and they will include every device and invention of which man is capable) will be demonstrated failures. Autocracies and theocracies, empires and kingdoms, limited monarchies and republics, governments by one and governments by all, will go down together before the glory of Christ's coming. Individuals will meet their doom after the one thousand years of Revelation 20; but all earthly systems will be judged at the coming of Christ. Those existing upon the earth when Christ comes will be included in Babylon the Great. Her wide-spread influence will gather in all into one great world confederation, for it is declared repeatedly in the Scripture that all nations have drunk of "the wine of her fornication." As of old, modern Babylon will present another way of salvation than that of God. When man came forth from the Deluge which doomed a world, God gave him command to multiply and replenish the earth, and scatter abroad—become an agricultural people, as conducive to the strongest, clearest, purest life; but man said, "No; we will build us a city and a tower, and we will make us a name; we will stay together; we will build to heaven ourselves;" and therefore they named the very tower that they built "Bab-il," "The Gate of God." But God did not enter by such a gate; He can not give His glory to another; He can not work out of harmony with His holy law, because the transgression of that law is sin,—missing the mark,—and dooms to everlasting death those who follow that way. Therefore God named that way Babel, from which comes our "Babylon." See the account of it all in Genesis, the 11th chapter. There has been one way by which Babylon could return. God has sought to save Babylon. Over and over again has He indicated this in His Word: "We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed." Such was the testimony of Jeremiah in his day. So God sent and has been sending to the world for a half century the "everlasting Gospel" as given in Revelation, the 14th chapter, the 6th and 7th verses, to heal Babylon,—the great, good tidings proclaiming to man to fear God and give Him glory, and worship Him that made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the fountains of waters. Every division of Babylon would be healed by the unity of that Gospel. Every putrid sore would have been washed and cleansed by the life of that Gospel. Churches that were dead in formalism would have been revived, the crystallizing, cramping, binding traditions of men would have fallen away, and the church would have stepped forth in all the glory and freedom of Pentecostal days, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners. But in the place of the fear of God has grown the fear of men; in the place of giving glory to God, glory is given to men; and in the place of the worship of God, men are worshiping the works of their own hands, and God is set aside. It is God's view of Babylon and her awful doom that is given in this chapter. We have not space nor time, in the finishing of this series, to dwell upon it. Its language we believe will be sufficiently plain to our readers without extensive notes. 1. In the judgment of Babylon, what further view was given the prophet? After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Rev. 18:1. Note 1. 2. What message did that angel bear? And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. Verses 2, 3. Note 2. 3. What voice did the prophet hear? And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, My people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. Verses 4-6. Note 3. 4. What is said of the time and character of her judgment? How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. Verses 7, 8. Note 4. 5. How will her doom affect the kings of the earth? And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Wo, wo, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. Verses 9, 10. Note 5. 6. How will it affect the merchants of the earth? And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men. And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; saying, Wo, wo, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearl! for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. Verses 11-17. Note 6. 7. How will the masters of transportation be affected? And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city? And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Wo, wo, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Verses 17-19. Note 7. 8. What command is given to God's children? Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her. Verse 20. Note 8. 9. What graphic illustration is given of her eternal doom? And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth. Verses 21-24. Note 9.