1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,000 Four tons, Lord, why was I against? 2 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:20,000 Why was I paid to hear thy voice? 3 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:27,000 And then to while there true 4 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:35,000 When thousands take a wretched choice 5 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:42,000 And rather starve and cold 6 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:53,000 While it's not the best of feast 7 00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:00,000 That treat me to a sin 8 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:07,000 That we had still refuse to taste 9 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:17,000 And there is still our sin 10 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:25,000 Where the nations all are gone 11 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:32,000 Constraining the earth to go 12 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:39,000 Send thy victorious word of blood 13 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:49,000 And bring the strangers home 14 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:56,000 We long to see thy churches full 15 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:03,000 And all the chosen ways 16 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:09,000 We with one voice and heart and soul 17 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Say thy redeeming grace 18 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,000 If you have a Bible with you, please take it 19 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,000 And turn to Revelation chapter 18 20 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,000 Book of Revelation chapter 18 21 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,000 We're going to be looking at the entire chapter this morning 22 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,000 Revelation chapter 18 23 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 If you're new with us to covenant, we've been working our way through this 24 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 Wonderful, albeit challenging portion of God's word 25 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:55,000 And the morning we're in chapter 18 26 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,000 If you don't have a Bible but you'd like to follow along 27 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:01,000 There should be a Bible in the seat back in front of you 28 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,000 And we would encourage you to take that and find your way to the 29 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,000 18th chapter of the last book of the New Testament 30 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Revelation 18 31 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,000 If you're able, would you please stand 32 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,000 I want to read for us the morning first of all 33 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 Verse 4 of Revelation chapter 18 34 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 Being reminded that this is God's word 35 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,000 It is inspired of him 36 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Every word of it is true 37 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,000 And it is for our good 38 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Revelation chapter 18 39 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 Verse 4, this is the word of God 40 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,000 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying 41 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Come out of her, my people 42 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,000 Lest you take part in her sins 43 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 Lest you share in her plagues 44 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,000 This is the word of God 45 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,000 Let's pray 46 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 And now O Lord, we ask that you would give us 47 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,000 Hearts and minds to understand and to receive your word today 48 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Where it is 49 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Where it is sharp, edged, Lord, I pray that we would welcome 50 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 The work that you do by your word and our hearts 51 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,000 That it is useful for correcting and rebuking 52 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:21,000 But your word we read also is useful for training and righteousness 53 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,000 And Lord, we long for that in our lives 54 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:28,000 And so Holy Spirit, we pray that you would do your good work in our hearts 55 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,000 Through the power of your word 56 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:32,000 And this we pray through Christ our Lord 57 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:34,000 Amen, you may have a seat 58 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:43,000 I'm sure that now 37 weeks in 59 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:48,000 It's dawning on some of us here that the book of Revelation 60 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Is not the easiest portion of Scripture to read or even understand 61 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:59,000 Our confession of faith, Westminster confession of faith 62 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Affirms the essential clarity of Scripture 63 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,000 That Scripture is essentially clear that if it is read 64 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,000 By Christians with the eyes of faith 65 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,000 We will understand the Bible 66 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:15,000 That's the clarity of Scripture and our confession of faith affirms that 67 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:22,000 But it also grants that some portions of the Bible are 68 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:26,000 Quote more clear than others 69 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,000 And in case you're wondering, I'd place the book of Revelation 70 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:35,000 In the not as clear as others category 71 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,000 It's not opaque, it is not indecipherable 72 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,000 But it is more challenging 73 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:49,000 And in fact, I have never had to read more every week 74 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:53,000 In preparation for sermons in my life 75 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,000 That I've had to do for this series 76 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,000 I mean, just trying to get my head around the various angels and beasts 77 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:04,000 And locus monsters and statements like times, time and half a time 78 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,000 And all of that, it's been slow going every week 79 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:13,000 Like trudging through waste deep snow at times 80 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,000 And we still have to go through chapter 20 81 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,000 Which is about the millennial reign of Christ 82 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,000 Which for the uninitiated may be the most debated chapter in all of Revelation 83 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,000 So, woo 84 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:33,000 And then there is the repeated calls for and descriptions of God's judgment upon the wicked 85 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Which we have again this morning 86 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 And I just want you to know that if you are struggling 87 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,000 To get your mind and your heart around portions of this book 88 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,000 I understand 89 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:51,000 But I also do not apologize for one second for any portion of God's word 90 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,000 Particularly the part that God himself designed 91 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,000 To be the last word to the church until Jesus returns 92 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:04,000 So we have to give our attention to this book 93 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,000 We have to embrace and to love and believe 94 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:10,000 The message of this book 95 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 God's given us the book of Revelation for our good 96 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,000 To strengthen our faith 97 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,000 To repeat certain messages certain truths repeatedly 98 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Because our hearts need that repetition 99 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,000 So in our remaining time what we're going to do 100 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Very similar that we did last week when we looked at all of chapter 17 101 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,000 Instead of reading the whole chapter all at once 102 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,000 We're going to kind of move through it section by section 103 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:39,000 So I hope you have a Bible, have it out in front of you 104 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 So that you can follow along 105 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:43,000 Now what do we do in here? 106 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,000 We're focusing in chapter 18 107 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,000 Once again on the destruction of Babylon 108 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 Remember that chapter Revelation chapter 17 and 18 109 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Our an extended view of the final bow 110 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Judgments that are described in chapter 16 111 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:03,000 Which is of view to the destruction of Babylon 112 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,000 And just by way of historical background 113 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:09,000 Babylon had already been destroyed by Persia 114 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,000 Under the King Cyrus the Great 115 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,000 And that happened way back in 539 BC 116 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:18,000 So John is writing this about the destruction of Babylon 117 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,000 Over 600 years after 118 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:26,000 Geographic Babylon was actually destroyed 119 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000 And by the way we know from the prophet Isaiah for instance 120 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,000 That Babylon will never be raised again 121 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,000 It's been destroyed 122 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:39,000 But Babylon exists as a symbol of the wickedness of the world 123 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:44,000 Corrupt human governments, corrupt human cultures and movements 124 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Which stand in opposition to God and to God's people 125 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 For John's original readers as we've said so often 126 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,000 That wicked empire that Babylon that they lived under 127 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:01,000 Was Rome in fact the Apostle Peter calls Rome Babylon 128 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,000 And they were right 129 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,000 But Babylon had been around long before that 130 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,000 Even as a symbol for wickedness 131 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:12,000 Babylon was also tired and Sodom and Nineva 132 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,000 And at times even Jerusalem 133 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,000 Babylon is the anti church 134 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:25,000 She is the opposite of Christ's pure and spotless bride 135 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:28,000 There's a reason that in chapter 19 136 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 We're going to read about the marriage supper of the lamb 137 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 Because what's being held out for us here is the choice between two women 138 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:37,000 If you like 139 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,000 We can join ourselves either to the harlot Babylon 140 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,000 Or to the spotless bride of the lamb 141 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,000 But you cannot have both 142 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:52,000 Now what we have here in chapter 18 is tough reading 143 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,000 It is a funeral derge 144 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:58,000 It is also a prophetic condemnation 145 00:09:58,000 --> 00:10:00,000 And it's also a courtroom drum 1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,600 essential clarity of Scripture, that Scripture is essentially clear that if it is read by Christians 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,560 with the eyes of faith, we will understand the Bible. 3 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:16,840 That's the clarity of Scripture and our confession of faith affirms that. 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:26,680 But it also grants that some portions of the Bible are, quote, more clear than others. 5 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:34,280 In case you're wondering, I'd place the book of Revelation in the not as clear as others, 6 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:41,680 category, it's not opaque, it is not indecipherable, but it is more challenging. 7 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:52,240 And in fact, I have never had to read more every week in preparation for sermons in my 8 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,560 life that I've had to do for this series. 9 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:01,000 I mean, just trying to get my head around the various angels and beasts and locus monsters 10 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,640 and statements like times, time and half a time. 11 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:13,640 And all of that, it's been slow going every week, like trudging through waste-deep snow at times. 12 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,880 And we still have to go through chapter 20, which is about the millennial reign of Christ, 13 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:23,080 which for the uninitiated may be the most debated chapter in all of Revelation. 14 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:33,960 And then there is the repeated calls for and descriptions of God's judgment upon the wicked, 15 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,160 which we have again this morning. 16 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:41,680 And I just want you to know that if you are struggling to get your mind and your heart 17 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:49,080 around portions of this book, I understand, but I also do not apologize for one second 18 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:56,840 for any portion of God's word, particularly the part that God himself designed to be the last 19 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:01,320 word to the church until Jesus returns. 20 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:04,400 So we have to give our attention to this book. 21 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:10,840 We have to embrace and to love and believe the message of this book. 22 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:16,280 God's given us the book of Revelation for our good to strengthen our faith, to repeat certain 23 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:25,000 messages, certain truths repeatedly because our hearts need that repetition. 24 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,880 So in our remaining time, what we're going to do is we're going to do something very similar 25 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:32,360 that we did last week when we looked at all of chapter 17, instead of reading the whole chapter 26 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:35,640 all at once, we're going to kind of move through it section by section. 27 00:02:35,640 --> 00:02:41,080 So I hope you have a Bible, have it out in front of you so that you can follow along. 28 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:43,160 Now what do we do in here? 29 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:48,440 We're focusing in chapter 18 once again on the destruction of Babylon. 30 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:55,000 Remember that chapter, Revelation chapter 17 and 18 are an extended view of the final 31 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:02,840 bold judgments that are described in chapter 16, which is of you to the destruction of Babylon. 32 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:09,240 And just by way of historical background, Babylon had already been destroyed by Persia 33 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,360 under the King Cyrus the Great, and that happened way back in 539 BC. 34 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:20,680 So John is writing this about the destruction of Babylon over 600 years after 35 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:24,600 geographic Babylon was actually destroyed. 36 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:31,480 And by the way, we know from the prophet Isaiah for instance that Babylon will never be raised again. 37 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:38,280 It's been destroyed, but Babylon exists as a symbol of the wickedness of the world. 38 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:47,720 Corrupt human governments, corrupt human cultures and movements which stand in opposition to God and to God's people. 39 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:56,520 For John's original readers, as we've said so often, that wicked empire, that Babylon that they lived under 40 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:02,440 was Rome. In fact, the Apostle Peter calls Rome Babylon and they were right. 41 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:08,520 But Babylon had been around long before that even as a symbol for wickedness. 42 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:15,160 Babylon was also tire and Sodom and Nineva and at times even Jerusalem. 43 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:23,720 Babylon is the anti church. She is the opposite of Christ's pure and spotless bride. 44 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:31,000 There's a reason that in chapter 19, we're going to read about the marriage supper of the lamb. 45 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,920 Because what's being held out for us here is the choice between two women if you like. 46 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:46,040 We can join ourselves either to the Harlet Babylon or to the spotless bride of the lamb, but you cannot have both. 47 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:54,040 Now what we have here in chapter 18 is tough reading. It is a funeral derge. 48 00:04:54,840 --> 00:05:00,120 It is also a prophetic condemnation and it's also a courtroom drama. 49 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:06,040 Evidence is presented. Sentences passed and judgment is carried out. 50 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,920 And so let's look at it. Look at the first three verses of chapter 18. 51 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:18,200 After this I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great authority and the earth was made 52 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:24,840 bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. 53 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:31,560 She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt, for every unclean spirit, a haunt, 54 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:37,400 for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 55 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:43,480 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality and the 56 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:49,800 kings of the earth have committed immorality with her. And the merchants of the earth have grown rich 57 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:59,240 from the power of her luxurious living. Final destruction of Babylon here is announced by another 58 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:06,200 mighty angel who appears before John and says fallen fallen is Babylon the great. This is Old Testament 59 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:15,080 language. Once rich and mighty Babylon is now fit only as a habitation for demons and impure birds 60 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:21,320 and impure beasts, unclean and detestable animals, these are the scavengers of the world 61 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:30,040 who feed upon the dead. Babylon is the precise opposite of everything we read about the new Jerusalem, 62 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:37,320 the new creation and the eternal abode of God with his people where everything is life and light 63 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:46,760 and joy and purity. Notice that there is a universal guilt due to Babylon for all nations 64 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:54,280 have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. Now while it is true that some nations in this 65 00:06:54,360 --> 00:07:00,760 world approximate justice and virtue better than others there is a sense in which you will find 66 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:09,480 Babylon in every nation. There's a universal guilt there and as we've seen before sexual immorality 67 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:19,240 is used as symbolic for spiritual infidelity and I will say this often times the two do go together. 68 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:27,560 Theological confusion, the rejection of God, the exaltation of humanity above God 69 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:34,120 is almost always accompanied by sexual perversion but here what's being gotten that is the 70 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:42,760 willing acceptance of Babylon's values, Babylon's idolatries in exchange for economic security. 71 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:51,480 These nations we are told have made themselves drunk with the wine of Babylon as one commentator 72 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:59,480 puts it quote, the lure of economic security led to a willing participation in Rome's idolatry 73 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:07,160 and immorality in order to maintain that relationship. Remember so much pressure in the first three 74 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:16,040 centuries was placed upon Christians in the Roman Empire to go and pay homage worshipful 75 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:25,240 obedience to the Caesar and place incense into the alters that were constructed to recognize Caesar 76 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:31,880 as a God and so long as they would do that they would be allowed into the economic life of the 77 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:37,240 city but if they did not do that they would be shut out and so for 300 years Christians had to make 78 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:43,560 a choice whether or not they would compromise with Babylon for the sake of economic security. 79 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:56,520 That sounds contemporary at all. Greg Beal writes this quote, once one imbibes or drinks of this 80 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:04,440 wine of Babylon, once one imbibes the intoxicating influence removes all desire to resist 81 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:12,760 Babylon's destructive influence, blinds one to Babylon's ultimate insecurity and to God as the 82 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:21,880 source of real security and numbs one against any fear of coming judgment. What was it that the 83 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:29,960 person said to the woman way back then you shall not surely die and that message is continued 84 00:09:29,960 --> 00:09:35,000 to go on to the people of the world you shall not surely die you shall not be judged there's no 85 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:43,640 judgment to fear and then look first for again we just read we see this exhortation to God's people 86 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:51,480 my people flee come out from her more on that in just a moment now look beginning in verse five 87 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:58,120 let's read verses five through eight so so he's just called his people to flee Babylon to come 88 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:04,280 out to have nothing to do with Babylon verse five for her sins our heat pious heaven and God has 89 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:12,840 remembered her iniquities pay her back as she herself has paid back to others and repay her double 90 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:20,360 for her deeds mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed as she glorified herself and lived in 91 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:28,520 luxury so give her a like measure of torment in mourning since in her heart she says I sit as a queen 92 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:36,040 I am no widow and mourning I shall never see for this reason her plagues will come in a single day 93 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:42,920 death in mourning in famine and she will be burned up with fire for mighty as the Lord God who has judged her 94 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:51,640 sobering words the sins of Babylon have reached up to heaven as it were and God will act in a chord with his own 95 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,280 perfect justice 96 00:10:54,280 --> 00:11:00,200 God has described here as remembering which is not the suggests he's forgotten anything rather it's an 97 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:10,440 indication that after years of great patience years of patience judgment will be carried out 98 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:18,280 God's judgment is not on a hair trigger his mercy is but his judgment comes only after great 99 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:26,760 patience the expressions that that he will repay her back double mostly means to duplicate 100 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:34,520 rather than a liberal literal doubling of the amount the point is that justice demands that Babylon 101 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:40,440 be repaid with the same severity with which she has persecuted God's people that she would be 102 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:47,240 repaid with the same sort of severity with which she has exalted herself above God do you see how 103 00:11:47,240 --> 00:11:54,840 how Babylon bows I'm a queen on the earth I'm not a widow meaning I have no needs I have no needs she 104 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,920 sounds like Leia to see a remember the church in Leia to see in chapters two and three 105 00:11:59,560 --> 00:12:05,400 says I have need of nothing I'm rich I can see everything I have all that I need and God says what 106 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:12,200 you don't realize is that you're poor pitiful and naked well here we have that that that that same 107 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:23,560 sort of pride only in its most most distilled sort of intensity she's glorified herself she's 108 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:33,960 idolatrous at the most fundamental level the the message to the church is very clear be where 109 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:40,680 of being enticed into sin be where of being enticed into sin by the lure of riches or the 110 00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:47,720 false security of riches the world may appear to provide a fire wall against disaster but it 111 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:54,680 doesn't and it can be gone in a minute the world cannot give you what only God can give you there's 112 00:12:54,680 --> 00:13:01,080 a sense in which so much of what is going on here is God is telling his church where are you going 113 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:07,000 to get your security from are you gonna get your security from the world and if you're living 114 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:13,080 in certain countries it may seem like you are really secure there but you're not or will you 115 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:21,560 gain your security from the world look at verses nine through nineteen kind of this big middle 116 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:30,200 section here and notice the emphasis that this chapter is placing on economic security and 117 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:39,400 luxury as a chief way that Babylon entices loyalty so look there beginning in verse nine and the 118 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:45,560 kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and whale 119 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:51,320 over her when they see the smoke of her burning they will stand far off in fear of her torment 120 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:59,560 and say a last a last you great city you mighty city Babylon for in a single hour your judgment is 121 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:05,880 come and all the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her since no one buys her cargo any 122 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:14,840 more cargo of gold silver jewels pearls fine linen purple cloth still scarlet cloth all kinds 123 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:22,600 of scented wood all kinds of articles of ivory all kinds of articles of costly wood bronze iron 124 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:31,160 and marble cinnamon spice incense mirror frankincense wine oil fine flower wheat 125 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:40,040 cavel and sheep horses and chariots and slaves that is human souls the fruit for which you are so 126 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:49,880 long has gone from you and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you never to be found 127 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:58,520 again the merchants of these wares who gained wealth from her will stand far off in fear of her torment 128 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,520 weeping and mourning oh