July 6, 2025 • 26 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
One day God will severely judge the world system known
as Babylon. But does that have any application for Christians
right now? Today on Turning Point, doctor David Jeremiah says yes,
with a biblical response to the judgment of Babylon that
believers should take to heart. From the series Escape the
(00:25):
Coming Night. Here's David with the conclusion of his message,
the collapse of the world market.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Can you imagine a time in the world when all
of commerce dies all at once, and everything stops, and
there's no trading and there's no business. The Bible tells
us in Revelation chapter eighteen that because of the iniquity,
the influence, the infidelity, and the inhumanity of the commercial world,
(00:52):
during that time, God will judge them. And the Bible
tells us that the monarchs, the merchants, and the mariners
will all mourn over the loss of their financial lives
as the world comes to an end. The collapse of
the world market is part of the story, and today
on the Money edition of Turning Point, we're going to
(01:13):
tell you part two of that story from the eighteenth
chapter of the Book of Revelation. Hey, friends, please remember
that during this month, our resource for the month is
a brand new book called Vanished, a fiction novel that
we wrote together with Sam O'Neill. It is a timely
and relevant book, creating a new way for readers to
(01:35):
imagine the future. It's fast paced, its page turning, It's
a biblical insight, and it includes discussion questions at the
end of the book. The book is meant to open
eyes of those who read only fiction to how it
might be at the end when the world is coming
to a conclusion as we know it today. The book
(01:57):
is called Vanished. It is released in the bookstores on
the first of July, so it is available now there
and you can get your copy here at Turning Point
for a gift of any size during this month. Just
ask for the book and we'll send it to you
right away. Here now is part two of the Collapse
of the World Market.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
The New Age Movement has described us in terms that
could be written back into this chapter. We are now God,
we are in charge. We are able to determine our
own destiny. And if you read the philosophers of the
New Age Movement, they are saying that it's just a
matter of time until we can genetically control our own conditions,
(02:38):
and we can be totally in charge of this world,
and death will be taken away and sickness will be gone.
Man is the supreme God. Glory be to man. Notice
what it says she glorified herself. That's infidelity. Who alone
is worthy of glory only God. And whereas in the
(02:59):
past the idle of this world have taken glory away
from God, in our day and age, man has taken
that glory to himself and committed infidelity. Notice the fourth
reason Babylon is destroyed, fourthly because of her inhumanity. As
we come down to verses twelve and thirteen, we are
told about twenty eight different items of merchandise. Now I
(03:21):
want you to just look at these items. Gold and
silver and precious stones come first. These are the earthly
treasures which have first place in the hearts of man.
That hasn't changed much, has it. Everything gets on the
gold standard sooner or later. Then come the things which
are for show and personal adornment.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
You see those.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Then come the choice articles of rare and precious wood,
metal and ivory. Then come the perfumes and the other
luxuries which speak of sensuousness of modern living. Then come
the more substantial commodities, including horses and chariots. Please know
before we go any further that none of the things
on this list so far are necessities. They're all luxuries.
(04:05):
None of them are staple necessities. The list sadly ends
with a very interesting inclusion, and the end of verse
thirteen we read and slaves and the souls of men.
Now notice they're listed in the list of commodities which
are owned by the system. The word slaves is the
(04:28):
Greek word that is translated most places by the word bodies.
So people own gold and silver and garments and precious
stones and wood and vessels, and bodies and the souls
of men. People are put on the list of things
that we own because you see, when commercialism and humanism
(04:52):
and Babylonianism is allowed to reach its final stage, it
is so dehumanizing that the hu human soul is of
no value whatsoever. As long as the beast can advance
his cause, one more body, one more slave, one more
human soul will have be no value. In the final
(05:14):
system of commerce that will characterize the world of the
tribulation period, man will be nothing more than a commodity.
He will be viewed as something to own and something
to sell. The world system championed by the beast will
dehumanize mankind, as any system will do without God. Every
single one of these inhuman philosophies start when man says
(05:40):
God did not create life, that God is not the
creator of each one of us, that God is not
the author and the source of life as we know it.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Once you say that man is an.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Accident, that he came into being through the evolutionary process,
and he just has happened to rise, it really doesn't
matter whether he lives or dies. But if he is
a creature of God, he is of inestimable worth. So
we need to thank God for our creationist students and
(06:16):
scholars who are champion the cause of making sure we
don't forget how it happened and where we came from
and how we got here, because that's down underneath all
of this. Babylon is judged because of her inhumanity. Well,
let's talk now, not about the reasons for her judgment.
Let's talk quickly about the reality of her judgment. Notice
(06:37):
the eighth verse of the eighteenth chapter says, therefore shall
her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine,
and she shall be utterly burned with fire.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Notice the tenth verse, standing far off alass Alas for
the great city Babylon, that mighty city. For in one
hour is thy judgment. Come verses twenty one to twenty three.
Jump down in your bibles to those verses. And a
mighty angel took up a stone like a millstone and
cast it into the sea, saying, thus with violence shall
(07:11):
that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be
found no more at all. And the voice of the
harpers and the musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters shall
be heard no more at all in THEE. And no craftsmen,
of whatsoever craft t b shall be found anymore in THEE.
And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no
more at all in THEE, and the light of a
(07:32):
candle 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 for the great men of the earth. For
by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. Now watch carefully
Please note that the phrase no more is used six
(07:54):
times in verses twenty one to twenty three. And let
me tell you it is the strongest way the green
language could say not at all, not at all. One
writer has described the scene like this. The angel's words
announce most impressively the vanishing forever of all the joys
(08:15):
and delights of the great city, the music and the song,
the hum of industry, the brightness of its illumination, and
above all the rejoicings of the bridegroom and bride, which
in the Bible stands for the highest of all human joys.
No more at all will songs fill the streets, No
more at all will the artificer be found in her.
(08:37):
No more at all should the woman grind their corn
in the city. No more at all should lamps light
the night. No more at all should the bridal processions
break the stillness of the evening with shouts of joy?
No more at all. What a picture of desolation. When
God judges a nation, or a city, or a system,
the judgment is sure and swift and fine, and it's over.
(09:03):
In this city the greatest kings of the earth will
be found. But in one hour all their greatness and
might and majesty will be gone. In this city all
the best merchants of the world will be found, But
in one hour the harvest will be gone, and the
bright and dainty things will perish. There will be no
one left to buy or enjoy the things which they
(09:24):
have for sale. In this city where the best dressed
of all the world's people. But in one hour all
the expensive and costly garments are gone. In this city
lived the best musicians, but in one hour every note
was silenced. This city was the center of great weddings
and bridal parties. But in one hour, and with one
(09:45):
stroke of Heaven's judgment, every sound of joy is hushed,
and the voice of the bride and bridegroom are heard
no more at all. That is one of the most
picturesque descriptions of the judgment of God I have ever read.
Do you know that's what it's going to be like
when God judges this earth. That's what it's going to
(10:07):
be like when the rapture comes for a few moments
and the joy of this earth is taken from those
who have heard the word. But that's surely what it's
going to be like in the tribulation no more at all.
Everything in which we find fulfillment will be gone.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Now I want you to.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Notice, as we read in the rest of this chapter
the reactions to the judgment of Babylon. And there are
three different groups that react, and I can just point
them out to you real quickly, and you can see them.
First of all, the monarchs, secondly the merchants, and thirdly
the mariners. Watch carefully. The monarchs will mourn Verses nine
and ten. And the kings of the earth, who have
(10:45):
committed fornication and lived deliciously with Babylon, shall bewail her
and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke
of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of
her torment, saying alas alas that great city, Babylon, that
mighty city. For in one hour as thy judgment come
the kings who ruled and reigned and.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Thought that power was all theirs.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
They're going to mourn because the city is gone, The
great capital city of the Beast Empire has been destroyed.
The merchants of the earth will mourn, I guess, And
the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her,
for no man by a third merchandise anymore, Verse eleven,
the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones, and
(11:26):
of pearls, and fine linen and purple and scarlet, and
all thine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory,
and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and
of brass, and of iron, and on and on it goes.
And the merchants of these things which were made rich
by her shall stand afar off with the fear of
her torment, weeping and wailing and saying alas, alas the
great city that was clothed and fine linen and purple
(11:48):
and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
for in one hour so great riches has come to nothing.
I just weep and mourn for people who pour their
life into things, who believe that life is.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Wrapped up in what you own. How much money you.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Have is so absolutely ridiculous when you realize that in
a moment of time it's all just erased. The merchants
lament because the economic cub of the world is gone.
Bankruptcy faces the West. The stock exchanges will crash, and
the banks will close their doors and it's over. And
(12:27):
people who put all of their energy into humanism and
the Babylonious system of commerce, which says get all you can,
can all you get, they're just going to die when
they see it all go up and smoke and it's over.
Not only will the monarchs mourn and the merchants mourn,
but the mariners are going to mourn. Notice what it says.
(12:50):
Every shipmaster and all the company in ships and sailors,
and as many as trade by sea stood afar off
and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,
saying what city is like under this great city? By
the way, some of you might think it's kind of
silly to think that the merchants would be trafficking with ships,
But remember this city, if it's rebuilt as we believe
(13:10):
it will be, will be at the head of the
Persian Gulf, and in the tribulation, that Persian Gulf will
be flooded with merchant ships coming from Babylon, the great
center of world commerce. And then one day when the
merchants come in to the gulf and into the Gulf
of Persia, they're going to look at the head of
that gulf and the city where they have docked to
trade their goods, is going to be in a huge
(13:31):
blaze of smoke and fire, and everything in their ship
will be of no value, and everything they hope to
pick up while they were there will not be possible.
And the entire system upon which they have built their
whole lives will be gone.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
And they're going to mourn.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
John in his letter pictures the great fleets of the
world standing far out in the gulf, and the captains
and the crews of these vessels are filled with terror
as they watch the city burn. Now, that's all pretty
awesome and pretty sobering.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
But let me remind you.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
While this is all going down on on earth, up
in heaven they're having a party. You say, well, wait,
wait a minute. Now, Well, I want to show you this.
This is really important. The Bible says that up in
heaven they are going to be rejoicing over her, Thou Heaven,
and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, For God hath avenged
(14:26):
you on her, and in her was found the blood
of the prophets and of the saints, and of all
that were slain upon the earth.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Now, I want you to notice, at the end of
the chapter.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That just as there are three different classes of people
who mourn down on the earth, there are three different
classes of people who rejoice up in heaven. Down on
the earth, the monarchs, the merchants, and the mariners are mourning.
But up in heaven, watch now we notice that up
(14:56):
in heaven the apostles and the prophets and the saints
are all rejoicing. Why are they rejoicing because it was
that system that martyred them in the first place. It
was that system that wouldn't let them adhere to their
faith in Jesus Christ. It was that system that said
take the mark or die. It was that system that
(15:17):
cut them to ribbons and flayed them in front of others,
and boiled them in hot oil, and hung them up
to die, and sent them to the lions and martyred them.
It was that system that stood for everything that was
against their faith in Jesus Christ. And one by one
they died during that period of time, And it seemed
as if nobody knew and nobody cared, and they came,
(15:38):
as we learned in the sixth chapter, and the souls
of those who were beheaded cried out from the altar. Lord,
how long before you avenge our blood. And the Lord said,
waite just a while, just to time, take a rest
until the cup of iniquity is full and it lasts.
These who have tortured and judged the people of God
(16:00):
God are going to feel the judgment of God. And
as Heaven looks down and watches, Heaven rejoices not because
of the judgment, but because God has been vindicated and
his people.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Have been supported. There's an interesting thing that happens.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
The prophet in the twenty first verse, we are told
sees an angel take a great stone, like a millstone,
into the sea as a symbol of the violent destruction
of Babylon when the Lord was on the earth. You
remember what he said. He said that it was better
for men to have a millstone hung around his neck
and drowned in the depth of the sea than that
he should offend one of God's little ones. So this
(16:41):
great godless power that is filled with the blood of
the saints and prophets has a tremendous millstone placed around
her neck, and she is thrown into the abyss of
judgment as a reminder you don't mess with God's people.
It seems sometimes as if we are lacking a defense,
seems like sometimes out there all by ourselves. But God
(17:01):
is not unmindful of what is happening. In one of
these days the score will be settled once and for all.
Do you know that this is the first time in
this book of Revelation of Tears that the command to
rejoice is given the saints in heaven from the time
of the fourth chapter, and there is worship and honor
and glory and power given by them to God, who
(17:23):
is indeed worthy to receive this praise. But here, as
though the saints now had their eyes adjusted to the
glories of heaven, the command of rejoicing is given. The
saints are called to look down upon the world they
have left, and they see that the vile babbling against
which they have struggled, and which poured out its scorn
upon them, has come to a complete and final doom.
(17:44):
And they know that this world system will never rise again.
And that's something to shout about and praise God for.
And they just have a Hallelujah time. And then there
is one last thing that I want you to note
here in this text, and that is our response to
the judgment of babylin The response to the judgment upon
(18:07):
Babylon and upon the city is found in the fourth verse.
And I want you to look there. And I heard
another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people,
that she be not partakers of her sins, and that
she receive not of her plagues. Who are His people?
(18:29):
They are people who have somehow embraced Christ during the
tribulation period, maybe Jewish Christians. But apparently the pull toward
the system is still there. Perhaps some of them have
begun to move into the system itself. And this is
a clear call from the Word of God to separation
from the system of the world.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Listen to me.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Now, Babylon represents the world system. Let's be clear. What
is the world system. It is materialism, pure and simple.
It is humanism. It is everything that is apart from God.
Now the call to each one of us is this,
come ye out from among them and be separate.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Saith the Lord. Do you know what the church is?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
The church is the ec Claysia, the Ecclasa. The word
means the called out ones. Seven times in the Word
of God, God's people are told to separate themselves from Babylon.
Starting in the Old Testament all the way through to
this very last time here in the eighteenth chapter, you say,
Pastor Jeremiah, what does that mean. Well, it doesn't mean isolationism.
(19:35):
Sometimes Christians who have taught separation have thought that that
means you don't ever have any contact with the world. Well,
if that were true, you'd have to go out of
the world. You couldn't live in this world if you're
not going to contact the world. And one of the
reasons why we don't win people to Jesus Christ like
we ought to. We don't have any unsaved friends. He's
not talking about walking around with a Holier than Thou
attitude and saying I am not going to talk to
(19:57):
anybody who's not a believer. There are some folks who
have that idea. Separation and coming out of the system
doesn't mean we reject the people. It means we reject
the doctrine, we reject the philosophy, we reject the practice,
and we ask God to keep us from being sucked
into the world's mold. And we don't buy into materialism,
(20:20):
and we discover that there is something more important than
the almighty dollar. That affluence for us has something to
do with spiritual truth, not just how much we can
sign up on our bank book. We don't get ourselves
caught up into the game of power and prestige and
performance and all of the rest that's up in this system.
(20:40):
We stand quite apart from it. And when people see us,
they see men and women of God who are filled
with love, who are having a great time in life
and can smile and laugh. And yet there's a different
quality about us that they can't understand because we've separated
ourselves from the system. Paul wrote similar instructions to the
(21:01):
people in Corinth. He said, be not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath
Christ with belile? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? For you are the temple of the
(21:21):
Living God, As God hath said. I will dwell in
them and walk in them, and will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from
among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,
and I will be a father unto you, and you
shall be my sons and daughters. Saith the Lord God Almighty.
(21:45):
The reason why we are to flee from Babylon is twofold.
We are to separate so that we can keep from
participating in their sins, and we are to separate so
that we won't experience their plagues. That's what it says,
be not partakers of their sins and receive not their plagues. Basically,
(22:05):
what that's saying is this, if you want to live
in the world system, you're going to pick up some
of the plagues of the world system, even though you're
a Christian. If you try to live as close as
you can to the world and in Bible of their philosophy,
you're going to get some of the pain that goes
with it. But if you separate yourself and live for
God and be a holy, righteous person, you can avoid that.
(22:27):
I am absolutely convinced that if the people of our
church would embrace this concept and begin to ask the
tough questions that we ought to ask, Lord, not how
much should I give? But how much of what you
have provided for me? Dare I keep for myself, providing
as much of the rest for your work. You know,
the best way I know to keep from getting caught
(22:49):
up in materialism is to continually be giving to God's work.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
More than you think You can.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Always be challenging yourself to putting more and more of
what God has entrusted to you back into circulation for
the Lord. It gets harder and harder as God blesses
you more and more. And that's why you have to
work at it over and over again to make sure
you continually are reinvesting what God has given you back
into His work so you don't get caught up in
(23:16):
the money game. Materialism and Babylonism is alive and well
in our world today, but I hope you see what's
going to happen to it. Someday It's all going up
in a puff of smoke. And I'd rather put my
time in something that's going to last. I'd rather emphasize
the word of God and the people of God who
are going to live forever. They'll never be a chapter
(23:38):
eighteen about the things I'm committed to.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
The Bible says we are going to live forever and
ever with our God. Amen.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Well, Tomorrow, we continue our journey toward the end of
the Book of Revelation with a two day discussion of
the marriage Supper of the Lamb is a subject you
will hear very little about in messages preached from Pulpits,
but it's an important part of what God is going
to do in the future, and you owe to yourself
to find out what it's all about. To be with
(24:11):
us tomorrow as we delve into that. Ladies and gentlemen.
We are going to New England and Canada in October,
and the ship that's taking us has a lotted us
a certain number of rooms and they're filling up quickly.
So let me just remind you that we'll be sailing
on Holland America. Zyderdam is the name of the ship,
(24:31):
and we'll be leaving October fourth, coming back October the eleventh,
and seeing some beautiful sites along the way. If you
haven't already checked into this, please go to David Jeremiah
dot org. There you will find all the information you
need to be a part of that conference cruise. In
the meantime, be sure to join us tomorrow right here
on this good station.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Our message today. Originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and
doctor David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. If this ministry is
an encouragement to you, let us know by writing to
Turning Point po Box thirty eight thirty eight, San Diego, California,
nine two one sixty three, visiting our website at David
Jeremiah dot org, Slash Radio, or calling eight hundred ninety
(25:18):
four seven nineteen ninety three ask for your copy of
David's exciting new novel set in the End Times Vanished.
It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can
also view over twelve hundred of doctor Jeremiah sermons on
any screen anytime you like on our Turning Point Plus
streaming service for a monthly gift of any amount. Visit
(25:40):
Turningpoint plus dot org for details. That's Turningpoint plus dot
o RG. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow
as we continue the series Escape the Coming Night on
Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah
One day God will severely judge the world system known
as Babylon. But does that have any application for Christians
right now? Today on Turning Point, doctor David Jeremiah says yes,
with a biblical response to the judgment of Babylon that
believers should take to heart. From the series Escape the
(00:25):
Coming Night. Here's David with the conclusion of his message,
the collapse of the world market.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Can you imagine a time in the world when all
of commerce dies all at once, and everything stops, and
there's no trading and there's no business. The Bible tells
us in Revelation chapter eighteen that because of the iniquity,
the influence, the infidelity, and the inhumanity of the commercial world,
(00:52):
during that time, God will judge them. And the Bible
tells us that the monarchs, the merchants, and the mariners
will all mourn over the loss of their financial lives
as the world comes to an end. The collapse of
the world market is part of the story, and today
on the Money edition of Turning Point, we're going to
(01:13):
tell you part two of that story from the eighteenth
chapter of the Book of Revelation. Hey, friends, please remember
that during this month, our resource for the month is
a brand new book called Vanished, a fiction novel that
we wrote together with Sam O'Neill. It is a timely
and relevant book, creating a new way for readers to
(01:35):
imagine the future. It's fast paced, its page turning, It's
a biblical insight, and it includes discussion questions at the
end of the book. The book is meant to open
eyes of those who read only fiction to how it
might be at the end when the world is coming
to a conclusion as we know it today. The book
(01:57):
is called Vanished. It is released in the bookstores on
the first of July, so it is available now there
and you can get your copy here at Turning Point
for a gift of any size during this month. Just
ask for the book and we'll send it to you
right away. Here now is part two of the Collapse
of the World Market.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
The New Age Movement has described us in terms that
could be written back into this chapter. We are now God,
we are in charge. We are able to determine our
own destiny. And if you read the philosophers of the
New Age Movement, they are saying that it's just a
matter of time until we can genetically control our own conditions,
(02:38):
and we can be totally in charge of this world,
and death will be taken away and sickness will be gone.
Man is the supreme God. Glory be to man. Notice
what it says she glorified herself. That's infidelity. Who alone
is worthy of glory only God. And whereas in the
(02:59):
past the idle of this world have taken glory away
from God, in our day and age, man has taken
that glory to himself and committed infidelity. Notice the fourth
reason Babylon is destroyed, fourthly because of her inhumanity. As
we come down to verses twelve and thirteen, we are
told about twenty eight different items of merchandise. Now I
(03:21):
want you to just look at these items. Gold and
silver and precious stones come first. These are the earthly
treasures which have first place in the hearts of man.
That hasn't changed much, has it. Everything gets on the
gold standard sooner or later. Then come the things which
are for show and personal adornment.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
You see those.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Then come the choice articles of rare and precious wood,
metal and ivory. Then come the perfumes and the other
luxuries which speak of sensuousness of modern living. Then come
the more substantial commodities, including horses and chariots. Please know
before we go any further that none of the things
on this list so far are necessities. They're all luxuries.
(04:05):
None of them are staple necessities. The list sadly ends
with a very interesting inclusion, and the end of verse
thirteen we read and slaves and the souls of men.
Now notice they're listed in the list of commodities which
are owned by the system. The word slaves is the
(04:28):
Greek word that is translated most places by the word bodies.
So people own gold and silver and garments and precious
stones and wood and vessels, and bodies and the souls
of men. People are put on the list of things
that we own because you see, when commercialism and humanism
(04:52):
and Babylonianism is allowed to reach its final stage, it
is so dehumanizing that the hu human soul is of
no value whatsoever. As long as the beast can advance
his cause, one more body, one more slave, one more
human soul will have be no value. In the final
(05:14):
system of commerce that will characterize the world of the
tribulation period, man will be nothing more than a commodity.
He will be viewed as something to own and something
to sell. The world system championed by the beast will
dehumanize mankind, as any system will do without God. Every
single one of these inhuman philosophies start when man says
(05:40):
God did not create life, that God is not the
creator of each one of us, that God is not
the author and the source of life as we know it.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Once you say that man is an.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Accident, that he came into being through the evolutionary process,
and he just has happened to rise, it really doesn't
matter whether he lives or dies. But if he is
a creature of God, he is of inestimable worth. So
we need to thank God for our creationist students and
(06:16):
scholars who are champion the cause of making sure we
don't forget how it happened and where we came from
and how we got here, because that's down underneath all
of this. Babylon is judged because of her inhumanity. Well,
let's talk now, not about the reasons for her judgment.
Let's talk quickly about the reality of her judgment. Notice
(06:37):
the eighth verse of the eighteenth chapter says, therefore shall
her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine,
and she shall be utterly burned with fire.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Notice the tenth verse, standing far off alass Alas for
the great city Babylon, that mighty city. For in one
hour is thy judgment. Come verses twenty one to twenty three.
Jump down in your bibles to those verses. And a
mighty angel took up a stone like a millstone and
cast it into the sea, saying, thus with violence shall
(07:11):
that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be
found no more at all. And the voice of the
harpers and the musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters shall
be heard no more at all in THEE. And no craftsmen,
of whatsoever craft t b shall be found anymore in THEE.
And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no
more at all in THEE, and the light of a
(07:32):
candle 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 for the great men of the earth. For
by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. Now watch carefully
Please note that the phrase no more is used six
(07:54):
times in verses twenty one to twenty three. And let
me tell you it is the strongest way the green
language could say not at all, not at all. One
writer has described the scene like this. The angel's words
announce most impressively the vanishing forever of all the joys
(08:15):
and delights of the great city, the music and the song,
the hum of industry, the brightness of its illumination, and
above all the rejoicings of the bridegroom and bride, which
in the Bible stands for the highest of all human joys.
No more at all will songs fill the streets, No
more at all will the artificer be found in her.
(08:37):
No more at all should the woman grind their corn
in the city. No more at all should lamps light
the night. No more at all should the bridal processions
break the stillness of the evening with shouts of joy?
No more at all. What a picture of desolation. When
God judges a nation, or a city, or a system,
the judgment is sure and swift and fine, and it's over.
(09:03):
In this city the greatest kings of the earth will
be found. But in one hour all their greatness and
might and majesty will be gone. In this city all
the best merchants of the world will be found, But
in one hour the harvest will be gone, and the
bright and dainty things will perish. There will be no
one left to buy or enjoy the things which they
(09:24):
have for sale. In this city where the best dressed
of all the world's people. But in one hour all
the expensive and costly garments are gone. In this city
lived the best musicians, but in one hour every note
was silenced. This city was the center of great weddings
and bridal parties. But in one hour, and with one
(09:45):
stroke of Heaven's judgment, every sound of joy is hushed,
and the voice of the bride and bridegroom are heard
no more at all. That is one of the most
picturesque descriptions of the judgment of God I have ever read.
Do you know that's what it's going to be like
when God judges this earth. That's what it's going to
(10:07):
be like when the rapture comes for a few moments
and the joy of this earth is taken from those
who have heard the word. But that's surely what it's
going to be like in the tribulation no more at all.
Everything in which we find fulfillment will be gone.
Speaker 4 (10:23):
Now I want you to.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Notice, as we read in the rest of this chapter
the reactions to the judgment of Babylon. And there are
three different groups that react, and I can just point
them out to you real quickly, and you can see them.
First of all, the monarchs, secondly the merchants, and thirdly
the mariners. Watch carefully. The monarchs will mourn Verses nine
and ten. And the kings of the earth, who have
(10:45):
committed fornication and lived deliciously with Babylon, shall bewail her
and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke
of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of
her torment, saying alas alas that great city, Babylon, that
mighty city. For in one hour as thy judgment come
the kings who ruled and reigned and.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Thought that power was all theirs.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
They're going to mourn because the city is gone, The
great capital city of the Beast Empire has been destroyed.
The merchants of the earth will mourn, I guess, And
the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her,
for no man by a third merchandise anymore, Verse eleven,
the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones, and
(11:26):
of pearls, and fine linen and purple and scarlet, and
all thine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory,
and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and
of brass, and of iron, and on and on it goes.
And the merchants of these things which were made rich
by her shall stand afar off with the fear of
her torment, weeping and wailing and saying alas, alas the
great city that was clothed and fine linen and purple
(11:48):
and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
for in one hour so great riches has come to nothing.
I just weep and mourn for people who pour their
life into things, who believe that life is.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
Wrapped up in what you own. How much money you.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Have is so absolutely ridiculous when you realize that in
a moment of time it's all just erased. The merchants
lament because the economic cub of the world is gone.
Bankruptcy faces the West. The stock exchanges will crash, and
the banks will close their doors and it's over. And
(12:27):
people who put all of their energy into humanism and
the Babylonious system of commerce, which says get all you can,
can all you get, they're just going to die when
they see it all go up and smoke and it's over.
Not only will the monarchs mourn and the merchants mourn,
but the mariners are going to mourn. Notice what it says.
(12:50):
Every shipmaster and all the company in ships and sailors,
and as many as trade by sea stood afar off
and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,
saying what city is like under this great city? By
the way, some of you might think it's kind of
silly to think that the merchants would be trafficking with ships,
But remember this city, if it's rebuilt as we believe
(13:10):
it will be, will be at the head of the
Persian Gulf, and in the tribulation, that Persian Gulf will
be flooded with merchant ships coming from Babylon, the great
center of world commerce. And then one day when the
merchants come in to the gulf and into the Gulf
of Persia, they're going to look at the head of
that gulf and the city where they have docked to
trade their goods, is going to be in a huge
(13:31):
blaze of smoke and fire, and everything in their ship
will be of no value, and everything they hope to
pick up while they were there will not be possible.
And the entire system upon which they have built their
whole lives will be gone.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
And they're going to mourn.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
John in his letter pictures the great fleets of the
world standing far out in the gulf, and the captains
and the crews of these vessels are filled with terror
as they watch the city burn. Now, that's all pretty
awesome and pretty sobering.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
But let me remind you.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
While this is all going down on on earth, up
in heaven they're having a party. You say, well, wait,
wait a minute. Now, Well, I want to show you this.
This is really important. The Bible says that up in
heaven they are going to be rejoicing over her, Thou Heaven,
and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, For God hath avenged
(14:26):
you on her, and in her was found the blood
of the prophets and of the saints, and of all
that were slain upon the earth.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Now, I want you to notice, at the end of
the chapter.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
That just as there are three different classes of people
who mourn down on the earth, there are three different
classes of people who rejoice up in heaven. Down on
the earth, the monarchs, the merchants, and the mariners are mourning.
But up in heaven, watch now we notice that up
(14:56):
in heaven the apostles and the prophets and the saints
are all rejoicing. Why are they rejoicing because it was
that system that martyred them in the first place. It
was that system that wouldn't let them adhere to their
faith in Jesus Christ. It was that system that said
take the mark or die. It was that system that
(15:17):
cut them to ribbons and flayed them in front of others,
and boiled them in hot oil, and hung them up
to die, and sent them to the lions and martyred them.
It was that system that stood for everything that was
against their faith in Jesus Christ. And one by one
they died during that period of time, And it seemed
as if nobody knew and nobody cared, and they came,
(15:38):
as we learned in the sixth chapter, and the souls
of those who were beheaded cried out from the altar. Lord,
how long before you avenge our blood. And the Lord said,
waite just a while, just to time, take a rest
until the cup of iniquity is full and it lasts.
These who have tortured and judged the people of God
(16:00):
God are going to feel the judgment of God. And
as Heaven looks down and watches, Heaven rejoices not because
of the judgment, but because God has been vindicated and
his people.
Speaker 4 (16:13):
Have been supported. There's an interesting thing that happens.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
The prophet in the twenty first verse, we are told
sees an angel take a great stone, like a millstone,
into the sea as a symbol of the violent destruction
of Babylon when the Lord was on the earth. You
remember what he said. He said that it was better
for men to have a millstone hung around his neck
and drowned in the depth of the sea than that
he should offend one of God's little ones. So this
(16:41):
great godless power that is filled with the blood of
the saints and prophets has a tremendous millstone placed around
her neck, and she is thrown into the abyss of
judgment as a reminder you don't mess with God's people.
It seems sometimes as if we are lacking a defense,
seems like sometimes out there all by ourselves. But God
(17:01):
is not unmindful of what is happening. In one of
these days the score will be settled once and for all.
Do you know that this is the first time in
this book of Revelation of Tears that the command to
rejoice is given the saints in heaven from the time
of the fourth chapter, and there is worship and honor
and glory and power given by them to God, who
(17:23):
is indeed worthy to receive this praise. But here, as
though the saints now had their eyes adjusted to the
glories of heaven, the command of rejoicing is given. The
saints are called to look down upon the world they
have left, and they see that the vile babbling against
which they have struggled, and which poured out its scorn
upon them, has come to a complete and final doom.
(17:44):
And they know that this world system will never rise again.
And that's something to shout about and praise God for.
And they just have a Hallelujah time. And then there
is one last thing that I want you to note
here in this text, and that is our response to
the judgment of babylin The response to the judgment upon
(18:07):
Babylon and upon the city is found in the fourth verse.
And I want you to look there. And I heard
another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people,
that she be not partakers of her sins, and that
she receive not of her plagues. Who are His people?
(18:29):
They are people who have somehow embraced Christ during the
tribulation period, maybe Jewish Christians. But apparently the pull toward
the system is still there. Perhaps some of them have
begun to move into the system itself. And this is
a clear call from the Word of God to separation
from the system of the world.
Speaker 4 (18:51):
Listen to me.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Now, Babylon represents the world system. Let's be clear. What
is the world system. It is materialism, pure and simple.
It is humanism. It is everything that is apart from God.
Now the call to each one of us is this,
come ye out from among them and be separate.
Speaker 4 (19:08):
Saith the Lord. Do you know what the church is?
Speaker 3 (19:11):
The church is the ec Claysia, the Ecclasa. The word
means the called out ones. Seven times in the Word
of God, God's people are told to separate themselves from Babylon.
Starting in the Old Testament all the way through to
this very last time here in the eighteenth chapter, you say,
Pastor Jeremiah, what does that mean. Well, it doesn't mean isolationism.
(19:35):
Sometimes Christians who have taught separation have thought that that
means you don't ever have any contact with the world. Well,
if that were true, you'd have to go out of
the world. You couldn't live in this world if you're
not going to contact the world. And one of the
reasons why we don't win people to Jesus Christ like
we ought to. We don't have any unsaved friends. He's
not talking about walking around with a Holier than Thou
attitude and saying I am not going to talk to
(19:57):
anybody who's not a believer. There are some folks who
have that idea. Separation and coming out of the system
doesn't mean we reject the people. It means we reject
the doctrine, we reject the philosophy, we reject the practice,
and we ask God to keep us from being sucked
into the world's mold. And we don't buy into materialism,
(20:20):
and we discover that there is something more important than
the almighty dollar. That affluence for us has something to
do with spiritual truth, not just how much we can
sign up on our bank book. We don't get ourselves
caught up into the game of power and prestige and
performance and all of the rest that's up in this system.
(20:40):
We stand quite apart from it. And when people see us,
they see men and women of God who are filled
with love, who are having a great time in life
and can smile and laugh. And yet there's a different
quality about us that they can't understand because we've separated
ourselves from the system. Paul wrote similar instructions to the
(21:01):
people in Corinth. He said, be not unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath
Christ with belile? Or what part hath he that believeth
with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of
God with idols? For you are the temple of the
(21:21):
Living God, As God hath said. I will dwell in
them and walk in them, and will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from
among them, and be ye separate saith the Lord, and
touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,
and I will be a father unto you, and you
shall be my sons and daughters. Saith the Lord God Almighty.
(21:45):
The reason why we are to flee from Babylon is twofold.
We are to separate so that we can keep from
participating in their sins, and we are to separate so
that we won't experience their plagues. That's what it says,
be not partakers of their sins and receive not their plagues. Basically,
(22:05):
what that's saying is this, if you want to live
in the world system, you're going to pick up some
of the plagues of the world system, even though you're
a Christian. If you try to live as close as
you can to the world and in Bible of their philosophy,
you're going to get some of the pain that goes
with it. But if you separate yourself and live for
God and be a holy, righteous person, you can avoid that.
(22:27):
I am absolutely convinced that if the people of our
church would embrace this concept and begin to ask the
tough questions that we ought to ask, Lord, not how
much should I give? But how much of what you
have provided for me? Dare I keep for myself, providing
as much of the rest for your work. You know,
the best way I know to keep from getting caught
(22:49):
up in materialism is to continually be giving to God's work.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
More than you think You can.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Always be challenging yourself to putting more and more of
what God has entrusted to you back into circulation for
the Lord. It gets harder and harder as God blesses
you more and more. And that's why you have to
work at it over and over again to make sure
you continually are reinvesting what God has given you back
into His work so you don't get caught up in
(23:16):
the money game. Materialism and Babylonism is alive and well
in our world today, but I hope you see what's
going to happen to it. Someday It's all going up
in a puff of smoke. And I'd rather put my
time in something that's going to last. I'd rather emphasize
the word of God and the people of God who
are going to live forever. They'll never be a chapter
(23:38):
eighteen about the things I'm committed to.
Speaker 4 (23:41):
The Bible says we are going to live forever and
ever with our God. Amen.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Well, Tomorrow, we continue our journey toward the end of
the Book of Revelation with a two day discussion of
the marriage Supper of the Lamb is a subject you
will hear very little about in messages preached from Pulpits,
but it's an important part of what God is going
to do in the future, and you owe to yourself
to find out what it's all about. To be with
(24:11):
us tomorrow as we delve into that. Ladies and gentlemen.
We are going to New England and Canada in October,
and the ship that's taking us has a lotted us
a certain number of rooms and they're filling up quickly.
So let me just remind you that we'll be sailing
on Holland America. Zyderdam is the name of the ship,
(24:31):
and we'll be leaving October fourth, coming back October the eleventh,
and seeing some beautiful sites along the way. If you
haven't already checked into this, please go to David Jeremiah
dot org. There you will find all the information you
need to be a part of that conference cruise. In
the meantime, be sure to join us tomorrow right here
on this good station.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Our message today. Originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and
doctor David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. If this ministry is
an encouragement to you, let us know by writing to
Turning Point po Box thirty eight thirty eight, San Diego, California,
nine two one sixty three, visiting our website at David
Jeremiah dot org, Slash Radio, or calling eight hundred ninety
(25:18):
four seven nineteen ninety three ask for your copy of
David's exciting new novel set in the End Times Vanished.
It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can
also view over twelve hundred of doctor Jeremiah sermons on
any screen anytime you like on our Turning Point Plus
streaming service for a monthly gift of any amount. Visit
(25:40):
Turningpoint plus dot org for details. That's Turningpoint plus dot
o RG. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us tomorrow
as we continue the series Escape the Coming Night on
Turning Point with Doctor David Jeremiah
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