Categories: Devotional

The judgement of Babylon

THE CERTAINTY OF THE IMMINENT CATCHING AWAY OF THE DEAD IN CHRIST AND LIVING SAINTS BY CHRIST .

Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 4:2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 4:3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Beloved, chapter eighteen and the previous chapter are almost closely tied. Both dwelling on the issue of the great whore, Babylon.

However, apostle John again is drawn to a new vision.

Listen to it.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

You will recount that each time, he was to be drawn to something new, this was the way , the revelation is usually revealed.

Listen to some instances.

Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

But then, there is something unique about this angel, listen to it.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

The earth was lightened with the glory of this angel.

This signify that this angel is one of the extraordinary messenger of the everlasting Gospel, who, by his preaching and writings, should be the means of diffusing the light of truth and true religion over the earth.

Chapter seventeen reveals the

mystery and the description of this great whore , commiting abominable atrocities. .

Listen to it.

Rev 17:1 — Rev 17:2 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

But chapter eighteen unravels the prophecy of her doom and entire ruin.

This same final declaration are affirmed by several other scriptures.

Listen to some of them.

Revelation 14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

Revelation 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

Isaiah 21:9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

Jeremiah 51:37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.

Revelation 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment,

saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

Revelation 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Prior to this time Babylon has been depicted as federation of worldwide apostate churches.

Now there is an addendum. This informs why this vision is new.

Babylon here symbolizes the capital city of power of the Antichrist.

Listen to it.

The blessed Holy Spirit shall expound the first eight verses of the chapter.

Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Firstly, listen to the fall of Babylon and it’s cause.

Our Father in heaven is a very loving Father. There must have been compelling reasons for the proclamation of this fearsome judgement.

Listen to it.

Revelation 18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Babylon, the capital city of the Antichrist has used her powerful influence to ruin the entire nations of the earth,.

She has used her influence to bring the whole world into paganism, idolatry, large scale licentious lifestyle, immorality, murders and bloodshed, ungodly business merchandise and practices.

Listen to it again.

Listen to it affirmed.

Revelation 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

No wonder some other scriptures affirms this righteous judgement.

Isaiah 47:8 Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly,

that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

Lamentations 1:1 How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!

how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations,

and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

Beloved, pause a little here. Even though this shall happen during the great tribulation.

Examine yourself without being presumptuous. Is the present worldly systems influencing you?

Is your life, your family, your endeavors driven by godly or worldly standard? Be very sincere.

God has placed before you life and death. Eternal life and everlasting punishment.

The buck stops with you. Are you a wise or foolish virgin?

Listen to what the Bible says about those who shall not be part of the great tribulation.

I am persuaded you shall not be in Jesus name.

Matthew 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. 30:17 But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 30:18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 30:20 That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Isaiah 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. 33:17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Beloved, make up your mind to be like Joshua.

Whatever you see other professors of religion doing, you shall live by the entirety of God’s unfailing words in the Bible.

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Secondly, you discover from this chapter, the Clarion call of God, to a life of separation.

This becomes necessary because Babylon’s paganism and apostasy are damnable.

You shall not be damned in Jesus name. So heed the call to separate yourself from the worldly standard and systems.

Listen to it

Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Beloved, always remember this. Never ever forget. Being churchy is of no heavenly value, if it lacks saintliness.

Paying tithes, doing any service for God has no eternal rewards, if it lacks holiness.

All true followers of Christ are called into saintliness.

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1 Thessalonians 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

No true followers of Jesus is permitted to be worldly.

Neither should members of your family be allowed to be worldly.

You are not permitted to be worldly in other to please your unsaved spouse.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

You are commanded to separate yourself from anyone and everyone who profess religion but are reprobates.

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

So heed this timely call , if indeed you are preparing for the dawning rapture.

Isaiah 48:20 Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans,

with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this,

utter it even to the end of the earth;

say ye, The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Jeremiah 50:8

Remove out of the midst of Babylon,

and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans,

and be as the he goats before the flocks.

Jeremiah 51:6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul:

be not cut off in her iniquity;

for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance;

he will render unto her a recompence.

Jeremiah 51:45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her,

and deliver ye every man his soul

from the fierce anger of the Lord.

Isaiah 52:11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

God has placed at your disposal abundant grace to do this without stress. So take advantage of it.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Lastly listen to the prophesied judgement of Babylon, the capital city of the Antichrist.

Revelation 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

Her sins have reached unto heaven They are become so great and enormous that the long-suffering of God must give place to his justice.

Reward her even as she rewarded you –

These words are a prophetic declaration of what shall take place: God will deal with her as she dealt with others.

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

Isaiah 47:9 But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day,

the loss of children, and widowhood:

they shall come upon thee in their perfection

for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

Jeremiah 16:18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have defiled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

Jeremiah 51:9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed:

forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country:

for her judgment reacheth unto heaven,

and is lifted up even to the skies.

Jeremiah 51:24 And I will render unto Babylon

and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea

all their evil that they have done in Zion

in your sight, saith the Lord.

Beloved, either during the great tribulation or before the rapture. God shall punish sinners inside or outside the church.

Painfully, however, judgement shall even begin inside the church.

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

But then you can avoid the great tribulation and you are going to avoid it in Jesus name.

However, heed this timely warning from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 24:41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Once you in particular heed this warning. Your seat among the twenty four elders of the vision of apostle John saw shall be secured.

Rev 4:1 — Rev 4:5 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

See you at the top in Jesus name.

Let us pray.

Bishop Peter Babalola