The Christ in Prophecy Journal

The Mighty Angels of Revelation 18 and the Babylonian Delusion

MP3: The Mighty Angels of Revelation 18
Hosts: Nathan Jones & Vic Batista

The Babylonian Delusion

In Revelation 18:5-7, the Voice from Heaven — likely Jesus Himself — describes the terrible evils of Babylon.

“For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'”

The Voice then declares judgment upon Babylon in Revelation 18:8.

“Therefore her plagues will come in one day — death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.”

Vic Batista: Excellent how in Revelation 18:6 that justice is rendered to Babylon and she is repaid double according to her evil works, and from a cup which she has mixed herself! God is a just God, and finally He is going to bring judgment on this wicked world system.

#God is a just God, and finally He is going to bring #judgment on this wicked world system. Click To Tweet

Nathan Jones: Babylon throughout the Bible is defined as an evil place, and even as the very definition of evil itself.

What about this passage referring to the literal city of Babylon? There are some prophecies, such as in Isaiah 13, which decree that the Old Testament city of Babylon will never be rebuilt again. Therefore, I have a hard time thinking that Revelation 18 is referring to a rebuilt Babylonian city in Iraq. The Antichrist’s capital city could be located in Rome, or it could be Jerusalem, and some even say New York City. We don’t know where, but we do know that his capital city is going to be destroyed.

The destruction of Babylon is meant to bring the reader hope. Christians, both now and in the Tribulation, are suffering terribly and need hope that justice will finally arrive. When we get to Revelation 19 concerning Armageddon and Jesus Christ’s return in victory, we’ll get even more hope as we’ll read how this evil system will finally come to an end. Evil will not continue on forever. We may suffer under it today, but there will be a time when the evil forces plaguing this world will be kicked off this planet.

Vic Batista: What a wonderful word of encouragement to all Christians enduring persecution for their faith! While there is so much tragedy happening in our world today, there is hope for the future for those who continue to trust in Christ Jesus.

Nathan Jones: Exactly, for Bible prophecy is a study in hope. Prophecy foretells a lot of terrible events, sure, but we also learn from Bible prophecy that in the end those who are evil will be destroyed.

#BibleProphecy is a study in #hope. #Revelation Click To Tweet

Isn’t it interesting when reading verse 7 how secure evil Babylon is feeling right up until the very end? “She says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'” Satan has been reading the Bible for thousands of years, and yet he cannot believe how it ends for him. Crazy! Satan cannot take seriously the fact that he will lose. He will be defeated and sent to Hell one day.

This evil system run by the Antichrist and the human governments subservient to it believe that Babylon will never see sorrow or destruction, even with God’s Revelation judgments upon it. And yet, despite Babylon’s self-delusion, God destroys it, and as verse 8 points out, in just one day! In a mere single day the Antichrist’s kingdom will fall crashing down all around him.

Vic Batista: This attitude of invincibility was shaken here in America when the economy in 2008 took a nosedive. When the stock market plummeted, in one day people lost everything, and because some people didn’t have a solid foundation in God, a number of people were committing suicide. The lives of the people in our nation fell apart. That’s why it’s so important when life gets difficult for people to trust in the Lord, even when everything seems to be falling apart. Trust in God to protect and care for you during difficult times.

Nathan Jones: How interesting that when the stock market crashed in 2008 that in just one day it dropped 777 points. That is the number of God. Some have tried to explain this number away as coincidence, but the fact that it dropped the same number as the number of God to me says that He was trying to wake us up spiritually.

God is constantly trying to wake us up spiritually with both economic and natural disasters because He doesn’t truly want to destroy us. God only destroys a people when they’ve hardened their hearts so much that they refuse to turn away from their evil and towards Him in repentance. God continues to plague our nation with remedial judgments so that we will repent and turn towards having a right relationship with God.

Right now America is experiencing a tremendous amount of remedial judgments, but we are just not waking up. We are not repenting. We are not returning to the Lord. Eventually the remedial judgments will stop, and if we have not repented, we too will end up facing destruction. I believe from Bible prophecy that the destruction of the United States is future, and like every other nation of the world, because it will be consumed by the Antichrist’s world government.

Vic Batista: How terribly sad! I came to this country as an immigrant back in 1976 before the celebration of its bicentennial birthday. I came to this country when I was only 10 years old. How this country has changed morally from then to now. Our hope has turned from God to money, power, and materialism. One day all our nation’s hope will be falling to the floor because it will side with Babylon.

Nathan Jones: Yes, it is sad to see how much our country has changed from its biblical roots. The very Christian ideology that built the United States and allowed it to become the world power that it is has derived from the blessings of the Lord. Our country now seems to want to destroy everything it was built on. We want to destroy our religious freedom. We want to eliminate the freedom of speech. We even want to destroy the most successful economic system ever created — Capitalism. That’s suicidal! We’re going to destroy our own country by ripping it’s foundation out.

The reason the United States is ripping out its Christian foundation, I believe, is because we are now inflamed with evil. Romans 1 reveals that people who descend into evil are given over to a reprobate mind. The inevitable result is suicide. We as a nation are committing suicide because we’re sin sick. The end result will be a weak, infirmed country that will give its power over to a one-world government. This giving over of our sovereign power is what the Bible says must happen. I certainly don’t want this to happen to the country I love, but it is inevitably according to prophecy that this is what must happen so that Jesus Christ can overthrow all human-run government.

Vic Batista: Yes, we as a nation are indeed committing suicide when we rip out our firm foundation of God’s moral law. Our coins state “In God We Trust.” No longer is that true. We are seeing more trust put into money than we are in God. To survive, we need to once again place our trust firmly in God and God alone, and not in our President or our economy or what this nation is supposedly going to do for us. Only Jesus Christ has the answers for eternity.

Only #JesusChrist has the answers for #eternity. Click To Tweet

Nathan Jones: The whole fall of Babylon the Great is targeted at her wealth. Again and again in reference to Babylon the Scriptures tell us how the countries and nations of the world are committing fornication with the Antichrist’s empire. Fornication is the vernacular is a sexual sin, the breaking of a future marriage bond or trust. In Revelation’s sense, the nations are committing spiritual fornication with the Antichrist’s kingdom for the purpose of making money in order to live in luxury. The nations are selling their souls for trinkets!

Vic Batista: Even today we are selling out our souls for iPhones and iWatches and other trinkets.

Nathan Jones: That reminds me of the Dollar Store. I was down in Galveston Beach a while back and went into one of those surf shops. Surf shops as you know are filled with junk such as t-shirt and knickknacks and beach toys. I remember thinking, “Can you imagine selling your soul for a bunch of dollar store junk?” But, that’s exactly what the world has done. We are willing to take the short-term benefit of living it up right now rather than preparing our souls for our eternal life. When I say eternal I mean forever.

True riches are the forever benefit of living under the riches of knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ. There will be physical riches in the afterlife, such as living in the great city called New Jerusalem, but the spiritual riches of being connected with our one and only Creator is what’s of true value. Heaven is where our true riches lie, and they’re built on having a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. But, we are selling out our true heavenly riches for earthly junk!

Vic Batista: So sad! The paper foundation that the people of Babylon will be placing all their hope in, like the Bible says, will be taken from them in just one day. Can you imagine working for 30, 40, even 50 years for the god of money? Self has been your focus. But, then the Bible says in one day that all of it will be gone. In one day people are going to wake up and recognize how much they wasted all their resources, time, and opportunities on a false god.

Turn to Christ and reinvest your life in Him! Your spiritual welfare lasting into eternity is at stake. It’s never too late, that is, until you’re dead. After death there is no second chance to make things right.

Nathan Jones: Or, it’s never too late, that is, until the Rapture comes. When Christians are taken off this planet, then it will be too late, because those left behind will be finding themselves living in the Tribulation. Fate is sealed in death or the Rapture.

One of my best friends in high school had his mother die suddenly. While she was cooking dinner she slipped on some water and banged her head on the counter. The slip broke her neck and she died instantly. Just like that!

We never know when we are going to die, and again after death there is no second chance. Now is the time to accept Jesus Christ. There is no purpose in delaying.

Vic Batista: If you don’t have that saving relationship with Jesus Christ, then open up your heart to Him and call on Him right now. Romans 10 teaches that you will be saved as God’s grace is poured out in your heart. You will then be changed, transformed, and given a new life.

In the fifty-second segment of our series “The Mighty Angels of Revelation,” we will listen to the cries of the world as it laments the fall of Babylon!

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Dr. Nathan E. Jones

As the Internet Evangelist at Lamb & Lion Ministries, Nathan reaches out to the over 4.5 billion people accessible over the Internet with the Good News of Jesus Christ. He also co-hosts the ministry's television program Christ in Prophecy and podcast The Truth Will Set You Free.

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