The End Times - Pt 11 "The 7 Dooms": 3rd Doom - Rev Chpt 19

3rd Doom

The Beast and his armies are defeated.

In Revelation 16 we saw the Battle of Armageddon after the 7^th Bowl is poured on earth. Revelation 17 and 18 we covered the demise of the two Babylon's (Religious and Political).

Chapter 19, Revelation chapter 19 and 20 bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish His Earthly Kingdom.

Firstly, the first five verses of Rev 19 show heaven's response to the judgment of the harlot.

The multitude in heaven praises God for judging the great whore (Babylon, the harlot), and avenging the blood of the martyrs (7:9-17).

The eternal smoke symbolizes the permanence of Babylon's destruction (Isaiah 34:8-10). Amen derives from a Hebrew word meaning "to be firm," and may be translated "truly" or "so be it."

This chapter is one of the most dramatic in all the Bible. In it, the Church, the Bride of Christ, is the guest of honor at the marriage of the Lamb in heaven (verses 1-10), and returns with Christ in His Triumphal Second Coming (verses 11-21). The people mentioned here are distinct from the other beings in heaven, for they are singing a song that includes mention of salvation. This scene incorporates believers, the Old Testament saints, the Church age saints, and the Tribulation saints. Together they join this great chorus proclaiming "Alleluia!"

The scene now shifts from the earth where it has been (since chapter 6), to heaven.

Rev 19:1-5

1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! (In the last chapter, we saw the terrible destruction of commercial and political Babylon symbolized by its capital city of Babylon. Now the scene totally changes to heaven. We hear the voices of the redeemed. This "great voice" here is because of the number of people speaking. It is not the magnitude of each voice. These words of praise here are focused on the Lord Jesus Christ. The redeemed are the ones who are praising. There are not enough adjectives in the dictionary to say enough about what Jesus has purchased for us all.) 

2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." 3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!" 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"

No sooner does the voice from the throne give command for praise then John "heard as a voice of much multitude, and as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of mighty thunders, saying, Alleluia, because the Lord God the All-Ruler hath assumed the kingdom." 

This is a mightier Alleluia than either of the preceding. It refers also to an ampler subject. The judgment of Great Babylon demonstrated, indeed, that God is mighty, and that he is the All-Ruler. It also showed a potent taking up and enforcement of his sovereign and righteous authority. But what was thus shown in one aspect and relation is at once followed out to a much wider and more direct assumption of active rule and sovereignty. When the seventh trumpet was sounded a great voice anticipatively exclaimed: "The kingdom of the world (not kingdoms, as some versions and unsupported copies read, but kingdom) is become our Lord's and his Christ's." The kingdom of the world means the political sovereignty of the world, the rulership of the world, the kingly dominion or government of the world, the same which is now exercised by the potentates and authorities of the earth.

The fall of Great Babylon heralds and begins the political regeneration of the earth.

(from The Apocalypse: Exposition of the Book of Revelation)

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Rev 19:7-9

7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

For this purpose John saw it opened. When Jesus came up from the waters of baptism, "the heavens were open unto him," and the Spirit descended upon him, and a voice from the empyrean depths said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3:16). When Stephen was martyred he saw "the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7:55). When Jesus was on earth he promised his disciples that they should see the heaven opened

But here was quite a different opening from any that has occurred or will occur until then. This is that rending of the heaven for the glorious Epiphany of Christ with his people, to which the Scriptures refer so much. For, as we believe that "he ascended into heaven, and 'sitteth' on the right hand of God the Father Almighty," so we believe that "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead" (2 Tim 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). So the Lamb, being married now, leaves the Father house and comes forth to take possession of what is especially his own.

"He is Faithful and True." This presents him in sharp contrast with those whom he cometh to judge and destroy. The Dragon is the deceiver; the Beast is the False Christ; his companion is the False Prophet, and the great confederacy is made up of false worshippers. These are to be handled now, and it is the embodiment of all faithfulness and truth that comes to deal with them. There is then no hope for them, for if justice be done them they have no show whatever. The worst thing that can happen to some is to give them what they deserve.

(from The Apocalypse: Exposition of the Book of Revelation)

"THE BEAST" AND "FALSE PROPHET" cast into the Lake of Fire.
Rev. 19:20.
"And the 'BEAST' was taken, and with him the 'FALSE PROPHET' that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the 'Mark of the Beast,' and them that worshiped his 'Image.' These both were cast ALIVE into a 'Lake of Fire' burning with brimstone."

The issue of the "Battle of Armageddon" will never be in doubt. The previous summoning of the birds and beasts of prey, prove this. Before the destruction of the army of Antichrist, he and the False Prophet will be cast "alive" into the "Lake of Fire." This shows that they are not "Systems" but "Persons," and as Enoch and Elijah were taken to Heaven without dying, so Antichrist and the False Prophet will be cast into the "Lake of Fire" without dying, and will be still there and alive when Satan is cast in it a 1000 years later.
Before Antichrist is seized and cast into the "Lake of Fire," Satan will make his exit from his person, and after the battle is over, Satan will be bound and cast into the "Bottomless Pit," where he will be "sealed up" for 1000 years. This is the culminating act of the "Tribulation Period."

The End Times - Pt 10 "The 7 Dooms": 2nd Doom - Rev Chapter 18

 

2^nd Doom – Revelation Chapter 18 refers.

Rev 18:1-8
Fall of Babylon the Great
After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 
3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury." 
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 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. 
7 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.' 
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.

The angel in Verse 2, announces twice "fallen","fallen", which is to emphasize her fall or that the fall takes place in two stages.
The first fall is the ecclesiastical Babylon and the second that of political/commercial Babylon. The latter is a literal city. There has been much argument as to the rebuilding of literal Babylon city at its ancient site. It is appropriate therefore to assume that the commercial Babylon stated in Revelation is symbolic of the Ancient Babylon.
For example in John's time Rome, a city of seven hills, was the symbolic Babylon. Rome was also the chief commercial center in the ancient world and was known as the Master of the Great Sea (ie. the Mediterranean)
The author of "Is the U.S.A in Prophecy?", Franklin Logsdon, is of the view that the symbolism of Babylon could well be applied to the US (see further down on this statement). According to other commentators various other cities such as London, New York, Paris, Washington D.C could also be candidates.

Bear in mind that when these things happen the believers/ Christians will be raptured and those left behind would be those ripe of the wine press of God's wrath.

The following verses from Revelation speaks more of Babylon's destruction and is a continuation to that above.
This portion of scripture definitely does not fit Rome.
REMINDER: This event takes place after the Rapture and during the final 3.5 years of the Tribulation period.
Rev 18:9-19
The World Mourns Babylon's Fall
9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 
10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' 
11 "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 
13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 
14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
16 and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 
17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 
18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?' 
19 "They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.' (New York?)

The 2 Babylons compared -extracted "Daniel's 70th week" by Shashikant Salvi

In Revelation 18:12 and 13, more than 20 articles of commerce are mentioned.

"Babylon the great" will be a great commercial center of the world.

It will gain importance after the "Beast" (Antichrist) makes it his capital.

The merchants, the great men of the earth, would make enormous profits by trading with her, but after her destruction they will have no business.

Hence, They will weep over her destruction. they will stand afar off, lamenting and saying. "Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught."

Finality of Babylon's Fall

In: Rev 18:21-24
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.
23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

Concluding on the 2nd Doom, it is pertinent now to quote the following extracts from the late Jack Van Impe, a renowned Bible scholar and eschatology preacher, in reference to Revelation Chapter 18:
"A walk through New York City, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angles, Hollywood, or San Francisco would be helpful at this point. America's major cities- and minor ones as well are loaded with lust-ridden sinners seeking sex thrills through prostitutes, R- and X-rated movies, and pornographic bookstores. Our beloved America could possibly fit the description of political Babylon as a cage [containing] every unclean and hateful bird controlled by foul spirits and demons who inhabit the land and its people. God help us to have an old-fashioned, Holy Spirit-empowered revival in "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Otherwise, God's judgment may soon fall."....

"Who is Babylon? Certain scholars think that the term refers to the ancient air of Babylon on the banks of the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq. Interestingly the city is currently being rebuilt. Others, including such prophecy scholars as Dr. S. Franklin Logsden, believe Babylon to be the United States of America- a leader of the Western world aligned with the Antichrist's ten-toed kingdom.
Some great scholars believe that America and Babylon the great are one and the same because of the information presented in the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, plus the words of John the seer in Revelation, chapter 18.
Consider the following momentarily. Isaiah 18:1, 2 depicts a latter-day nation that amazingly resembles modern America. This nation

1. has the insignia of wings- similar to our national emblem, the bald eagle;

2. is a land that is beyond the sea from Israel;

3. is scattered and peeled- meaning it is widely spread out or has great land areas;

4. is meted out- or staked out by acres and miles; and

5. is a land whose rivers are spoiled or polluted.

Likewise, in chapters 50 and 51 of the book bearing his name, Jeremiah presents conclusive evidence that a latter-day Babylon far different from and superior to ancient Babylon will spring into existence. As one studies Jeremiah's remarks, he is amazed to see that modern America seems to be the fulfillment of these predictions because:

1. she is a nation of mingled people (Jeremiah 50:37);

2. she is a nation whose mother shall be sorely confounded and who coexists with the "mother" at the hour of her decline (50:12);

3. she dwellest upon many waters (51:13);

4. her wealth plagues the nations of the earth to the point of insane jealousy (51:7);

5. her space exploits are so utterly fantastic that she tries to mount up to heaven (51:53); and

6. she exists when Israel is back in her land."

The political Babylon is finally destroyed.

Authors thoughts on the two Babylons:

My own thoughts are that the Religious and the Political Babylons pertain to the same religious system and country. Babylon in both Chapter 17 & 18 both refer to the New York and the USA. This is probably why we don't see the US featured in Prophecy. The nations of Europe are well represented, having migrated from all parts of Europe and Asia especially - “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues”.

Recollect, the Church of God would have been raptured before these Dooms.

People here have accepted the Mark of the Beast. Those that did not would have been killed/martyred.

Untold sufferings and murder would take place during this great Tribulation. Martyrs of Christ would be killed by forces of the Antichrist. Satanic worship is introduced instead of worship of God Almighty.

Folks this cannot be Rome, the Vatican or the Catholic Church. Remember the Papal church is the Church of Thyatira in Revelation 2.

The woman/harlot that sits on 7 hills (Rev 17:9) is none other than New York where a Satanic religious system will be established. Where are the 7 hills of New York? Prophecy symbolically sees the woman as the Statue of Liberty with a crown of 7 spikes – count them. The Beast is the Antichrist that heads the Revived Roman Empire and this Empire will hate the woman/harlot (verse 16). Rome does not fulfill this verse (v15) - "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” At some point during the Great Tribulation (last 3 ½ years), when the Church has been raptured, the “Restrainer”/ Holy Spirit taken away, the women/harlot is going to be “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” Rev 17:6

This is going to be rampant carnage and fornication. All Satanic worship and idolatry is always referred to as “fornication” in the Bible.

At some point this City the Antichrist is going to “make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire.” - Verse 16

Babylon in Chapter 18 can also fits New York/ Manhatten or some similar city in the US in respect to the following verses:

Rev 18:2-3

"Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."

7 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.' 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.

9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

7 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'

Does the above reflect Babylon in Iraq or a city some where else?

Has Babylon ever been a sea-port?

20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!"

Note: Chapter 17 its the Antichrist and his Revived Roman Empire that destroys the Religious Babylon but in Chapter 18 its God Almighty Himself who will destroy the Political Babylon. Babylon in both cases refer to one and the same city. It cannot be Rome nor the Babylon in Iraq.

What would be the role of President Obama after his Presidency? Reflect about it with guidance from the Holy Spirit.