Our world is in major trouble. So much of what John had seen in his vision is unfolding right before our eyes. The earth has refused to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Unfortunately, only a faithful remnant is ready to meet Him in the sky. Yet, despite the warnings placed within God’s Word, many choose to keep their heads buried in the sand and ignore the sounding alarms.
The time is coming when Christians will no longer be able to close their eyes to the truth and will have to make the ultimate decision. They will stand for Christ or take sides with the beast and lose out on eternity. The decision must be made by every living soul. Some have made it and lost their lives in the process, only to have the right to gain it in eternity, while others have passed on without accepting Christ and made their choice to go to the Abyss. Those who are alive still have a chance to do what is right. Which side will you choose?
John was shown the prostitute who sat upon the beast with multiple heads and horns. This was no ordinary woman, but one who was full of sin and caused others to drink of her cup. God gave this message so that the woman would turn from her evil ways and repent. Unfortunately, the prophecy does indicate that many will not repent and will be lost because of their rebellion. The day of the Lord is now! God will one day return, and when He does, will you be ready?
Weeping Over Babylon’s Fall
“After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. He gave a mighty shout: ‘Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons. She is a hideout for every foul spirit, a hideout for every foul vulture, and every foul and dreadful animal. For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich’ ” (Revelation 18:1-3).
Angels are God’s great messengers who carry the Word of God wherever He has ordained for them to go. Therefore, in this vision, John saw another angel who had come down from Heaven and was given authority from God himself to proclaim a powerful message. The earth was brightened by the angel’s coming because he had been in the presence of God. There were other times when angels were given messages to give to man, and there was brightness all around. The glory of the Lord shines upon whoever is in His presence. The Bible says: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11). This is an example of angels being used as messengers from God to give news to man, with the glory of God shining upon them. All messages that are given to angels to give to mankind are with authority granted by God. They do not work on their own accord.
Fallen, Fallen
“With a mighty voice he shouted: ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries” (Revelation 18:2-3).
This message that the angel had to give was one of many judgments that would befall Babylon. She was very wicked and had become a place where the devil dwelt. Therefore, the message that Babylon had fallen was prophetic for today’s Babylon. The Babylon of old had fallen into the hands of the Medes and Persians. This had been prophesied long before it took place, but it was given to King Belshazzar again when it actually took place. The Bible says, “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. ‘This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin’ Here is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:22-28).
The Babylon of old was wicked, and the Babylon of today is the same. Who is the Babylon of today? It is the United States of America. She has been the most powerful nation in the world, but we are now living in a time when that title is being stripped away right before our very eyes. America was once the country that everyone wanted to come to, for it was a land of greatness, freedom, and opportunities. Nevertheless, she has become a nation of greed, wickedness, ungodliness, and full of idolatry. Instead of leading the world in the ways of God, for which many blessings have been bestowed upon her, she has led the world down the path of evil. Other nations have looked to America as a model, leading them down the road to sin. Therefore, America will pay for her wicked ways just like the Babylon of old.
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
“Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’ Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her” (Revelation 18:4-8).
The voice cried out as a warning to come out of Babylon. God’s message was for the nation to stop sinning and come out of the midst of confusion. Wherever there is a lack of God, there will be confusion. The devil is the author of confusion. The Bible says: “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people” (1 Corinthians 14:33). America is being challenged on every front. North Korea, Iran, Cuba, China, Russia, and the Middle East are all posing a threat to America, while she turns friends into enemies. There is confusion all around, but the nation is too blind to see what is happening and heading towards doom.
America’s sins have reached God, and she will be held accountable for all that she has done. Abortions, homosexuality, sex trafficking, murder, pornography, ungodly laws, drug trafficking, scientific abominations, witchcraft, and much more will be punished by God. There is judgment on the land of America. Sadly, she has refused to repent for her sins. America is experiencing droughts, earthquakes, mass animal deaths, police brutality, economic decline, threats of war, murder in the streets, and more. However, there is still no desire to change and turn back to God. Instead of acknowledging God, America’s wickedness is increasing. America’s arrogant attitude towards God will be the cause of her demise, and when she finally falls, it will be one of such a magnitude that America will never recover.
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’ ” (Revelation 18:9-10).
Upon the fall of America, the other nations will look on as she is destroyed from afar. They will cry over her, and fear will come to them because they will be in disbelief about what has happened. To see a great nation fall to such magnitude would have a lasting effect if they allow God to use it as a way to teach them what not to do. In the Bible, we see that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah due to the sins that they had committed as well. The Bible says: “The two men said to Lot, ‘Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the Lord against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it’ ” (Genesis 19:12-13). God may not deal with sin right away, but He will judge it if the nation fails to repent. God never wants to punish, but He uses it as a way for the hearts of men to turn back to Him. However, in this particular judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was a permanent one from which the cities could and would never be restored.
Merchants of the Earth
“The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore—cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves” (Revelation 18:11-13).
America has been a great importer and exporter of goods and services. Nations have become wealthy through trade agreements with her. From food to medical supplies, and even missionaries have been sent to and from the United States. God has blessed America with more than she ever could have dreamed of, but not to fill her with pride. God had a kingdom agenda to bring other nations to the light of Him. Nevertheless, she turned her back to the God who made her prosperous and committed adultery with foreign idols and women. This will make the other nations weep when their primary source becomes dried up like a dead flower. America, just as Israel, provoked God’s anger. The Bible says: “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right… The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.’ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, ‘Do not do as they do.’ They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger… Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence” (2 Kings 17:7-23).
God had blessed Israel to come out of slavery in Egypt. Despite all that God had done for them, they turned to idolatry. They even tried to worship both God and idols. However, no one can serve two masters. The Israelites thought that if they gave God a part of themselves, He would be satisfied with their prostituting the other part. They would soon find out that God would not share Himself with any other god. We are to learn from the past so that we do not repeat the same mistakes. The Bible says:
“For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now, these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.’ We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:1-12). We must learn from the stories in the Bible so that we will not repeat the same mistakes. The nation can learn from what took place with Israel in order to see what will happen when a nation defies the laws of God.
Woe!
“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls! In one hour, such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’ ‘Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off’ ” (Revelation 18:14-17).
In one hour, everything will be taken away from America. The other nations will look and remember what she once had. Those captains on the sea will watch as she is destroyed. How will America be destroyed? Will it be through war, nuclear weapons, or natural disaster? Could it be a combination of things? God sends many warnings prior to the final judgment, so when it does happen, America will have had ample time to repent. Nevertheless, the devil often puts blinders on those who want to remain in the dark, and as a result, they will not see what is about to hit them, while it was so plainly obvious for those who are connected to God. The Bible says: “Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). Many prophets are sounding the alarm, but few people are listening. They would rather listen to the prosperity teachers rather than hear the true words of God. They would rather hear pleasing sermons rather than hear the Word of repentance and salvation. The Bible says, “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3).
Rejoice
“When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’ ‘Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you’ ” (Revelation 18:18-20).
Those righteous nations that see the final destruction of America will mourn because of her destruction. They will see that God was the one who allowed her to be brought down to ruin. However, they will also rejoice in God; they will know that God is fair and dealt with America in a just and righteous manner. It will also be a sign for them not to turn from God, so that no similar judgment will befall them.
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
“Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth’ ” (Revelation 18:21-24).
John describes an angel throwing a large millstone into the sea to demonstrate how Babylon (America) would be destroyed. This millstone could be war brought to the shores of America, a natural disaster, or some other judgment that God will allow to take place. All music would have ceased, and the musicians would never be heard from again. This can be taken both literally and symbolically. Due to all the demonic music being played on the airways, even by self-professed Christians, it has turned millions of people into cocoons for sin, spiritual rot, and debauchery. Many artists have sold their souls to the devil for fame and have compromised with the world in such a way that one can hardly distinguish the holy from the unholy due to the ungodly similarities. This is not to say that all secular music is wrong, but one must ensure that what is entering the ear gates is nothing displeasing to the Lord nor goes against His ordinances. This even includes music that is categorized as Christian or gospel. Nevertheless, God’s people will not be fooled into compromising the gospel even for money that will eventually be of no value. The Bible says: “They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean. Their silver and gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath. It will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs, for it has caused them to stumble into sin” (Ezekiel 7:19).
Music is also a sign of celebration and joy. The sins of this nation will be accounted for, and all celebrations will cease. There will be no more marriages, trading with foreign countries, bank embezzlements, slaying of the innocent born and unborn, worship of celebrities, sports, and other false gods. God will raise a standard that other nations will see and call Him blessed. After this destruction, there will be no more drag story-time, child sacrifice, or transgender grooming. Drug and alcohol use, sexual immorality, violence, theft, pornography, witchcraft, murder, warmongers, and unfaithfulness to the Lord’s commands would cease. The money-traders would again be overturned as Jesus did with the ones in the temple, and those who have been sown for profit will reap poverty and destruction.
HOMEWORK: Based on this week's Friday Night Bible study's discussion held on July 17, 2026, write down the emotions you most often feel when reading and studying the book of Revelation. Explain why then write down which particular text causes the most intensity with that emotion.
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