The Complete Destruction of Babylon | Revelation 18:1-8 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (6/14/26)

I'm not sure whether you realize this, but we are nearing the end of our journey through the book of Revelation, as only four chapters remain in our study. And in these final prophetic texts, we have some of the most glorious truths in all of Scripture. If I can summarize what awaits us in these closing chapters, I would say that there are three marvelous events that the Lord will disclose to us about the future through his servant John. In Revelation 19, we will behold the return of the Lord Jesus Christ in power and glory. In Revelation chapter 20, we will receive a preview of his physical reign on the earth as he rules over the nations.

And in Revelation 21 to 22, we will get a glimpse of the new heaven and the earth that he will create as he ushers the redeemed into the eternal state. But before John unveils the incredible scene of the second coming of Christ, he will inform us of one final major development that will take place on the earth just before it: The fall of Babylon in chapter 18. Now if you've been with us a few weeks ago, you might be a little confused by that because we spent our time examining Revelation chapter 17, and the rise and fall of Babylon is the main theme of that text. And yet, we are going to examine it once more. How can we look at the fall of something that has already fallen?

Well, as we're about to discover this concept of Babylon is a multifaceted one, but before we go there, I believe it will be helpful to remind ourselves what Babylon is according to the book of Revelation. In this last book of the Bible, we learned that Babylon is a symbol and it is actually going to be a future global religious system that represents and embodies an ancient spirit of rebellion against God and unites people in defiance and deception while attacking those who follow Jesus Christ. Let me say that again. Babylon is a symbol of a false religious system that embodies an ancient spirit of rebellion against God and unites people in defiance and deception while attacking those who follow Jesus Christ. It will manifest as an actual religion and it will be so persuasive, it will have the power to even persuade atheists to become worshipers.

And it will even entice those to abandon their former faith, to join this new movement of tolerance and unity. Now there is debate about what that religion will be exactly. Will it be one that we know now reaching a height of influence and dominance will be the convergence of many of the faiths that we see today or will it be a new invention altogether? We don't know, but whatever it will be we are certain that it will deny the exclusivity of Christ. It will reject the sufficiency of the gospel.

And it will claim to be a new truth that will be universally accepted and praised by the masses. So much so, it will even be endorsed by world leaders, including the anti Christ himself. And we learned that a few weeks ago and that was perhaps shocking to some of us. However, as we learn in Revelation chapter 17, when the Antichrist rises to power, when he reaches the peak of his influence, he will convince the world that he alone is worthy of worship. And he will silence all forms of faith including the Babylonian facade.

I actually want you to look with me here in Revelation seventeen sixteen to remind ourselves of this incredible turning point in the tribulation period. Look at Revelation chapter 17 beginning in verse 16. And the 10 horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. The prostitute is also a picture of Babylon. The 10 horns are kings and the beast is the Antichrist.

Continuing on. They will make her desolate and naked and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. With that kind of an ending, it's hard to imagine what else could be said about this seductive spiritual harlot also known as Babylon until you reach chapter 18 and find that 24 verses are dedicated to her destruction. How is that?

We just read that she was what? She was naked. Her flesh was devoured. She's burned up with fire. And then you look at chapter 18 and you read about the fall of Babylon.

Well, John is ready to tell us about a different aspect of Babylon that will be judged by God near the end of the great tribulation, just before the return of Christ in chapter 19. What do I mean by that? Well, according to this chapter, the Babylonian spirit that has been in operation since the beginning of time will not only emerge as a false religion that will deceive the nations, but also as an economic empire. In other words, when the book of Revelation refers to Babylon, it is speaking more than just about an ideology that will seduce people and deceive them into idolatry. It's more than that.

It's also speaking about an actual city that will function as a centralized hub for international trade, luxury commerce, and political alliances. It's much more tangible. It's real. And I wanna give you three quick reasons why we can conclude that. I want us to see three reasons why Babylon is more than just an ideology, is more than just false spirituality.

It's concrete and it's more complex than we might have thought. The first thing that we have to acknowledge is that in chapter 18, Babylon is referenced as a city on many occasions. Are you there with me in Revelation 18? Look quickly at verse 10. Revelation 18 verse 10, they will stand far off in fear of her torment and say, alas, alas, you great city, you mighty city Babylon, for in a single hour your judgment has come.

Look at verse 16 of the same chapter. Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls. Let's look again here at verse seventeen and eighteen. For in a single hour, all this wealth has been laid waste. All the ship masters and sea fearing men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning.

What city was like the great city? There's even more than this, but let's look at one more verse 21. Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea saying, so will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence and will be found no more. Now as with many things in the book of Revelation, there is conversation about whether Babylon is speaking about here a literal city or it's a figurative term? And if it is an actual city that's in view here, will there be a city called Babylon in the last days, or is that symbolic of a different kind of city like Rome?

Well, we're not gonna take the time to look looking at different arguments for the different viewpoints now, but what I do want to say is this. It should not be hard for us to believe that it's possible for an actual city called Babylon to rise again. Think about Jerusalem in her history. How many times has she been destroyed and resurrected over the ages? In fact, some of you may not know this, but Saddam Hussein himself had a very strong mission to try to revive Babylon during his reign.

Did you know this? So much so that he commissioned construction at the very site of the ancient ruins of Babylon 50 miles south of Baghdad. And he did this to present himself as a modern heir to Nebuchadnezzar and he wanted to try to inspire the Iraqis by reintroducing the golden age of Iraqi civilization. And you can look this up if you don't believe me, but even to this day, some walls are still there, some courtyards, and even a palace that overlooks that site on a hill for Saddam Hussein still stands. But clearly, his attempt to try to restore Babylon failed.

And I bring this up to mention how it's not so far fetched to believe that when scripture here speaks about Babylon as a city, that it could be referring to an actual city called Babylon. That may be situated even in the Middle East and that will carry unprecedented power and prosperity in the last days. Secondly, as we continue here, we realize that Babylon in chapter 18 as an economic empire, connected, yes, yet distinct to its religious aspect, is such because of the response of the kings to its destruction. Now we read this early in Revelation 17 that the destruction of spiritual Babylon was at the hands of the kings and the Antichrist himself. And when they did this, they did this gleefully.

They did this they did this to set up the beast to be the sole object of the world's worship. But I want you to see the reaction of the kings in Revelation 18 when economic Babylon becomes desolate. Look here at verse nine of Revelation 18. And the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and live in luxury with her will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. How does this make sense?

In chapter 17, they were the reason why Babylon fell. But in chapter 18, when Babylon falls, they weep and they wail. Now some say it's because they regretted their decision. I'm under the persuasion here that the best way to make sense and harmonize these passages is that these kings that will rule with the Antichrist will seek to erase the religious face of this entity Babylon and keep the commercial element of it and handing that over to the control of the beast. And perhaps you were like me when I first studied this in-depth and wondered, okay, I understand.

You're saying that Revelation 17 speaks about Babylon as a spiritual force in the last days and in chapter 18 Babylon as an economic powerhouse, but how do those things interconnect? How do those things coexist? And I believe one of the most helpful illustrations is to recall what first century Rome looked like. Did not the Roman Empire possess religious characteristics? Yes.

Emperor worship, pagan temples, the exploitation, and the seeking of state sponsored religion. And did it not also have ultimate and complete economic control? You better believe it. Massive trade networks, luxury markets, and to take over other people groups for profit and for gain. Babylon in the future will function similarly.

And when the Antichrist rises to power, he will convince the nations to get rid of this Babylonian religion, to replace it, and yet at the same time to sabotage and hijack all of its global marketplace influence to his own advantage. And we saw one way he will do that. Remember the mark of the beast. You can't buy or sell without it. Lastly, one more reason, though there are many we can bring to our attention, one more reason why Babylon in chapter 18 is presenting a different dimension to our understanding of Babylon, an economic one, is because of who destroys it.

In Revelation 17, it was the kings and the antichrist. In Revelation 18, it will be a direct act of God. Look at verse eight with me. Revelation 18 verse eight. For this reason, her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire.

For mighty is the Lord God who has judged her. Hopefully, prayfully, what was just said offered some clarification of what we're dealing with here. And that is always the goal of those who stand behind this pulpit. It's it's much easier to go through any random passage of scripture and take some life applications from it and then move on. But my desire is deeper than that.

I long for us to actually understand how this all works, how this all makes sense, especially with prophecy. And so what was just presented was the introduction. We still haven't gotten to chapter 18 yet. But now as we look at chapter 18, we will consider the first eight verses. And in those eight verses, we want to try to capture four important facts about Babylon as presented in chapter 18.

Four important facts about Babylon as presented in chapter 18. And the first one is this, Babylon will be utterly destroyed. Read with me the first two verses. After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, fallen fallen is Babylon the great.

She has become a dwelling place for demons. A haunt for every unclean spirit. A haunt for every unclean bird. A haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. First thing that John tells us about Babylon the Great, namely her economic side, is that her destruction is certain.

Fallen fallen is emphasized to dictate and determine to the reader that her faith is sealed. And he he further confirms this by describing her desolate condition after God deals with her. She will be completely vacant. She'll be brought down so low that nothing good, nothing human will remain. In fact, it will be the hosting place for unclean spirits and unclean birds.

Now the unclean birds part can be synonymous with unclean spirits. We see that in the Bible or can actually refer to unclean birds as we see listed in the old testament that will hover around and pluck at the carcasses of those who remain after this fatal blow from heaven. Either way, this is an eerie picture of what will come about for Babylon. What was once the commanding center, the very launch pad, the very marketplace, the heartbeat of the flow of income and sales and goods and luxury will now be reduced to a holding place for devils. Will now be brought to a place of such desolation that spiritually and physically it will be hideous.

Now I wanna highlight something that we can easily miss. This entire chapter is about judgment, and yet it opens up with a note about God's glory. Did you see that in verse one? After this I saw another. Now that word another in the Greek means another of the same kind because there's debate.

Is this Jesus Christ descending? Not not likely. Another angel another of the same kind angel coming down from heaven, fresh out of God's presence, having great authority and the earth was made bright with his glory. Glory. I find it fascinating that the reflection of God's glory is presented here at the outset of this text in connection to God's judgment.

This may irks some of you hearing this because we don't say it often, but there is something glorious about God's judgment. I get it. God's glory is his grace. We relish in it. We praise him for it.

We say this is what makes him so fascinating and marvelous and beautiful. His grace, yes. But don't forget his justice. Don't forget his holiness. Don't forget judgment day.

Where he will make everything right. That after all his patience and his mercy pleading with sinners who will deny him and reject him. He will deal with them. And listen, that makes him glorious. That makes him glorious.

In this day and age, we need to recapture something about the holiness of God. And the more we push that aside, the more we are eliminating a facet of his glory. In fact, as we're gonna see in the coming chapters, God's judgment will be a song sung in heaven. When's the last time we've ever sung about God judging and clapping our hands and saying hallelujah? Well, it's gonna happen in heaven.

Babylon's destruction is certain. That's the first thing that John wants to tell us. But secondly, we learn here about this future religious and economic system. It will deceive the world into the love of money. Babylon will deceive the world into the love of money.

Let's read verse three now. For all the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her. And the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. Now we've seen this language of intoxication before in chapter 17, but what stands out about Babylon here is the last part. And the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.

So in chapter 17, what's highlighted is how the nations will be inebriated by her false teaching. But we now see that she's not only going to dupe the world with heresy, she's going to lure the world with luxury. And here's why this is so staggering to me. We are reading this in the context of the end of the world. If we honor the chronology of the book of Revelation, blueprinting for us the last days, what's around the corner?

The second coming of Christ. This is one of the last things that God has to deal with before he paves the way for the son of God to enter into our world again. And what do we find in Revelation 18? What do we see with the nations? What are they preoccupied with before the end of all things?

Getting rich. Living as comfortably as they can, living as extravagantly as they can. This is not mind numbing to us. Factor in what we've been reading and studying up to this point. All the natural disasters that will take place through the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, the bold judgments, the crushing blow designated from heaven that will render the world into a state of weakness and frailty unlike we've ever seen before.

And what are people doing? I need to make money. I need to increase my savings. I need a better house. I need a faster car.

I need more glistening clothes. This is madness. And what John wants to tell us here that Babylon will play an important role of dizzying the world with materialism and personal prosperity. So much so, look here, verse 11 of Revelation 18. And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her since no one buys their cargo anymore.

Not weep and mourn for their sins. Not repentant. Crushed by what? There goes my business. There goes the stock market.

There goes my retirement plan. What are you thinking about? The world is ending. And this dawned on me the other night. Humanity has proven to have a remarkable ability to bounce back from historic disasters and calamities.

Have you noticed that about us? You think this is an exaggeration? Let me remind you. Let's rewind a few years here. The world shut down for a few months with COVID.

Do you remember the crippling fear shared among the nations? Do you remember the chaos that erupted across America? Do you remember the growing distress with governments? The obvious signs of corruption, the confusion that spread. You would think that would awaken the masses.

You would think that every church would be filled. There would be revival on the streets. Where are we now? Are we any better? No.

No. No. Business as usual. We don't even talk about it anymore. There were people literally going insane in isolation.

People didn't know what to do. It was a ghost town in Chicago, and and and nobody even discusses it, at least in my world. So it shouldn't be so shocking to see that this is what the nations are consumed with even while they're trying to recover with all the destruction around them. Unfortunately, things will not change in the tribulation period. In fact, what we find here in Revelation 18 aligns perfectly with Jesus' prophecy and teaching about the last days.

Let me remind you what he said in Luke 17 verse 28. Luke 17 verse 28 reads, likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. He's talking about the last days. We have this understanding, I think, because of movies and entertainment and even our own imagination, that when it comes to the last days, everybody's gonna find their own bunker and stay there until Christ returns. That's not how it's gonna function.

Businesses will be open. There's gonna be weddings. There's gonna be news. There's gonna be interest in the stock market. There's gonna be trade.

There's gonna be innovation. That's going to be taking place because there's gonna be this desperate attempt to try to maintain normality. And the world as they've always known it, even though God is ringing that bell and sounding that alarm, wake up. And they will plug their ears and they will stuff their pockets along that way. And this is what we discover about Babylon.

She will play a massive role in seducing and distracting the world from what matters the most, the salvation of their souls. So much so that millions, because of this amazing impressive system, will be so entangled with the opportunities that will be presented, with the ideas that will be generated, with the inventions that will be created, that they will be deceived until their ultimate damnation. But our influence, Babylon's that is, will not be limited to unbelievers, which brings us to the third point, the third important fact about Babylon, and it is this. Babylon will tempt believers. Babylon will tempt Christians alive during the tribulation period before Christ returns.

Look at verse four and five with me in Revelation 18. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people. Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues for her sins are heaped high as heaven and God has remembered her iniquities. Now the call to flee from Babylon tomorrow echoes Old Testament prophecies of the call to flee Babylon yesterday. Places like Isaiah 48 verse 20, Jeremiah 50 verse eight, Write those down in the margin of your Bible or your notepad and look at it later.

Over and over again, we see the strong appeal of the prophets for the people of God then to flee from Babylon. And it's repeated here in Revelation 18. Why? To illustrate that in the same way, God's covenant people of old were enticed and moved to mingle and associate themselves with the reigning empire of that time, so will it be in the future. There will be an alluring effect of Babylon not just upon the world and unbelievers, but even God's own children.

And this is something that you might be wondering is possible. Can a Christian actually be a Lord in this way? Be wooed in this way? Can I remind you of what the Bible says about righteous lot? Peter calls him righteous.

Do you remember where he was living? Sodom. Who is he working with? Sodomites. And he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and by God's grace, he was invited to flee before judgment came.

It is totally possible for any of us to be caught up with the world system and that's the thing that we can learn here. Even for us today, we're studying the future but hold on. If the spirit of Babylon was able to draw God's people in the past, if we read here that it will have the ability to do so in the future, what makes us think that we can escape it today if we are not careful? Come out of her, my people. You can be here today in this church and really in Babylon.

Can I tell you that in love? I don't know what's going on these past two weeks, but since Daniel Benda's message, we've been hearing about money, money, money. We heard it Friday with Nehemiah, the fish gate, and now here we are again looking at what? Luxury. That he was an ear hear what the spirit says to the church.

We're not planning this. We're just going through the Bible and it keeps reappearing. So let's lean in and hear what God is saying to us. This prophecy is extremely helpful for us as Christians now because it depicts for us the fate of materialism and those who live by it. Look here at verse 19 of Revelation 18.

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned crying out Pause for a second. Don't you wish they would do this about their own unbelief? Don't tell me that people don't love money, worship money, or devoted money. Look at this reaction. Let's read it again.

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned crying out, alas, alas, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth for in a single hour, she has been laid waste. Amazing. Imagine, all the wealth of the world will be laid waste in a single hour. All that somebody has worked for their entire lives will evaporate in a single hour. All that the nations have accumulated with all their strategizing and all their negotiations will disappear in a single hour.

All the joy and hope that people place in their wealth will be obliterated within a single hour. That is true about future Babylon. And in some sense, it is true for each of us who will one day die and leave everything behind. And shockingly, the the only thing that will remain for these inhabitants of the earth that put all of their heart and all of their soul and strength into luxury, is their sins in the sight of God. Look at verse five again of Revelation 18.

For I Read here verse five. For her sins are heaped as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. You know that word heaped in the original? It's quite interesting. It means to glue together, to cement together.

Does that language sound familiar to you in connection to Babylon? Building something as high as heaven? That was exactly their ambition back in Genesis chapter 11. Come. Let us build for ourselves a city and a tower that it would reach the top of the heavens.

Let us make a name for ourselves. And the lord so poetically uses that language, and he says, that building didn't work, and the only thing that actually is heaped as high as the heavens is your iniquity. I don't see your ambitions. I don't see your prosperity. I don't see your wealth.

I don't see your bank account. I don't see your compliment accomplishments. If you are outside of Christ, the only thing I see, God says, is your sins. And based on this verse, I wanna tell you that if you are in Christ, you are more wealthy than any king or CEO who is outside of Christ. How do I know that?

Because he says here, what? That he will remember their iniquities, her iniquities. And the author of Hebrews, in trying to again persuade those Jewish Christians of why they have a greater advantage and they are in a superior covenant in Christ, tells them this in Hebrews eight verse 12, and it's about us as well. Hebrews eight verse 12 reads, for I will be merciful toward their iniquities and I will remember her sins or your sins no more. You see the difference?

If you're in Christ, you are rich where it matters the most. Spiritually, eternally, and all what a tragedy will be that many many will forfeit this gift in the name of wealth and glamour and splendor and prosperity. Babylon will tempt believers. And you can imagine how. There will be Christians.

There will be people who will be saved in those last days, but with great pressure, great temptation, great suffering. And so you can envision how there would be this this draw to try to tap into some comfort, some alleviation, more than that, to try to rebuild or try to get back into the groove of society. And God says here to this people of tomorrow, be careful. Come out of her my people. Don't get linked.

Don't get connected to this false system. It will draw you away from me. Lastly, as we consider four facts about Babylon in chapter 18, we read here in verse six and verse seven that Babylon will be extremely proud. Extremely proud. Let's look at verse six and seven together.

The Lord continues through this heavenly messenger. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others and repay her double for her deeds. Mix a double portion for her and the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, I sit as a queen. I am no widow, and mourning, I shall never see.

So a plain reading of this text, I'm sure, demonstrates the sheer arrogance of the system and those who will lead it. They will become so powerful, they will become so prosperous that they think that they are indestructible. Every nation needs to be very careful when they begin to think this way. Every person needs to be careful when they begin to think this way. Notice that God says she said it in her heart.

They didn't even say it out loud. That's how they felt. That's what they believed about themselves. At the same time, when you read these words more carefully, you will discover that there's something even more profound to this statement. More profound than what we see here, which illustrates just how full and pregnant this pride really is.

Like many portions of Revelation, this is an echo of the Old Testament. What she says here, and I want you to see this with me in our final text today in Isaiah. Turn with me in your bibles. Let's hear those pages flip, and let's go to Isaiah chapter 47. What's happening in Isaiah 47?

Long ago, the Lord spoke through his prophets to predict and pronounce the fate of Babylon. And like many prophecies, there is a near and future fulfillment to what we are about to read. In other words, what we're about to look at speaks to ancient Babylon, who indeed has fallen, but also future Babylon that will make a reappearance and will experience the ultimate fulfillment of these passages. Just to clarify that we're speaking about Babylon here, look at verse five of Isaiah 47. God says, sit in silence and go into darkness, oh daughter of the Chaldeans.

There it is. For you shall no more be called the mistress of kingdoms. Now scroll down to verse eight of Isaiah 47. Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, I am and there is no one besides me. I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children.

These two things shall come to you in a moment. In one day, the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. Does this sound familiar? The fact that Babylon in the book of Revelation repeats the boasting of ancient Babylon tells us something so staggering about her pride. Because you see here, there was a near fulfillment of Isaiah's words, but it ultimately pointed to something more complete, more permanent yet to come.

And Babylon in Revelation 18 is essentially saying that she can escape the fulfillment of this prophecy. In other words, she thinks that because of her great might and her great standing in society and the great love that she has acquired from the masses, that even though God had declared her total destruction, she can dodge it. This is obvious, candid, clear defiance toward the word of the lord. Do you see it? That when God has said what he said in his word about himself, about you, about me, and we dare to say that's not true, it won't happen, that's pride.

And Babylon will have that kind of pride. She will totally dismiss what prophecy says. She will sneer at what God had declared about her, and she will claim like Satan believes even people wonder why why is Satan doing all that he's doing? Doesn't he know what the the word of God says about his own faith, his own destiny? Yes.

But when you have pride, you will even be willing to deny what God has said. You think you can thwart it. You think you can overcome it. You think you could change it. And that will be the anthem of Babylon to come.

She will say, God's word will fail. God's word will not succeed. God's word is irrelevant. We will continue to make money. Throw all the stars down from heaven you want.

Create all the earthquakes that you will. We will not be moved. And in summary here in verse eight of Revelation 18, we read, for this reason, her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her. I wanna end on this note. We learned four amazing facts about Babylon to come, but let's let's meditate on the last one.

Dear brother, dear sister, dear visitor, what is your attitude towards this book? What does this mean to you? You know, the Lord says in Isaiah that he looks on those who tremble at his word. What you heard just now, how does that register? Is there anything in you that says, this is so amazing.

This is so profound. Is there any self reflection? Is there any cause to to look inward and say, oh, is there any part of me that smells like Babylon? That is attracted to the spirit of Babylon? Or are you like Babylon in that?

Whatever. There's just this guy up there spewing, you know, nice encouraging words, some nice stirring warnings, but nothing more than that. God sees our hearts and how we respond to this book. And today, I wanna present you the opportunity that I mentioned briefly in this lesson. That if you are outside of Christ, no matter what you build in this life, you're gonna leave it behind.

I've never seen a U Haul follow a hearse. Have you? In that final day, whether that be Christ coming back or you meeting with Him, the only thing that will matter is you and Jesus and what you did with Him and His gospel while you were still alive. That's the only thing that will matter. And you have an opportunity today with all the opportunities, yes, in this life to do business.

You can do business with God. Let's talk business. You wanna do business? Let's do business with God. Because of his great love for you.

No matter what kind of idols you have worshiped, no matter what you have made of money and your personal success, in his great love for you, he has considered all your sin, all your disobedience, and he was willing to delete all your debt freely and lovingly. And you have the opportunity today to get right with God and to say, Lord, I do acknowledge that I am a sinner. I do acknowledge that I did become my own God, that I did worship other things, that I am attracted to Babylon, but I realize that you are the object of my worship, that you are the thing that I must adore more than anything else. And I see it more clearly than ever because you came down in the person of Jesus Christ and you died on the cross for my sins. If you did that for me, I freely give you my heart unreservedly.

And in that moment, if you choose to do that, he will forgive you in this very space and you will leave here more rich than you've ever felt, than you've ever known. And he will give you the wisdom to know how to deal with business and the world and money. He will bless everything in your life. But first, you must acknowledge that apart from him, you cannot know true blessing. You cannot know heaven.

You cannot know life abundantly. Now, you need Christ. Believer, are you in Babylon today? Is your mind in Babylon today? Is your heart in Babylon today?

Here's the word of God for you. Come out. Come out today and be in the fullness of God's will for your life. This is the word for us today. Come out and be where God has called you to be.

Let's pray. We thank you, Lord, that you've given us understanding. And at the same time, you've touched our hearts, and we pray, Lord, that if our hearts are not stirred, that you would use these final moments to do it. For the person here who does not know you, may they hear these final words in the book of Revelation as we approach the end. May they not be wasted Lord.

May you bring souls into the kingdom through these final chapters in our series. And may today be one of those days where even one, where one would realize I know that this is God's Word. It touched my soul, and I want to live according to it. Lord, draw the sinner to the throne of grace by Your Spirit. Lord, for the believers here who are struggling, they're struggling.

They get inspired with sermons like this, and then they go back into the world, and everything about their thinking, everything about their meditations, their hopes, and their dreams are about Babylonian matters. Bring them out and help them realize that they are citizens of a greater kingdom. They are ambassadors of the most wonderful news, and they serve the greatest master and king that this world will ever know. We worship you, Lord, because you've given us light. Help us now live in that light, leaving this place.

In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Isn't his word wonderful? Isn't it awesome? Well let's sing about it.

Let's stand and worship the Lord together.