REVELATION Lesson 31

REVELATION

Lesson 31

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

REVELATION 14:8   ⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’^[a] which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

The second angel makes another pronouncement, that God is going to judge the wicked. A second angel will follow and say, “fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, which made all the nations drink all the wine of her adulteries. The announcement of Babylon’s fall does not indicate that the end of the great tribulation has come, but rather an announcement of the future destruction of Babylon described later in Revelation 18.

Babylon is known as the city of Satan because of its long history of idolatry, witchcraft, and other occult practices. It is the birthplace of many false doctrines and religions such as goddess worship.

In Acts 2:13 the new believers of Christ were accused of being drunk on new wine, however they were actually being filled with the Holy Spirit. In that chapter wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In this chapter the wine of the wrath of her fornication is a reference to demonic possession, making the nations drink this maddening wine is a reference to Babylon’s forcing her satanic inspired false religion on the world.

The ancient city of the old Babylon died out many centuries ago. During the 1980’s and 1990’s Saddam Hussein poured hundreds of millions of dollars into rebuilding it. The rebuilt city will become a greater center of religion and trade during the tribulation period. The false prophet will locate the headquarters of his false religion there.

When the second angel declares the fall of Babylon, this will be the judgment of the old testament prophet’s prediction, it must come to pass. Babylon’s fascination with the occult and her spread of a one world harlot religion will bring the world class fall.

The word fallen is repeated twice to mean two separate falls or judgments. The false religion system will fall first when the antichrist turns on it just after the midpoint of the tribulation period.

The rebuilt city of Babylon will fall again when it is burned to the ground in one hour near the end of the tribulation period. We will talk more on this later in this study.

Again, and again people are saying wouldn’t it be great if we just had one big church. In these last days coming they will have their one big church, but it won’t be so great. It will be a federation of God defying, Christ denying apostate religious leader.

Revelation 14:9   ⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand,

A third angel will fly through the air with a third announcement. This announcement will concern those who worship the antichrist, worship his image and take his mark. As said before, the first angel will preach the gospel and plead with the people to worship God.

The second angel will announce the fall of Babylon, this third angel will warn people not to worship the antichrist or take the mark of the beast.

Revelation 14:10   ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.

Since the city of Babylon is going to be the head quarters of the false prophet, Babylon will make all the nations drink of the wine, the wrath of God, those who drink the wine will have unimaginable torment. Burning sulfur, this burning sulfur will increase the temperature of a fire and raise the level of suffering. All should heed this warning, following the antichrist and worshiping him will stir the wrath of God.

A big part of this will be their suffering in the presence of the holy angels that warned them. It is bad enough to suffer in front of the lamb who died for the sins of the world, and even more to suffer in front of the angels who warned them.

Revelation 14:11-12   ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

¹² Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

The smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image. Or, for anyone who receives the mark of his name. this calls for patient and endurance on the part of the saints who obey Gods commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

Revelation chapter 14: 13   ¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

This is a passage of scripture that applies only to those who die in the great tribulation. The last three- and one-half years, it is not intended to be a universal recognition of death being a blessing.

Because these saints who are martyrs and died in the Lord, or died in saving faith through Christ Jesus, they rest from their labors and their works do follow them. Here we see again that a day is coming when believers will be rewarded because of their faithfulness to the Lord. A just God will bring forth justice and equity in eternity.

Until our next lesson,

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy