Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 13 June 2021

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, Revelation 18:9

With the coming destruction of Babylon the great, there will be an accompanying lamentation that fills the earth. As the woman was said to sit on many waters (17:1), her scope of harlotry went throughout the world (17:15). The lamentation over her begins with “The kings of the earth.”

In verse 17:18, it was explicitly stated that “the woman you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” With her destroyed, their lamentation will be raised. This is because it is they “who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her.”

The fornication means mixing in idolatrous practices and being turned from proper worship of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The world will follow her in her deception and find out that they had been led astray. This wasn’t only by false religion though, but the words “lived luxuriously” signify they prospered off of being aligned with her.

And how many nations and leaders can this be said of in their intimate connection with Rome? By aligning themselves with the apostate harlot, they have become Speakers of the House, leaders of the Senate, and even Presidents. They have become Prime Ministers, Supreme Court Justices, governors, and so on.

All over the world, being aligned with the Vatican has brought immense prestige, wealth, and power. When she is destroyed, they “will weep and lament for her.”

These people will suddenly realize that they had put their allegiance in the wrong place. They thought they were earning heaven through donations, indulgences, and confessionals. Instead, they are deceived and are set to go off to perdition. There will be utter confusion and great lamentation at how their misplaced source of hope could be brought to nothing. This will all come to pass “when they see the smoke of her burning.”

Imagine the stunned state of Muslims if Mecca was suddenly destroyed! They could not mentally process that their religion was suddenly wiped out, proving it was always a false religion. This is the shock and horror that adherents to the false worship of the Vatican will feel. It will be a double-edged cut – the loss of worldly wealth and power, and the loss of any chance of being allowed into God’s paradise.

The words now closely reflect that which came at the destruction of Tyre, as is recorded in Ezekiel 26 –

“Then all the princes of the sea will come down from their thrones, lay aside their robes, and take off their embroidered garments; they will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment, and be astonished at you.” Ezekiel 26:16

Life application:  The thought of this verse closely mirrors the analysis of verse 18:3. The religious institutions of the world increase in wealth along with the prosperity of the people they minister to. As they so increase, it leads to indulgence, coveting, idolatry, and feelings of self-importance.

Follow the upward path of most religions or denominations and this is the normal result. As this occurs, the political and societal leaders align themselves with these apostate religions because it becomes a mutual way of exploiting the people. The religious leaders keep the people in spiritual bondage and the political and business leaders keep the people in line by controlling their pay, benefits, and rights of speech and assembly. They work hand in hand to manipulate the masses and keep the people in line with their will.

However, eventually, rifts do develop, and the leaders of the society often learn to hate the religious leaders and will devour them so that their control is complete over the people. This would be the state found in Revelation 17:16, 17. There, the destruction that comes upon the great harlot is possibly a result of this – the main leaders of the beast fulfilling God’s purpose to destroy her. The other kings of the earth who committed fornication with her will weep and lament over her.

There will be immense sadness because of the loss of the riches she possessed, and which also enriched them. They lived luxuriously off of her and that will all be lost. Because she is judged and destroyed, they know their turn cannot be far off. They will see her destruction, and will wail and lament at the suddenness and immensity of it. In this, they will know that they too are mere mortals and possibly next in line for termination.

There is only one true path to what is right and good. God has laid it out for us in the pages of Scripture. He has carefully and meticulously set things out so that we can be reconciled to Him by a mere act of faith. And yet, we as humans will follow almost any path except the right one because we cannot give up on our own pride. Set that aside, admit you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and – by faith – come to the cross. Be reconciled to God through JESUS.

Great are You, O Lord God Almighty, and great are Your judgments. We all deserve destruction and burning, for we are dust and ashes. But You, in Your abundant mercy, have spared the people You love by sending Jesus as our Substitute. Thank You for this Gift of love and this Offering of peace. Help us to share the truth of this great message, O God. Amen.

Saturday, 12 June 2021

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. Revelation 18:8

Because of the life of luxurious living noted in the previous verses, Babylon the great will be punished. A contrast to the life she has been living will come upon her, as is implied in the words, “Therefore her plagues will come in one day.”

There will be complete recompense against her in the form of plagues, and it will come suddenly. While she is sitting fat, dumb, and happy, the life she feels so at ease in will suddenly be snatched away, being replaced with great horror. As it next says, “death.”

This is given in contrast to the words, “I sit as a queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.” Next, it says, “and mourning.”

This is given in contrast to the thought that she had glorified herself. Next, it says, “and famine.”

This is given in contrast to the thought of her having lived luxuriously. A contrasting plague is to be cast upon her for each of her areas of comfort and self-indulgence. The final one is then stated with the words, “And she will be utterly burned with fire.”

This punishment is given for her fornications. It recalls the thought of Leviticus 21:9 –

“The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the harlot, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.”

This harlot has brought disgrace upon the name of her heavenly Father by mingling what is sacred with what is profane. Her harlotries have become so great that there is simply no remedy for her actions, and she will be thoroughly punished for them. As it next says, “for strong is the Lord God who judges her.”

This is a sentiment found in Jeremiah 50 –

“Their Redeemer is strong;
The Lord of hosts is His name.
He will thoroughly plead their case,
That He may give rest to the land,
And disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.” Jeremiah 50:34

The major theme of the words of this verse are hinted at in the humiliation of Babylon as described by Isaiah –

“For you have trusted in your wickedness;
You have said, ‘No one sees me’;
Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you;
And you have said in your heart,
‘I am, and there is no one else besides me.’
¹¹ Therefore evil shall come upon you;
You shall not know from where it arises.
And trouble shall fall upon you;
You will not be able to put it off.
And desolation shall come upon you suddenly,
Which you shall not know.” Isaiah 47:10, 11

As for the idea of contrasting punishments for such wickedness, that is seen in Isaiah 3 in regard to the punishments levied upon Judah and Jerusalem –

“And so it shall be:
Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;
Instead of a sash, a rope;
Instead of well-set hair, baldness;
Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;
And branding instead of beauty.
²⁵ Your men shall fall by the sword,
And your mighty in the war.
²⁶ Her gates shall lament and mourn,
And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.”

The Lord God determines when judgment will come, how it will be brought about, and the level of punishment that will be brought upon the offender. In the case of Babylon, there will be complete ruin because of the sins she has heaped up throughout the years.

Life application: There is one God and one Lord. There is one and only one avenue to reconciliation with Him, and it is through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent Power through whom man is either restored to God or destroyed in His presence. All who align themselves with Babylon the great will find an unhappy ending. So much for religious pluralism!

Either the Bible is true, or it is fairy tales. If it is true, we need to be about the Lord’s business. Judgment is coming for those who fail to heed the call. Respond to it today and receive what God offers. Come to the cross and be reconciled to Him through the shed blood of JESUS.

Lord, help us… help us to speak boldly and without fear about the truth of Your word and the wickedness in the world around us. If You are for us, then who can be against us? But in our natural selves, we shy away from conflict and the truth in order to be liked. Lord, remind us that the only one we need to be “liked” by is You. Nothing else will do. Glory to You! Amen.

Friday, 11 June 2021

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.’  Revelation 18:7

Instead of exalting the Lord, the pomp and pageantry of this harlot brought honor and accolades to herself. A more fitting description of the Vatican could not be found, but an equally fitting description is next given, saying, “and lived luxuriously.”

The word translated as “lived luxuriously” is stréniaó. It is a new word in Scripture and will only be seen again in verse 18:9. It is the verb form of the unique word found in verse 18:3 that spoke of wantonness and self-indulgent luxury. The idea is that this city sought its own glory and lived like a pampered queen.

She possessed much wealth and many articles of value, and her beds are certainly soft and comfortable. Again, the word exactingly described the imagery of the Vatican, surrounded by jewels, gold, finery, great wealth, large real estate holdings, and so on. But all of this will come to its end. As it next says, “in the same measure give her torment and sorrow.”

As much as she has enriched herself, as much as she has been pampered and glorified, and as much attention has been devoted to her – at the expense of sharing the gospel of Christ – so is this vile harlot to be given torment and sorrow. The blood of the countless martyrs who have fallen because of her will come back and testify against her. The city will be brought to utter desolation.

But even though the book is written, and even though it should be fully understood by her that she is what the ancient prophecies have spoken of, she will sit there, clueless till the end, thinking that she cannot be the target of God’s wrath. She is a delusional harlot that cannot see her own sins piled up right in front of her. Instead, she “says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’”

The ideology of the pope today is one of communism mixed with earth worship. He is like the long succession of popes before him. They have each had their own agenda, be it leaning heavily toward the worship of Mary, or be it the conquest of people groups. Their agendas have not been the proper presentation of the word of God or of the gospel of Jesus. And yet, because of her wealth and status, she thinks that she is married to the nations and above any chance of losing her status.

The words here come from the description of Babylon given by Isaiah –

“Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures,
Who dwell securely,
Who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me;
I shall not sit as a widow,
Nor shall I know the loss of children’;
⁹ But these two things shall come to you
In a moment, in one day:
The loss of children, and widowhood.
They shall come upon you in their fullness
Because of the multitude of your sorceries,
For the great abundance of your enchantments. Isaiah 47:8, 9

What is notable, however, is that this is the same way Jerusalem was described at the time of her destruction –

“How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!” Lamentations 1:1

Jerusalem thought it would endure, but she had violated the covenant, had brought dishonor to the name of the Lord, and it was ripe for judgment. However, Israel was given a covenant by God. Despite their destruction and exile, they were brought back and reestablished. For this harlot of the end times, such will not be the case. The Lord has made no covenant with Rome, only with the people who are His.

For those who heed the warning of verse 18:4 (Come out of her, my people), the Lord will be their God. For those who remain, only destruction lies ahead.

Life application: The woman riding atop the beast and who sits on many waters is Babylon the great. She is the mother of harlots according to the previous chapter. In Babylon the great, there is a political and a religious connection as was noted. The harlot, who is the religious aspect of the alliance, has “glorified herself and lived luxuriously,” and she had done it along with the politicians and rulers.

This religious entity has been so involved in the non-religious aspects of the beast’s dealings that she considers herself a queen.

The Vatican became its own nation-state in 1929 and has intermingled its religious influence with the political dealings of nations around the world. It holds great sway and influence through owning immense tracts of land and through the political voice of its adherents.

The pomp and luxurious living of the pope and those in the hierarchy is something that was never intended by Jesus as He hung naked and torn on the cross. The Vatican claims to be the bride of Christ, the King, and supposes therefore that she sits as a queen. And it is obvious that through the great power she exhibits, she feels she will not see sorrow, but rather, will continue on in her regal living forever.

Through this entity, there have arisen many unbiblical and anti-biblical doctrines. Marian worship, the servicing of idols, faith plus deeds (rather than faith alone) being required for salvation, sexual perversion within the priesthood, etc. These are all indications of the apostate nature of the church. Within the church, however, are found faithful followers of Jesus who are working to ensure the truth of the gospel is maintained – lone voices calling out amid the torrent of false teachings and unholy doctrines.

Now stand back and look at other denominations and see that this is not unique to Roman Catholicism. A departing from the truth of the gospel is to be found permeating through almost every major denomination as well as through independent churches. As the end times come closer, there will be a uniting of these organizations through the ecumenical and pluralistic movements until they are united completely as one giant apostate religion.

False Christianity mingled with the other world religions will think that they have attained the royal status of being united as a queen which will never see sorrow. But her luxurious living will have its end, and she will be paid in the same measure with torment and sorrow. What seems like a position of power and royalty will actually be a position of destruction and condemnation. What seems like the throne of permanence will actually be the chair of execution.

The great harlot who uses religion to align herself with the power brokers of the world will meet her end and receive her just due. There is one gospel and one path to restoration with God. Only that which is based on what is stated in God’s word is acceptable, and in His word, we find that both are found only in JESUS.

Lord Jesus, You alone are the head of the church and to You alone is our allegiance due. Yes, we participate in our governments as citizens of the nation in which we live, but we are first and foremost Your soldiers in a spiritual war and our highest allegiance is to You. Help us to be aware of the false doctrines in our churches and to work to change them back to right religion which is honoring to You. Amen.

Thursday, 10 June 2021

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. Revelation 18:6

The previous verse noted that the sins of Babylon the great have reached to heaven, and that God has remembered her iniquity. Now it says, “Render to her just as she rendered to you.” As a note, some manuscripts leave off the word “you” – “Render to her just as she rendered, and repay…”

Either way, it is not those who were called out of her in verse 18:4, nor is it those who have been martyred by her, that are being called to render retribution. Rather, this is a rhetorical way of highlighting the Lord’s right to judge. It is the Lord who renders according to His wisdom –

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people;
For He will avenge the blood of His servants,
And render vengeance to His adversaries;
He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Deuteronomy 32:43

The Lord sees the ill-treatment of His people by the wicked, and He will act accordingly to ensure that justice is met. With this understood, it next says, “and repay her double according to her works.”

This is the same thought seen in Jeremiah 16 when referring to the Lord’s double repayment for the sins of Israel –

“‘Behold, I will send for many fishermen,’ says the Lord, ‘and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. ¹⁷ For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes. ¹⁸ And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.’” Jeremiah 16:16-18

It is also found in Isaiah 40 when Israel is promised restoration after having received her just due –

“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!”
Says your God.
² “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.” Isaiah 40:1, 2

Unlike Israel who was under covenant with God and thus spared total annihilation, Babylon is not. Israel found restoration, but Babylon will be completely destroyed. The verse ends with the thought of the rendering being exactly as she deserves. God is being rhetorically spoken to, and His punishment upon Babylon is to be such that “in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.”

The cup of her fornication, as was seen in Revelation 14:8 and 17:4, will become the cup of God’s vengeance and her punishment. The “double” can mean either twice the quantity brought to bear upon her, or it can mean that the ingredients of the mixture will be double strength. Either way, a double rendering will come upon her for her iniquity.

Life application: To double something is to bestow a right – the firstborn son of a family in Israel received a “double portion.” This means that if there were 5 children, the inheritance would be divided into 6 and the firstborn would receive two-sixths, or a “double portion.” When Elijah the prophet ascended to heaven, his protégé Elisha asked for and received a “double portion” of the spirit he possessed.

A double portion then can mean blessing and honor in either a physical or spiritual sense, but it can also mean shame and punishment in both senses as well. The great harlot will face the latter, and her judgment for her treatment of the saints will be severe.

There is nothing good in this harlot, and she has filled her cup to overflowing with the righteous anger and wrath of God. Great and awesome will be her destruction. This is coming because she has rejected the good path that leads to life, and she has pursued only wickedness. Above all, she failed to simply present the gospel to her people in order that they might be saved.

The Lord will judge her. That time is coming. Before it does, be sure to come out from this wicked harlot and be saved through the simple gospel message – Christ died for our sins, Christ was buried, Christ rose again on the third day. Believe this unto salvation. Here is a short description of salvation as the Bible reveals – https://superiorword.org/salvation/

It is the gift of God through the coming of JESUS.

Heavenly Father, we look at the wickedness of the world around us and the false teachers of our religious institutions, and we desire You to remove them. And yet at the same time, it would be far better for them to repent and turn to You. We know all wrongs will be made right so help us to wait on Your time of judgment and work now to turn many to righteousness. Amen.

Wednesday, 9 June 2021

For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Revelation 18:5

This explains the reason for the words of the previous verse. There, it said, “come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive her plagues. Why will these things come about? The reason is now stated, “For her sins have reached to heaven.”

Here is an allusion to the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11 –

“Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4

Babylon the great is a city (Revelation 17:18), its sins have reached to heaven, and instead of being scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth, it has made a name for itself all over the earth (Revelation 18:3).

To further solidify this idea, in some manuscripts the word translated as “have reached” signifies to join closely, glue, unite, and so on. In other words, like the tower that was built with brick and asphalt in Genesis 11, Babylon the great has likewise figuratively fabricated a tower with her sins so that it presses up to heaven itself.

The words here are also reflected in Jeremiah 51. In the previous verse commentary (18:4), Jeremiah 51:6, 7 was cited. Now, the next two verses continue to parallel those words here –

“Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed.
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
⁹ We would have healed Babylon,
But she is not healed.
Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country;
For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.” Jeremiah 51:8, 9

This symbolism continues with the second clause, saying, “and God has remembered her iniquities.” This is a close parallel to what was said earlier in Chapter 16 –

“And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” Revelation 16:19

To remember in the Bible does not mean that God forgot. Rather, it is called to the forefront. Babylon has heaped up sins, each and every one of them known to God. When her cup of sin is full, then God’s wrath is poured out from His full cup of wrath. The iniquity of Babylon the great eventually will reach that point, and there will be no remedy except complete destruction.

Life application: Ecclesiastes tells us that the things that have been will be again. The repetitious cycle of things shows us that we are unwilling to learn from the past and so God calls it to account in the present. When it says that Babylon’s sins have reached to heaven, we see an interesting parallel in the 57th Psalm –

“For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And your truth unto the clouds.” Psalm 57:10

Even as our sins rise, heaping up because of their immense number and the graveness of them, God’s mercy continues to withhold the coming judgment. However, God’s truth is also there, proclaiming that there is a point where His mercy must be mixed with wrath because every sin must be judged. At a point known to God alone, He will remember iniquity that has not been addressed at the cross of Calvary.

However, as God remembers such iniquity, He also remembers those who faithfully follow Him. Some examples of God “remembering” in this way are found when God remembered Noah on the ark – Genesis 8; when He remembered Abraham and saved Lot out of Sodom in Genesis 19; when He remembered Rachel and Hannah and their barren state in Genesis 30 and 1 Samuel 1; and etc. Again, and again, God “remembers” by acting upon such things, bringing about that which is in line with His nature for the benefit or destruction of His creatures.

God really never forgets, and it is a sad lesson that Babylon the great will eventually discover. For those who are in Christ, there is one thing that God will certainly not remember again. Hebrews 10:17 says of those who come to Him through His Messiah, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” This is the greatness of what God has done for us. Our sins are forgiven. Thank God for JESUS.

Lord God, a time is coming when the world will be judged for its rejection of You. Before that day, help us to be responsible and to get the word of reconciliation out to all people. May we be willing to simply open our mouths and speak. Either heaven or hell awaits all people. With Jesus, heaven is assured. Without Jesus, only hell awaits. Give us wisdom to speak, O God. Amen.