Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. [Call to worship]
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. [Response]
The seven last plagues (vials) Rev 15-16, which were poured on men who received the mark of the Beast, and the number of his name, and worshipped him, and also on the kingdom of the Beast, had ended. This call to worship was an event between the judgment of Babylon the great whore (Rev 17 & 18) and the marriage feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:7). Two cities are mentioned in the book of Revelation, perhaps others are mentioned too. But notably are Babylon the great and the new Jerusalem. One major difference between Babylon the great and the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, is that one is unfaithful while the other is faithful. Babylon committed fornication with the kings of the earth, a symbol of unfaithfulness. Is this not the reason unfaithfulness is rampant in marriages? That is what the spirit of this world projects and sponsors among men. There is no satisfaction derived in committing to one spouse. Lusts of all kinds keep the heart longing for something more. It is the spirit of iniquity at work in the world. But the church is married to Christ and is faithful to Him by the help of the Spirit of God. This is a way of testing the spirit to whom one is subject- the spirit of the world or the Spirit of Christ.
To appreciate the significance of this worship, it is important to understand the victory that brought it about- the eternal destruction of the great whore (17:1).
For clarity I shall itemize the points and comment briefly on the great whore as revealed:
- The great whore (harlot, prostitute) is pictured as sitting on many waters 17:1. Verse 15 explains this: The angel also said to me, “The waters you saw, on which the prostitute sits, are nations, peoples, races, and languages. She is the main influence over nations and cultures in their diversities and lifestyles.
- She is called Babylon the great vs 5
- World rulers and earth dwellers have been intoxicated by the wine of her fornication vs 2; 18:2, 9. This explains why sex and sex drive is uncontrollable… even by legislation. Those who try to control it are victims of the same influence which they cannot help. Sex has become an idol and a god in many societies and cultures but this is not just the ordinary way of men and women; it is the spirit of Babylon at work.
- Babylon controls kingdoms vs 3, 18. It is the spirit that sets kingdoms against God. World government are generally not programmed to favour the cause of Christ. They have their own agenda, which primarily serves the purpose and interest of the wicked one.
- It is abominable vs 4,5. All abominable acts in the world are sponsored by mystery Babylon. Oh, the evils that men do against one another cannot be enumerated. Once it was difficult to hear of suicide in my country, today it is a daily thing. Ritual killings are part of money making businesses. Baby factories are on the rise. All these and more are the direct influence of mystery Babylon.
- Babylon is rich, wealthy and offers pleasures and all pleasurable things vs 4; 18:11-16. Everything that a man’s soul desires (lusts for) 18:14 are in it, and are available to those who seek for them. Power, wealth and sex are the big ones; then all the other little things too. The things that cannot satisfy but always come as necessities- the heart continues to strive after them to no end. This is the key to her control of men.
- She is anti-Christ vs 6. Everyone who represents God and what God stands for immediately and automatically makes himself or herself her enemy. Many have been martyred by her. She is the one who cries for the blood of godly men and women and by wicked hands they are removed from the face of the earth through all manner of killings.
There are many more things to say about mystery Babylon. But this is the picture of the one that the Saints overcame by the help of the Spirit.
God’s call to His people is ‘Come out of her…’ Rev 18:4 because she will surely be judged and rewarded double for all her evil works and along with her partners 18:5.
A day is certainly coming when we shall be totally free from the unyielding and persistent influence and power of sin and its lusts. What a day it will be? Then we shall worship and sing, “Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.” Until then let us continue to learn and grow in resisting the lusts of the world; let us continue to follow the way of escape the Holy Spirit leads away from temptations; let us not be drawn away by lusts to satisfy its desires. May the LORD grant us strength of heart to flee all appearances of evil orchestrated by the spirit of iniquity. AMEN