Revelation 18:9-14

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Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

Introduction

These verses of today’s study list, in symbol are all the things of this world which are to be found in Babylon The Great, the mother of harlots and of abominations of this world within us. “The fruits that your soul desires are departed from you and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from you, and you will find them no more at all” is a statement which reveals the change that takes place when we come to this point in our lives.

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

“The kings of the earth” who are most affected by the destruction of this great harlot, are those rulers within us who are losing everything their soul has always desired. All the celebrations of the flesh are now gone, and are considered as less than worthless. It is these “kings of the earth” who celebrate the things of the earth, who have the most to lose because they have the most invested in this harlot system. These “Kings of the earth” are the very heads of our beast which are called “seven mountains which are seven kings” in chapter 17:

Rev 17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

“The mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her” and “the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits and there are seven kings” all tells us that this woman and this beast with seven heads which “are seven kings” are inseparable. The beasts we are is always associated with this harlot. The loss of “the fruits your soul desires” is the great loss felt by these seven kings which are within this beast, when this great harlot is finally unveiled to us for what she really is. The loss of “the fruits your soul desires” are an integral part of this harlot system, and she is being destroyed within us, along with all she has to offer this beast which we are by nature.
But this does not happen when our beast is first dealt a “deadly wound” That “wound” is healed within us, and we are again a very healthy beast which we again worship. It does not happen at “the beginning of sorrows” when we suffer multiple “earthquakes in different places” within our lives.

Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Our beast is restored to power within us in a really miraculous way which leads us to worship him, and in doing so to worship the dragon, who empowers our wild beast. Christ puts it in this way: “Many will come in Christ’s name and deceive many; You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Neither Mat 24:1-8 nor Rev 13:3-4 refer to the seven last plagues of our study today.
Contrast those words at the beginning of Mat 24 with this statement in Rev 16.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

This is the seventh of the “seven last plagues”. This is not “the beginning of sorrows, [ or the] healing of a deadly wound”.

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

“The seven last plagues” which will “fill up the wrath of God” upon Babylon within us prepare us to be worthy to “enter into the temple”.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Christ is our temple, and we cannot enter into Him or His rest until we have fulfilled these seven plagues of the seven angels. When the seven plagues are fulfilled within our life, then we hear these words, “It is done”. But before “it is done… great Babylon must come in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath”.
Giving Babylon within us “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God’s wrath” is the great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great“. This earthquake is accompanied by a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent”.
What does this “hail out of heaven… the weight of a talent” accomplish? Here is what spiritual hail will do in the life of the believer.

Exo 9:19 Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Isa 28:17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

What does a spiritual earthquake accomplish?

Isa 29:4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
Isa 29:5 Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
Isa 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
Act 16:26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

Babylon is our prison. Now let us see what this great earthquake such as was not since men were on the earth accomplishes within us, and let’s see why a plague of hailstones the weight of a talent is needed to accomplish within us what has not to this time been accomplished. Let’s see now how this event brings us to “lose the desire of our souls”.

Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

We have seen that “the kings of the earth” are our carnal desires which are all based upon the lies of Babylon, which have ruled our lives. They are seven “heads, mountains, and kings” simply because they complete the hold which Babylon has upon us. As is revealed in Genesis, “the dream is one”, and these three symbols all symbolize just one beast. So in reality Babylon’s judgment is the judgment of these “kings of the earth” whose loss is so severe that they are pictured as distancing themselves from Babylon within us, “standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying “That great city… in one hour is thy judgment come”. The truth is that Babylon’s judgment is the judgment of these seven kings.
“One hour” indicates that these things all happen quickly, and are not done over an entire age. These seven last plagues all fill up God’s wrath within us. Therefore they are our judgment, and while it seems like an eternity, it really lasts but for “a small moment”.

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

“In a little wrath”. These plagues are “the seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God”, which is “for a small moment” before “He will with everlasting kindness have mercy upon us”.

Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Let’s read again what has taken place within us when the seven angels have poured out their plagues within us and we have fulfilled the seven plagues of the seven angels. Here is what then takes place within us:

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Now we know why Christ did not reveal to us the day of His birth in a body of flesh and blood, and we are told that we are to “know no man after the flesh”. These are, without question, just a part of “the fruit our souls desire.” All the celebrations of the flesh are now known no longer within us. “The kings of the earth” are now completely robbed of a market for these their merchandise, and now “no man buys their merchandise any more”.
As a “new man” our desires and priorities have all been changed. We are now no longer focused on the things of this earth. We will, in our own time, come to appreciate these words.

2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

If we do not know Christ Himself after the flesh, then we certainly are not going to be celebrating the birth of His flesh which was resurrected and “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” so as to keep it from corrupting.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Spirit is a realm which is outside of time with all of its limitations. It is a realm which is abhorred by the realm of the flesh to which we are to be crucified with its affections and lusts.

Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Rev 18:13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Rev 18:14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

There is no need to repeat everything listed in these three verses. Verse 14 sums it all up. These are the symbols of “the fruits our soul lusts after”. These are the symbols of all the spiritual abominations with which Babylon the great appeals to our souls. “All things which were dainty and goodly”. All the songs and celebrations of all that Babylon has to offer. Notice how all the base metals of brass and iron and such common things as wood and marble are mixed in with God’s own gold, silver and precious stones, the very things with which we are admonished to build with upon the foundation of Christ. But wood and brass and iron and marble are not to be mixed in with “gold, silver and precious stones” when we are building on the foundation of the Christ we no longer know after the flesh.

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ [ but not after the flesh].
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

God’s fire burns up all the wood, hay and stubble, but gold, silver and precious stones are only purified and are created by this heat and this fire. The gold, silver and precious stones all symbolize the things which are to be found in the temple of God. Babylon has mixed these things in with all her dainty things and together they are “odors and ointments” which our flesh, in and of itself, simply cannot refuse. These are all expressed “not in words which man’s wisdom teaches.

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

These symbols of these verses of this revelation of Jesus Christ are “the hidden wisdom, “which God has ordained before the world unto our glory”. These words of “hidden wisdom” are the exact opposite of “the fruits your soul desires”. These words of “hidden wisdom” are “the power of God”. What is this “hidden wisdom”?

Job 28:20 Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Job 28:21 Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Job 28:22 Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
Job 28:23 God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.
Job 28:24 For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven;
Job 28:25 To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure.
Job 28:26 When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder:
Job 28:27 Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out.
Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

The mind that has wisdom knows who are these seven kings, seven mountains and seven heads of this beast on which the great harlot sits and rules. The mind that has wisdom know that the fowls of the air are the spirit realm which stands in opposition to the wisdom of God, and knows all men only after the flesh with all of its celebrations of the flesh realm. The mind that has wisdom knows that the waters on which the whore sits are measured by God, and can do nothing more or less than He decrees. The mind that has wisdom, “trembles at the word of the Lord”, knows that the fear of the Lord is wisdom. This is the goodness of God. This is the gospel of the kingdom of God, and this is the revelation of Jesus Christ within His Christ.

Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will see that the destruction of Babylon is the destruction of the merchants who are the purveyors of the lies of Babylon, and who are made rich by her lies and deceits, which no longer hold us in their snare. Next week we will see who it is who have ships in the sea, and who are made rich by reason of her costliness”.

Rev 18:15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Rev 18:18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What [ city is] like unto this great city!
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

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