After this
John sees another messenger coming down out of heaven (Israel (physical or spiritual))
He has great authority and his splendour brightened the whole earth.
He cried out
in a loud voice “she has fallen! Babylon has fallen! She is now haunted by
demons and unclean spirits; all kinds of filthy and hateful birds live in her.
For all
nations drunk her wine which is immoral lust. Kings of the earth practiced
sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the world grew rich form her
unrestrained lust”
Then I heard
another voice from heaven saying ‘come out, my people! Twice, You must not
partake of her sins, you must not share in her punishment (Those who adhere to
Catholicism but their hearts are truly in pursuant of Jesus are asked to leave
so as not to partake in her punishment)
For her sins
are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her wicked way
She will be
treated as she treated the church (believers); pay her double for all she has
done. (please read church history)
Give her as
much suffering and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. For she
keeps telling herself ‘here I sit, a queen, I am no widow, I will never know
grief!; (will never lack adherents)
Because of
this, in one day she will be struck with plagues--- disease, grief, and famine.
And she will be burned with fire, because the Lord God, who judges her, is
mighty."
The kings of
the earth who took part in her immorality and lust will cry and weep over Rome
when they see the smoke from the flames that consume her.
They stand a
long way off, because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They say,
"How terrible! How awful! This great and mighty city Babylon! In just one
hour you have been punished!"
The merchants
of the earth also cry and mourn for her, because no one buys their goods any
longer; no one buys
their gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; their goods of linen, purple
cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth; all kinds of rare woods and all kinds of
objects made of ivory and of expensive wood, of bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon,
spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat, cattle
and sheep, horses and carriages, slaves, and even human lives.
The traders
say to her, "All the good things you longed to own have disappeared, and
all your wealth and glamor are gone, and you will never find them again!"
The traders, who
became rich from doing business in that city, will stand a long way off,
because they are afraid of sharing in her suffering. They will cry and mourn,
and say,
"How terrible! How awful for the great city! She used to dress herself in
linen, purple, and scarlet, and cover herself with gold ornaments, precious
stones, and pearls!
And in one
hour she has lost all this wealth!" All the ships' captains and
passengers, the sailors and all others who earn their living on the sea, stood
a long way off,
and cried out
as they saw the smoke from the flames that consumed her: "There never has
been another city like this great city!"
They threw
dust on their heads, they cried and mourned, saying, "How terrible! How
awful for the great city! She is the city where all who have ships sailing the
seas became rich on her wealth! And in one hour she has lost everything!"
Be glad,
heaven (Israel), because of her destruction! Be glad, God's people and the
apostles and prophets! For God has condemned her for what she did to you!
Then a mighty
messenger picked up a stone the size of a large millstone and threw it into the
sea, saying, "This is how the great city Babylon will be violently thrown
down and will never be seen again.
The music of
harps and of human voices, of players of the flute and the trumpet, will never
be heard in you again! No workman in any trade will ever be found in you again;
and the sound of the millstone will be heard no more!
Never again
will the light of a lamp be seen in you; no more will the voices of brides and
grooms be heard in you. Your merchants were the most powerful in the entire
world, and with your false magic you deceived all the peoples of the
world!"
Babylon was
punished because the blood of prophets and of God's people was found in the
city; yes, the blood of all those who have been killed on earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment