Our mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our calling is to be a church for people who don't like church.
Our vision is to equip a thousand strong on Sunday to be the church wherever they are during the week.
And our strategy is to provide next steps that encourage three things, intimacy with God, authentic community with each other,
and a servant's heart for our world.
And then when you're ready to take the next step, we believe there are four things that will help you in your growing relationship with Jesus,
that you connect in a life group, that you serve on a volunteer team, that you give to the mission, and that you invite people to Argal.
Today is part 11 in the series Champion, Lessons from the Book of Revelation.
If you miss any of the series, you can get called up on our website. All the messages are there for free at iargal.com.
You know, there are a lot of different ideas about the book of Revelation among Christians, and that's okay.
And so I've decided that I'll do the best I can to teach you what I believe to be true, and then we've all decided that we will still be friends.
We've said that the book of Revelation is like the last chapter in a novel, and you need to know the whole story about God and about Jesus,
as contained in the entire Bible, or you won't understand what God is up to in Revelation.
We've been studying for weeks the future judgments that are coming on the world.
The good news that Jesus offers grace and mercy and forgiveness will have been preached around the world.
The 144,000 witnesses will have completed their mission of sharing the gospel during the tribulation.
So how is it possible that people will experience firsthand the judgment of God?
They will have heard with their own ears the message of salvation and forgiveness over and over and over and over again.
But in their pride, many will still refuse to accept the gift of life that Jesus freely offers to everyone who simply believes.
Jesus told us the sad truth in John chapter 3 verse 19.
They are judged by this fact.
The light has come into the world, but they did not want light.
They wanted darkness because they were doing evil things.
All who do evil hate the light and will not come to the light because it will show all the evil things they do.
The world rejected Jesus when he came 2,000 years ago.
Many still reject Jesus even today, and they will continue to reject him in the future during the judgments.
But he still remains the champion.
He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings.
Today we're in Revelation chapter 17, if you want to follow along in your Bible, Revelation chapter 17 and verse 1.
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me,
Come and I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute who sits by many waters.
The seven angels and the seven bowl judgments are the last of the judgments, the most severe judgments that lead up to the coming of Jesus back to the earth.
The prostitute here is symbolic of the false religion of the beast, of the Antichrist.
The many waters are symbolic of the nations of the world.
So this is a picture of the evil religious leader, the Antichrist, the beast, who uses a false religion to control the whole world.
Verse 2.
With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adultery.
This isn't talking about sexual sin, this isn't talking about getting drunk on wine here.
This is symbolic of the world leaders getting in bed with the devil.
The world's political leaders will be seduced by the religion of the Antichrist, and the whole world will also be deceived.
And it will seem like they are almost drunk on this false religion and they have lost control of their senses.
Verse 3.
Then the angel carried me away into the spirit into a wilderness.
There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
The scarlet beast is the Antichrist.
He is teamed up with a false religion and he's going to use that false religion to bring the world together into unity.
The seven heads represent seven nations.
The ten horns represent ten kings who give their authority to the beast and enable him to come to power.
The beast will broker an agreement with the Middle East and bring peace to the Middle East.
But then he'll go back on that agreement and begin to persecute Israel.
And then he will become the dictator over the whole world.
Verse 4.
The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.
She held a golden cup in her hand filled with the abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.
Purple and scarlet are the colors of nobility and wealth.
She's dressed in a way that will seduce the nations into her trap.
Verse 5.
The name written on her forehead was a mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes, and of the abominations of the earth.
The mystery is the truth that has been hidden for a while that will be revealed at a later time, at the proper time that God chooses.
Babylon represents a false religion that in many ways is like the true Christian faith, but it's not.
It's Satan's counterfeit of God's truth and many will be deceived by it.
That's why it's so important that we know our doctrines of the faith so that we cannot be easily deceived also.
Verse 6.
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Then the angel said to me, Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
Verse 8.
The beast which you saw once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the abyss and go to its destruction.
The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.
Once was and now is not refers to the fake resurrection of the beast.
Some people believe that the beast was killed and actually came back to life that he rose from the dead.
Regardless, the world will be amazed at the beast and they will worship him.
Verse 9.
This calls for a mind with wisdom.
The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.
They are also seven kings. Five have fallen. One is. The other has not yet come.
When John wrote this, five kings had fallen. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece.
Rome still existed and the Antichrist had not yet taken control.
Verse 10.
But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
When the Antichrist comes to power, his reign will be very short. It will not last long.
Verse 11.
The beast who once was and now is not is an eighth king.
He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.
The beast was the seventh king before his resurrection. After his resurrection, he became the eighth king.
Verse 12.
The 10 horns you saw are 10 kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.
The 10 kings will rule under the Antichrist, who is the beast.
The one hour here is symbolic of their short, their brief reign during the second half of the tribulation.
Verse 13.
They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
They will wage war against the lamb, but the lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings.
And with him will be his called chosen and faithful followers.
Remember in the West Side Revised Version, that means that the beast got his butt whooped.
This war is the battle of Armageddon and the beast and his army will be completely defeated at this time.
Verse 15.
Then the angel said to me, the waters you saw where the prostitute sits are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.
Again, the waters represent the whole world.
Verse 16.
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute.
They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked.
They will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
After the beast has used this false religion for his own purpose and his own purpose is try to bring the world together in unity.
Then he will turn on that religion and make himself God.
Verse 17.
For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority until God's words are fulfilled.
What this means is that God is in complete control of all of this and his plan will be perfectly accomplished.
Verse 18.
The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.
The capital of Babylon is the headquarters for the Antichrist where he will rule the world.
Revelation 18 verse 1.
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven.
He had great authority and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
This was no ordinary angel.
He had great power and his glory radiated over all the earth as he made his announcement in verse 2.
With a mighty voice he shouted, fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.
She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
Babylon's system is being judged because it has polluted the whole world.
It will become a dwelling place for vultures.
Verse 3.
For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her daltries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.
Political and business leaders will be seduced by greed of the economy of the beast.
Verse 4.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say,
Come out of her my people so that you will not share in her sins so that you will not receive any of her plagues.
God is calling people to stand up against sin.
He's calling people to set up guard rails to protect their heart.
Proverbs 4.23.
Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it.
Verse 5.
For her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes.
But for the Christian, God does not remember those crimes.
He does not remember those sins.
1 John 1 9.
If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 103 verse 12.
He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west.
How far is the east from the west?
You can't measure it.
It's infinity.
But for the antichrist and his followers, there is no forgiveness of sin.
Only judgment.
Verse 6.
Give back to her as she has given.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
There is a natural principle that has been enforced since the beginning of creation.
If you grew up in church, you heard this in the King James English.
Sew and reap.
Sewing and reaping.
You will reap what you sow.
In today's English, you will harvest what you plant.
Life is like planting a field.
Galatians 6-7 tells us, do not be fooled.
You cannot cheat God.
People harvest only what they plant.
We think that we can get away with stuff because we're careful.
Because we're slick.
Because we're smooth.
Because we're religious.
But we ain't getting away with nothing.
Excuse the English.
Galatians 6-8.
If they plant to satisfy their sinful selves,
their sinful selves will bring them ruin.
You will reap what you sow.
You will harvest what you plant.
It's a law of nature.
It's a spiritual law of God.
Verse 7.
Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts, I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow. I will never mourn.
The sin of pride is the most destructive sin of all.
And every one of us struggle with it.
Verse 8.
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her.
Death, mourning, and famine.
She will be consumed by fire for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Do not be fooled.
You cannot cheat God.
People harvest only what they plant.
Verse 9.
When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury
see the smoke of her burning,
they will weep and mourn over her.
They are not crying and weeping over human loss.
They are crying and weeping over the only thing that they care about,
the economy, their business, making money.
Verse 10.
Terrified at her torment, they stand far off and cry,
No woe to you great city, you mighty city of Babylon.
In one hour your doom has come.
The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her
because no one buys their cargos anymore.
They aren't sorry for the city.
They're sorry for themselves.
And notice they're not concerned about the basic needs of life.
They're not concerned about food and water.
They're concerned because they're losing their luxury
and they're losing their wealth.
Listen to this in verse 12.
Cargos of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls,
fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth.
Every sort of citron wood and the articles of every kind
made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble.
Cargos of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense,
of wine and olive oil, a fine flower and wheat,
cattle and sheep, horses and carriages
and human beings sold as slaves.
Listen to this pity party in verse 14.
They will say, the fruit you long for is gone from you.
All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.
The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth
from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment.
They will weep and mourn and cry out woe,
woe to you great city dressed in fine linen,
purple and scarlet and glittering with gold,
precious stones and pearls.
In one hour such great wealth has brought to ruin.
Every sea captain and all who travel by ship,
the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea
will stand far off and when they see the smoke of her burning
they will exclaim, was there ever a city
like this great city?
They will throw dust on their heads
and with weeping and mourning cry out woe,
woe to you great city where all who had ships
on the sea became rich through her wealth.
In one hour she has been brought to ruin
but the tone changes as the attention turns
to heaven in verse 20.
Rejoice over her you heavens.
Rejoice you people of God.
Rejoice apostles and prophets for God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.
The angel encouraged those who had been martyred
during the tribulation to rejoice,
not to rejoice that the followers of the antichrist
will be doomed to eternal judgment.
The fact that those who refuse God
will be eternally punished
should always break our heart.
But those who know God should rejoice
because Jesus is the champion
and righteousness and justice will always prevail.
Righteousness and justice will always win.
Verse 21, then a mighty angel picked up a boulder
the size of a large millstone
and threw it into the sea and said,
with such violence the great city of Babylon
will be thrown down never to be found again.
The destruction of Babylon will turn the world upside down.
Nothing will be the same
and the end is now near.
There will be no more music.
There will be no more business.
There will be no more preparing food.
There will be no more power for light.
There will be no more weddings.
God will defeat Satan.
He will defeat the antichrist.
He will defeat the false prophet.
He will defeat those who follow them and refuse to repent.
Verse 22, the music of the harpist and the musicians,
the pipers and the trumpeters
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again.
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again.
The voice of a bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world's important people.
By your magic spell, all the nations were led astray.
The false religion and the wicked political system of antichrist
will commit unspeakable crimes against the people of God,
those who stand for Jesus.
And God will avenge those crimes.
Verse 24, in her was found the blood of prophets
and of God's holy people,
of all who had been slaughtered on the earth.
The time is near for Jesus to return to the earth
and personally defeat the beast and his army.
This will happen and then Jesus will establish his kingdom
on the earth.
At this time, it will be impossible for anyone to straddle the fence.
You cannot be impartial.
You cannot be uncommitted.
Either you will be a citizen of Babylon
or a citizen of heaven.
May we all get out of Babylon and get into the family of God.
Jesus is coming again.
Nobody knows when.
So are you ready for his return?
