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Revelation 18:11-19
The great city Babylon/the woman on the beast, which is a representation and personalization of the sinful nature has been “utterly burned with fire” from the judgement of the LORD on her (Revelation 18:8, NKJV). In Revelation 18:9-10 the kings of the earth weep as they watch her burn as their luxurious lifestyles were created from the wants and desires of the sinful nature. In Revelation 18:11the merchants of the earth mourn over the destruction of the woman/sinful nature of this world/Babylon as their products or merchandise will no longer be purchased. The merchants, as did the kings of the earth, will stand at a distance while they mourn because they are afraid of the sinful nature of this world lashing out at them as she goes down (Revelation 18:16). This weeping from a distance continues to build as Revelation 18:17-18 declares, “17For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’”
The kings of the earth will lose their lavish lifestyle; the merchants of the earth will lose their businesses; and those who make a living by transporting the earthly goods from place to place will all join together in weeping and mourning as their way of life has ended with the destruction of the sinful nature/the woman on the beast/Babylon – that great city. The voice from heaven (Revelation 18:4) who is making this announcement gives a list of the merchandise that will be lost in this event in Revelation 18:12-14 and brings this event to a personal level for us all, “12merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.”
This is the effect of the destruction of the sinful nature on humanity.
The list given in Revelation 18:12-14 has some things that are in all our households and are in our possession most always. We utilize these things for everyday life activities; our jewelry and perfumes, to the spices in our kitchens and the food we eat. One day the ability to obtain these things will disappear, leaving us all in awe of what will come next. The magnitude of this event will be seen in the time it takes to completion – one hour, and then it will all be gone. This brings a better understanding to the words of Jesus to the rich young ruler in his quest for eternal life as Jesus states in Mark 10:21, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” The things of this world will fall to the destruction of the sinful nature one day, but eternal life in Christ Jesus goes on forever. Jesus wanted the rich young ruler to put Him before his possessions; Jesus must be given the top spot in our hearts, minds, and lives to overcome the ways of this world. God gave salvation freely to us through Christ Jesus dying on the cross to pay sinlessly for the sinful. In order for us to gain eternal life, we must freely accept what Jesus has done for us and give Him our hearts, minds, and souls by making Him our first priority in all we do.
Dear LORD,
The lessons of life in this world and life eternal come together in this short Bible lesson. Please help us to understand this teaching, and help us to open our hearts, minds, and souls to the gift of salvation that You offer all who will believe in Jesus – that He died sinless to save our sinful lives from eternal destruction and give us eternal life for all who will believe in Him. In Jesus name I pray, amen.