(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

So, our sermon last week was on Babylon and who Babylon was really. We remember we were talking about the seven heads and we kind of went through the history of how Babylon throughout time had switched headquarters, so to speak. So we were talking about how, I personally believe that after the flood, after the Tower of Babel, you had Egypt, then you had Assyria, then you had Babylon, and then you had the Medo-Persians, then you had the Grecians, then you had the Romans, and then the one that's yet to come. So those seven heads and the seventh head is what we're looking to, which has those ten horns, those ten kings that are going to make this covenant with the beast. And so this chapter, though, so chapter 17, and if you remember, when does this take place? When is this destruction taking place? When the seventh vial is poured out. That's when Babylon comes into remembrance, so don't lose your timeline. So 17, 17 is really kind of like an interlude or basically a little piece where it's saying, okay, Babylon has fallen or it's going to be coming into remembrance, but who is that? It'd be kind of like if I was telling a story and I was going to basically talk about someone getting destroyed or someone like, I'm telling you about something maybe you don't know about, like someone's going to get completely annihilated and I say the name, but you don't know who that is, right? And so as I say that, I'm like, well, let me tell you who that person is or who that nation is, and then we're going to get into them being destroyed, okay? So 17 is really kind of like taking a step back and saying, okay, here's who Babylon is, and then 18 is the actual judgment that's being taken place. So that's what's going on here. So Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen. So this phrase comes up a few times in the Bible of this Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen. We saw that in verse 2 there, and that it's the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. So this place is just basically a desolate place of wickedness. Now I was just thinking about this, you know, you think of like haunted houses and like stuff where people like don't like to go to and stuff like that. I don't believe that there's like people that are roaming the earth, okay? You know, if you're unsaved, you're in hell, and if you're saved, you're in heaven, okay? And there are cases where saved people came back, but they usually always come back in a body, and they're not just showing up in a spirit. But devils do roam around. Devils do hang out in, you know, different places, so it's just interesting. I mean, if you went to like these graveyards and people hang out in graveyards, why? Because there's probably devils there, okay? But in Revelation 14 in verse 8, this same phrase is brought up, and a lot of people get hung up on this because it's in Revelation 14 that it's said, okay? But I'm going to give you an answer for that, and then I want to show you the two places in the Old Testament where it's talking about Babylon falling. But Revelation 14, 8, it says, And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Now if you know the timeline in Revelation 14, this is between when the 144,000 are singing on the mount, and then this is right before the rapture happens. You say, well, Babylon's fallen before the rapture? What it is, is basically when it says Babylon is fallen, it's basically pronouncing judgment as if it's already done. It'd be kind of like if I said, you're done. Like if you went up to somebody and you're just like, I'm taking you out, you're done, even though I haven't done it yet. When God says something like that, when he puts it in present tense or puts it in that type of tense, there's no turning back. There's no repenting coming from this. It's going to happen. And there's some cases where, remember, he was going to destroy Nineveh, but then Jonah, he forced Jonah to go preach to him, and he repented and didn't do it. But in this case, when he says before it even gets to that point, he's saying it's done. It's fallen. It's as if it's already done. And you've got to know that when God says something like that, when he puts it in past tense, he puts a lot of prophecies in past tense, present tense, even though it hasn't happened yet, just mark it down and it's going to happen. It's going to happen. Babylon will be destroyed, just like it says here in Revelation 18. But don't get hung up on that when you see stuff like that. And in Revelation 16, it talks about, Behold, I come quickly. And so they get hung up on that while he says, Behold, I come quickly in Revelation 22. So does Jesus come back? And they're like, well, Jesus comes back after the seventh trumpet or whatever, at the seventh trumpet. It's like, well, he says it in Revelation 22. So is he coming back after the new heaven, new earth? Like we're waiting that far? We have to go through 1,000 years of his reign even though he hasn't come back yet? So anyway, don't get hung up on that type of stuff where sometimes it seems out of place. But it's just like when you would say, you're done, you're toast, you're saying something knowing that you're going to do it and knowing that it's going to happen. But in Isaiah 21, so it's just interesting that it says Babylon is fallen, is fallen. It repeats itself. It's fallen. It's making a point. But Isaiah 21, and this sermon really what we're going to be doing is going back between Jeremiah and this chapter because Jeremiah 50 and 51 is dealing with Babylon, the physical Babylon was destroyed or the prophecy of the physical Babylon being destroyed. But it obviously parallels with this. There's a reason why God is calling this nation in the future Babylon. It's like a moniker or a signifier to put on a nation because it's going to have the same punishment. I'm going to show you that Nineveh was the same way. And so Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria. But anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. Isaiah 21 and verse 9 it says, and behold here cometh the chariot of men with a couple of horses, horsemen, and he answered and said Babylon is fallen, is fallen and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. So we see Babylon is fallen and there's prophecies in Isaiah, but for the sake of time we're not going to be going through all the stuff that's in Isaiah and all the other books about Babylon. Jeremiah 51, and as we go through this, keep a hand in Jeremiah 50 and 51 and keep a hand in Revelation 18 because we're pretty much going to be going back and forth between these. I want you to see all these parallels of what's going on there, but Jeremiah 51, 8, we see where it says Babylon is fallen. It says in verse 8, Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed. How for her? Take balm for her pain. If so be, she may be healed. So in all these passages, especially in the Old Testament, we have the physical Babylon, but it pictures the future Babylon. So remember Babylon is just significant. Remember what was Jerusalem, what signifying nations did they give Jerusalem in Revelation? Egypt and Sodom. So we know that Jerusalem is still called Jerusalem, but Jerusalem is given the spiritual signifier of Egypt and Sodom. Remember it's made desolate too, but it's given that signifier and so that nation in the end times that's going to be that world kingdom nation is going to be given the signifier of Babylon. So it's not necessarily that people are going to call it Babylon in the end times, but God's giving it that signifier because it represents what's going to happen to it. We talked about too how that signifier has gone down the line. Remember the king of Persia was called the king of Babylon and Ezra and Nehemiah. We saw that with Cyrus and with Artaxerxes where they had that signifier. So obviously the king of Nebuchadnezzar was the king of the physical Babylon. But in Jeremiah 50 and 51, this is what Jeremiah is prophesying against Babylon and this is before they're going into captivity. So obviously this isn't going to even happen until 70 years later where the Medes come in and destroy Babylon and take it over. But what I want you to see is just some different aspects. So sometimes you can go back to these Old Testament passages, it's just like when you see Gog and Magog, which we're going to have a sermon on that eventually. It just says Gog and Magog, it doesn't give you much information there. But if you go back to Ezekiel 38 and 39, now you have a whole bunch of information about that battle that's going to take place after the thousand year reign. So that signifier takes us back to Jeremiah 50 and 51. Does that make sense? So we can go back here and see some more aspects of what's going on and see some different things. So Jeremiah 50, you go to Jeremiah 50 and verse 9. So literally I'm going to be going back and forth and showing the parallels but also showing some of the information that Jeremiah gives to kind of see some different aspects here. So Jeremiah 50 and verse 9, it says, For lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon, an assembly of great nations from the north country, and they shall set themselves in array against her, from thence shall she be taken. Their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man, none shall return in vain. Now when you're reading the Old Testament you've got to know that you're looking at the immediate. When you look at prophecies you're looking at how does this apply immediately. So obviously this Babylon, the Medes are coming after him and the Medes are obviously thrown as expert in war. They're shooting arrows at him. Now look at the future aspect. When you think of something that would be like arrows and they'd never miss their mark. Missiles, right? And if you think about this, it says it's suddenly destroyed in one hour. You can think of nuclear war and the warheads that don't miss anything. They're just like, the technology we have now that they can seek into anything they want to and hit their mark every time. And so that's what I believe this is talking about is maybe nuclear missiles and decimating the whole country in an hour. When you look at horses and the missiles and swords, yeah that was the warfare stuff they had back then, but today it's much more fierce than that. We're thinking of guns, we're thinking of missiles, we're thinking of even guns compared to missiles. You think of, yeah we could have an AK-47, an AR-15, but they have RPGs and the .50 cal Gatling guns and they have all these different missiles and guided missiles and tomahawks and all this stuff. They have fighter jets. I mean all this stuff would dwarf even what we would consider weapons to defend ourselves when it comes to the military. And so you've got to look through it with that lens. We're in the future. What would that be? But Babylon is reaping what it's sown. So in Jeremiah 15 verse 29 it says, Call together the archers against Babylon, all ye that bend the bow, camp against it, round about, let none thereof escape, recompense her according to her work, according to all that she had done due unto her, for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the Holy One of Israel. Sound familiar to what we read in Revelation 18 because Revelation 18 says, Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works in the cup which she hath filled, filled to her double, how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Same exact thing as far as the physical Babylon to the Babylon that's in the end times, that they're basically, she's reaping what she's sown. And you can look at, which we'll get into, that I believe this is talking about America. If we're dealing in our times, America is the world power today. It's the world empire. It's the one that controls everything. It's the one that consumes more goods than any other country. And so it would make sense that if this were to be in our day, America would fit this bill perfectly. But you think of all the stuff that we do, and just internally, abortions, 3,000 a day, the sodomy that's going on today, all the Sodom and Gomorrah of our nation, but also what we do across the seas and the other nations. What you've got to realize is that we have these kings, these ten kings that are coming against them. They're basically treacherously going against Babylon and coming against Babylon. It makes sense because, hey, how did God destroy Babylon with another nation? The nation of the north, the Medes and the Persians, right? So we have the fact that that's going to happen in the end times that God says in Revelation 17 at the end there that he had put it into the hearts of these kings to do his will. So these ten kings are going to burn her with fire. That's why I believe that it's personally going to be an actual physical destruction that's put upon them by people on the earth. It doesn't say that God's pouring down fire on them. It's saying that he's using these ten kings to burn her with fire. And you can see that as ten kingdoms that are doing that. And so she's reaping what she's sown. Remember, God is not mocked for what some other man sowed that she also reaped. That applies to kingdoms. That applies to nations. And so all the nations of the earth are going to reap what they've sown, but particularly Babylon. That major city or nation, as you will, that has done worse than any of them as far as the bloodshed that's on the earth, that nation is going to get double. And so you think about, you sown the wind, but you'll reap the whirlwind. And so God knows how to bring it back around on them. But Babylon, why do you say, well, why is it America? Why do you think it's America? Well, look at Jeremiah 50 and verse 12. Here's a verse that's interesting just to think about, but then we'll get into the aspects of what describes the nation in Revelation 18. But Jeremiah 50 and verse 12, notice what it says. It says, your mother shall be sore confounded. She that bear you shall be ashamed. Behold, the hind'er most of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. It says that Babylon is the hind'er most of the nations. What does that mean? Meaning like it's the most recent of the nations. It's the youngest. The hind'er most, meaning it's not the first, it's the last. So it's the last of the nations. What nation is the newest nation when you think of all the nations that are in the world? When you think of China, when you think of Germany, when you think of all the countries in Europe, all the countries over in the Middle East, those are like the oldest, right? The way they came off the mountains of Ararat with Noah, obviously those nations, Egypt and Iraq and all those places are very old nations, as old as you can get from after the flood. But America is one of the newest ones, I mean 1776 is when we declared independence. I guess if you went back to the 1600s or whatever we were here, but still you're only dealing with like 400 years or so. So we're a very new nation, the hind'er most of the nations. And so I think that applies. I think that applies to the fact that that makes sense that Babylon would be the hind'er most of the nations. And we're talking about end times, not talking about necessarily. But remember the Assyrian established Babylon. So even in the near future, you can see this, right? In their day it says that Assyria established the Chaldeans. We read that last week, I don't want to refresh that for a time, but even in the near future with this prophecy you can see how that could be fulfilled and then even in the long future you can see how it's fulfilled with America. So Revelation 18, I want to just kind of go through a lot of these verses and just picture what's being said here and see what nation this would be. If you were just to pinpoint a nation today, just think of the nations that are out there and try to pinpoint what nation you think this would be. Revelation 18 and verse 11, it says, and the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her for no man buyeth their merchandise anymore. Now a casual reading when we go through all the list of all this stuff, you think these people are making all this stuff or producing all this stuff, though they're buying all this stuff. That's the big difference because if this was all about making all this stuff you'd be like, it's China, right? China is the one producing all this junk that we're buying, right? But it's no man, they're weeping and mourning because no one's buying their stuff. And so the nation that's buying their stuff is the nation that's being destroyed. So that's what you've got to think about. Whatever nation we're dealing with here, it's a consumer nation. It's one that consumes a lot of things. Now it says in verse 12 there, notice what they're consuming, the merchandise of gold and silver and precious stones and of pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet and all thine wood and all manner of vessels of ivory and all manner of vessels of most precious wood and the brass and iron and marble. Notice, these are all luxuries. We're not talking about bread and water. We're talking about just luxury items. This next one is, I'm glad, I want this luxury item and cinnamon, amen, cinnamon, I love cinnamon. But it's a luxury, cinnamon's a luxury and odors 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. So there's a lot of stuff that you may say, slaves and souls of men, yeah, there's human trafficking that's still going on and America is very wicked in that, I mean, in all kinds of realms. I'm not getting into that tonight, but if you think America is some like Christian nation where this stuff doesn't go on, I mean, just the pedophilia, the human trafficking, the prostitution and how they, the underbelly of America and just what's going on there. So that's what it's talking about with the slaves and souls of men there. So we see that, what are they consuming? All these luxuries. Remember the woman that sitteth, the whore that sitteth upon the beast? The whore is who? The city, that great city and the whore was just decked with purple and scarlet. So this is a nation that is very well-to-do, a very pampered nation, so to speak. And so, let's keep going on there, it says, and the fruits that thy soul lusteth after are departed from thee and all things which are dainty and goodly are departed from thee and thou shalt find them no more at all. So notice the things that are good and the things which are dainty and goodly. So we see these things that they lust after, these things that are just, they're add-ons, they're not necessities. So what nation would describe that? Think about it, think about what nation would describe that. You think, well it's China, you know, China, I wouldn't look at them as like a lavish, like they live lavish lives, they live in like a shelf, like have these people live like on shelves, so there's like no room to breathe over there. And so America, we have a very, very well, and I do believe that God has blessed our nation from the beginning, but obviously if you see the course of things with Israel, remember they would get into captivity and they'd get right with God, God would bless them and as soon as they had like everything going for them, they would forget God. And so that's why it says, give me neither poverty nor wealth, because if I'd have poverty then I'll have to steal and I'll take your name in vain, and if you give me wealth then I'll forget your name. So you don't want to be on either side of that spectrum, you want to be in the middle here where you've got everything you need but you're not living an over lavish life. And so in verse 15 it says, and the merchants of these things which were made rich by her, so the merchants are being made rich by this nation, this city that is being destroyed. So notice the merchants, they're not like wailing and weeping because these people are dying. They're weeping and wailing because they don't have anybody to buy their stuff. Because the person that, the nation that got destroyed, they're just like, who's going to buy all our junk? And so it goes on, and it shall stand afar off for fear of her torment weeping and wailing. Now notice they're standing afar off, now think about nuclear war, wouldn't you stay far away from that nation? And so, remember it's the ten kings, those ten kingdoms that are pouring out this judgment upon them, and then those ten kingdoms are going to be going to make war against the lamb it says in Revelation 17. So after they get done taking out Babylon, they're going to be going over to the Battle of Armageddon which is the next chapter, and that's where they're going to be destroyed without hand. That's where the beast and the false prophet are going to be cast to the lake of fire. But before that, this is what's going on. They're destroying this nation with all their nukes, I believe. I'm just putting that in there. I'm not saying that's scripture, but I'm just saying that it makes sense they're standing afar off, they're throwing missiles at, they're throwing arrows that don't miss their mark, and so, and their smoke ascendeth up, right? The smoke is ascending up. So obviously there's something going on there. It's on fire, remember, that they're going to burn them with fire. So think what would burn with fire, missiles, exploding, all that stuff. But in verse 16, it says, 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. That's the whore, that's the whore we mentioned in chapter 17 that was sitting on the scarlet colored beast, for in one hour so great riches has come to naught, and every shipmaster and all the company and ships and sailors and as many as trade by sea stood afar off and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, what city is like unto this city? And they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping wings, saying, alas, alas, that great city wherein we were made rich that had all, made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness, for in one hour she is made desolate. Notice they're not sad because there's people dying. They're sad because their riches are gone. All their business is gone. And so this nation just keeps consuming stuff, consuming, consuming. And I don't think anyone would argue that America is the number one consuming nation in the world. I mean, we consume all the stuff in the world. And you think about the shipmasters, think about how do they bring all this stuff over on ships and those big, you know, the tractor trailer bins that they take, and then they take them off there, and then they put them on a tractor trailer, and then they take them over to the warehouses. And so all this stuff is being shipped in every day, and people are just buying all this stuff. And so they're just making a killing off that. And so, yeah, I mean, if America were to just get annihilated today, you better believe the rest of the world is like, the economy is gone, you know, the whole world economy is gone. Because who's going to buy all their garbage if they have? No one. And so that's what's going on here. Now I wanted to show you a comparison, remember we were talking about those heads, and I said one of them, I believe, was Assyria. So I want to show you the comparison between Babylon and Assyria and see these parallels to kind of just really, you know, validate that argument. But in Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 50 and verse 13, because of the wrath of the Lord, it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate. Everyone that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and notice this, and hiss at all her plagues. Now that's the big thing to remember is with Babylon, these nations were destroyed completely. Completely decimated to the point where no one was going to be able to come back to that place. And so Babylon was like that. And notice what it says, go to Zephaniah, Zephaniah, you'll go to the minor prophets there, and what you'll see is that, remember Jonah went to Nineveh, and Nineveh and Jonah was saved. But then you get to Nahum, and it's a different story, and you get to Zephaniah who's talking back about Assyria, it's a different story because Nineveh was eventually destroyed. You know, and Jonah just needed to wait a little longer there with his gourd, now obviously I'm sure it's probably after he died. But yeah, I mean, Nineveh eventually got what was coming to him, it's just God was long suffering and didn't destroy him at that moment. But 7I chapter 2 verse 13, notice what it says, and it says, And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation and dry like a wilderness. Sounds familiar to what we were talking about in Jeremiah. And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, and all the beasts of the nations, both the cormorant and the bitter, and shall lodge in the upper lentils of it. Their voice shall sing in the windows, desolation shall be in the thresholds, for he shall unkind and cover the cedar work. This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me. How has she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in? Everyone that passes by her shall hiss and wag his hand. So there's a lot of stuff that's very similar in here. But notice, you remember it says right here, I am, and there is none beside me. In Revelation 18, verse 7, it says, how much she had glorified herself and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her, for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow. Every time I read that in Zephaniah, I'm like, that sounds exactly like the whore in Revelation. So we saw, okay, well, I am, and there's none beside me. Well in Revelation 18, too, remember it's talking about all these animals in Assyria here in Zephaniah that are going to be lodging there. Well in Revelation 18, too, it says, and he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon, the greatest fallen is fallen and has become a habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. So this place is a place where there's just a bunch of mean animals and devils and spirits that are there. Isn't that exactly what happens to Nineveh? And Nahum, so I know I have you going to a lot of places here, but I want you to see how Nineveh, the destruction of Nineveh, is just like Babylon that happened in the future to Nineveh. Nineveh was destroyed, and Babylon was destroyed just like Nineveh, and the future Babylon is going to be destroyed just like both of those, that no one's going to inhabit it, and the same punishments, the same desolations that are going on with them. So in Nahum, if you read the first chapter and first verse, it talks about the vision of Nahum to Nineveh. So we know we're talking about Nineveh. And so in verse four, so Nahum chapter three and verse four, it says, because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well favored harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts that selleth nations through her whoredoms and families through her witchcrafts, behold I am against thee, that's the Lord of hosts, and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness and the kingdoms thy shame. Sound familiar? Because in Revelation 18 and verse nine, it says, 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. So remember the witchcrafts too that we're dealing with. So in Revelation 18, 23, at the end it says, for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. So we see that Nineveh has those same witchcrafts. In each of these countries, they had their gods, they had their idols, and their sorceries, they had all this stuff that was going on. So they're similar, but they're different nations. But the similarities, I mean, one world, empires, the religion, as far as the idol worship and the false gods, and all this stuff is very similar down the line, and this next nation that's going to be a world kingdom will be similar to that. But in Jeremiah 50, so back to Jeremiah 50, so we're still seeing the correlation between Assyria and Babylon, between Nineveh and the city of Babylon. And so in Jeremiah 50, in verse 17, notice what it says, it says, Israel is a scattered sheep. The lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria had devoured him, and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, behold I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I have punished the king of Assyria. He's making a point that this punishment that's going on with Babylon, he's punishing Babylon as he punished Assyria. So now you can see why all that stuff lines up, why all that stuff matches when you see Nineveh being destroyed, and how it matches up perfectly with Babylon, not only in the past but also in the future. Because these are all world kingdoms, these are all part of that head. Eventually the heads of that beast, which is the devil, remember the serpent is the one that has the seven heads and ten horns, the devil is going to be completely destroyed. And this is the image, remember, that's going to be taken out by the feet, by those ten horns and by those ten feet, and those are two representations of the same thing. The ten horns, ten feet, and ten toes, ten feet, two feet, ten toes. Those all represent the same thing, but when Christ comes and takes out those ten toes of those feet, then the whole image falls. And so that's what's going on, and there's just two different ways to represent the same thing. You have the seven heads with ten horns, then you have the image with the ten toes, and he's basically showing that he's going to take out the foundation, he's going to take them out from underneath the feet. But I thought that was interesting with Assyria, that kind of really validates, in my opinion, that's why I really believe that Assyria is one of those heads, because of just those correlations with Babylon and with the end times Babylon, and all those correlations. So just interesting, but Babylon shall not be inhabited forever. That's the thing to remember, is that this nation, Babylon, the old Babylon, the same way, Nineveh was the same way, but this is also, in the future, this Babylon is not to be inhabited forever. So Jeremiah 50 again, in verse 39, and when you get a chance, maybe read through Jeremiah 50 and 51, and read Revelation 18, and you'll see all these correlations. So I'm kind of picking out the highlights from here, but there's a lot more in there, we just don't have time to read all Jeremiah 50 and all Jeremiah 51. But Jeremiah 50 in verse 39, it says, Therefore the wild beasts of the desert, with the wild beasts of the islands, shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein, and it shall be no more inhabited forever, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and the neighbor cities thereof, said the Lord, so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein. You know, no one dwells in Sodom and Gomorrah to this day. And the same thing with Babylon, no one's dwelling into that to this day, it's still a desolation. In this same kingdom, Babylon that's in the future will never be inhabited again. So at least until the new heaven, new earth comes and he, you know, revamps everything. So but I believe when you have a thousand year reign that this nation will not be inhabited for that whole thousand year reign. That's my personal belief. So in Revelation 18, we see the same thing. Now in Revelation 18, we know we're talking about future Babylon, does that make sense? Everything in Revelation 18 is in the future. Take it to the bank, it's in the future. It's clearly not talking about old Babylon, it wouldn't make any sense to be talking about old Babylon. So everything in there is future. And so in 18, Revelation 18 verse 21, it says, and a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the seas saying, thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all. And it goes through this whole dissertation of the voice of the harpers and the musicians and all of the pipers and the trumpeters shall be heard no more at all. And it goes through all of these different aspects of what's not going to be heard there, not going to be seen there, you know, not going to be done there. And it says for by thy sorcerers were all nations to see. And just a side note here, when I see a great millstone is cast into the sea, what does that make you think of when Jesus said it's better for a millstone to be cast about your neck and be cast into the sea than to offend one of these little ones? Think about what that nation has done, especially they deceive the nations by their sorceries. Think about what they've done to children, what they've done to deceive all the children and the young minds. And that's what's happening today in America, where America is just pumping wickedness and sorcery into their minds, to where they don't believe the gospel, to where they're going to do all kinds of wicked things. And that nation is offending every single little one in this country, and God's going to take a millstone and wrap it around his neck, so to speak, and suddenly destroy it. So this is a just judgment. Don't feel sorry for this nation that's being destroyed here, because this is a just judgment. They're getting their due rewards. And obviously, we're not going to be down here for this. We've talked about this, right? All this wrath that we've been going through, we're already raptured out of there by that point. And so we're not dealing with this, but it is interesting to see. It's interesting to see what's going to be going on here, because right after this event, we're coming down with them on white horses to go after these armies. And so we're going to be getting in on the action here. And I'm excited to actually preach about the Battle of Armageddon, because there's some things that aren't in Revelation 19 that should get you excited. And so I know I talked about it with Richie, and Richie's like, that's awesome, because you just think about wanting to be in battle and wanting to be like, anyway. But Revelation 19 is going to be fun. So we haven't come back on the scene with Christ yet. Revelation 19, right after this destruction, that's where we're coming in there. But now here's an interesting verse that in Revelation 18, well, go to Jeremiah 51, then we'll go to Revelation 18. But I want to talk about this for a second, just because I think some people may be confused, because we were just talking about how we that are raptured out aren't going to be here or be there when this destruction is going on. Well, Jeremiah 51 in verse 6, Jeremiah 51 in verse 6 says, flee out of the midst of the Babylon and deliver every man his soul. Be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance. He will render unto her a recompense. So there's this call like saying, come out of her. Come out of her. Don't receive like these punishments. Go to Revelation 18, or Revelation 18, because the same thing is said, but it gives you a little more information, because it's not just talking about every soul. Man, he's not just talking about men in general. He's particularly talking to a group of people. And in Revelation 18, verse 4, it says, and I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Well, it's the Jews, right? We already covered that with our last sermon on Judaism. But no, what you got to understand is that from when we're raptured out, I do believe people that there are going to be some people that get saved between that point and when the thousand year reign starts. And so why else would the 144,000 be down here with the everlasting gospel? Why else would you have the two witnesses in their testimony? Are they just down here blowing wind? You know, like, what's the point of that? So obviously, I believe they can't understand without a preacher. That's why they're there. That's why they're going to be down here for that purpose. But I do have a verse that does kind of prove that. I mean, not definitively, that there will be people that get saved. But Revelation 11, this isn't in my notes, but I just kind of wanted to throw this out there. But in Revelation 11, this is kind of at the end of the sixth trumpet, the second woe. So we're kind of down at the very end, right before the seventh trumpet sounds. And so the two witnesses are just taken up. Remember, they were killed and they were taken up into the cloud, into heaven. In verse 13, it says, In the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand, and the remnant were affrighted and gave glory to the God of heaven. Now, remember, when he had the everlasting gospel, what did he say? Fear God and give glory to him. So if you take that same aspect, as far as maybe giving glory is, you know, like code for they believe the gospel, okay? Now, obviously, believing the gospel is the only thing that's going to save them. I think that that's a good case to say that, hey, a remnant actually did believe, a remnant actually did get saved after that. And so I personally believe that there are saved people. Why else would it say the rest of the dead shall not live until the thousand years have expired, if there wasn't people that were, you know, that died in the Lord, maybe between there, you know, because the first resurrection happens, you know, when we're taken out. And so we know that everybody from that rapture back to the foundation of the world has to be in the first resurrection. And so that's a side note, but I know people get caught up with that stuff. They're like, well, who are these people that are his people? I believe they're saved people. I believe they're saved people that are in there that have gotten saved through the preaching of these 144,000. I do believe that most people are not going to repent. Most of these people are going to just blaspheme God, and especially the ones that take the mark of the beast because they're reprobate. So you have the mark of the beast people that are definitely, you know, not going to be changing their minds. They're just going to be blaspheming Him until they die. But I do believe that there are going to be people that get saved. So but I want to discuss something too, that there's this aspect of this, have you ever heard of Bell? Bell is their false god in Babylon back in the day. Now Bell, I believe, was a false god that was a dragon. Now it's interesting that it would be a dragon, considering what are we dealing with? A seven-headed dragon, you know, with ten horns. And remember we talked about Leviathan last week, and Leviathan, remember talking about destroying the heads, plural, of Leviathan in the book of Psalms. And so Leviathan was that crooked serpent, and he is the king of all the children of pride as the devil. So obviously we know that Bell, whatever god it is, would be a devil, right? We know that. But the fact that it's a dragon is interesting, and I want to kind of prove that a little bit here in Jeremiah. But Jeremiah in chapter 50, in verse 2, and this is kind of a little side note, but it's interesting that their false god would be a dragon. Now there's, we were talking about the Apocrypha this morning when we were talking about the King James. There's a little chapter called Bell and the Dragon, and I've read it before. Now again, it's the Apocrypha, right? We're not talking about scripture, but Bell was his false god, and then there was actually a literal dragon that Daniel slayed, okay? But that's where they technically got their god. I mean, obviously there's some story of why they would have a god, you know, like you think of Dagon, like the different animals that they would choose to be their gods, there's some story behind it. But anyway, in Jeremiah 50, in verse 2, it says, declare ye among the nations, and publish and set up a standard, publish and conceal not, say Babylon is taken, Bell is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces, her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. So Bell is confounded, and it's talking about these idols being broken and confounded, and Jeremiah 51, in verse 34, it says, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out. So we see that Babylon and this dragon, he's basically giving him an allegory of Babylon and this dragon. And Jeremiah 51, 44, it says, and I will punish Bell and Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his belly that which he hath swallowed up, and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him, yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. So I know that's kind of cryptic there, but you can kind of go back and forth with that, seeing what's confounded, and the fact that Bell and the allegory of the dragon, it fits together, okay, that I believe Bell was actually a dragon, you know, whatever their idol was, and so it's interesting because Babylon, the great Babylon is depicted as this dragon with all these heads, okay, and so I don't think that there's anything in the Bible that's by accident, I don't think that this is just coincidental, but just a side note, with Babylon it says that all, the slain of all the earth are under these kingdoms. So in Jeremiah 51 and verse 49, Jeremiah 51 and verse 49, it says, as Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. That's exactly what's said at the end of Revelation 18, 24, it says, and in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth. Now what you've got to understand about Babylon is yes, it's a physical location, but Babylon also represents the spiritual nation which is the children of Belial, okay, because you've got to understand that Satan, remember the Leviathan, was the king of all the children of pride, and who represents that more than the children of Belial, the children of the devil reprobates, notice that the nation of Babylon and the kingdom of the beast is what filled with people that took the mark of the beast, which would be reprobates, which would be the children of Belial, and so remember how Jesus said that Jerusalem, it says, oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killeth the prophets, and he accused the Pharisees and said, you killed all the prophets from Abel to Zacharias. Now how can he say that to them when they weren't even alive to do that? And Jerusalem wasn't around in Abel's day, but the children of the devil were always saying, who killed Abel? Cain who was of the wicked one. Cain was a child of the devil, and so the children of the devil have been killing the prophets and the apostles and all these people from the beginning of time, beginning of the foundation of the world to this point, and you've got to think of the spiritual aspect, remember? You know, what do we in the New Testament, we're in the spiritual Israel, right, and all the children of God make up that holy nation. You know, you think about the bride of Christ, we'll get into that eventually, the bride of Christ is what we are as a nation, as a city, then you have the whore, Babylon, that city. So you see the dichotomy there, you see the spiritual aspect, but you also see the physical, the physical nation being destroyed, but we're talking about the people being destroyed too that make up the spiritual and physical elements of Babylon, and the devil is the head of that. So it's physically and spiritually, so we see the heads representing that too. So Babylon is destroyed in one hour, that's what's interesting about this, is that it's so sudden. In Jeremiah 51, we already read this, you don't have to go there, but Jeremiah 51 says Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed, and that's something that when I read Revelation 18, I see that over and over and over again, one hour, one hour, one hour, and it says, Revelation 18 verse 10, it says 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. Verse 17, for in one hour so great riches is come to naught. Verse 19, for in one hour is she made desolate. That's quick, that's fast, remember the millstone being cast into the sea, and how fast would you be dead in that aspect, I mean you're just like taken out like that. And so Babylon is taken out quick. It's interesting to me, and this is just a side note, how long did the kings have power for before they gave their power to the beast? One hour. And there's also, you know, it talks about the hour of God's judgment coming, and so there's a lot of stuff that goes into this hour, you know. But Babylon is cast down and shall rise no more. And so when you cast something to the sea with a millstone around its neck, you're not expecting it to come back. So at this point, when this happens, that kingdom's gone, those heads are gone, that image is done, you know, this is where God's kingdom's being set up. We're not dealing with that Babel, I'm not dealing with the Tower of Babel and everything that went along with that and how it's been perpetuating after that in these seven kingdoms throughout history. It's getting done, it's decimated. In Jeremiah 51 and verse 63, Jeremiah 51 and verse 63, notice the similarities with this millstone. Jeremiah 51 and 63, 51 and verse 63 says, And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates, and thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her, and they shall be weary, thus far are the words of Jeremiah. And that's what we just read in Revelation 18, 21, it says, And a mighty angel took up a stone, like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. The similarities are uncanny. But do you see that that moniker, that signifier of Babylon, because you've got to know, he's not going to give it its actual name. Then you'd have self-fulfilling prophecies all over the place, everybody's going to be naming their nation that. It's interesting because sometimes he did give names, like Josiah, he said Josiah was going to be born, and hundreds of years later he was finally born to be that king that was going to do that. But he doesn't give the actual name of the country. He didn't give the actual name of Jesus until he was born either, but he gives the signifier. You know, Emmanuel was a signifier, but with this city, he gives it a signifier, why? To bring us back to passages that were already written to give us more information. So it's very interesting, Babylon has fallen, it's fallen, it's not going to rise again, and we'll be up in heaven, and right after this is where we come back into the picture. So stay tuned for next week when we get into the battle of Armageddon. So I've got some fun stuff to talk about there, but it's always fun to think about what we're going to be going. I mean, no matter what happens, we're going to be there for that, and we're going to be in heaven. We're going to have all these great things to look forward to. Think about ruling and reigning with Christ forever, that's going to happen my friends. All this stuff is going to happen, it's exciting, and it could be in our day. This stuff could be in our day, and that's what's really exciting. I don't get scared about the tribulation and all this stuff. I get excited at the fact that I could be one of those people that's mentioned in Daniel doing great exploits, that John, that's seeing all this stuff happening, the people, he could have been looking at us. Just think about in the time of history that's been here, and you think about how privileged was it for David to be one of these main characters, and for all these other people to be some of these main characters in the Bible. I'm actually glad that God's not putting all my story out into the Bible, because I wouldn't want that. Unless he puts all the good stuff and leaves out all the bad, but it's exciting stuff. I enjoy going through this stuff. Once we get to the end of Revelation, I guess we'll have to take a break from end time stuff, but it's been fun. I think this next stuff's going to get pretty interesting too, so let's end with a word of prayer. Father, Lord, we thank you for today, and pray that you would be with us as we go home, and thank you for this church, and pray that you give safe travels, especially to those that came in from a long distance, and Lord, just pray that you'll be with us throughout this week. Give us wisdom as we go to work. Give us health. Keep us healthy from any sicknesses. I pray that you would heal anybody that's in the church that's not feeling well, and Lord, just keep us healthy, and Lord, help us to have opportunities to win souls to you. I know we had a lot of hard knocks today, but Lord, we pray that you would help us to find those that want to hear the gospel, and help us do the work. We thank you for a word. We thank you for salvation. Thank you for eternal life, and Lord, we love you, and pray all this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.