The Deceiving Kings and Merchants of the Earth

The wheelers and dealers in Babylon the Great. Revelation 18:9-19

By Nab B. April 23, 2023

Spiritual Understanding of Scriptures

“The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63)

“We speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual...the things of the Spirit of God...are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor 2:13-14)

Verse By Verse Series©

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Revelation 18:9-10

“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’” (NKJV)

It's good to remember that Babylon is a system of deception that keep the church under spiritual bondage (darkness). And this system of higher deception is what all true believers are engaged in:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers…authorities…cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12) ESV

“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her.”

Babylon’s lovers, “the kings of the earth” have much to lose. Their false doctrines and idols have lost against the light of the gospel of Christ exposing their deception and darkness.

Their weeping and lamenting is a reminder of mourners over Judah's fall (a picture of the fallen church):

“The Lord was like an enemy... and (God) has increased mourning and lamentation in the daughter of Judah.” (Lam 2:5)

This reminds us of those weeping in the temple for the false god Tammuz (a picture of the fallen church):

"Behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz." (Eze 8:14)

“When they see the smoke of her burning”

But how is Babylon's smoke and burning executed? Is this judgment physical burning? It's all spiritual language. Note carefully how the Lord will consume the "lawless one":

“And then the lawless one [deceivers] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Thess 2:8 )

The word kataregeóz translated as 'destroy' means: cease, abolish, make invalid or inactive. Accordingly, Babylon is judged without bloodshed or physical destruction. She is consumed and discarded by: The breath of Christ’s mouth (Word of God). Whenever Christ delivers us from the kingdom of darkness to his light, we are consumed by the Word and cleansed by the fire. They will be severe in nature, but only to save those who are deceived and stubborn to "come out of" Babylon.

“Standing at a distance for fear of her torment."

The system of Babylon (deception) can never be recovered or reformed. Past attempts to keep Babylon the Great alive did not work. The Reformation of the 16th century became just as corrupt as the Mother Church. The Revivalists of the 18th century brought the Evangelicals of today to revive a dead church only to cause more deception and spiritual death. Ecumenism is a new attempt to unite all denominations for a new era. It won’t work because Babylon is judged by God for her fate!

“Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.”

Her sudden and swift judgment (one hour) renders the helpers helpless grieving now over her death blow.

Revelation 18:11

“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore” (NKJV)

“No one buys anymore their merchandise”

Babylon’s merchants weep and mourn for losing their enterprise symbolic merchandise of false teaching and sorceries. She is spiritually bankrupt!

Revelation 18:12-14

“Merchandise 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; and 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. The 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.” (NKJV)

This is a symbolic list of commodities. Once you recognize why Babylon the Great exists, the above list will make more sense to you! Check this:

“For [because] your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.” (18:23)

Do you see a connection between her merchants and her sorcery? Her merchants trade in Babylon’s merchandise (sorceries and idolatries) to deceive all earth dwellers.

“Woe to the earth…because the devil has come down to you.” (12:12)

Her merchandise which is exotic, luxurious, and expensive has a special appeal to the "soulish man" as they appeal to:

The lust of the flesh.
The lust of the eyes.
The boastful pride of life.

Babylon’s merchandise reflects a love for external appearances—a key in her deception. Her riches make sin and death reign supreme depriving many of “The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shine on them” (2 Cor 4:4)

Nineveh also typified Babylon the Great. Note similarities in Revelation and Nahum:

“Woe to the bloody city, all full of lies and robbery...a great number of bodies...because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the Mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through harlotries and the families through her SORCERIES.” (Nahum 3:1,4)

“The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you."

God judged her as unfruitful. Christ said that "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [God] takes away." (John 15:2) No amount of reform, revival, or new movements can save. Christ’s revelation and light have opened the way for many to "come out of her" leaving her empty and desolate.

Believers, on the other hand, are invited to the “City of God” to partake freely of heavenly riches:

“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come and let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” (Rev 22:17; Isa 55:1-2; )

“Do not work for food that perishes [Babylon’s food], but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” (John 6:27)

Revelation 18:15-19

“The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For 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 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour, she is made desolate.’” (NKJV)

“Standing at a distance weeping and wailing”

They recognize they are removed from Christ's kingdom and regarded as offenders where Christ's discipline, correction, and rebuke (fiery furnace) will be needed in order to save some.

“The Son of Man … will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 13:41-43)

“For in one hour, she is made desolate.”

This figurative one-hour points to the swiftness and suddenness of her fall from being great to being desolate. Why desolate? The word means 'uninhabited' or 'empty'. This is because God's call has already gone out (v. 4) calling his people "out of her" making her without inhabiters.

“The ten horns will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. The ten horns will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire. For God put it in their hearts to execute His mind.” (Rev 17:12,16-17)

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