Revelation 18:1-24 (One-World Government, Jeff Kliewer)

If you need to get a hold of us at any time, you can always email us at cornerstone at cornerstone sj .org or you can call the church office. All the information is on our website. Let's get started this morning, we'd stand together and sing.

With us here today, I have some announcements for us.

One of the things that we like for you to do is if to make sure that you're on our mailing list. If you're not part of our mailing list, we would love if you could communicate that information to us. One of the things that we try to accomplish each week in the weekly email or the pastorgram as Pastor John has called it that we send out is to give different options for what's happening each Sunday morning and then we also give some updates and announcements within that email.

Also, we have our two options of inside the sanctuary like we are right now. We're also providing the live stream at home. This week tomorrow, we're actually going to be having a congregation meeting and for that, if you're able to attend tomorrow, we'll be covering some church business.

That will be here live in the sanctuary, but we're also going to provide a Google Meet link if you're not able to attend. So please make every effort to be there tomorrow for that. Also as part of our evangelistic push this summer, we're trying to encourage everybody to wear the Tetellus Dive shirts that most of the guys up here have and I see most of you are wearing out there.

It's a great way to just have a quick conversation with someone. Someone asks, what does that mean on that shirt and God's giving you a great gateway to open up a conversation with them. They're for sale out in the floor for $10 if you haven't purchased one yet.

And buy as many as you want, give them to your friends, give them to your family. So those are available as well out there. Our starting point class, which we offer frequently throughout the year, is going to be offered again on Sunday evenings in September.

That is a class where you can learn more about the EFCA, learn more about our church here at Cornerstone, and it's also the first part of becoming a new member here at the church. So you have to go through that class.

So if you have any questions about that, you can speak to Pastor Jeff or to Pastor John. We're also going to be creating a lunch hour on midweek Wednesday, a Bible study through the book of Isaiah. So Jeff had spoken with me earlier this week.

So Pastor John and Jeff are going to be teaching on the book of Isaiah beginning in September, midweek here, and that will also be made available via YouTube. So if you aren't able to attend on a particular weekday, you can catch up and watch that through YouTube as well.

And let's see. Finally, next week will be communion, the Lord's Supper. So if you would like to bring your own juice and bread, please do so. Otherwise, we'll have our prepackaged ones available for you.

That's all we got for announcements. So let's pray and then we'll sing some more. Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day. We're thankful that we could worship here indoors. We thank you once again for all of the weeks of beautiful weather that you've given us today.

We can also worship outdoors as well. Lord, we just ask that you be with Jeff as he brings the message from Revelation today, that you would strengthen his soul, that you would make his voice clear, that it would penetrate our hearts, that it would change our hearts, that it would be glorifying to you.

Lord, also as we take our offering that we've provided today and during the week, we ask that you would use that to further your kingdom here at Mount Laurel. And we just ask that you would bless the remainder of this time together.

We ask this in your son's name. Amen.

Let's sing a little more together. If you feel comfortable standing, you may. Don't feel obligated to. Every song we could ever sing, be of all the praise we could ever bring, be of every breath we could ever breathe, we live for you.

Jesus, the only one who could ever sing, live for you. Not just this morning, but every day in our lives, as you called us to be worshipers. Lord, I pray that each and every day we will realize that we are lost, we are sinners, but we have been redeemed.

And the joy that's in our heart can penetrate, be demonstrated by loving others. Lord, we are so thankful that you bring us life and freedom. You call me the oldest. Jesus, you have given us freedom. Jesus, you have given us.

No longer bound by sin.

Common Grace, Worship, and Prayer

Good morning. How are you all? You guys do know you're my favorite service, right? The nine o 'clock, it did not go well this morning for me personally. I was up there preaching. And early on, I could feel the sweat, you know, just beating on my forehead.

And then after about 20 minutes, I started feeling lightheaded. And I preached the second half of the sermon like this. I felt like I was about to pass out. But by God's grace, he helped me endure it.

So you're not the favorite because I like you better than them, but because of the air conditioning. Sorry. Let's open in prayer. Lord, thank you so much for all the gifts of your common grace to us. And even gifts like air conditioning.

We thank you for the coolness in this room and the opportunity that we have to gather. And freely open your word and hear your voice through scripture. I pray for myself, Lord, this morning that you would strengthen me by your gospel.

I pray for all of us as listeners that we would be strengthened in our spiritual life. As we walk with you through the words of your scripture. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Imagine being Matthew the tax collector.

He was probably one of the richest of all Jews in Jerusalem. Matthew had accumulated wealth through basically selling out to Caesar. He was on Rome's side. But there came a day when Jesus came along and he said just two words to Matthew.

Follow me. And in that moment, the Bible tells us that he left everything and followed Jesus. The movie The Chosen, which is like an online YouTube video you can watch, has a great scene of that in one of the episodes.

Where the Roman centurion who's next to Matthew says, You don't want to do this. What are you doing? Do you really want to throw it all away? And Matthew turns to him and simply says, Yes. Because he counted Jesus more valuable than all the riches and all that the Roman Empire could offer him.

He left it all to follow Christ. In the same way this morning as disciples, we are called to leave everything to follow Christ. This world wars for the things of this world. But we as Christians live in the world without being of the world.

We are, in a sense, at war with the world. Our seemingly endless war with the world will appear to be a losing venture at some point. Does it ever feel like that? Does it ever feel like we're kind of losing?

Christianity, which established this nation, is not gaining ground, but it seems like the world is dominating and things go from bad to worse. It will appear to be a losing venture as the political system of the world and the economics of the world all begin to unite in a one world system, a one world government.

It will seem like we're losing, and in fact we will be. Our part will be to just hold on and to fight as hard as we can, and it's good to keep fighting for truth. But we're not going to win that war until Revelation 17 and 18.

The one world system is not defeated by us, but by God in his judgment in the battle of Armageddon. We saw in Revelation 16 the bowls of wrath, and it seems that the world is almost completely undone in Revelation 16.

If we were to continue chronologically through that study, we would jump right to Revelation 19, where Christ comes at the battle of Armageddon and he destroys his enemies. He comes riding on a white horse.

So what are Revelation 17 and 18? Well, it's a parenthetical to that chronological story. So Revelation 16 could very well just continue right into 19, but 17 and 18 are a parenthetical to teach us about Babylon.

Now Babylon appears in the Bible more than any other city except Jerusalem. There are more than 260 references to Babylon in our Bible. The major passages are Isaiah 13 and 14, two chapters there, and then Jeremiah 50 and 51, two chapters there, and then Revelation 17 and 18, two chapters there referring to Babylon.

Revelation 17, if you'll recall, was about the one world religious system, what's called the prostitute that rides on the beast. This is all religions coming together and serving the one world system that's run by the Antichrist.

Notice, when the one world religion falls at the end of Revelation 17, is anybody crying? Nope. She's basically been used up and now she's kicked to the side and nobody cares. So all that religious pandering to the one world system didn't buy that religion anything.

In the end, she's kicked to the side. But in Revelation 18, you're going to see a lot of weeping and wailing. Weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Why? Because what really matters to the one world system is money and possessions and power.

And that whole system is going to fall. It's the fall of Babylon. So let's pick up there with me, if you will, in Revelation chapter 18. After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.

Notice that the brightest things are invisible to the world, which is darkened by sin. What does this world clamor to own? Silver and gold and pearls and precious physical things. Or to go to a vacation spot and enjoy an island.

This world clamors for the things of this world. But there is an entire invisible reality that the world does not see. This one angel who comes down in Revelation 18 has so much authority, is so bright with the glory of God that he enlightens the earth.

The earth was made bright with his glory. There are unseen angels around us all the time. How many of you have ever been driving and almost got sideswiped by another car and it just barely missed you?

Haven't we all experienced that? How do you know but that an angel didn't push that car just to the side? Hebrews tells us that are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who are inheriting eternal life?

There are angels around us all the time. We just can't see them. There are unseen realities that are more valuable than the things of this world. As Christians, we live for those things, but the world lives only for what it can see.

My grandfather lived a life not for the things of this world, but for the next world. In World War II, bullets flew and he claimed Psalm 91, that it wouldn't strike him as he ran. He learned to walk with God in World War II.

And coming down from that experience back to the United States, he became a pastor and served in Indiana. And then he became a missionary to Guatemala. He lived his life not for the things that were seen, but cutting ties with this world, he left it all behind.

That's why my mom was raised at Huehuetenango in Guatemala for several years. The Lord honored my grandfather before his death. Just a week before he died, someone came and visited him. The man was dressed beautifully in a perfect suit.

And this person came into the hospital and sat by my grandfather's side for four hours. He reminisced with my grandfather about World War II, and about Indiana, and about the mission field in Guatemala.

And after this time of encouraging him, he left. My mom came in just after this person left, and found my grandfather in tears, weeping, and she could not console him. Until finally, he was able to speak and he said, No, I'm not crying from sadness.

I am happier than I've ever been. I've never felt this much peace. I feel the peace of God. He was ready to die. He was ready to go home, and he died within a week of that. My mom was curious to find out what had happened.

Who was this man? So she went and talked to the nurses. He hadn't signed in. They had no idea who he was. But they remembered seeing this man dressed in a suit, a very handsome man, come and sit at my grandfather's bedside for four hours.

My mom believes to this day that that man was no ordinary human, but was in fact an angel. The Bible tells us to be careful how we treat strangers. We may be entertaining angels unawares. Isn't that amazing?

Invisible most of the time, but they can make appearances. Don't they do that throughout the Bible? Why couldn't it have been an angel? I expect that it probably was. Angels unseen. Brothers and sisters, we live for an unseen world.

A new Jerusalem, not a part of this creation. But look, the world, the world system, and all that's within this world will unite economically, politically, religiously against our kingdom. The unseen kingdom.

And so we see in verses 2 and 3. This angel calls out with a mighty voice, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

So you can picture it being like a mansion that now it's been abandoned and trees have fallen through the roof, and there's roots growing, and there's moss on the walls, and there's nothing but wild beasts inhabiting this house.

And there's demons, and it's like a haunted house. This is the city after it's fallen, but it once had glory and splendor. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. We saw last week that there was a sexual element to the religious system that is part of Babylon.

And the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her. And the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. So what is this Babylon the great? Well, we know it's Babylon, so it's a political city.

It's called the great, so it's renowned. Look at verse 3. All nations have drunk. From that we learn that it's a one-world political and economic system. All nations are involved with this. This is 195 nations now all together as one, participating in Babylon.

Notice also the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. So this is an economic system. And today we see the rise of globalism and the uniting of nations for common political and economic ends.

And we've learned earlier in Revelation that ultimately there will be ten kings that will ally themselves and then hand all their power over to the one called the Antichrist. So there is a one-world system of government that's being established.

But for all of its power and its coming up and all of its strength, the message here in verses 2 and 3 is about its fall. Fallen, fallen. This is the message of Revelation 18. That this one-world system run by the Antichrist, its economic power, its religious power, for all of that it will fall.

It uses the words of Isaiah 21 and Jeremiah 51. Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great. Fallen. So this one-world power system, it will rise but it will fall. Next, look at verses 4 and 5. And this is a very important message to us because now it's another voice that speaks.

I'll say it's the voice of Jesus. And he tells us what we need to hear right now. Come out. Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.

For her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. So we learn it's not the voice of the angel here. It's another voice. And what does the voice say? Come out, my people. You belong to me.

So I think this is the voice of God. Probably the voice of the second member of the Trinity. Probably Jesus speaking here, saying come out. And throughout the New Testament, this is a recurring theme.

We, John 17 verses 14 and following, we are in the world but we're not of it. We do not belong to this world system. We're in it because we're sent here on a mission. Remember Mark 16, 15? Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

I like the way David Mathis summarized how we're in the world but not of it. He says, Jesus' true followers have not only been crucified to the world, but also raised to new life and sent back in to free others.

We've been rescued from the darkness and given light, not merely to flee the darkness, but to guide our steps as we go back in to rescue others. We are not sent to flee the world, but to go into it to rescue others.

So while we're going after others on a rescue mission, we must not get entangled with the world. And that's why the language of come out is spoken here. I watched a documentary about some Mennonites who moved to Belize to escape worldliness.

But just recently, the worldliness has found them in Belize and some of their own people are getting cell phones. In fact, it was a guy who runs a clinic is getting cell phone. So he was Googling how to help people and give remedies.

And the town leaders were so offended by this that you know what they've done? They're leaving Belize and the documentary followed them flying, interestingly enough, on an airplane to escape the world into the Amazon, deep into the heart of the Amazon in Argentina.

They think they can flee the world. But that's not the point in Mark 16, 15. You don't just run from the world. Here's what you have to do. You have to come out spiritually and in the ties of your heart.

You have to cut ties with the world while you're in it. So we're called to go into Mount Laurel and into Marlton and all the surrounding regions without loving what they love and doing what they do to rescue others from this coming destruction that we're reading about.

Make sense? In the world, not of it. Next, verse six and following. God will interrupt our war with the world to recompense the world. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others and repay her double for her deeds.

Mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. So we don't win this war with the world. We're being paid out wrath by the world. Persecution upon the church. And God says, pay her back. Doesn't it seem that the unrighteous prosper?

The persecutors seem to gain more and more power. Those who hate Christ seem to gain and gain and gain. But that delay of his vengeance should not be mistaken for his acquiescence to it. There is coming a day when he recompenses evil.

He will step in and he says, pay her back. The time of his patience will run out. Verse seven, as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning. Since in her heart she says, I sit as a queen.

I am no widow and mourning I shall never see. For this reason, her plagues will come in a single day. And death and mourning and famine and she will be burned up with fire. For mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.

There is coming a judgment on the world. It's a recompense for the world. But it's not like the church is going to win this war, is it? The church is not going to usher in the kingdom of God like the post-millennialists say.

Rather, what we see in the text is we are persecuted like sheep. I believe it's Psalm 44 verse 22 that says, for your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. It's quoted again in Romans 8, 36.

We live as sheep in the world, persecuted and scattered. We don't usher in the kingdom, but he will. And this is a prelude here to the second coming of Christ, the millennial kingdom, which we're going to start learning about next week.

Verses nine and ten. And this gets a little bit pitiful. You see the kings of the world. Remember those ten kings who gave their power to the Antichrist? What were they expecting back? To be honored and revered and to have all that they could desire, including the sexual immorality spoken of here.

But instead, it's all stripped away in an hour, and the kings weep for the world system. Verse nine and ten. The kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

They will stand far off in fear of her torment and say, Alas, alas, you great city, you mighty city, Babylon, for in a single hour, your judgment has come. You have these weeping kings. In a minute here, we're going to see the weeping merchants and then the weeping sailors.

A lot of weeping going on. A lot of crying over the fall of Babylon. Now, what is this city? I think according to verse ten, it's actually a city that falls. Probably during the earthquake of the seal judgments, I'm sorry, of the bull judgments in Revelation 16, there's a particular city that's like the capital of the world empire.

Bible scholars are divided on the question of which city this is. Some think it's literal Babylon rebuilt in Iraq. And to be sure, Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild it. And there could be another ruler that comes along and rebuilds Babylon itself.

Other commentators, and this is my camp, think that it refers to Rome. Rome is that physical city. The reason I get that from the text is Revelation 17, when it talks about the seven hills in verse nine.

The seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman is seated. I think there's an allegorical interpretation here where the seven hills of Rome is understood and all the early commentators recognize that as Rome.

Remember the seven hills of Rome? So Babylon is a figure of Rome where the Antichrist has his revived empire as that's kind of the capital. That would be my guess. But what I do want to point out from verse ten is it's a literal city.

Because the kings are not willing to go close. They don't want to get crushed. Maybe they're out on a ship or something. But this city has become a haunt in a single hour. Probably just completely wiped out by the earthquake.

Well, the kings put their hope in money. And I have a question for you. Is money good or bad? Is money good or bad? I like the way Joe Foch answers that question. He says, money is a great servant and a cruel master.

Money is a great servant and a cruel master. You can use money for the glory of God. To feed your family, that is a good use of money. To put a roof over your head. Good use of money to give to missions and to furthering the gospel.

All of these are good uses of money. But money becomes a master. And it's a cruel master to those who love it. And this is one of the big lessons of Revelation 18. I don't want to see any of you weeping and wailing.

When the things of this earth begin to crumble. That's what the kings do. And it's pitiful, right? When we lose things, physical things, we ought not weep and wail. Because our citizenship and our treasure is in the unseen kingdom.

Not the things of this earth. Now you thought that was pitiful. The kings crying. Look at the merchants. They're even worse. 11 through 17. And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her. Since no one buys their cargo anymore.

And now we'll see a list of 27 things. Which represents all kinds of goods. And grains and cloth and every valuable thing. The point is to build up to the last thing mentioned. So watch this. Cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth.

All kinds of scented wood. All kinds of articles of ivory. All kinds of articles of costly wood. Bronze, iron and marble. Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine. Oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep.

Horses and chariots. And slaves. That is, human souls. You see what John has done there? By this list of 27 physical things. That we're to use in the world and enjoy. That come from God or can become a master.

It culminates with something that actually is eternally valuable. That's completely disregarded by the world. Slaves. That is, human souls. There still exists slavery in the world today. Did you know that?

There still exists slavery in America today. Human trafficking. In fact, I read one statistic. That in America, it's 66 ,000 times more likely for a child to be trafficked. Than to die of COVID. That's how prevalent trafficking is in America.

Slaves, human souls. There are certain countries on earth like Mauritania. And Uzbekistan and India and China. And especially North Korea. Where probably 4 of the population is in slavery. Slavery is still occurring today.

And in this one world religious system. Human souls are not valued. There is a global sex trade. And even to this day. Pornography is a major trade. Which by the way, this is a sidebar that just comes to mind.

Anybody who looks at pornography. You are participating in the system. That exploits women. And by that I mean, many of the people who are appearing in those kind of films. Are themselves sex slaves. And so to participate in that supports that system itself.

Do you see what's happening here? Slavery. That is human souls. Made in the image of God. See the Bible declares. Genesis 1 .26 -28. God made man in his image. In his image. That means that every human soul is valuable.

Because it bears the mark of God. By the way, in Revelation 14. One of the reasons why taking the mark of the beast is unforgivable. Because we see in Revelation 14. Let's just turn back there real quick.

We see with the second angel. Verse 9 -11. Taking the mark of the beast. Is putting the ownership of one's life. Into the hands of the antichrist. Look what it says. And again, this is a parallel with fallen.

As Babylon the Great in verse 8. She who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality. Another angel. Revelation 14 .9. A third. Followed them saying with a loud voice. If anyone worships the beast and its image.

And receives a mark on his forehead. Or on his hand. He also will drink the wine of God's wrath. Poured full strength into the cup of his anger. And he will be tormented with fire and sulfur. In the presence of the holy angels.

And in the presence of the lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. And they have no rest day or night. These worshipers of the beast and its image. And whoever receives the mark of its name.

Pretty clear, right? What's the issue there? If someone takes the mark of the beast. They're giving ownership of themselves to the beast. But God owns the invaluable souls of men and women. They belong to God.

Did you think that the constitution gave you freedom of speech? Is it the constitution of the United States of America that gives you freedom? No. The constitution reflects that freedom that's given to us in the Bible.

Made in the image of God. We're owned by him. We're free because we bear his image. And yet now we live in a world where sadly those freedoms are being stripped away. Before the year 2020, I never thought it would come to America this quickly.

But in two events. First of all, COVID. Maybe 7 or 8 ,000 people have died of COVID in the state of California. If the numbers are right. That's max numbers. You realize there are 40 million people who live in the state of California?

Put that into your calculator on your phone. 8 ,000 into 40 million. The chances of dying of COVID in California are something like .0006. Just a ridiculously small chance of dying. And yet under that reasoning.

Governor Newsom of California has forbidden singing to the Lord Jesus Christ in worship. He has forbidden churches to meet regardless of the number at this point. And I think John MacArthur, Grace Community Church, which is in California.

Wrote a very important article a couple days ago. I'd encourage you to read it. He makes the point that the natural rights that God has given to his free people. Do not come from the constitution. And the sphere of the church is not under the sphere of government.

Now there can be some overlap and different things that come into play. But read that article by John MacArthur. Because they've decided that they're going to go ahead and meet. Which is a bold decision.

And I praise God that we're able to meet here without violating the law. But the question is. The one world system that seems to be rising. The first event, COVID. And then the second event. The Black Lives Matter movement.

Where in the very writings of the mission statement of that group. Black Lives Matter. It calls for the destruction of the nuclear family. It supports Marxism. Within the very mission statement on the website of BLM.

And yet you see an entire team. Of Dodgers and San Francisco baseball players. Kneeling to the banner of Black Lives Matter. Now we can say that individual human lives matter. And that includes all lives.

Of course we say that. But that organization BLM. Is for the destruction of the nuclear family. And the imposition of Marxism in America. It's on their website. Nobody has to make that kind of thing up.

And so you see all of these men. Who should understand the freedom that comes from God. Kneeling to that banner. Except for one. His name was Sam Kunrod. And there he stood. And said. I kneel to God alone.

There he stood. And said I am not for the destruction of the nuclear family. It's the nuclear family that we need. And he said there are elements of Marxism. In the BLM movement. It took courage didn't it?

And in this cancel culture in which we live. There will be a backlash that he'll have to face. But I thank God that there's at least one. On a field of two teams. Willing to stand. And I see here in verse 13.

That the world system does not value human souls. It does not value freedom. It's a one world totalitarian state. Now we move on to verse 17b. You thought it was pitiful already. You got the kings crying.

You got the merchants crying. They're weeping and wailing. It's only worse with the sailors. Sailors are the tough guys right? Whenever you think of a sailor. Aren't those like the manly men? Let's take a look at the sailors.

When they lose everything. And all ship masters and seafaring men. Sailors and all whose trade is on the sea. Stood far off. And cried out. As they saw the smoke of her burning. What city was like the great city?

Now check this out. Verse 19. This is funny. And they threw dust on their heads. As they wept and mourned. I remember a friend of mine. When we were teenagers. We used to play basketball. At Palm Harbor Middle School.

And if he missed a layup. He'd get frustrated. And you could see his head just turning. He'd turn red. He'd get more and more mad. Well one day. He missed a second layup in a row. He was so frustrated.

He went to the sand pit. Right behind the basketball court there. And started taking handfuls of sand. Throwing them in the air. Throwing dust on his head. And we just stopped the game. And just thought.

That's just pathetic. What are you doing? You're a teenager. You should know better than that. Well these are grown men. Throwing dust on their head. What has disturbed them so much? They love the world.

And everything in it. And they just lost everything that matters to them. Alas, alas for the great city. Where all who had ships at sea. Grew rich by her wealth. For in a single hour. She has been laid waste.

Now. Follow me on this. The emotionalism of our culture. When people weep and wail. And throw dust in the air. And burn things. And break things. What does our culture say that you should do? What is it?

Well. You capitulate to that. You have to bow a knee to that. And you have to assuage that. Emotions dominate our culture. People assume that something is true. Based on how emotional. Or angry. Or upset people are.

We live in a very emotional culture. Not a rational culture. You can bring statistics to people all day long. And say look at what the statistics say. They reflect reality. Right? They don't care about statistics.

They care about emotions. How does something make me feel? So we live in a very emotional culture. Does God regard the emotions of man the way we do? I mean you have kings and merchants and sailors. Crying their eyes out.

Throwing dust. Look at verse 20. Rejoice. Over her, oh heaven. And you saints and apostles and prophets. For God has given judgment for you against her. God is not crying with them. He says rejoice. That's an emotion.

But it's not a capitulating emotion. Rejoice over her. So emotions should not be allowed to control you. We need to form our opinions and our worldview from scripture. From reality itself. Now lastly we see that this world system.

Which has been denounced here by God. Will fall when he says no more. All this long built prosperity of the world. That they rest in and they trust and they hope in. There's coming a day where God says what?

No more. See this refrain repeat again from 21 to 23. A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone. And threw it into the sea. Saying so will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence.

And will be found no more. And the sound of harpists and musicians. Of flute players and trumpeters. So all their music and dancing. And all the famous musicians. No more. God has reached a limit. The patience has run.

It's no more. And the craftsman of any craft will be found in you. No more. And the sound of the mill will be heard in you. No more. And the light of a lamp will shine in you. No more. And the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you.

No more. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth. And all nations were deceived by her sorcery. The spell that the world system cast upon people. To make them love the things of this earth.