Introduction: Two of the best known names in Revelation are “Babylon
the Great” and “Armageddon.” Is Babylon the Great a power, a place,
a state of mind, or what? What is so great about it? If Armageddon is
a final battle, where does it take place? Who are the combatants? Who
wins? Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can
learn!
- Babylon the Great
- Read Revelation 14:8. Is this a reference to the Babylon
of Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar? (The context is the end
of the world. This Babylon “the Great” must be the most
recent version of Babylon.) - What does the reference to “drink the maddening wine
of her adulteries” suggest about this Super Babylon?
(This reflects a theme of the Bible. When God’s
people turn to other Gods, He compares it to
adultery. Thus, this is a power that turns humans
away from the true God.) - When it calls the wine “maddening,” does it mean that
God is getting mad? (No. Those rejecting God are not
thinking clearly. They are crazy, intoxicated with
the deception of Super Babylon.) - Read Revelation 16:17. What is the time frame for this?
(The seventh angel comes at the time when judgment is
finished.) - Read Revelation 16:18-21. We will look at this text in
more detail later. What does this tell us about Babylon
the Great? (It suggests that it has a location. The text
is not completely clear, but it may be located in the
“great city.”) - Read Revelation 11:7-8. What is the “great city?” (It must
be Jerusalem, because it says “their Lord was crucified”
there.) - Why would Jerusalem also be called “Sodom and Egypt?”
(This is further proof that something terribly wrong
has happened to Jerusalem.) - Read Revelation 11:8-15. What is the connection between
the events described here and those described in
Revelation 16:18-21? (We see a severe earthquake that
adversely affects the “great city.” We also see the
seventh angel. This provides some evidence that at some
point Babylon the Great will have a seat of power in
Jerusalem.) - Read Revelation 18:1-3. We see another announcement that
Babylon the Great has fallen. What important information
do we find here that helps us to identify Babylon the
Great? (It is a place for demons and evil spirits.) - Does that sound like Jerusalem? (Think about it.
Jerusalem today is a divided city. What prevents it
from being divided in the future? Could one of the
current divisions be a home for those resisting
Jesus? Recall that in Revelation 11:8 Jerusalem is
called “Sodom and Egypt.” This reflects a power
opposed to God.) - How would kings ( Revelation 18:3) commit adultery
with Babylon? (This power causes political leaders to
be unfaithful to God.) - What do “merchants” and “excessive luxuries” have to
do with this unfaithfulness? (In some way Babylon is
connected to excessive belongings.) - Read Proverbs 18:10-11. How can wealth and
possessions become a substitute for dependence on
God? (Trusting in money instead of God is being
unfaithful. This is part of the message of Babylon
the Great: put your trust in something other than
God.) - Babylon 1.0
- Read Genesis 10:32-11:2. What is the organizational
advantage of the people? (They speak only one language.) - Read Genesis 11:3-4. What is the motivation to build the
tower and the city? (They wanted to make a name for
themselves. They did not want to be scattered.) - Why would they worry about being scattered? (Recall
this is “soon” after the flood. The flood altered the
course of human history and required the re-settlement of the world. The “tower that reaches to
the heavens” gives us a clue that they wanted to
build a “flood-proof” home. They would always be able
to stay there, regardless of whether another flood
came.) - How were they able to build an extremely high tower?
(The had a breakthrough in technology. They learned
how to make durable bricks. They had a single
language and common goals.) - Are these God supporters? Is their goal to bring glory to
God? (We see the beginning of Babylon the Great. They are
rivals to God. They will resist Him with their tower. They
will live where they want. They will bring glory to
themselves, not God.) - Read Genesis 11:5-7. Is God against human accomplishments?
(Read Jeremiah 29:11. No, God wants to prosper us.
However, He does not want to prosper our rebellion against
Him.) - Let’s see if we can look at all of this prophetic
symbolism and find a practical lesson. How would you
identify Babylon the Great? (It opposes God. It tries to
inspire trust in things other than God. It promotes
unfaithfulness to God. It has a religious face, but a
demonic heart. At some point it has a physical presence in
the ancient city of Jerusalem. The entire history of
“Babylon” is to promote trust in humans, and not our
Lord.) - Armageddon
- Read Revelation 16:12. The ancient city of Babylon had the
Euphrates river run through it. What do you think this
symbolism means? (We just learned that Babylon the Great
is a power that turns people away from God. Part of its
allure is its excessive luxuries. This text suggests that
the angel is destroying the resources of Babylon the
Great. It is cutting off its supplies, its source of
life.) - For what reason is support for Babylon being cut off?
(To prepare the way for the kings from the East.) - Look again at the last part of Revelation 16:12. Are these
“kings from the East” a force for good or evil? (Since a
reduction in the power of Babylon is a good thing for
them, they seem to be a force for good.) - Are there any major forces for good east of
Jerusalem? - Read Revelation 7:1-2. From what direction are the
angels coming? (The East.) - Read Isaiah 41:1-2. From where does this conqueror of
kings come? (The East.) - Read Isaiah 46:9-11. From what direction does God
summon a “bird of prey,” “a man to fulfill [God’s]
promise?” (The East.) - What do these texts we just read suggest about the
meaning of the “kings from the East?” (“East” might
not be a reference to direction, but rather the place
from which good things come. These kings are forces
for God.) - Read Revelation 16:13-14. Why would these frogs come out
of mouths? (Recall that in Genesis 1, God spoke and He
produced perfection. When these three forces for evil
speak, they produce frogs. They produce evil spirits.
These are some sort of powerful demons who can produce
“miraculous signs.” They rally the kings of the world
against God and His kings from the East.) - Read Revelation 16:15. How is that possible? We have
these battle lines drawn up, and yet most are surprised
that Jesus is about to come? (Think about this. The forces
of evil must believe they will win, otherwise they would
not be surprised. God’s people must be so caught up in the
current trouble that they lose sight of the bigger
picture.) - Read Revelation 16:16. Why are they gathered at
Armageddon? ( Revelation 16:14 says they are gathered “for
the battle.”) - Read Revelation 16:17-21. Does the battle take place?
(Instead of a battle report, we read of a terrible
earthquake and hail. God pours out His fury on Babylon the
Great. It seems God supernaturally calls on nature to
defeat evil.) - Read Judges 5:19. Have you heard of “Megiddo” before? (The
Hebrew word translated “Armageddon” means a place in
Megiddo.) - Read Judges 5:20-21. How is this war at Megiddo won?
(Nature! Flooding causes the Kishon river to sweep away
the bad guys. We have precedent, in this very same place,
for God using the powers of nature to defeat evil!) - Friend, the world is taking sides. In the United States,
the divide seems larger and more determined than ever.
While the division is not specifically between Christians
and non-Christians, the divide is largely between those in
rebellion against the Word of God and those who desire to
follow God. Will you choose the right side? Why not make
that decision right now? - Next week: The Return of Our Lord Jesus.
