Here we come to the last chapter referencing this ‘little horn’. We may now have enough revelation to know when he begins to take his place on the world stage.
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from Heaven, having great authority. And the earth was lighted up from his glory. 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen, has fallen!
And it has become the dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a cage of every unclean bird which has been hated, Rev 18:3 because of the wine of the anger of her fornication which all the nations have drunk.
And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. And the merchants of the earth became rich from the power of her luxury.
Here we read of the great ending of this political system, this nation state, and one world religion. Since they are all intertwined, they go down together. It is a frightening world in which to live. A dwelling-place for demons sounds terrifying, evil, and dangerous.
It is also filled with every unclean spirit. What is the difference between demons and unclean spirits is not really provided, but it cannot be anything but murderous, unmerciful, uncaring, selfish, and brutal.
Also, the love of money, the attractions of power, and the desires of the flesh are all available till the very end.
18:4 And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that you may not be partakers of her sins, and that you may not receive of her plagues. 18:5 For her sins joined together, even up to Heaven, and God has remembered her unjust deeds.
Come out is an oft-mentioned warning by God. God has continually warned everyone to come out of the love of the world and into His kingdom. He has consistently, routinely, and carelessly been ignored for centuries. God’s last call for redemption falls on a deaf world.
18:6 Reward her as she has rewarded you, and double to her double, according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix double to her. 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and has lived in luxury, so much torment and sorrow give her. For she says in her heart, I sit as a queen, and I am not a widow; and I do not see mourning at all.
This unified world doesn’t need God and is deceived that the attractions of this ungodly, fleshly world are the only things worth pursuing. Interestingly, the Roman Catholic Church often refers to itself as a queen.
18:8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day, death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for the Lord God who judges her is strong. In one day, one moment of time, God will judge and destroy the physical city and then the Lord will descend to destroy all who come to fight with the Lord of Lords.
18:9 And the kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived in luxury with her will weep for her, and will wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; 18:10 standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Woe! Woe to the great city, Babylon, that strong city! For in one hour your judgment came.
18:11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargo any more;
18:12 the cargo of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every ivory vessel, and every vessel of very precious wood, and of bronze, and of iron, and of marble,
18:13 and cinnamon, and incenses, and ointment, 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.
18:14 And the fruits of the lust of your soul have departed from you, and all the fat things and the bright things departed from you, and you will find them no more, not at all.
What are they doing? Why are they so sad? What will they do? First, these precious cargoes are still available till the very end. The world has not destroyed itself through carbon footprints, global warning, or global pandemics, or over population. Secondly, they mourn the passing of their great economic provider. It is the end of all of their dreams of living happily ever after.
18:15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, will stand afar off because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning 18:16 and saying, Woe! Woe to the great city which was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
18:17 For in one hour such great riches was desolated. And every ship-pilot, and all the company on the ships, and sailors, and as many as work the sea, stood afar off.
18:18 And they cried out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like the great city?
18:19 And they threw dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe! Woe to the great city, by which all who had ships in the sea were rich out of her costliness! For in one hour she was ruined.
In the Bible, the tearing of clothes, dust cloths, and ashes are all signs of humble remorse, repentance, and an honest seeking of reconciliation to a Holy God. This is not the reason for their dust, crying, weeping, or mourning. God doesn’t even get mentioned in their losses.
It has nothing to do with God, but with their being deceived in thinking the world is their only home and they only have a few years to make the most of it. They will have eternity to remember their being deceived, punished, and condemned.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
What are you seeking with all of your heart?