IS REVELATION 18 PROPHESYING THE DOOM OF NEW YORK CITY?

03-29-20 This message may be viewed live streaming video at youtube.com and tabernacleofmoses.org today Sunday at 11:00 am, and repeated 24/7 thereafter. The video, audio, and study notes are archived.

God is Thought. The brightness of our revelations depends upon the correctness of our doctrines, our building blocks, our Godly Thoughts laid one upon another, ascending into the mind of Christ.

 

BACKGROUND

(Gen 18:20,21)  And the LORD said, Because the cry [Heb: shriek or outcry] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great [excessive, boundless], and because their sin [Gk: offence] [to God] is very grievous [Heb: heavy, in a bad sense (burdensome)]; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

 

(Gen 19:24) Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone [Heb: sulphur] and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

 

SPIRITUAL BABYLON AND COMMERICAL/POLITICAL BABYLON TOGETHER

(Rev 18:1-3) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened [Gk: brightened: enlightened, illuminated, made to see] with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon [Heb: overflowing with confusion] [i.e., confused thoughts] the great is fallen, is fallen [1,2], and is become the habitation [Gk: dwelling place] of devils [Gk: demons] [fallen angels], and the hold [Gk: to keep in custody; imprisonment; prison] of every foul [Gk: impure, lewd, demonic] spirit [i.e., thought, fallen angel], and a cage [Gk: prison] of every unclean and hateful bird [demon, fallen angel (Mat 13:4,19)]. For all nations have drunk of the wine [Heb: intoxication] of the wrath [Gk: passion (as if breathing hard)] of her fornication [Gk: harlotry (including adultery and incest); fig. idolatry], and the kings [political rulers] of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants [businessmen] of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

1.    Commentary = “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” = refers to the two aspects of Babylon:

a.     Spiritual Babylon is perhaps represented by San Francisco (Rev 17), noted for homosexuality, and is a type and shadow of Sodom - Heb: to scorch; burnt (a volcanic or bituminous) district, a place near the Dead Sea.

b.    Commercial/political Babylon is perhaps represented by New York City (Rev 18), noted for business, and is a type and shadow of Gomorrah - Heb: a ruined heap /// to gather grain: bind sheaves, make merchandise of.

2.    Commentary: With some foreboding, one might note that the two probable locations of San Francisco and New York City encompass the breadth of the United States, the numerical home of modern Christianity, and “judgment must begin at the house of God.” (1 Pet 4:17)

 

(Rev 18:4-6) 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. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities [Gk: wrongs done: evil doings]. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double [Gk: twofold] unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled [for others,] fill to her double.

 

(Rev 18:7-10)  How much [to the same degree as] she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously [Gk: luxuriously] [at your expense], so much [to the same degree] torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen [the absolute ruler without ever a king], and am no widow [without ever a man’s authority over me], and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues [Gk: calamities] [disasters, catastrophes] come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire [Gk: consumed wholly]: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings [political rulers seeking power] of the earth, who have committed fornication [Gk: idolatry] and lived deliciously [Gk: luxuriously] with her, shall bewail [Gk: to sob, wail aloud] her, and lament [Gk: to beat the breast in grief: mourn] for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment [lest her torment come upon them], saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour [a consuming nuclear fire] is thy judgment come.

1.    (Deu 4:24)  For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

2.    (Deu 9:3)  Understand therefore this day, that the LORD thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

3.    (Heb 12:29)  For our God is a consuming fire.

 

(Rev 18:11-14)  And the merchants [businessmen seeking wealth] [1] of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, 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. And the fruits [goods] that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

1.    (1 Tim 6:9,10) But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare [Gk: a trap (as fashioned by a noose); fig. a trick], and into many foolish [“useless, godless” Amplif.] and hurtful lusts [Gk: a longing (especially for what is forbidden): desires], which drown [overwhelm] men in destruction [Gk: ruin, death, punishment] and perdition [Gk: eternal damnation, waste]. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after [Gk: stretched oneself, reach out after, long for], they have erred [Gk: been led astray: seduced] from the faith, and pierced [Gk: penetrated entirely] themselves through with many sorrows.

 

(Rev 18:15-19)  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 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! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in 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 great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate [Gk: to lay waste].

 

(Rev 18:20-24) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea [no longer a symbol of crushing out the grapes], saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries [Gk: medication (“pharmacy”): witchcraft] were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.


Amen