This weekend’s front page of the Denver Business Journal caught my attention. It was a picture of downtown Denver’s Brown Palace with the headline article titled: “Celebrating 150 Years of Colorado, institutions that have stood the test of time.” In the article, the DBJ featured five businesses that are as old as Colorado: there was the Brown Palace hotel, then a stained glass company, maybe we should call them for the chapel by the way, a crane company, a hospital system, Denver Health, and then Mile High United Way. You know, business is as old as time. In Genesis 1, God said “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth. And subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth. In Genesis 2, God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. In Genesis 4, Abel became a shepherd, Cain worked the grounds.

But here is what caught me. As I read this article, I noticed 4 out of 5 of these institutions was not as old as our state, one institution was planning to shut down, and every one of them are admittedly only a few bad decisions away from being discontinued, as they were presented in the article. Businesses come and business go. There is only one institution that has lasted through the ages: the Church.

Anything ordained by man is temporary, but what is ordained by God is eternal.

Tonight, we’re going to see the world’s systems go out of business. The fall of Babylon. Now, before I get into the significance of Babylon, I want to catch us all up on how we arrived here in the book of Revelation.

You’ll remember that John, the Apostle John, same John who wrote the book of John, and 1, 2 & 3 John, same John who walked with Jesus when He was here on earth, has been exiled to the Island of Patmos. John was exiled there because of the Word of God and because of his testimony. That’s what Revelation 1 says. Historical evidence points us to the year 90 AD for when this happened. When Revelation was written, the first century temple in Jerusalem had already been destroyed, Christianity is under immense persecution, and the Roman Emperor Domitian was oppressing Christians however he could do it.

While John is there in exile, Jesus shows up to him. The glorified Christ from Heaven’s throne room, like John had never seen Him before. And He says, write down what you see. Write down three things: what you have seen, what is, and what will take place after this. What will take place after this, that is the end of the world. And that’s the series we’re in: How The World Ends. So far in Revelation, we’ve learned about the glorified Christ, Christ’s letters to the churches, what Heaven is like, and how the world ends. We’ve seen the tribulation, the hard period of time where God’s judgment and wrath pour out on the unbelieving world. The church has been raptured, caught up, harpatzo in the Greek, and trust me, you do not want to stick around for the late show after the rapture. We’ve seen the seals opening up in heaven, we’ve seen the trumpets sound, and last week, we saw the bowls of God’s wrath pouring out on the unbelieving world. Remember, the purpose of the tribulation is the final call to Christ. It’s a call to repentance. It’s a picture of, a prelude to, hell, and a wake up call, a reason to repent. And as we’ve read through the pages of Revelation one thing is clear:

We do not want anyone to experience God’s wrath.

That’s why our very purpose here at Our City Church is to share the good news of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible, and to lead others in discipleship by following Jesus Christ.

Now I left you on a cliffhanger last week, I told you that this week, we would begin with the Battle of Armageddon. We’re in the Valley of Megiddo, where battles of God’s people were fought throughout the Old Testament. And the seventh bowl of God’s Wrath is about to pour out. So take your Bibles and turn with me to Revelation 16:17 and let’s get started.

Remember, this is the final stage of the tribulation, and 7 angels are given 7 bowls that are poured out on the earth. This seventh bowl, is at the Battle of Armageddon.

Then the seventh poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”

-Revelation 16:17 CSB

Now, you’ll remember Jesus’s final word on the cross: Τετέλεσται! It is finished! This word for “it is done” is not the same word, this word is Γέγονεν, which carries a different meaning. When Jesus said “It is finished,” that word bears completion. “It is accomplished.” The debt was paid, the war is over, believers are secure. But Γέγονεν denotes the end of one thing, and the beginning of another. The institutions of the devil, the world’s systems, are ending, and the Kingdom of God will now take over the world.

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder. And a severe earthquake occurred like no other since people have been on the earth, so great was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the Great was remembered in God’s presence; he gave her the cup filled with the wine of his fierce anger.

-Revelation 16:18-19 CSB

Now this place, Babylon, is about to get really important. Babylon was the great enemy of God’s people, the destoyers of the temple in Jerusalem, the first time it was destroyed, in the Old Testament. Remember Daniel and the Lion’s Den? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Daniel and his friends were exiled to Babylon, and the Jerusalem temple was destroyed. In fact, do you remember Saddam Hussein? Of course, he’s dead, but his life goal was to restore the kingdom of Babylon. If that isn’t evil, I don’t know what is. 1 Peter 5:13 identifies Babylon as an identification of any world power that is hostile to God’s people. We’re going to see the final outcome of Babylon in chapter 18. And the Battle of Armageddon is won the same as other historic, Old Testament battles. Think about Sodom and Gomorrah, Joshua and Gibeon, Deborah and Barak, Samuel and the Philistines, Jehosaphat and the coalition of nations, Hezekiah and Assyria.

Every island fled, and the mountains disappeared. 21 Enormous hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell from the sky on people, and they blasphemed God for the plague of hail because that plague was extremely severe.

-Revelation 16:20-21 CSB

God wins every battle.

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute who is seated on many waters.

-Revelation 17:1 CSB

Now, I’m about to explain this prostitute after the next verse, and the “many waters,” that’s a figure of speech for many places, the people of the earth, and this woman is in control of most of the world and the world’s systems.

The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.”

-Revelation 17:2 CSB

Now I want to take us back to some biblical context. Whenever Israel wandered away from God in the Old Testament, do you remember what they were called? An adulterous nation. By worshipping foreign gods, entering into idolatry, God called them out for adultery, which is what the Bible calls cheating on your spouse. These people who are left on the earth were never married to the Lord in the first place, they’re committing immorality by worshipping the beast. Now that’s not to say that there will be rampant physical sexual immorality, we’re making this comparison to the Old Testament to be sure we don’t miss the point that God always compared religious syncretism to sexual immorality, and these people are guilty of both.

One disclaimer before we keep reading. We’re about to go backward in time, to the beast from the abyss from Revelation 13. For one, the Greek tenses of words make that clear, but this is going to be even more obvious when the beast from the abyss appears in this passage.

Then he carried me away in the Spirit, to a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls. She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable and with the impurities of her prostitution. On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.

-Revelation 17:3-6 CSB

I would be astonished too, by the way. This is a blood thirsty, trigger happy woman, riding a beast, she is a prostitute, and she is the mother of all evil. She is drunk with the blood of the saints, those who have been martyred who have come to Christ during the tribulation. Seeing this would be astonishing.

Then the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns, that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction. Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come. This calls for a mind that has wisdom.

-Revelation 17:7-9 CSB

Now what do you make of that? The beast who was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss. Remember from Revelation chapter 13, the beast from the abyss had a fatal wound on his head, but was brought back to life. Now, whether this was an actual resurrection, doubtful. Remember that Satan is a counterfeiter. This beast from the abyss is the false prophet, and Satan has counterfeit a death-to-life scenario, because he is copying Jesus. And we know we’re back in time right now to Revelation 13, because this is the moment where the false prophet, the beast from the abyss, is about to emerge. This is explaining the events that are leading up to the mark of the beast from Revelation 13 a few sermons ago! And the unsaved world, astonished by this beast, will fall right into the trap. This is why the text says, this called for a mind that has wisdom. And where does wisdom come from? The Lord.

Now if you’re sitting here and thinking, I wish I had wisdom to know what’s real from fake, what’s from God and what isn’t from God, because let’s be real, life is constantly coming at us. I have some good news for you. There is one thing you can do to have wisdom to face anything life might throw at you: Pray. James 1:5 says:

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”

-James 1:5 CSB

When we pray and when we abide in God’s Word, God gives us wisdom! And there is only one way to get to God, and that is through the Son, Jesus Christ. If you’re here tonight, and you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus, we’ll have an invitation to do that these evening, today is the day of your salvation.

Do you remember when I was preaching Revelation 13, I said I would explain the significance of the heads and the horns when we got to Revelation 17? Well here we are, and I don’t have to come up with an explanation, because the Bible explains it for us.

“The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.

-Revelation 17:9-12 CSB

This first set of seven kings are the kings of kingdoms throughout the ages, By the time Revelation is written here in 90AD, five have fallen. Likely the kingdoms of Ur, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. One is, that is currently existing at the time Revelation was written, which is Rome. And one is yet to come. This nation yet to come will play a key role in the end times and the rise of the Antichrist. These ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, they are coming to power during the tribulation, they will only rule for a short time, and their purpose will be to put the Antichrist into power. Look at the next verse:

These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”

-Revelation 17:13-14 CSB

Remember that Greek word from earlier in our passage tonight? Γέγονεν? The end of an old thing, and the beginning of a new thing. In Christ, every battle is won.

In verses 15-18 things get interesting. We see that the water the prostitute was seated on are the peoples of the earth. The ten kings yet to come, hate the prostitute, and so does the false prophet. There will be a world war between these leaders. And the prostitute represents a great city that has come to world power just before the Antichrist will rise.

I want to make sure you’re tracking with me for the order of events. Seals open up in Heaven. Massive global destruction. Trumpets sound in heaven. Even more massive global destruction. Power is consolidated to one city, the prostitute. This city controls the false prophet. There is conflict between the prostitute and the beast and the ten kings. Then, the beast overthrows the prostitute, as verse 18 puts it, that great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth. Then, the false prophet ushers in the antichrist, while all of this world power exchange is being directed by the dragon, Satan. But guess what? God is in complete control. Look at verse 17:

For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.

-Revelation 17:17 CSB

The purpose of the prostitute, the 10 kings, and the beast, are ultimately to carry out God’s plan. Remember, there is no ruler who rules who has not been appointed by God (Romans 13:1).

Christ is in complete control.

Next, we jump forward in time, back to the end of the Battle of Armageddon. We’re way past the woman and the beast now, we’re talking about Babylon: the world, and the world’s systems.

After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. He called out in a mighty voice: It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen!

-Revelation 18:1-2

This is the kingdom of the world and the world’s systems.

She has become a home for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, and a haunt for every unclean and despicable beast. For all the nations have drunk the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.

-Revelation 18:2-3

Remember this is both literal physical sexual immorality, and religious syncretism and idolatry.

The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her sensuality and excess.

-Revelation 18:3

Remember our opening illustration, business will always eventually fail. The only thing that will last forever, is the Kingdom of God.

Then I heard another voice from heaven: Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues.

-Revelation 18:4

God is calling His people out of the world, those who have come to Christ as in the purpose of the tribulation itself.

For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Pay her back the way she also paid, and double it according to her works. In the cup in which she mixed, mix a double portion for her.

-Revelation 18:5

Now I want to point out a biblical truth. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). No one is righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). God will repay each one according to his works. (Romans 2:6). The only way to not get what we deserve is through complete surrender to Christ. When you surrender to Christ, it is finished. He lived the life we could never live and He died the death that we deserved. If you’re outside of Christ, your outcome will be similar to this woman. Hell. Destruction. But when you completely surrender your life to Christ, your eternity is secure.

The outcome of this woman keeps going:

As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, “I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief.”

-Revelation 18:7

Do you remember how Satan fell from heaven in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28? Pride. Exalting himself. “I will make myself like the Most High.” Do you remember how he tempted Eve in the garden of Eden? “You will be like God.” Pride comes before destruction.

For this reason her plagues will come in just one day—death and grief and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.

-Revelation 18:8

Babylon, the world and the world’s systems, are wiped from the face of the earth!

Now I want to take a moment for some introspection. As believers, our treasure is in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). But when the world is wiped out, there is great grief and mourning across the people of the world. And do you know what their number one source of that grief is? Their money. “Our splendid glamourous things are gone!” “Such fabulous wealth was destroyed!” Crying, weeping, mourning, “Such riches in a single hour were destroyed!”

This is the end of an old thing, and the beginning of a new thing. Now I want to ask you a question:

Where is your treasure?

If all your physical possessions went away in a single hour, would you weep, would you mourn, or would you trust the Lord?

I went to a city council meeting this week, and at these city council meetings, the primary agenda item is the money. Now, as a taxpayer, I appreciate that. But they went through the budgets, the spends, the initiatives, and then they have a time where anybody can share whatever they want to share with the mayor, the staff, and the councilmembers, with three minutes on the clock. People bring all sorts of things to that discussion, some are entertaining, some are not, but the primary focus of a city council meeting is usually how they’re going to make the city a better place, keep finances under control, and make decisions that are in the best interest of the people. One man, Tim, stepped up to the podium, and the three minute timer began to tick. Tim used that entire three minutes to share the Gospel with everyone in the room. He reminded us all that America was founded as a Christian nation. That our founders believed the Bible is true. He began by explaining the sin problem that began in Genesis and ended in the New Heaven and the New Earth Revelation. He shared how all of world history points us to our need for a savior. He shared the sacrifice of Christ and he shared His death, burial, and resurrection. Every second counted and Tim did a beautiful job. When he was finished, there was a silence in the room. I moved my seat and sat next to him to encourage him, I told him that was one of the most beautiful gospel presentations I had ever heard. He teared up a bit, he looked at me, and he said, I’ve been doing this at city council meetings for 1 year and 9 months, and you’re the first person who has ever encouraged me at one of these meetings. I made a friend that night, and found a lesson of priorities. Every other person who shared during the open forum, they were focused on themselves. But Tim, he was focused on the eternal destination of everyone else.

Are we here to preserve our own lives, or are we here to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ?

Where is your treasure?