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HEAVEN REJOICES OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON. THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB #62

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Chapter 19

REVELON BOOK  This chapter is the beginning of the third and final section of the book of Revelation. Everything has been preparatory until now. All has been pointing to the Second Advent of Jesus, which takes place in this chapter. The remainder of this section deals with those eternal events that follow His coming. This is the revelation!

The first ten verses are parenthetical and explain the rejoicing in heaven over the destruction of Babylon. It is the ninth and last parenthetical section in the book.

The Heavenly Hosts Praise God

  “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.  And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.”  (Revelation 19:1-5).  

John hears, what seems like, all heaven singing praise to God for His righteous judgment on Babylon. The destruction of the city causes great fissures in the earth.  Smoke, like a furnace, will ascend as a constant reminder of God’s faithful judgment on the city, and her system that corrupted the whole earth.

There are four Greek “Alleluias” in the text. In Hebrew it is pronounced Hallelujah. The meaning is “praise ye Jehovah.” (See Psalms 106, 111, 112 and 113.)

The Marriage of the Lamb

 “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”  (Revelation 19:6-10).  

 The book of Revelation is written to the seven Jewish assemblies (churches). They will be in the Tribulation, in the Day of the Lord. The church, which is Christ’s body, will be raptured before that day begins. Therefore, the church of this dispensation is not in view in the Book of Revelation. The reference to the wife and the marriage, as we shall see, speaks of Israel and her land. It has nothing to do with a Gentile church.

RICH WEEP OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON, NOT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH #61

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REVELON BOOK“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.”  (Revelation 18:9-19).

Verses 9-19 show the reaction of the businessmen of this world who did business with Babylon. It is noteworthy that the city is a great seaport city where shipmasters and their ships come.

It is important to note that all the rivers and waters were turned to blood, according to chapter 16:3-7. We stated earlier that those events were centered in the Mediterranean Sea, or perhaps the Sea of Galilee. It is unlikely that these mariners would be concerned with the burning of the city of Babylon if the Persian Gulf had turned to blood and there was no water for them to drink. Their lament was over the destruction of the city, which was the source of their trade and finances.  Babylon will, no doubt, become the financial center of the world in the near future. James says, “Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” 

James 5:3.

“Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?  And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.” (Zechariah 5:5-11).

  • One thing is certain: Babylon will be the center of activities in the East during the last days — in commerce, religion, and politics. It will be rebuilt and become the capital of the Antichrist. He will come from Syria which will take in Babylon in those days, for the Syrian division of the old Grecian empire included all the countries of Syria and Iraq. The coming of Antichrist from Syria and Babylon will be in perfect harmony with all scriptures. We see from Isa. 13-14; Jer. 50-51; Rev. 14:8; 16:17-21; 17:1-18; 18:1-24 that Babylon will play a great part in latter-day events, not only as the political capital of the kingdom of the Antichrist but as the headquarters for a religious system called Mystery Babylon. It will be a great commercial center of earth as pictured in Rev. 18. Antichrist will reign from Babylon during his rise to power over the ten kingdoms of Dan. 7:23-24; Rev. 17:12-17, as taught in Isa. 14. Then he will leave Babylon to make his capital in Jerusalem the last 3 1/2 years of Daniel’s 70th week, and will reign there during the 42 months of his power over all nations (Dan. 9:27; 11:40-45; Rev. 13:5; 17:12-17). This passage (Zech. 5:5-11) pictures the restoration of Babylon as the seat of wickedness in the last days. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible:

 “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, 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 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.”  (Revelation 18:20-24).

       Verses 20-24 describe the rejoicing of heaven over the destruction of Babylon. They are told to rejoice, for God had avenged all she had done to the holy apostles and prophets of God down through the centuries.

The final destruction of the city of Babylon is swift and dramatic. A mighty angel demonstrates this to John by taking a large stone, similar to a millstone, and casting it into the sea. It quickly sank to the bottom. The swiftness with which it sank, demonstrated how quickly Babylon will be destroyed. One final blow from God finishes her. (Jeremiah 51:1-26.)

The heavens rejoiced with singing and with harps. It is also possible that Babylon’s final destruction will be aided by the hordes that pass over the Euphrates when it is dried up. (See Revelation 16:12-16).

Babylon and her system have persecuted Israel from the beginning, long before Rome existed.  God reassures His people that He has not forgotten them and that they will never be troubled by Babylon again. The only reminder of Babylon will be a smoking furnace, which will burn forever where she was located, “And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever” (Revelation 19:3).

 

JEWS CALLED FROM BABYLON, RETURN TO ISRAEL BEFORE ITS DESTRUCTION. # 60

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JEWS CALLED FROM BABYLON, RETURN TO ISRAEL BEFORE ITS DESTRUCTION. # 60

REVELON BOOKThis event is recorded in Micah 4:10, “Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.” The near context makes it evident that the fulfillment of this prophecy is just prior to the Second Advent.

Note:

The remnant is in travail.

  1. She goes forth from Jerusalem.
  2. She goes to Babylon.
  3. She will be redeemed from Babylon.
  4. She will be saved from her enemies.

Jeremiah says, “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain” (Jeremiah 50:4-9).

 “For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed” (Jeremiah 51:5-8). “My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD” (Jeremiah 51:45).

 “And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants 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 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.  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.”  (Revelation 18:9-19).

Verses 9-19 show the reaction of the businessmen of this world who did business with Babylon. It is noteworthy that the city is a great seaport city where shipmasters and their ships come. This could never be said of Rome.

It is also important to note that all the rivers and waters were turned to blood, according to chapter 16:3-7. We stated earlier that those events were centered in the Mediterranean Sea and the water sources in that area. It is unlikely that these mariners would be concerned with the burning of the city of Babylon if the Persian Gulf had turned to blood and there was no water for them to drink. Their great lament was over the destruction of the city, which was the source of their trade and finances.  Babylon will, no doubt, become the financial center of the world in the near future.

The latter chapters of Jeremiah must be read in conjunction with John’s vision of Babylon. It is literal Babylon, and these two clarify its meaning. It is not Rome, nor the Catholic church. It is BABYLON.

KEN BLUE VS. KEN BLUE’S AUTHORITY TO HEAL #2

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KEN BLUE VS. KEN BLUE’S AUTHORITY TO HEAL

Authority to healby Ken Blue

On two or three occasions I have received emails with comments about the book, Authority to Heal. I did not write the book, but was tempted to bill for it anyway. Since the author’s name is the same as mine, I decided to purchase a copy. Having pastored for over 40 years, and studying the Bible more than 58 years, I have learned to “try the spirits,” and “prove all things” by the Word of God, not by human experience.

I do not question the character or sincerity of Dr. Blue. I detect that he is a compassionate and caring person. I have no animosity toward him, and believe he is sincere in what he teaches. However, I do question his healing ministry, and his misuse of Scripture in his premise to support his Authority to Heal ministry.

There’s no shortages of testimonies from all religions concerning miracle healings. Even the Roman Catholics, who pray to idols, pray to Mary, pray for the dead, practice baby sprinkling, teach that no one is saved without Catholic baptism, or a desire for it, also profess all manner of miracles and visions. Few religion are exempt when it comes to these experiences. Medical doctors are sometimes baffled that a former diagnosis changes or disappears in those who profess no religious faith. Therefore, inductive reasoning is never proof of cause and effect.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Because of the selfish and covetous nature of man, the “prosperity and healing gospel” attracts people[/pullquote]

Because of the selfish and covetous nature of man, the “prosperity and healing gospel” attracts people, as a pool of muddy water in the desert attracts all varieties of animals. Promise people “health and wealth,” if they follow that theology, and they will respond. It should be noted that theology is the creation of men. I have watched this deception for years, and those who espouse it are deceived, and many preach that doctrine to enrich themselves.

Perhaps the most calloused and wicked aspect of the health and wealth ministry is when the infirmed are left with the feeling that they just did not have enough faith. Or, when the blame is placed on the one who prays. Regardless, in the final analysis, the failure is always laid at the feet of someone’s unbelief. The Bible is clear that people were healed who lacked faith, and prayers were answered in spite of the absence of faith.

In any debate, when the main premise is wrong, the conclusion will always be wrong. I have found, the number one reason people come to a wrong conclusion about Scriptural matters is their failure or inability to rightly divide the Word of God. Without a doubt, when it comes to biblical hermeneutics, the most important verse in the Bible is 2 Timothy 2:15. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Paul said, “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” 1 Corinthians 10:32. Three groups are mentioned. Unless we rightly divide Scripture, we have no way of knowing to whom it is addressed. You, no doubt, have heard people say, “Every promise in the book is mine.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Also, the promise in Authority to Heal, is not given to the church today.

There are seven different baptisms in Scripture. There are also several different gospels, and dispensations. We must know the difference between the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the gospel of grace, which was a mystery revealed to Paul. If we fail to discern what was to the Disciples only, and that which was Kingdom of Heaven gospel, we will never rightly divide the Word. Therefore, we can make the Bible teach anything we wish.  A wrong premise will always lead to a wrong conclusion, which leads to wrong interpretation and application. This is what Dr. Blue, in Authority to Heal has done. His whole premise is wrong.

Because of his failure to rightly divide Scripture, he has embraced a hodge-podge theology on the subject of miracles and healing. He also, wrongly assumes the church possesses the promised kingdom to Israel, and now those promises belong to the church. He says,

  • “From the beginning, God intended for humanity to have dominion over the world (Gen 1:28). The lines of authority which were broken by Adam’s disobedience have now been re-established by the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. As he proclaims in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” And this authority he gives to his church: “Go and make disciples of all nations, … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (w. 19-20). The lines of true authority were not only re-established by Christ but also extended by him into all the world through the church. The rule of God, that is to say the kingdom of God, was established by Jesus and is now expanded as we obey him.” Ken Blue. Authority to Heal.

It should be noted that Matthew 28 is incorrectly quoted. Also, there is no church on earth that obeys that commission, nor can they. It was given to the Twelve as a continuation of the Kingdom of Heaven ministry. All is in the context of the promised kingdom. The first question by the Disciples after Christ’s resurrection was, “…Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6.  The first matter of business was to fill the vacancy left by Judas. We need to ask, why? “And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Acts 1:24-26.

The “why,” is found in the gospels. “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:28. This is the only place where apostolic succession was practiced.

[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If healing and casting out of devils is in operation today, what of the other miracles?[/pullquote]

Not only does Dr. Blue believe the church is the kingdom, he thinks it was given the covenant promises to the Jews. He evidently doesn’t know the difference between a testament and a covenant. The New Covenant was made with Israel. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34. There are no covenants made with the church of this dispensation. One may attempt to refute this by quoting the book of Hebrews. However, the book of Hebrews is not a church epistle. It was written for the Hebrews who will be in the Tribulation. Right divisions will show that Hebrews through Revelation are not church epistles, but are Jewish Tribulation epistles.

  • “As we look away from our own state of mind to God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ, we see that just as Israel was related to God through the covenant of Sinai so we are related to God through the new covenant in Christ’s blood. As the kingdom was made known to Israel through Jesus of Nazareth, so it is now made known to the church by the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit. Saturating our minds with the truth of God’s unconditional love will do more to create a healing environment than anything else we may do.” Ken Blue. Authority to Heal.

Another error in Authority to Heal is the absence of the other miracles promised under the Kingdom of Heaven ministry. If we accept the premise that healing and the casting out of devils resides in the church today, why ignore the other miracles? Could it be that they cannot be validated? When Mark is quoted, part of the context is conveniently ignored. We will post the complete text. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Mark 16:15-18. “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14. We challenge any church to prove they experience either promise in the above text.

The argument that God does not want anyone to be sick, may be valid. However, to argue that the reason is because He so loves us is not a valid argument. We are now back to the prosperity gospel. Does God want anyone in this dispensation to be poor? Does He not love these as well? It is not a matter of what God wants, but what He allows. God cannot be inconsistent with Himself.  If we don’t understand right divisions, and understand that God administers His programs differently in different economies, we will never handle the Word of God correctly. This is the dispensation of grace, and His grace is sufficient.

If healing and casting out of devils is in operation today, what of the other miracles?

I will give a list of questions on this subject. They are simple, and the respondent should be straightforward with his or her answers. Please don’t waste my time with your beliefs or hearsay. We want the truth.

  1. Do you believe the miracle working power Jesus and the disciples had are present today? If not, why not?
  2. Do you know anyone with those powers?
  3. Do you know anyone who was dead three days or more and was raised from the dead?
  4. Do you know of any mentally retarded person who was healed by the gift of healing?
  5. Do you know anyone blind or deaf from birth, and a faith healer restored their sight or hearing?
  6. Do you know anyone who could not walk for 40 years, and was restored by a faith healer?
  7. Do you know a miracle worker who walks on water?
  8. Do you know a miracle worker who feeds thousands with a little boy’s lunch?
  9. Do you know anyone with ALS that was healed by a faith healer?
  10. Do you know anyone who had Alzheimer’s that was healed by a faith healer?

If you have positive answers to the above, please send us their name and address so we may contact them.

If you tell me that an elephant walked over your bed last night, I have no way of convincing you that it did not. Likewise, it is virtually impossible to convince one from Scripture the error of his experience. It is real to him. I have had this conversation for years with those who believe they were filled with the Spirit because they spoke in some unknown tongue. It is to no avail. They have no idea what they were saying, but they know they had an experience.

We leave the reader to his own conclusion. If you know the answer to the above questions, or if you choose to believe your experience above the Scriptures, so be it. However, you are not permitted to cherry pick the miracles you like, and ignore the others.

BABYLON, NOT THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH # 59

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CHAPTER 18

REVELON BOOKIn the near future, ten political leaders will establish independent governments within the area of the old Roman Empire. There is no indication in Scripture when these will be established or how long they will remain independent of each other. From within the ten, a political leader will arise who will come from Syria and also from Babylon. He is called, in Scripture, among his many names, the “little horn.” He will assume power while in Babylon. We do not know when this will happen. It could happen years before the Rapture or the Second Advent of Christ. Babylon will become his new headquarters and he will take over the leadership of the ten independent powers within the revised Roman Empire. Their kingdoms will become his. The city of Babylon will be rebuilt and become a city of wealth, beauty, and idolatry.

Most of his rule will involve wars and battles with surrounding rival nations. At approximately the mid-point of the Tribulation, he will conquer Jerusalem and move his headquarters there.

From the beginning of their governments, the ten kings have been “in bed” with the whore (Babylon) and enjoyed “doing business” with her. We are not told what events transpired to cause the Antichrist and the ten kings to hate Babylon, but Scripture reveals that God put it in their hearts to destroy her (Revelation 17:16). See 2 Thessalonians 2:11, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” Since the Antichrist will have no rivals, it is likely he destroyed Babylon because she was attracting too much attention from world leaders.

       Chapter 17 reveals who the woman is. She is the great city Babylon. Babylon’s influence over the kings of the earth has been, and is, universal. God will use the Antichrist and his government to destroy the city of Babylon. In chapter 18, the city itself, having been stripped and plundered will be completely destroyed.

It is important to understand that the city of Babylon and its system are spoken of in chapters 17 and 18. The similarities within the chapters cannot be ignored:

 

Chapter 17 Chapter 18
“…inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication..” v. 2 “…all nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication” v. 3
“…arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,” v. 4 “…gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,” v. 12
“shall …burn her with fire.” v. 16 “…shall be utterly burned with fire:” v. 8
“…great city…” v. 18 “…that great city Babylon” v. 10
“…the kings of the earth.” v.18 “The kings of the earth…” v. 9

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.   For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.”  (Revelation 18: 1-3).

The events in chapter 18 are a continuation and an extension of chapter 17. A different angel brings the message of Babylon’s final destruction. There is no such thing in Scripture as mystic Babylon. The Babylon of chapter 17 is the Babylon of chapter 18 and is a literal city.

These two chapters, along with many Old Testament prophecies assure us that Babylon must be rebuilt before it can be destroyed again. There is plenty of time for that to happen, and for it to rise to the height of idolatry and luxury before the Second Advent of Christ.  Thus, Babylon will become the haven for sorcery, witchcraft, and idolatry.

“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.   Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”  (Revelation 18:4-8).

At some point in the Tribulation the remnant will flee to Babylon for protection. It will be, no doubt, safer in Babylon than in Jerusalem. This may be the flight of Israel recorded in chapter 12. It is only speculation that the remnant will flee to Petra. God calls for them to get out of Babylon before He pours out His cup of wrath to destroy her.