Rev 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from
heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice,
saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling
place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean
and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have
committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich
through the abundance of her luxury." 4 And I
heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest
you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and
God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her
just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to
her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived
luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in
her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.' 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and
mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is
the Lord God who judges her. 9
"The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously
with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment,
saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour
your judgment has come.' 11 And the merchants of
the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise
anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver,
precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind
of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most
precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and
cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour
and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from
you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone
from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15
The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance
for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16
and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen,
purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.'
Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the
sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when
they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'
Imagine the power of a one-world government, and its degree
of corruption.
It has been well-said, “Power corrupts, and absolute
power corrupts absolutely.” We have seen that truth played out over and over
again in world history, but never on such a scale as this.
The Bible describes a time in which man has arranged himself
in a single world-wide government structure which has been designed specifically
to be in total opposition to God. Again - try to imagine how corrupt such a
government may be, and how determined it will be to destroy and to consume,
rather than to lift up and to enable its people.
And yet, strange as it may seem, there is something in
the heart of man that longs for this domineering world-state. How can people
become so lost as to be enamored with even the thought of such a state?
When people refuse to believe in God, they will believe
in anything.
-Pastor Bill
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