My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 18:2

My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 18:2

Before Jesus was crucified He told the disciples to watch and pray, something so simple, but they let their physical bodies take over and they fell back asleep. In these last hours of time you need to hear His voice. When He tells you something, it is very important, but most ignore my voice or just discuss it and go on with what they were doing. You will see many things start to happen shortly and if you do not hear and obey His voice,... it will mean death for some of you....Jesus has only your best interest in mind. Christ knows you heart, and if you are truly His you will hear His voice. He awakes many of you at 3am on the dot, but most will roll over and go back to sleep. There are a few who will get up and pray. Your day is filled with so many things and Jesus is the last thing many of you give your time to. But Christ needs to talk to you,... to fellowship with you and only when you are still and quite (3am) can you hear Him,... the rest of your day is so busy you do not have time for Him,... but you need to make time, for time is short and the Lord has instructions for you.

Revelation 18

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. Rev. 18:2


Babylon the great... Sixteen contrasts between the two Babylons:

1. Mystery Babylon of Rev. 17:1-18 is symbolic; literal Babylon of Rev. 16:17-21; 18:1-24 is not.

2. One is a mystery (Rev. 17:7); the other is not (Rev. 16:19; 18:1-24).

3. Everything in Rev. 17:1-18 is explained; all is so clear that nothing needs to be explained in Rev. 16:19; 18:1-24.

4. John wondered at one (Rev. 17:6), but not at the other (Rev. 18:1-24).

5. One rides the beast (Rev. 17:3-7); the other does not (Rev. 18:1-24).

6. One angel promises to tell John all about mystery Babylon (Rev. 17:7); several speak of literal Babylon (Rev. 18:1-20).

7. One is called "the woman," the "great whore," etc.; the other is not.

8. Names are written on one (Rev. 17:5); this is not true of the other.

9. Mystery Babylon was something new to John (Rev. 17:1-7); literal Babylon was not.

10. One is not mentioned by the prophets; the other, literal Babylon, is mentioned many times.

11. One makes herself rich by duping people (Rev. 17:4); literal Babylon makes others rich (Rev. 18:3, 18:9-19).

12. One is destroyed by man (Rev. 17:12-17); the other by God (Rev. 18:5-20).

13. People rejoice over the destruction of one (Rev. 17:16-17); they lament the destruction of the other—literal Babylon (Rev. 18:9-19).

14. God puts it into the hearts of people to destroy one (Rev. 17:15-17); not the other.

15. People could not destroy mystery Babylon in one hour, as is true of literal Babylon (Rev. 18:8, 18:10, 18:17).

16. Thirty articles of commerce are mentioned in literal Babylon (Rev. 18:11-14); none are mentioned in mystery Babylon.

Seven Similarities of the Two Babylons:

1. Both commit fornication with kings and nations (Rev. 17:2; 18:3-14).

2. Both shed blood of saints (Rev. 17:6; 18:24).

3. Both have cups of sin (Rev. 17:4; 18:6).

4. Both are a city (Rev. 17:18; 18:10-21).

5. Both are made desolate (Rev. 17:16; 18:19).

6. Both are called Babylon the great (Rev. 17:5 with Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 18:2).

7. Both are clothed in scarlet and purple and decked with precious stones (Rev. 17:4; 18:16).

Thirty-one Facts about Literal Babylon

Rebuilding of Babylon:

1. Babylon as a literal city is mentioned in the fulfillment of many things which must be after the rapture (Rev. 14:8; 16:19; 18:19; 18:1-24).

2. Zechariah predicted the rebuilding of Babylon (Zec. 5:5-11).

3. Babylon must again be a great commercial center (Rev. 18:3-10).

4. Babylon must again be a great religious center (Rev. 18:2-10, 18:23-24).

5. Her sorceries will deceive all nations after the rapture (Rev. 18:23; 2Th. 2:10).

6. Orders for the martyrdom of saints will go out from Babylon (Rev. 18:24).

7. Babylon will be destroyed at the end of this age (Rev. 16:19; 18:1-24; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40).

Time of the Destruction of Babylon:

8. In the day of Israel’s final restoration (Rev. 16:17-20:6; Isa. 13:6-13; 14:1-7; Jer. 50:4-35)

9. In the day of the Lord (Rev. 16:19; 18:1-24; Isa. 13:6-13)

10. At the end of the great tribulation (Rev. 16:17-21; 18:1-24)

11. Under the 7th vial (Rev. 16:17-21)

12. When the planets are affected (Rev. 16:17-21; Mat. 24:29-31; Isa. 13:10-11)

13. When the world is punished for its sins (Rev. 18:1-24; Isa. 13:11)

14. When Israel is given rule over her oppressors (Isa. 14:1-4)

15. When Israel sings her triumph song (Isa. 14:3-17)

16. At the second coming (Rev. 16:17-21)

17. At the beginning of the Millennium (Rev. 16:17-21; Rev. 18:1-20:10)

How Babylon is to be destroyed:

18. By an earthquake (Rev. 16:17-21)

19. By a supernatural destruction (Rev. 16:17-21; 18:8, 18:10, 18:17, 18:19, 18:21; Isa. 13:6-13; Jer. 50:20, 50:40; 51:8)

20. Suddenly in one hour (Rev. 18:8-19; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40; 51:8)

21. By fire from heaven (Rev. 18:8-18; Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40)

22. With violence (Rev. 18:21)

23. By the earth swallowing her (Rev. 18:21; Jer. 51:62-64)

24. By God (Rev. 18:8, 18:20), as He destroyed Sodom (Isa. 13:19; Jer. 50:40)

Extent of Babylon’s destruction:

25. Will never be inhabited again (Isa. 13:20; Jer. 50:39-40; 51:29, 51:37, 51:43)

26. Arabs and shepherds will never dwell there afterward (Isa. 13:20)

27. Totally (Rev. 18:21; Isa. 13:9-22; Jer. 50:3-40; 51:26-43)

28. Never to be found again (Rev. 18:21)

29. Her site to be one of the openings of hell (Rev. 19:3; Isa. 14:9-17; 66:22-24)

30. Desert creatures will dwell on the edges of this hell-hole (Isa. 13:21-22)

31. People will be astonished at such destruction (Jer. 50:13)

Not one of the above passages has yet been literally fulfilled, so they must refer to a future prosperity and destruction of Babylon. That a literal city is referred to is proved by its predicted destruction along with the cities of the nations (Rev. 16:19).

In New Testament times "Babylon" was still a city with a Christian church (1Pet. 5:13). 500 years later, the Babylonian Talmud was written there. Since then it has not been destroyed as required in the above references. Even today there is a city called Hillah of nearly 300,000 population built just south of the old site of ancient Babylon. The soil is exceedingly fertile and engineers estimate that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers could irrigate 7,000,000 acres in winter and 3,000,000 in summer to grow varied crops. The whole of the East is rich in oil and other minerals. A commercial city called Babylon could be made here in a few short years.

This city will be the capital of Antichrist before he enters Israel to make the Jewish temple his capital the last 3 1/2 years of this age (Dan. 11:40-45; 2Th. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2; 13:1-18). Even if we ignored all the Old Testament prophecies above, we should be forced to believe in a literal city for the fulfillment of Rev. 14:8; 16:17-21; 18:1-24.

become the habitation... Babylon will become the chief center of demonic operations after the rapture. This is the chief cause of her fall (Rev. 18:2).

habitation... Greek: katoiketerion. Here; Eph. 2:22.

and the hold... Greek: phulake, a garrison; keep in custody. Translated "hold" and "cage" (Rev. 18:2); "ward" (Acts 12:10); "imprisonment" (2Cor. 6:5; Heb. 11:36); "watch" (Mat. 14:25; 24:43; Mar. 6:48; Luke 2:8; 12:38); and "prison" (Mat. 5:25; 14:3, 14:10; 18:30; 25:36-44).

and hateful bird... Demon powers (Mat. 13:4, 13:19).

fallen is fallen... (compare 14:8; see note on Isa. 21:9), the verse from which these words come. The Greek text views the results of this as if it had already taken place (see note on 14:8). But the seventh vial is being referred to here and it is yet to come at this point (16:17-21). When it comes, devastation and annihilation will take place, leaving the place to demons.

The message of this angel who cries with a "mighty voice" is this: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!" Since chapter 18 seems to describe the destruction of a literal commercial city, the governmental capital of the world during the Tribulation, we naturally ask ourselves the question, "Where is that city?" Again, Bible prophecy students are not in agreement. Some suggest the city of Rome, and some years ago suggested New York City because he felt it was the commercial center of the world. Some who believe we should take the Scriptures literally whenever possible are inclined to believe that the city of Babylon will be rebuilt.
There is a similar description of this very same thing in Isaiah:
Isaiah 21:9 "And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, [with] a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground."
Here we see the fall of the great apostate church. We also see the fall of these ten evil nations. God is not mocked. God wins the war. God has given up on them completely. Now judgment comes. Babylon is a very wicked group, but they are not the world. They are the church gone bad. For a while the world and the apostate church were walking hand in hand. The evil ten nations, at last, have turned against this apostate church, both Catholic and Protestant. This is the church that has committed spiritual adultery. Iraq is physical Babylon.
This, a strong voice... came from God. This apostate church God doesn't even claim any more. The real Christians are already in heaven. Now we see even this watered-down church fall, and that leaves the way open for every unclean spirit that exists. Demons control.

The angel’s message is summarized: Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! The question has been raised as to whether or not this is another view of the same destruction mentioned in Rev. 17:16-17. A comparison of Rev. 17:1-18 and Rev. 18:1-24 reveals that these are different events. The woman in Rev. 17:1-18 was associated with the political power but was not the political power itself, and her destruction apparently brought no mourning from the earth. By contrast the destruction of Babylon in Rev. 18:1-24 brings loud lamentation from the earth’s political and economic powers. Instead of being destroyed and consumed by the 10 kings, here the destruction seems to come from an earthquake, and it is probable that this is an enlarged explanation of what was described in Rev. 16:19-21.