[Chapter 18-2] “Come Out of Her, My People, Lest You Receive of Her Plagues” (Revelation 18:1-24)
(Revelation 18:1-24)
God
tells us in chapter 18 that He would destroy the great city Babylon
with His great plagues. Because by the end times this world would have
turned too filthy and sinful before God’s eyes, and because God would
thus have no other choice but to destroy it despite having created it
Himself, He will allow the great, apocalyptic plagues that would end the
earth. This world will therefore be laid to ruins until it is
completely brought down.
The
actual reason why God would destroy the world is because He would have
seen the blood of His prophets and saints. And because this world would
have committed too many and too great sins with all the things that God
had given it, it would have become too filthy for God to tolerate. The
most beautiful planet that God has created is the planet earth. This is
so because God Himself worked on this earth with keen interest, and
because it is also the place where God’s plans and His work of saving
sinners in Jesus Christ have been fulfilled.
Nevertheless,
God has already planned how He would destroy this world and how He
would make the Kingdom of Christ come. When this world is filled with
all kinds of filthiness, God will destroy it through His angels with the
plagues of the seven bowls. He will then renew all things and have His
saints reign in His new world.
The Fallen City of Babylon!
The
kings of the earth have fornicated with the things of the world and
lived in its luxury, while all the merchants, too busy selling and
buying everything that God has given them, have lost God Himself in
their pursuit of greed. God will destroy everything and all—buildings,
religions, merchandises found within religion, people who have enriched
themselves through religion, kings, politicians, people obsessed with
material possessions, and more—all these will be brought down by God.
God
will shake down every building on this earth and leave no building
standing, and He will destroy all things, from people to forests and
trees, with His fire. When everything in this world thus falls, people
will lament and weep. In particular, God will make sure to destroy all
those who had enriched themselves through religion. It is very important
for us to know beforehand and believe in the fact that God will thus
destroy this beautiful world that He had created Himself.
At
this time, God will allow the born-again saints who had participated in
the first resurrection of Jesus Christ to reign on this earth for a
thousand years. With the Kingdom of the Lord, He will compensate the
saints for serving the gospel of the water and the Spirit and for being
martyred to defend their faith while on this earth. God will give them
authority over ten cities, over five cities, and over two cities and let
them reign for a thousand years, and after this, He will also give them
the New Heaven and Earth to live forever.
Why,
then, is God going to destroy the earth, the most beautiful planet in
the entire universe? It is only on this planet earth that fish can swim
in rivers, wild animals can roam in the forests, and mankind can live.
But because God would no longer be able to tolerate a world where sin
has become so rampant, He will lay this world to its complete ruins with
His plagues. God has decided to destroy the world.
Everyone
living on this earth, except those who have been saved, will be
destroyed by the plagues of the seven bowls. Because all the righteous
of the end times would be martyred, persecuted and oppressed by this
world, God will trample on the world itself in return for its evil
deeds. When this time comes, the religious leaders and merchants who had
traded in people’s souls will all be destroyed. God will not only kill
all those who acted as religious leaders without having been born again,
but He will also throw them, along with the Devil, into the lake of
fire and brimstone.
God
will most certainly destroy this world. As such, we much realize and
believe beyond a trace of doubt that this world is to be destroyed. God
will kill all the merchants who boast of all kinds of great things and
traffic in people’s souls with their religion. And yet, even as God’s
plagues are so imminent, people still remain arrogant in their
confidence. Just take a look at the religious leaders of this earth. Are
they not all prideful, as if they were doing the right thing before
God? Would God really approve what such people do?
If
God said that He would destroy this world for the sins of these people,
then we must believe as such, for all things will come to pass exactly
as God said that they would. And we must defend our faith. I am not
saying this as just another one of those cult leaders who make up their
own little doctrines and speak of the coming apocalypse, but I am saying
this because we must believe in what God has told us in the Scripture
—that is, the Living God will most certainly destroy this world with the
great plagues of the seven bowls.
We Must Not Indulge Ourselves in This World That Will Soon Be Destroyed
As
such, we must not be obsessed with accumulating the material possession
of this world that is soon to be destroyed. We must be satisfied with
what God has given us, and use and share them as God pleases. The
material things of the world are needed only to serve God. We must live
as the faithful servants who manage what God has given them for the
preaching of the gospel. We must not be tangled up with the material
things of the world, for we believe that God will destroy this world.
We
must not fool ourselves thinking that the wealth and value of this
world would last forever. Knowing that God will trample on all the
religious leaders and their followers as well, we must live waiting for
the day of the Lord’s return. If not, we will end up falling into the
world, a world that will shortly be destroyed. As such, to not fall into
a world facing its own destruction, we must believe that this planet
earth will indeed be destroyed.
God
is alive at this very moment, and when the time comes, He will fulfill
all that He has said. While it is true that even among the born-again
there are those whose faith is yet to mature, we must nevertheless all
believe without a doubt. And we must be all awake once again. We must
never lose our hearts to this world that would soon be destroyed, but
instead live our lives by placing our unfaltering and unshakable faith
in the Word of God. Our hearts may at times weaken, but we must still
live with strong faith.
That
God will do all these things to this world is wonderful to us. Were God
not to destroy this world and build the new Kingdom of Christ in its
place, the righteous would be greatly disappointed. This is why God’s
plan is so wonderful, and why it gives hope to the righteous saints.
If
the unbelievers were to remain in their arrogance and yet they live
well in happiness while on this earth and even enter Heaven with us
afterwards, it would be so unfair to us that God would never allow this
to happen. God’s promise, that He will judge and destroy all those who
persecute the righteous, torment them with their lies, and shed the
blood of the saints, is only just and right.
If
there were to be no judgment of God for the sinners of this world,
would it not be so unfair to the righteous who have lived all their
lives for the sake of the Lord in perseverance despite facing all kinds
of troubles and difficulties? It is therefore only right that God would
judge this world. When this world becomes like the world of Noah’s time,
God will most certainly turn the whole world upside down and destroy
it.
Because
we believe in the Lord, we do not envy the people of the world at all.
Because the Lord has said that He will judge this world and throw Satan,
the Antichrist, and his followers into the fire of hell, we can all
persevere and wait.
This
world is only a minute away from being destroyed, all in accordance to
the prophecies of the Word of God. Throughout the earth, we have already
seen many signs indicating the imminent arrival of the plagues of the
end times.
Weather
abnormalities such as the El Niño phenomenon and such new diseases as
the Mad Cow Disease are rocking today’s world. Incurable diseases that
mankind is powerless to tackle are engulfing the world, as are such
large-scale, previously unimaginable disasters as great famines and
devastatingly destructive earthquakes striking throughout the earth.
When
all these things are happening, we must believe that God exists, and
live our lives knowing that God will judge and bring down all those who
had lived only for their lusts, amassing their wealth while in this
world. Sin has become so rampant in today’s world. This world is too
extravagant in its luxuries. People are too busy getting married, eating
and drinking, and building their houses to pay any attention to their
spiritual well-being. Today’s world is a world where a man commits
sexual sin with another man, and not a few women burn in their lust for
one another (Romans 1:27).
Was
the world not like this in Noah’s time? You might know well of the
etymology of the word ‘sodomite.’ When Sodom and Gomorrah were
destroyed, their culture had been just like that of today’s world in
which we now live. This world has become so filthy and sinful, to the
extent that God would bring down fire and burn it to ashes, and it has
turned into a world fully occupied by demons.
False Prophets Are to Be Put to Death
The
false prophets always seek after material possessions and accumulate
wealth illicitly, hiding behind the relative autonomy extended to their
religious institutions. “If you believe in Jesus, you’ll be rich, live
well, and cure your disease”—you must realize that behind every such
lie, the hidden purpose of material exploitation is always present.
In
Korea, too, it’s been a long time since Christianity has lost its
fundamental faith and been corrupted, with all kinds of demonic forces
running rampant in the name of Jesus. This is the reality of today’s
Christianity. But to the false prophets who measure faith with the
material possessions of the world and commit sorceries with the Word of
God, His fearful judgment of hell and the great plagues of the seven
bowls are awaiting.
God
tells us that both the ones who deceive the people and those who are
deceived by the false prophets will alike be judged. We must not look
toward this world and follow it. We must instead believe that because
God is alive, those who, not believing in Jesus, stand against Him and
persecute the righteous will all be judged and condemned to eternal
death. And we must also believe that after thus judging the world, God
will most certainly reward the saints for all their suffering and pain
born for the sake of the name of Christ.
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