May 12, Tuesday

SCENE 2 – Perspectives on Babylon’s Demise

A majestic, powerful angel came down from Heaven; his radiance illuminated the whole earth, and he announced in a mighty shout,

“Babylon the great has fallen!
Once the pride of kings and merchants
who made themselves rich with her extravagant luxury
and wasted themselves on her sensual pleasures,
she lies in ruins,
a cauldron of demons and evil spirits,
a haunt of jackals and wild beasts,
and a roosting place for buzzards and vultures.”

Then another voice came from Heaven, saying, “Come away, My people! Escape lest you succumb to her enticements and share in her punishment. Behold, her sins have piled to the heavens and God has taken note of all her wickedness:

• Pay her in kind for what she has done. Yes, give her twice the misery she has caused. Mix up a double-strength cup of judgment.
• To the degree that she flaunted her luxury and pleasure, reward her with torment and suffering.
• In that she boasted of being ‘on top of the world, queen of all, never to lack a lover,’ let the plagues, pestilence, mourning, famine, and fire fall upon her in a single day.
• Let her know that the Lord God who judges her is powerful.

“The day of her downfall will bring rejoicing in Heaven, but on earth:

• The kings who indulged in her will stand back in horror at the sight as the smoke rises from her. They will cry out, ‘How dreadful! Babylon the Great, to think that your judgment could happen in a single hour!’
• The merchants from around the world will lift up a wailing cry as their marketplace goes up in flames. All their commodities will suddenly be worth nothing — gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; fine woods, vessels of ivory, bronze, iron, and marble; spices, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, oil, fine flour, and corn; cattle, sheep, and horses; chariots, slaves, and even the souls of men.
• The consumers and retailers who enjoyed all the riches will stand back and lament the devastation, ‘Alas, our glorious city, so prosperous and abundant — how could all that wealth be gone in a single hour?’
• The captains and sailors aboard the mighty freighters, all whose business is on the ocean, will see the smoke of her burning from far off and cry out, ‘Was there ever a city as great as that city?’
• Expressing their utter despair, they will throw dust on their heads and repeat, ‘What has happened to our great city where all who had ships grew prosperous because of her? How could this possibly all be gone in a single hour?’

“But let all heaven rejoice! All God’s holy ones, apostles and prophets, shout for joy! God has taken up your cause and pronounced final judgment against her!”

An angel, a very strong one, took up a stone the size of a millstone (nearly a thousand pounds) and threw it into the ocean. “That is Babylon the Great,” the angel said, “thrown down never to be seen or heard from again!

• Gone are all your entertainments — harpists, singers, flute-players, and trumpeters — never again to be heard.
• All your fine craftsmen along with their handiwork are gone.
• There is no sign of life whatsoever.
• Gone forever is the joyous sound of wedding bells.
• You sold your souls to the sorcery of material wealth and to those who enticed you with temporal prosperity.
• You filled your streets with the blood of prophets, of God’s holy ones, indeed with all the innocent blood of all time.”

SCENE 3 – Celebration in Heaven

Then I heard the sound of a huge crowd, a mighty roar, as they exclaimed, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God! He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth and spilled the blood of His servants! His judgments are true and right!”

This was followed by an echoing, “Alleluia! The smoke of her destruction rises forever and ever!”

The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures bowed low and worshipped God Who is seated upon the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia! It is done!”

Then a commanding voice from the throne said, “Give praise to our God, all you who serve Him, small and great!”

The vast crowd erupted in praise. The heavens shook as with rolling thunder and with the deafening roar of a great waterfall as they declared:

“Alleluia! For the Lord our God,
the All-powerful One, reigns Supreme!
Let us celebrate with wholehearted joy and exalt Him;
for the wedding day of the Lamb has finally arrived,
and His bride has made herself ready.”

To His bride was given a gown of spotless, glistening fine linen,
all her God-birthed acts woven into a glorious garment.

The angel instructed me to write this pronouncement as the very oracle from God:

“Blessed are those invited to share in the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

Overwhelmed by the majesty and glory of the moment, I fell at the feet of the angel to worship him; but he stopped me, saying, “No, do not worship me. Worship God alone! I am but a fellow servant of yours and of your brothers whose testimony is all about Jesus. Yes, the unfolding of all prophecy points ultimately to Jesus.