Sickle of Truth

Revelation Chapter 18 VERSE 15 “The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing…” THE MERCHANTS OF THESE THINGS: SOMEONE had to supply Babylon’s appetite. The capitalists were more than willing to have her as their primary client. What other international concern kept them so well in business? WHO BECAME RICH FROM HER: Read history! Cooperation with the harlot brought great temporal advantages. Those who reliably…

Read More Read More

  Revelation Chapter 18 VERSE 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.” AND THE FRUIT OF YOUR SOUL’S DESIRE (margin): Just as the kings directly addressed Babylon in Verse 10, so also the merchants directly address her, but NOT regarding judgment. The capitalists don’t care about moral issues like judgment! They pity Babylon’s loss…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 — THE KINGS — VERSE 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…” AND THE KINGS OF THE EARTH: — not necessarily crowned kings, but those in the political seats of the mighty (heads of government). WHO COMMITTED IMMORALITY: — who had cooperative agreements with Babylon. AND LIVED LUXURIOUSLY WITH HER: — because their cooperation brought them temporal advantages….

Read More Read More

  Revelation Chapter 18 Brother Shallieu’s thoughts on Verse 8 “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 judges her.” Immediately there comes to attention a listing in the reverse order of what might be expected: “death, and mourning, and famine.” Normally, death might be seen as the logical culmination of this sequence. But, on second thought, the order as…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 VERSE 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.’” TO THE DEGREE THAT SHE GLORIFIED HERSELF AND LIVED LUXURIOUSLY: Clearly, she exalted herself to the top and spared no expense for her comforts or in bragging about her wisdom. TO THE SAME DEGREE GIVE HER TORMENT AND MOURNING: Truths…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 VERSE 5 “For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” FOR HER SINS HAVE PILED UP (Literally = JOINED TOGETHER) AS HIGH AS HEAVEN: The thought seems to be that heaven (God) can no longer overlook the accumulation of sins. They are past excusing or cleansing. AND GOD HAS REMEMBERED HER INIQUITIES: God tends to forget iniquities if things are going in the right direction. (See Ezek. 18:21, 22.) The fact that God is…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 VERSE 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.” AND I HEARD: The first three verses totally summarized the condemnation of Babylon. The picture was complete. John now uses his traditional section-dividing words to look at the results of that condemnation. ANOTHER VOICE FROM HEAVEN: — a messenger sent who will deliver the Lord’s previously-stated condemnation to His…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 PART II (Verses 4 – 20) An Introduction to Part Two — Part II deals with how the “fall” of Babylon (Verse 2) will progress to its culmination in its destruction. Part II is entirely narrated by the “voice from heaven” (Verse 4) who is the Seventh angel who did, indeed, in the great detail of Volume 4 (“Studies in the Scriptures” series, “The Battle of Armageddon”), predict all of these trends leading to Babylon’s final, total…

Read More Read More

Revelation Chapter 18 PART I (Verses 1 – 3) continued VERSE 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.” FOR: This little word, meaning BECAUSE, connects the second and third verses. The implication is that demons, unclean spirits, and hateful birds have made their homes in Babylon BECAUSE: ALL THE…

Read More Read More

  Revelation Chapter 18 As was stated at the beginning of Chapter 17: In this study as usual we will be consulting our two primary sources on the book of Revelation, viz., the “New Albany Notes on Revelation” along with excerpts from Brother Frank Shallieu’s work “The Keys to Revelation”, any other sources of information including the Reprints will be duly noted. Our first view entertained will generally be from the New Albany notes as that is our preference, followed…

Read More Read More