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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 6 - BABYLON THE HARLOT AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD(REVELATION 17:1 - 19:10)
PART 6.1 - THE JUDGMENT OF GOD UPON THE HARLOT BABYLON (REVELATION 17:1 - 18:24)

10. The Joy of the Perfected Church in Heaven (Revelation 18:20)


REVELATION 18:20
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her.”

In blatant contrast to the earthly lamentation of the kings, merchants and ship crews, a cry went out in heaven to summon the justified saints to joyous celebration over the sudden ruin of the metropolis Babylon. All residents of heaven were to break forth in joyous song, because the great mixer of poisons, the mother of syncretism and the source of satanic temptation, who lead many to apostasy and falling away from the Savior Jesus Christ, had been exterminated in just one hour.

The saints, unholy in themselves, but justified through the blood and righteousness of Christ, and sanctified through His Spirit, were to break forth in jubilation. Their faith in the Lamb of God and in the Lord's imparted righteousness to them had stood the test and been verified. All doubt, half-hearted and sham faith had been judged with the fall of Babylon. Salvation in Jesus alone is the legal basis for entry into heaven.

The justified saints had, to be sure, forgiven and forgotten all of the unrighteous words and acts done them by their antagonists. But the injustice that they had suffered, all the molestations, defamations, persecutions and vexations of these wrongs had to be atoned for and judged before God. With the fall of Babylon all the injustices done to the Spirit-born foreigners in this world were amended for.

Since the days of the eleven disciples of Jesus those chosen and called into service in the kingdom of the Lamb have been attacked, flogged and stoned by heathen, Jews, or power-hungry Christians. Now the voice in heaven commanded these faithful to rejoice and be glad, just as Jesus had previously commanded them: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

With the fall of Babylon, it became clear that the worldwide gospel proclamation of the ambassadors of Jesus is true. Since then, the righteousness of God can no longer be slandered, deranged or infiltrated. Salvation in Christ comes to us alone through the purity of the entire gospel, and remains forever valid. The lies of Satan disintegrate into nothingness. There is no God apart from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! All other gods are non-entities or impure spirits, and to believe in them amounts to self-deception or outright error. The joy in heaven over the victory of truth is great!

The saints and apostles, together with the prophets of the Old and New Covenant, praise the Triune God. They clearly foretold, in a faithful and pure way, the reality of God, the depravity of mankind, and the coming judgment. They believed and witnessed that the masses, as a result of the temptation and deceit of the false prophet and the harlot of Babylon, would turn away from the Lamb of God and be led to serve the Antichrist. In spite of that, the prophets held to the victory of the Messiah with unshakeable certainty. Therefore, they are to rejoice with the saints over the incontestable righteousness of God and over the rock-solid salvation of the Lamb. Likewise, they are to exult over the devastating downfall of the great city, which had in vain tried to bundle all satanic thoughts and philosophies and cast them as a net over the children of Adam. The net is torn, and the bird is free (Psalm 124:6-8)! Babylon is destroyed – the gospel can flow to all nations unhindered!

The contrasts are great: On the one side the uncompassionate materialists on earth lament the downfall of their religious power centers. But in heaven there arises a thunderous exaltation over the victory of justice, over the breaking through of God's righteousness and the love of the Lamb. All who suffer under a false or insufficient proclamation in their churches and fellowships, and all who are concerned for the honor of God, should enter into this pre-celebration of joy in heaven – even, if necessary, with tears.

PRAYER: Our Holy Father in heaven, we thank You with tears for the rejoicing of the saints before You in the near end of the temptress and the certain death of the mother of harlots. We rejoice with them in the victory of the truth and the prophets will praise You for the fulfillment of their bitter prophecies with their fearful warnings and good promises. Help us merciful Father to testify to the truth through the guidance of Your wise Spirit. We pray to You for the extermination of the temptress in our world. Amen.

QUESTION:

  1. Why will the saints in heaven rejoice over the end of Babylon, the harlot?

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