So, this mystical Babylon. The embodiment of the world's power and attitude. It is global, it is unmatched, it is evil, and it is final. Those things don't belong to ancient Babylon, the literal historical Babylon, but mystical Babylon, This government system that is coming to the world that has been tagged, hey, you are Babylon. That one is evil and it will be final.
Both Babylons were invincible and impressive kingdoms For a while. Mm. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the last book of the Bible, Revelation.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Today, on Cross-Reference Radio, Pastor Rick will be teaching in Revelation chapter 14. Then there is apocalyptic Babylon, has two elements of mysticism that belong to it. There's so it I'm going to say it's apocalyptic mystical Babylon. It also has a king on economy.
and a religion. It is the embodiment of the world's corrupt power and the attitude that goes with it. It is a satanic attitude. It is deliberate against God.
Now I mentioned the universities that have become these indoctrination centers. Not to suggest all the professors there or faculty are antichrist, but a great many of them are. And in microcosm, that's what's coming to the world. Their Mushmain students are going to become influences in the world. They're going to be elected, they're going to make laws.
These are the people that. are going to be harvested by hell. to bring hell to earth. And Satan loves to use people. Ca and he hates their guts.
But they're too blind to see it.
So this mystical Babylon. the embodiment of the world's power and attitude. It is global, it is unmatched, it is evil, and it is final. Those things don't belong to ancient Babylon, the literal historical Babylon, but mystical Babylon, This government system that is coming to the world that has been tagged, hey, you are Babylon. That one is evil, and it will be final.
Both Babylons were invincible and impressive kingdoms. for a while. But not permanently. The first Babylon, actually the king Nebuchadnezzar, became quite likable. under the influence of Daniel the prophet, when he was not under the influence of Daniel the prophet.
He was murderous. I mean, he's the guy that threw three nice Jewish guys right into the furnace. They didn't bother anybody. Anyway, God told Noah to fill the earth. But his descendants only settled in Shinar, Where Babylon was.
That's in Genesis 9 and Genesis 11. This is where this is coming from. I don't have time to read all the verses to you. And there, while they remained in Babel, which it was then named, but Shinar is the area, They united in humanistic idolatry. He tried to build a kingdom without God.
Sort of thumbing their nose in his face. I mentioned that idolatry is a created. It is a created God. by created beings. And that means it's not a god.
Uh man cannot create God. God creates man. God said, let's make man in our own image. And idolater says, no, let's make God in our image. And that's what was going on there.
And so from Genesis 11 through up to and Genesis 18, Babylon becomes synonymous with global wickedness. and not by mistake, it is deliberate. Jeremiah talks about this in his 51st chapter. I know those are tough chapters, but they have gems within them.
So, this New Testament Babylon stands for this personification of forces. The forces of the world Against the God of the Bible. both the Jewish concept of God In the Old Testament, and the Christian concept of God in the New Testament. Antichrist will not have, he's like communism, will not suffer a rival. And he's not Islam, same thing.
If they can get away with completely wiping out a rival they will.
Well, and they're not the only ones, incidentally. We might get to that.
So, Babylon is pictured. In this world, it is arrogant and vain and In their lifestyle, which comes later. I will take this from Genesis. These are the people of ancient Babylon, before its name was changed to Babel, when God split the language. and they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city.
and a tower whose top is in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves. lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the earth. It's contrary to what God told Noah. Go and populate the earth.
Well, we now come to the ninth verse because we could stay on the Babylon one a while. The message of the third angel is now before us in verse 9. Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, and he will go on to say in verse 10, then he himself shall drink the the wine of the wrath of God.
Well let's first we'll take verse nine, and then we'll return to verse ten. This is the same thing. Is, as mentioned, the third of these, this trilogy of angels dispatched to help. Those on earth. Those who not only have the mark of the beast, but adore him, show off the mark.
Have we seen this in history? Yes, we have. In Nazi Germany, there were Germans who did not join the Nazi Party, didn't think it was fun. A party is usually fun. They did not join the Nazi party, and they weren't a smoddy, and so they were.
They were uh singled out. by party members. as threats. They were not Nazis. They were just Germans.
And so in the days of Antichrist, you have to get the mark of the beast whether you want it or not. But there's this distinction made between those who worshipped him and had the mark. versus those who don't.
So there is, or should I put it this way? I'll put it in a question form. Is it A death sentence. to get the mark of the beast, to receive that mark. and not worship him.
Because again, every time it comes up in Revelation that they receive the mark and worship the beast, they're done. But there are those that will receive the mark because if not the whole planet, most of it will be tagged with this mark, many whether they like it or not. Is there a difference between those who worship the beast and receive the mark versus those who do not worship the beast but receive? receive the mark. Oh, there has to be.
or else Christ would come back to an empty planet. or a planet that will be entirely doomed. and when he comes back there will be Billions of survivors.
So, in this category of those who receive the mark. and don't worship, for example, little children. Oh, it'd be wonderful. You can always know where your child is. Who would want to know that?
So jokes, I mean like they're not funny. They're not funny. As a parent, I want to know, of course. And anyway, and I want to know who they're with. And I want to know if I like the guy or girl or not.
Yeah, but that's not re that doesn't work that way unless you become a stalker.
So back to this: little children, mentally handicapped people, ignorant people will get the mark without worshiping the beast. I mean, fine, that's what I got to do to buy a sandwich, fine. But there's more to that story. It does not mean if they have the mark, but don't worship the beast, that they're automatically going to be okay. In fact, Very few will.
Those who risked their lives to help the converts of Christ, according to Matthew 25. Will Be treated kindly by Christ.
Sort of a Corey Ten Boom Schindler's List kind of thing going on there. Survivors who put skin in the game.
So if you say, well, I'm gonna get the mark. I don't care. I don't believe all that stuff. You're about to be doomed. But if you get the market and you don't even know these things, And then, when Christ returns, you have been helping Christians at the risk of your life.
Not even getting what's going on. When He gives this parable in Matthew 25, they respond to His kindness. When did we help you? When did we visit you? When did we reach out to you?
And Jesus said, You did it to the least of these, you did it to me. Again, that's in the context of His return. And so there is hope. But at risk of your life. For daring to help the Christians and bring the ire of Antichrist.
So now we will go back again to an earlier statement I made where some Christians will, you know, and they're thinking, no, they've got to go to hell. You worship Jesus and go to hell.
Well, there's a whole bunch of truth in that. I believe that. But there are times when things according to the Scripture cause us to think it through a little bit more carefully. Jonah He couldn't stand that the Ninevites were going to get forgiven. And Even after God persuaded him to preach there, he sits on the hill sulking, waiting for God to wipe them out.
And God doesn't share Jonah's view. of dooming the lost. And so God does save the Ninevites, and then he addresses the prophet. He says, Should I not pity Nineveh? That great city?
in which more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and left hand, and much livestock, God says I'm not I'm not a butcher. Am I saying? That there is another way to Christ outside of Christ. No, I'm not. I'm not saying that at all.
But I am saying. There are some twists and turns. There are those That have no knowledge of the Bible during this great tribulation period. I pointed out, I think, last session, we talked about these long rivers, the Nile and the Amazon, as an example of remote places on earth with large populations who have never heard the true gospel if they've heard it at all. What is going to happen to them in the Great Tribulation period?
If they find out that the Christians are being hunted and slaughtered, and they risk their lives to save the Christians. What happens then? when Christ comes back and begins to judge, who gets to go through the millennial age and who does not.
Well, I think it's a good time to study that. Anyway, I've spent a lot of time on that. But doomed are the beast lovers. Spurgeon says this. It is evidently as evil and idolatry to worship a god of gold as it is to worship a god of mud.
Yeah. Doesn't matter. Who your fake God is. The fakeness of that God will damn your soul. And this will attend.
Now, you may have a lot of questions, so let's take this rope. No, kidding, we don't do that here. Mm-hmm. Feel free to ask me questions about this, and if you need. Me to back it up scripturally.
Verse 10. And he himself And I hope I get it right. There's In verse 10, He himself shall also drink of the wine of wrath. Wrath of God, which is poured out in full strength into the cup of his indignation, he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, in the presence of the Lamb.
So those who drink the cup of wrath in verse 8 will now drink the cup of God's wrath. They've been up to no good, to wickedness, and now there's another cup for them. and that's the comeuppance, which is poured out in full strength into the cup of his indignation. That means there's no appeal. The mercy of God is no longer available for them to escape their decision.
Now wine in those days with the meal would be diluted.
Well any time you drank wine it would be diluted unless your intention was to get drunk. or tipsy. unless you wanted to feel the effects of the alcohol. And so, what is being said here is that they're going to get the undiluted judgment. from God.
Regardless of what their intentions are. And so, in effect, God is saying, You want to get drunk in sin? I will pour out the consequence on you, and it is your choice. Undiluted judgment. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone.
See, this isn't, you know, I don't like the story, the stuff on hell.
Well, then they'll go to a real church. There's plenty of churches out there that play loud music and won't mention a word to convict the sinner. who will give them a Christ. that is emaciated. That is not the Christ of Scripture.
This is what the Bible teaches. And it teaches it for a reason. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone. It's not a theory. Nothing about this sounds friendly, nothing about it is false.
There's no glee in the voice of the preacher, and I'm glad they're going to hell. That's not what's going on. It's like, listen, this. The bridge is out and if you stay on this road You're going to plunge to your doom. And I'm trying to tell you that, but you think I'm being harsh.
Everything about this judgment coming is avoidable in Christ. And those who say you're just trying to scare me, well, you should be scared. I mean, it's like saying, hey, the place is on fire. Let's get out of here. Oh, you're just trying to scare me.
Yeah, I think I am. God is flashing fear before the eyes, the fear that saves. Deuteronomy. 1930, verse 19. I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing.
Therefore choose life. Fire is symbolic of God's blessings or His wrath. Matthew 3. Speaking of John the Baptist, his winnowing fan is in his hand. He's going to separate, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor.
And gather his wheat into the barn, He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. This is John the Baptist preaching. about the coming Christ, who is the Son of God, who is God the Son. And What in hell is going on? Non-stop torment.
That's what. That's what it's telling us. It's unquenchable. What part of unquenchable Stops. In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Well, the victims of the wicked will see the justice of God. Revelation 18, 20, rejoice over her, the fall of Babylon, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged on her. He's dealt with the evil. God will not be accused of being unjust because he's not. Verse 11, and the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever.
and they have no rest day or night. Who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. There is this false teaching in some theological circles of annihilation of the soul. That the lost, well, they don't go to hell, they just are deleted forever.
Well, that's not what the Bible teaches.
So I don't know what theology that is. Satan's attempt is to tone down. The consequence is the severity of judgment, so that you feel comfortable in rejecting Christ. It is tailored for those who believe that God's judgment and wrath are merely concepts. Three times in Mark chapter nine Jesus said, Where their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched.
This is Saying that hell is permanent. If they are tormented, then They're not annihilated. And not believing what the Bible says. will not make it false. You will face the Christ.
either has a friend or not. An everlasting hell or an everlasting salvation? Romans 8.7. There are those that have enmity with God. They're at war with God.
Well, that doesn't mean that you're going to survive that war. 2 Corinthians 5, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. Knowing the terror of the Lord, we hide from men. the consequences of living a life Not receiving Christ. God, not Satan, rules hell.
Psalm 139, verse 8. who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name. Again, always the mark. and the genu fleck. are joined in the doom of this particular group, of great tribulation.
people. Antichrist will get most, if not all, of humanity tagged. And that's going to be A nasty Place a situation to be in. Verse 12. But again, you cannot have Matthew 25.
If people that are tagged somehow survive the judgment when Christ returns. as he points out. And man, I'm I'm repeating that because There's this thinking that once you get the mark, you're done.
Well, then you've got other biblical questions to satisfy. that you're not going to be able to satisfy unless you reset your thinking and look at it critically. And honestly, And not buy into just, it's not good enough to have a theology if that theology or that doctrine doesn't line up. with what is being said in the scriptures. There are certain doctrines and teachings that have to be taught, and they're wrong.
And one of them is kingdom theology or replacement theology, which is really anti-Seminism. To think that the church has replaced Israel, we have in a sense of shining the light of the gospel of God's word, but not, we've not replaced ethnic Israel. As God's chosen people to bring forth Messiah, survive the Great Tribulation period, and be re-established in the land of Israel. It is a literal ethnic Israel that will continue. And if you read the Old Testament and the New Testament, You will come to man, God really is patient with these People as a people.
And so to come along and say, no, they get wiped out, and the churches replace them. I think this First of all, it has to be taught. You're not going to come to that conclusion on your own. You have to have some knucklehead come along. Can I say knucklehead from the pulpit?
Knucklehead, knucklehead, knucklehead. You have to have somebody who doesn't like Jewish people to come along with some theology. And that's not the only one. Jehovah's Witness doctrine. You see Christ being worshipped and they come along, that's not what's happening.
And they changed, I mean, Mormon doctrine. Christ is the brother of Satan, other n knucklehead things.
Okay. You have to be taught those wrong things. There are other Christian thinkings that have to be taught. Rather than Analyzed. And hopefully when you bring up verses, you're analyzing it and you're presenting your point.
versus insisting on something that is not Backed up with Scripture. It's not easy work. Anyway, no debates in heaven, and I'll be so happy about that. Verse 13, then I heard a voice.
Well, verse twelve, and here is the patient of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This is repeated seven times in Revelation for emphasis. Verse 13: Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, saying, says the Spirit.
that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them. We're almost done. John was told in chapter one to start writing, and he's still writing. He is not the author again. He is the scribe.
He is Authorized to write down what he has seen and publish it, and that he does. have the prophets and apostles. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.
Well, the great tribulation martyrs, they're not Being executed because they did something wrong, they're being executed because they've done something right. And of course this applies to all of God's Uh servants that have suffered and died for Christ. Martyrdom is addressed 11 times in Revelation, which again is telling you this is not the place to be. Avoid it. Be saved now.
Following Jesus Includes a willingness to die for Jesus. And that's Take up your cross and follow me. Yes, says the Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit's first time speaking in the book of Revelation, and it is in the form of ratification. He's saying, Amen.
So when John makes that statement, John picks up in his vision that the Holy Spirit of God Interjects this amen. Yes, says the Spirit, Don't hide from God behind the clutter of your life. Adam and Eve tried that. They messed up everything. Maybe you didn't mess everything up, but it's messed up nonetheless.
That's not your signal to hide from God. as Adam and Eve hid from God. That is the time to draw near to him. And stay there. and be a testimony that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.
Well, how we finish our race in this life matters in the next life. It counts, it's not a waste. When you're living for Christ the best you can, it's not wasted. Satan will tell you it is. In fact, your own pride might say you're not good enough.
But the truth is God appreciates. Our service, he doesn't take it lightly. And so he closed with this verse. Hebrews 4. Let us therefore be diligent.
To enter That rest. That's anyone. to the same example. of disobedience. Uh Uh This has been Cross Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston.
This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreference radio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
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