Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 18 refers to the golden pot that had manna or the perfect faith or life.
The destiny of our life is determined by the content of the pot of our life.
Revelation 18:1
18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
If it is filled with the light of the glory, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, or the true teaching Word, we will be able to radiate the light of glory until we become as glorious as Jesus is for inheriting the eternal life in the New Jerusalem or the City of Light.
Revelation 18:2-3
18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
18:3 "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."
Not being willing to be filled with the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ or the true teaching Word, one will be the dwelling place of evil and unclean spirits as well as the hatred until living in the darkness to aim at Babylon that will be destroyed forever.
God's sayings for us through the preaching of the teaching Word or Bride Tidings are as follows:
Proverbs 1:20-23,33
1:20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.
1:21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:
1:22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.
1:23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
1:33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil."
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Our duty or right now is to cry out the wisdom of God, testify the news of on or Good News and the news of sanctification or Bride Tidings everywhere because God has given His only Son as the propitiation for our sin, so the sinful can be reconciled to God and sanctified.
Proverbs 1:24-27
1:24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
1:25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,
1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
1:27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
If the mercy of God is rejected, Babylon must receive the punishment of God justly.
Revelation 18:7
18:7 "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.'
Isaiah 47:8-11
47:8 "Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children';
47:9 But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.
47:10 "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me';Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'
47:11 Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.
Babylon was arrogant like a queen who enjoyed living in the flesh and felt safe with her evil and uncleanness because of covering them with evil and uncleanness. Lies are covered with lies. Men cannot touch. God also cannot touch, but Satan, for destroying. Babylon rejects the reconciliation and sanctification.
There are two powers of Babylon of which she was proud as follows.
Both deceive and destroy our life.
Romans 13:14
13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Therefore, we must put the Lord Jesus Christ as the armor of light through being shepherded well and correctly and always dwelling in the sheepfold or perseverance in committing the three main services to God.
We only obey the shepherding Word for resisting against the flesh that is pampered until being wild. As a result, we can live in holiness.
Psalm 68:5-6
68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
68:6 God sets the solitaryin families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
The condition of ones who seriously live in holiness and are shepherded well and correctly is as follows:
Ones who live in holiness and are shepherded well and correctly are paid attention to and pleaded by God very much. We severely need God, not any men.
Revelation 18:7
18:7 "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.'
Babylon felt that she was not a widow or she did not want to live in holiness. It means feeling so great until not needing God.
1 Timothy 5:6-7
5:6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
5:7 And these things command, that they may be blameless.
A widow must try hard to live in holiness and be blameless.
Babylon must be punished. Why?
Revelation 18:8
18:8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
The punishment is the pestilence.
It had happened to Egypt when Israelites would go out of it to enter Canaan. Likewise, the world will get the pestilence when the Church will go out the world to enter the spiritual Canaan or the New Jerusalem.
Exodus 9:1-4
9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
9:2 "For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them,
9:3 "behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep -- a very severe pestilence.
9:4 "And the LORD will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel." ' "
There are two kinds of cattle or riches as follows:
God blesses you.
Revelation 18 refers to the golden pot that had manna or the perfect faith or life.
The destiny of our life is determined by the content of the pot of our life.
Revelation 18:1
18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
If it is filled with the light of the glory, the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, or the true teaching Word, we will be able to radiate the light of glory until we become as glorious as Jesus is for inheriting the eternal life in the New Jerusalem or the City of Light.
Revelation 18:2-3
18:2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
18:3 "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."
Not being willing to be filled with the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ or the true teaching Word, one will be the dwelling place of evil and unclean spirits as well as the hatred until living in the darkness to aim at Babylon that will be destroyed forever.
God's sayings for us through the preaching of the teaching Word or Bride Tidings are as follows:
- 'Come out of her' = separating our life from Babylon.
Revelation 18:4-5
18:4 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.
18:5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
It means as follows:- We separate our life from sins up to the peak, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, getting drunk, and drugs abuse, as well as the one concerning marrying-being given in marriage such as fornication through pornography, sexual affairs, and wrong marriage.
- We separate our life from the worldliness with all of its influences which cause unfaithfulness to one Man or Christ and the unfaithfulness in the service and ministry to God.
- We separate our life from false teachings that form the false church, Babylon, or the bride of Satan that will be destroyed.
- We separate our life from sins up to the peak, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking such as smoking, getting drunk, and drugs abuse, as well as the one concerning marrying-being given in marriage such as fornication through pornography, sexual affairs, and wrong marriage.
- 'repay her double according to her works.'
Revelation 18:6-8
18:6 "Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
18:7 "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.'
18:8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
Actually the revenge is God's right, but someday it will be given to us.
Proverbs 1:20-23,33
1:20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares.
1:21 She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words:
1:22 "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.
1:23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
1:33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil."
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Our duty or right now is to cry out the wisdom of God, testify the news of on or Good News and the news of sanctification or Bride Tidings everywhere because God has given His only Son as the propitiation for our sin, so the sinful can be reconciled to God and sanctified.
Proverbs 1:24-27
1:24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
1:25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,
1:26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes,
1:27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
If the mercy of God is rejected, Babylon must receive the punishment of God justly.
Revelation 18:7
18:7 "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.'
Isaiah 47:8-11
47:8 "Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, Nor shall I know the loss of children';
47:9 But these two things shall come to you In a moment, in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness Because of the multitude of your sorceries, For the great abundance of your enchantments.
47:10 "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me';Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'
47:11 Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, Which you shall not know.
Babylon was arrogant like a queen who enjoyed living in the flesh and felt safe with her evil and uncleanness because of covering them with evil and uncleanness. Lies are covered with lies. Men cannot touch. God also cannot touch, but Satan, for destroying. Babylon rejects the reconciliation and sanctification.
There are two powers of Babylon of which she was proud as follows.
- The worldly wisdom or knowledge.
Isaiah 47:10
47:10 "For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me';Your wisdom and your knowledgehave warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'" - The riches and luxury.
Revelation 18:7
18:7 "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.'
Both deceive and destroy our life.
Romans 13:14
13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Therefore, we must put the Lord Jesus Christ as the armor of light through being shepherded well and correctly and always dwelling in the sheepfold or perseverance in committing the three main services to God.
- General Service = having fellowship with Holy Spirit God.
- Bible Study Service with Holy Communion = having fellowship with the Son of God.
- Prayer Service = having fellowship with Father God.
We only obey the shepherding Word for resisting against the flesh that is pampered until being wild. As a result, we can live in holiness.
Psalm 68:5-6
68:5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
68:6 God sets the solitaryin families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
The condition of ones who seriously live in holiness and are shepherded well and correctly is as follows:
- Like widow, namely having no relationship with the husband or the flesh with all of its lusts and desires, so there is obedience.
- Like the fatherless, namely having no relationship with Satan as father or sins and lies. Not lying is the same as living in holiness.
- Like foreigner, namely having no relationship with the world, so there is faithfulness.
Ones who live in holiness and are shepherded well and correctly are paid attention to and pleaded by God very much. We severely need God, not any men.
Revelation 18:7
18:7 "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.'
Babylon felt that she was not a widow or she did not want to live in holiness. It means feeling so great until not needing God.
1 Timothy 5:6-7
5:6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
5:7 And these things command, that they may be blameless.
A widow must try hard to live in holiness and be blameless.
Babylon must be punished. Why?
- The sins up to the peak.
- Not using the mercy of God for being reconciled and sanctified.
- Feeling clever, strong, luxurious, or rich until not needing God.
Revelation 18:8
18:8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day--death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
The punishment is the pestilence.
It had happened to Egypt when Israelites would go out of it to enter Canaan. Likewise, the world will get the pestilence when the Church will go out the world to enter the spiritual Canaan or the New Jerusalem.
Exodus 9:1-4
9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
9:2 "For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them,
9:3 "behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep -- a very severe pestilence.
9:4 "And the LORD will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel." ' "
There are two kinds of cattle or riches as follows:
- The cattle of the Egyptians or the worldly riches.
It is not eternal, but will vanish away up to the perdition or doomsday. Moreover, it can be the cause of jealousy, gossip, quarrel, strife, and be used by Satan for destroying men.
The source is from the world. Someday it will be dry until there is no hope, but emptiness. The riches of the world are only to be enjoyed, not to be hoped.
The cattle of the Egyptians got the pestilence. It means that the worldly riches become the source of disaster, especially the lust of money.
1 Timothy 6:9-10
6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
The love of money causes one not to love the family or other people and God anymore. There is no love of God. Such man goes astray from the faith or righteousness until committing corruption, stealing, robbing, and so on. Being stingy means that one cannot give. Greediness means stealing the possession of God and others. It is the same as worshiping the Antichrist that will be destroyed. - The healthy cattle of the Israelites.
Proverbs 10:22
10:22 The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.
All riches are the blessings of God or come from Him.
Proverbs 3:9
3:9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruitsof all your increase;
We will be able to use the blessings of God to glorify Him through the following things:- The firstfruits or the first result of our job.
- The tithes or the confession that we have been blessed by God and we live by Him.
The formula of the tithes is 10 - 1 = 9. It means that through the tithes we return to God, we live by His mercy that never ends. - The offerings or the thanksgiving that we have been blessed by God.
9:9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."
9:10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
In every blessing we receive from God, there is seed that must be sown (giving) and there is bread for food (= the blessings we can enjoy).
If all blessings we receive are made as bread or used for the daily life, they will be used up. Therefore, there must be the seed to be sown or the offerings, so they will not be used up.
The facts found in the offerings are as follows:- For the work of God.
- For others who are in need.
2 Corinthians 9:12
9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, - The fruits of lips that glorify God.
Hebrews 13:15
13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
It refers to the good words, thanksgiving, and worship to God.
2 Corinthians 9:6-7
9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
9:7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
- With willing heart by the encouragement of the Word, not of necessity.
- With cheerful heart.
9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
As a result, God is able to make all grace that is more than anything in the world abound toward us.
The functions of the grace are as follows:- For facing the world that is like the wilderness which is full of difficulties and impossibilities.
2 Corinthians 9:8
9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Philippians 4:18-19
4:18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
It is able to preserve us miraculously up to the abundance to supply all our need according to His riches in glory.
Our life relies on the grace of God. - For facing the world on the last days that must be punished like in the days of Noah.
Genesis 6:7-8
6:7 So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them."
6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
The world on the last days will face the spiritual flood as follows:- Sins up to the peak. We can keep on living in righteousness and holiness.
- Impossible temptations in all aspects. The mercy of God is able to help and solve all impossible problems. The mercy of God erases impossibility.
- The punishment of God up to the doomsday. The mercy of God protects and saves us from punishment of fire and brimstone like Noah and his family who were saved from the flood.
- Sins up to the peak. We can keep on living in righteousness and holiness.
- The mercy for waiting for Jesus' second coming.
2 Corinthians 9:8
9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Giving is a good work up to the abundance. We can do good things until repaying good for evil.
Revelation 19:8-9
19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
Such good deeds will be the clean and bright fine line or the clothes of the bride for welcoming Jesus' second coming.
- The firstfruits or the first result of our job.
God blesses you.