No Lights, Bridegrooms or Brides Revelation 18:23

An “angel” from heaven showed John the apostle many things which will occur in the tribulation time on the earth, and John wrote about the wealth and riches within the commercial center of Babylon that would exist during that time. He watched as Babylon was destroyed, and he told how the people who looked upon the city wailed, “For in one hour so great riches is come to nothing. And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off. And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. Rejoice over her, you heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets; for God has avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in you; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in you; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in you.” In chapter eighteen and verse twenty-three of Revelation John shares how “lights, bridegrooms or brides” shall no longer be within “Babylon” where we read:

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you: for your merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all nations deceived.

The verse reads, “And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in you:” John began with the words, “and the light” which refers to “and the brightness or illumination” “of a candle” or “from a lamp that is placed on a stand or candlestick” “shall shine” which means “bring forth or shed light and be resplendent” “no more at all” or “no longer or at any time in the future be”, “in you” which refers to “Babylon”; “and the voice” or “the tone and sound of uttered words” “of the bridegroom” which means “the male groom who is to be married” “and of the bride” which refers to “the female bride who is to be married” “shall be heard no more at all” or “no longer or at any time in the future will be attended to, understood or perceived” “in you” which means “in Babylon”. John saw how there shall no longer be “light, bridegrooms or brides” within the city of “Babylon”.

The verse continues, “ for your merchants were the great men of the earth; for by your sorceries were all nations deceived.” John added the word, “for” which means “because, since and on account of” “your merchants” or “the city of Babylon's tradesmen” “were the great men” or “were the grandees, magnates, nobles and chief male associates or courtiers of a king” “of the earth” which refers to “the arable land, territory, country and region”; “for” or “because, since and on account of” “your sorceries” which is the Greek word “pharmakeia” and means “the use or administering of drugs, poisoning, magical arts and any connection with idolatry which is fostered by it” “were all nations” or “were each, every, the whole and everyone of the companies, troops, and multitudes of individuals of the same nature or genus” “deceived” which means “deceived and led astray from the truth and into error”. John shared how the “tradesmen” within the city of “Babylon” were “drug pushers and idolatrous men” and thereby “led astray” all the nations of the world.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we see how there will be no cause for celebration within the city of “Babylon” at this time. It's destruction includes the abolition of “marriages” and illumination and is brought about because “drug pushers and idolatrous men” influenced the world's nations. Anyone who seduces people away from a relationship with the One true God and His Son Jesus Christ are included in this pernicious group. God Almighty desires for people to follow after Him, and any other seduction of the world to influence the rejection of God's loving offer will be condemned. Those who are wise shall think through the “merchants” of Babylon's ways and repent should they find themselves as one of them.

Next time John sees how in Babylon, “was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.