The Destruction of Economic Babylon | Revelation 18:1-24 | J. Allen Mashburn

In our last study, we considered the destruction of religious Babylon. The Bible paints a horrific picture of the end of all false religion. One day, every belief system in the world that bypasses the Lord Jesus Christ will be utterly destroyed and will cease to exist. That will be a devastating day for the devil and his followers, but it will be a glorious day for the God of Heaven and for His Son Jesus.

While chapter 17 reveals the demise of ecumenical Babylon, this chapter reveals the doom of economic Babylon. In verses 1-2a, a mighty angel, shining with the glory of Heaven, appears on the scene. This angel comes to announce the condition and the condemnation of this world’s economic system. Mankind will not only be deprived of the religion he created; he will also suffer the loss of the wealth he craves.

Nothing seems to devastate people more than destitution. Take away a man’s money and often you have taken away his reason for living. This was the case in 1929 when the stock market crashes. October 29, 1929 became known as “Black Tuesday”. When the stock market crashed, the world was plunged into “The Great Depression”. Over the next few years the economic structure of the U.S. economy was nearly destroyed. Over 9,000 banks closed their doors between 1930 and 1933. Production in U.S. manufacturing plants ground to a halt, leaving millions unemployed. Many thousands lost their homes to foreclosure; many others lost their health to malnutrition. All across this nation, people waited in soup lines for their meals. All across this nation, “hobo jungles” and “Hoovervilles” sprang up. The “hobo jungles” were places near train yards where the hobos who travelled the country on freight cars set up camp. “Hoovervilles” were shanty towns filled with shacks made from crates and other cheap materials. They were named after President Hoover, who received much of the blame for the economic conditions of the times. People who lived through those dark and difficult days were changed forever by the hardships they suffered.

These verses tell us of an economic collapse that will make the stock market crash of 1929 seem like nothing! This economic disaster will be worldwide in its scope and it will take away mankind’s favorite god: money! Our money has the words “In God We Trust” printed or stamped on every piece. For far too many, the “god” they trust is that piece of money they hold in their hands. We have already considered the destruction of the one world religious system that will dominate the end times. In this study, we will consider the demise of the one world economic system that will dominate the world in those days. By the way, whether we realize it or not, the world’s economy is already headed toward being one vast system. Just a few weeks ago, a sharp decline in China’s stock market impacted stock markets all around the world. It even caused a 400 point drop in our own stock market. People lost billions of dollars in an instant. These verses talk about a time when the entire economic structure of the world will come crashing down in a moment of time.

Let’s consider the facts in this chapter that are revealed as God judges the economic system of this world.