Let us turn tonight to Isaiah
chapter 47. Isaiah chapter 47, come down and sit in the dust O virgin daughter of Babylon,
sit on the ground. There's no throne, O daughter
of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt no more be called tender and
delicate. Take the millstones and grind
meal. Uncover thy locks, make bare
the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness
shall be uncovered. Yea, thy shame shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I
will not meet thee as a man. As for our Redeemer, the Lord
of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. Sit thou silent,
and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt
no more be called the Lady of Kingdoms. I was wroth with my
people. I have polluted mine inheritance
and given them into thine hand. Thou didst show them no mercy. Upon the ancient hast thou very
heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidest, I shall be
a lady forever. So that thou didst not lay these
things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end
of it. Therefore, hear now this. Thou
that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that
sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me, I shall
not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.
But these two things shall come to thee in a moment, in one day,
the loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon thee in
their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries and for the
great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy
wickedness. Thou hast said, none seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge,
it hath perverted thee. And thou hast said in thine heart,
I am and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon
thee. Thou shalt not know from whence
it riseth. Mischief shall fall upon thee.
Thou shalt not be able to put it off. And desolation shall
come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Stand now
with thine enchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries
wherein thou hast labored from thy youth. If so be, thou shalt
be able to profit. If so be, thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude
of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the
stargazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save thee from these
things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble. The fire shall burn them, They
shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame.
There shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before
it. Thus shall they be unto thee
with whom thou hast labored, even thy merchants from thy youth. They shall wander every one to
his quarter. None shall save thee. What we
have just read is a prophecy concerning the downfall, the
defeat, the destruction, the overthrow of the kingdom of Babylon. Now began several weeks ago,
bringing us messages on Sunday evenings from the book of Isaiah. And we began with Isaiah chapter
40. And I've pointed out that those
prophecies were given, or these prophecies, rather, were given
years, years before Judah was defeated by the Babylonians,
years before Jerusalem was burned and ransacked and the Israelites
themselves carried into captivity in Babylon. If you look back
to chapter 39, their captivity was foretold. The king at this
time was named Hezekiah, and the Lord told him through the
prophet that they were going to be taken into captivity. Chapter 39 and beginning here
with verse 5, then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, hear the word of
the Lord of hosts. Behold, the days come that all
that is in thine house and that which thy fathers have laid up
in store until this day shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing
shall be left, saith the Lord. And of thy sons that shall issue
from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away, and they
shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Then
said Hezekiah to Isaiah, good is the word of the Lord which
thou hast spoken. He said, moreover, for there
shall be peace and truth in my days." We know that there were
several kings that followed Hezekiah, his son Manasseh, one of the
most wicked kings that Judah ever had. Had a very long reign,
and yet God granted him repentance. But the word, the prophecy was
certain that Jerusalem was going to go into captivity, that Judah
was going to be destroyed as a nation. And we have seen that
the man, the Persian Cyrus, that God raised up, would raise up
when these prophecies were given, that he was named almost 200
years before the prophecy was fulfilled. If you look with me
in Jeremiah, turn to the next prophecy, Jeremiah. In these chapters that we have
looked at here in Isaiah, beginning with chapter 40, we have seen
the foolishness of idolatry, how the God has spoken out against
the insanity, the insanity of worshipping something that you
make with your hands. And yet the nations around them,
they all did that. They didn't know the true God.
God had never revealed Himself to them, but the nation of Israel,
of Judah, God had spoken to, God had given His Word. And at
times they worshipped Him as the true God, and yet they wanted
to be like all the other nations. Foolishness, to turn from the
living God to worship a stone, to worship something made out
of wood, something, a tree that you've used part of, remember,
to heat yourself, give yourself some warmth, part of it you've
used to cook yourself some food, and what was left over, you made
yourself a God. Here in Jeremiah, Jeremiah lived
to the destruction of Jerusalem, when Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians
captured and eventually burned Jerusalem. And of course, Jeremiah
was allowed to go into Egypt at the end of his prophecy. But
look here in the beginning, Jeremiah chapter 2 and verse 9, this is
God speaking to the nation. I will yet plead with you, saith
the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For pass
over the isles. In other words, take a trip,
leave your country, and take a journey. Go over the isles
of Chittim and see, and send unto Kadar, and consider diligently,
and see if there be such a thing. Has this ever happened before?
Has any nation ever done something like this? Hath a nation changed
their gods, even though their gods were idols, nothing, vanities? And yet God questions, has any
nation ever changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my
people, have changed their glory, and God was the glory of Israel.
He's the God of glory. They have changed their glory
for that which doth not profit. Be astonished, O ye heavens,
at this, and be horribly afraid. Be ye very desolate, saith the
Lord, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken
me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns,
that is idols. They've hewed themselves out
his cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Now these prophecies that we've
been looking at beginning with chapter 40 in Isaiah, they serve
no doubt to comfort God's people even in captivity, that God was
not through with them and God would not forget them that they
would be delivered. Now, some of the writers, they
apply all of these prophecies to the history of the nation
of Judah. But you will remember in Isaiah
chapter 40, the prophecy of John the Baptist, and then the glory
of the Lord would be revealed, and that glory is Christ. So
as we have looked at these chapters, chapter 40 through chapter 46. By grace, by God's grace, we're
seeing in these prophecies truth concerning the Lord Jesus Christ
and His deliverance, spiritual deliverance, salvation. We sang
about it just a moment ago. Our God, Christ, is able to deliver
thee, to save thee. There's no other Savior, there's
no other salvation from sin other than our God, that is, the Lord
Jesus Christ. We have, and we are doing more
than just studying history, I believe. I'm not a history teacher. I
love to preach the gospel, and that's what we've tried to do.
Now, the chapter that we read here this evening, chapter 47,
speaks of the defeat, the absolute, complete defeat of the nation
of Babylon, the Chaldeans, the defeat of this nation. Now, we
know that in the scriptures, Babylon serves as a name for
all false religion. In Revelation chapter 17 and
verse 5, we read, mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots
and abominations of the earth. So tonight, I want us to consider
the beginning and the end, not of the nation of Babylon, but
spiritual Babylon, false religion, and the beginning and the end. First, the beginning of Babylon. Now when I say the beginning,
you and I know that false religion has been here since the first
two men were born in this world, that is Cain and Abel. That there's
never been but two religions in this world, that was true
4,000 years ago, 2,000 years ago, it's true tonight. There's
only two religions in this world. never has been anymore, never
will be anymore. That religion of God's grace
and that religion of man's works, those are the two religions in
this world. False religion is from the days
of Abel and Cain, but it became organized, as far as we can tell,
it became organized against God after the flood. after the flood. I want you to turn back to Genesis
with me. Genesis chapter 10. Remember this, when Noah and
his three sons walked out of the ark, everyone on the face
of God's earth knew the truth about God. There was no exceptions. Everyone knew the truth about
God. In chapters 10 and 11 of Genesis, we have two chapters which are
filled up with genealogies. So-and-so begets so-and-so, he
begets so-and-so, he begets so-and-so. Genealogies with these two exceptions. In these two chapters, chapters
10 and chapter 11, genealogies, yes, with these two exceptions. In chapter 10, if you will, in
verse 8, here's one of the exceptions. And Cush begat Nimrod. Now Cush
was a descendant of Ham. Ham was the son who was cursed
because of what he did concerning his father, Noah. He was under
the curse. Cush begat Nimrod. Now he began
to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before
the Lord. Wherefore it is said, even as
Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. Now notice this. And
the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. The beginning of his
kingdom was Babel. Then notice in chapter 11, after
more genealogies are listed there, and though in this chapter Nimrod
is not named, but clearly he was the one who was at the forefront,
who was the one who instigated and led this rebellion against
God. Beginning in verse one, and the
whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came
to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain
in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. And they said one
to another, go to, let us make brick, and then burned them throughly. And they had brick for stone,
and slime they had for mortar. And they said, go to, let us
build us a city. Now remember, it's a kingdom. It's a city. and a tower, a city
with a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make
us a name." Is that not pride? Is that not
pride? Let us make us a name. Wasn't Lucifer the son of the
morning? I will be like the Most High
God." God brought him down, didn't he? You know, of all the sins
we are guilty of, we don't think about this maybe as much as we
should, but of all the sins that men are capable of committing,
pride is one that God hates so much. These six things that the
Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him, a proud
look. God resisteth the proud, Peter
tells us, but giveth grace to the humble. Let us make us a
name. We want to be somebody. We want
recognition. We want people to know who we
are, how great we are. Let us make us a name. lest we
be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And
the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the
children of men built it. And the Lord said, behold, the
people is one, and they have all one language. And this they
began to do, and now nothing will be restrained from them
which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there
confound their language. that they may not understand
one another's speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad
from bence upon the face of all the earth, and they left off
to build the city. Now, let me mention some things
that you can learn, that I've learned studying for this. Nimrod,
as I said, he was a descendant of Ham, the branch of Noah's
family that was under the curse. His name Nimrod actually means
the rebel. And some have translated this,
rather than being a mighty hunter, he was a mighty rebel before
the Lord. And before the Lord isn't always
a good thing. In fact, before the flood in
Genesis 6 in verse 11, we read, the earth also was corrupt before
God. But here in these two passages
that we've looked at in Genesis, we see the beginning of his kingdom,
that is the kingdom of Babel, the kingdom of Babylon. Keep in mind, his determination
was to build a city, a city. And it's called Babel because
here God confused the languages. The confounding of man's speech
was the origin of the different nations. So what happened here,
what happened at this tower, the confounding of the speech
of those rebels began the various nations by their speech. And as they are scattered, this
religion is carried throughout the world. It's a world religion,
kingdom of Babylon, mystery Babylon. I want you to, I know I'm having
you turn to several places, but I want you to go with me to Romans
chapter one and say the divine commentary on this. Romans chapter 1, beginning with
verse 21. Because that when they knew God,
now when did the whole world know God? It was when they came
out of that ark. They knew God. They knew there
was only one God. And they knew there was only
one way of deliverance. And that was through the ark
in which they had been delivered. The scripture here says, because
that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. This was in the days of Nimrod. They glorified him not as God. And notice, neither were they
thankful. You would think. After such a
deliverance, their hearts would be overflowing with thankfulness,
wouldn't you? But they weren't thankful. In
fact, they were determined to defy the true and the living
God. But they came vain in their imaginations
and their foolish heart was darkened. What foolishness to think they
could build a tower so tall that they could escape God's judgment. And yet that's exactly what they
thought. They built this tower. They became
foolish. Their mind, their heart was darkened. They professed themselves to
be wise. Man's done that from the very
beginning and over and over and over. Men despise the wisdom
of God and believe themselves to be wise and yet the scripture,
God says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. Foolishness
with God. Professing themselves to be wise,
they They became foolish and their
heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise. They became
fools. Remember that verse in Psalm
14, verse one, the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. There's no God. Doesn't mean
that they're atheists, but it does mean this. It means when
man says there is no God, there is no God who works in this world. There is no God of providence
that fate, the stars, what have you, determine what takes place
in this world. The fool has said in his heart,
there is no God. Yes, there is a God, a God who
works all things after the counsel of his own will. Nothing happens
by accident. Providence is a working out of
God's counsel, God's purpose, which he purposed with himself
before the foundation of the world. But notice next, they changed
the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man. I remember hearing a preacher
one time speak from this text, and he made the comment they
first made an image they would worship the size of a man, but
that was too big for them. That was too big a god. So then
they turned to the birds, made themselves a god in the image
of a bird, as the scripture says. Four-footed beasts, those are
pretty big, but that was way too big for man. Now let's turn
to creeping things, beetles and grasshoppers and things like
that. Man has worshipped, I suppose,
every creature upon the face of God's earth at one time or
another. The foolishness, the darkness
of man's mind. Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness. I think three times in these
next few verses here in Romans, we read that statement, God gave
them up. God gave them up. And certainly
the Gentile nations were given up to the most abominable and
wicked deeds that man has ever committed against God. Babylon. False religion. It was born in defiance of God. It denied the sovereignty of
God. Denied the atoning blood of him
who at that time was promised to come. Denied the grace of
God and at its core belief. Here's the foundation upon which
all false religion is built. Salvation is ultimately the work
of man. That's it. That's the foundation
stone, all false religion. It's all based that ultimately
my salvation, your salvation, the salvation of anyone has what
they do rather than what God has done, what God in Christ
has accomplished. True religion is based upon the
person and work of Jesus Christ and Him alone. So that is, I hope, not too long,
but the beginning, the organized beginning of Mystic Babylon,
false religion, and it encompasses the whole world. That's the beginning,
but now I want you to turn with me And I'll take just a few minutes
in Revelation. But to look at the end. This
is coming to an end. It's not going to go on forever.
Revelation chapter 18. You know, someone pointed out
there's two women presented in the Book of Revelation. The woman
that brought forth the man-child, and of course that's the Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then this mystery, Babylon,
that is called the Great Whore, because all the nations of the
world, men of the world, have committed fornication with her,
have been deceived by false religion. But here in this chapter in verses
1 and 2, Babylon is spoken of as though it had already taken
place. After these things, I saw another
angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth
was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a
strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. And it's become the habitation
of devils and the hold of every foul spirit and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird. Babylon in these first few verses
is spoken of as though false religion had already fallen.
And what we learn here is the certainty. There's no question
this is going to happen. It hasn't happened yet, but it's
going to happen. In chapter 17, she is called
the great whore who had in her hand a golden cup full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication. In other words, she has deceived
men of all ages. But her end, her end is certain. Babylon is falling. No question, no doubt, it's going
to happen. The second thing I would point
out in verse 21 of this chapter 18, her end is spoken of as complete,
her destruction as complete. 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 Now notice, no more at all. The utter, complete destruction
that's going to come upon Babylon. It's presented in that verse
as a mighty angel taking a stone and casting it into the sea,
and it sinks so much down into the mud or seafloor, whatever. It's never going to be found
no more at all. The third thing in verses 23
and 24, we see that Babylon's end is the cause of great joy. Her end is the cause of great
joy. The light of a candle shall shine
no more at all in thee, and the voice of the bridegroom, and
of the bride, that's a time of joy, isn't it? A marriage, never
gonna be heard again in Babylon, shall be heard no more at all
in thee. For thy merchants were the great
men of the earth, and by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her, we're seeing the
end of Babylon, the destruction of mystery Babylon. It is a matter
of strict justice. In her was found the blood of
prophets and of saints and of all that were slain upon the
earth. And the last thing in verse 20,
Babylon's end is a cause of great joy. Rejoice over her, thou heaven,
and you holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. And as one writer pointed out,
this is not vindictive joy on the part of the saints over the
torments of personal enemies, but it is God's people taking
sides with God, saying amen to his justice. Amen. Chapter 19, verse one. And after these things, I heard
a great voice of much people in heaven saying, hallelujah,
salvation and glory and honor and power unto the Lord, our
God for true and righteous are his judgments. For he has judged
the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication
and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And
again, they said, hallelujah. Can you imagine that? That day
is going to come when the saints are going to cry, hallelujah,
when God casts sinners into hell. Seems to me I remember years
ago reading that a mother read this to her son, and she taught
her children about the Lord. And she said, son, I'm with you
today, and I'm for you forever, but if you don't Look to Christ
and trust in Christ. The day is going to come when
I'll be shouting hallelujah when God casts you into hell. You say, that's not possible.
Oh, yes, it is. Yes, it is, my friends. When
we become like God, glorified, we'll take His side against sin
and against sinners. And once again in this passage,
this is the second time there in verse four, but then verse five, and
a voice came out of the throne saying, praise our God, all you
His servants, and you that fear Him, both small and great. And
I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as
the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thundering,
saying, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. May God bless His word to us
here tonight. Babylon, mystery Babylon, false
religion, it's beginning. Thank God it's going to have
an end when Christ comes again. False religion is going to come
to an end. We're going to sing number 49
before we're dismissed.