Wednesday - Revelation 18 - Economic Babylon

 

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atthew 6:24 reveals to us that Jesus once said, "No man can serve two ... You cannot serve God & mammon." Back in Ecclesiastes 7:12 Solomon wrote, "Wisdom is a defense, & money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it (see also Proverbs 9:10). Obviously, economics keep many people out of heaven (Matthew 19:23-24). Jesus even said, "Whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33). But perhaps there is no place in the Bible where the damnable distraction of materialism is more distinctly condemned than right here in Revelation 18. The way of Balaam (Jude 1:11), & the modern expression of it (a prosperity gospel - see 1^st Timothy 6:5) will be completely destroyed along with the international economy. The "love of money" (1^st Timothy 6:10) will finally be gutted.

 

Some people may think that the story of human history is a record of the development of various economic systems. From subsistence level agrarian economies, to feudalism, to imperial mercantilism, to capitalism, to socialism, to communism – certainly we've tried just about every method imaginable. But this is only half of the story. In truth, history is a record of Satan using all these systems to distract humanity from the eternal economy. In Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth... but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."  A person doesn't have to live through to the end of the Tribulation in order to see the death of Babylonian economics. We can tear down the walls in our own hearts today.