Louie Giglio - The Last And Lost City
If you have scripture today, we are in Revelations 17 and 18 and it’s a lot. This whole journey has been a lot, but today is a lot. Revelations 17, «The woman on a beast. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls». Those are the ones we looked at last week. The bowls of God’s wrath. «Came and said to me, 'Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth, '» that’s all of the inhabitants of the earth, «Were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries».
So, we have this woman on a beast. «And then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. And there I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns». The seven and the ten we’ve seen many times, the number of completeness. And completeness of heads meaning authority, and completeness of horns meaning power. So, this woman is sitting on a beast that has power and authority. «The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and it was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. And this title was written on her forehead. 'Babylon the great. The mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth.'»
And it was a mystery, this title. «I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who bore the testimony of Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. And then the angel said to me, 'Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides on, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. This calls for a mind with wisdom.'»
This would probably be an underpinning truth for all of revelation. It’s bringing us to a point of going, «I wanna live a life of discernment and wisdom». The seven heads are seven hills. Now, just gonna maybe jump in here. I was gonna say this a little bit later, but we’re talking about power, a power structure. Seven heads and ten hours. We’re talking about governmental power, political power. And we’ve seen this in Revelation. The enemy is using political power to suppress the Kingdom of God, the people of God, the saints, the followers of Jesus. And so, John seeing this is probably thinking in his mind and those who are reading the revelation after it’s given to John, are probably immediately seeing this phrase.
You and I are thinking, «Seven Hills». They’re going, «Oh, you’re talking about Rome right now». You’re talking about the empires of Rome that have absolutely tried to eradicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of them, John is on Patmos in a rock quarry because of his faith in the midst of this revelation. And Rome, as you know, was built on seven hills. In fact, that was celebrated by a festival every year in Rome, the festival of seven hills. And so, they’re thinking, «Oh, this beast has seven heads, and the seven heads are seven hills».
Okay. The power structure that you’re talking about is Rome. And maybe it was Rome, or maybe it was other power structures that have come before and after Rome. That’s on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. And this is where you can drill down as deep as you want. «Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come, but when he does come, he must reign for a little while». So, a lot of people in this text are gonna go, «Who are the Seven kings, and have five of them already come, and who’s the one that’s now, and was the one that’s gotta come»? And when we see all these pieces we’ll know the end is near.
Well, I think we know the end is near without necessarily knowing who the five are and the one is and the one that’s yet to come. «The beast who once was and now is not, is an eight king. And he belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction». That’s the part you really wanna focus on. No matter what camps you end up in with all the timing of the end times, you just wanna know today that the one who’s behind all the darkness is going to his destruction. «The ten horn you saw are ten kings who have not yet received the Kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast». They’ll have rule. They’ll have reign, but just for a moment. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.
«They’ll make war against the lamb, but the lamb,» hello, «Will overcome them». Why? Because He is Lord of lords and King of kings. And thank you so much. I don’t know. Somebody over here on the right, at Trilith, maybe someone at Cumberland, or 515. Okay. If the word of God moves you at any point, let it be known. That’s all I’m saying. We’re talking about the end of it all, people. These ten kings with all their earthly power and authority will make war in wage against the Lamb. So, their end game isn’t to run earth. Their end game is to run The Lamb out of the earth, and we’ll see that in increasing measure in the very days ahead. The powers are not about ruling the earth, they’re about running the Lamb of God out of the earth.
«But the lamb,» I’m gonna read it again, «will overcome them». Not because He’s big, and bad, and bold, because He’s Lord of lords and King, capital K, of kings. «And with Him will be His called,» are you one of them? «'Chosen and faithful followers.' Then the angel said to me, 'The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.'» In other words, this darkness has got a global enterprise going on. «The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute».
So, this is interesting. We’re not gonna spend a lot of time on this. But at the end of the day, the darkness is gonna turn on the darkness. It’s gonna implode on itself. And even this great prostitute, who we’ll see described in war as we turn the page into the next chapter, this great power structure around is gonna actually turn on itself at the end of the day. «The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish His purpose,» He’s reigning, people, «By agreeing to give the beast their power to rule until God’s words are fulfilled».
In other words, God still is on His throne. «The woman you saw is the great city,» we finally got there, «That rules over the kings of the earth». Let’s see what this great city is all about. «After this, I saw another angel coming down from Heaven and he had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by His splendor. With a mighty voice He shouted, ''Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She, '» Babylon the great, «Has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.'»
He’s describing now this angel, the great city, Babylon. And Babylon could have been Rome, definitely was Rome. But it also could be New York, or Singapore, or Shanghai. It’s not a physical city necessarily. It’s the picture of the city that is opposed to the Holy City coming down from Heaven, the Holy City of God. That there is an early mindset, an earthly dwelling place, that has allure an attraction just like in the garden, and it’s pulled in the kings of the earth and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from her. This is the city’s excessive luxuries. «Then I heard another voice from heaven say, 'Come out of her, my people.'» That’s where we will end today.
«So that you will not share in her sins». Whose sins? The sins of the great city. «So that you will not receive any of her plagues. For her sins are piled up to Heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup». Again, small footnote, but important. All of this that’s coming down at the end of the age is not God just because He wants to, pouring retribution on evil. People are getting their own cup. People are getting what they wanted at the end of the day just without any grace of God and any mercy of God in the story. «Give her the great city, Babylon, the great prostitute as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself».
This is something we’re gonna come back to in a moment. She was getting herself up as the one who should get all the glory in the midst of the great city. «In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen. I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' Therefore, in one day her plagues will overtake her, death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, 'Woe! Woe oh great city. Oh Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come! ' The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore».
But what did she sell? She was selling, «Gold, and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth, every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, and costly wood, and bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and the bodies and souls of men. They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep, and mourn, and cry out, 'Woe! '» Can we just say that?
«'Woe! Woe O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such wealth, such great wealth, has been brought to ruin! ' Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off». Notice how everybody who’s benefited from the great city is now distancing themselves from the great city.
«They’ll stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning and they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city? ' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out, 'Woe! Woe O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth, in one hour she has been brought to ruin! Rejoice over her O heaven. Rejoice, Saints, and apostles, and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.' Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said, 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of the harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of the Saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth.'»
So, the great city, Babylon, is the construct of sin that fractures our relationship with God. Do you see that? And so, the city has allure, and you can’t see Yo-Yo Ma with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. But there are also undercurrents of the great city that we’re reading about in Revelation 17 and 18. The spiritual city, the great city, has traits also. We see them in the text. Here are the spiritual traits. It is self-centered, that’s the spiritual great city. We saw that in chapter 18:7. Notice what she said, «Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself».
So, you’ll know you’re seeing the great city when it’s self-centered. Now, Babylon, this great city, is named Babylon. It comes from that same word babel, which was the tower of Babel in the very beginning of our story. Coming out of the garden, people wanted to build a tower and they said, «Let’s build a tower and a great name for ourselves». And that’s the heartbeat of the great city, Babylon. It’s us. It’s materialistic. We see all of this. «The merchants will weep because of the cargoes, the gold, the silver, the silk, the linen, the wood, the ivory, the bronze, the marble, the cinnamon, the spice». It’s a very materialistic world.
So, if you’re self-centered and really focused on materialism, you know you’re being influenced by the great city. And the trouble with that is the great city, Babylon, has fallen. It already has fallen. It is falling, and it ultimately will fall. There’s injustice in the great city. This translation interestingly says at the end, «And the bodies and souls of men». But other translations will say at the end of the day, «Men are bought and sold». And so, there’s a value of things and progress over human beings and freedom in the great city and we see that in our great cities as well. There’s deception in the great city.
I loved how back in Revelations 17 it says, «I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names». And that sounds terrible. But, oh, look at her. She was dressed in purple, and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. She had a golden cup in her hand. Oh, it was filled with abominable things. But, oh, look, glittering and beautiful, and wonderful, and gold, and sensational. Because the great city is about deception, but its also about darkness. We see that here.
«In her, the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries». It is all kind of immorality, and sensuality, and darkness underneath the great city. And the great city as we saw at the end of chapter 18 is anti-lamb. «In her was found the blood of prophets, and the saints, and all who have been killed on the earth». Self-centered, materialistic, injustice, deception, darkness, anti-Lamb, at the end of the day. And here’s the thing, even though we see now the reality of the great city, the great city is very alluring. It can literally pull you away. Literally, the great city can take you out. But spiritually, the great city can take us all out.
This is the way James wrote it. «What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you»? Anybody have any desires that are battling within you today? No. No, we’re good. All good at Trilith. «You want something, but you don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. And when you ask God, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures». Sounds like the great city. And then, he comes with this amazing indictment. «You adulterous people,» you’re like, «I don’t know». «Don’t you know that friendship with the world», and this is a strong word.
It doesn’t mean I live in the city. I work in the city. We do business in the city. I attend the sporting events in the city. This is a heart-to-heart kinship with the great city. «Friendship with the world is hatred toward God. Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God». And here is the verse, stunning, «Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely». Now, there’s I think, a better translation of this particular verse 5, and it’s, «Don’t you think and understand that the scripture teaches us that God jealously desires and the spirit that He’s made to dwell in us, that He’s put in us»?
In other words, that the garden wasn’t about the managerial job. It wasn’t about the relationships. It wasn’t about the beauty. It was about walking with God. And so, when you’re not walking with God, the relationship is fractured, and divorces happen. And moreover, there’s another woman in the story or another man in the story besides the one true God who created us for Himself. We’re coming down to the end, but stay with me. This is way it’s written in 1 John 2, «Do not love the world». Don’t fall in love with the world. Don’t have everything in your heart in the world, or anything in the world. «If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world». What is in the world? «The cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does».
Some translations say, «The lust of the flesh, the hunger of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life». That’s what’s in the world, and I wanna… That’s what was in the garden. Eve saw that the apple was good for food, hunger, and that it was delightful to the eyes, and that it could make her like God. The cravings of sinful man, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes. What we see, and how we want everything we see out there, and the pride of life comes not from the father, but from the world, from the city. «And the world and its desires pass away, but the man or woman who does the will of God lives forever».
Babylon is fallen, all of it is fallen. And if somehow, we’ve set our gaze there, we’re falling with it. It will turn on itself and it will turn on you. And you will collapse from within because it is fallen. So, what’s the move today? We’re closing. What’s our move then, today? Our move today is simply what we read in scripture. «And then, I heard a voice from Heaven say,» Is anybody hearing this today already? «Come out of her, my people. Come out of her».
Come out of Babylon. Come out of the great city. Come out of the self-centered, materialistic, injustice, deception, the darkness, the anti-Lamb. Come out of the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Come out of that. Come out, not escape. We’re not trying to escape the great city. We’re not gonna move out of town and say, «Oh, man, we’re coming out. We’re going to the monastery». No. We’re coming out in our heart and in our mind, in our attitude, in our approach to life. We still wanna engage with the city. We just wanna be in the city, and not of the city. We wanna live for the last city in the midst of the lost city.