Financial Ruin

RV223-02

© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)

We are studying "Political Babylon," segment number 12 in Revelation 18:1-24.

The Destruction of Babylon

We have seen now that with the destruction of Babylon, world trade collapses. This is near the end of the seven-year tribulation period. We have seen that the merchants of the world weep and emote over their losses. They have warehouses around the world that are full of goods, and no one is able to buy them. All normal channels for doing business will have been totally disrupted in some way. I can't explain to you exactly how this will happen, but Babylon will become the financial focal point of the world. When the city is destroyed, the structure of doing business goes down with it. The international businessmen and the powerful financial families have lived for nothing else than to accumulate wealth. Now, suddenly, their world ceases to exist. So, while evil Babylon stood, the whole world clamored for the wares that were sold by the merchants, but now the party's over.

Merchandise

So, we pick up our study in Revelation 18:12. Here we have the description of the merchandise that no longer is moving. The merchandise listed here comes from all parts of the world, and there's a list of 29 items which fall into various categories. These, of course, are representative of larger categories of products which are sold, and they do have some kind of a logical grouping.

Precious Metals

So, first of all, we read about cargoes, warehouses, and supply lines. That includes precious materials. These are gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. These are items that we describe as having intrinsic value among people, and they form the basis of a true monetary system. From time immemorial, people have placed great value upon gold; silver; gemstones; and, pearls. People save these when they want to preserve their financial holdings. They put them into some solid items like this that just always has a value. Particularly during times of great inflation, as will be the case in tribulation, which in fact will be produced by the government controls and the socialism which has been imposed, people will seek to protect what wealth they have by putting it into these precious metals.

During World War II, when the Jews were fleeing for their lives, and they could carry little with them, one of the ways that they tried to preserve some means of being able to survive was by reducing what they had to gemstones, and small items of gold and silver. So, these items are fundamental to all stable commerce. It is paper money which is detached from these metals of intrinsic value that causes great inflation. That's why our Constitution was written, in terms of the coinage of money. When paper money came in, the coinage concept, which means metal pieces, was still retained.

You may not remember it, but you could have a dollar bill, for example. I remember in the days of my youth that it would say across it, "Good to the bearer for one silver dollar." So, you could take that piece of paper; go to a bank; and, they would have to give you a silver dollar for the piece of paper. Consequently, the paper was as good as silver. There was a basis for money. That gradually has been deteriorated until there's no basis for your money. The money that you have could be replaced overnight by "Monopoly" money, if everybody would agree to use Monopoly money. It has no more value than that money of that particular game.

Costly Fabrics

The next category of the cargoes that were being shipped are costly fabrics. We have fine linen: purple; and silk; and, scarlet. Clothing here of this type marks the wealthy from the hoi polloi. The hoi polloi are the common folks who shop at K-Mart. But those who are in the upper echelons have fine linen. They have silk, and their clothing is the color of purple and scarlet. Remember that these are categories that we're dealing with here. The point of purple and scarlet materials is that the clothing is extremely expensive, because the only way you could die something in the ancient world to come out with the color of purple or scarlet was having expensive dyes that were extracted drop-by-drop from shellfish which produced these days. That's the only way you could secure this.

Therefore, royalty wore purple, and royalty wore scarlet. When the Roman Catholic Church replaced the royalty with its College of Cardinals and the Pope, to this day, they wear purple and scarlet, because it's the mark of the elitists. And people who were wealthy or clothing of this color. This, of course, in the general category, represents the huge world of the garment industry. That is going to be one of the great areas of society which is going to be hit when suddenly nothing moves in the world of commerce.

Furnishings

The next category is the classification of furnishings: every kind of citron wood; every article made of ivory; and, every article made of very costly wood. Scented citron wood was an aromatic hardwood in the ancient world from which wealthy people had furniture and decorative items made. It is very attractive, and it had an attractive odor. And it was of course, very expensive wood. Ivory for ornamental items was again something that wasn't cheap, because you had to get ivory from the tusks of elephants. In fact, in the Greek language, that's the name for ivory: "elephantinos," from which we probably get the word "elephant." So, ivory was something that you did not find everywhere. Then when a craftsmen got through with it, it was very expensive.

I remember during World War II seeing a piece of ivory in China. It was about 14 or 15 inches high. It was a tower. It was very intricately carved. It had little pieces and figures inside of it. I asked the shopkeeper, "How much is that?" It cost $2,000 of American money, which was very big money then. If you were in the military service, you got paid $75 a month as a private, to give you some frame of reference. $2,000 was very expensive, but that's the way it is with ivory. Ivory has always been costly.

So, if you want to preserve your money, and you get items of ivory, it'll have a retaining value.

Specialty Woods

Then there are expensive specialty goods that are mentioned here when it says, "Every article from every costly wood, from which fine furniture and other household items are made.

Building Materials

Then the next category we could classify as building materials: bronze; iron; and, marble. These are materials for the manufacture of various structures, appliances, tools, weapons, containers, musical instruments, and monuments. This is a core base of materials that had a very great demand in the ancient world, and was no doubt a source of a lot of profit for these merchants.

Fragrances and Medicines

Then in verse 13, we have the category of fragrances: cinnamon; spice; incense; perfumes; and, frankincense. These are aromatic substances for personal and household uses. This represents, we would say (in one degree), the whole vast world of cosmetics. Cosmetics were a very big item in the ancient world. The word "perfume" in the Greek actually also means "ointment." So, we have a suggestion here that you may have a medicinal category included here under these fragrances.

Foods

The next category was foods: wine; olive oil; fine flour; and, wheat. Here's the world of agricultural products in international trade, and the ships plying the Mediterranean Sea were carrying these items back and forth. This is perhaps the gourmet food industry. We also have wine in this category, and wine represents alcoholic beverages. This was considered a luxury, and it was protected. If you read back to Revelation 6:6, this is one of the items that was not to be touched.

I suspect that during the tribulation, people are going to be under a lot of tension, and that there is going to be a lot of drunkenness and carousing. It'll be at an all-time high. Alcoholic beverages are going to prove to be a very valuable commodity. When unbelievers are distressed, they seek to be filled with alcoholic spirits instead of, as the Bible admonishes us as Christians, to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Drugs

There is included here probably the category of drugs. In Revelation 9:21, it speaks about sorcery. Drugs are another way that people fortify themselves in a time of crisis in their lives. The word "sorcery" in Revelation 9:21 in the Greek language is the word from which we get the English word "pharmaceuticals," and it has to do with narcotics.

Oils

Then there is the category within foods of olive oil for cooking purposes, and perhaps there may be associated the concept of petroleum oil, which certainly in modern times keeps an industrial nation going along. Obviously, the oil cartels are going to be big losers. Iraq is the world's largest oil reserve today, and perhaps that's with divine provision, so that when the antichrist has made Babylon his base, and he's ready to build the city up very quickly, early on, he will have enormous resources to do it.

A great deal of commercialism in our time is connected with oil prices. Gasoline prices have been dropping. I saw down the street here, it's down to 91 cents for regular. I'm just holding my breath that somebody doesn't call the White House to let them know that, because they'll shoot another ten cents tax on it, so it's up to 91 cents with the nickel tax they just put on it. They watch it like a hawk, not to allow the price to be of benefit to the consumer.

Inflation

Well, I suspect that petroleum is going to be a big thing which will be hit, and it will collapse a lot of countries that are totally dependent upon this kind of oil. There will be great food shortages (we've learned elsewhere from the book of the Revelation), and that will occur overnight. You can clear out the shelves of a store within short order if there are no trucks bringing replacement items in. So, the consequence is that the prices will skyrocket, and there will be an awful lot of inflation.

Animals

The next category is animals: cattle; sheep; and, horses. Cattle and sheep are domestic livestock for food, and wool for clothing. This represents the ranching industry which will be hit. Then there is transportation: horses; and, chariots. The Greek word for "chariot" here refers more specifically, not to the two-wheeled chariot that people drove around in, but the four-wheeled chariot. So, what we're talking about is something in the form of a wagon, and therefore we're talking about something which is a bigger transportation item. So, here it is clear that means of transportation (the vehicular industry) is going to going to be hit when nothing can be sold. The whole motorized industry will go down. Automotive sales will drop. Transportation will be impacted.

Slaves

The last category of the cargoes is slaves and human lives as items of commerce. The word "slaves" in the Greek here actually refers to "bodies" – people physically being used in forced labor. This can be done as it was in Russia, in the gulag prisons, where prisoners were turned into slaves, and as is done in China today – using inmates as the slave labor. Today, in areas like Africa and Asia, slavery is still practiced. These bodies would also include the bodies of people which are being used in a condition such as prostitution.

The human lives, interestingly enough, now are souls. This probably refers to the facets of the soul, and what you create with your soul. You create with the mind; with the emotions; and, with the will. Undoubtedly, part of this is the artistic, musical, literary productions. Here we have the entertainment industry, and various talents that the soul of man can produce.

So, with the fall of Babylon, world commerce ceases. No commodities move on the world markets under the antichrist's one-world government.

Verse 14 speaks of a final great shortage: "And the fruit you longed for is gone from you." The fruit here is referring back to these items of commerce, which we have read about in verses 12-13. These are called the fruits that you longed for, in the sense that they are the fruit of men's labors. This is what people produce. This is what has been running the machinery. This has been the demand in the marketplace. There has been a longing. The Greek word for "longing" is the word which is also sometimes translated as "lust." A lust can be good or bad. It just means an intense desire. Here it's the longing of your soul. So, literally, it's your soul's desire. These things for which their soul yearns – all of these categories of things that we've read about.

However, there's also the suggestion that this has to do with what the sin nature desires. That's the area that is motivating people. And the thing that motivates people is the greater accumulation of things. The sin nature wants to accumulate things, but it never has enough.

Now, for the rich, this longing of their soul is for the continuous round of costly food; alcohol; their lavish homes; expensive furniture; personal adornments; works of art; cars; boats; airplanes; travel; parties; and, entertainment. For most of us, it's really difficult to put ourselves in a place of imagining that we had no limits on the money – we had unlimited financial resources.

There was a television program called "The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." If you watch any of those programs, you would be awed by what money enables people to do, and how lavishly people can live. Well, this is the thing we're talking about here. It's not just that this is the essential things that people need to survive. These were the things that Babylon provided to satisfy the lust of the souls, basically for sensual indulgence. Suddenly, they're told that all of this is gone. This is no longer available on the world markets. Babylon's destruction has brought this to a halt. The things for indulging the evil desires of the sin nature disappear from people overnight. They're no longer available. They cause great social disruption because it will include no essentials. People have medication needs that won't be there. People long for great luxuries, that they've always lived with, but they're not going to be there. The whole lifestyle is going to be seriously disrupted.

It specifically says, "And all the things that were luxurious." It's not just the essential things. It's the creature comforts of life. It's the wealth that they've accumulated that enables them to indulge an increasingly luxurious lifestyle. When you have unlimited money, you have a very hard time spending that money. So, what you end up doing is repeating.

It's like that Hindu guru in the ashram which was set up in Oregon a few years ago, Rajneesh, and he owned 96 Rolls-Royces. Every day, a different Rolls-Royce would take him through the compound so that people could put their hands together and bow to the god within him. His secretary was asked, "Why does he have 96 of these enormously expensive cars?" She said, "Well, you're a capitalist country. If you have money, you spend it. Why should he not have 96 Rolls-Royces?" He doesn't have those anymore, and I'm sure that he's distressed that he has lost that car pool.

That's what these people have done. But this is the luxury that we don't even think about. It's unfathomable. You have to watch TV programs to see how people live who have great sources of money. W. R. Hearst was a newspaper tycoon in the early part of the 20th century. This was a time when almost everybody in the United States was hit by his ideas through his various publications. He would take it into his head to have a little tour, and he would invite a dozen of his friends, and then they would go off to Europe for two or three months at a time, living in the greatest hotels. And he was paying for all that's there. At the same time, he's finding works of great art. He'd send them back to the United States, and finally he had to build a huge warehouse where they just stacked these things. They would take out prominent rooms out of castles and famous places in Europe (whole ceilings), and they would just bring it back to this country.

Well, when he started building his castle at San Simeon, up near San Francisco, this is what you'll see. As you go through this luxurious castle, it includes all of these tremendous works of art. All that came because you bought a nickel newspaper. People all over the country were buying the little newspaper. But the man was so enormously wealthy, and so much could be bought with the American dollar then, that it was just beyond anybody's conception of what it is to have unlimited luxury.

Furthermore, it says, "These are luxurious and splendid things." The word "splendid" means something "costly." It means you're not buying this stuff at Sears Roebuck. It's means that you're buying your clothing and your other items at Neiman Marcus – at that price level. People are very proud of their being able to buy things at such an expensive level.

One of the nicest suits I ever had in my early career here at Berean Church I bought at Neiman Markup (Neiman Marcus). Once a year they would have this great sale. I was in there, and while I'm there trying on this suit, and finally hit this magnificent garment, that was a man raising a furor. He said, "I came in earlier. This button is loose. How come I can't get this button fixed? Let's get a little service here." And he just carried on. So, they said, "Sir, we'll take it back here, and we'll take care of it right away." As they led him off the head to have the button on his suit fixed, one of the clerks said to another one, "Is he really that big?" And he said, "No, he's just a put on." But to him to have a suit from Neiman Marcus was big stuff.

When I used to have that suit, I used to often preach holding the flap of my coat open so that the Neiman Marcus tag would show. I thought that was very cute of me to just kind of casually hold that label out there, until one day I forgot that I was wearing a different suit, and I held it open and it said, "Robert Hall." Some people don't remember it, but Robert Hall was one of the all-time mass clothing places. If you bought a suit at Robert Hall, it hung all over you, and it was a real product. So, I quit doing that. But people take great pride in their luxurious clothing; appliances; or, whatever they buy. They have vast wealth that they've accumulated here through Babylon's leadership and through Babylon's sin. There is lots of money in sin, and it is spent on the expensive things of life.

This is a life that goes on day-in and day-out; and, week-in and week-out. Most Christians do not use their increasing financial resources over the years as a greater opportunity to finance God's work of proclaiming doctrine, which puts us in the same category as these people. They don't do anything but indulge themselves further. It is sad that Christians who get beyond the point of the necessities of life, and the real essentials (what they need), now have the freedom to give a little more money to God's work, and to accumulate more of their rewards in heaven, but they fall into this syndrome of indulging themselves with the luxurious items.

The tribulation worshipers of the antichrist have their eyes on themselves, so they grab all the gusto they can as they go by, and they spend their money on these expensive indulgences.

Well, it says that, suddenly, the fruit (all these items of commerce in verses 12 and 13, that your soul just yearns for) have gone from you. It's no longer available. These were things which were luxurious, and they were splendid. They were expensive: "They passed away from you, and men no longer find them." This word "no longer" is a strong word in the Greek language. It has the word for "no longer" ("ouketi"). Then, right after it, it adds the strongest negative in the Greek language, "ou me." So, God the Holy Spirit is making it clear that this is not just a normal disruption of business. You don't just call this a recession. You don't even call this a depression. What we're reading about means that they can't change it. There's no way that they're going to be able to get things moving again. They've all passed away from the marketplace, so they cannot be found.

These are sobering words: "no longer find them." These are pretty sobering words for someone whose life has been devoted to accumulating expensive things, and, suddenly, all those things are gone. That is a real blow, and that's what's going to happen. The unsaved are pursuing costly luxuries, then they die, and they go out into eternity with nothing to satisfy them.

God turns the flame thrower of His holy wrath on the city of Babylon and its provision of splendid luxuries and expensive items, and He turns it all to ashes. The city of Babylon will have been the anchor point of world commerce, and with its fall, the supply of things on the world markets will cease. As I say, I can't explain to you exactly how that's going to happen. But it's, again, one of those things of predictive Scripture that says, "This is where the world is moving." Well, all these details are coming to pass before our very eyes.

My friend Jack Smith called me today. He said, "Isn't it amazing that Israel wants to be part of NATO?" Israel wants to be part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which no longer is designed to protect the Western nations against communism. Now it's a different alliance for protection in a different way, and also for commercial reasons. Why would Israel go and say, "We want to be part of it?" In fact, they said, "If you won't let us be a full member, give us an association." Rabin's reason for it is: "We want peace."

Well, that is exciting because that's exactly what the Bible says. The Jews are going to make a deal. They're going to make an agreement. They're going to sign a contract with the antichrist such that he will be their protector. He will give them the protection that they need in a world that is increasingly hostile to the Jewish people.

So, that is a very big piece of news. In the drive toward international arrangements, nations will become united in various regional economic associations, and the world is going to come together as one big financial institution. When it does that, it's easier to understand that, suddenly, if some key piece, like the control center at Babylon (the computers and everything that is put together) – if it breaks down, the whole structure can collapse.

The Merchants Mourn

In verse 15, we read that: "The merchants of these things (the people who deal in these commodities of verses 12 and 13) who became rich from her (from Babylon, who is the means of this commercial wealth), will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping, and mourning." These men (these merchants – these international financiers) become extremely wealthy. Babylon has made it possible for the merchants to accumulate their enormous wealth. Government regulations have been used to favor the merchants who support the antichrist: the merchants who follow his religion; and, the merchants who follow them for their wealth. So, when Babylon falls, they fall.

However, we're told, as Babylon is under the holocaust of God's fiery judgment, that they have to: "stand at a distance." This is a position of observing God's destruction. This is declared that this will be something that they do in the future. It's says that they stand. The Greek language has middle voice; that is, they do it for their own benefit. They stand at a distance. Some of them do so by watching television, and others are on-site, but at a distance. It indicates that the reason they don't get closer is because they're afraid that they might themselves be destroyed. But all over the world, the major commercial centers like Wall Street, Zurich, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo – there, the world's financial leaders will be gathered, and they'll be watching this destruction. They'll be watching what the Bible calls Babylon's torment – her agony.

They will be afraid to come close to try to help her because of their concern for their own physical well-being. The truth of the matter is that they won't be able to do a thing to help Babylon, and they fear getting too close to do so for their own lives.

So, what do they do? They shake with tears as they sob. They mourn. The enormity of the financial collapse of the world and their personal losses becomes increasingly clear as they watch. The businessmen respond with tears and emotional breakdowns. Part of the reaction is motivated probably by their frustration, and by their rage, that these are men who have been used to the power of wealth, and they are now helpless ninnies before God's judgment.

Here's another problem for most of us. We cannot enter into the world where everybody is fawning upon you when you walk in because you are a person of wealth. These people have been used to exercising power over the lives of other people. They have been served. They have been indulged in every imaginable way. And, suddenly, the source of that power in Babylon is burning up before their eyes, and in their rage and their frustration, they weep and they shake because they can't do a thing about God's judgment.

These merchants have experienced temporal bankruptcy, but soon they will experience eternal bankruptcy, after death. This is what James warned about in James 5:1-6: "Come now, you rich. Weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be a witness against you, and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure. Behold the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you, and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. It is not beyond the merchants of the tribulation world to cheat people and to act with dishonesty, just as businessmen do today anytime they can. This is so heartless. You hear about what people are willing to do.

An elderly couple on the news recently was called, and the people said, "Congratulations, you have won the $25,000 prize in which your name was entered. In order for us to process your winning number, it is necessary that you send in $4,000 in order that we may conclude this prize award." And these elderly people did. They sent in the $4,000, and then they were hit up for a little more, and they became suspicious. Of course, it was entirely a fraud.

When you stop and think about this, you've got a couple of old people here who don't have all that much. You've raised their greed level by telling them that they've won $25,000. And then, suddenly, they're conned out of what little they have. I've often wondered, "How mean-spirited do you have to be to be willing to be in business and do things like that. But people do it all the time. People will sell shoddy products just to get the profit, and then to leave.

James 5:5 says, "You have live luxuriously on the earth, and led a life of wanton pleasure. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man. He does not resist you." When you have money, you have great power. Large numbers of people in history have been killed who have stood in the way of people of great power. People of great prestige have used their power of money to remove the human beings that stood in their way.

So, these people are now bemoaning their financial bankruptcy here on this earth. But they have a worse bankruptcy that they're going to face immediately after death.

In the meantime, while this is going on, God's admonition of wisdom to church-age believers is for us to maintain our personal integrity, and keep on serving the Lord. James 5:7-9 says, "Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord (the rapture). Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient. Strength in your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain brethren against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged. Behold, the judge is standing right at the door." Is that good advice? It's very good advice.

What is James saying? James is saying, "Look up. Serve God. Remain faithful. Maintain your integrity, believer, because here comes the judge." And when He comes, it is going to impact the whole world. Well, that's what's going to happen in the tribulation. Suddenly, the judge is going to arrive on the scene.

At the end of verse 15 then, we have the sorry picture of the powerful people of the world who are bemoaning their condition and their losses which were very great. In verse 16, they're saying, "Woe, woe, the great city," referring here, of course, to Babylon on the Euphrates. Babylon is great because all the world from the mid-tribulation on revolves around Babylon. Babylon is the supreme religious organization; the supreme governmental organization; and, the supreme financial center for all mankind. Babylon's greatness makes her think that she is invincible and immortal.

What are they bemoaning? Here you have the analogy of the harlot woman representing Babylon. They're bemoaning the fact that they can't believe that someone could have been clothed in such wealthy, luxurious garments (clothed in the fine linen, the purple, and the scarlet), and that this has been done for her from centuries past. In the Greek language, it indicates that they're bemoaning something that has taken place in the past, that was done for Babylon, because of the following she had. How could she come to where she is destroyed in this way?

Furthermore: "She is "adorned." This word in the Greek means to be gilded: "She is gilded with gold." This, again, is from the past. It has been done for Babylon, and she has financial power. She is gilded with gold; gilded with precious stones; and, gilded in pearls. She has everything that anyone could ask for.

So, the merchants know Babylon as a place of great wealth and beauty. When they see that it is destroyed, their grief is without control. But you'll notice that these merchants are not expressing grief for their sins which brought down God's judgment on Babylon. They do not acknowledge that Babylon's destruction is even an act of God. They express no regret for their shady business deals; for the injury which they have done to people in getting themselves wealthy; for the abuses of power; or, for the insults to God of their worship of the antichrist.

The Federal Reserve System

In the United States, we have a system called the Federal Reserve System. It was created by the government, and it is really in violation of the Constitution, which authorizes only Congress to deal in coinage and money. But this is a private institution. The only contact with the government is that the president appoints people to be on the Federal Reserve Board. And you serve on it for 14 years – an enormous, long time. It is that institution that decides the worth of your money. No matter how hard you work, they decide whether your money is worth a lot or a little. They decide whether there's going to be inflation or not. You are entirely at their mercy. The way they do it is that they print money out like Monopoly money. They just print it up, and then supposedly they sell it to the government. The government pays these deficits, and then the bankers that own these banks collect enormous sums of money in interest on the money they printed up.

This is like Mr. Cross going in this back room to our print shop; printing up really good money; lending it out; and, then collecting from the people to whom he has loaned the money. He made the money himself. He printed it. He has been to no expense. This is what I told you a few weeks ago: Some leading financiers have pointed out that, according to the way the national debt is accumulating, in 23 months, the United States, collecting all of its income taxes, will not be able to pay just the interest on the national debt, let alone any principal.

That's just a little speck of an enormous number of things that are all going to come together to bring about this worldwide financial collapse. These people on the Federal Reserve Board have undermined the savings of many Americans because they had the power to do that. They have no compunction, and in the tribulation, they'll have even less. These merchants only mourn the loss of the source of their wealth and of their luxuries. God now has come to the point where He has passed grace. He has gone past the point of grace, and He is now relentlessly imposing His judgment on Babylon. These people, who followed Babylon and all of her evils, are experiencing the consequences because they've been negative to the Word of God. These merchants were morally filthy people, in spite of their expensive clothes; their wealth; and, their luxuries. They were trivial people with money, and they lived each day to their own interests, and now they're left with nothing.

God will someday replace the morally corrupt earthly city of Babylon with His morally righteous city, the new Jerusalem. Here in the morally corrupt city of Babylon on earth, they cry, "Woe, woe." That's the only place you can go: grief; tears; sobbing; and, emotional trauma. That's where you'll go following the world system. But in the new Jerusalem, everybody is shouting, "Hallelujah, Amen." There is a big contrast between these two cities.

Every human being is a citizen of Babylon, where there's nothing but woe; or, he's a citizen of the new Jerusalem, which is a code term for heaven, where the shouting will be "Hallelujah, Amen," because of the joy that will exist there. It's nice to be on the winning side.

Dr. John E. Danish, 1993

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