Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.14UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.09UNLIKELY
Fear
0.09UNLIKELY
Joy
0.56LIKELY
Sadness
0.46UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.52LIKELY
Confident
0.25UNLIKELY
Tentative
0UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.93LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.56LIKELY
Extraversion
0.21UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.11UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.67LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Introduction:
I. Judgment Pronounced (vs.
1-2)
II.
Judgment Avoided (vs.
3-5)
III.
Judgment Defined (vs.
6-8)
IV.
Judgment Lamented (vs.
9-19)
Nothing more clearly reveals a total hardness of heart than the lack of sorrow for sins committed.
Through all the devastating judgment that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, sinners will relentlessly refuse to lament over their sin.
But while they will not lament over their own sins and wickedness, they will mourn over the destruction of Babylon.
Now, keep in mind that even though Babylon is a picture or an image of the final world empire of the AntiChrist, it is a real city with real activity.
I want you to understand that this is not some image or depiction of a city but it is an actual city, with actual rulers and actual activity of buying and selling and carrying on other type of business.
When this glorious centerpiece, the empire of AntiChrist is destroyed, there will be worldwide dismay and mourning.
John, in his vision, sees three classes of mourners that, while they mourn over different things, all share the same common agenda.
The Kings of the Earth (vs.
9)
Remember these guys?
Back when the angel was describing the image that John saw of the beast, he saw that the beast will have ten horns.
And the angel explained to John that the horns that you saw are going to be ten kings.
“They have received no kingdom as yet”, meaning that this is future but they will.
And we told you back when we studied Chapter 17 that it is possible what is in reference here is the fact that at this time the earth will divided in ten sections on the globe.
And that they AntiChrist will establish these ten kings to rule over the ten section of the globe.
These will be the kings that are going to mourn over the destruction of Babylon; as well as all the other rulers that are under these ten rulers.
The text tells us that these rulers are the ones that committed fornication with Babylon.
And we told you when we were studying verse 3 that what that is telling us is that they went after to worship the empire of AntiChrist.
And whenever you fail to worship truly the one true God, you are guilty of spiritual fornication.
That is the idea here.
And the angel is reminding John what these rulers of the earth have done and why there destruction was vital and justified, even though they lament.
High places speaks of altars to false gods.
And God likened the worship of false gods on high places to fornication; spiritual fornication.
God has always compared going after false deities as sexual sin, but just in the spiritual sense.
Notice, again, what the text says.
They were only in the relationship with Babylon because of what they could get out of it, as we will see, so when their “meal ticket” was in trouble where do we find them; “standing afar off”.
Why?
“For fear of her torment”.
They stood a far off because they did not want any of the torment that Babylon was experiencing to flow over onto them.
Now, admittedly, the fact that Babylon was able, by the Sovereign decree of God, to survive the devastations of the tribulation up to this point makes them look like a strong city.
And so all that does is add to the shock of the kings of the earth that have gone after here to worship her when she is destroyed.
“In one hour” indicates for us the swiftness that the kingdom of the AntiChrist will fall.
The angel predicted it.
2. The Merchants on the Earth (vs.
11)
The Merchants have one reason and one reason only that they mourn over the fallen empire of Satan.
Because it was going to cost them money.
These people are not really going to be as dedicated to the AntiChrist as they would have people to believe.
All they are concerned about is what they can get out of the relationship.
That is why the tells the reason for their sorrow was because they industry was gone.
Then follows a list of 28 items that are in a merchant cargo.
These items were common commodities in the ancient world (many of them are included on the list in Ezek.
27:12–24) and were the source of immense financial gain.
They are only representative of the great wealth of Antichrist’s future commercial empire.
John Phillips writes:
What a catalog of opulence!
What a vivid picture of a great, commercial city, trafficking in every luxury the heart could desire.
This is the world’s great Vanity Fair.
It offers articles of adornment and display, beautiful things to grace the mansions of the world’s millionaires.
It deals in exotic spices and perfumes, in delicacies for the table, in provisions for banquets, in slaves, and in the souls of men.
And Babylon imported all these things.…
Babylon’s demand for this world’s goods was insatiable; ever it clamored for more and more!
All of the city’s luxurious and splendid (Gk., lampros, a word that may refer to clothing) possessions have passed away from her and men will no longer find them.
They will be gone forever as God bankrupts the system.
The words no longer translate a double double negative in the Greek text, which is the strongest form of negation in the Greek language.
That indicates these items will never be found again.
Revelation 18:15-17
3.
They weep and mourn, not out of some emotional sympathy for the decimated city, but because with its collapse they have been stripped of the key source of their financial resources.
The merchants lament because their materialistic passions can no longer be fulfilled.
The weeping that begins then will last for eternity in hell (Matt.
8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30).
These greedy merchants are the classic illustration of all those in all times who gain the whole world, but forfeit their souls (Mark 8:36).
3. Merchants of the Sea (vs.
17-19)
Revelation 18:17-19
In addition to her political and economic importance, Babylon will also be an important distribution center.
With its destruction, there will be no more goods to be transported by those who make their living by the sea.
Like the rulers and merchants, the sailors were careful to stand at a safe distance from the city.
As they gazed on the ruined city they were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, “What city is like the great city?”
Their lament is reminiscent of the proud boast of Antichrist’s deluded followers in 13:4, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”
But the seemingly indestructible city is already destroyed before their eyes, and its seemingly invincible ruler will shortly meet his end (19:20).
Then, in a typical ancient expression of grief, the sailors threw dust on their heads (cf.
Josh.
7:6; 1 Sam.
4:12; 2 Sam.
1:2; 15:32; Job 2:12; Lam.
2:10; Ezek.
27:30).
Like the rulers (vv.
9–10) and the merchants (vv.
15–16), they too will cry out, “Woe, woe, the great city.”
That is an expression of pain, suffering, and grief, but not of repentance.
The sailors do not mourn over their sins, or those of Babylon, but because of their lost business, since all who had ships at sea became rich by Babylon’s wealth.
Like the rulers (v.
10) and the merchants (v.
17), the sailors also express amazement at the swiftness of Babylon’s downfall, exclaiming, “In one hour she has been laid waste!”
In an astonishingly short period of time, the city that was the source of their wealth was destroyed.
V. Judgment Enjoyed (vs.
20)
Heaven will have quite a different perspective on Babylon’s judgment than that of Antichrist’s earthly followers.
The angel who began speaking in verse 4 then addressed the redeemed in heaven: the saints (a general term for all believers) and apostles and prophets (the special class of saints given to the church, as indicated in Eph.
2:20; 4:11).
He calls on them to rejoice over Babylon’s fall, because God has pronounced judgment for them against her.
The long-awaited moment of vindication, retribution, and vengeance, for which the martyred Tribulation believers prayed (6:9–10) and for which all the redeemed hoped, will have arrived.
Heaven rejoices, not over the damnation of sinners, but because of the triumph of righteousness, the exaltation of Jesus Christ, the elimination of His enemies, and the arrival of His kingdom on the earth.
VI.
Judgment Completed (vs.
21-23)
Picture of Millstone
In a single dramatic act another angel picks up a great millsone, (four to five feet in diameter, a foot thick and very heavy), and threw it into the sea as a dramatic picture of Babylon’s destruction.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9