Intoxicated with the Maddening Wine of Adultery

"'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,' which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries" (Rev 14:8). "...the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries" (Rev 17:2).

(Today's sermon on The Wrath of God explains how intoxication with the wine of adultery seduces us to our own demise.)

What does Babylon stand for? In Revelation Babylon is distinct from the historical, geographical city of Babylon. Rather, it symbolizes the great city, which is the symbol of mankind in community opposed to the things of God, beginning with the Tower of Babel. To first century people there was no better illustration of what Babylon means than contemporary Rome. Declaring that Babylon has fallen (Isa 21:9; Rev 16:19; 17:1-18) means that all of the evil that Babylon stands for will be overthrown, as history has already proven over and over again.

Why is the Gospel Eternal? (Rev 14:6-7)

"...he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people" (Rev 14:6).

The gospel. Like a multifaceted jewel, Scripture describes the gospel with various terms, each looking at it from a different viewpoint: the gospel of God (Mk 1:14; Rom 1:1), the gospel of the kingdom (Mt 4:23; Mt 24:14), the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24), the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor 4:4), the gospel of salvation (Eph 1:13). In Revelation, it is the eternal gospel (Rev 14:6).

Why is the gospel eternal? The gospel is "eternal" because it points to a message that is permanently valid. It also provides the means to eternal life.

What Do People Gain From All Their Toil? (Eccl 1:1-11)

Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Key Verse: Eccl 1:3

"What do people gain from all their labors at which they toil under the sun?

What does the Teacher/Preacher (Eccl 1:1) say about God? Nothing! Why? He is reflecting on the world on the horizontal level. He is looking at human life apart from God. He describes life "under the sun" (Eccl 1:3, 9). He describes life from a secular perspective.

Questions:

What is The Meaning of 666?

This is an expanded edited excerpt from my sermon (10/20/2013) entitled The Beast, 666, and The Lamb:

What is the mark of the Beast? What is the meaning of 666 (Rev 13:16-18)?

666 is one of the most fascinating enigmas in the book of Revelation. Countless and exhausting explanations have been given over the last 2,000 years. It is scary and mysterious. So what is it? How did the Christians in the first century understand 666 when they first heard Revelation read to them?

Show Yourself A Man

1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Act like a man" (HCSB), "act like men" (ESV, NASB), "be men of courage" (NIV '84), "be courageous" (NIV 2011, NRSV), "be resolute" (The Message).

1 Kings 2:2 says, "So be strong, show yourself a man" (NIV '84, ESV), "So be strong, act like a man," (NIV 2011), "Be strong and be courageous like a man" (HCSB), "Take courage and be a man" (NLT), "Be strong, be courageous" (NRSV), "be strong, show what you're made of" (The Message).

Courage is the mark of a man. No one likes to be a wimp, and no one likes wimps.