The Patience of the Saints

“And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” [1]

Babylon is a spiritual harlot. [2] She is not committed to the one true God. She is sensual. She is material. Like a rock star who will do anything to gain devoted fans, she promotes the most outlandish behavior. She hates God’s saints because they will not join in the rebellion.

“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.’” [3]

Babylon rests on the back of the beast. The beast is the antichrist. His goal is to steal the hearts of God’s people from God and turn them to himself. The temptation in that day for Christians will be to fall away from faith in God rather than to suffer persecution. God warns us NOT to worship the beast or his image, because those who do will suffer for all eternity.

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” [4]

Be patient! Be a saint! Keep the commandments of God! Keep faith in Jesus!

Jesus Christ is the Name is above every other name. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only Name by which we must be saved. Only Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. Only Jesus rose from the dead. No other religion can boast of a risen Savior. Only Jesus is coming back to get His people. The only blessed dead are the ones who die in Him. Only those who worked for Jesus will enjoy eternal rest. [5]

The Prophet Jeremiah spoke of the rise and fall of Babylon more than any other prophet. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus reveals that another Babylon will rise and fall in the last days. As God called Jeremiah to forewarn His Old Testament people of ancient Babylon, Jesus is calling us His New Testament messengers, His Church, to forewarn people of the New Testament Babylon.

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.” [6]

Thankfully, just as God got Noah IN the ark before the flood and got Lot OUT of Sodom before the fire fell, God will take His saints out of this evil world before HIS judgments fall. [7]

“And another angel came out from the altar who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, ‘Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs (180 miles).” [8]

After God’s angels have safely stored the fruit that He wants to keep, His angels will cast the bad fruit into the winepress of God’s wrath.

After God closed the door on the ark of Noah and after God’s angels got Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah, the next stage was judgment on the ungodly.

This is what Jesus is telling His people in Revelation. Be patient! Endure! Be holy! Be obedient to God’s commands. Keep faith in Jesus! Overcome!

[1] Revelation 14:8
[2] See Revelation 18
[3] Revelation 14:9-11
[4] Revelation 14:12-13
[5] See Philippians 2:9-11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12
[6] Revelation 14:14-16
[7] See 1Thessalonians 4:15-18 (the rapture)
[8] Revelation 14:17-20