Revelation 18:19-24 - "In One Hour"

Last week we looked at the judgment of God on the physical city of Babylon which will be the political and economic capital of the Antichrist’s world empire. We went through the first 18 verses where we looked at several aspects of judgment. As we finish up this chapter, we will look at a few more aspects of judgment...  judgment that is mourned by the unrepentant yet celebrated by the saints.  It is a judgment that is finished and justified.This is the final and absolute destruction of the beast's vast economic and political system.The city-nation of Babylon, in the end times, is the hub of commerce and power, and of pervasive wickedness, sinfulness, idolatry and sensual perversions (Revelation 18:1–3).The sins of Babylon are enormous, and her judgment from God will be in proportion to that sin. The rapid nature of this judgment is revealed.  Babylon is fallen, is fallen!  In one hour, she’s been laid waste. This was the city, the great city. No city like the great city, and it went down in one hour – not literally, but in one great hour of immediate judgment.  Babylon falls completely and forever! In verse 20, "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her" heaven rejoices.  There is rejoicing because righteousness triumphs, because Christ is exalted, because the kingdom comes, and the people damned to hell with all their power and all their will, and all the expression of their heart made their choice against every conceivable warning. This is the rejoicing that heaven waits for, beloved, even today, when sin is crushed, when sinners are destroyed, when the cursed earth is burned and a restored earth is made, and Jesus comes and sets up His kingdom, and peace and righteousness reign. And if you’re a Christian you understand that, because the Lord has endured humiliation long enough, and so have His people. And righteousness and justice and truth and purity have had enough abuse.