Corona Chronicles - Crown of Gold

Good morning, and welcome to Corolla Chronicles. Yesterday, we got up to verse 20 of chapter 18, and we were describing that scene like a funeral where there were 3 eulogies for Babylon. There was the voice of the kings, the voice of the merchants, and then the command to God's people to rejoice, which is a weird thing to have at a funeral, but it's what we found. And we're moving on to verse 21 now. And again we're continuing with this inescapable theme that Babylon in this world is is coming down.

So this is verse 21. Then a mighty angel picked up a bowl at the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea and said, With such violence, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down. Never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters will never be heard in you again. No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again.

The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and brideg will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's most important people. By your magic spell, all the nations were led astray.

In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people of all who have been slaughtered on the earth. I mean, it's it's quite final that, isn't it? This is this is the I mean, it's called, it's titled in in the bible. Well, not the bible, but the title here is the finality of Babylon's doom. Mhmm.

And we've seen the funeral speakers and then this is it really, isn't it? There's no coming back from this. Mhmm. Being tied, you know, having a large millstone, thrown into the ocean. There's only 1 place it's going.

And that's right down to the bottom and it's it's not coming back up again. No. And it's supposing how that is quite although millstones are not something we might see very much. You know, it's it is a violent image, so I'm sure most people have seen on those nature programs the moment when a when a huge, you know, ice ice shelf suddenly creaks and breaks and it comes falling into the sea or a tower of rock just collapses, and then it's a violent image, isn't it? It's thousands and thousands of tons of material just plunging into the sea.

Yeah. And that's being that's being used as a picture to describe Babylon being thrown down into the bottom of bottom of the ocean. And, you know, in the reading, it's very clear is that this never again never again never again. So as you say, it's the finality of Babylon's doom. And the interesting thing is that in the in the past few verses, there's been quite a lot of language about the judgement Babylon, and it's described as a burning and a wailing and a torment, whereas this seems to be alongside that the withdrawal of everything that would bring joy in a normal life.

So the the the warm glow of a lamp. Will never be seen. It'll be darkness forever. Mhmm. You've been to weddings and just the the the joy of celebration and laughter and conversation and chat, dancing, and the sound of feet, dancing, and sound of mouths, eating the food.

All of those noises of joy are gonna be withdrawn. And it's just gonna be a choir rattly old place. You know, all all the good is is gone from from Babylon. And this is it's real I mean, it's really sad because this is a picture of our world. Which or if you look at it from the outside, if you look at London, you you will see music.

You will see great trade. You will see, you know, fruitful sort of supermarkets with food and you'll see light and you will hear the sound of dancing and fix on the outside. There is this sort of It looks alright, doesn't it? They look like they're good people, hardworking honest. But then in verse 21, we we we, you know, the the curtain has pulled back and we see actually what was going on.

In Herms found the blood of prophets and of god's holy people. So there's there is a love for good things, but without a love for the god who gives good things. There's a real yeah. So it's kind of a a fake veneer of goodness. And that that is that is 1 very important way of thinking about seeing it, isn't it?

And it says there in verse 23, buy your magic spell all the nations would let astray. And what is the magic spell? Well, as you say, it's this idea that we can enjoy the good without the god isn't it? You know, we would we would take all of these blessings of light and music and trade and from God's hand. And turn our backs on the 1 who gives them.

Mhmm. Not even not even consciously. Yeah. Not even saying I'll take the gift but I don't want you. Just a complete ignorance of God not even mentioning him, you know.

And it's it's been interesting thinking about this this lockdown and and, you know, some of the big voices that we hear all the time from the government and scientists. And there there really is no mention of God at tomorrow is there. Not not even in a passing way. He's just come completely cut out. And you can imagine at the press conference if someone said, you know, if you thought much about God's role in all this, it would it would be it would be the weird, it would be completely inappropriate, wouldn't they?

People would just say, can we have the next question, please? You know, it would be So that that's what's happening here, you know, it's this we we think that we can enjoy all of these things without God. That is the spell that leads us astray. Yeah. I suppose as Christians as well, that is that is the temptation that will lead us astray.

But actually all the good things we have in our life are there just because they're there, not because, you know, God's given them to us. Mhmm. And this is this is a picture of of something Jesus said, isn't it? He says it's be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around your neck and to lead 1 of the little ones astray. Mhmm.

And you see that by your magic spell the name were led astray. So Jesus really had this in mind, didn't he? Because he he's sort of seeing this vision himself, isn't it? So this is what he was thinking of when he said that. Yeah, the seriousness of of living in this world and enjoying God's things without any acknowledgement of the creator.

Yeah. And I think I think as well that, you know, the last bit was 24 that the prophets of God's holy people, you know, that their blood has been shed. And it reminds it reminds me available, you know, right at the beginning of the bible where where you've got the first the first murder and the blood of Abel, the righteous servant is crying out to God from the earth, you know. And that is still the case, isn't it? In all the luxury and all the, you know, the the living standards that we have, it looks nice isn't it?

But there is there is the blood of God's people in the soil of this earth, you know, and it's crying out for justice. Mhmm. And 1 day God is gonna gonna come and bring justice both in active punishment and in the withdrawal of all the goods that he had given through for a time. And so that that that, you know, this is a this as usual, these are these are challenging messages messages and, you know, again, judgment is coming and all the good things we enjoy. If we enjoy them in this godless manner are gonna come back upon us in judgment and and now is the time at the end of this funeral scene to to to come on and and to trust in Christ and to to have a certain future with him.