41 . Final Judgments
" Her sins have reached unto heaven , and God hath remembered her iniquities . . . . In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double . How much she hath glorified herself , and lived deliciously , so much torment and sorrow give her : for she saith in her heart , I sit a queen , and am no widow , and shall see no sorrow . Therefore shall her plagues come in one day , death , and mourning , and famine ; and she shall be utterly burned with fire : for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her . And the kings of the earth , who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her , shall bewail her , and lament for her , . . . saying , Alas , alas that great city Babylon , that mighty city ! for in one hour is thy judgment come ." Revelation 18:5-10 .
" The merchants of the earth ," that have " waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies ," " shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment , weeping and wailing , and saying , Alas , alas that great city , that was clothed in fine linen , and purple , and scarlet , and decked with gold , and precious stones , and pearls ! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought ." Revelation 18:11 , 3 , 15-17 . Such are the judgments that fall upon Babylon in the day of the visitation of God ' s wrath . She has filled up the measure of her iniquity ; her time has come ; she is ripe for destruction .
When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people , there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of life . While probation continued they were blinded by Satan ' s deceptions , and they justified their course of sin . The rich prided themselves upon their superiority to those who were less favored ; but they had obtained their riches by violation of the law of God . They had neglected to feed the hungry , to clothe the naked , to deal justly , and to love mercy . They had sought to exalt themselves and to obtain the homage of their fellow creatures . Now they are stripped of all that made them great and are left destitute and defenseless . They look with terror upon the destruction of the idols which they preferred before their Maker . They have sold their souls for earthly riches and enjoyments , and have not sought to become rich toward God . The result is , their lives are a failure ; their pleasures are now turned to gall , their treasures to corruption . The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment . The rich bemoan the destruction of their grand houses , the scattering of their gold and silver . But their lamentations are silenced by the fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols .
The wicked are filled with regret , not because of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men , but because God has conquered . They lament that the result is what it is ; but they do not repent of their wickedness . They would leave no means untried to conquer if they could .
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