January 6: ETERNAL “LIGHTS OUT”!

The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. Revelation 18:23

Today’s opening phrase tells us plainly that Babylon, whose name means confusion, weaves just enough light into her presentations to hook the listeners before leading them astray. The Reformers who exited Babylon saw that her teachings perverted what was right, and it did not profit (Job 33:27). They studied the Word in earnest and made it their business to faithfully share the gems of truth that they were discovering. But for the rejecters of truth, the ultimate result is that all light, the light of life (vv.28-30) will shrivel and dim to the point of eternal death.

The privilege of hearing the voice of bridegroom and bride is lost. The Lord is the bridegroom and His voice speaks in His Word. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). His bride is the humble remnant who presents the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) without deletions or additions. Incredibly, Babylon the Great has so conditioned the world to be out of alignment with God’s counsel that obedience to what He has actually said is perceived as strange!

For your merchants were the great men of the earth. Popular preachers are venerated as great men of the earth. They have put forth a blended sales pitch that effectively incorporates traditions (Mark 7:9,13) and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) into what should be the bread of life. These salespeople, or merchants, speak of select points of light while deliberately disregarding others, presumptuously attaching the Lord’s name to their message (see Isaiah 4:1). This practice is also described as water contamination in Revelation 8:11. There is ongoing confusion and disagreement over basic tenants of the Christian faith such as what happens at death, the punishment of the unrepentant, the connection between repentance, forgiveness, and obedience, the purpose and power of grace, baptism, healthy living, the Ten Commandments, identity of the antichrist, the millennium, the day of rest and worship, and manner of the Savior’s return. As a result, many miss the transformative power of God to discern Satan’s deceptions.

…for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. What is meant by sorcery? A short answer would be enchantment: anything that alters, lures, or weakens the mind, seducing it as a false idea is presented for the purpose of making it seem acceptable, or at the very least, harmless. Beware! Mainstreaming deceptions has been the consistent goal of the Deceiver. In His Word, Jesus has given us all that we need to make certain “that no one deceives [us]” (Matthew 24:4). Tell yourself this truth: He wants to restore my soul by leading me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). This is very different from substituting popular or convenient practices and attaching His name to it.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

For further study: Isaiah 1:9; 5:20; 47:9; Jeremiah 25:10; Romans 11:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:21