We will now cover Revelation 18:21-24, which continues with the prophecy of Babylon and its final destruction:

   Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

   The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.

   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.

   And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

     Here we see that the complete destruction of Mystery Babylon is coming. The “sea” in prophetic symbolism often refers to mass humanity, indicating that Babylon will ultimately be swallowed up by the people. A number of times in history, it appeared as if this would be the case, such as during the French Revolution. However, although Babylon’s power over the nations is now but a fraction of what it once was, it continues to this day, so this has not happened yet.

     The great cathedrals were the primary building projects in Europe during the Middle Ages. These cathedrals were probably the best acoustically designed buildings of the period and were where the great musicians of the time played. The institutional church was the primary supporter of music, the arts, and of the great architects of the time. Of course, institutional churches are also the primary place that brides and bridegrooms are to be found to this day. So it is clear what this points to.

     Institutional churches were the center of life and culture, with much of the art and music still impressing and inspiring us today. Even so, no amount of good works can pay for our sin, and it is also true that the blood of more martyrs and saints are found on the hands of the institutional church than by the hands of all other sources combined.

     In the next chapter of Revelation, we are told how to respond to this Mystery Babylon, and we will cover this next week. In the meantime, we should consider if we want to keep investing our time and resources into something with a doom that is sure. We also need to consider what we do invest in—the city that God, not men, is building, the one whose foundations cannot be shaken. All of this is so we know how to distinguish the two.