Revelation 18
When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: “Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!” The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.” The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, “Was there ever a city like this great city?” They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!” Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.” Revelation 18:9-20 NIV
Today’s culture focuses way too much on success, status, power, popularity and wealth. Dr. Tony Evans said, “Far too many parents are more interested in their kids making the team than making the Kingdom.” Our goal in life is to further the Kingdom and to honor God, not to build up earthly, temporary things like our status, power, or bank accounts. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). In the book of Revelation, the riches of this world and all sinful kingdoms are represented by Babylon, which gets utterly destroyed. In Revelation 18:10,17, and 19, it says that the kingdoms of this world will all come to ruin “in one hour”. When all things earthly are gone, we will then be left with only those things that are eternal. So what kind of things are eternal, that which we can take with us to Heaven? Our faith in God, our Christian character, and our relationships with other believers are a few of them. These are more important than any amount of money, power, or pleasure. Those who work solely for material rewards will be left with nothing when they die or when their possessions or power are lost. Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). In today’s world, the desire for non-essential luxuries is strong. This is especially true in the United States. Think of how many “wants” we have compared to what we actually “need.” Because of this, we are all in danger of being overly attached to our possessions, and being caught in the vicious cycle of always wanting more. There is nothing wrong with having nice things and pursuing fun and pleasure, but we absolutely must have reasonable boundaries put in place. This requires frequent self-assessments to make sure that our time, our money, and our hearts are truly focused on serving God and His Kingdom first and foremost. It is for this reason that the Bible warns us to stay free from the lure of money, status, and the “good life”. “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). In the parable of the sower in Luke 8, Jesus explains that even our ability to believe and act on God’s Word is hindered by focusing too much on the things of this world: “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:14). Material wealth is not by itself morally, biblically, or ethically wrong to possess. Jesus’ concern is that we do not set our hearts upon it. If we slip into a mode of preoccupation with acquiring and possessing these riches and pleasures, they will choke out the fruit of our lives and hinder our ability to help others. We are always quick to condemn sin. However, Jesus puts a preoccupation with the cares of this world on par with sin! A productive career, a successful family, high achieving children and the lifestyle that accompanies these impressive credentials can be alluring. We must all take a moment to inspect our lives, as the cares of this world can be very deceptive. We are meant to strive for excellence because we are created in God’s image. But we must be careful not to let this drive for achievement of the things in this world lead to us being underachievers when it comes to building God’s Kingdom. We should live according to the values Christ exemplified: service, giving, self-sacrifice, obedience, and truth. If we are financially secure, we should make sure that we don’t become complacent and deluded by the myth of self-sufficiency. We must not fall into the trap of thinking that God has blessed us for the sole purpose of us selfishly enjoying the things in this world. We need to use our resources to help others and advance God’s Kingdom. When all is said and done, “Three things will last forever–faith, hope, and love–and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT). It is while we remain focused on believing in God’s truth, remaining hopeful for the future, loving God and loving others that we will be building God’s Kingdom right here on Earth!