Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The sudden and utter destruction of Babylon (Revelation 17:16-18:1-8) will negatively impact those who have sided with its leader, the Antichrist. Revelation 18:9-11 says, “And the kings of the earth, who hath committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.” Later, in verse 17, “sailors” add their lament. All of these groups – monarchs, merchants, and mariners – will profit temporarily from their association with Babylon, but this world economic system will completely collapse. Remember, this entire financial apparatus is based on cruel coercion by the world government of the Antichrist: “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:16-17). Even the most casual observer of human history knows that a government that treads upon economic freedom will trample upon all other freedoms as well. The all-inclusive words of Jesus are an eternal antidote to the Antichrist’s evil activity: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).