A Funeral for Civilization
Revelation 18:1-24

On September 6, 1997, the whole world mourned as the body of Princess Diana of Wales was laid to rest. Six days earlier, she was tragically killed in an automobile accident in Paris. Her funeral was attended by 2000 people and it was viewed on television by 2 billion people around the world. Westminster Abbey was soaring, muffled bells were tolling, celebrities were weeping, dignitaries were eulogizing, Elton John was singing, and two young princes were wondering—wondering what they were going to do without a mother!

Diana was the most photographed woman in history. Nobody could believe that the princess, so beautiful and beloved, was gone. At one moment, she was young and full of life, but in a blink of an eye, disaster fell and she was dead. England’s Rose would never be seen again. Indeed, Princess Diana was a candle in the wind—her candle burned out long before her legend ever did.

Revelation 18 tells the story of the sudden doom of another royal female figure. Like Diana, her death is unexpected and catastrophic. Although this queen has never been photographed, all the rulers of the world will weep when she passes.

Who is this queen? Unlike Diana, this queen is full of every sort of evil. This queen has gotten the nations drunk on the maddening wine of her adulteries. She has seduced the people of earth and has led them away from the one true God. Her name is Babylon the Great, the wicked prostitute of the world that we met in Revelation 17. She is the evil satanic influence that was embodied in the ancient cities of Babylon, Rome, and all civilizations on earth.

This queen is still alive and well in our world today. She continues to carry out Satan’s diabolical and deceptive plans, but her death has already been announced; her obituary has already been written; her funeral has already been planned; and the funeral songs have already been selected. Revelation 18 depicts God’s judgment of the evil world system that will take place at the end of history. It is described as a funeral service. Let’s take a look at it!

 

Babylon’s Obituary (1-3)

The whole scene opens with John seeing another mighty and magnificent angel coming down from heaven the announcing the death civilization. Just as the prophet Isaiah announced the fall of historical Babylon (Isaiah 21:9), this angel announces the fall of spiritual Babylon, the evil world system of that influences civilization. Verses 2-3 serve as Babylon’s obituary—like a death notice that you would read in the newspaper. She has died and is condemned by God.

This obituary identifies her cause of death. First, verse 2 tells us that she has become a home for demons and a haunt for evil spirits and unclean birds. Second, she got the nations drunk on the maddening wine of her adulteries, she committed adultery with the kings of the earth, and she used her excessive luxuries to make the merchants rich. This means that she seduced the nations into spiritual idolatry. The wine represents all the allurements that civilization has to offer human beings: wealth, illicit sexual gratification, and the three P’s: power, prestige, and popularity. The queen is condemned for her ungodly pursuits in the world.

Don’t we see the prostitute’s pollution throughout our world today? Unmeasured materialism, striving for security, the promotion of pornography—all of these things seduce people away from God. When the romance novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the top selling book in America, you know something is extremely wrong with the world. When our country spends a half a billion dollars on a presidential campaign, you know our world is messed up.

Christians in every age have had to heed the warning in I John 2:15-17. How easy it is to become fascinated by the things the world has to offer. The world system that opposes Christ is all around us, and we must be aware of its subtle influences. The love of possessions and pleasures is an insidious form of idolatry, demonic in its origin and destructive in its nature. These worldly things never permanently satisfy or last. Don’t be deceived by the prostitute’s promises! Look at the obituary! Babylon will be judged!

 

Babylon’s Eulogy (4-8)

Now that we have read Babylon’s obituary, let’s listen to her eulogy! The word “eulogy” means “good words”, but every once in a while someone dies and there aren’t any good words to speak; there are only words of warning not to follow in the footsteps of the deceased. Such is the case here with God’s eulogy for Babylon.

The eulogy begins with John hearing another voice from heaven calling God’s people to separate themselves from the ungodly world system. God does not want his people to share in the sins or receive the judgment of secular civilization. God has seen all of her crimes and sins—how couldn’t he, they are piled up to heaven. He will give Babylon a taste of her own medicine by paying her back for what she has done. Just as the unbelieving world tortured and gave grief to the church, God will pour out his wrath and judgment on the unbelieving world with plagues of death, mourning, famine, and fire.

This eulogy is a warning for all of us to separate ourselves from the evil secular world. God wants us to avoid the sinful pitfalls of the world. He wants his church to escape the punishments that await the unbelieving world on judgment day. That is why we must continually ask ourselves if we have compromised with the world. We have to ask ourselves: Do my attitudes, actions, desires, values, and positions line up with God’s character or the secular world? May we learn from Babylon’s eulogy and avoid the pitfalls of her path!

 

The Song of Lamentation (9-19)

Now that we have read Babylon’s obituary and have heard her eulogy, let’s listen to her first funeral song—it is a song of lamentation. The song is sung in three parts by here different groups: monarchs (9), merchants (11), and mariners (17). These groups comprise the movers and shakers of civilization; those who profited most from the evil influences of the world. They each cry, “Woe! Woe, O great city, in one hour your doom has come” as they mourn the loss of the driving force behind their power and wealth.

Can you imagine the despair over a world political, economic, and transportation collapse? When God brings Babylon to ruin, those who have put their faith in political power and economic success will be sorely disappointed. Those of you who are political and business leaders must especially beware of the seductions of Babylon, but this should cause all of us to ask ourselves the question “Where do I place my trust: in the temporal things of this world or the eternal foundation of Jesus Christ? Are you more concerned about acquiring trinkets on earth or storing up treasures in heaven?

 

The Song of Celebration (20-24)

The final funeral song for Babylon is a song of celebration. The song doesn’t celebrate her life, but it celebrates her death. At first it may seem strange to celebrate someone’s death, but if the person was wicked and oppressive, this is an appropriate response.

Remember when Dorothy’s house fell on the Wicked Witch of the East, the munchkins rejoiced by singing “Ding dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch!” Likewise, the world celebrated when Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden died.

And now, all of heaven, including the saints, apostles, and prophets rejoice because the wicked prostitute has been judged by God. The angel throwing a boulder into the sea symbolizes the conclusion of the judgments. The evil city of Babylon will sink into oblivion just as surely as the “unsinkable Titanic” sank to the bottom of the ocean. Although the ruins of the Titanic were found, Babylon will be thrown down with such violence that she will never be found again.

The song goes on to describe the particular aspects of civilization that will never be seen again. All of the joys of everyday life will vanish from the earth: no more music or craftsmanship, no more sights and sounds of domestic life, no more weddings. This is all a part of God’s judgment on Babylon for leading people astray and persecuting his church.

What a glorious day that will be? Christians can rejoice now because a day is coming when God will judge the evil political/economic/religious influences of civilization. Persecution against God’s people will come to an end and the martyr’s blood will be avenged. Justice will prevail once and for all!

Now that we have seen this final funeral for civilization—that is, now that we have read the obituary and heard the eulogy and the two funeral songs, let me conclude with a question. When God judges civilization, which funeral song will you sing? The song of earthly lamentation or the song of heavenly celebration?