"Godless Commercialism of Babylon"

"For the love of money is the root of all evil..." (I Tim. 6: 10 KJV)

"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." (Mat 24:38-39)

"...thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." (Rev. 3: 17)

I believe in both mystical (religious) Babylon of Revelation chapter 17 and commercial Babylon of chapter 18. I believe that the second coming of Christ will be preceded by the creation of a worldwide commercial city in "the land of Shinar" or Iraq and which will control all global trade between nations. This "megalopolis" will be in existence at the time of the "day of judgment."

Are we not already living in commercial Babylon as a race?

Said J. A. Seiss in his commentary on the Apocalypse (emphasis mine):

"The destruction of Babylon described in this chapter (18) bears much in common with the predicted destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel’s day (Eze. 26-28). Both cities are called harlots and known for their commercial splendor, shipping, and ungodly influence upon the surrounding nations. At their destruction, merchants who benefited from commercial contact with the city are grieved.

And thus also the old harlotry would necessarily be the chief spirit of the whole thing. Zealous and earnest worship there would needs be, but a worship concentrated upon the ephah and the talent; a worship which makes temples of banks, and warehouses, and exchanges, and pleasure parks; a worship not of the sun, or moon, or stars, or emperors, or popes, but of pounds, and francs, and piastres, and dollars; the worship of greed, and epicurean luxury; the worship of Mammon perfected, and overriding and supplanting all other devotions; the perpetuation and crown of the great moral defilement of the ages, only taking to the souls’ embrace and into the place of God the meaner object which the divine word stigmatizes as “filthy lucre.” Covetousness is idolatry, and a form of it which is the root of all evil; and here will be covetousness, deep-wrapped in the embracing arms of its god, and dazing and defiling the world with the glory and grandeur of its abominations.

Amen! How descriptive of our very day!

Think of this text:

“Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.” (Psa. 52: 7)

The prophet of old warned the covetous, condemning their "trust in your own achievements and treasures."  (Jeremiah 48:7)

Our Lord also said:

“Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” (Luke 12: 15)

Another ingredient in the cup of Babylon’s doom, besides her allurements to covetousness, is her bewitching sorcery, by which she leads all the nations astray. Drugs no doubt will play a large role in fulfilling the carnal lusts of sinful man in the last days when Babylon reigns.