Revelation 18 is basically about the destruction of that one religion that has so destroyed Christianity, the Catholic Church. The pope who claims to be so righteous, and yet is so wicked. He who claims to uphold the tenets of Jesus Christ, has destroyed the Ten Commandments and substituted man-made traditions for God’s commands. Every church, including the Sabbath keeping churches, have been infiltrated by the Catholic Church to bring them all back to the “Mother Church”. That is why they are all called, “Antichrist” in the Bible. “Anti” means “in place of”. They are all teaching and standing in the place of Christ because they are “against” Jesus Christ.
“Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Revelation 18:2, 3.
All nations of the earth have representatives in Rome. All want to know what the pope is thinking. And the “merchants of the earth” are the religions of the world. Look at the Crystal Cathedral. Look at the “700 club”. Look at the wealth of religions today. All are getting rich off the teachings and doctrines taught by the Catholic Church. “Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4.
God will destroy that city, that mammoth religion that has destroyed the souls of men and women. It has substituted human commands and traditions for the plain and simple teachings of Jesus: Be perfect, Stop sinning and keep the Ten Commandments to keep your eternal life.
Revelation 19 is about the triumph of Jesus against the wicked. He wins, they lose. Jesus comes riding out on His white horse. He comes to conquer in the “Word of God”. That Word, the Bible, the teachings of Jesus that the world has spurned, now will rule the world. Only those who have voluntarily submitted to that Word will live with Him.
There is no police force in heaven. No force will be employed to make people obey that Word. There will be no rack, no dungeon, no sword to command obedience. Only willful obedience will be accepted, both now and then. The coming of Christ will do nothing to change your character, it only sets it beyond all change. If you have not practiced obedience to the teachings of Jesus now, you wouldn’t practice obedience in heaven. Therefore, Jesus can not take you to Heaven.
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.”’ Revelation 19:17, 18. “The rest of them were killed with the sword (the Word of God) that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.” Revelation 19:21.