We are now at the Seven Bowl Judgment. Those who had invested wrongly will be doomed. As verses 9-10 tell us, “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, ‘Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”

The vision of John was like a scene from a funeral service. The mighty city of Babylon was being cremated as people looked on mourning for the city as though they mourn for the dead. The first group of people who mourned were the kings of the earth. This included the ten kings and world leaders ruling under the authority of the Antichrist’s kingdom (Rev. 17:12). They were afraid to go near as they stood from afar to watch and mourn.

The destruction will be struck by a fatal blow to the already crumbling political and economic power of the Antichrist in this world. The fiery fire was making certain that it will be complete, as the people cried in their anguish, “Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour, your doom has come!” “One hour” was highlighting the swiftness of the destruction. One day she was the most powerful empire and the next she was nothing - from hero to zero.

Fear plagues the people as they watched the devastation. Devastation can harden people’s hearts against God. So, instead of turning to God humbly and admitting their need for Him, they turned elsewhere just like the unbelieving kings and world leaders turned to the Antichrist.

Biologists say fear is the first of the emotions that creatures develop. If you picked a baby bird fallen from its nest, you will feel the rapid, terrified beating of its heart. All creatures have it including man. Man is born with it and his fear will multiply by his experiences in life.

Making decisions based on fear is not a good way. Yet many even Christians made decisions because of it. Instead, we should make them by faith in the Lord who had promised to be with us. Fear must not control us more than God’s word or His Spirit. It can blind us from the truth and harden our hearts against God. So, don’t let fear rules our heart but let faith reign in it.

The kings and merchants’ fears were turned into tears. The kings who invested in pleasure and power were the first to weep when God judged Babylon. The merchants who invested in buying and selling goods were the second to “weep and mourn” because no one was buying anymore. The “peace and prosperity” they once enjoyed was gone just as the prophets and angels warned. But they had not heeded the warnings like many people today who continue to live their lives without the fear of God.

The “gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls;” do not matter anymore as their hope was dashed when Babylon came crumbling down.

In fear and sadness, these merchants lamented their losses. They addressed their lament to the city of Babylon instead of their gods. They said, “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” All her luxurious possessions will be destroyed. In Greek, the word translated as “never” is a double negative. This is the strongest form of negative that indicated it will never be restored or recovered from anymore again.

Their concerns with their riches and wealth rather than those being destroyed by the fire of God’s wrath showed that they did not care for anyone but themselves. Their cries were not for the city or the people, but it was for their own losses. They are far off from the repentance of their sins that was most needed if they desire to be saved from the wrath of God. Yet they could not see it and refused to repent and called on God for help. Greed had blinded them as they were concerned only for themselves and their losses.

Do you identify with the kings or with the merchants? What are you investing in? Are they of eternal value that will not be razed by fire? Remember, only God and His promises will last forever. What have you invested in that has eternal value in the kingdom of God?