Revelation 18:11-13 -- On Hidden Evil

"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."
Revelation 18:11-13


This chapter is about the last days before the Millennium, with Babylon being symbolic of the evils of the world (could be an actual city as well, but since it is symbolic, we don't know which one). What we do know is that the Lord calls his people to leave before she is destroyed (verse 4), and also that even though all of this sounds sad, we get right to the end of the list, and we remember that this city was trafficking in slaves and souls of men. The last verse tells us as well "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth" (verse 24).

All that to remind us that no matter how glorious and amazing something is, if it is rotten at the core, it won't last. Today, let's be wary of situations and places that God warns us about. If God tells us to get out, then we need to get out immediately, and not make the same mistake that Lot's wife did.