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“ . . . for thy (Babylon) merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (the administering of drugs) were all nations deceived,” Revelation 18:23.
The Greek words underlying the English word “sorceries” and “witchcraft” in Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 9:21, 18:23 and 21:8, are the words from which we get ‘pharmacy’ or ‘pharmacist’.
It is a reference to the distribution and administering of drugs by which there is a bewitching and deceiving of those who partake of them.
Revelation 18 refers to the “merchants” who were “the great men of the earth,” verse 23. It serves to show us that ‘commerce and trade’ and those who are engaged in such, will become ‘great’ and likely become more important and influential than political leaders.
At the present time there are commercial conglomerates whose annual monetary turn over is great than the Gross Domestic Product of many nations! Their Chief Executive Officers are treated as ‘royalty’ wherever they go! ‘Red carpet treatment’ is the order of the day when they come visiting!
The recent activities of the American President, Donald Trump, with his employment of tariff ‘missiles’ as a means of dominating and subduing any nation that might disagree with his notions, are considered by many of his own nation as evidence that he is suffering from psychosis. Psychotic or not, he knows the power of commerce and trade!
Merchants
Revelation 18 indicates that the ‘administering of drugs’ will be used by the merchants of the latter-day Babylon, the seat of the Antichrist, to spread the dominance of his short-lived empire.
At the overthrowing of Babylon, the ‘merchants’, the princes of this federation of anti-God kingdoms, are amongst those who mourn most bitterly at her judgment.
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 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.
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate,” Revelation 18:1-19.
I have highlighted those who in particular mourn the judgment and destruction of Babylon and her network of inquiry.
Surely any Christian with the least measure of discernment and understanding of the Bible’s prophecies of the closing days of this age, will readily see the shift in the emphasis within the attitude of the general public world-wide to the commodities featured in the above verses! Much less of this world’s goods satisfied folk a generation ago but this no longer so!
I. THE EMPIRE OF THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE A DICTATORSHIP!
In Revelation 13 we have a detailed description of the future Antichrist and his companion, the false prophet. One element of Antichrist’s power is stated in this manner. “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations,” verse 7.
Despot
In other words he will be a dictator with unsurpassed despotic power. Any who resist him will suffer death! Of him Daniel prophesied: “And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people,” Daniel 8:24.
“And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all,” Daniel 11:36-37.
The “power” by which he will thus impose his will upon all in his domain is that of the devil. “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority,” Revelation 13:2.
We may rightly complain of the attitudes and actions of political leaders but far worse is going to come to power in this part of the world!
II. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT COMMERCE WILL BE A CHIEF MEANS BY WHICH ANTICHRIST IMPOSES HIS RULE
“And he (the false prophet) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,” Revelation 13:16.
Weapon
Commerce has often been used as a weapon of war. How often navies have been employed to blockade the sea ports in order to stop ships unloading the necessities of life and others sailing out with cargoes that would sell them and generate vital funds.
Germany tried that by attacking the Atlantic convoys of food and the material of war arriving in the United Kingdom during the two world wars.
Hitler, in World War II, also waged war against the Jewish citizens of Germany by attacking and violently closing and stopping Jewish businesses from operating.
To an even great extend, the future Antichrist will suppress all within his domain who do not bow before him and worship him!
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed,” Revelation 13:11-12. This second beast is the False Prophet.Many Christians will die at his hands for refusing to receive the ‘mark’ of ‘the Beast’, the Antichrist.
He will be permitted of God “to make war with the saints, and to overcome them,” Revelation 13:7.
Though, it must be said that his murder of believers will earn for them a crown of glory!
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years,” Revelation 20:4.
Extensive Control
The extent of the control the Antichrist will have over those within his domain may be seen in the list of goods that his merchants regulate and controlled. Verses 11-14 of chapter 18 gives a lengthy list of the goods, the sale of which was governed by Antichrist and his minions!
Notice the last item mentioned — the “souls of men”! The world is travelling back to practices that the Gospel was the means of abolishing. I recall an American preacher saying in a conference in Edinburgh, some 50+ years ago: ‘It is either back to the Bible or back to the jungle’!
Some sections of our society have already made it back to the jungle as is evidenced by their behaviour!
Dictator
I put in the line – ‘Starmer – a dictator’ – into the internet and up came this.
‘AI Overview
Based on recent reports and commentary, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced accusations of acting in an authoritarian or “dictator-like” manner from political opponents, commentators, and critics, primarily regarding his approach to democratic processes and party management.
Key points regarding these accusations include:
- Cancellation of Elections: Starmer has been heavily criticised for decisions to cancel or postpone local and mayoral elections, which critics argue denies millions of voters the chance to hold officials accountable.
- “Two-Tier” Accusations: Elon Musk and other critics labelled Starmer “two-tier Keir” and accused him of acting like a dictator in response to the handling of UK riots in 2024 and alleged bias in policing.
- Internal Party Control: Critics within and outside the Labour Party have described his leadership as controlling, particularly regarding the expulsion of left-wing members and the purging of certain views from the party.
- Media and Social Media Control: There have been concerns raised regarding potential bans of social media platforms (like X) and, according to critics, attempts to avoid scrutiny.
- “Authoritarian Populism”: Some analysts have described the style of governance as “authoritarian populism” or a “marshmallow dictatorship,” referring to a top-down, centralising approach to power.
Conversely, supporters of the government would argue that these actions are necessary for stability, restructuring, or, in the case of election delays, restructuring local governance, and that the language used by critics is hyperbolical political rhetoric. The Prime Minister’s spokesman has denied claims that he is behaving like a “dictator”.’
A similar question about Donald Trump, the US President, brought up this amongst other things.
‘AI Overview
Donald Trump, who began his second term as U.S. President in January 2025, has faced accusations of authoritarianism and acting as a “dictator” from critics, journalists, and Democratic officials
These concerns stem from his rhetoric, including a remark about being a “dictator on day one,” and actions such as deploying federal troops and targeting political opponents.
- Rhetoric and Self-Description: Trump has stated he is not a dictator, describing himself as someone with “great common sense”. However, he has also mentioned that in some situations, a “dictator is needed”. He famously joked about being a dictator only on “day one” of his presidency.
- Actions Cited by Critics: Concerns regarding authoritarian tendencies include the deployment of the National Guard, threats to prosecute Democrats, and the investigation of political opponents. Some critics argued in late 2025 that the administration was shifting toward authoritarianism through actions like expanding federal control in cities.
- Arguments Against the Dictator Label: Supporters and Trump himself often frame his actions as decisive, common-sense approaches to addressing issues like crime and border security, rather than an attempt to dismantle the republic.
By early 2026, critics continued to raise warnings about the erosion of democratic norms, while Trump supporters often championed his approach to governance.’
I dare say had I a put in the names of other leaders in Western democracies I would have received similar response.
While some of the accusations might be a little ‘over the top’, I think that dictatorial attitudes amongst political leaders has become more common.
I would suggest that it is very significant when linked to the emergence of other characteristics amongst world leaders that features large in the character of the Antichrist.
III. COMING BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED IN THIS ARTICLE, DRUG TAKING HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS WORLDWIDE!
On this subject, the Internet supplied the following information.
‘Drug taking is a relatively common activity in England and Wales, with roughly 1 in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 (8.8%, or 2.9 million people) reporting illicit drug use in the year ending March 2024, a figure that rises to 16.5% for 16- to 24-year-olds. While overall usage has remained relatively stable in recent years, it is notably higher among young adults.’
The most brutal crimes have been committed by those under the influence of drugs or those driven to robbery and violence in order to get the means of obtaining the drug they crave!
Crimes
Individual are assaulted and robbed on the street by those crazed by their need of drugs. Wives and children are subjected to the most horrific of domestic abuse by a family member, often demented by the need for drugs.
At the most intense levels of drug use, drugs and crime are directly and highly correlated and serious drug use can amplify and perpetuate preexisting criminal activity.
Again I ask the readers, are not the most serious and alarming trends glaringly and increasingly apparent in news reports and court cases?
Former generations
In my earlier years, the only ‘drug’ used was alcohol. While that is still the most common drug, and because of the revenue it generates, is legalised despite the havoc and injuries and death its use creates in families and on the roads, and the very high cost to the nation’s treasury for the medical treatment its use requires for victims of the violence it promotes and for the health problems it creates amongst those who consume it!
As alcohol has become more and more relatively acceptable, so it is clearly happening with the increasing variety of much more potent drugs that are all too easy to obtain apparently!
A recent BBC news report stated:
Illegal drugs ‘almost as easy to get as pizza‘
Part of the report states: ‘More illegal drugs than ever before are coming into the UK – and buying them is almost as easy as ordering a pizza, the author of a major new report has said.
Dame Carol Black also found that an “unprecedented” number of children and teenagers are being drawn into the drug trade through county lines gangs.
Her drugs review, external put the costs of the illicit trade in crime and to society at about £19bn a year in England.
The government said it was taking “tough action” to combat illegal drugs.
Dame Carol, who the Home Office asked last year to review drug supply and demand in the UK, presented her findings on Thursday.
The “widespread” use of children to supply drugs was the “most alarming” recent development, she told the UK Drugs Summit in Glasgow.
Her report also found that the illicit drugs market in the UK is worth £9.4bn a year, with about three million people in England and Wales taking them last year.’
Tough action
While the government may say that it is taking “tough action”to combat illegal drugs, everyone knows that year by year the use of drugs is increasing, despite the government’s oft-repeated attempt to stifle concern and give the impression of acting to stop this illegal trade!
There are places in our nation where people have to put up with public behaviour on the street akin to that of the Gadarene demoniac!
“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones,” Mark 5:1-5.
The devil
Those living near this poor man could do nothing to effectually curtail his deranged violence. He was possessed by many devils and that was the source of his madness, torment and savagery.
I have no doubt that the devil lies behind the whole world-wide drug trade. How it is carried out and the impact that it produces bears all the marks of the one who has been a murderers and liar from the beginning.
The power of the traffickers of drugs was demonstrated in Mexico just a few days ago.
A BBC news report on the reaction to the Mexican army shooting one its most infamous ‘drug lords’, indicates how well establishd is the criminal network of drug suppliers:
Who was El Mencho, Mexico’s most wanted man?
The report deals with various aspects of the activity of the criminal trade in drugs.
This particular ‘drug lord’, comes from ‘Humble rural roots in the western state of Michoacán, his rise to the top of one of the most feared and dangerous cartels in modern Mexico, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), was meteoric. And it was achieved through aggression, ambition, brutality and ruthlessness.
His killing has been heralded as a victory in both Mexico and the United States.’
However, his killing demonstrated the strength of his ‘empire’!
‘Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as “El Mencho”, died on Sunday as he was being taken to the capital Mexico City, after being seriously injured in clashes between his supporters and the army.
Four CJNG members were killed in the town of Tapalpa, the central-western Jalisco state. Three army personnel were also injured. The US had given Mexico information that assisted the operation.
CJNG retaliated by setting cars alight, building roadblocks and attacking security forces in eight states.
The US State Department issued a shelter-in-place warning for US citizens in the states of Jalisco, Tamaulipas, as well as some areas in Michoacan, Guerrero and Nuevo Leon.
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo later urged people to remain “calm”.
She wrote on X that “in most parts of the country, activities are proceeding normally”.’
Here is a link to another BBC report on the violence following the shooting!
Mexican citizens on high alert following drug lord’s death
There can be no doubt that the Mexican government felt the strength of the ‘drug lord’s’ empire and criminal associates! We in the UK can see, to a much smaller degree, the same criminal power on our streets. It has been seen to grow and it will grow even more!
Here in Ulster, the various paramilitary groups have become major ‘payers’ in the supply of drugs. Former ‘enemies’ like the IRA and the UDA and UVF are reported to be cooperating in the importing and distributing of drugs. The supplying of illegal drugs acts as the ‘fuel and fertiliser’ of criminal violence!
Here is further evidence of the murderous havoc increasingly being wrought by drugs, this time in the UK!
Innocent woman shot in the chest. Student dragged into an alley by two men. And assassins sticking shotguns through the letterbox… GUY ADAMS reveals how Cardiff has become overrun with gangs and addicts – and crack cocaine war behind it
And are two more reports:
‘Fear is everywhere’: BBC reports from Mexican city turned into war zone by drug cartel feud
BBC on streets of Mexican city gripped by deadly cartel violence
The Bible tells us of this plague and we can see that predicted in the Word of God, taking place before our eyes — if we have “eyes to see, and ears to hear”, Deuteronomy 29:4.
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way,” 2 Thessalonians 2:7. That is, ‘the secret working of lawlessness’ is already at work.’
That was stated over 1900 hears ago. How advanced must be that ‘spirit of lawlessness’ today.
Remember, it will reach its zenith in the ‘revealing’ the Antichrist.
That revelation draws very near!
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)
Friday 27th February 2026