^18:14"And the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.

"And

• the FRUIT YOU LONG FOR has gone from you, and

  The FRUIT is the "good life" that the surviving people at this time think the global economy will bring to them. But note, this is not of the "will of God" (1 John 2:12-15-17). LONG FOR really is to be PASSIONATE or LUSTING after the world's FRUIT. It really is what drives how marketing targets consumers, and how merchants amass fortunes (or at least some present corporate management).

  Symbolically, there is a kind of SPIRITUAL FRUIT all mankind longs for. Native Americans sought after the Great Spirit, orientals seek to please Buddha, moslems try to make pilgrimages to Mecca, and modern man seeks to find spiritual meaning in self fulfillment and self gratification (Isaiah 2:6-8-11). It is not clear how this spiritual FRUIT longing/seeking will be removed, but it will be removed. Probably in anticipation of the millennial period (Revelation 20:4) when there will be no need to long for spiritual FRUIT as long as Christ is the world president.

• ALL THINGS that were LUXURIOUS and SPLENDID have passed away from you and

  Oh, the lifestyles of the rich and famous are gone too. In particular, SPLENDID denotes very visible flaunting of desire and/or achievement to acquire ALL THINGS. Interestingly, much of what the world does is for SHOW (compare this to what is detestable in the SIGHT of GOD (Luke 16:14-18)).

  Symbolically, the spiritual side of man, while it shouldn't, often does much in the way of SHOW too. Consider that almost any city or town you come to, the places of worship are usually very recognizable. Compare this to how "unseen" the economy of God works (Matthew 25:31-46).

• men will NO LONGER find them.

  This refers back to verse 11. Sales in ALL THINGS have ceased. Rather than build inventories, manufacturers have ceased producing product. Hence ALL THINGS can NO LONGER be found.

  Apparently by this time, the scriptural "seek, and you shall find" principle (Matthew 7:7-12) has been set aside. Given that this chapter (verse 21) is the forever end of Babylon (ALL THINGS), this principle, too, no longer is needed. It explains, in part also, why the whole of the spiritual side (verse 20) are to REJOICE over this termination. Babylon (and global economy with its inherent greed, lust, and all that accompanies those desires) has been martyring prophets and saints for all preceding time (verse 24). We get the sense, though, that this chapter isn't really the end of the story; for after the millennial reign of Christ, the devil is loosed for a time (Revelation 20:8). That he is able to deceive so many among the nations indicates that the "LONGING FOR" has made a revival among the populace.