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Devotional Revelation 18:1-10
He Reigns
Bible reading
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
‘ “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!”
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’
4 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;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
“I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.”
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
9 ‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!”– Revelation 18:1-10 (NIVUK)
Devotional
We’ve come to a chapter where we need to understand the symbols before we can talk about what is going on. When we think of Babylon, we mostly think of the ancient society that was run by Nebuchadnezzar. Ancient Babylon was the enemy not only of Israel but of almost every other region in the known world. Babylon was powerful, violent, dominant and wealthy. It consumed other societies by conquest but once inside the people saw the real danger of Babylon! It was beautiful! Babylon had everything you could imagine and want. It was luxurious, permissive, and lucrative. Who wouldn’t want to live in Babylon?
John knew his cultural background. He remembered how Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and had taken the best of everything and everyone and made them their own. John understood that the Babylon he saw before him in chapter 18 wasn’t ancient Babylon, but another Babylon… one that looked a lot like Rome. In fact, Babylon is every city or culture that demonstrates these seven qualities: It leaves God out and promotes all types of sexuality, injustice, consumerism, violence, deception, and idolatry. What John was beginning to understand is that every generation has its Babylon, and it is just as destructive, cruel, and antiChrist as ancient Babylon.
Do you now understand why it’s so hard to be a disciple these days? We are constantly under the pressure of Babylon. We study under its pressure, we are entertained under its pressure, we work in Babylonian businesses, hospitals and schools. And it’s not just you and me… she rides on the waters, on peoples and nations… the world is living in Babylon! We can’t escape Babylon… but Jesus wanted John and the churches to understand that although we can’t escape Babylon… we don’t have to live the babylonian culture!
Jesus tells John… don’t lose hope, Babylon is falling… and when it starts to fall, it will fall quickly. She might look stable and strong, but it’s an illusion. So, in the words that came out of heaven “come out of her, my people…”. Not literally leave, we can’t leave if Babylon is everywhere. But we can leave the corruption, the seduction, the lies and
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By Meeting PointHe Reigns
Bible reading
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
‘ “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!”
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3 For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.’
4 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;
5 for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7 Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
“I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.”
8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
9 ‘When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
‘ “Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!”– Revelation 18:1-10 (NIVUK)
Devotional
We’ve come to a chapter where we need to understand the symbols before we can talk about what is going on. When we think of Babylon, we mostly think of the ancient society that was run by Nebuchadnezzar. Ancient Babylon was the enemy not only of Israel but of almost every other region in the known world. Babylon was powerful, violent, dominant and wealthy. It consumed other societies by conquest but once inside the people saw the real danger of Babylon! It was beautiful! Babylon had everything you could imagine and want. It was luxurious, permissive, and lucrative. Who wouldn’t want to live in Babylon?
John knew his cultural background. He remembered how Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and had taken the best of everything and everyone and made them their own. John understood that the Babylon he saw before him in chapter 18 wasn’t ancient Babylon, but another Babylon… one that looked a lot like Rome. In fact, Babylon is every city or culture that demonstrates these seven qualities: It leaves God out and promotes all types of sexuality, injustice, consumerism, violence, deception, and idolatry. What John was beginning to understand is that every generation has its Babylon, and it is just as destructive, cruel, and antiChrist as ancient Babylon.
Do you now understand why it’s so hard to be a disciple these days? We are constantly under the pressure of Babylon. We study under its pressure, we are entertained under its pressure, we work in Babylonian businesses, hospitals and schools. And it’s not just you and me… she rides on the waters, on peoples and nations… the world is living in Babylon! We can’t escape Babylon… but Jesus wanted John and the churches to understand that although we can’t escape Babylon… we don’t have to live the babylonian culture!
Jesus tells John… don’t lose hope, Babylon is falling… and when it starts to fall, it will fall quickly. She might look stable and strong, but it’s an illusion. So, in the words that came out of heaven “come out of her, my people…”. Not literally leave, we can’t leave if Babylon is everywhere. But we can leave the corruption, the seduction, the lies and
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