We begin in Revelation 17, where the Apostle John is invited to witness the judgment of The spirit of the age - the City of Man. As G.K. Beale notes, these chapters (17–18) are an "expanded replay" of the final judgments, showing us the inner rot of the world system.
Robert H. Mounce famously called this “A tale of two cities.” Throughout history, and peaking in Revelation, we see a collision between:
The City of Man (Babylon): The world system organized in opposition to Christ.
The City of God (New Jerusalem): The bride of Christ, the community of the elect.
The Augustinian Insight: St. Augustine argued that these two cities are built on two different loves. The City of Man is built on amor sui: the love of self to the point of despising God;
The City of God is built on amor Dei: the love of God to the point of despising self.
Today, we see the "City of Man."
We see it in its most seductive and predatory form.
We see its demise and destruction.