The Fall of the City of Babylon
13: 1-22
The fall of the city of Babylon REFLECT: How is the destruction of Babylon connected with the judgment God will bring upon the whole earth (see Revelation 6:12-13; 18:2)? Why should we have a light touch of the things of this world? What does this passage teach us about where we should place our trust?
Satan chose Babylon, the second most-mentioned city in the Bible, from which to launch his ancient evil attack on mankind (Genesis 11:1-9). There he lied to humanity about ADONAI, creation, sin, salvation, moral values, culture, and eternity. His primary objective was to get people to worship and serve him. It is there that he introduced idolatrous religions, both polytheistic and naturalistic, based on the theory of evolution. These false religious systems are the source of all idolatry in the world today. Satan sought to get man to fulfill his hunger for YHVH through idols that could be seen and touched. Through these religions, Satan taught that humanity, not the LORD, is “the measure of all things” – man is the center of the universe. Therefore, anything people want is okay. There are no rights and wrongs, nor a here-after.45
As a result, Babylon deserves the wrath of Ha’Shem for it had long been a center for the enemies of the LORD. Over the centuries, as various dynasties ruled over that city, it was viewed as a place of hatred against the God of Isra’el. Even in the Great Tribulation, it will be a center of hatred toward YHVH (Revelation Chapters 17 and 18).
It is all too easy to get blown away by the glory of this world. We see the glamour of the movie stars; we see the power that wealth gives; we see aircraft carriers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and we think, “Ah, there is reality.” But that is not where glory resides. Isaiah heard the seraphim correctly when they sang: The whole earth is full of His glory (6:3b). With the atomic weapons of today, New York City could vanish in a day. Babylon will be destroyed in one hour during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ep – Woe! Woe, O Great City, In One Hour She Has Been Brought to Ruin). So what will survive the wreck of all human accomplishments? Nothing!
Once again, Christ’s words come to mind. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them to practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24). If we put our trust in ADONAI and give our lives to finding out His nature and purposes, nations may rise and fall, but we will stand (Second Peter 1:10-11).46
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