The Fall of the World System

 

Revelation Chapter 18

The Fall of Babylon

Chapter 18 has displayed a series of lamentations about the tragic end of Babylon’s fall. Here, we can catch a glimpse of the splendor of the Roman politics, economy and commerce prior to her fall.

First, there was an angel illuminated with glory, and he cried mightily with a loud voice, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen!” From heavenly perspective, Babylon, once a rich, strong and luxurious nation, had fallen. All peoples, kings and merchants on earth lost all their sources of profit since then.

Merchants in the Roman Empire grew rich by exploiting the sinful pleasures of their society. Many businesspeople today do the same thing. Businesses and governments are often based on greed, money, and power. Many bright individuals are tempted to take advantage of an evil system to enrich themselves.

And another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins.…”

God’s people ought to keep themselves a distance away from Babylon lest they would be defiled by her, and avoid being caught up in the judgment time. God remembered Babylon’s unrighteousness, and He would pay her back double.

Christians are warned to stay from the lure of money, status, and the good life. We are to live according to the values Christ exemplified: service, giving, self-sacrifice, obedience, and truth.

Those who are tied to the world’s system will lose everything when it collapses. What they have worked for a lifetime to build up will be destroyed in one hour. Those who work only for material rewards will have nothing when they die or when their possessions are destroyed.

What can we take with us to the new earth? Our faith, our Christian character, and our relationships with other believers. These are more important than any amount of money, power, or pleasure.

Kings, merchants and sailors on earth sang lamentations and mourned about the fall of Babylon! They wept and mourned for Babylon as they used to receive various and abundant resources from her. They once benefited from her prosperity. But everything disappeared. Babylon had become a destitute wilderness (v9-19).

Those who are in control of various parts of the economic system will morn at Babylon’s fall. The political leaders will mourn because they were the overseers of Babylon’s wealth and were in a position to enrich themselves greatly. The merchants will morn because Babylon, the greatest customer for their goods, will be gone.

The sea captains will no longer have anywhere to bring their goods because the merchants will have nowhere to sell them. The fall of the evil world system affects all who enjoyed and depended on it. No one will remain unaffected by Babylon’s fall.

The voice form heaven (18:4) continued to prophesy against the greedy merchants. “The fancy things you loved” and the “luxuries and splendor” were gone. This list of merchandise illustrates the extreme materialism of this society. Few of these goods were necessities—most are luxuries. Even people had become commodities—most are sold as slaves to Babylon.

The desire for nonessential luxuries had driven these merchants. Yet, how many of these luxuries listed are in your home? Most people will find that they own almost everything on this list. We are people who truly live in great luxury. We, too, are in danger of being absorbed in possessions and pleasure.

Make sure that your desires lead you in the right direction. Put boundaries on them. Don’t go after everything you see. Keep your desire on serving God and building his kingdom by helping others.

God’s people should not live for money, because money will be worthless in eternity. And they should keep on guard constantly against greed, a sin that is always ready to take over their lives.

God wants us to work and to provide for our families, and he commands the proper use of money.  But when the desire for money fills our lives. It becomes a false god. Don’t be enslaved by the desire for wealth.

Then, Chapter 19 starts with songs of victory in heaven. All the saints in heavens and on earth would celebrate, for Babylon their oppressor had been judged by God (vv.1-2).

Praise is the heartfelt response to God by those who love him. The more you get to know God and realize what he has done, the more you will respond with praise. Praise is at the heart of true worship. Let your praise of God flow out of your realization of who he is and how much he loves you.

John heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments!” Again, they said: Alleluia! God has avenged the blood of his servants on the great harlot.

And then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying: “Amen! Alleluia”.

Finally, the voice of a great multitude again saying, “Alleluia! For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. Blessed are those who are called to the wedding feast of the Lamb!”

The wedding feast of the Lamb, i.e., the union between Christ and His Bride, made a striking contrast with the union between Babylon the harlot and her alliances, who hurt one another and fell.

This is the culmination of human history—the judgment of the wicked and the wedding of the Lamb and his bride, the church. The church consists of all faithful believers from all time.

The bride’s clothing stands in sharp contrast to the gaudy clothing of the great prostitute of 17:4 and 18:16. The bride’s clothing represents the good deeds of the believers. These good deeds are not done by believers to their merit, but they reflect the work of Christ to save us (7:9,14).

Conclusion

The rise and fall of kingdoms and authoritarian regimes in the world history exemplified by the fall of Babylon, the harlot. Babylon has been always there in history. She has a political, economic and cultural atmosphere, which is full of idolatry, love of wealth, corruption, immorality, indulgence, unrighteousness, violence, totalitarianism and pride.

Some saints are ensnared by it and they have deviated from the truth. Some are persecuted to death because they remain faithful to the Word of God.

Does our society today reflect this type of evil power that is indulgent, corrupted, wasteful, oppressive and unrighteous, and rebellious against God?

E.g., International business groups and investment funds? Corporate raiding and money laundering? How about great nations that have risen and expanded plunder resources and export her corruption globally?

An authoritarian regime who uses nationalism as a way to suppress freedom, including religious freedom? Popular culture and idolatry that have poisoned the mind and soul of the people and caused rigidness to their thought? By using social credit grading system, big data and cashless transactions as means to control and monitor people?

Chapters 17-18 seek to criticize Babylon, the harlot, the corrupted atmosphere that was caused by the alliances of social, culture, economic and authoritarian politics. People of God need to be discerning and watchful.

While we live in Babylon, our body, our soul and our spirit have to be out of Babylon, and we are to keep ourselves undefiled by the worldview and adulterous ways of Babylon.

As saints, we have to walk in God’s righteousness and love, and to be actively involved in social care as well as to strive for social justice.

We are not to seek for our own interest and to greed after money. Do not strive for success through unscrupulous means and deprive the rights of marginalized groups. Do not replace your faithfulness to God with allegiance to oppressive regime or nationalism.

The woman and the beast will tempt and beguile the saints to rebel against God.  Those steadfast saints who have gone through tribulations and persecutions will be purified and they will become the undefiled and blameless Bride.

The saints of God need to keep themselves pure and blameless, otherwise, like the harlot, they will be judged by God.

The book of Revelation is not merely a historical report in relations to the 1^st century world of Greco-Roman. It is also not a text to encode the end-time prophecies.

The book of Revelation presents to us the truth that God’s judgment and redemption continue throughout all times and in all social and economic situations, and it shall last until Christ returns with the consummation of human history. The overarching theme in all the visions is the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over evil.