Chapters 15-18

Revelation’s Diamond Word for these chapters:

“ In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you , but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:8).

Now comes Revelation’s final blast –the ‘whore of Babylon’-- the ‘mother of the earth’s abominations’ (Rev. 17:5) --. the ‘great city that rules over the kings of the earth’ (Rev. 17:18).

Is “Babylon” Rome and the Roman empire?. No. She’s much closer to home than Rome. She’s much more personal. “Babylon” first emerged in the book of Genesis, where she is called ‘Babel’ (Genesis 11).

Humankind built “Babel” ( or “Babylon” -- the same word in Hebrew) “to make a name for themselves” (Genesis 11). In other words, WE wanted to be more important than God!

Was Babel the Bible’s first city? No, Cain built the Bible’s first city. Yes, a murderer put a wall around a few houses for protection. Even though the Lord had just put a mark on Cain to keep him safe(Gen. 4: 15), Cain had to have a city. He had to do it himself. He did not trust God; his “deeds were evil” (I John 3:12).

A little of Cain has seeped down to us all. We build a lot of walls to keep us safe and to make us feel important, when we don’t have to. God put his mark on us when we were born. What more do we need?

What stones do we use to build our “Babylons”? The opinions, attitudes and judgments inherited from our families, schools and friends. We cement them into our hearts.

I’m a first-born. My wife used to say, ”It always has to be your way, doesn’t it?” She was right. I needed “my way” to feel important and safe. Biblically, however, that “my way’ attitude is an “abomination.”

Look at Proverbs 6:16-19: “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:

1. Haughty eyes,

2. A lying tongue

3. Hand that shed innocent blood

4. A heart that devises wicked plans

5. Feet hurry to run to evil

6. A lying witness who testifies falsely, and

7. One who sows discord in a family.”

These are some of the “abominations” whose mother is “Babylon.” There’s a little of “Babylon” in us all. God pours the bowls of His wrath upon our abominations. . They melt away in the smelter of his fury. What is left shall be purified silver and gold – what God created us to be..

I believe it takes a life-time for God to melt away our “Babylon” attitudes. Then he takes us home.

Every day, when my wife was dying, the nurses would ask: “What’s your pain level today?” “Oh, two or three,” she’d say. After they left she’d say, ”I hurt all over.” It broke my heart to see her suffer. Does the Lord smelt away our abominations when we are dying? I don’t know. But two days before she died, she cried out to our pastor, with fantastic enthusiasm in her voice, ”I’m going home!” She died at peace in the Lord. Her Babylons were gone.

“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you” (Isaiah 54:7).