Revelation 18:1-10
Today’s Passage: Revelation 18:1-10
As I read today’s passage, several other passages of Scripture flood my mind.
The first thing we see is that Babylon has fallen as God said it would.
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death…” Too often we grow comfortable with sin, not just in our own lives but in the world around us. Paul said earlier in Romans 1:23, “Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
The real issue with “Babylon” is that it captures hearts and minds. Even if we’re not participating in the sin around us, are we giving approval? Do we laugh at punchlines that grieves the Lord? Do we sing to lyrics the Bible condemns? Do we elevate and idolize sinners—in their walk, talk, dress?
Look at the punishment of Babylon in our passage. Consider the end the world system that opposes God will face. The word “luxury” is mentioned three times in 10 verses—and yet, our standard of living right now supersedes anything the ancient mind can imagine. Let us not fall victim to the comfort and trappings of “Babylon,” but endure in faithfulness knowing that sin has a price.
The second set of passages that came to mind was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. That event is a picture of the destruction Babylon will face—it is total and complete. We can infer from Abraham’s pleading in the chapter before that those cities contained not 10 righteous people. In Genesis 19, we see the townspeople willing to sodomize (where the word originated) men they didn’t know. The fact that Lot seemed to realize something like that might happen indicates it wasn’t a one-time event but a characteristic of the city.
Obviously, that terrible account gives insight into the deserved punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, however, Ezekiel 16 give further clarity. Verses 49–50 read, “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.” So, it’s not just the rape or the homosexual acts that God judged, that’s just the downline consequences of lives lived in rampant excess far from the Lord’s heart.
That description in Ezekiel sounds a lot like Babylon in Revelation 18. Again, the end of the road for sinners isn’t a giant party with rock stars in Hell. It’s this. It’s judgement.
This fate we read in Revelation 18 isn’t the destiny of those who have placed faith in Christ. However, the consequences of sin that we read here are the fate of those who never turn to Christ. While we have time, before the Day of Judgment comes, share your hope for salvation. Time is running out. One day, you will not have the opportunity to evangelize and I think we will wish we had. Don’t let someone walk into judgment without you speaking up.
Written By: Tyler Short
As I read today’s passage, several other passages of Scripture flood my mind.
The first thing we see is that Babylon has fallen as God said it would.
Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death…” Too often we grow comfortable with sin, not just in our own lives but in the world around us. Paul said earlier in Romans 1:23, “Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
The real issue with “Babylon” is that it captures hearts and minds. Even if we’re not participating in the sin around us, are we giving approval? Do we laugh at punchlines that grieves the Lord? Do we sing to lyrics the Bible condemns? Do we elevate and idolize sinners—in their walk, talk, dress?
Look at the punishment of Babylon in our passage. Consider the end the world system that opposes God will face. The word “luxury” is mentioned three times in 10 verses—and yet, our standard of living right now supersedes anything the ancient mind can imagine. Let us not fall victim to the comfort and trappings of “Babylon,” but endure in faithfulness knowing that sin has a price.
The second set of passages that came to mind was the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. That event is a picture of the destruction Babylon will face—it is total and complete. We can infer from Abraham’s pleading in the chapter before that those cities contained not 10 righteous people. In Genesis 19, we see the townspeople willing to sodomize (where the word originated) men they didn’t know. The fact that Lot seemed to realize something like that might happen indicates it wasn’t a one-time event but a characteristic of the city.
Obviously, that terrible account gives insight into the deserved punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah, however, Ezekiel 16 give further clarity. Verses 49–50 read, “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.” So, it’s not just the rape or the homosexual acts that God judged, that’s just the downline consequences of lives lived in rampant excess far from the Lord’s heart.
That description in Ezekiel sounds a lot like Babylon in Revelation 18. Again, the end of the road for sinners isn’t a giant party with rock stars in Hell. It’s this. It’s judgement.
This fate we read in Revelation 18 isn’t the destiny of those who have placed faith in Christ. However, the consequences of sin that we read here are the fate of those who never turn to Christ. While we have time, before the Day of Judgment comes, share your hope for salvation. Time is running out. One day, you will not have the opportunity to evangelize and I think we will wish we had. Don’t let someone walk into judgment without you speaking up.
Written By: Tyler Short
No Comments