0404 Babylon is Fallen

"Babylon" ("place of confusion") was introduced by the prophets (Jer 50 & 51, Is 21:9). Idolatry, it is said, originated in Babylon. The chosen were taken into captivity in Babylon for 50 years (586-536 BC). Babylon now represents primarily the pagan Roman Empire with its materialism and false religion.

This initial announcement of the fall of Babylon comes in the midst of a bevy of end-times events beginning with the 144,000 martyrs descending with Christ upon Mount Zion. Babylon is still a "mystery" to the reader of Revelation as John does not identify her completely until Rev 17:5. Here Babylon is described as "she," meaning the Great Whore who rides the Beast. But greater Babylon consists not only of the Whore, but also of the Beasts, the subjects of the Beasts and their geographic, political and economic kingdom. Babylon was the Roman Empire then and now consists of greater Europe. All who take part in her idolatry are to be subjected to the wrath of God (Rev 16). Those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus have by this time already died and ascended.

Rev 18:{3} After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. {2} He called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird, a haunt of every foul and hateful beast. {3} For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury."

This angel, probably the same one as in 14:8, reiterates the warning now speaking of a place rather than a woman. Like the desert (like Edom in Is 34:11-15), Babylon (the Roman Empire) is the dwelling place of demons, foul birds and unclean beasts (Is 13:21-22). According to Baruch 4:35, the plight of any city that harasses Jerusalem is ultimate destruction.

Singled out for the grapes of wrath are the nations, which have become drunk with the blood of fornication; kings, who have fornicated with her (Rev 17:2); and merchants, who have grown rich from her sins.

Rev 18:{4} Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues; {5} for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

For the majority of Israelites living in Babylon after the captivity, it was too late to return to God (Is 23, 24, 47; Jer 50, 51; Ex 26, 27). When the Persians defeated Babylon and Cyrus let the people return to the promised land, the people were reluctant to do so. By this time, the books of the law had been lost or discarded, and few remembered their religious heritage. Israel had been assimilated into Babylonian collective. Had it not been for visionary pioneers like Ezra and Nehemiah, the Torah might not have been preserved at all.

Assimilation was the intent of Alexander the Great -- he would conquer the world, then Hellenize it. Greek became the lingua franca of the world; gymnasia were erected in every major Palestinian town; the Greek gods were accepted by the general public (1 - 3 Macabbees). Had it not been for visionary pioneers like the Macabbees, Jewish culture might not have been preserved.

Now the pioneering voice is Christ's, uttering a prophetic warning to the elect of all ages to extricate themselves from the affairs, customs, religions and godless traditions of the world.

In our time, the Christians who are most revered are those who have proven successful in assimilating with the world -- they are financially prosperous, political, "worldly." They are not at all counter-cultural; they neither observe the Sabbath or the feasts of God. They do not follow the example of Christ, nor do they take up his cross. Rather, they skew his teachings into a system for "successful living." Or they give Jesus lip service or Sunday service. Most church-going "Christians" are no threat whatsoever to the Beast; they are in fact the most subdued of his subjects; they've been assimilated into the "collective consciousness." They will not die for Christ. They will share the plagues of the Whore.

But the call is "come out now," for wrath will swoop down without warning. "Come out of her -- cease fornicating with her -- have no more to do with this wicked city," this city that epitomizes the world system. We are reminded of Abraham's call out of Ur of the Chaldees to a greater mission (Gen 12:1), Lot's calling from Sodom (Gen 19:12) and other warnings to the elect of Israel (Jer 50:8, 51:6, 45). To "come out" means "come out of the closet" if you are the elect of God and do not partake of the world. St. Paul admits that we may not be able to flee the world (1 Cor 5:10), but he demands we not participate in its dark works (2 Cor 6:14-18).

Rev 18:{6} Render to her as she herself has rendered, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed. {7} As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so give her a like measure of torment and grief. Since in her heart she says, 'I rule as a queen; I am no widow, and I will never see grief,' {8} therefore her plagues will come in a single day-- pestilence and mourning and famine-- and she will be burned with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who judges her."

Imagine someone like the Queen of England, the wealthiest person in the world, with authority and absolute temporal and spiritual power. Now imagine our Queen with absolutely no religious or moral scruples -- a psychopath -- incapable of deep feelings of right or wrong -- for she needs nothing, nor does she recognize any higher authority.

The double draught judgment upon this Queen (The goddess Amor of the city of Roma) will come in one day and by fire from Heaven, to be accompanied by epidemic, famine and agony. Such judgment will be sudden -- a Vesuvius or a Chernobel or an asteroid or a nuclear bomb -- and will be completely unexpected. "When they cry 'peace and safety.'" There may be absolutely no warning.

Rev 18:{9} And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; {10} they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas, alas, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come."

The kings will be "afar off." After years of deliberation and investigation, judgment has not yet come to upon the dissolute king of the United States. But he will be among these, lamenting, in awe that judgment fell in one hour, and fearing the worst is yet to come.

Rev 18:{11} And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, {12} cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, {13} cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, choice flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, slaves--and human lives. {14} "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your dainties and your splendor are lost to you, never to be found again!" {15} The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, {16} "Alas, alas, the great city, clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! {17} For in one hour all this wealth has been laid waste!"

Europe (the European Union) will be a bigger country than the U.S. soon. Despite the difficulties and setbacks, the Common Market is moving steadily, inevitably toward a unity of markets, productivity and currency. By the year 2010, the entity that is Europe will be number one in the world's economy. The U.S. will be second, China third and Japan fourth.

These greedy merchants of the world are not concerned about loss of human life or divine judgment of Rome / Europe / Babylon. They care only for profit. They too stand afar off in fear of God's wrath, but weep only about the loss of revenue and prestige, knowing that the cataclysm happened in but an hour.

This section came to my mind while in a shopping mall right before Christmas. All "human lives" imaginable were crowded in to purchase every article created by the hand of man. The list of goods in scripture seem almost insignificant in comparison with those in the mall! Despite the mall's incredible inventory, I heard someone cry out, "There's nothin' at this mall." When modern-day Commodity Babylon falls, all will weep. I will too.

Rev 18:{17b} And all shipmasters and seafarers, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off {18} and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" {19} And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in one hour she has been laid waste."

Having had their commerce disrupted earlier (Rev 8:8-9), now commercial magnates throw dust upon themselves (a sign of great grief), bitterly distressed for the loss of revenue. They marvel how suddenly the city's total destruction has come.

Earlier, the martyred saints cried out for vengeance on the city that is gorged on their blood. "How long, O Lord!!" Now Babylon is destroyed on account of the blood of the saints! "Rejoice! Heaven, saints, apostles, prophets."

Rev 18:{21} Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "With such violence Babylon the great city will be thrown down, and will be found no more; {22} and the sound of harpists and minstrels and of flutists and trumpeters will be heard in you no more; and an artisan of any trade will be found in you no more; and the sound of the millstone will be heard in you no more; {23} and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more; and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more; for your merchants were the magnates of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. {24} And in you was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on earth."

First century Rome was none of these things, really. Everything was imported into Rome from the provinces. Babylon the Great sounds more like Berlin (1939) or London or New York City or Los Angeles or Tokyo or one of a dozen other modern cities.

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