Bible Study: Rev 17, 18 & a bit of 19

Again, just a bit about my approach to Bible study. To me its not about right and wrong interpretation, but about whether the interpretation helps me better understand God, about whether I feel it draws me to God. It's in this spirit that I share this.

I share this in response to the general fear that exists, and has been articulated on the blog about the European debt crisis. To get this, you need to read all of Rev 18:1 - Rev 19:8.

I believe that the book of Revelation was written to a particular group of people at a particular time in order to help them understand what was going on. Since the government of the day was hostile to the Christian church, code was used. Babylon was code for Rome, the empire of the time. My reading is that what was said of that Empire at that time could be said of the Empire of our time. Whether we should consider the Empire of our time to be the USA, all Western Nations, Consumer Culture, Capitalism or something else altogether, I won't argue one way or the other. That the Empire is seductive, is not in doubt, hence it appropriately is called the harlot or prostitute. I find it noteworthy that we are not told who destroys Babylon. It seems it destroys itself.

For me the message is this: Many times I find it hard not to be overwhelmed by the conviction that consumer culture and/or consumerism is destroying, and ultimately will destroy the world completely. So wherein lies the hope? For one thing, this is not a new situation. The Christians of the first century faced the same despondent scenario. And it lies in the realization that I have choices, and that in the end a multitude will rejoice that the prostitute is destroyed.

I encourage you to read it all, but here are a few selections with my comments in blue.

 "Fallen! Powerful Babylon

   has fallen

   and is now the home

   of demons.

   It is the den

   of every filthy spirit

   and of all unclean birds,

   and every dirty

   and hated animal.

    ³Babylon's evil and immoral wine

   has made all nations drunk.

   Every king on earth

   has slept with her,

   and every merchant on earth

   is rich

   because of

   her evil desires."

    ⁴Then I heard another voice

   from heaven shout,

   "My people, you must escape

   from Babylon.

   Don't take part in her sins

   and share her punishment.

So it seems we have a choice.

    ⁵Her sins are piled

   as high as heaven.

   God has remembered the evil

   she has done.

    ⁶Treat her as she

   has treated others.

   Make her pay double

   for what she has done.

   Make her drink twice as much

   of what she mixed

   for others.

    ⁷That woman honored herself

   with a life of luxury.

   Reward her now

   with suffering and pain.

   "Deep in her heart

   Babylon said,

   `I am the queen!

   Never will I be a widow

   or know what it means

   to be sad.'

She is never satisfied.

    ⁸And so, in a single day

   she will suffer the pain

   of sorrow, hunger, and death.

   Fire will destroy

   her dead body,

   because her judge

   is the powerful Lord God."

¹¹Every merchant on earth will mourn, because there is no one to buy their goods. ¹²There won't be anyone to buy their gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, sweet-smelling wood, fancy carvings of ivory and wood, as well as things made of bronze, iron, or marble. ¹³No one will buy their cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, frankincense, ^[b] wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, slaves, and other humans.

I find the list interesting. It begins with things we absolutely don't need, but may desire, then moves on to things we need, and ends with slaves and humans. The relevant question is at what human cost do the merchants of the Empire deliver the luxuries we don't need.

Revelation 19

 ¹After this, I heard what sounded like a lot of voices in heaven, and they were shouting,   "Praise the Lord!
   To our God belongs
   the glorious power to save,
    ²because his judgments
   are honest and fair.
   That filthy prostitute
   ruined the earth
   with shameful deeds.
   But God has judged her
   and made her pay
   the price
   for murdering
   his servants."
    ³Then the crowd shouted,
   "Praise the Lord!
   Smoke will never stop rising
   from her burning body."