The Fall of Babylon
In Revelation 17 and 18, John has a vision that depicts the judgment of fallen, sinful human culture. This is personified by a woman who represents the corruption of human society.
The image of Babylon, the prostitute, is used to describe human society set against God: a metropolis of people using their God-given gifts, resources, beauty, ingenuity- not to make society better, but for their own selfish ends.
And at the time, this spirit was exemplified by the city of Rome. A city of great power and influence, but a city that was using that influence to exploit the poor, subjugate the weak, and stamp out opposition to it’s two great imperatives: economic dominance and religious conformity.
Rome under the pagan Caesars reached its peak in the century following this prophecy, and like Babylon, it too fell. But this vision looks further ahead. Whether it’s Rome, Babylon, or any other culture that exploits the weakness of others, all will one day be brought to account.
When Jesus returns, the final judgment will begin, and God will lift the oppression of the marginalised and oppressed across the world.
Questions for reflection:
1. The final chapters of Revelation take us through three main events: the judgment of Babylon, the return of Jesus, and the arrival of the new creation. Why are these events so significant for the first readers of this book?
2. Read Revelation 18. Babylon is representative of Rome and all societies that exploit the weak and persecute God’s people. Why is the fall of Babylon described in such detail?
3. Read Genesis 11:1-9. The people gather to build a city and ‘make a name for themselves’. What is the problem with this?
4. How does our 21st-Century western culture perpetuate injustice in the world? What can we do to be working for the new Jerusalem and not for Babel?