Lesson Fourteen • The Fall of Babylon
Stephen Billings
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.’” Revelation 17:1-2
When I think about the daily grind of life, especially in regard to my ministry, family life, and relationships with friends, I usually am not meditating on the return of Christ. I am not thinking about the upcoming judgment that is a part of each of our eternal destinies. To be honest, my mind is usually set on the next task that is ahead or a fun upcoming event within the children’s ministry here at The River Church.
As we have been studying the book of Revelation, my mind has been brought out of thinking about life’s current circumstances and instead, has been challenged to think about what is to come as Christ will return and His pending judgment.
The question then arises, “Is my daily life putting me in a good position to be ready for Christ’s return and future judgment?” Better yet, “Is there any form of idolatry in my daily life that is keeping me from being close to God?”
In the book of Revelation, there are seven bowls of judgment that God tells John will take place in the future. Revelation 17:1-2 speaks about one of the bowl judgments that is to be poured out on the “Great Prostitute.” While we do not know all the exact details about who or what is the “Great Prostitute,” we know that the Great Prostitute is connected to the city of Babylon (Revelation 17:5). The connection to Babylon is that Babylon is known as the “origin” (Tony Evans) of “organized idolatry, blasphemy and the persecution of God’s people” (David Guzick). Babylon represents disobedience to God in these two verses.
Some commentators believe that the prostitute mentioned in Revelation chapter 17 is either “a metaphor for people who are unfaithful to God” (Tony Evans) or a “world system” (John MacArthur). My hope is that none of us take part in any form of idolatry that would leave us impure and stained, leading to punishment as seen throughout Revelation or at the end of a believer’s life.
The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells us that if we have fallen into idolatry or any sin in our daily lives, God wants to forgive us. He wants us to follow after Him. We start this in the examination of our sinful behavior followed up with confession to the only one who can forgive us of our sins. That is Jesus Christ. As we examine our lives, ask God to convict us and draw us closer to Himself. He desires a relationship where idolatry has no place.
If you are interested in learning more, please visit our website to listen to one of our messages (https://theriverchurch.cc/messages).