"Babylon Down! Babylon No More!" (Sermon on Revelation 18:19-24)

The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod ^ | July 12, 2021 | The Rev. Charles Henrickson

[Charles Henrickson]

“Babylon Down! Babylon No More!” (Revelation 18:19-24)

“Babylon down! Babylon no more!” That is the powerful message of our text today, from Revelation 18. “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence.” This is a word of terrifying judgment coming on the world. “Babylon Down! Babylon No More!”

But the surprising part of our text is how we are to react to this oracle of doom. We’re told to rejoice over Babylon’s fall: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” Really? We are to rejoice at the news that Babylon will be destroyed? Let’s find out why.

First of all, we should identify who this “Babylon” is. You may remember from your Old Testament history that ancient Babylon was the great world power around 600 years before Christ. They were the ones who conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and took God’s people into captivity. But the Old Testament prophets had predicted the fall of Babylon. Isaiah had foretold it: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon,” he wrote. And the word of the Lord came to pass. Mighty Babylon fell to the Persians in 539 B.C., and thereby God’s people were set free from their oppressor.

So the term “Babylon” came to represent any proud, powerful world empire that oppressed and persecuted the people of God. In New Testament times, the name “Babylon” would be applied to the great world empire of that century, namely, Rome. That’s the historical context when John is writing Revelation. Rome was the proud, powerful empire of his day. Rome was oppressing the church, even putting Christians to death. And like Babylon of old, Rome’s power would not last. Rome fell to the barbarians in the 400s A.D.

But really, our text today goes beyond the particular downfall of those two ancient empires, Babylon and Rome. It really applies to the whole world system that proudly sets itself against God and oppresses his people. Their power will come to an end. Their wealth will be no more. Their haughty self-assurance will be shattered. Their doom and their downfall are guaranteed. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!”

Every century can see a Babylon in their own context. We see it in our day: mighty nations, mighty cities, mighty corporations, who grow wealthy as they oppress, as they persecute, as they lead God’s people astray. They spread their lies. They spread their immorality. They take pride in what they should be ashamed of. They call evil good and good evil. They plaster rainbows on their logos, in order to signal their supposed virtue. They’re woke, and if you’re not--if you object, if you speak out--you will be canceled and maybe even taken to court. Babylon can be a shape-shifter--she takes different forms from century to century--but at its heart, the essential features remain the same: proud, haughty arrogance; defiance of God and of his ways; and hostility against God’s people. This is Babylon.

But “pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Babylon’s days are numbered. She’s headed for a fall. Right now Babylon is sitting on top of the world. But one day, on the Last Day, God’s judgment will come crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. In a single hour, she will be laid waste. Babylon the great city will be thrown down and will be found no more. O Babylon, the sound of your playlists will be heard in you no more. The light of your screens and mobile devices will shine in you no more. Your Roth IRAs and your 401Ks will make money for you no more. It’s all coming to an end. Babylon will be thrown down. Babylon will be no more.

Now why is this judgment on Babylon something for us Christians to rejoice over? I mean, that’s what our text tells us to do: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

We rejoice because Babylon will be persecuting God’s people no more. We rejoice because Babylon will be deceiving the nations and leading astray the church no more. It’s not going to go on like this forever. There’s light at the end of this tunnel that we’re in. “Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh!” Christ is coming again to put an end to all this mess that we’re in, to the Babylon that oppresses us. Christ is coming to bring his people home to himself, safe and sound.

Christ Jesus has made us his own people by shedding his blood for us on the cross. Our sins are forgiven. We are his baptized people. And now our risen and ascended Lord is seated at the right hand of God, governing all things for the good of his church. The chaos of this world is swirling about you, but Christ your Savior is watching out for you, and he will see you through it. He will bring his church safely through the rise and fall of nations. His kingdom is greater than the empires of this world, Babylon and Rome and Silicon Valley.

And in Christ’s kingdom--in the city of God, the new Jerusalem--the sound of praise and worship will be heard in her forevermore. The light of Christ will shine in her forevermore. The voice of Christ the bridegroom and his bride the church will heard in her at the heavenly wedding banquet. And you, dear Christian, you will experience life and joy and fellowship with God and his people forevermore.

[Charles Henrickson]

Revelation 18:19-24 (ESV)

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!”

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
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 great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all who have been slain on earth.”

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping.

[Tell It Right]

When I saw “Babylon Down!” in the headline I figured it was the godless Dims rejoicing over a problem with the Bee’s servers. LOL

[metmom]

AMEN and AMEN!!!!

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Someone ask for me?

[Big Red Badger]

Every civilization
See’s a “Babylon.”
.
Everyone seeks a sign.
No sign but Jonah,,,

[RetiredTexasVet]

My thoughts exactly .... lol

[Bikkuri]

I saw, “BabylonBee no More”.. went into a panic! ;)

[algore]

Every civilization
See’s a “Babylon.”

Exactly.

Today that could be any number of cities around the world

London, Rome, New York, Jerusalem, Bangkok, Berlin, etc