As we have seen throughout the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the slain lamb is the key to understanding John’s message. Revelation is a judgment against the violence of the cross and the world – the slaughtered lamb is the true King of Kings, the Emperor of Emperors, whose kingdom is enacted by his Word (the double-edged sword coming from his mouth) and not through violence (as are the kingdoms of this world). Today’s passage unveils what must be said about our world when it opposes the justice and mercy of the One on the Throne and of the slain Lamb.

Chapters 17 and 18 are telling the same story: the judgement of something great, the Great Prostitute in ch. 17 and Babylon the Great, in ch. 18. We learn from the text that the great prostitute exercises power over all peoples. The great prostitute is described as wealthy and living in luxury, but also as doing abominable acts and leading others into corruption. She sits on seven hills, a common reference to Rome. 

Babylon was a common symbol in the Old Testament for an empire that opposed God (recall the tower of Babel). Also, Babylon and Rome were the only empires to besiege Jerusalem and destroy the temple. Power and violence.

The Great Prostitute and Babylon the Great are symbols of Rome, but also of all earthly kingdoms – those that came before Rome and those that came after her. This is what empires are like. Empires seek wealth, power, and luxury (comfort, decadence), but they harbor filthy acts and corrupt others. 

Against this ungodly power and political force, Jesus pronounces His judgment: “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” He goes on to say that this judgment will be swift, taking less than one hour to enact. 

Why is Babylon judged? Why is Rome judged? Why are human empires judged? (Said differently, in what ways do earthly kingdoms fail us?)

There are four reasons for judgment:

1. Religious
   Worship had turned from God to human-made idols, including emperor worship. Christians were persecuted, some martyred. Jesus’ followers were patiently enduring and Jesus judged their oppressor. 
2. Moral
   Slavery, pornography, sexual abuse, and human trafficking were rampant in the Roman Empire. Roman masculinity emphasized dominance over others, often through violence. Violence was a spectator sport (gladiators, public executions). Abortion and infanticide were common, as was addition to drugs and alcohol.
3. Political
   Within the Roman ruling class, conspiracies, assassinations, elimination of rivals, and retaliation were common. Rome exercised power over colonies through violence and economic exploitation. Abuse of power was great.
   1. Note that neither the prophets, Jesus, nor the Book of Revelation is silent about politics. The eternal Judge is not silent and will not be silent about the abuse of power and authority given by the King of Kings.
4. Economic
   This reason is the most important, where most of chapter 18 focuses. Reread Rev. 18:11-14. Rome had every high-value good that was available. Rome achieved this at the cost of the earth and of people: through economic exploitation.
   
   Chapters 17 and 18 contain many references to Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, which come from their oracles, not only to Babylon, but mostly to the city of Tyre. Tyre was described as a prostitute, accused of a decadent lifestyle gained at the expense of others. Ring a bell?
   
   In Rev. 18:3, Jesus says, “For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Jesus exposes the filth behind the scenes: that the list of these luxuries could only be enjoyed by criminal disregard for the lives and dignity of very large numbers of other human beings.

This message is consistent with God’s Word in the Old Testament. The prophets frequently criticized the injustice and economic exploitation of the Israel and other nations (like Tyre). 

In contrast, God calls his people to justice, that is to do what is right based on God’s compassionate love and care. Our call is to participate in bringing about full prosperity and thriving of every creation (Micah 6:8). 

Here is the comfort of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: What needs to be removed will be removed. And what is eternal will remain eternal: that is, the Kingdom of Jesus, where the Slain Lamb rules with mercy and justice. Each life, each soul, each humanity will be loved and respected, for they are made in the image of God.

So what are we to do? We can’t change Babylon. The empire we live in will continue to exploit and use people for her own comfort (as did the empire before and as will the next empire). 

Jesus calls us to come out of Babylon. This is not a physical retreat, but a command for the readers to dissociate themselves from the patterns of the world (Rom. 12.1-2). In this call to come out, we are reminded of the Exodus, when Isreal separated itself from Egypt. The Exodus included the spiritual practice of learning a new way to live that was different from Egyptian thought and lifestyle. 

One way the people learned to be different was in the theology of ‘enough.’ Each day the people gathered enough manna for that day. In doing so, everyone had enough. This is countercultural in a world characterized by ‘more’ and ‘bigger.’ Our freedom must not cause someone else’s misfortune. Individual shalom and societal shalom are only possible together. 

The second call of Jesus for His people living in Babylon is to ‘rejoice.’ We can rejoice only when we find Jesus in our midst, which we find through the practice of prayer. Through prayer, we are reminded of how beloved we are and of our deeper identity in Christ. This deeper identity is not disguised by the luxuries we wear. Rather, when the Father delights, we delight. Rejoicing in Jesus (and not in stuff) is an act of defiance within Babylon.

1. Describe the Great Prostitute and Babylon the Great. What do they do and what do they have? What does it look like to live inside this kingdom? 
2. Review the four reasons for judgment of Rome (religious, moral, political, and economic reasons). Why do you think the economic reason emphasized over the others?
3. What does it look like to live justly? How does the kingdom of God differ from earthly kingdoms? 
4. As Paul described the theology of enough, he also mentioned self-limitation for the sake of others, intentional generosity, the practice of relinquishing, and the practice of living for the common good over individual interest. How have you practiced these countercultural behaviors? What has it been like to dissociate yourself from Babylon?
5. Is Christ enough for you?