Viewpoints of God the kings saw
God is powerful beyond all imagining
Babylon should have been too big to destroy so suddenly. The king’s lament spoke of the might of the city. Babylon had been rich, but she was not merely a large, rich, pleasure palace. She was mighty having become queen of the hill through her intrigues and alliances. I think that Babylon became the center of world power by the engagement of the anti-Christ with Satan. The Anti-Christ gave allegiance and worship. Satan gave power and prominence. Both of these bad actors got something they wanted in the deal. The world domination, though, was set up, built up and continued along in a flourish of behaviors God hated.
God saw and for a time held his peace. Eventually, though, when the measure of sin had reached the mark of completion God poured out his wrath.
The kings were stunned over how the city of Babylon could possibly fall in such a short time. There was no question that Babylon was destroyed, however. They did not feel it was an illusion. It felt permanent. 9/11 may have wiped out some towers in one of our mightiest cities, but only just towers. The kings of the world witnessed God’s beyond-imagining power.
God was displeased with Babylon
What was the sense of the kings regarding the event at Babylon? She had been judged. The kings do not seem to be stunned that badness befell Babylon. They were not stunned because of the destruction, but rather its swiftness. The kings seemed to have no difficulty understanding that the demise was God’s reaction to their lifestyle. God was not pleased with what had been happening in Babylon.
God carries out his judgments
God will not remain idle forever. He is not that unhappy grandpa who can be ignored while you borrow his guns and head off into the woods for target practice. God is not the bumbling and abused mother whose children run roughshod over her. God does not whimper and wring his hands in Heaven. God does judge. His timing seems odd to us so when it comes it can seem awful fast, but come it does.
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