Babylon’s fourth problem: Destruction
8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” (Revelation 18:8–ESV)
Last week I spoke of the word “for” as a transition word and I used that context to elaborate on the truism of bad company corrupting good manners. Here in verse 8 is another connecting “for,” and in this context Babylon’s demise is connected to her own haughtiness, her own life approach stirring a pot of wickedness and trouble time and time again.
The suddenness of destruction
When we think of empires many come to mind each with a different scope and impact. The British and Roman Empires are two examples of such world dominating conglomerates. Babylon as represented in the book of Revelation will be a pinnacle of that type of world government, but it will be far more effective. As Satan ties himself into the false prophet, the anti-Christ and as that person establishes themselves on earth the rule of that individual will be broadly scoped and seemingly all-powerful.
The British and Roman empires fell, but they fell through a crumbling. Babylon, more perfect in her world domination, will fall more swiftly in a more perfect judgment. She will catch her judgment in a single day. We have spoken of some of these things especially as it is recorded at the end of Revelation 17. While God likely had some role in the demise of Pax Britannica and Pax Romana as he is sovereign in the affairs of men their demise was not instant, but fell apart from within and without over long periods of time.
Pax Babylonia, as we may call it, will have risen to the heavens effectively assembling that long thwarted Tower of Babel. It will be thwarted, again by God, and it will be sudden.
The thoroughness of destruction
Death, mourning, famine, fire. The humans will be destroyed. The psyche of those not immediately killed will be destroyed in mourning. The satisfactions of the people will be destroyed. Lastly the structures will be destroyed.
The hand of destruction
A mighty power indeed it would take to dismantle Pax Babylonia. God is almighty. He offered this might to save, but those who swatted down that hand cavorting along in their own way will find another response. God is mighty to judge. The world over Babylon may rule, but God is over the universe and earth is but a small corner of all things.
Leave a Reply