Before reading on into this page look at the following word: Babylon. What does that mean to you? When you hear it what associations rise in your mind? Does it rise up as a real place or a pretend one? Is it literal or imaginary? The Biblical experience will probably be your chief conduit for consideration of this place and the Bible shades it in both literal and figurative manners. The Babylon of Revelation 18 is being spoken of as a real place, but a real place personified. The Greeks crafted fictitious gods infusing them with human emotions and reactions, traits and ideals. The Bible takes a real place, Babylon, and extrudes from it real reactions, real actions, traits, and history. It personifies it to more poignantly assign God’s reaction to the misfires and misdeeds that characterized its reality.
With that context recognize that Babylon as a city-state was not immune to slights. Babylon carried out its existence in a place where the rule of the day was dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, etc., etc. No one, no city, lives in that type of environment without being periodically stabbed in the back, insulted, crossed, humiliated.
Did Babylon take these slights lying down? No.
Rather she did things the way of the world. She rose up, fought back and became queen of the hill, queen of the earth. She won the great battle, but played dirty (like Kennedy, Nixon, HRC, Trump) getting there. She wreaked havoc on those who upset her apple cart.
Next question: Did Babylon do this with impunity? Also, No.
There was an observer of her deeds, of her clamor, vengeance, boasting and self-proclamations. The observer was God and God always gets the last word. His word may seem to come later than you and I might hope, but he alone knows his motives. He is good and merciful. He wants all to come to repentance. Babylon didn’t. So let us see what is recorded about this; he is speaking in Revelation 18:6. [Read more…] about Revelation 18:6-8>> Payback goes both ways…aka: The chickens come home to roost