Revelation 18:18-20

18          They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?”

19          And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! The shipowners became wealthy by transporting her great wealth on the seas. In a single moment it is all gone.”

20          Rejoice over her fate, O heaven and people of God and apostles and prophets! For at last God has judged her for your sakes.

We’re hearing a lament and shock as people see the destruction of a major system that opposed God. The smoke represented the divine judgment, and John’s audience would have connected that to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The fire represented the total destruction of God. The lament comes through those that received help from the corrupt system. In a broader biblical context, this serves as a warning against idolatry and the pursuit of the earthly good versus the glory of God.

Things in this world are not permanent. Buildings fall. Creation will die out. Businesses fail. Money comes and goes. We should not develop an attachment to any of our earthly things that we have or are involved with. The things of this world will be destroyed and fall apart, but God is there to keep our focus on him. The story here about Babylon is our wake-up call, to be able to ensure that things that we prioritize, focus on, and follow are things of God and not things of the world.

Throwing dirt on your head was a sign of lamenting and despair. It symbolized the depth of their sorrow and the recognizing of the chaos. Learning that they wept and mourned shows the intensity of their lament. It’s communal, recognizing its widespread impact. There’s mention again about the judgment and doom that will befall the system of power and corruption. The wealth brough out on the maritime economy was once a successful trade, but it’s now turned into a source of loss and despair.

The material wealth that we obtain is temporary and unreliable. These things are coming and going faster that we can keep up with. We must work towards setting up eternal security. We bring the kingdom of God down to earth when we use our earthly resources to build the accessibility for all of God’s people. This could be meeting their needs, creating resources and systems that allow for an equal right to life, and speaking up for those who are being silenced. It’s a time for Christians to step up and love each other how Christ loves us. To not restrict the life of others because it may look different to ours or it’s about something that we wouldn’t take part in. We are not ones to judge each other, but we are the one to ensure that God’s world is being established to create stability, harmony, and cooperation.

The events here on earth have cosmic significance. The idea of rejoicing over Babylon is a way to celebrate the one sinner who repents. In this context, it refers to God’s justice being served. The heaven rejoicing over Babylon describes God’s domain, where His will is perfectly enacted. Not only should God’s domain rejoice, but so should all believers, the foundational leaders over the church, and those who have spoken God’s truth. Babylon has caused a lot of injustice to the people of the world, but God has now given his judgement over Babylon – providing a sense of justice for those who were harmed.

For us, we must trust that we can find encouragement in knowing that God sees us where we are. He sees our struggles and doesn’t abandon us, criticize us, or point-and-laugh at us. He provides us with strength to walk through our battles. He provides a place of respite to know that justice will be served. Knowing this can remove the weight that we carry and allow us to work towards who God called us to be. It allows us to move our focus from our chaos to our Christ. Being able to live as God created us to live.

Next Part: The Fall of Evil – Part 7