Revelation 18:1-23

Babylon’s Eulogy

There is something wrong with the world and you know it. I’m not talking about the creation as such. Yes, pollution and industrialization are blights on creation but they are not creation. At least they are not God’s creation. They are man’s creation and that explains why they are so easily twisted. God’s creation is beautiful and clean, life giving and invigorating. 

When I say there is something wrong with the world I’m talking about the way the world operated. You’ve heard me mention the World system several times and that is what I’m talking about. It seems that no matter which version of the system is in place, from Capitalism to Communism to Tribalism, the results are always ultimately the same. The powerful oppress the weak. The rich exploit the poor. Someone is always deciding that a war needs to be fought somewhere. The ones who decided to start the war make a lot of money while innocents die killing other innocents. 

It’s all wrong. We know in our hearts, in the very depth of our being, that this is wrong. This is not how we were meant to live. This is not what we were created for. But what can we do? How can we change things? John Lennon sings, “Ware is over if you want it,” but I want it, and I suspect many others do as well, and there is still war. Maybe that isn’t quite the answer.

The answer is the return of the King, the King of kings and Lord of lords. This chapter is essentially an eulogy to the system that makes everything wrong. Babylon (the World System) must fall and when she does it will be...the end of the World (as we know it). 

The panic will be massive as the political systems we have come to rely on are shattered. If you own a house, or some land, the only reason you own it is because the government and its laws say it is yours. When that government and its laws are gone...what then? If you have money what happens when the economy that underlies that money vanishes? We are talking about an economic downturn or a depression or hyper-inflation. We are talking about the economy that was here yesterday - poof. 

Yes, there will be great distress because that is all we have ever known in this world. But remember, there is something wrong with this world. When the lament goes up for her demise the rejoicing will finally start in ernest.