Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

FALLEN BABYLON

December 4, 2009

Some people are fascinated by the amazing, if not, terrifying images of The Revelation. Others are a bit more ho-hum. Most ignore it. Yet, it is in the canon of scripture, and summons our attention. It spoke to the first century trial of believers, as it is to speak to us today.

The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast....
"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!"
- Revelation 17:12; 18:2 TNIV

The vision of the destruction of the place, Babylon. Yet the historical Babylon was already gone, all but obliterated by the Greeks & Romans. Often this "Babylon" is understood as a veiled reference to the Roman Empire. Others impose on it some mighty power of the current world, the 21st century. Yet this point is safe: earthly power will flourish for a season, but is not forever. The passage above notes but "for one hour." In other words, limited. Limited by whom? Babylon is short-lived, whoever she is, whenever she is.

God is the one who says, "One hour only! One hour." God sets the boundaries, God is the Alpha and Omega, not Babylon. Take heart believers!
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson