Things don't end well for those set against our newborn King.
Revelation 18:21-19:2 (NIV)
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23 The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 37: The Last Judgment (Part 2)
The evil ones will be convicted
by the witness of their own consciences,
and shall be made immortal—
but only to be tormented
in the everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his angels.
In contrast,
the faithful and elect will be crowned
with glory and honor.
The Son of God will “confess their names”
before God his Father and the holy and elect angels;
all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”;
and their cause—
at present condemned as heretical and evil
by many judges and civil officers—
will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.”
And as a gracious reward
the Lord will make them possess a glory
such as the heart of man
could never imagine.
So we look forward to that great day with longing
in order to enjoy fully
the promises of God in Christ Jesus,
our Lord.
Summary
Imagine both the sight and the sound of a massive boulder crashing into the sea. All at once, tons of water would be displaced, splashing high into the sky, the sea opening up and then just as instantly caving back into place as the boulder instantly disappeared beneath the waves, never to be seen again.
It's with this same level of violence that the angel reports Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. Babylon here represents much more than just the Ancient Near Eastern city where Daniel was thrown in with the lions and his friends faced the fiery furnace. All throughout the Bible, Babylon represents everything in the world that stands in rebellion against its Creator.
The angel's song is steeped in the finality of it all: no more music, work, light, or love. It's people, once so haughty and proud, who slaughtered the prophets and God's saints, will never be heard again.
The metaphor of the sinking rock is appropriate. In all of Revelation's fantastic imagery, all those opposed to God meet their doom quickly once God's patience runs out. Although the kings of the earth spend lots of time and resources assembling their armies, the battles end in their defeat almost as quickly as they begin.
It will all be so instant.
Dig Deeper
2025 will mark 80 years since the Allies erupted in unbridled celebration when the Empire of Japan surrendered, ending World War II. Even though victory came at the terrible cost inflicted upon the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the rest of the world rejoiced in relief, knowing that on balance, more lives would be saved with the conclusion of hostilities.
Fresher in our minds is the killing of Osama bin Laden last decade. None of us are bloodthirsty people, but you likely celebrated the news, knowing that not only could he never unleash terror again, but that ultimately he got what he had coming.
Take a moment to think about Babylon's tragedy. It was part of God's creation, just like you. The city was filled with people who made music, work their trade, married and carried on business. And in an instant, it all came to a crashing end. But after a second or two of silence there came the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: HALLELUJAH!
It's natural for you to be sympathetic to the plight of the world around you which will face this tragic end. But then remember there are only two sides to this great cosmic conflict: either a person is for God or against Him, and those who are against Him are a corruption upon the earth.
Let your sympathy drive you to share the truth of the Christmas miracle with those who will otherwise perish, even as you set your heart to celebrate that salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who will avenge the blood of His servants;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in the tension of sympathizing for the lost citizens of Babylon even as you celebrate the coming victory of our newborn King;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 18
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