The Injustices of Babylon are Many, but her Doom is Sure.
Then a strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again. And the sound of harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; and no craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again; and the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again; and the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of the groom and bride will never be heard in you again; for your merchants were the powerful people of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your witchcraft. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.” – Revelation 18:21-24 NASB
Babylon has come to the end of the road. She will not deceive the people by her false teachings and her laws will not be imposed on them anymore. Her deception has been unmasked and exposed to the world. Symbolically she is cast into the sea and “shall be found no more.”
Babylon is a three-way union of Church, State (politics), and Commerce. This is the historic state of the church during the Middle Ages and will be the final sad chapter of Church history. Remember it was the church and state that united to crucify our Lord. So shall it be for His church in the end.
The injustices of Babylon are many (18:1-7) and her unhappy doom, therefore, is sure. But there is an even greater tragedy in all of this. Those who identify with Babylon in any way are destroyed with her (18:4). Many, like the kings, merchants, and seamen of this chapter, are not committed to Babylon’s agenda in their hearts (Minds). They co-operate with Babylon because they hope to better their own short lives on this earth (18:9-19). This is akin to the mark of the beast being received in the forehead or hand. The hand being a co-operation, the forehead being a mental choice.
The choice is foolish but understandable. We simply want what is best for ourselves and our families.
Yet the consequences of even casual participation in “Babylon” are catastrophic. How does God expect us to respond to the injustices of today’s Babylon? Is it enough to live quiet and simple lives? Or do we need to “come out of Babylon” in more significant ways?
Consider this; at its height, the West Indies slave trade employed 5500 sailors and 160 ships. It was a massive and socially accepted practice. But William Wilberforce and his allies, acting out of Christian conviction, fought in Parliament (for years) until slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. While our own personal ability to change national or international behaviour is often limited, that is not true of our ability to change our own behaviour. The disciples of Jesus are told not to value possessions, instead, we should be ever ready to give them up (Luke 14:33). James tells us that failure to care for fellow Christians in need may indicate a lack of saving faith (James 2:14-17). Paul’s central mission was preaching the gospel, but he did not forget the needs of the poor. (2 Cor. 8:13-15; Gal. 2:10.)
In contrast, the religion of Babylon expresses the lifestyle of conformity to the world. Rejection of Babylon is true religion whose lifestyle is true godliness. The true gospel puts the glory of man in the dust. True religion abases the ego and trusts Christ rather than self.
When God’s people responded to the call of literal Israel in the 5th century BC to come out of Babylonian captivity, through much trial they regained their lost inheritance. This end time call has the same result, except the inheritance is eternal.
Where we now see acres of wheat, in the end-time it will become as chaff blowen away by the wind. When the winds of strife blow across the world where we now see acres of huge forests the winter frost will come and then we will see only the occasional evergreen – the remnant. When Nebuchadnezzar, who was the first abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, enforced worship and caused all to bow down to his image (Daniel 3), amidst the sea of bowed down people on the plain of Dura, were three men who refused! The death decree was enacted upon, but Jesus appeared in the fire, and they emerged unharmed.
May God grant you all the same resolve to stand with absolute fidelity for your God. When God said “come out of her MY people” he was intimating that at this point of time HIS people were still there but needed to heed the call to come away.