The Fall of Babylon

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Good morning, Chapel family. Good to see you all today. We’re taking a few months to walk through the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. I have to say, there has been more feedback on this series than we’ve seen in a while. The most common thing I’ve heard is people who were only ever taught that Revelation was all about the future. So they always thought it was about timelines and dates and who’s the Antichrist and who are the 10 horns on the beast, etc. And for the first time, you’re sort of getting out of the trees and seeing the big picture and it’s refreshing and encouraging. So thank you for that feedback—that encourages me and Pastor Ted, and I feel like we’re all growing and being stretched through this. Don’t you feel that?

Having said that, I do want to say that the passage we’re looking at today contains some pretty raw, graphic images. It’s in the Bible, but it might not be suitable for young kids. So I just want to give you that warning, in case you want to make a break for the exit while it’s safe.

So, Revelation isn’t just a map of end-time events. It’s a letter that was written by John the Apostle around 95 AD, to a group of churches in the Middle East. If I had to sum up the message of Revelation, I would say this: The world is getting darker. Opposition to Christ and his church is getting stronger. But God is in control, and in the end God wins. So stand firm in your faith. That was the message to them; that’s the message to us. And as we draw closer to the end (because Revelation is also about the end) this message becomes even more important.

So…the world is getting darker, and opposition to Christ and his church is getting stronger. In other words, in our world today, there’s a lot of pressure to abandon your faith. Have you felt that pressure? As time goes on, being all-in for Jesus becomes more and more weird. Back when I was in college in the late 1980s, after God got a hold of my life, there were four of us in my fraternity who were following Christ. We were leading Bible studies and praying for other guys and going on mission trips and not getting drunk. So you know what they called us in the frat? “The God Squad”—which was a way of teasing us, but there was also a respect, at least from most of the guys. They were glad we were there. Today—in 2022—if we took that same stance in that same frat, I believe there would be less respect and more mocking and more outright disdain. Because the world is getting darker.

So if you take your faith seriously, get ready for a battle. You will feel tremendous pressure to abandon your faith and blend in with the darkness. But here’s the thing—and this is what today’s message is all about: that voice that’s calling to you will not seem like darkness, at all. The voice that’s calling to you will seem like the good life. It’ll seem like the most appealing, attractive life you could imagine. Because our spiritual enemy, Satan, might be evil, but he’s not stupid. He’s a master deceiver. And this part of Revelation prepares us for that deception, so we can stand firm in our faith.

So…today we’re going to be in Revelation 17 and 18. And in this section, that voice that calls us to abandon our faith is represented by a city called Babylon—which is related to the actual ancient city of Babylon, but it’s more timeless. So we’re going to see three things today: The Allure of Babylon, The Destiny of Babylon, and The Alternative to Babylon. The allure, the destiny, and the alternative to Babylon.

So, first: The Allure of Babylon. Look with me at Revelation 17, beginning in verse 1:

1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”

3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 The name written on her forehead was a mystery:

BABYLON THE GREAT THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6a I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

So just when you were getting used to the image of a city, Revelation throws in another image: a prostitute seated on a beast. Now: let me repeat something I said two weeks ago: Revelation is apocalyptic literature, which uses a lot of imagery and symbols to teach spiritual reality. So just to be clear: we do not believe there is a literal beast and a literal prostitute riding on its back. But we do believe there are demonically-energized voices that try to seduce us away from God, and if we don’t believe those things exist, we’re going to be in really bad shape.

So the city of Babylon and the prostitute are two different images for the same thing. The question is: what do they represent? In Revelation 17:9, it says the seven heads on the beast she’s riding are the seven hills on which the woman sits. Anyone know what city famously sits on seven hills? Rome. So when the original readers read this, they said, “This is talking about Rome—this is the Roman Empire—trying to pull us away from God!” And they were right! But it’s not only that. It’s obviously more.

Years ago, a lot of Protestant interpreters said Babylon represents the Roman Catholic Church. I disagree with that interpretation, strongly. Other people have said the actual city of Babylon—in modern-day Iraq—is going to be restored—and this is talking about that. I think that’s unlikely. Some people believe that the Roman Empire is actually going to be revived in the future, and this is warning us of that revived Roman Empire. I think that’s possible. But the more I study this passage, the more I’m convinced that this city called Babylon represents something more timeless. In verse 2 it says this woman sits by many waters. So it’s talking about something that has influenced every nation around the globe. Something that has appeared in fresh ways in every generation.

Here’s how I would describe it: Babylon represents the unrestrained pursuit of humanistic power, materialistic luxury, and sensual pleasure. Let me say that again: Babylon represents the unrestrained pursuit of humanistic power, materialistic luxury, and sensual pleasure. Let’s look at those one by one.

First, humanistic power. On the woman’s forehead, it says, “Babylon the great.” If you’re familiar with the book of Daniel, from the Old Testament, those words might sound familiar: it’s exactly what King Nebuchadnezzar said before God humbled him. In Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his palace, and he said, “Is this not Babylon the great, that I have built by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” And right after he says that, he gets cut down and humbled for failing to

acknowledge God. So the city of Babylon in Revelation represents power that cuts God out of the picture. Does that make sense? This is my power. This is for my glory.

So here’s what Revelation is saying: watch out for those persuasive voices that say, “You can build something great with your life, and you don’t need God to do it. You’re not going to find what you’re looking for in some imaginary sky fairy; the greatest love of all is found inside of you. So listen to your heart. If you follow Jesus, he’s going to give you rules and limitations and guilt—you don’t need that! You’ve outgrown that! Manifest your own glory and your own greatness. If you believe in yourself, and you visualize the reality you want, you can have it.” We never hear anything like that today, do we? That’s the seductive call of Babylon, and as the end approaches, those voices are going to keep getting stronger. Humanistic power.

Secondly, Babylon represents materialistic luxury. Verse 4 says the woman is covered in gold and precious stones and pearls. This is not costume jewelry. In Revelation 18:3, it says “the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Revelation 18:12 talks about Babylon’s ivory and costly wood and bronze and marble and cinnamon and spice wine and olive oil. So Babylon represents the highest of high-end living. The really good stuff. Gourmet food and good wine and expensive clothing and luxury cars and high-end vacations. Babylon represents all those people that you walk past in the first-class section of the airplane, on the way to your seat in coach. You know those people? All stretched out and comfortable, getting a warm snack served on real china. That’s Babylon.

The media does a great job of reminding us of the luxuries we don’t have, don’t they?. Before HGTV existed, I didn’t even know what a “backsplash” was. I had never heard that word. Now, not only do I know what a backsplash is, I know that mine is out of style, and really needs to be updated. I never realized you could get a heated floor in your bathroom—I didn’t know that was a thing. Now, I’m highly conscious of the freezing cold tiles on my bare feet on a winter morning. And the list goes on. The more you see what’s out there, and the more you see what other people have, you subtly find yourself running after better things instead of pursuing God.

So Revelation is warning us of that seductive voice of materialism. Craving nicer things; demanding better things; working long hours so you can keep upgrading your lifestyle. You really think Jesus is going to satisfy you? What really satisfies is first class seats and heated floors. Go for it! You deserve it! And as we get closer to the end, that seductive call of materialism is going to get stronger and stronger.

And then, third, Babylon represents sensual pleasure. The woman on the beast is strikingly attractive. She’s dressed in purple and scarlet; she’s glittering with gold. Even John the Apostle—when he sees this vision—look what it says in the second part of verse 6: When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. John can’t help but look at the sensual beauty of this woman! She’s a head-turner! Verse 7: Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished?” Like, “John, really? Stop looking at her!” So this woman—the city of Babylon—represents outer beauty. Surface beauty. The kind of outer beauty that millions of young girls are trying to emulate, because they see these perfect images on social media. “If I could just stick to my diet, I could look like her.” That’s Babylon.

Also, she’s a prostitute, and what do prostitutes represent? Selfish, physical pleasure without the hassle of a relationship. It’s all about my needs; my gratification; my pleasure. And you say, “I would never use a prostitute!” Maybe not, but you’ve been tempted by porn. And there’s a really good chance you’re using it. Because pornography gives you all the selfish gratification, but it’s private and it’s free. And it’s enslaving millions of people. You don’t think Satan’s behind the porn industry? It’s demonic stuff.

This is the city of Babylon. This is the woman on the beast. Do you feel influence growing? She sits by many waters, all over the world, and she calls to people: “You don’t need God. What you really want is power and luxury and pleasure. And you can have all of that if you come to me?” And Revelation 17:2 says all the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. In other words, she’s really good at what she does. And she’s not just effective with those people “out there!” Remember, Revelation is a letter to…whom? Churches! Jesus is warning the church about this! Like, be careful! This woman is more seductive than you think. And she’s going to keep pulling people down; she’s going to keep turning people away from Christ, and if you don’t think any of this is real, she’s got you exactly where she wants you.

So in this vision that Jesus gave to John, he shows us how alluring Babylon is. And he says, “Okay—now that I’ve got your attention, let me show you what’s going to happen if you choose Babylon over Christ. Let me show you what you’re actually signing up for.”

Point number 2: The Destiny of Babylon. Look with me at Revelation 17, verse 16: 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. Wait a minute. I thought the woman was riding on the back of the beast! It seemed like the woman and the beast were on the same team, right? Well, they were…but then something shifts. We haven’t really talked about who the beast is—at least today. But if you remember, back in chapter 13, this beast came out of the sea—remember? And it was energized by Satan. So we said the beast represents a godless political leader who will rise up in the end, called the Antichrist. And so for a time, this leader will join forces with the prostitute—riding on his back. In other words, as the Antichrist calls people to abandon Christ and declare their allegiance to the state, part of that appeal will be the luxury and wealth and sensual pleasures of Babylon. “Look what you could have if you join with me! You’ll get into the best schools; you’ll get the best jobs. You can have the good life!”

But then at some point, the beast will turn on the woman. Look what it says: 16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. So at some point, the Antichrist will decide that, to get people to follow him, it’s no longer necessary to offer them luxury and wealth and pleasure—he doesn’t need this woman anymore—so he’ll turn on her and destroy her. And I believe at that point, this world leader will simply coerce people to follow him, using sheer power and fear: “Get on board. Take the mark, or you die.”

But in the meantime—even if we never live to see the day of the actual Antichrist—here’s the deeper point: the whole allure of Babylon is one big bait & switch. You know what a bait & switch is, right?

This past fall, my brother who lives in Morristown was getting into the Christmas spirit, and he saw something online that really caught his attention. It was two life-size nutcrackers—you know, like the nutcracker statues, painted beautiful colors like in the Nutcracker story. And he said to his wife, “These would like great standing on either side of our front door.” So he ordered them—two life-size nutcracker statues for like $150 each. We were at his house for Thanksgiving, and he said, “Let me show you where I’m going to put my nutcrackers—right here on the front porch—our house is going to look so Christmassy!” So about three days before Christmas, a package came. It was a small box. He opened it, and in that package were two nutcracker figurines—about 3 inches tall. He was not amused, at all. They did not look good next to his front door. And the last I checked, he’s still working on getting his money back.

That’s a bait & switch. You think you’re signing up for something, and it turns out to be totally different. And listen: when you choose Babylon—when you give your life to humanistic power and

materialistic luxury and sensual pleasure—it’s one big bait & switch. The woman on the beast will not deliver what she promises. So if you take the bait, it will turn on you and devour you. If you think working 60-hour work weeks to get rich is going to deliver happiness, you will be severely disappointed, and you’ll realize that everything you gave up wasn’t worth the tradeoff. It was a bait & switch. If you take the bait of casual sexual hookups, it will turn and devour you. If you take the bait of porn—you say, “If I could just find that right sight that thrills me and satisfies my cravings, I’ll be happy,” you know this—it will turn on you and devour you, like a beast.

In fact, here’s how you’ll wind up—look at Revelation 18:1…

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.

Guys, the city of Babylon is going down. This whole approach to life is destined for failure. Right now it looks amazing! But if you take the bait, you will wind up feeling empty and dirty and gutted.

One morning last winter, the roads around here froze over. And there was a spot in Pompton Plains, on West Parkway—some of you know the place, right over by Foothills Park—where car after car was slipping on the ice and crashing. My friend, Joe, works on that street. And he saw this happening out his window. And he said, “I have to do something about this!” So he went out and stood next to the road—I actually have a video of him doing this—and as cars came off Route 23 and headed down West Parkway, he said “Slow down! You’re going to crash!” And every car that listened to him did fine. But lots of cars ignored him—like, “Who is this maniac?”—and they all crashed. It’s amazing how stubborn we can be, isn’t it? Listen: this teaching from Revelation is God trying to save us from crashing. He’s trying to keep us from having to learn this on our own. When you choose Babylon—when you try to build a life of success and power without God; when you run after luxury and sensual pleasure, this is how it ends.

So…now that we’re all sufficiently traumatized and depressed, let’s end this on a positive note—because Revelation ends it on a very positive note. Final point: The Alternative to Babylon. Look at Revelation 18, verse 4:

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.”

“Come out of her, my people.” In other words, now that you see what Babylon is really all about, choose to live differently. This doesn’t mean withdraw from the world; live in a commune so you won’t get contaminated by sinners. Jesus said, “I’m sending you into the world, but don’t be of the world.” Live in a way that’s distinctly different from the culture around you. So…what does that look like? Well, it’s exactly the opposite of the values of Babylon:

Instead of living for humanistic power—trying to build your kingdom and make life work without God—you realize it’s much wiser to live for God’s kingdom. So every day you wake up and say, “Thy kingdom come. Lord, not my will, but yours be done. Use me however you want.”

Instead of being obsessed with sensual pleasure, you choose to honor God with your sexuality. You don’t rationalize things like porn and sex outside a marriage covenant—even though Babylon says that’s fine, you know it’s destructive. And when you fall, you repent and receive God’s grace to go in a new direction. It’s very countercultural, but very doable, by God’s grace.

And instead of constantly upgrading your lifestyle and pursuing luxury, you choose to live with contentment and generosity. Quick story: Billy Graham once visited a Caribbean island with his wife, Ruth. And they were invited to the home of one of the wealthiest men in the world, for lunch. And throughout the meal, this guy was close to tears. He said, “I can’t understand why I’m so unhappy. Did you see my yacht? I can go anywhere I want. I have a private plane, helicopters. I literally have everything you could want. But (and these are his words) I’m as miserable as hell.” Later that same day they visited a guy who pastored a little church on the island. He was a widower, and he spent most of his time taking care of his two sick sisters. And this guy was alive with joy. He was excited about his church and his family. At one point in the conversation, he said, “I don’t have ten dollars to my name, but I think I might be the happiest guy on this island.” So as they were leaving the island, Billy said to Ruth, “So who do you think is the richer man?” And Ruth just shook her head and smiled; the answer was so obvious.

That’s what it means to come out from Babylon. To resist that seductive call, and choose to live in a way that’s distinctly different. Honestly, this is one of the reasons I’m choosing to spend more and more time in Paterson. Yesterday we had another 25 people serving and praying and giving out food to homeless folks on the street. And that is so valuable, because when you spend all your time in the upper-middle class suburbs, you can get mesmerized by the wealth, right? You start to get drunk on Babylon. And it’s bad for your soul. And spending time on the streets sort of re-calibrates your inner compass. We need that. I need that. And it doesn’t have to be Paterson, but find ways to get out of your suburban bubble.

Look: we have an incredible opportunity to show the world that there’s something better than Babylon. When you choose to live different, you might get ridiculed for it. People might call you “The God Squad,” or maybe worse. So what? Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” The kingdom of Babylon is on its way out; the kingdom of God will endure forever.

Rise for prayer…

Some of you do not yet have a relationship with God. That’s just the reality—you’ve been living for Babylon. And maybe for the first time, you’re starting to see Babylon for who she really is. Hollow. Empty. It feels like your life is starting to fall apart. And need to know Christ has come to transfer you out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. He came for you. He went to the cross for you—to wash you clean from the filth and the stink of Babylon. So the offer is on the table! But you have to receive it. You have to turn from Babylon, and turn to Jesus, and receive him by faith. If you’re ready to take that step, I want to suggest a prayer for you to pray as we close today.