Just as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so give to her torment and pain. Because in her heart she says, "I sit as a queen, I am not a widow, and I will never know pain." Rev. 18:7.
The book of Revelation portrays Babylon as a queen dressed in fine garments and decked with jewels (Rev. 17:4, 5). Her wealth is also the commercial engine that prospers the merchants of the entire world (Rev. 18:9-19). She gained her wealth and standing, however, at the expense of others (Rev. 17:6; 18:2, 5). So this text contains a call for reversal. In contrast to her luxurious life, she now stands condemned to the kind of torment and pain she inflicted on others. Scripture even lists her luxury as one of the grounds for her condemnation (Rev. 18:3).
Is a luxurious life a sin against God, then? If so, how luxurious? Is the mere possession of riches cause for censure? And if that is so, would not most of us stand condemned in today's world? After all, what ancient person would not have been awed at the wealth of a "poor" person today, many of whom own aging but self-propelled vehicles, live in apartments with central heat, and own electronic boxes that bring news and entertainment from afar! All of these would have been unimaginable luxuries in the Roman world. Is wealth a sin? And if so, how much wealth?
The answer lies in the first part of Revelation 18:7. It is not just that Babylon has lived luxuriously--it is that she has "glorified herself" in her possessions. The possessions themselves do not condemn her, but rather it is her selfishness in the use of them that is the crucial thing. Her goal in gathering possessions was not for the benefit of others or even humanity as a whole, but to glorify herself and make her own life comfortable and secure.
I suspect that God is less concerned with the size of your house than with your hospitality or lack of it. He is less worried about he kind of car you drive and more as to whether or not you use it to transport people who don't have a car. The size of your social circle does not bother Him so much as how many people consider you a friend. And He has less interest in the neighborhood you live in than He has with the way you treat your neighbors?
I suspect that God doesn't mind if you have a high salary as long as you didn't compromise your character to obtain it. God will not condemn you for working overtime, but He will want to know if you did it for your own sake or for the sake of others. It doesn't bother the Lord if you gained advancements on the job, as long as you worked equally hard to promote others. And He is less concerned with the quantity of your possessions than He is with the degree to which they rule your life. Babylon thus isn't about what you have, but about how you live.
Lord, open my eyes to the Babylon within me. Forgive my blindness to the needs of others and help me to see others through Your eyes.
The book of Revelation portrays Babylon as a queen dressed in fine garments and decked with jewels (Rev. 17:4, 5). Her wealth is also the commercial engine that prospers the merchants of the entire world (Rev. 18:9-19). She gained her wealth and standing, however, at the expense of others (Rev. 17:6; 18:2, 5). So this text contains a call for reversal. In contrast to her luxurious life, she now stands condemned to the kind of torment and pain she inflicted on others. Scripture even lists her luxury as one of the grounds for her condemnation (Rev. 18:3).
Is a luxurious life a sin against God, then? If so, how luxurious? Is the mere possession of riches cause for censure? And if that is so, would not most of us stand condemned in today's world? After all, what ancient person would not have been awed at the wealth of a "poor" person today, many of whom own aging but self-propelled vehicles, live in apartments with central heat, and own electronic boxes that bring news and entertainment from afar! All of these would have been unimaginable luxuries in the Roman world. Is wealth a sin? And if so, how much wealth?
The answer lies in the first part of Revelation 18:7. It is not just that Babylon has lived luxuriously--it is that she has "glorified herself" in her possessions. The possessions themselves do not condemn her, but rather it is her selfishness in the use of them that is the crucial thing. Her goal in gathering possessions was not for the benefit of others or even humanity as a whole, but to glorify herself and make her own life comfortable and secure.
I suspect that God is less concerned with the size of your house than with your hospitality or lack of it. He is less worried about he kind of car you drive and more as to whether or not you use it to transport people who don't have a car. The size of your social circle does not bother Him so much as how many people consider you a friend. And He has less interest in the neighborhood you live in than He has with the way you treat your neighbors?
I suspect that God doesn't mind if you have a high salary as long as you didn't compromise your character to obtain it. God will not condemn you for working overtime, but He will want to know if you did it for your own sake or for the sake of others. It doesn't bother the Lord if you gained advancements on the job, as long as you worked equally hard to promote others. And He is less concerned with the quantity of your possessions than He is with the degree to which they rule your life. Babylon thus isn't about what you have, but about how you live.
Lord, open my eyes to the Babylon within me. Forgive my blindness to the needs of others and help me to see others through Your eyes.
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