Revelation 18:9-20 – Somebody Is You

Sometimes the most gruesome images in films are the ones that you don’t see, but are only hinted at. One a recent crime TV show, the investigators were warned that the victim had been savagely murdered. We saw the look of horror in the eyes, and we heard them deliberated over what kind of a monstrous person would be able to do such a thing. But we, the viewers, never saw the body itself. Notwithstanding the popularity of graphically violent movies like the Saw series, the scariest nightmare is the one that you never really see. In its time, “Alien” was the freakiest special effects/science fiction/horror movie. But you never really got a good look at the alien monster that was terrifying everyone. Horror and destruction are like a beautiful woman: it’s better when there’s something left to the imagination.

So in case you think you missed something, you really didn’t. Up until verse 8, we’ve been told that Babylon the Great, the sinful presence of power and corruption and greed in the world, would be destroyed. And now, suddenly, in verse 9, we encounter people who are mourning because of its collapse. They weep because Babylon’s luxuries are burning, but we’re never told exactly how that conflagration started. I suspect that we’re not told for several reasons. First, as I explained, the undescribed tragedy is the one that grips us the most. Second, we don’t really need to know the details because we know the source of Babylon’s destruction is God. If the specifics really mattered, they’d be listed in the Bible. I’m convinced that if we really need to know something, the Bible will make it clear. What is clear here is that the sparkle and dazzle of Babylon that has enticed people for eons will collapse into nothing more than an object of pity. Exactly how it happens isn’t nearly as important as the fact that it does. God loves to surprise us with the unexpected, and I expect that this will be one more example of that. Third, what matters most to us is not how Babylon will be destroyed, but that the fact that it will be, and what the result of that destruction will be. Remember: Revelation is written for believers caught in the grips of oppressive and demonic powers at work in the world. Its primary message is one of hope: God will destroy these powers and establish his glorious and eternal realm of joy and peace. Secondarily, Revelation’s message is one of warning for those who are caught up in or seduced by Babylon’s power. If you’ve bet on Babylon’s horse, you’re going to lose your shirt, and then some. Even as we hope for and expect the full revelation of the kingdom of God, we must beware the temptation to participate in and trust in what Babylon has to offer. The temptation isn’t merely to enjoy what Babylon promises: political power, financial luxury, prestige, power, glory, pleasure, and the like. We are also tempted to share in the very attitude that makes Babylon what it is: the belief that we can build secure and satisfying lives for ourselves without God’s grace and mercy. Babylon is built on pride. When we live like Babylon, we act as though we don’t need God. We think that we can manage things in our lives by ourselves. This is an insidious attitude that we can very easily fall into, both because of our own inherent sinful nature and also because it’s the atmosphere we live in. It’s so pervasive that we church-going Christians can’t afford to sit back in judgment of “those people” who don’t go to church or read their Bibles or pray. Sure, there are many people caught up in secular lifestyles for whom reliance upon God is as foreign as hunting mastodons with spears. But far too many of us who warm pews every week and begin or end our days with prayer and devotion also share the attitude of Babylon. Once Sunday morning is finished or we’re done with our prayer time, we go back to “life as usual.” And in this case, “usual” means “living like everyone else.” We make our plans and work to accomplish our dreams or achieve our goals. But we do so with the sense that we can do it ourselves, without God’s gracious presence blessing our every act. We do so without considering how our thoughts and words and deeds can bring glory to our Lord.

In this passage, three groups of people lament the collapse of Babylon. First, the kings and rulers mourn because Babylon has lost her power (verses 9-10). Second, the merchants grieve because Babylon has lost her riches and luxurious splendor (verses 11-17a). Third, the sailors are sorrowful because Babylon has lost its worldwide reach (verses 17b-19). These are three features of Babylon that we’ve seen in Chapter 17: seemingly irresistible power, incredible luxury, and influence over all the nations. Whatever God did to bring Babylon down, he did so in a way that fractured all three of these significant features of prideful and demonically-inspired living.

We need to notice something crucial about the triple woe over Babylon. Each woe is declared by the people who are closely related to it: kings and power, merchants and merchandise, sailors and worldwide outreach. It could be as simple as the fact that each of these groups mourns that particular aspect of Babylon’s demise that affects their lives most directly. And that makes sense. Last year, as the economy took a nose dive, people who live on investment income were most concerned about what happened to the stock market. Families caught in ballooning mortgages were most aware of the housing crisis. Those who work in threatened industries worried about job losses. It makes perfect sense: in the face of widespread catastrophe we are most aware of how the disaster affects our own lives.

But there’s more going on here than just that. The kings, merchants, and sailors were not simple pawns in the hands of Babylon. They were full participants in what Babylon had done to the world. They were complicit in Babylon’s arrogant denial of God’s authority. When we live by Babylon’s rules, we contribute to Babylon’s crimes. So when Babylon collapses and we suffer as a result, we should not merely mourn what we have lost. We should also confess and repent from what we have done to participate in the systemic rebellion against God’s will. It’s easy for us to complain that “somebody” is making a mess of the world. At times, we’ll even attach the name of a specific person to the “somebody” that is to blame for how the world fails to operate as God wishes it to.

The news for us is that “somebody” is each of us. Every time we fall for the temptation all around us and deep within us to live life by our own abilities and wits, in order to accomplish our own goals and dreams, we are part of Babylon. And it is our own demise that this passage describes. We may try to excuse ourselves by saying “I’m only one person. I don’t really make that much of a difference.” Perhaps. But if enough of us think that way, and if enough of us support larger systems that operate this way, then we make a terrible difference. I remember my sixth grade social studies teacher who explained it this way. “If you live out in the wilderness all by yourself and you pee in the river, it doesn’t really matter. But there’s a whole city of you peeing in that same river, it’s going to turn yellow.” It’s the reverse of the well-known story of the little boy throwing stranded starfishes back into the ocean. He couldn’t save them all, but he could save some. We, individually, may not make that much of a difference in the larger scope of things. But we make some sort of a difference. And if enough of us do it, or join together to do it, then we can help to challenge the power of Babylon. Here are just a few examples:
• Businesses that are open on Sundays violate the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath. But we Christians go out to eat and shop after church.
• We are concerned about environmental degradation, but we continue to enjoy living in a throw-away society.
• We complain about our government officials but we don’t vote and we don’t take the time to express our concerns to them.
• We see problems in our community but sit in our homes and wish that “somebody” would do something about it.
Until we recognize that we are “somebody,” Babylon will continue to get stronger and stronger. We ally ourselves with the forces that challenge God’s authority. We’re just like the kings and merchants and rulers who lament Babylon’s loss of power, luxury, and influence without recognizing that they took part in it.

The passage ends with good news and with hope. Sure, it takes great commitment and sacrifice to resist Babylon. You’ll be like a fish swimming upstream, as everyone else wonders why you’re so “weird.” Sometimes they’ll do more than just wonder: they’ll make your life miserable. Maybe they do it because you’re interfering with their self-focused agendas. Or maybe they don’t like the uncomfortable reminder you present to them that life could be different. There have been times when the people under Babylon’s spell have attacked and killed those striving to be faithful to God. Our passage ends with words of rejoicing which replace the cries of woe. Babylon’s downfall means vindication for God’s people. When the Lord’s power is fully revealed, those who resisted the temptation to live for self and Babylon will enjoy the glories that God has prepared for us all.

Will this happen at the end of time? But it also happens right now. Each day, God will give us glimmers of the rejoicing that will come as we continue to resist Babylon.