November 29, 2024
Passage Read: Revelation 17-18
Meditation Verses: 18:19-20
Thought
While the entire earth mourns the destruction of Babylon, there are two groups of people who rejoice: the Antichrist and his people, and the saints of God. In this one act, the devil and God are united; indeed, the Lord uses the devil for His own purposes, this is a great illustration of that fact. Satan is the killer and destroyer and thief. He is not loyal to anyone. He only seeks to kill or get people killed. He has no love of God, but only a love for destroying. So if he leads Babylon into all kinds of wickedness, it is only to see her destroyed, not to take her on as a beloved protégé. The Antichrist has his reasons for hating Babylon, not the least is because of oppression: She rides him like her own personal steed. But he also despises her immorality, as any man who thinks of himself as upright would despise a harlot. He doesn't care that she also hates God's people, that the blood of saints and prophets is found in her. They are not partners; they hate one another.
Application
It is interesting that the saints and prophets and apostles are told to rejoice over her destruction. Yes, because of her absolute wickedness, because of the oppression of the weak, the buying and selling of souls, the export of her immoralities. Yes, for all that and more. But it seems as though her persecution of believers was not as obvious. "In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who had been slain on the earth." She was behind it all, while seeming aloof from it all. Saints and prophets should rejoice over the destruction of the great promoter of immorality, yes, absolutely! Finally she is gone! But did they also know that she was behind so many of their deaths? God has not merely avenged her wicked example and sway over the earth, but He has avenged their deaths at the hands of her agents and through her schemes and plots. Will we be shocked to find how greatly Babylon hated believers or will we recognize it all along? Will we discover that someone we thought was our benefactor was secretly and regularly arranging our destruction all along? One day God will call me to rejoice over Babylon's destruction; I should be as clear as I can over all who are truly my enemies. It will not just be the Antichrist, but also Babylon, and one thing I will appreciate the Antichrist doing is the destruction of Babylon. That certainly doesn't make us friends, but he is used by God to bring judgment, and I can rejoice over the destruction of Babylon, even if enacted by one who seeks my death too.