What was the most interesting thing you learned about Babylon – in Genesis or Revelation – in yesterday‘s lesson?
“Maybe the info about Nimrod and family, but about Babylon, that in the Bible it is the second-most mentioned city and antithesis of Jerusalem.”
In brief phrases, list every way Revelation 18 describes Babylon’s excessiveness and wealth. Be sure to record the verse locations.
“‘Adultery’ and ‘excessive luxuries’ (3); ‘glory and luxury’ (7); ‘adultery’ and ‘luxury’ (9); ‘gold, silver, precious stones… bronze, iron and marble’ (12); ‘cinnamon and spice… and bodies and souls of men’ (13); ‘riches and splendor’ (14); ‘dressed in fine linen… and pearls!’ (16); ‘great wealth’ (17); ‘all… became rich through her wealth!’ (19)”
How are her sins depicted in verse 5? “piled up to heaven”
Compare Genesis 11:14, recalling that Babylon was the name given to the place where this occurred. Describe any symbolic comparison you see between Genesis 11:4 and Revelation 18:5. “At the beginning of the book people were trying to get Babylon to reach heaven literally, and by the end of the book, it did reach heaven figuratively.”
What had Babylon given itself according to verse 7? “luxury”
What did she boast in her heart (v. 7)? “I sit as queen”
Based on the message verse 17, how stable is the great wealth of Babylon-like society? “extremely unstable”
Why do the ‘saints and apostles and prophets’ have cause to rejoice (v. 20)? “God has judged Babylon.”
Name one way you’ve noticed our Babylon-like culture growing increasingly less tolerant of Christians. “Especially in politics, the firmer stance a person takes on moral issues, the bigger target they are for comedic ridicule.”
Verse 23 paints of vivid picture of Babylon seductive power. How are the nations let astray? “by Babylon’s magic spell”
Surely we’ve all felt figuratively spellbound over the seductive beauty of worldly merchandise. My temptations are not necessarily yours. If you’re willing, please share what seems to lure you most in the marketplace.
“I call it ‘distracted by the purple.’ I have walked into displays because my eye was drawn to an especially lovely item. Yesterday I strayed from my errand to approach a lace bra in an especially vivid shade, then I rebounded to some fuzzy slippers that were only for little girls.”
Sometimes moderation in a culture of excess can be more challenging than abstinence… [if you agree with this], why do you think this is true?
“If you give something up entirely (even if only for a season), then the question of how much is too much is black and white: any. But if you attempt to use moderation, then the same question leads to a gray area and leaves room for excuses and fudging.”
As we begin to wrap up, look at verse 22. What will be silenced in Revelation’s Babylon? “music and the sound of the millstone”
How do [Eugene Peterson’s] words strike a chord in you concerning our generation? “We definitely like to be entertained.”
Dearest Rachel –
Once again, for all that Daniel is answering to the king of the Medes and the Persians by this sixth chapter, it seems that Beth still wanted you to be making connections to the already-overridden Babylon and the subsequent chapters of his book – as well as the description of the original city in Genesis and its future counterpart in Revelation (wherever this one might be located). To be fair, I’ll admit that like you, I hadn’t thought about it being the second-most referenced city in the Bible, but considering its use as a metaphor for sin and excess from the very first book (as well as its first reference predating pretty much any other city), it shouldn’t come as any great surprise.
It doesn’t hurt that the sin of excess is one that we can all relate to. While the word ‘covet’ isn’t heard much outside of the Ten Commandments themselves, it doesn’t take a lot of self-reflection to grasp the concept of coveting and knowing how guilty we are of it. There’s always the next big thing for us to fixate on – really, the entire American system floats on advertising, which has as its whole raison d’être to make us one more thing that we don’t have at the moment that will solve all our problems – or at least, one ‘major’ problem that we didn’t know that we had, but now that’s been brought to our attention, ‘needs’ to be dealt with.
Are we living in the modern-day Babylon? Oh, it may not be as overtly evil looking as the idol-worshipping pagans of Daniel’s day, but our spiritual life is constantly being drowned out by the siren song of this desirable thing and that ‘necessary’ service that we absolutely have to have, right now, no questions asked.
Now, I’m not convinced that we’re living in the Babylon as described by John in his Revelation, but the fact that that Babylon is facing a certain and unpleasant end still ought to give us pause. If nothing else, given the interconnectivity of economies these days, when it falls, it will take so many with it – why else do the merchants mourn its collapse, when one would expect them to be rubbing their hands and licking their chops at a crisis they know never to let go to waste? Theoretically, there should be profit in the process of rebuilding the great city, and making it reach to heaven yet again. But they somehow know this isn’t going to happen this time. They see what’s coming, and it cuts them to the quick.
With that having been said, I suppose it’s ironic of me to put up songs that I’m reminded of in the telling of the great city – the great system, in fact – that the Lord will put an end to, since there will be no songs in the place once He’s through with it, and we’re little better, thanks to our constant craving for entertainment. We’re amusing ourselves to death, as Neil Postman (no theologian, he, but you don’t have to be in order to see it) put it, and I’m not really turning that tide around. I wonder if I’m putting myself in danger by going with the flow, in fact.
In which case, I should continue to ask for you to keep an eye on me, and wish me luck, as I’m clearly going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 