Saturday August 8, 2015

Read Jeremiah 51:27-64

Jeremiah was called by the Lord to write all the judgements against Babylon on a scroll and to hand that scroll to the Babylonian staff officer, Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. Seraiah was to read the scroll to the King of Babylon and then to tie it to a rock and to throw it into the sea, dramatically highlighting the fate of the city of Babylon.

As God had said, Babylon was defeated by the Medes and Persians and ceased to be a nation. Babylon is rarely mentioned beyond that. In the New Testament there are 4 mentions of the historical Babylon and then we get the metaphorical use of the city of Babylon.

In Revelation Babylon is mentioned some seven times. The second angel announces that Babylon the Great (Rome??) who had made the entire world drink of her maddening wine had fallen, totally defeated.  In 16:19 the great city is split into three and the cities of the nations collapsed because of the great earthquake. God  remembered Babylon the Great and made her drink from the

‘cup of fury of His wrath.’

In Revelation 17 the Apostle John is taken into the desert and sees the adulterous woman who is drunk on the blood of the saints. She bears on her forehead the title

“MYSTERY

BABYLON THE GREAT

THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

Finally, in Revelation 18 we read “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!...”

By the time of Revelation, Babylon had become a metaphor for the nations, in particular Rome, that reject God and stand in total defiance against Him. The use of “Babylon” in Revelation links back to the destruction of the original Babylon and displays graphically the judgement that is coming upon the world.

Prayer:

Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for

Adoration:

Confession

Thanks

Supplication:

· There are many people that don’t know the love and grace of the Lord God Almighty. They are currently living in condemnation. Pray that God would send His messengers of grace to these people and that they would repent and believe in Jesus for salvation.

· Pray particularly for Christians living in Nepal, India, Burma, Vietnam, Iran and Iraq and all of Africa who suffer for their belief in Christ.  Pray that their witness would bring their persecutors to know Christ.

 Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Babylon isn’t much mentioned after the exile and then is somewhat prolific in Revelation?

2. Why should Christians be concerned with the nations that are currently rejecting God?