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REVELATION. victory in Jesus. LESS0N 1 (Apri1 8)
"Babylon" in Scripture BACKGROUND: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HISTORIC BABYLONIAN EMPIRE: A proud and haughty spirit JER 50:29-32; tsa 74:1.2-t7; 73:tt) A beautiful, well-fortified, powerfully-influential capital city (tsa 13:19; Jer 51:53) a land full of idols - one tablet recovered from the remnants of a Babylonian temple lists1,800 Babylonian deities! (Jer. 50:1-10 ,38; 5t:tl-78, 47, 52; Isa 46-47; Zi:9) Cruelty to all who would oppose her (Isa,,,,-o'J.e(ul4l-3t]5@-tt,tq-tl) An immense amount of power and wealth (uab z:e-zo;Jer 50:37; 51.:7, t3,37)
QUESTION TO PONDER: while we've learned a great deal about the- historical Babylonian Empire of Daniel's day over the course of the last three months, "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earths abominations" (Rev 17:5) will continue to play aialor role in ou. study of the Revelation to John. 'o--{n Revelation 14, her doom, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made The nations drink wine of the passion of her sexual immorality; (r+:a). o In a passage reminiscent of Jeremiah 51, and angel takes up a great stone and throws it into the sea, saying, "So will nation the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more (Rev 1g:21). o Just like ancient Babylon, Babylon of the Revelation will fall and be found no more. Just like her predecessor, the destruction of this New Testament enemy will be a testimony to the power and righteousness of her destroyer (nev rg:r-i).Without a doubt, when John receives this incredible revelation and is told to bear witness to the word of cod and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw (Rev 1:1-2), there is a reason that "Babylon" is invoked, But why? what would come to mind in the people of God as they reflected on historic ra@od of the sixth and seventh centuries B.C.? 1.2.3.4.1. As the Revelation to John describes "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations" in Revelation 17, foretells her fall in Revelation 1g, and pictures a great multitude in heaven rejoicing in Revelation t g, what impression would be made in a Christian at the close of the first century A.D.?2. What should we take away as we read and reflect on Revelation l1-I9 in 2 8 5?