Babylon, the Mother of Evil

 

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ja golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly. But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because pit was and is not and is to come. (Revelation 17:1-8 ESV).

 

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that “the wages of sin is death” (cf. Romans 6:23). The Bible warns us repeatedly that transgressing the law of God brings only despair and destruction. Despite those warnings, however, people still engage in sin. In fact, even believers find the allure of sin so enticing that they cannot resist it. Certainly, part of the reason that people sin even though they know better has to do with moral blindness that results from the fall. Yet it must also be said that sin presents itself as pleasurable and that it can feel good—temporarily—to do what is wrong. Of course, this is not to endorse sin. Ultimately, a life of impenitence produces suffering and regret, especially in the world to come. Nevertheless, sin can bring some worldly pleasures and grant a kind of temporary success in the worldly system.

 

That seems to be one of the points of John’s description of Babylon in today’s reading. Having given us a brief picture of the end in the previous chapter, John gives a closer look as Babylon is set up for the fall that has already been prophesied for her. Babylon is pictured as “the great prostitute who is seated on many waters” (v,1). The ancient city of Babylon did stand on the Euphrates River and had many canals, and it was also known for the sexual immorality of the cult of Baal and other ancient Near Eastern gods. But as we have seen, Babylon in the book of Revelation does not refer to the ancient Babylon that took Judah into captivity. Instead, Babylon is a code for the Roman Empire, which was the chief persecutor of Christians in John’s day, and ultimately it can refer to any worldly power that exercises dominance and threatens the people of God.

 

This woman Babylon, as a prostitute, presents the temptation of sexual immorality, which is also a figure for idolatry. Worshiping false gods is enticing to fallen people because they often present themselves as deities that can be controlled with the right rituals and with secret knowledge. This is particularly true of the gods associated with pagan religions, though these gods are finally nothing better than lifeless statues (cf. Isaiah 44:9–20). Babylon is also dressed in purple and scarlet, the colors of royalty, and adorned with precious metals and jewels (v. 4). She tempts people by promising great power and wealth to those who serve her. Satan is cunning, and he often makes sin look enticing in order to ensnare people in it. People serve wicked empires and attack the church and believers because it gives them temporary pleasure. Likewise, sin may provide us with temporary pleasure. When we are tempted to break God’s law, let us remember that the pleasures of sin are fleeting and that following them will lead to destruction.