Post by Woody Williams on Oct 21, 2005 18:56:50 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Revelation 18:1-10, 19-20
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After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendour. He called out with a mighty voice,
'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
It has become a dwelling-place of demons,
a haunt of every foul spirit,
a haunt of every foul bird,
a haunt of every foul and hateful beast.
For all the nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.'
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
'Come out of her, my people,
so that you do not take part in her sins,
and so that you do not share in her plagues;
for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
Render to her as she herself has rendered,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed.
As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
so give her a like measure of torment and grief.
Since in her heart she says,
"I rule as a queen;
I am no widow,
and I will never see grief",
therefore her plagues will come in a single day-
pestilence and mourning and famine-
and she will be burned with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.'
And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
'Alas, alas, the great city,
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in one hour your judgement has come.'
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out,
'Alas, alas, the great city,
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in one hour she has been laid waste.'
Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgement for you against her.
Devotional
----------
Revelation was written to Christians suffering persecution under Rome. This chapter presents a metaphor of a city as a wanton, evil woman. Her name was Babylon. This was a city of exile for the Israelites. Here the city becomes a metaphor for Rome and the
suffering of Christians. The metaphor may represent any government that does not serve people's needs and walk in God's justice and mercy. God's judgment will fall on such places and will vindicate those who suffer injustice. Evil will not ultimately triumph.
Prayer
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Awaken a sense of justice and mercy in all leaders, Lord. Amen
----------
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendour. He called out with a mighty voice,
'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
It has become a dwelling-place of demons,
a haunt of every foul spirit,
a haunt of every foul bird,
a haunt of every foul and hateful beast.
For all the nations have drunk
of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxury.'
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
'Come out of her, my people,
so that you do not take part in her sins,
and so that you do not share in her plagues;
for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
Render to her as she herself has rendered,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double draught for her in the cup she mixed.
As she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
so give her a like measure of torment and grief.
Since in her heart she says,
"I rule as a queen;
I am no widow,
and I will never see grief",
therefore her plagues will come in a single day-
pestilence and mourning and famine-
and she will be burned with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.'
And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
'Alas, alas, the great city,
Babylon, the mighty city!
For in one hour your judgement has come.'
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying out,
'Alas, alas, the great city,
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in one hour she has been laid waste.'
Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints and apostles and prophets! For God has given judgement for you against her.
Devotional
----------
Revelation was written to Christians suffering persecution under Rome. This chapter presents a metaphor of a city as a wanton, evil woman. Her name was Babylon. This was a city of exile for the Israelites. Here the city becomes a metaphor for Rome and the
suffering of Christians. The metaphor may represent any government that does not serve people's needs and walk in God's justice and mercy. God's judgment will fall on such places and will vindicate those who suffer injustice. Evil will not ultimately triumph.
Prayer
---------------------
Awaken a sense of justice and mercy in all leaders, Lord. Amen