Babylon, Fallen in One Hour!

Daily Reflection: Revelation 18:9-10 — 12/5/2023

“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: ‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’” — Revelation 18:9-10

At the end of Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, is a line that illustrates clearly what the overthrow of evil will look like. In our movies and stories there is usually a great struggle until, by the skin of the hero’s teeth, good triumphs over evil. Not so in Luther’s hymn:

And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

One little word. Not a great commanding shout, or even histrionics, just one little word.

It’s hard to imagine this when we look at the destructive power of evil in our world, with the havoc it is wreaking on human lives in every place and time. We look upon it and wonder if there is anything that can be done to quench its fury, and we ask God, “How long?”

We don’t know the answer to that question, but we know that when the time comes evil will be overthrown, Babylon will fall, and it will be a rout!

“Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!”

Evil, in other words, is a paper tiger; it is a bully whose time is short and whose time will come. This will also be the case for those who made their lives by walking in the ways of wickedness: “The kings of the earth… weep and mourn over her.” They weep and mourn because with her destruction comes the exposure of their foolish allegiance.

How then should we live?

We should live soberly and with wisdom. “For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever” (Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭28‬-‭29‬).

It is a mark of wisdom to walk on the way that leads to life, even if in the present moment that way is narrow and not well worn. It has been traveled by few, but its end is the eternal Kingdom of God.

Almighty God, by your Word evil is vanquished and by your Word righteousness is established forever. Grant that we who are tempted to despair and wickedness, would stand with our feet firmly planted on that way that leads to life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

---