A TALE OF TWO CITIES
Revelation 17:1 - 18:8
Big Idea: When God flexes His muscle it does not look like Rambo or the Terminator; it looks like Calvary. {Gregory Boyd}
Supporting Scripture: Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount; Luke 17:20-21; John 13:14-15; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 10:24-33; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Ephesians 5:1-2; Ephesians 6:12; Philippians 2:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17;
INTRO:
The Book of the Revelation is a contrast of Kingdoms. It reveals the values, agendas, and origins of two realms; they are in striking contrast to each other. In fact, it would suggest the two realms cannot both reign or co-exist within the heart of the Christ-follower. We are continuously being called to decide which Kingdom we will serve.
It’s not as easy as just saying you’ll side with one or the other. The real evidence is seen by which side is transforming you … your actions “mark” you as a follower of the Lamb or a follower of the world (referred to in the latter portion of the book as “Babylon”).
“Babylon” is what I will call a “meta-image.” It is an overarching metaphor designed to span and transcend a particular place or time. The Biblical scholar Robert Mounce explained this well, “[T]he symbol reaches beyond the unique historical situation and becomes a criterion valid for all ages. It runs parallel with the process of history … it harbors within it the real event behind any event” (Robert Mounce, “The Book of the Revelation”).
Babylon is, simply put, a symbol of the world and world system – the system that the Bible teaches consistently (no matter what empire you live in) runs counter-value to the Gospel’s Kingdom of God. “Babylon” is any and every earthly kingdom. John was referring to the empire of his day (his description makes that clear) but it is not static. The Revelation is designed to speak to us in our place in time.
Revelation teaches that:
• All “Babylons” seek to rule over and impose expectations on God’s people.
• All “Babylons” defy the values of God.
• All “Babylons” assume sovereignty.
• All “Babylons” use political, economic, and religious influence to seductively compete for allegiance.
• All “Babylons” are idolatry.
This is seen very vividly in Chapter 17 and 18.
We are told very clearly to “come out” of Babylon (18:4) and just as clearly to “come into” the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:17).
Again, the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world are oil and water. They cannot / do not mix. Even the best of earthly kingdoms are sinful.
There are a lot of ways that The Revelation illustrates the differences between the kingdoms of this world and the Kingdom of God.
• A whore versus a bride.
• A dragon verses a Lamb.
• Babylon verses the New Jerusalem.
• War verses worship.
The list could certainly go on. I might, in the future give you a contrast between some of these other images; they all teach us about the differences in the two realms. They are all tales of two cities, so to speak; the city of man and the city of God.
Let’s read from chapters 17 and 18.
REVELATION 17:1-18 (ESV)
1Then 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, 2with 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." 3And 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. 4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations." 6And 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. 7But 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. 8The 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 it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
15And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth."
REVELATION 18:1-8 (ESV)
1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living."
4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.' 8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
SERMON
The Kingdom of God operates from different sources and with different objectives that the kingdoms of this world.
• The kingdom of this world works with “power-over” strategies. They rule by force, threat, law, control, fear, etc.
• The Kingdom of God works with “power-under” values. Sacrificial love is Jesus’ model and expectation.
The central command of Jesus’ kingdom can be seen in Philippians 2:5; “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” Our every thought, word, and deed is to reflect the character of Jesus and and manifest the reign of God in our lives (see also Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Following the example of Christ, and in stark contrast to the modus operandi of the world, we are to:
• “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than [our] selves” (Philippians 2:3)
• “Not look to [our] own interests, but to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).
• “Not seek [our] own advantage, but the good of others” (1 Cor. 10:24, cf. 10:33).
• Find honor in washing people’s feet (John 13:14-15) - that is, in serving them in any way we can.
• Seek to do good and free all who are “oppressed by the devil” (Acts 10:38)
• Voluntarily bear others’ burdens (Gal. 6:2).
• “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:10)
• “Put up with the failings of the weak, and do not please ourselves,” always asking how we might please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor (Rom. 15:1-2).
• We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the homeless, befriend the friendless, and visit the condemned prisoner (James 2:15-17; 1 John 3:14-18; cf. Matt. 25:34-40).
While we might regard this kind of actions as weak by kingdom-of-the-world criteria, in truth there is no greater power on the planet than sacrificial love. “Coming under” others has a power to do what laws and bullets and bombs can never do.
When God flexes his muscle, it doesn’t look like Rambo or the Terminator-it looks like Calvary! Living in Calvary-like love moment by moment, in all circumstances and in relation to all people, is the sole calling of those who are aligned with the kingdom that Jesus came to bring.
• The kingdom of the world trusts the power of the sword to control behavior ~ The Kingdom of Heaven trusts the power of sacrificial love to transform hearts.
• The kingdom of the world is concerned with preserving law and order by force and fear ~ the Kingdom of Heaven is concerned with establishing the rule of God through love.
• The kingdom of the world is centrally concerned with what people do ~ the Kingdom of Heaven is centrally concerned with what they can become.
• The kingdom of the world is characterized by judgment ~ the Kingdom of Heaven is characterized by outrageous, even scandalous, grace, acceptance, and forgiveness.
The crucial distinction between the two kingdoms is how they provide antithetical answers to the questions of what power one should trust to change ourselves and others:
• Do you trust “power over” or “power under”?
Do you trust the power of external force or the influential, non-coercive power of Calvary-like love?
God’s love was marvelously put on display when Jesus puts himself in the place of sinners instead of clinging to his perfect environment.
Though he rightfully could have demanded service and worship from all, he served the lame and the sick by healing them, the demonized by delivering them, and the outcasts by accepting them, and the ostracized by befriending them. This is what the Kingdom of God looks like. It looks like humility. It looks like grace. It looks like service. It looks like Jesus.
The Kingdom of God lifestyle was also beautifully illustrated just before the Last Supper. John tells us “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:1-5).
This is how power is wielded in the kingdom of God. If you have all power in heaven and earth, use it to wash the feet of someone you know will betray you! Do not rule by coercion, but by a towel!
In contrast to Jesus stands his follower, Peter. Peter was always the one who resisted Jesus’ servant-hood model of love and leadership. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of Malchus, the slave of the high priest (John 18:10). This is the kingdom of the world model. It says “when you’re threatened, defend yourself (and your opinions) by any means necessary.”
But look at Jesus; he told Peter to put his sword away, reminding him that “all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matt.26:52). Instead of using his divine authority to fight back, calling legions of angels and forcefully controlling his enemy’s behavior, Jesus used his divine authority to heal the ear of a man who came to arrest him! Jesus taught us to live by Kingdom of God values; outrageous, unconditional love - by service to others.
Insofar as we trust this kind of power and think and act accordingly, we are bearers of the kingdom of God. Insofar as we do not, we are simply participants in the kingdom of the world.
Jesus says to pray sincerely for those who persecute us, just as Christ did (Matt. 5:43-44; Luke 6:28). Remember, he’s talking to people who before long would be beheaded, burned alive, or fed to lions!
God’s reign is manifested and expanded through the faithfulness of his subjects, and so, where people choose peace over violence and forgiveness over retaliation, acting in the interest of others rather than out of self-interest, the Kingdom of God is present.
WRAP-UP
What would happen if the ultimate criteria we used to assess how “successful” or “unsuccessful” our churches are were the question, “Are we loving as Jesus loved?”
The Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world have:
• A Contrast of Trusts
• A Contrast of Aims
• A Contrast of Scopes
• A Contrast of Responses
• A Contrast of Battles
Hear me now -- conservative Christians involved in kingdom-of-the-world thinking act like their enemies are the liberals, the gay activists, the ACLU, the pro-choice advocates, the evolutionists, the socialists, and so on. On the opposite side, liberal Christians often think that their enemies are the fundamentalists, the gay bashers, the Christian Coalition, the antiabortionists, the capitalists and so on. Demonizing one’s enemies is part of the tit-for-tat game of Babylon. What we have here are two different religious versions of the kingdom of the world going at each other! If we were thinking along the lines of the kingdom of God, however, we would realize that none of the people mentioned in the above lists are people whom Kingdom of God citizens are called to fight against. They are, rather, people whom Kingdom of God citizens are called to fight for.
We are to love our enemies and if Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan and Calvary teach us anything about loving our enemies it teaches us that it involves befriending them; refusing to keep them at arm’s length – embracing them; getting personally involved in their lives.
Our battle is “not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12); right wing or left wing, gay or straight, pro-choice or pro-life, liberal or conservative, democratic or socialist, American or other. Our battle is against the “cosmic powers” that hold these people, and all people, in bondage. Whatever our own opinions about how the kingdom of the world should run, whatever political or ethical views we may happen to embrace, our one task as Kingdom of God disciples is to fight for people, and the way we do it is by doing exactly what Jesus did: outrageous love and by laying down his life for his enemies.
Hear me -- a person may win by kingdom of the world standards but lose by the standards that eternally count; the standards of the Kingdom of God.
Jesus taught that there will be many who seem to believe right things and do religious deeds in his name whom he will renounce, for they didn’t love him by loving the homeless, the hungry, the poor, and the prisoner (Matt. 7:21-23; 25:41-46; cf. Luke 6:46-49). HOWEVER RIGHT WE MAY BE, WITHOUT LOVE WE ARE SIMPLY DISPLAYING A RELIGIOUS VERSION OF THE WORLD, NOT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
We become part of the problem! WE BECOME … BABYLON. We identify with that which we are told explicitly to “come out” of.
In a few moments we will receive communion together. It is a powerful statement about the Kingdom of God. But first, I would like you to read the responsive reading with me. It comes from the Sermon on the Mount.
+++++++++++++++++++++
Special thanks to the following authors (and books) for much of the content from this sermon: Gregory Boyd, “The Myth of a Christian Nation” {my primary source}; John Eidsmore, “God and Caesar”; Stanley Hauerwas, “A Community of Character”, John Yoder, “The Politics of Jesus”, Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon, “Resident Aliens”; Robert Webber, “The Church in the World; Hans Kung, “The Church.”; Francis J Beckwith, “Politics for Christians.”
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
The Kingdom Way
Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 5 (portions)
Leader: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied,
People: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Leader: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
People: Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Leader: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
People: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. … Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Leader: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
People: But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Leader: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
People: But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
Leader: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
People: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
++++++++++++++
COMMUNION
As we turn our thoughts to communion we are turning our thoughts and memories to the One who offered a different lifestyle and a different solution to human problems.
There is nothing about laying one’s body down that reinforces “power-over” coercion to get one’s way.
Identifying with Jesus Christ in communion means we are identifying with sacrificial love; pure, simple, overt and explicit sacrificial love.
• It means we are bearing offences rather than striking back with retaliation.
• It means we are suffering for others even when it feels like we are being taken advantage of.
• It means we are forgiving those who have wronged us – again.
• It means we are learning to love and accept those that we disagree with.
• It means we are fighting for a sin-addled world not against them.
• It means we are loving our enemy.
All of that is declared in the cup and the bread.
With that I say:
• Come. Eat at your own risk.
• Come. Eat as a declaration to love and serve.
• Come. Eat as a sign of repentance from self and self-advancement.
• Come. Eat as an indication that you are through with Babylon and side with the Lamb of God.
But by all means, come and eat.
