What we hold dear is what we miss most when it’s gone. A treasured loved one; a sentimental Christmas ornament; a lock of hair. Others may see it as an irrational attachment, but all we know is the pain of its loss.
What we weep for bares our souls before all mankind.
Revelation 18:9-19 reveals the fallen state of humanity. The truth is laid out for all to see. Let’s expose the pain of our weeping world:
Verses 9-10:
The nations lived in spiritual adultery with Babylon, following after her gods of material success and international favor. As she burned, the nations cried, “Alas, Babylon, the mighty city!”
The Babylon mentioned here is not that of the ancients, but rather the motives and greed she embodied. In the day of Christ’s return, righteousness will once again be found in the earth.
Verses 11-16:
The merchants wept for Babylon, their prime market for all manner of luxury goods. From the beauty of gold, silver, and marble, to the degradations of slavery and the drug trade, they stood and watched their markets go up in flames.
The merchants were not concerned about Babylon’s welfare. They had been made rich by Babylon’s excesses. With no one to purchase their great storehouses of merchandise, they were doomed to financial ruin.
Verses 17-19:
Babylon came to her end in one hour, and there was nothing the world could do to save her.
Babylon had become a world power over the course of many years. She had built military alliances and worldwide trade agreements. Her infrastructure encompassed the globe. Yet, God took out in one hour what seemed permanent to mankind.
Revelation 18:20 tells us how the Christian should respond:
Rather than weep, we should rejoice in the downfall of sin.
Babylon’s downfall is less the destruction of a city or nation than it is the effacing of sin from the earth. The false foundations of Satan’s hand will be cast aside, and the saints who have died for the Faith will be avenged.
What do we weep for? Is it a bad investment strategy, the loss of our social standing, or a failed business deal? Or do we weep for those things that break God’s heart: unredeemed sinners; broken families; and the suffering of the poor?
Our tears tell the world who we really are. Let’s make sure they reveal Jesus in us.
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