Jesus taught that all scripture testifies about him so that in him we might have life (John 5v39-40). King David taught that it is only by living according to God's word that we're kept on the right path (Psalm 119v9). What then could be better than reading the entire Bible? Click the menu to read about the program, choose a month or Bible book - or just work through the blog posts day by day.
BEGIN WITH PRAYER
"Lord open my eyes and my heart."
Read
slowly so that you take in. And as you do, turn your heart to God,
thanking him for the good you discover and praying his will home for
you, your family, your church and the world.
Wisdom to chew on
The wife of nobel character...Proverbs 31:26
The wife of nobel character...Proverbs 31:26
Understanding to grow in
Now Babylon is the focus. She is a prostitute, intoxicating earthly rulers and peoples and drawing their love away from the Christ who should be their "husband" (19v7). Her prostitution seems to be that of taking their wealth in trade and feeding their immorality in return (17v4). But she is also the persecutor of God's people. What follows is hard to understand. She seems to be identified with Rome, which was said to sit on seven hills and ruled throughout the earth (17v9, 18). She rides the satanic beast (anti-Christ) in the sense that she is upheld by his power and reflects his stance to Christ - a power and stance to be displayed in seven rulers, the seventh of which was about to come (17v10). However, the sense seems to be that although Babylon represented Rome in the first century, she would endure throughout history until the satanic beast that "is not" in John's day (17v8), comes out of the abyss just before Christ returns and is represented by a particular ruler and anti-Christ (17v11, 20v3, 7, also 2 Thess 2v1-12). So Babylon seems to symbolise all godless society or worldviews in their influence, contrasting the woman of chapter 12v1 who represents the people of God. Revelation therefore sets before us two cities that people might belong to - Babylon or the New Jerusalem, ungodly society or God's society. At the end of the age, we are told ten rulers (perhaps symbolising "many") will give their authority to the beast and wage war against Christ before being defeated by him. And the next two chapters celebrate that defeat. They stress this is a just judgment for Babylon's immorality and persecutions, and will cause shock throughout the world because people could never imagine her wealth, provision and culture gone. It's a challenge to us today, to change how we view our own secular culture with its materialism, godlessness and hostility to Christians. It is Babylonian too, reflecting satan's power. And so we are to reject the assumption that it is great and will remain forever, but recognize its ultimate fate and "come out" of it by not sharing in its sins so that we will not share in its punishment (18v4). At Christ's return we will therefore be able to rejoice that with Babylon destgroyed, the wedding of the Lamb and his bride (the church) has finally come. As you read note the traits Babylon displays.
Now Babylon is the focus. She is a prostitute, intoxicating earthly rulers and peoples and drawing their love away from the Christ who should be their "husband" (19v7). Her prostitution seems to be that of taking their wealth in trade and feeding their immorality in return (17v4). But she is also the persecutor of God's people. What follows is hard to understand. She seems to be identified with Rome, which was said to sit on seven hills and ruled throughout the earth (17v9, 18). She rides the satanic beast (anti-Christ) in the sense that she is upheld by his power and reflects his stance to Christ - a power and stance to be displayed in seven rulers, the seventh of which was about to come (17v10). However, the sense seems to be that although Babylon represented Rome in the first century, she would endure throughout history until the satanic beast that "is not" in John's day (17v8), comes out of the abyss just before Christ returns and is represented by a particular ruler and anti-Christ (17v11, 20v3, 7, also 2 Thess 2v1-12). So Babylon seems to symbolise all godless society or worldviews in their influence, contrasting the woman of chapter 12v1 who represents the people of God. Revelation therefore sets before us two cities that people might belong to - Babylon or the New Jerusalem, ungodly society or God's society. At the end of the age, we are told ten rulers (perhaps symbolising "many") will give their authority to the beast and wage war against Christ before being defeated by him. And the next two chapters celebrate that defeat. They stress this is a just judgment for Babylon's immorality and persecutions, and will cause shock throughout the world because people could never imagine her wealth, provision and culture gone. It's a challenge to us today, to change how we view our own secular culture with its materialism, godlessness and hostility to Christians. It is Babylonian too, reflecting satan's power. And so we are to reject the assumption that it is great and will remain forever, but recognize its ultimate fate and "come out" of it by not sharing in its sins so that we will not share in its punishment (18v4). At Christ's return we will therefore be able to rejoice that with Babylon destgroyed, the wedding of the Lamb and his bride (the church) has finally come. As you read note the traits Babylon displays.
Finish this reading by pausing to ask yourself:
1) What’s the main thing it teaches me about God or his purposes in Christ? Then praise him for this.
2) What’s the main thing it teaches me about his will for me or the world? Then pray that home.
Devotion to offer up
You could read this aloud and perhaps as a springboard to further prayer.