Apocalypse Now XXI - A Tale of Two Cities
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Introduction
Introduction
A tale of two cities
Talk about Augustine and the city of God
Analysis
Analysis
Then 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, with 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.”
Rev 17:1-
is a cohesive unit and presented in the style of an ekphrasis
It is a vision of judgement on Rome in particular
Sexual immorality is a metaphor for the way Rome had seduced its client nations through wealth and power
And 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. The 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. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”
Rev 17:
John’s vision here is static and note the use of the past tense
It is likely based on a statue that was depicted on a coin minted during Vespasians reign
Babylon had become a symbol for the power wielded by nations hostile to the Jews and then the gospel
And 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. But 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.
Rev 17:6
Rome was literally drunk with the blood of Christian witnesses
John’s marvelling is a set up for what the angel is about to tell him.
This is an example of a common apocalyptic literary form where there is an interpreting angel. This is the only place such a form is used in Revelation.
The 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. This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they 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.
Note the play on words: was and is not. Jesus is describe as the one is, who was and is to come.
Rev 17:8-
This is likely another reference to the Nero myth
The woman is the goddess Roma who is seated on 7 hills of Rome
There was a widespread belief amongst the Romans that they had exactly 7 kings
As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And 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. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They 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.”
Rev 17:11
God is going to bring judgement on Rome through an unholy alliance represented by the Beast
And the angel said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And 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, for 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. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”
Rev 17:15-
The waters represent the nations that Rome had asserted its power over. Note the contrast being set up with the holy city that is coming which will also consist of many nations, languages and multitudes.
God will use the unholy alliance represented by the Beast to destroy Rome. This is one of many examples in scripture where God is seen to use pagan nations to bring judgement; even calling them his servants.
“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the Lord, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 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.
Rev 18:1-2
Conclusion
Conclusion
God still holds nations accountable. He is not ignoring injustice; especially nations who are “drunk” with the blood of Christian witnesses
It is God who brings judgement on nations and we are not tasked with this responsibility. It is clear all through the book of Revelation that God’s judgement will be brought about by him without the use of Christian as his agents. We are to be witnesses the gospel of grace not agents of judgement.
The nations play an important role in the book of Revelation as does the city of Rome which John sets up as a contrast to the heavenly city that is coming.
The new Jerusalem comes from God to earth and not the other way around. The city of God will not come about by human means. Christian eschatology is not a utopian, or for that matter, dystopian vision.