With a mighty voice he shouted: “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. – Revelation 18:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 7, 2018): Revelation 18

For a thousand years, Babylon has laid empty and void. The once great city has been lost, but never really forgotten. Early in the 19^th Century, Claudius Rich began a concentrated effort to excavate the city. Since then, several people have been involved in the process, and the city ruins have been rebuilt. There has also been a dream of reconstructing the city. On February 14, 1978, Saddam Hussein began the “Archeological Restoration of Babylon Project.” The Iraqi leader, among many others, had dreams of rebuilding the city to its former splendor. If the dream of reconstructing Babylon were ever completed, it would likely swiftly become one of the world economic leaders because of Middle East oil. But so far, no reconstruction of the city has been successful.

In John’s Revelation, we actually find the story of two Babylons. The first is the spiritual Babylon. And the spiritual Babylon is usually considered to be an allegory reflecting the spiritual decay present in other great cities and organizations that have captured our imagination, for a time, in this world. But the second Babylon, and the one mentioned in this passage of Revelation, is the economic or commercial Babylon. And the question that has plagued scholars is simply this – is this Babylon meant to be literal or symbolic. Some still hold that this Babylon is one that will be rebuilt at some time in the future. Someday there will be someone like Saddam Hussein, who will come to power and be able to rebuild the ancient city, only to watch it fall one more time. But most hold that this commercial Babylon, like the spiritual Babylon, is merely a symbolic representation. The desolate desert that has gathered the ancient city of Babylon into its harsh grasp symbolizes the end of any of our commercial enterprises when they are devoid of God. They exist for their moment, and then they are gone.

And so, John presents us with a dirge. “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great.” All of her economic power and prestige could not protect the city from her ultimate fate. She has become a place for demons to inhabit. John paints for us a picture of absolute devastation and desolation. And he presents a call so that all who hear it can avoid her sad fate.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 19

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my son, Craig. I hope you are having a great day.

The name written on her forehead was a mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES, AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. – Revelation 17:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 6, 2018): Revelation 17

Babylon. One of the most famous cities of the ancient world. The city has captured the imaginations and the hearts of many. It is the proposed site for the ancient “Tower of Babel.” It is the famed home of Nebuchadnezzar II who brought Babylon into world-wide fame. It was the object of desire for the Macedonian conqueror “Alexander the Great” who wanted to make the city his capital. More recently, Saddam Hussein, who considered himself a “son of Nebuchadnezzar II” was infatuated with the ruins of the city, and had great plans for its rebuilding.

It continues to own our imaginations and those of many writers, both religious and secular. Babylon was and maybe is, although all that is left of the city today is ruins, an important city. But unlike other important cities, it seems that Babylon died with a whimper. Somehow, the city simply disappears from the pages of history. For centuries, the city almost took on a mythical character. World travelers wanted to find the city, but couldn’t, often mistaking the cities of Baghdad or Fallujah as the site of ancient Babylon. There has always been something of a mystery about Babylon.

John sees a woman and on her forehead, he says, is written a mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abomination of the earth. It should be noted that in John’s time prostitutes would often wear headbands that would reveal their name. Apparently, this is true of this woman as well. But there is a mystery in the name. John would have recognized the name of Babylon, both from history and from the fact that the city still stood during his day. But more than that, even in John’s day the city had lost its luster. Babylon was a dream that had lost its substance. And in that, it was much like a prostitute.

Modern scholars often believe that the real Babylon that John was talking about was Rome. Once again, it was a city of power that was somehow empty inside. The days of Julius Caesar and Augustus had passed and given way to the Caligula’s and Nero’s. Rome was still in power, but somehow it was also empty and void. Like Babylon, Rome possessed a dream but had long ago lost its substance. It was false, and could only continue to be false.

Since John’s Revelation, biblical readers have found many other Babylons. From the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church to Hollywood, we have identified a number of Babylons within reach of our experiences, but what they have all shared is this sense of emptiness and falseness. There is no power there, even though they still can attract our imagination. And these Babylons all could become religions in the minds of humans that stand opposed to any movement of God.

They are all empty and doomed to fail.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 18

The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. – Revelation 16:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 5, 2018): Revelation 16

Some scientists are beginning to argue that Venus was once a very inhabitable planet. It had great seas and land masses and may have boasted the nicest climate in the solar system. For most of the history of the planet, it was a far different place then we know it to be today. But then, something happened. We are not sure why, but Venus was subjected to a runaway greenhouse effect. The temperature rose, the water disappeared, and if there was any life on Venus, that life disappeared with it. What might have been the garden planet of the Solar System became one of the most inhospitable. Today, Venus, and not Mercury, is the hottest planet in our Solar System. And this is true in spite of the fact that Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

One of the major “complaints” about God is this belief that he sends us to hell, or that he sends judgment on the earth. The question that is raised is simply this: How could a loving God we responsible for such, at least in the eyes of some, evil actions. But I have never been convinced that that was true. This idea of hell being a place of eternal fire is largely a product of our, and the biblical writers, imaginations; it is the result of very human people trying to explain the concept of spiritual punishment, us trying to explain the unexplainable. But some of the confusion exists in the Hebrew idea that God is all-powerful, and therefore he is the cause of everything, even the consequences that arise from our behavior and decisions. According to Hebrew thought, because God could stop any action on the earth if he wanted to, these actions became his responsibility. Essentially the idea is that if I decide to jump off a bridge and die, God allowed my death to happen because he could have stopped it. Instead of stopping it, he allowed me to die (and surrendered me to the results of my stupidity.) The biblical judgments could possibly be a mixture of the actions of God and the actions of the human race of which he allows us to suffer the consequences.

Enter Revelation’s bowls of God’s wrath. These could be actions of God, and nothing written here should indicate that they are not. But the reality is that many of these effects of God’s wrath, skin conditions, the pollution of the water systems of the earth, the drying up of rivers and even the extreme heat indicated in this verse, are not out of the realm of possibility of our current environmental decay. In other words, these “bowls of wrath” might be the direct action of God on an unbelieving world, but they might as equally be the consequences of our use of the planet. Venus, the hottest planet in our Solar System, stands as an example of what can happen when the environment runs amok. On Venus, it was a natural disaster that caused the degradation of the environment. On Earth, that natural disaster is us.

Adding to our guilt is the fact that taking care of this planet was the original task given to the human race by God. Adam’s instructions were to name the animals and take care of the garden. Pollution and climate change stands as a testimony to how badly we have failed at the task that God left to us.

Our reality is that God might pour out his wrath on the planet, but we are doing just as good job at producing the predicted effects all by ourselves. And in the end, we don’t need God’s wrath; our wrath will accomplish God’s purpose without him lifting a finger.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 17

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my daughter, Alyssa. I hope you are having a great day.

After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. – Revelation 15:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 4, 2018): Revelation 15

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a YouTube video about the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The video suggests that the Temples of Solomon and Herod were never built on the Temple Mount. The idea that the Temple may not have been on built on Temple Mount is significant because it allows for the rebuilding of the Temple somewhere other than the Islamic controlled hill in Jerusalem. Temple Mount is historically one of the most fought over pieces of real estate in human history, and it is held to be important by three world religions. For the Jews, this is the place where Solomon’s and Herod’s Temples were built, although we have no idea where exactly on the mountain the Temples existed. Many have held that the Islamic Dome on the Rock exists in the same place as both of the Temples, but that is just a guess. Herod’s Temple was leveled so completely by the Romans in 70 C.E. that there was nothing left to suggest that a building was ever there. All we have left of the Temple is the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall. But this wall was not part of the Temple proper; it is believed to be a wall built around the courtyard of the Temple. The actual Temple has long disappeared. For Christians, Temple Mount is where Jesus taught and where many of the significant moments of his life happened. Jesus was circumcised in the Temple, the spoke there, argued with the religious leaders, and during Passion Week much of his time was spent on Temple Mount. For Islam, it was from Temple Mount that Mohammad was taken up into heaven. This hill is a special place.

To suggest that Temple Mount is misplaced means that there is another site, maybe not under Islamic control, where the Temple could be rebuilt and where the attention of Christians looking to walk where Jesus walked might be drawn. But for a majority of scholars and believers, there is no question. Both the Temples of Solomon and Herod were built on Temple Mount. And maybe even more significantly, according to prophecy it is on Temple Mount that the third Temple will also be built.

Admittedly, for me, it is a more academic than spiritual discussion. I have to admit that even after watching the video, I still think that Temple Mount is likely the right location. It makes sense to me that the Temples were both built on that spot and the arguments against that idea seem weak. But I also still question whether either of the Temples was actually the idea of God.

And John seems to add to the argument against the legitimacy of the Temples here in his Revelation. He looks up into heaven and sees God’s version of the Temple, and it is not either of the brick and mortar Temples were built on earth that is revealed to him, nor was it, and this is may be a little surprising, the Temple that Ezekiel saw in a vision and wrote about in his writings. The Temple that John sees in heaven is a replica of the Tabernacle, the tent that God instructed Moses to build in the desert and which served as the dwelling place of God for the generations of Israeli people between the desert wanderings and the reign of Solomon. It is a version of this tabernacle of Moses that is revealed to John in heaven. The problem for us as humans is that the tabernacle is not as substantial as either of the brick and mortar Temples. But then again, maybe that is okay. After all, we serve a God who extends beyond the building and will never be contained in single spot. He is a God who dwells within his people, and so the Tent of Meeting that is not restricted to one spot on the earth might be the most appropriate dwelling place for this kind of God. And even in heaven, it appears that it is the tabernacle, and not one of the Temples, that is the illustration of his presence.   

 Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 16

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. – Revelation 14:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 3, 2018): Revelation 14

Is the future fixed, or fluid? It is a question that philosopher’s and theologians have danced around for centuries. For some, the belief is that it must be fixed because God knows the future and the number of our days. And while that may be poetic, there are few examples in Scripture that support this idea. In the Bible, God is someone who is filled with passion and moved by our prayers. Things in the future change because God has allowed it to change and because the Spirit of God moves among us. I have to admit that I sometimes wonder if the future is more fluid than we realize. Every day we make choices, large and small, that influence our futures. And every day it might be that God protects us from some of our stupider actions, but still we build a future brick by brick and often have to live with the consequences of our choices.

Maybe the future is like more like a river running down a mountain. We know that the water will somehow reach the bottom after bouncing through offshoots and pools along the way, but the exact path for an individual water molecule is unknown. Along the journey it may be turned from one eddy to another, the exact path that the molecule will take is unknown. Even the ultimate destination is unknown. Most will be carried to the bottom of the mountain, but not all. What is known is that God knows all the possibilities. For us, he understands every tributary that our choices may carry us down – and, in the end, he is in control and holds our every possibility. But this is not a fatalistic faith that says that our choices and prayer are unimportant. They are important because it is possible for our prayers to move the hand of God.

The last time we read about the 144,000, this group of Jewish Christians who are called to minister throughout the Tribulation period, was in Revelation 7. Scholars agree that this Revelation 7 mention is at the beginning of the Great Tribulation and that the 144,000 were to be protected. It is not that God necessarily knew the ending, it is that God is actively protecting the 144,000 so that they would thrive throughout this difficult period. Satan might try to destroy them, but God’s protection would be on them.

And now the 144,000 stand victorious at the end of the Tribulation. The presence of the 144,000 stands as a testimony that the beasts of Revelation 13 might make war and cause discomfort for the Christian community, but they will not be able to overcome them completely. Here at the end of the Tribulation, the 144,000 are seen as standing firm on Mount Zion, the Mountain of God, triumphant and worshipping Jesus. We may not know the path to the end, but we know that in the end, the Lamb wins.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 15

Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. – Revelation 13:11

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 2, 2018): Revelation 13

American satirist H. L. Mencken argue that “The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false-face for the urge to rule it. Power is what all messiahs really seek: not the chance to serve. This is true even of the pious brethren who carry the gospel to foreign parts.” I wish I could argue that he was wrong, but missionaries throughout history have too often had their role to play in the conquest of foreign lands. It is hard to remove our need for power from of our lives. Too often, we carry that craving for power everywhere we go. We say that we are acting in the interests of saving humanity from itself, but the actions often belie a quest for power. Even within the Christian Community and family, this quest for power is present. And the quest for power has destroyed many churches. The problem is that our need for power is present within our fellowships, but it shouldn’t be.  The Christian message is always “come and die.” At the center of our faith is a cross, and for most of us that is a disturbing fact that we do not want to admit. We would rather argue that, at the center of the Christian Church is an empty tomb. At the center of the Christian Church is a source of power. But that is never preached in the Bible. At the center of our faith is a cross and a Messiah telling us that “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35). Power is never supposed to be part of the equation.

John is beginning to understand this spiritual principle. In Revelation 5 he introduces us to the scroll that only the Lion of Judah has the power to open. But when John looks for the Lion and the one with power, all he finds is the Lamb, “looking as if it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6). It had been decades since the crucifixion of Jesus, and yet the Lamb of God still bore the marks of his execution. At the center of the Christian faith stands a cross.

Here John introduces us to a second reversal. He sees a beast rising out of the earth. And the beast looks like a lamb, but it speaks like a dragon. This Lamb does not look like it had been slain, but rather comes with great power. Often scholars refer to this lamb as the false prophet.  And the false prophet comes with a mild appearance, but he speaks with the power of the words uttered by the first beast, and there is no good in him.

If we believe that we are serving the Lamb of God who comes with power, it might be that we are really serving this second beast. John says that the Lion of Judah and real Lamb of God comes with pain and weakness, still bearing the fresh marks of his mortal wounds. The Lamb of God still carries his cross as he instructs us to pick up ours. This is not about power. It is about being the servants of God who serve those with power hoping that we can lead others to Jesus. There can be no other reality for the Christian. And we need to be careful that we are not in service to the second beast.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 14

Personal Note: Happy Birthday, Laurie.

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. – Revelation 12:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (May 1, 2018): Revelation 12

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” The words of Mahatma Gandhi still ring true. Evil can cause disruptions, but if we can wait, truth and love always win. Of course, Gandhi was trying to guide his opponents, and some of his followers, away from a military answer to the problems of India. The problem with a military response is that it is, at best, a temporary solution. There has to be something else behind it. War tears down, but only truth and love have the power to build back up again.

So a war breaks out in heaven. The dragon and his angels decide to storm the gates, possibly to regain all that they had lost. And at the gates of heaven stands Michael and his angels prepared to go to war. Some have argued that Michael here must refer to Jesus, but the thought is misguided. This is not a fight of the dragon versus God. That fight would come, but not yet. This is the scariest of all wars. It is a battle amidst equals. God has no equal, but here both the Dragon and Michael and the forces gathered around them are equal. One force desires to tear down and destroy, the other to defend and rebuild. The difference between the two armies is one of purpose. One force is built around a lie and hate; the other serves the author of truth and love.

Only one can win. And Gandhi is right. Truth and love win in the end every time. This battle will be no different. This battle belongs to Michael, and the war will be ended by God – one who serves truth and love and the other who embodies it.

If there is one thing that frustrates me, it is that we live in an age of easily manipulated photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, but we have turned the truth of a picture into a lie. And as Christians, we seem to be so willing to take part in the lie. I understand that we live in a time of deep ideological divides, but our arguments have to be built on truth and love. And so we take a picture of Emma Gonzalez tearing up a target and remake it into an image of the student tearing up the constitution. I do not agree with everything that Emma says, but I will defend her right to express her truth. We take a picture of the Seattle Seahawks dancing in their locker room and insert a burning flag so that the picture looks like something that it is not. When Barrack Obama was first sworn into office, there was a picture of the former president with his left hand on the Bible. The inventor of the image even remarks that the picture had not been adjusted, and offered the wedding ring on Obama’s left hand as proof. What they forgot to do was to adjust the picture of the General standing in the background. He stood as proof of what had been done. He was wearing his medals on the wrong side of his uniform.

If we can’t make our arguments with truth and love, then maybe we are on the wrong side. Truth and love win every time, both in heaven and on the earth. Truth cannot be stretched, and love cannot be put aside. When we dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of truth and love, we place ourselves in the midst of the heavenly armies. Somehow, we as Christians need to be comfortable with truth and love. The lies are for someone else – and ultimately for those who wish to lose, because truth and love win, in the end, every time.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Revelation 13

Personal Note: It is my privilege to welcome a new addition to the clan. James Duane Mullen was born on April 28. Mom and Dad are doing fine, and Grandpa and Grandma are very proud.