Lament for the city of man

America is about to fall, you can see it happening around you. It is in a free fall morally, politically and economically. I hope this helps to wake us American's up.

Title: Lament for the city of man – Rev.17,18

Introduction:

I have a novel idea. Young people, I have a great idea for a fun trip – what would be fun for you? Parents, do you want to have a good time with your kids that will mean something? Why then don’t some of you take your kids to the dump? There give them a tablet and pen and asked them to write down the things that they see in the pile of rubbish. There they will see all the things their hearts desire, twisted and broken in a heap of smoldering rubbish. Don’t you just love the smell at the dump? That is the fragrant aroma of mans efforts that goes up to God’s nostrils. When finished and while driving out, they may also notice crushed vehicles some of the same make and model that car you may be driving. All the way home they will talk of all the things that were in the dump. Everything that we own will one day be in the dump and if anything remains, in the end of human history all of it will be burnt up when the Lord returns. This lesson portrays the end of human history, civilization as we know it is destined for destruction. Ultimately the city of man will give way to the city of God, the secular city will give way to the holy city. Babylon must fall then the New Jerusalem will be established forever. These two chapters revolve around the images that John sees and the voice which comes from heaven. If we fail to grasp what these images mean and what the voice says, then we will fail to learn from the book.

The first image is the seductive mistress (17:1-18). She is no ordinary mistress. He refers to her as the great prostitute, the mother of all prostitutes (17:1,5). She is not a tawdry whore who plies her trade but a beautiful and seductive woman. She models the latest fashions from Saks of New York, the gold chains around her neck, the diamonds on her fingers, she is dressed to the nines. She does not live in a sleazy motel but a Manhatten Penthouse. She is not to be confused with the beast that she rides, she is a woman and the beast is an animal, but she does have an influence over the beast. He aims to oppress Christ’s Church and persecute her, she aims to seduce and destroy it. Until reading this, I had always been confused as to why other countries are experiencing martyrdom for Christ and we aren’t. Over 170,000 men, women and children give their lives for Christ each year. We sit back and wait for the trial of martyrdom to come upon us while at this very moment, if you listen, you can hear the hiss of the seductress as she attempting to destroy us. Because of her attractive nature, she is to be feared. She may have a grip on your heart at this moment. The beast described “who was but now is not” was destroyed at the cross of Calvary, but evil has resuscitative powers. How else can we explain for the presence of such animals as Adolf Hitler, Stalin or Idi Amin? The woman rules over many waters, which represents peoples, nations and all cultures (17:1) and is indicative of her power over men. She represents false teachers and false religions as well. She represents men like Jim Jones who preached about the dignity of the downtrodden. They flocked to the Peoples Temple expecting to drink from the chalice that contained sweet wine, not expecting it to be filled with cyanide. That also gives us an idea of what false teaching tastes like to God, its poison. Her cup was described as gold but was filled with abominations (17:4). She invites us to participate in sexual sin rationalizing our sin by saying that it is not an affair, it is a loving relationship. She also invites us to love money saying, “God wants us to be rich, after all, aren’t we the kings kids.” Be careful, the seductress is not only powerful, she is destructive. Allow yourself to be seduced by her and you will be reduced to ashes (17:16,17).

Her identity is on her forehead (17:5): “Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and Abomination of the Earth.” The word Mystery means that she is to be identified figuratively, not literally, not theologically, not politically, not symbolically and not geographically. How many times have you heard people say that the Harlot represents the Catholic Church of Rome and it will be located in the geographical city of Rome (since there are seven hills around Rome). I believe that it is figurative city and much of Revelations must be interpreted that way, not as many preachers are doing today. Many of the terms that John uses in Revelations are figurative. She is not a real city to be built but a city waiting to be destroyed. She represents prideful humanity, false religion, a godless society. She represents the lusts of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1John 2:16). She represents the first builders of Babylon that said “Come let us build a tower that reaches to heaven (Gen.11:4) which represents the false teachers and religions of works.”

Each day you encounter her and you don’t even recognize that you are being seduced.

People, I want you to understand that the battle with the siren’s song of Babylon, is a very real battle and we are called to fight it. In this battle, she encounters me in my ego. My ego says don’t you want to be a great preacher, be respected. Yes, preachers have egos too. Saint Francis de Sales once wrote, “Pride will only disappear from the human heart 15 minutes after we are dead.” It is not just preachers, all of us have our areas of pride.

Babylon also encounters me in my schedule. It encounters me in busyness and laziness. It seduces me to watch television, sporting events, theological books and conversations. She encounters me in my food by wanting to eat too much and then she can encounter me in my walking (used to be running) or working out which soon becomes an idol. She encounters me or you in our gardening, fishing or other hobbies. Babylon encounters me in my possessions. These values of the city of man are opposite those of God. In Rev.18:12,13, twenty nine articles are listed, Gold is the first and people are last. In God’s city, people are the first and gold is last, polished gold will be what we walk on. T.S. Elliot wrote, the epitaph of America will be “here lies a decent, godless people.” John White describes Americans as the monkey trapped with his hand in the coconut, trying to clutch the peanuts inside and won’t let go. ? In Rev.18:1-2, the Apostle John describes the collapse of the pagan civilization, past, present and future. If you want to feel the full impact of God’s judgment read in place of Babylon, America. Fallen, fallen is America, the greatest nation in the world. In her pride, America has shaken her fist in the face of God. We have kicked Him out of our schools, courtrooms and legislatures. Why then, should we deny that judgment will fall on our country? Money and things are represented by the peanuts which the monkey loves and keep him trapped because he won’t let go of them. Are you ready to let go of your money if the Lord directs you? Martin Luther wrote that “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is your God.” Perhaps it is a friend, a job, a home, an automobile or even a ministry. Don’t hide it, don’t justify it, confess it, bring it to the light and deal with it.

Many of us felt that the book 1984 by George Orwell would represent America in the future because it represented being dominated by what we hate (big brother). But we are more like the future represented by Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” in which they were dominated by what they loved. I remember having a brand new windshield installed and I really liked my brand new windshield, it was like having a new car to me. Within a mile of where I had it fixed while driving it home another rock cracked my new windshield. God spoke to me in that moment. It was no longer new, it lost it’s value. Every thing I own belongs to God, not me and is to be used for His glory. How is it that things so easily own us? Even while imprisoned for being a Christian, Richard Wormbrand, who started voice of the martyrs, fought this temptation as well, even though the only thing he got were scraps of bread, every 10 days would take the few scraps of bread that he would be fed and give them to fellow unsaved prisoners. He tithed of what he had. Yes the poor as well as the rich have the same problem.

Rev. 18:12b says that “with much violence she will be thrown down. The death of Babylon will be mourned by Politicians (kings), economists (merchants) and the common laborer. How then should we respond to Babylon?. We worry about our stock portfolio’s while it is headed for destruction below a smoldering flame of stinking garbage. You can’t hold onto it folks, it will not protect you. Don’t let it own you, use it for God’s kingdom.

In “the great divorce” by C.S. Lewis, he describes a man who died and went to the gates of heaven. On the lapel of his coat he had a lizard and the gatekeeper said, you can come in but the lizard must be killed and left outside. How can I kill my lizard? It has been my friend all of my life and he commiserated about his love for the lizard. Desire for the riches of the kingdom convinced him and finally, tearing the lizard from his lapel and crushing it under his feet, he was surprised as the lizard transformed into a great white horse which he rode into the kingdom. Christ gives us the power within us to crush and destroy the lizards on our lapels, through the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

Conclusion:

If you doubt these words of truth, go to the dump, see the rubbish, smell the stink of things you have horded, that are now broken and destroyed (1John 2:15-17). Know your enemy, Stop embracing Babylon!Reject her before she rejects you! Renounce your allegiance to the city of man! and Pledge allegiance to the city of God! Only the city of God will remain and has any value. As the scripture says, “Come out of her my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive her plagues (18:4).” Consider the words of Jim Elliot (a missionary killed by the Auca Indians in Equador in the 1950’s) – “He is no fool who is willing to give away what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”