Picking up on Revelation 18. This was from Saturday MP and I did not write that day--a wedding and family demands squeezed blogging out-- and so I wanted to visit it today.
When I did my Bible study on the Book of Revelation it was a revelation! Having been shaped by the "end of the world" and "predictions" approach to this book, as I read through various commentaries (stretching from Evangelical/Fundamentalist to Ancient Church, Catholic and Contemporary scholarship) I found myself embracing a new understanding. The themes that yelled out loudest to me were: Liturgical worship, the import of fidelity (witness and morals), and the ongoing "end of things" in every age. I was also struck by the concurrent past-present-future in each text. This multi-polarity of time and space is sort of disorienting and I realize that that is part of the genius of apocalyptic. It may be revealing the future, but not in terms we understand. Probably the greatest discovery was that Revelation is a Book which literally pieces together, constantly, OT stories, texts and words. It felt like I was reading a ransom note from a 1970's movie where every word and letter are a different shape and size because they were cut out of different magazines (a practice no longer in vogue)
For example, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great!" echoes Isaiah 21:9 (see also Is 46:1; Jeremiah 50:2, 51:8). I am not going to list every Torah and Prophetic reference, get a Bible with footnotes that will do it for you. Go on a "parallel search" and find out all the innerconnections!
The fall is spoken of primarilly in economic terms. [The radical critique of wealth is not a big part of Jewish teaching, although injustice echoes in the prophets. However, it is more prevalent in the teaching of Jesus and occurs with some regularity in the NT.] There is a list of those who have been seduced by the whore: merchants (18:11), traders (18:15) and shipmasters (18:17) bemoan and mourn because "luxuries and splendors are lost," "great wealth has been laid waste" and they mourn because no one buys their goods any more.
I am sharp tongued and have not held back my frustration and even contempt for the sins manifest in our church. I am still, isolated and frequently alone, a public voice against the innovations of the Liberal/Modernist Christians. I am angry about their acceptance of abortion and frustrated with their ridiculous arguments for the pansexual agenda. I have spken with the Presiding Bishop and given her my respectful disagreement on her teaching on Jesus. But for all their sins and errors, and for all they have done, are doing and will continue to do wrong, I am also very aware that this word of doom we read in Revelation 18 is aimed at a far broader group.
The embrace by orthodox/traditional Christians of the conservative politics of our nation has not been without its own set of compromises. And it is our infidelity which is in the judgment, too. Too often we (ME!) and our allies have been seduced by Secular Babylon and her insitutional wiles. Too often we have been taken up in the pursuit of wealth, the pursuit of more and bigger and better. Too often in our battle against Liberals as they attempt to steal from the workers and redistribute to others (all in order to achieve their own sense of justice---and did I mention it gets them votes and keeps them in power?) we forget that our values must also include God's own declaration (the love of money cannot live side by side with the love of God). So, my dearest and closest allies, we too are confronted by this wonderful revelation, this unveiling of God's heart and will. And we do well to ask first (second and third) "how am I judged here?"
It takes no effort to see, to articulate and to condemn the sins of those with whom we are in disagreement. It is, however, an amazing skill set to be open to the truth of God in our own lives. I have sold out in so many ways to the culture of wealth and affluence. And I am not alone in that. And Revelation 18 reminds us, that seductive whore Babyon is dead and defeated by the Blood of Jesus and His sacrifice. So let us embrace our freedom and find our foundation and salvation in HIS arms. In truth, as I watch the world economy stumble and fall and I hear endless warnings about the economic ruin of this great nation (USA) I am aware that there also resonates a prophetic message of doom on our country (and all countries, empires and kingdoms). Economic success is not evil, it is not wrong, but it is seductive. The benefits of wealth are a blessing when employed in Kingdom living, but since Adam we are not very adept at maintaining the proper balance and order. And the word of judgment is a reminder that as we are stripped bare of everything we (over)value, that it provides us an opportunity to restructure our own orientation. We can moan less about the loss of luxuries and wealth and celebrate more the Coming King!
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