Prophetic Words. Kingdom Words.

-


Scripture

Rev. 18:21Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
    “With such violence Babylon the great city
        will be thrown down,
        and will be found no more;

Observation

Living life under the on-going oppression of Rome had become more than the people of God could bear. Rome, the great Babylon, was crushing the Christians as the people went about about their daily lives, round and round in circles being ground down as they rode the millstone of secular society. John has Rome in mind and his prophetic words point to the overthrown of the earthly kingdom of Rome, which is eventually replaced by the Roman Catholic Church. These are prophetic words…kingdom words, for the worldly kingdom is to be overthrown by the heavenly kingdom.

But before we get too far, just a few centuries later the words again become prophetic. Interestingly as you read later commentaries you discover that no longer is the Rome of Nero seen as the Great Babylon, but with the corruption of the Church, the Church of Rome is seen as the great Babylon and the Pope as the one who needs to repent. Prophetic words which lead to a Reformation of Christianity. Prophetic words, kingdom words, which remind us that whenever human kingdoms try to take over God’s intended heavenly kingdom, they will fall.

The original earthly kingdom in which the prophetic words apply is a Babylon established with the blood of Abel. It is that kingdom which is established when proud and arrogant Cain spills his brother’s blood. Kingdom after kingdom is established that will persecute the followers of God. These are the prophetic words, but also the kingdom words, for eventually those kingdoms will be thrown into the sea as God’s kingdom takes root and is established. Jeremiah spoke the same prophetic words, “When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates,  64 and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disasters that I am bringing on her.’” (Jer. 51:63 )

Application

The lesson is for us to learn from the past. Mystical Babylon will continue to raise her ugly head whenever the grind and draw of secularism become a force with which to be reckoned. This is the prophetic word for we must live in a state of awareness. At the same time we are challenged to live in the kingdom, for Christ’s death has brought about the ultimate victory over the power of this world. We don’t have to live in the centrifugal force of Babylon for she and her stone have been thrown into the sea. We are set free to live in the power of the kingdom. These are the prophetic words, the kingdom words.

Prayer

Lord, may the power of your Holy Spirit lead me in your kingdom today.  Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more