There is an intriguing mix of past, present and future tenses in the judgement on Babylon, aka Rome (vs 2,6,8). When John wrote Revelation, the fall of Rome was yet to happen, but God’s word of judgement is so sure and certain it is as though it has already taken place. What a comfort this must have been for those suffering from Roman exploitation.

Rome’s ‘greatness’ was obtained by syphoning off the resources of the lands it conquered to supply Rome’s elite with luxuries (v 7). Rome’s offences that ‘piled up to heaven’ were the sins of Babel (see Genesis 11:4), Babylon and every great imperial power since that has sought glory for itself. Could this desire to be the first, the best and to bask in glory be at the heart of God’s warning (v 4)? God’s people are to be different. We are to seek God’s glory above all. 

So how do we ‘come out’ of the city? Maybe we start by reassessing our investment priorities: are we investing in things destined for judgement (vs 3,9) or are our priorities shaped by Jesus, our eternal treasure (see also Luke 12:32–34)? Are we investing in our own reputation or in God’s glory? 

‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me … grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.’¹

Throughout this chapter, John continues mostly to hear rather than see things. The opening proclamation is remarkable – it sees the judgement of God over the empire as so certain that it declares it as having already happened, in the past tense. Equally striking is the description of the angel who makes this announcement – ‘He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendour’ (v 1). The judgement of exploitative imperial power is depicted as good news for the whole world. 

What is rather surprising, though, is the nature of the sin for which Rome is denounced. We might have thought that idolatry – giving to the emperor the praise and loyalty that is due to God alone – would be the main issue. That is the focus of earlier chapters, where the language of worship in heaven borrows from the imperial cult and gives to God the honours of the emperor. We might also think that sexual immorality is a concern, as in other parts of the New Testament, not least because the Judeo-Christian ethic of relationships was so at odds with the pagan world. When we read the three accusations in verse 3 in parallel, however, we can see that the main focus is the seductive temptation of wealth and power. 

The immorality of the kings of the earth involved ‘luxury’ (v 9); kings across the empire saw their own power enhanced by the relationship with Rome, and that often allowed the accrual of great wealth. The ‘merchants of the earth grew rich’ (v 3), reflecting the importance of trade to keep the empire running. John, borrowing language from Jeremiah 51:45 calling God’s exiled people from the literal Babylon, urges his readers to separate themselves from this way of life and live by a different set of values.  

In a consumer culture, where we are told that buying things is the answer to our problems, how easy is it to live differently and distinctively?

¹ Ps 51:10,12