Revelation 18:1-8: a reflection

1After these things, I saw another angel coming down out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was illuminated with his glory. 2He cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hated bird! 3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.” 4I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues, 5for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6Return to her just as she returned, and repay her double as she did, and according to her works. In the cup which she mixed, mix to her double. 7However much she glorified herself and grew wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning. For she says in her heart, ‘I sit a queen, and am no widow, and will in no way see mourning.’ 8Therefore in one day her plagues will come: death, mourning, and famine; and she will be utterly burned with fire, for the Lord God who has judged her is strong.

As the vision announces the fall of the corrupt world-city, Babylon, a voice from heaven calls God's people to separate themselves from her sins: come out of her, my people. Come out of her, my people, the voice says, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues. Babylon here stands for the corrupt system of the world, proud, self-indulgent, at war with God; and it stands under judgment. And to his own people, God gives this call: come out of her, do not share in her sins, do not participate in her ways, lest you share also in her judgment. The call is to a real separation from the world's corruption, not partaking in its sins. This shows the call to come out from the world's corruption, not sharing in its sins. Come out of the world's corruption; do not share in its sins. God calls his people to separate from what is under judgment. Do not participate in the sins of the corrupt world. Belong to God, and do not partake in the world's ways.

Notice the call and its reason. Babylon, the corrupt world-city, proud, self-indulgent, and at war with God, stands under judgment; her sins have reached to heaven. And to his people caught up in her, God calls: come out of her, my people, so that you have no participation in her sins, and do not receive of her plagues. The call is to a real separation: not to share in her sins, not to participate in her corrupt ways, but to come out, to belong to God and not to her. And the reason is twofold: so that we do not share in her sins, and so that we do not share in the judgment those sins bring. This is a call to God's people in every age. We live in the midst of a world with much that is corrupt, proud, self-indulgent, and opposed to God; and there is a pull to participate in its sins, to be caught up in its ways, to partake in what is corrupt. But God calls his people to come out, to separate ourselves from the world's corruption, not to share in its sins, but to belong to him and live his way. This does not mean physically leaving the world, but not partaking in its sins, not being conformed to its corrupt ways, keeping ourselves for God. We do well to heed the call, coming out from the world's corruption, refusing to share in its sins, belonging wholly to God. Come out from the world's corruption; do not share in its sins. God calls his people to belong to him, not to the corrupt world. Do not be caught up in and partake of the world's sinful ways. Keep yourself for God, separate from what stands under judgment.

That is worth taking to heart, for God calls his people to come out from the world's corruption, not sharing in its sins, but belonging wholly to him, as the voice from heaven called, come out of her, my people. We can be caught up in the world's corrupt ways, pulled to participate in its sins; but God calls his people to come out of her, not to share in her sins or her judgment. Come out and belong to God. Do not be caught up in the world's sinful ways; heed God's call to come out from its corruption, refusing to share in its sins, keeping yourself for him. Heed God's call to come out from the world's corruption, refusing to share in its sins and keeping yourself wholly for him, as the vision announcing the fall of the corrupt world-city Babylon carried a voice from heaven calling God's people to separate themselves from her sins, saying, come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins and do not receive of her plagues; for Babylon stands for the corrupt system of the world, proud, self-indulgent, and at war with God, and stands under judgment because her sins have reached to heaven, and to his people caught up in her God gives this call to a real separation, not to share in her sins or participate in her corrupt ways but to come out and belong to him, for a twofold reason, that we not share in her sins and not share in the judgment those sins bring, which is a call to God's people in every age, since we live in the midst of a world with much that is corrupt and opposed to God, and there is a pull to participate in its sins and be caught up in its ways, but God calls his people to come out and separate ourselves from the world's corruption, not to share in its sins but to belong to him, which does not mean physically leaving the world but not partaking in its sins or being conformed to its corrupt ways, keeping ourselves for God, so that we do well to heed the call.

Lord, as the vision announces the fall of the corrupt world-city, Babylon, a voice from heaven calls your people to separate themselves from her sins: come out of her, my people. Come out of her, my people, the voice says, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don't receive of her plagues. Babylon here stands for the corrupt system of the world, proud, self-indulgent, at war with you; and it stands under judgment. And to your own people, you give this call: come out of her, do not share in her sins, do not participate in her ways, lest you share also in her judgment. The call is to a real separation from the world's corruption, not partaking in its sins. Show me the call and its reason. Babylon, the corrupt world-city, stands under judgment; her sins have reached to heaven. And to your people caught up in her, you call: come out of her, my people, so that you have no participation in her sins, and do not receive of her plagues. The call is to a real separation: not to share in her sins, not to participate in her corrupt ways, but to come out, to belong to you and not to her. And the reason is twofold: so that I do not share in her sins, and so that I do not share in the judgment those sins bring. This is a call to your people in every age. I live in the midst of a world with much that is corrupt, proud, self-indulgent, and opposed to you; and there is a pull to participate in its sins, to be caught up in its ways. But you call your people to come out, to separate ourselves from the world's corruption, to belong to you and live your way. This does not mean physically leaving the world, but not partaking in its sins, keeping myself for you. Take that to my heart, for you call me to come out from the world's corruption and belong wholly to you. Keep me from being caught up in the world's sinful ways; help me heed your call to come out, Lord, refusing to share in its sins and keeping myself for you, that I may belong to you and not to what stands under judgment.