Babylon The Great - Prophetic Gallery Series预览

The Response of God's People  

Thoughts on the Passage

These passages now look at the perspective of God’s people to this woman. 

This woman is responsible for killing many of them – in Revelation 17:6, it describes her as being drunk with the blood of the saints. In addition, she is riding on the beast that attacks, oppresses and tries to destroy God’s people. She tries to force the people of God to worship Caesar and the other gods. She prevents them from economic life and tries to isolate them and oppress them to stop them following Jesus – or die. In other words, the saints are crying out to God for justice against this woman (this city, this economic system). 

Now it is time for God to judge her. The first thing God does is tell His people to come out. It is time for judgment, so God’s people leave. It happens a lot in history as well. We have the story of Sodom and Gomorrah where Lot and family left before it was destroyed. In the New Testament, Jesus told His followers to get out of Jerusalem when it was surrounded and ready to be destroyed (history says that there were very few Christians present when Titus destroyed Jerusalem). Now, we see God’s people warned again. 

We see God’s people rejoicing at the destruction of this woman. She will be totally destroyed by God, and this is met by rejoicing at the justice of God. As with the overthrow of corrupt governments, the ugly things previously hidden are now exposed. Here, the demonic foundation is exposed, the blood of martyrs and the poor is revealed, and the abuse she hurled at others – she now receives in full. Yes, it is time to rejoice.

Prayer

Father, we do not rejoice at the death of people. However, this woman represents a demonic system that is full of oppression. I am glad that it is destroyed. I rejoice that justice comes. Right now we live and work in the midst of this system because there are many that will come to salvation if we are faithful despite all we face. That is what You call us to do. But I still look forward to the day of celebration! In Jesus' Name, Amen.