The Message of the Second Angel
Revelation 14:8
8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” (Rev 14:8 NKJ)
Babylon is Fallen! Is Fallen!
The first angel is soon followed by the second one whose message is related to the previous message. After being called to worship God as our Creator, we are also told that one of the most powerful religious and political systems followed on earth is soon going to come to an end. For us to understand the message of the second angel, we need to understand what “Babylon” means today. But first, we need to know what it meant to first-century Christians.
What is Babylon?
Interestingly, this is the first of six places that the name “Babylon” occurs in Revelation. [1] The introduction of this symbol without explanation assumes that the first readers would understand what it symbolizes. Although it appears here in Revelation for the first time, it occurs in the earliest accounts of the Bible (see Genesis 11:1-9) and is one of the most well-known concepts of the Old Testament.
The ancient city of Babylon was the political and religious capital of the first world empire (for more information read this article: The Final Countdown – Discover Truth). It was renowned for its luxury and moral corruption, but above all, it was the great enemy of the people of God. [2] Therefore, we can say that the symbolism of Babylon in Revelation is rooted in historical Babylon as the power that opposed God and oppressed His people. From its very beginning, it is characterized by arrogance and rebellion against God. [3] For the early church, the city of Rome was a contemporary Babylon (see 1 Peter 5:13). [4]
The apostle John employs this comprehensive term to describe all religious bodies and movements that have fallen away from the truth. [5] Babylon is therefore a religious system that stands in opposition to the gospel. Whereas the gospel (the message preached by the first angel) is everlasting, Babylon is short-lived. [6]
Why Does Babylon Fall?
But is the fall of Babylon a past event, as it seems in many English translations, or is it a future event? And if it’s the latter, what will cause “Babylon” to fall?
The repeated verb “fallen” is expressing the future occurrence of Babylon’s fall as though it has already occurred which underscores the prophetic certainty of Babylon’s future demise (Jeremiah 51:8; Isaiah 21:9). [7] We can thus see that the fall of literal Babylon, as well as the end-time symbolic Babylon, is also predicted by the Old Testament prophets (Jeremiah 51:8; Isaiah 21:9). Therefore, this future event is inevitable.
In conclusion, there are a few important points that we can take from this passage.
Firstly
Even when it seems like evil is prevailing in this world, God is still in control and has the final say. Faced with opposition and persecution by Babylon, God’s end-time people may be tempted to wonder if God has let go of the steering wheel of the universe and withdrawn from this world altogether. However, the message of the second angel assures us that God is still the ultimate Ruler of this world. The time will come when the system that has perverted the truth and caused many people to drink of its wine (“false teachings”) will face the judgment.
Secondly
Babylon is a system that stands against God. It is not the people who are part of it and ignorant of the things this evil system does in this world. Revelation 18:4 says that there are still many of God’s people in Babylon who are called to (and will) leave this religious system.
We must therefore be careful of labelling or accusing others of being part of “Babylon”. We should examine to see if the characteristics of Babylon, such as arrogance, pride and rebellion are a part of our own lives. If that’s the case, although we are not part of Babylon, we surely have a problem with a “Babylonian mentality” that needs to be dealt with. If we find that we do have a problem, we need not despair. We can turn to God in repentance as there is still hope as God’s forgiveness is offered to everyone according to the first angel’s message.
Finally
Some Christians tend to focus too much of their attention on what Babylon is doing in the world today. It is important to be aware of the times in which we live, but the focus of the three angels’ messages (and the Bible as a whole) is not on what Babylon and its activities are. Rather, it is on Christ, His plan of salvation, and what He is doing in this world through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is where our focus should be too.
Are you aware of the Great Controversy between Christ and Satan raging in the world today? If you would like to investigate this topic and see how Jesus triumphs over Satan and the forces of Babylon, read this interesting book The Great Controversy – Discover Truth.
Discover more truth… The Third Angel’s Message
[1] Osborne, p. 520.
[2] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Rev. ed (Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 1998), p. 280.
[3] Ranko Stefanović, Plain Revelation (Berrien Springs, Michigan: Andrews University Press, 2013), p. 187.
[4] Mounce, p. 280.
[5] The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary: Philippians to Revelation, ed. by F. D. Nichol (Review and Herald Pub. Association, 1980), vii, p. 830.
[6] Stefanović, Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 448.
[7] G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich. : Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans ; Paternoster Press, 1999), p. 697.
This article was written by Ivan Petroski and edited by Diane Lewis and Omari Norman.
