Last 5 Days
Be cautious
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; 22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, 23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
What do you associate with a great city? The music lounge where we go in the evening for entertainment? The artistic sculptures being displayed at every corner of the city? The sophisticated machinery operated within the high-end factory floors? The beautiful laser display during the festive seasons? The songs and dines in a wedding ballroom? Perhaps the most beautiful part of the city is the marketplace that displays all kinds of merchandise.
I am sure the above gives us an excellent impression of a modern city. Perhaps those are the things we look forward to when we go on a tour. Imagine it to be Tokyo, Paris or Venice. Yet v.23 called this sorcery. In other words, the scripture is saying that behind all these are lures of the evils. A lot of sins are hidden behind these beauties. V.24 said that the blood of prophets and saints was found in her. These attractions pull the world away from the gospel and the truth. Many preachers preach in vain in such a setting.
Finally, the great city, together with all the good memories, will be destroyed. Let us be cautious of all these seemingly harmless attractions. They can be the pull that drives us away from God.
