It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…
So begins Charles Dickens well known novel, A Tale of Two Cities. And both the title of his novel and its opening words convey quite accurately the picture that we’ll see this morning as we continue our journey through the book of Revelation. So go ahead and open your Bibles to Revelation 14 and follow along as I read, beginning in verse 6:
6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
9 And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
In this passage we’re introduced to two cities – one characterized by wisdom, belief, light and hope, and the other by foolishness, incredulity, darkness and despair. And it is these two cities that represent the destiny of every single human being who has ever lived on this earth. But before we examine these two cities in more detail, let’s take a moment to review where we are in our journey.
After the sounding of the seventh trumpet at the end of chapter 11, we enter into an interlude which covers chapters 12-15. That interlude focuses on seven major characters and contains seven sub-scenes. In the first three sub-scenes in chapters 12 and 13, we see Satan in action, with much of his work being carried out by his agents, the two beasts who represent the Antichrist and the false prophet.
In chapters 14 and 15, we see four more sub-scenes in which God is at work, also through His agents. Last week, in the first of those four sub-scenes, God’s work was carried out by the 144,000 men from all the tribes of Israel. Our passage this morning covers the second sub-scene, in which God’s work is carried out by three angels who also serve as God’s agents. And as these three angels carry out the tasks that God has given to them, we are given a clear picture of the marked contrast between two cities – Babylon and Mount Zion.
Although the events that we saw in the first part of the chapter that we looked at last week most likely occurred on the earthly Mount Zion, it is clear that Mt. Zion also represents something far greater than just a physical location, as we see in Hebrews 12:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24 (ESV)
In a sense, Mount Zion represents the entire kingdom of God and those who dwell permanently in the presence of Jesus and the Father.
Babylon also has a similar symbolic meaning. We’ll get into this in much more detail later in the book of Revelation, but for now, it is sufficient to understand that while Babylon is also a physical place, it, too, represents something more than just a location.
Babel, which later became known as Babylon, was founded by Nimrod. As we know from the account in Genesis 11, it became the place where idolatry was first introduced. The tower of Babel, was not, as many mistakenly believe, an attempt to reach up to God, but rather an attempt to exalt man and make him equal with God:
Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”
Genesis 11:4 (ESV)
Thus began a false religious system characterized by the idolatry that replaced the worship of God with the worship of self and of man. So Babylon here represents that worldly system in which man is focused on his own autonomy.
And as we see here in chapter 14, the citizenship requirements, the lifestyle and the final destiny for the inhabitants of these two cities could not be more different.
CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS
In the United States, one can become a citizen in one of two ways. First, anyone born in the country automatically becomes a citizen in most cases. But one can also become a citizen by going through a process called naturalization which requires minimum residency requirements and passing a citizenship exam, among other requirements.
In the spiritual realm, Babylon and Mount Zion both have requirements for citizenship as well.
Babylon – be born
Every person born on this earth automatically becomes a citizen of Babylon. Nothing else is required. That is essentially the point that Paul is making in the second chapter of Ephesians:
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)
Every single one of us in this room was born into citizenship in Babylon without having to take any further action. Because of our sinful human nature, we were idolaters who were living for our own autonomy. And, as a result, we were completely deserving of the wrath of God.
Here in Revelation 14, people did not become citizens of Babylon because they took the mark of the beast or worshipped him, but rather they engaged in those activities because of the fact that they were already citizens.
Mount Zion – faith in Jesus
The citizens of Mount Zion are identified in verse 12 as those who “keep…their faith in Jesus.” That is the only means by which anyone can become a citizen of Mount Zion, a fact that is confirmed by this passage that we looked at just a couple of weeks ago during our Christmas series:
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:12, 13 (ESV)
We become children of God and therefore citizens of Mount Zion, not as a result of our birth, or even our own efforts. The only citizenship test that we have to pass is that of placing our faith in Jesus by believing in His name. And as we saw, the idea of believing in the name of Jesus means that we must believe all that He is – all that He claimed to be, all that He did, all that He said. It means that we must come to Him on His terms, not our own.
If there was any doubt at all about the requirements for citizenship in Mount Zion, Jesus put that to rest with these familiar words:
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (ESV)
Before we wrap up this section, I must leave you with this word of warning:
When it comes to our spiritual citizenship, there is no such thing as dual citizenship!
In the physical world, it is possible for a person to have dual citizenship, but in the spiritual realm, that is not possible, as these words of Jesus make quite clear:
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
Luke 11:23 (ESV)
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…
Luke 16:13 (ESV)
Every person ever born is either a citizen of Babylon or a citizen of Mount Zion. And that citizenship is determined solely by how each of us has responded to Jesus. If you believe in His name and have faith in Him, you are a citizen of Mount Zion. If not, you are automatically a citizen of Babylon.
LIFESTYLE
The lifestyles of the citizens of Babylon and Mount Zion are also quite distinctive:
Babylon:
o Fear man and gives him glory
The lives of the citizens of Babylon are characterized by their fear of man. That is why they are willing to take on the mark of the beast so that they can engage in commerce. That is also why they join in the worship of the beast.
In fact, the fear of man is so great that the people of Babylon are characterized as those who are intoxicated with the passion of the immorality of Babylon. While sexual immorality is part of that lifestyle, the broader idea here is that of spiritual immorality in which people have become caught up in the idolatry that only focuses on personal pleasure and seeks to find security in people and things.
o Go along to get along
There is little doubt that the easiest way to survive during this period will be to just go along with the requirements of the Antichrist. And that is going to be a real testing ground for those who claim to be Christians.
I think that will be especially true for those of us who love our families. I’m convinced that those of us who are Christ followers are going to be able to persevere and endure whatever we face personally in our own lives. But the real challenge is going to come when our families are threatened – when we have to figure out how we’re going to feed our children when we can’t buy food without the mark of the beast; when we can’t get the medicine that our spouse needs to live without the mark; when we see our grandchildren being persecuted and even harmed physically because they refuse to take the mark.
But if you think about it, we face very similar decisions in our everyday lives right now. Think about all the situations in our lives where it would just be easier to go along to get along than to stand up for Jesus. And the tendency is for us to think that it really isn’t a big deal, that there is really no harm in compromising with the world in my job, or telling “a little white lie”, or cheating on my taxes so I have more money to give to the church. But the problem is that when we open that door just once, it’s really hard to shut it.
There is no doubt that going along to get along may make our lives much easier and more comfortable in the short run. But when we’re tempted to do that, we need to heed these words of Jesus:
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
Matthew 7:13 (ESV)
Going along to get along is the wide way, it is the easiest way. But it is also the way, as we’ll see more fully in a moment, that leads to destruction. On the other hand, the narrow gate, the one that holds to faith in Jesus regardless of the consequences, is usually much more difficult. Let’s be honest, sometimes it is really painful to remain faithful to Jesus. But, as we’ll also see in a moment, that gate leads to eternal life.
Mount Zion
o Fear God and give Him glory
As the first angel flies overhead with the gospel message, he calls people to fear God and give Him glory. The reason that they need to do that is because God’s judgment is imminent and very soon it will be too late to make that decision. Once again we see God’s mercy in action as He extends the offer of His grace one last time.
After thousands of years of the church proclaiming the gospel and after the faithful witness of the 144,000 there are still many who have refused God’s offer of eternal life. So, right before He pours out His wrath, God gives all of mankind one last chance to place their faith in Jesus. He give them one last chance to quit fearing man, who can only harm them physically, and start fearing God, who holds their eternal destiny in His hands. Although we’ve come to this verse quite frequently in our study, now is a good time to be reminded of the words of Jesus one more time:
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28 (ESV)
And as a result of their fear of God, the citizens of Mount Zion are also able to…
o Live a life of distinctiveness
In verse 12 the citizens of Mount Zion are described as “those who keep the commandments of God”. We saw a similar description back in chapter 12:
Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 12:17 (ESV)
The citizens of Mount Zion clearly do not earn their citizenship based on keeping the commandments of God. Rather it is because they are citizens that they live a life that distinguishes them from the citizens of Babylon.
This idea shouldn’t be all that foreign to us. Because we are citizens of the United States, we are expected to live our lives in a way that distinguishes us from those who are not citizens.
There is an expectation that we will speak English, that we’ll obey the laws, that we will vote in elections, that we’ll serve on a jury when called, and that we’ll pay our taxes. Although it is true that non-citizens can do at least some of those things, when we engage in all those activities it distinguishes us as a citizen of this country.
While it is also true that citizens of Babylon can follow some of the commands of God, what is to distinguish us as citizens of Mount Zion is that we have a lifestyle of consistently obeying the commands of Jesus so that we can be distinguished from the citizens of Babylon. And then God can use that distinctiveness as we serve as His agents in this world to bring the gospel to others.
In other words God does not call us to work “undercover” in this world. We are not to blend in to the world around us so that we can infiltrate the world. We are not to “go along to get along”. Instead we are called to be distinctive and different and live our lives in a way that makes it apparent that we are citizens of Mount Zion.
FINAL DESTINY
Finally, we see that the final destiny of the citizens of both cities is dramatically different:
Babylon:
o God’s wrath
The citizens of Babylon bring the wrath of God upon themselves as a result of their citizenship and their lifestyle. There is an interesting play on words in verses 8 and 10. For those who choose to drink the wine of immorality, God will also make them drink of the wine of His wrath.
But we don’t have to wait until some time in the future to see that principle in effect. That same idea is expressed in Romans 1.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth
Romans 1:18 (ESV)
Notice here that the wrath of God “is revealed” – present tense – against those who surpass the truth about God and remain citizens of Babylon. Just a few verses later, Paul explains how God is revealing His wrath:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!
Romans 1:24, 25 (ESV)
In other words, God says, “OK, if you want to live an immoral life that fails to recognize me as God, then I will allow you to experience my wrath as you have to suffer through the natural consequences of your chosen lifestyle.”
But as bad as that may be in some cases, it is nothing compared to what we see here in Revelation 14 where God’s wrath is described as “full strength”. While some may experience the wrath of God in a watered down manner right now, ultimately that wrath is going to be poured out full strength on those who refuse to become citizens of Mount Zion. And the significant element of that full strength wrath will be that of…
o Everlasting torment
Contrary to the teachings of some, the wicked are not merely annihilated upon their death. In a sense that would be far better than what the Bible clearly teaches that the citizens of Babylon are going to face.
Instead they are going to face everlasting torment in the presence of the holy angels and of Jesus. That idea of their torment being in the presence of Jesus is an interesting one since we usually say that one of the worst aspects of everlasting punishment is that of being separated from the presence of God.
But what we see here is actually very consistent with the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. There we see that those who are in a place of everlasting punishment are aware of heaven and, in fact, one aspect of their punishment is that they are aware that there is a heaven where God is present and they cannot get there.
So the idea here seems to be that the citizens of Babylon will know that Jesus exists, they may even be able to see Him, and we know from Philippians 2 that they will even acknowledge Him as Lord. But they will be cut off from any kind of a relationship with Him.
As we’ll see later on in Revelation, after the Great White Throne Judgment and the millennial reign of Jesus here on earth, every single citizen of Babylon will be thrown into the lake of fire along with Satan and his agents. And there they will experience the torment of fire and sulfur for eternity.
Mount Zion:
o God’s grace
Instead of God’s wrath, the citizens of Mount Zion experience the grace of God. Although they don’t deserve it, they actually receive a blessing from God, even if they die remaining faithful to Him. And one significant aspect of that blessing is…
o Eternal rest
While it may appear from an earthly perspective that the citizens of Babylon have rest from the tortures of the beast while Christ followers are tormented, there is going to be a reversal of roles at the return of Jesus.
While the citizens of Babylon have no rest, day or night, the citizens of Mount Zion will enter into an eternal rest in which they get to cease from the labors of this earth. The process of their sanctification and their salvation will come to its culmination, fulfilling the promise of God that we see in Philippians 1:
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
So the question each of us must answer this morning is this:
Are you a citizen of Babylon or Mount Zion?
Have you believed in the name of Jesus and become a citizen of Mount Zion – a city characterized by wisdom, belief, light and hope? Or are you still a citizen of Babylon – a city full of foolishness, incredulity, darkness and despair?
This morning, if you’re still a citizen of Babylon, we invite you to change your citizenship and become a citizen of Mount Zion. If you need some more information on how to do that you can talk to me or to one of the elders after the service. Or you can complete the information on the flap of the bulletin place it in the offering plate in just a few moments and we will set up a time where we can discuss that some more.
If you are already a citizen of Mount Zion, then there are several ways that you can respond to God today:
• First of all, all of us need to give thanks for our citizenship that guarantees us eternal rest in the presence of Jesus
• Second, we must evaluate our lives, especially looking for those areas where we may have given into the temptation to “go along to get along”. We need to honestly ask whether we are living lives that distinguish us as followers of Jesus. And where we find that we have fallen short in those areas, we need to repent and take whatever steps we need to take to remedy that situation.
• Finally, we need to make sure that our hope is not based on any person or any thing, but that it comes from our faith in Jesus and in looking forward to the eternal rest that He has promised to us. That is what will allow us to endure no matter what circumstances that we might face in life.
