GOLD, GAVELS, AND GOD
Rev. 17-18
Big Idea: The world is offering the Jesus’ church a cheap substitute and cheap answers to real questions with real solutions.
Supporting Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 5-7; Luke 4:1-13; Luke 17:2; Romans 8:28; Romans 12:1-2; 1 John 2:5-6, 15-17
REVELATION 17:1-18 (ESV)
1Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk." 3And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. 4The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations." 6And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7But the angel said to me, "Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. 13These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."
15And the angel said to me, "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth."
REVELATION 18:1-23 (ESV)
1After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. 3For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living."
4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.' 8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come."
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. 14 "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!"
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, 16 "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste."
And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" 19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"
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."
INTRO:
All people invest their lives in something. The investment falls into one of a few big categories. The writer of this book uses the categories of “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” in another book he authored (I John 2:15-17) to describe three of the options. Regardless of the categories you use they are often transferrable.
There are a series of science fiction books that Pastor Joe and I have both read which would fall under the big title of “Dune.” They were written by Frank Herbert. The first book of the series, “Dune”, was the best selling science fiction book of all time for many years.
In “Dune” there is a quote made by the ruler of the distant planet that explains his philossphy for governing. It goes something like “Control the coin and the courts and let the rabble have the rest.” But by the time you get to books two and three of the trilogy you notice the ruler has learned a valuable lesson and has expanded the adage. It would be better understood as “Control the gold, the gavel and their god and let the rabble have the rest.”
Dune’s ruler understood that those who control these three categories control the people of the kingdom.
Herbert’s writings were often designed to address and critique the portals of power and, with this “unholy trinity” he gets it. He’s right. Whoever can control the courts, the financial markets and the prevailing view of God will indeed control the people.
Take a look at history and see if this is not the case. Most recently, Russia did this. North Korea does this. Islamic countries do this. And, quite frankly, the U.S.A. tries to do this too. Look at the eager merging of politics and religion in the last 40 years. Even Christians today have forgotten the importance of a separation of church and state. We evangelicals have endorsed and frankly tried to set up a “Christian version of sharia law.” We don’t want the Koran running the country but we do want the Bible running it and politicians play on this by co-opting our faith and molding it to fit their agendas. You need look no further than what has been happening in Iowa and New Hampshire in the last couple of weeks. There is a universal principle at play; “Control the gold, the gavel and their god and let the rabble have the rest.”
I contend that these three categories are understood in the Bible as well.
Do a study of the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. See if you cannot find support for Satan offering Jesus control over “gold, gavels, and god.”
Look closely and John’s three categories (“the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”) see if you cannot find application again to “gold, gavels, and god.”
Next Tuesday in the Senior Adult Bible Study we will be looking at Revelation chapter 13. This is where Satan, who lost the cosmic war and was unceremoniously kicked out of Heaven, now battles God by attacking his church. He sets up the unholy trinity of the beast, the dragon, and the false prophet (the state church). Again, what you discover is Satan capitalizing on “gold, gavels, and god.”
In fact – what is happening in chapters 14-18 is God’s judgment of Satan’s unholy trinity.
Chapters 17-18 are a review of Chapter 16. Similar to how Genesis 2-3 unpacks Genesis 1. It’s as if chapter 16 has been put under a microscope and the object of God’s wrath more fully explained.
Chapters 17 and 18 are a satire and mockery; a critique of the earthly power structure that seduces humanity to idolatrously follow an earthly kingdom. John has taken the goddess Roma (whose imagery is found on many of the coins of the realm and serves as a sovereign in the state required religion – I have provided you an example of these coins on the projection screens) and turned it into harlot imagery. John caricatures Roma as a drunken harlot wearing fancy clothes and all sprawled out in lewdness. Instead of depicting Roma as Rome did (a finely dressed queen holding her goblet, reclining on seven hills with her feet resting on the waters) John exposes here for what she really is – an evil seductress who consumes the souls of humanity. You see “image is not everything” to God. God does not look on the outward appearance but on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
The judgment theme of chapter 16 is completed in the portrayal of the “great prostitute” (Rev.17-18). First there is a narration of her destruction (Rev. 17); then there is a song on the same subject (Rev. 18). This sequence, story followed by song, is taken from Exodus and reinforces our perception that judgment is enacted in order to set God’s people free (Rev. 19). Exodus 14 tells the story of the judgment of Egypt, which was at the same time the salvation of Israel; Exodus 15 sings a song on the same subject. John uses this identical said/sung pattern, but substitutes the Great prostitute and her lovers for Pharaoh and the Egyptians (Eugene Petersen, “Reversed Thunder”). It works when you substitute the captivity of Egypt for the captivity of “Babylon” too.
I have said all that to say this – the imagery and contrasts John uses is not accidental. He is showing the wide gulf between righteousness and evil. Last week I mentioned the various contrasting images used by John for the Kingdom of God versus the kingdoms of this world.
• A harlot versus a bride.
• A dragon verses a Lamb.
• Babylon verses the New Jerusalem.
• War verses worship.
The imagery of a lewd harlot verses a chaste bride takes center stage in the latter half of the book. You see, both images are relational. Both are an invitation to an intimate relationship.
• One is licentious – the other faithful
• One craves fine clothing – the other has fine clothing given to it as a gift (19:8)
• One pretends glamour but is doomed – the other makes no pretension and is righteous and blessed
The world attempts to seduce us by any means necessary. It attempts to control us by any means necessary. The world craves (even demands) your allegiance and it knows your vulnerability.
• It will offer you “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” It will offer you “gold, gavels, and a convenient view of god.”
• It will make god into your image so that the one true God is not threatening to your values or lifestyle.
• It will make the way easy – broad even.
MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT – WHEN YOU CHASE THE WORLD – YOU ARE CHASING BABYLON. And just like the kings who colluded with Rome in chapter 17, or the merchants that were seduced by her in chapter 18, you are really investing in Babylon.
WRAP-UP
1 John 2:15-17 (NIV) 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) 13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, (Romans 8:29) … Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind … (Romans 12:2)
Despite Jesus’ plain example, many of his followers have been unable to resist choosing the way of the world over that of Jesus. That is why Revelation was written.
It is hard to really discern which world we are serving apart from the search light of God’s Holy Spirit. But life and death, heaven and hell, are in the balance. Just like Rome, which seduced God’s people by offering them “the best of both worlds,” the kingdoms of earth today will tolerate your religion as long as it does not really inform and influence your values and behavior; as long as your religion is “private” and allows you to go with the flow. But make no mistake about it – you are “marked” very clearly by the kingdom you choose to side with.
It is interesting to me that I can walk up to just about any stranger in any town in the U.S.A. and ask them “What is an evangelical Christian?” I get an answer something like this: “Someone who supports family values and opposes homosexual rights and abortion.”
Folks – that is NOT a definition of an evangelical Christian. An evangelical Christian is one who acknowledges Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior of humankind and declares we need a personal relationship with Him.
This trend troubles me because the gospel of Jesus is not the platform for any political party. That is just another version of the kingdoms of the world. That is Babylon’s beastly mark. That is “gold, gavels, and god” at work. It is the Iowa caucus exposed: co-opting the message of the Gospel and warping it for political gain.
We dare not invest so much in the kingdom of this world that we neglect our main task of introducing people to a different kind of kingdom, one based solely on God’s grace, forgiveness, and character. Passing laws to enforce morality serves a necessary function, to dam up evil, but it never solves human problems. IF A CENTURY FROM NOW ALL THAT HISTORIANS CAN SAY ABOUT EVANGELICALS OF OUR DAY IS THAT THEY STOOD FOR “FAMILY VALUES,” THEN WE WILL HAVE FAILED THE MISSION JESUS GAVE US TO ACCOMPLISH: TO COMMUNICATE GOD’S RECONCILING LOVE TO SINNERS. (Philip Yancey, “The Jesus I Never Knew”)
Jesus did not say, “All men will know you are my disciples… if you just pass laws, suppress immorality, and restore decency to family and government,” but rather “… if you love one another.” THIS IS HOW GOD WANTS US TO INFLUENCE OUR WORLD. THIS IS WHAT WORKS! Jesus made that statement the night before his death, a night when human power, represented by the might of Rome and the full force of religious authority (“gold gavels and god”), collided head-on with the mission of Jesus.
When will we wake up and see that politician’s promises serve them not the cause of Christ!
Clearly, the kingdom of God operates by a set of rules different from any earthly kingdom. Jesus said “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:2).
It troubles me that we have allowed the world’s demeanor and approach to human problems to become the church’s approach to human problems.
It troubles me that we have allowed Babylon to water down our message of love, grace and holiness.
We are to offer an “alternate lifestyle” to the kingdoms of this world.
It troubles me that we have allowed Babylon to massage our message for us.
It troubles me that we have been co-opted by shrewd controllers of the “gold gavel and gods” of this world. They even set / establish our “moral” talking points for us. In way too many cases the church has become innocuous because it is identified with a political party of Babylon rather than Jesus Christ.
Why is it that we have stopped offering real answers to human problems?
Examples abound. We need look no further than the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) to see the contrast.
(1) The issue of greed and materialism: (Matthew 6:1-2, 19-24)
We seldom point out that the Gospel offers a contentment and alternative to greed and materialism – but then we look spuriously at “Occupy Wall Street” or the “Tea Party” because they are. Their solution is merely another solution from “Babylon” but they have the microphone because we have abdicated our role as the model of God’s solution and become another voice of the world.
(2) Sexual relationship that are damaging our society (Matthew 5:27-30)
We spend a lot of time railing against things that “tear at the fabric of society” but most of them are emotional issues that talking heads use to pull our strings. We talk about homosexuality (something Jesus never talked about) “tearing at the fabric of society apart” but we do not want to address the real issues tearing at the fabric of society.
Let me ask you – seriously – which has really torn the fabric of society; homosexuality or divorce and promiscuity? You know divorce and promiscuity have. But the church winks at it and excuses it rather than declaring that we have a solution to a real societal need. Please understand, I am not saying homosexuality is ok (I think it is sinful) and I am not trying to make those of you who have suffered through bad marriages and chosen divorce feel bad (the past is the past).What I am saying the Gospel (i.e. “Good News”) has answers that, when applied, prevent the need for marriages to get to that point. The Gospel’s directives on healthy relationships work and if we proclaimed that more, fewer marriages would erode. When it comes to the world’s “talking points” they cannot hold a candle to the erosion caused by deeper, chronic, excused, and rationalized problems.
If Jesus’ church would teach and model how relationships are supposed to work there would be less rupture and tears at society’s “fabric.”
(3) How about issues related to hate, love, revenge and forgiveness (Matthew 5:43-48)
The world says:
• I CAN FORGIVE BUT I CANNOT FORGET. The Gospel has a better more thorough solution. We, like God can forgive and forget.
• I WILL FORGIVE WHEN IT IS EARNED, DESERVED, OR ASKED FOR. The Gospel says we chase after and seek opportunities to forgive in spite of whether it is asked for, earned or deserved. Reconciliation may be dependent on a meeting of two people but forgiveness is not.
• I WILL FORGIVE BUT NEVER TRUST YOU AGAIN. IT’S THE “ONCE BIT TWICE SHY” APPROACH. Jesus says seventy time seven and it is meant to be real, authentic forgiveness.
Listen my friends. I am not talking about just forgiving minor offences; nor am I down playing egregious, unspeakable atrocities that have happened to some of you. But I am saying the Gospel’s answers are real and they work. People who have had unspeakable things happen to them; children killed, sexual molestation, crimes against humanity offences, can tell you of the power of forgiveness that the Gospel offers. (For more on this I’d recommend two books by Miroslav Volf; “Free of Charge: Giving and Forging in a Culture Stripped of Grace” and “Exclusion and Embrace”).
MY POINT IS SIMPLE. RATHER THAN ADDRESS REAL CORE ISSUES WITH REAL SOLUTIONS, WE ALLOW “BABYLON” TO PUSH OUR BUTTONS AND SEDUCE US INTO EMBRACING CHEAP, SUPERFICIAL ANSWERS.
WE ARE THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD (MATTHEW 5:13-16). WE ARE TO BE PERFECT EVEN AS OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT (MATTHEW 5:48). OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (OUR “RIGHT-NESS”) MUST EXCEED THAT OF THE WORLD (MATTHEW 5:20).
The author of the Revelation says in another of his writings “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (I John 2:5-6, NKJV).
Maybe it’s time we take that seriously.
He who has ears – let him hear.
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Special thanks to the following authors (and books) for much of the content from this sermon: Gregory Boyd, “The Myth of a Christian Nation”; Philip Yancey, “The Jesus I Never Knew.”
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
The Kingdom Way
Luke 17:20-21, Matthew 5 (portions)
Leader: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied,
People: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
Leader: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
People: Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Leader: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
People: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. … Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Leader: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
People: But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Leader: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
People: But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.
Leader: Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
People: “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”
