Online Sermons
Lesson #3 - Babylon
Series: One WordLESSON #3 – BABYLON
(Heaven - pt.3)
Intro: In the book of Revelation, the apostle John depicts of the arrival of “the holy city, new Jerusalem” (Rev.21:2).
John’s terminology - - the NEW Jerusalem - - speaks of a replacement of the OLD Jerusalem.
Revelation 21 is typically used by Bible students to describe the heavenly hereafter, but the revelation provided to John
and by John is actually a symbolic description of “the new and living way” (Heb.10:20) or THE NEW COVENANT REALM.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What is the theme of the book of Revelation?
THE FOCUS IS ON THE JUDGMENT OF ‘A GREAT CITY’.
Rev.11:8 / Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city
which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.
Rev.14:8 / Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the great - - cf. Rev.18:2
Rev.16:19 / The great city was split into three parts …and Babylon the great
was remembered before God, to give her the cup of His fierce wrath.
Rev.17:5 / Upon her forehead a name was written…’Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots…’
Rev.17:18 / The woman who you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.
Rev.18:10 / ‘Woe, woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
cf. Rev.18:16-21
2) What was this great city ?
Note: There is only one city under discussion in John’s Revelation, and it is JERUSALEM.
In an OT setting discussing judgment on Jerusalem, Jeremiah warned: Why has the Lord done thus to this great city.
The city being judged in Revelation is clearly identified as that where Jesus was crucified!
It is liken unto wicked cities and nations of Israel’s past: Sodom … Egypt … and Babylon.
The book of Revelation is God’s divorce decree against an apostate Israel (of which Jerusalem is the capital).
The apostle Peter also refers to Jerusalem as “Babylon” (1Pet.5:13).
Re-read Jesus’ parable (Mt.22:7) / the king was enraged and sent his armies and…set their city on fire.
In Mt.23:34-39 Jesus declares judgment against Jerusalem. Notice how John’s revelation echoes Jesus’ words (Rev.18:24).
3) What exactly is THE NEW JERSUALEM, which replaces the OLD?
Rev.21:3 / Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people.
Rev.21:5 / Behold, I am making all things new.
Rev.21:10 / He…showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.
In Heb.12:22f, Mount Zion and the heavenly Jerusalem are equated with the mediation of A NEW COVENANT (vs.24).
The promise longed for by Abraham was “the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb.11:10).
Jeremiah prophesied (Jer.31:31) - - Behold, ‘days are coming,’ declares the Lord,
‘when I will make a NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
SUMMARY
Whatever concept one has of HEAVEN it must not be built solely on the words of Revelation 21.
The entirety of the book of Revelation was written to a first-century audience and was set
in the context of “things which must shortly take place” (Rev.1:1 & 3 and Rev.22:6 & 10).
What Revelation 21 describes is life in the NEW COVENANT.
Is it possible that in yearning for a heavenly hereafter we miss out on and diminish the glory life of life in the New Covenant?
Eph.1:3 / Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. cf. Eph.2:6
