Tale of Two Cities
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever thought about the Bible story as a whole? How would you describe it? I was thinking about that this week, and here’s what I think.
Simply put, the Bible could be described as a conflict where, on one side, you have God – and on the other side, you have the enemy: Satan.
You can expand that out further and say: on one side you have the unrighteous world – and on the other side you have God’s people.
One of the ways that the Bible describes these two competing sides is by using the imagery of two cities.
The world is represented by one city
God’s people are represented by another city.
You see this early on in the Bible story. In the book of Genesis, cities are never a good thing. They are used to symbolize the wicked world.
You can see this as early as Genesis 4. Genesis 4:10-13.
10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
In this context, Cain kills his brother Abel – and as a punishment, God tells him that he is going to be a wanderer on the earth.
What does Cain do when God tells him to be a wanderer? Genesis 4:17.
17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
God tells Cain to be a wanderer, but he builds a city instead. So, the first city is built as an act of rebellion against God.
So, cities are not a good thing in the book of Genesis. They symbolize the wicked world… Think about Sodom and Gomorrah.
So in the Bible, the wicked world is sometimes described as a city, and every now and then the Bible authors will give that wicked city a name. They will use the name Babylon because Babylon was a very wicked city.
Again, we see this early on. We see it in Genesis 11. In this chapter, the people of the world build a city and tower in rebellion against God. This city is called Babylon. So at the very beginning of the Bible, we see a city called Babylon that is against God.
We see this wicked city again during Israelite history. The Israelites are taken captive by the Babylonians, and we see that they are very wicked people.
We don’t only see this at the beginning of the scriptures and during Israelite history, but we see it at the end of the scriptures as well. We see it in the book of 1 Peter 5:13.
13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.
Peter’s not talking about literal Babylon, he’s talking about spiritual Babylon.
We see it in Revelation as well. We see a city called Babylon, and this city is against God and his people.
So, underneath God’s story, and the history of mankind, there is tale of two cities.
One city, called Babylon, represents the wicked world, and another city, called New Jerusalem, represents the righteous people and their God.
This is what we are going to talk about in the lesson. We are going to look at the characteristics of these two cities and compare them.
City of the World: Babylon
City of the World: Babylon
Pride
Pride
The citizens of this city trust in self rather than God. We see this with the kings of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar was a king who Trusted in himself rather than God. Daniel 3:1.
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
In this context, King Nebuchadnezzar sets up a golden image, and it’s like telling God, “I don’t trust you.”
In the previous chapter, God tells the King that his kingdom would come to an end… How does King Nebuchadnezzar respond? He essentially responds by saying my golden kingdom would never end.
We see the same thing from King Belshazzar.
When the enemy is right outside of his city, God tells him that that enemy is going to destroy his empire and take over. How does he respond?
Daniel 5:29-31. He essentially responds by telling God, “I don’t believe you. I believe in my own power.”
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Since the citizens of this wicked city trusts in self rather than in God, ultimately, their desire is to be God… I can do God’s job better than he can.
The king of Babylon had this attitude. Isaiah 14:12-14; 3.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
Some people believe that this is talking about Satan, but it’s not. Isaiah 14:3-4.
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury ceased!
It’s talking about king of Babylon, and this prideful king wants to become God.
This isn’t the only time we see this.
Genesis 11. What do these people want? They want to build a tower to the heavens… a tower to God’s dwelling place. In the city of Babylon, the people are so prideful that they want to be God. They think that they can do God’s job better.
Rebellion
Rebellion
Since they don’t trust in God, they don’t live according to God’s will. This city is rebellious.
We see this in the spiritual Babylon that’s described in the book of Revelation. Revelation 18:1-2.
1 After 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.
Do you see how Spiritual Babylon is described? Why does God describe Babylon like this?
It’s because they are morally corrupt. They are rebellious.
They are not only rebellious themselves, but corrupt and pressure others to be rebellious against God. Revelation 18:3.
3 For 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.”
So Babylon is not only described as a corrupt, rebellious city, but it’s also described as a city that corrupts others.
Persecution of the righteous
Persecution of the righteous
Revelation 18:24.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all who have been slain on earth.”
After everything is said about this city, we are told that the blood of prophets and saints are found in this city.
In the context, this is talking about how the Roman world has persecuted and slain Christians but remember that this applies to us as well. Babylon is not just Babylon… Babylon is Rome, and Babylon is our world as well.
Seems to offer so much.
Seems to offer so much.
1. Revelation 18:9; 15-16.
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.
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!
Even though the people and nations that follow this city are very wicked, notice how prosperous they seem to be. Babylon offers them luxury and wealth. So, this city of Babylon seems to offer so much.
This is how the world is today.
This is how the world is today.
The world today is rebellious, and they are not only rebellious, but they seek to corrupt us.
Our world thinks that they can do a better job than God.
Our world persecutes the righteous.
Our wicked world seems to offer so much.
City of God: New Jerusalem
City of God: New Jerusalem
Trusts in God
Trusts in God
This idea could be seen early on in human history. Hebrews 11:8-11.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.
It’s interesting. There is a sense in which Abraham was already a part of the faithful city, but there’s another sense in which Abraham was not yet a part of this city.
So, Abraham was looking forward to this city. Why? Because the city’s designer and builder is God. You see, the citizens of this city trust in God.
Righteous
Righteous
In Revelation 21, God talks about this city… This new Jerusalem. Revelation 21:27.
27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
What’s this verse saying? It’s saying that this is a righteous city.
This city isn’t just righteous itself, but it encourages others to be righteous. Revelation 21:24.
24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,
The city of Babylon corrupts nations, but what does this city do? It guides others to God.
Seems to offer so little
Seems to offer so little
Do you remember how we described Symbolic Babylon before? The wicked city was living in peace and luxury, but what about the righteous city? They were being persecuted and killed for their faith. They were righteous people, but they were suffering.
So, the wicket city seems to offer so much while the righteous city seems to offer so little, but in reality…
Offers true value
Offers true value
Revelation 21:4.
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
When this city fully arrives, the righteous will suffer no more. But it’s not just that this city offers true peace, but this city offers things of true value.
Revelation 21:22-23.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
So, who’s in this city? God dwells in this city with his people. True value.
Revelation 22:1-2.
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
What else is in this city? The same tree of life that we see at the beginning of the story is offered here for citizens of this city.
This city offers true peace and true value because it contains life.
When the world around us looks dark and hopeless. When it seems like everything is going wrong, we should remember where our citizenship is.
Our city offers true value.
Conclusion
Conclusion
A. The other city, Babylon, seems to offer so much, but what does it really offer? Like Babylon, and like Rome, this symbolic city offers destruction. Revelation 18:10;17;19;21.
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.”
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
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.
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;
Which city do you want to be a part of?
