Babylon's Fall and the Failing Economy

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to hear several amazing speakers, Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne, Tony Campolo (Author of Red Letter Christian) , Francis Collins (Head of the Human Genome Project), and Mike Pilavachi (Matt Redmon's Youth Pastor).

I have several blogs that will probably come out of this over the next few weeks either directly sharing their words, my reflections, or both. Tony Campolo spoke in light of the current situation in America in comparison to the Fall of Babylon. He set up his talk by first defining Babylon as the the dominate culture in every society. For Christians in China, Babylon would be China, for Canadian Christians it would be Canada, and for us in the US, Babylon is America. As Christians we, Tony challenges that we are to live counter to whatever the Babylonian culture is.

I just wanted to share an interesting relation he made with our current failing economy and the Fall of Babylon as described in chapters 18 and 19 of Revelations. He pointed out there were to reactions to the fall of the great city.

The first reaction is by the Merchants.

Rev. 18 v11

The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies-that is human slaves.

v14 "The fancy things you loved so much are gone," they cry.
"All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again."

Can I just say three letters here....OMG (the G being Goodness of course)

Think about this in terms of how much we buy as a nation from other countries. How much of our goods are bought from other countries? I would say 50-70%. I'm no economist but that is just a guesstimate on my part. Think about how much are falling economy is effecting those countries.

The 2nd response was that of Heaven.

Rev. 19: 1-2

After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting,
Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. His judgments are true and just He has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the murder of his servants."

v 6 Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of a mighty ocean or the crash of loud thunder;

"Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to Him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself."

I think another 3 letters would be appropriate here - WOW.

Here's something to ponder. I don't debate end times, when it will happen or even what will happen because there are a thousand theories plus some. It could be today or it could be 100 years from now. But IF, just say IF we are getting very close and in the midst of recent events; the election of the "supposed anti-christian" president (as stated by some Evangelicals), military unrest in most Middle Eastern Countries, and our own plunging economy - How are you responding? Which sound are you listening to and allowing to control your emotions? The weeping of the merchants or the Praising of the Heavens.

Just a thought - I was really challenged by the things Campolo had to say.