Revelation
17:1-6Babylon the Great
American Journal of Biblical Theology
Copyright © 2008, J.W. Carter Scripture quotes from KJV
Revelation
17:1-6American Journal of Biblical Theology
With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."
We are certainly not ignorant of the overt expression of sin that so characterizes this wicked world, and we see its application all around us. The ancients often saw it concentrated in the cities, and virtually every city was known for its debauchery. We may even remember how Corinth and Ephesus were considered as capitals of sin in Paul’s day, a period that is contemporary with John. As John refers to the kings and the inhabitants of the earth, he is describing the entire wicked world, not simply the government of Rome.
When we think of kings, we often think of the great kings of the great nations with their palaces and their power over large domains. Even biblical historical narratives describe the events surrounding the lives of the kings of the greater nations of the middle-east. However, the use of the word is not limited to those few key leaders in the region. A first-century king refers to any individual who has reign over an area of land, and that property can be anything from a vast domain to a small valley. A king owns his land, and so a landowner is a king. Ancients drew very little distinction between the titles of king and lord. With this idea in mind we may realize that every square foot of civilized property was owned by someone, and everyone else who did not own land was living on it somewhere. Consequently, John is painting a picture using very wide brush strokes as he is including every worldly influence and everyone who is under those influences.
What is the nature of this worldly network of influence? They are intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. Intoxication is literally the ingestion of a toxin. The intoxication that John describes is characterized by giving up one’s self control to that toxin. When one comes intoxicated with alcohol, one loses self-control as their senses and thoughts are numbed by that toxic chemical. There are many forces that vie for our control including our lusts for the sensual pleasures of this world, whether they be physical, emotional, or amoral. John describes the leaders and followers of this world as being intoxicated by the godless lusts of idolatries. The great prostitute has duped those who have rejected God into thinking that they are better off immersing themselves in their own base desires, experiencing the banal rewards of their debauchery. Idolatry is simply replacing the authority of God with something else, and the great prostitute has provided a plethora of substitutes.