Two very different Cities

The contrast between two incompatible cities, New Jerusalem and Babylon, is foundational to understanding Revelation’s message.

The Book of Revelation uses different terms to portray God’s People. For example, they are the “servants of God,” the “saints,” and the “brethren.” Churches are “lampstands” and “witnesses.” The servants of the “Dragon” are contrasted with the followers of the “Lamb” as cities, “Babylon” and “New Jerusalem.”

The community of believers is the “Holy City” and the “Bride of the Lamb.” Jesus will make overcoming saints “pillars in the Sanctuary of my God” in the “City, New Jerusalem that is descending from God.” However, before “New Jerusalem” descends from Heaven to occupy the New Earth, she must first undergo persecution and faithfully bear witness to the kings and “inhabitants of the Earth.” - (Revelation 3:12).

[Lightning over city - by Dominik QN on Unsplash]

An angel commanded John to “measure” the “Sanctuary,” the “Altar,” and the priests who were “rendering divine service” to prepare the city for habitation, but first, the “Holy City” must be handed over to the “nations” and “trampled forty-two months” - (Revelation 11:1-2).

The “Two Witnesses” and the “Two Lampstands” of Chapter 11 represent the same reality. The “witnesses” testify over the same period of “forty-two months” during which the “Holy City” is trampled until they are killed by the “Beast from the Abyss.” Lampstands represent churches - (Revelation 1:20, 11:1-7).

• “For it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city forty and two months.”

• “I will give unto my two witnesses, and they will prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days clothed in sackcloth. They are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the Lord of the earth.”

The “Holy City” is a metaphor for the people of God as they bear witness and suffer persecution. The attack against the saints described as nations trampling the “Holy City” is pictured again when Satan is released from the “Abyss” to gather the nations against the “camp of the saints, the beloved city”:

• “And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the Abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them” - (Revelation 11:7).

• “When the thousand years are finished, Satan will be loosed out of his prison, <…>And they ascended over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city” - (Revelation 20:7-9).

After the final judgment described in Chapter 20, John saw the “Holy City descending from Heaven.” The Greek term translated as “descending” represents a verb in the present tense, signifying action in progress. John saw the city as it was “descending.” Its descent is both a process and an event – (Revelation 21:1-3).

The “City” appears as a “Bride adorned for her husband,” and it is also called the “Sanctuary of God.” Mixed metaphors are applied to the People of God. The name of the city is “New Jerusalem,” and it is designed to be inhabited by the innumerable company of saints redeemed by the “blood of the Lamb” – (Revelation 7:9-17).

When New Jerusalem descends, God will “make all things new.” The “Holy City” will become coterminous with the New Heavens and the New Earth. It will be inhabited when the saints “inherit all these things.” The city’s physical dimensions are impossibly large. It lies “foursquare” with its length, width, and height measuring “twelve-thousand furlongs” in each direction - (Revelation 21:1-9).

THE GREAT CITY, BABYLON

“Babylon” is the “Great City,” the place where the “dead bodies” of the “Two Witnesses” lay for three days on the streets. The city is identified as “Sodom and Egypt” where the “Lord was crucified.” Babylon represents the existing world order under the dominion of Satan - (Revelation 11:9-13. 1 John 5:19, “The whole world lies in the Wicked One”).

Not only is Babylon the place where the righteous are slain, but it is “unclean” because of the blood spilled on its streets. It is also the dwelling place of demons. Later, an angel pronounced the city’s fall - “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, for she has made all the nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”– (Revelation 14:8).

The “winepress” of God’s wrath is “trampled” outside the city’s walls, producing “blood as far as sixteen-hundred furlongs,” another impossibly large figure. Just as the “nations trampled the Holy City underfoot,” Babylon and her inhabitants are “trampled” in retribution for their crimes against the saints - (Revelation 14:8-20).

When the “Seventh Bowl of Wrath” is emptied, the “Great City, Babylon” falls along with the “cities of the nations. <…> And Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” The verbal parallels show that this vision portrays the same reality as the previous vision of the “winepress of God” that was “trampled” outside Babylon’s walls, the destruction of the Great City and all those whose allegiance is to her and the Beast from the Abyss who killed Christ’s “witnesses.”

“Every island fled, and the mountains were not found,” as the entire Earth was shaken, and “great hail” fell upon the “Inhabitants of the Earth.” The city of “Babylon” is coterminous with the Earth since every “Inhabitant of the Earth” dwells within her walls, just as the walls of “New Jerusalem” will surround the “New Heavens and Earth” – (Revelation 16:19-21, 21:17).

Next, John sees the “Great City” as a whorish figure in contrast to the “Holy City,” the unblemished “Bride of the Lamb.” She is “Babylon the Great, the mother of whores and the abominations of the Earth.” She seduces the “Inhabitants of the Earth” to commit “fornication,” and she is “drunk with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.”

Babylon is in the “wilderness,” the same place where God “nourishes” the “woman clothed with the sun” after she gives birth to the “Son.” For a time, the two cities occupy the same time and space - (Revelation 12:1-17, 17:1-6).

John also saw “Babylon sitting on many waters,” symbolizing “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” She also rides the “Beast with ten horns” and she has done so since the dawn of human civilization. She is the “Great City” that reigns over the “Kings of the Earth.” The key to her power is economic control - (Revelation 17:15-18:9).

Contrary to Babylon’s claims, the Lamb is the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth.” He is the Messianic “Son” who “shepherds” the nations. Whatever the “Kings of the Earth” may intend, the “Lamb” is the “King of kings,” and he uses kings and nations to accomplish his purposes. Political rulers will learn to “hate the whore.” They will turn against her. She will be destroyed, and many nations and kings will find themselves standing before the Lamb in New Jerusalem – (Revelation 1:4-6, 12:5, 18:17-19):

• “And the nations will walk amidst of its the light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the city” - Revelation 21:24).

At the end of Babylon’s reign, a “strong angel” took a “great millstone” and cast it into the Sea, and so, “Babylon, the Great City, was cast down and found no more at all.” In contrast, the saints will dwell in “New Jerusalem” free of all suffering forevermore with the “Lamb” – (Revelation 18:21, 22:1-5).

• “Therefore, they are they before the throne of God; and they serve him day and night in his sanctuary. And he that sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will hunger no more, neither thirst any longer, neither will the sun strike upon them, nor any heat, for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them unto fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” – (Revelation 7:15-17).

[Toronto - Photo by Rohan Makhecha on Unsplash]

“New Jerusalem” represents the people of God and their final habitation in the “New Heavens and the New Earth.” In contrast, “Babylon” symbolizes humanity in its opposition to Jesus and his saints. Her end will be utter destruction.

Neither city is limited to specific locations on Earth. “Babylon” holds sway wherever the “Inhabitants of the Earth” reside and give their allegiance to the Beast. The Holy City of “New Jerusalem” will encompass the entire New Earth after it completes its “descent” from Heaven. Despite its presumptuous claims, Babylon will end in utter destruction along with her residents. In contrast, the saints are being guided toward everlasting life and glory in the Holy City that will endure forever.

However, New Jerusalem begins its descent from Heaven wherever the faithful followers of the Lamb gather to proclaim his Sovereignty and message.

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SEE ALSO:

• The City of Abraham - (New Jerusalem will be populated to fulfill the promise to bless all nations through Abraham– Revelation 21:24-22:5)

• Redeeming the Nations - (The nations and the Kings of the Earth are found in the City of New Jerusalem because of the redeeming work of the Lamb)

• Message and Mission - (Jesus summoned his disciples to proclaim the Good News of his Kingdom to every inhabited corner of the Earth)

• The Era of Salvation - (The Gospel of the Kingdom announced by Jesus of Nazareth offers salvation and life to men and women of every nation and people)