Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
The description of Babylon as a harlot (Revelation 17:1, 2, 4, 15, 16; 18:3, 7) is consistent with the Old Testament’s denunciation of spiritual apostasy and idolatry. For example, Isaiah 1:21 laments of Jerusalem, “How is the faithful city become a harlot! It was full of judgment [justice]; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.” Similar language is employed at length in Jeremiah 2:20-3:25 and in Ezekiel 23. Nahum 3:4 prophesies judgment against Nineveh “because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.” (As an aside, witchcraft in the Bible is associated with illicit drug use; the rise of what I call Stoner Nation within the United States is certainly a modern parallel.) Isaiah 23:15-18 pronounces judgment upon Tyre, including the evocative phrase, “After the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.” The consistent Biblical usage of this imagery is of a particular place that is dominated by spiritual infidelity. The same will characterize Babylon during the Tribulation. May we remain loyal in all of our relationships, and may we be faithful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.