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.)
Babylon, a literal place and a symbol of the world government of the Antichrist during the Tribulation, is evocatively described in Revelation 17:3b-5: “I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, ‘MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.’” In Scripture, a mystery refers to a previously unrevealed secret that can be made known only by God’s revelation. That is exactly its usage here, as verse 7 explains: “And the angel said unto me, ‘Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.’” Comparing Revelation 16:19, 17:18, and 18:2, it is clear that Babylon will become important again (after many centuries) and will be destroyed. The future prominence of Babylon is a surprise: if not for God’s specific unveiling of this information, no one would logically think that Babylon would resurface as a center of pernicious power. Thank You, Lord, that “Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25b).