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, an actual city during the Tribulation as well as a symbol of the Antichrist’s economic and religious authority, is graphic: “So he [the angel] carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and 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’” (Revelation 17:3-5). The fall of the original Babylonian Empire in 539 B.C. was prophesied in Jeremiah 50-51. At least 45 years before its capture by the Medo-Persians, Babylon’s defeat was predicted by the “Weeping Prophet,” Jeremiah. Of particular interest to us in our study of Revelation 17-18 is Jeremiah 51:7-9: “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” Our Lord is unchanging; thus His opposition to evil remains absolute. Both the fulfilled judgment and the future judgment against Babylon demonstrate that our Savior God is immutable and can be counted upon never to alter. “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).