Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Good Morning 

 

Quick note this morning from Atlanta. 

 

Today's Reading:    Revelation 18:11-24, Barclay 180-189

 

-- this finishes off the reading about chapter 18.

 

-- the remainder of chapter 18 is the remainder of the doom song about Babylon (Rome), and it is an exhaustive list, meant to show how utterly and completely Babylon will be destroyed.  In the section for today's reading, the merchants and sea captains and traders all lament the loss of Babylon, upon which their livilihoods were based.

 

-- John, I think, is accomplishing a couple of things with this section -- one is that he identifying every little detail that will be obliliterated with the destruction of Babylon, but is also outlining all of the excesses that doomed Babylon from the start -- the emphasis on luxury and wealth and the focus on personal pleasure that had them turn away from God.

 

-- the imagery at the end of the chapter, of the angel throwing the stone into the sea and saying that Babylon would disappear just as the stone disappeared into the water was an interesting image.

 

-- there is the portion of the chapter about the people of heaven rejoicing at the destruction of Babylon, which is another of those sections that give some pause about Revelation.  However, the fact of the matter is that the enemies of God will lose out in the end, and that God will judge those who are against him, and that passages such as these in Revelation are as much a celebration of God's power as they are celebration of the destruction of God's enemies.

 

-- at the end of the doom song, John reminds us again of why Babylon was destroyed -- because all the nations were led astray by Babylon, and because of all the persecution of believers that Babylon was responsible for.

 

Today's Scripture 

 

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. 

 

Galatians 6:10

 

Today's prayer requests:       Couple for today  

 

We need to remember Don Thaxton, Kelley's husband, who is recovering from his auto accident.

 

We also need to remember Megan's friend Kayla, who is pregnant and is having a biopsy done today on a mass doctor's found on her throat.  

 

Today's class member prayer: 

Brigette Severance     

 

Jay