20 Rejoice [euphraino] over [epi] her [autos], thou heaven [ouranos], and [kai] ye holy [hagios] apostles [apostolos] and [kai] prophets [prophetes]; for [hoti] God [theos] hath avenged [krima] [krino] you [humon] on [ek] her [autos].     KJV-Interlinear

20 ‘Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.’    NASB

So why is everyone in heaven to rejoice at the devastation of Babylon?  Why?

Because Babylon is a lie.   Babylon is not a city, but a concept, a symbol of the pattern of life which people follow when they reject God.  This means all people.  Including you when you become indifferent or apathetic or outright hateful or resentful toward God when you get too busy for Him or things just don’t go your way.

What is that pattern of life?  Well God is truth.  When you reject God you reject truth.  Remember that there are all kinds of categories of truth.  For one thing, God is truth.  There is one God (in essence).  There are three members of the Godhead (Father, Son, Spirit).  This is a truth. 

God created truths which help mankind survive in this world.  We call these truths the principles of divine establishment.  They include things like volition, marriage, family, authority, law and order, due process, free enterprise, nationalism, patriotism and so forth.

God also created truths for the function of the universe.  We call these things biology, physics, math, chemistry and so forth.

For every category of truth, Satan has defined a counter truth which we simply call lies.  These things include alternate gods, alternate salvations, slavery, homosexuality, internationalism, evolution and so forth.

Truth gives man a foundation for survival in life.   Lies destroy that foundation.  Truth gives man the proper orientation to life, to God, to his environment, so he can make the right decisions for himself in life.  Lies distort things so that man becomes confused without knowing that he is confused and therefore causing him to pursue wrong decisions in life.

Truth protects man future.  Lies destroy it.

Babylon represents every category and concept of lies that exist.

Babylon represents mans rejection of God.  Man tried to build a tower called Babel.  A tower that would reach all of the way into heaven.  Implying that man can get into heaven by himself, and once there, simply kick God out.

Babylon represents mans rejection of Gods plan for humanity.   Man wants to do everything himself, but man is not able to do all for himself regardless of the advances in technology that we will see in the coming decades.

Babylon represents mans opinion and organization in life for himself, from homosexual family arrangements to governmental regulation of the economy, to the rationalization of criminals and tyrants, to the arrogant opinions of the news media, etc. 

Everything in life, everything which affects your life has some root in the morals or philosophies of society. 

The principles of life in our world have been influenced by truth (Gods Word) and by lies (evil).  Your life is guided by this mixed bag of rules and beliefs.  Only when you pursue a daily Bible study are you able to sort out the truth from the lie.  Ignoring your daily studies will result in your getting swallowed up in the lies of the world and you’ll become a victim and nothing more than historical filler.

Bible doctrine (truth) is vast, like the grains of sand on all of the beaches of the world.  The amount of doctrine that you will be able to learn in your life time on this earth would be like counting the grains of sand sticking on the bottom of one of your shoes if you were standing on the beach.  That leaves a lot of truth on the table.  Don’t think that you can read the Bible a couple of times and then know it all.

Even though we study Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and so forth, though we read these stories, God in addition to our reading or hearing of these stories, imputes into our soul fundamental truths for life.  This truth  is only available to you when you are in fellowship.  Review the charts of the function of the ‘soul’ for unbelievers, believers out of fellowship and believers in fellowship.

All of your spiritual life occurs while you are in fellowship.  Review our study in 1, 2, 3 Jn.

Now comes Babylon.  Truth teaches you about life and how to acquire the best for yourself both now and especially for yourself in eternity.  Lies try to undermine that effort and destroy your life now and in the future.

Those who pursue other religions will end up in the Lake of Fire.  Those who believe in Christ, but do not pursue their spiritual life will end up in heaven but without the fabulous rewards that God has awaiting you.   Only those who pursue their spiritual life to the point of spiritual maturity will have a fantastic life now, and a phenomenal life in eternity.

God has pronounced judgment on the lies of this universe.  That is cause for celebration.  For without lies there is no basis for confrontation, no basis for fear, no basis for misery and insecurity.

This judgment was issued in eternity past.  It will be carried out at the end of the Tribulation.  There is a definite plan for human history.  Jesus Christ controls history.  You can get on board Gods plan and be successful in your life, or you can try if all yourself and fail.  That choice is yours.

End Of Lesson

Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.