The Shadow World: A False Kingdom

"So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more... for your merchants were the powerful ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your illusions. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." Revelation 18: 21-24

Jesus’ primary teaching, the arrival of the kingdom of God, reveals a transcendent view of reality in which humanity and divinity are united together. As we experience the arrival of the kingdom we, as divine image-bearers, embody the presence of God on earth. Through this embodied love the divine will is done “on earth as it is in heaven.”

That kingdom, though difficult to see, is set up above another kingdom depicted in the scriptures as the false empire of Babylon. Babylon is a false empire because it lacks any true authority on its own and it’s power is an illusion perpetuated through violence. Babylon is described as a prostitute offering a deceptively empty fulfillment of our selfish desire for power. For those who suffer under this kingdom, it’s oppressive power is real and tangible. For those who see the true kingdom and refuse to bow to Babylon’s idols, the false kingdom begins to loose its deadly grip on the world. We all serve one or the other.

Many serve the false kingdom unaware of their own participation in its oppressive structures. The biblical authors use Babylon as the archetypal empire for any power structure that maintains its dominance through division, violence, and greed. In countless ways, whether in ignorance or with intent, we allow these oppressive systems to persist by glorifying them, throwing our money towards them, and echoing their lies. We feed their power and get just enough scraps of power in return to believe we are a beneficiary rather than a slave. In truth, everyone under the false empire is a slave turned against the other.

The Hebrew prophets had the difficult and often impossible task of showing Israel that it was participating in the very power structures under which it had suffered. Israel's kings and religious leaders chose to bow to Babylon even while claiming to follow God. God’s call to serve and protect all of creation was exchanged for illusions of power and influence while showing apathy towards the suffering around them. In response Israel killed its own prophets, the very ones showing them the way back from exile in Babylon.

It’s not hard to see Babylon’s idols still functioning today. The worship of militant leaders, nationalism, corporate greed, systemic racism, and religious exclusivity characterize much of America today as one of the world's most powerful nations. Many have convinced themselves that these idols are in service to God even as they abuse creation and spew hatred towards their fellow humans. We ignore the cries of the oppressed and justify the spoils of Babylon as products of our honest hard work. In this way, we remain blind to the kingdom of God at hand and reject the very God we claim to serve. Here we remain as exiles in Babylon.

And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. You shall be a homeless wanderer on the earth."