Understood spiritually, the Bible is a gateway to freedom. Even some of the gloomier and more mysterious parts of the Bible contain inspiration and meaning that can bring healing in any situation. That is what I’ve come to appreciate about the kingdom of Babylon. On the surface it seems like a dark and foreboding place that I’d rather gloss over when I study the Bible, but there is so much more to it than that. Did you know that this once dominant kingdom is talked about throughout the Scriptures—from its inception in Genesis, to its ultimate destruction in Revelation?
But does knowing anything about this kingdom of long ago have any relevance to the world we live in today? Absolutely. The destruction of Babylon in the Bible represents humanity’s freedom from the tyranny and injustice of a capricious, material world. A freedom that we can experience right now.
In some ways it might seem as if the world hasn’t changed much from those days—but there is hope. This is the promise of the Bible, and this is the symbolic meaning of Babylon. It shows us that even the ugliest human scenes of injustice and suffering can be overcome. Why? Because the Bible explains that Babylon never actually had any real power to rule over the lives of men. The Bible attributes all power to God and declares that anything that is unlike God, infinite good, is a lie. And a lie cannot stand against the kingdom of Truth and Love.
