Educational Resources

Bible Study from Target Magazine, 2007-2 

For the first time in human history, more people live in cities than in rural areas. In this context, how does the call of Jeremiah 29:7, to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city”, compare with Revelation's call to flee Babylon? Which is ‘the Word’ for you or our society today?

Read the applications for Revelation's ‘Most Liveable City’ competition, from Babylon (17:1-19:10) and New Jerusalem (21:9-22:9).

• Take time to draw or imagine your version of ‘the good life.’ Is your vision urban or rural?
• Why do you believe or feel what you do about cities?
• Having read the descriptions of Babylon and New Jerusalem, where would you rather live?
• How do our feelings about contemporary cities compare with the visions presented by Revelation?

Babylon and New Jerusalem are the great metaphors of Revelation. The imagery is apocalyptic and extreme. Traditional interpretations have often seen New Jerusalem replacing fallen Babylon at the End of the Age.

• How does the continuing existence of evil outside New Jerusalem's open gates (21:8 and 22:15) affect this reading?

In ancient times, such writing was an exaggerated way of describing contemporary realities, rather like today's political cartoons that caricature events to make a point. For John, ancient Babylon was metaphor for the Roman Empire that had imprisoned him on Patmos.

Today, these two cities have become part of the Western idiom and their meaning is highly contested. Groups as diverse as the Roman Catholic Church, the United Nations and the United States of America have been described as either Babylon or New Jerusalem at various times.

Consider this quote from William Stringfellow: “It is not so very difficult to discern the Babylonian character of nations or other principalities. But if one speaks of Jerusalem, as the new or renewed society of mature humanity, where is this Jerusalem?”

• What makes Babylon "bad" and New Jerusalem ‘good’? Consider each from a housing, economic, social inclusion, citizens' well-being, wealth and poverty or architectural perspective.
• In what ways do contemporary cities reflect these dynamics?

List the different ways in which cities are presented to us in the rest of the Bible. Consider Genesis 4:17, Genesis 11, Exodus 1:11, Deuteronomy 13:12-18, Psalm 48, Psalm 137, Jeremiah 29:7, Isaiah 61:4 and Luke 19:41.

• How are cities seen positively or negatively by Biblical writers? Can you think of others?
• Do we fail to recognise our own ‘liveable cities’ as Babylon because Babylon is so seductive, or because New Jerusalem is hard to see?

In many ways, Babylon is presented as a ‘parody’ or ‘counterfeit’ New Jerusalem that seduces its citizens. Using both passages, list as many comparable and contrasting images of each city that you can find. For example:

• Bride (17:1) vs. whore (19:7)
• Scarlet/purple clothes (17:4) vs. clean linen (19:8)
• Fallen (18:2) vs. coming down (21:10)

With list in hand, walk through your home city or town (you could even take a digital camera). In what ways does it reflect New Jerusalem or Babylon?