Revelation 18:4
I'm coming out

This imperative is found in the book or Revelation, the last book of the bible. In this book, John describes the visions he had and the words he heard, concerning the end times. It is not an easy book to read, but it does have some true gems. Chapters 2 and 3 give detailed evaluations of seven churches, which give us great insight into what God will judge our churches upon. And the last 3 chapters give tremendous insight into what will happen after this world has come to an end. They describe in detail what the new heaven and the new earth will look like, and who is going to end up where.

Our verse today is part of the middle section, which describes the horrors of the end times, and the fate of the great city Babylon, which is also described as a harlot. Commentaries do not agree what or who is exactly represented by this city/harlot/Babylon. Some think it is papal Rome, some think it is unfaithful Christians. My favorite commentary (the Daily Truthbase) calls it the “religious and economic world systems that keep people from a relationship with God”. This definition fits the context well and highlights a key aspect. Babylon is something that keeps Christians away from a relationship with God and hence, it is something they have to come out of.

The greek word for ‘come out’ is ‘exelthate ex’, and it means to leave, go, or come out of. Coming out is a good translation. But what does it mean in this context? It is very much related to the concept of being holy. We Christians are called to be holy (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16, ‘be holy for I am holy’). Being holy means being set apart. We have the responsibility to set ourselves apart from the world. But how does that work? We live in the world. We have jobs and friends and families and possessions, just like everyone else. Should we give those all up and live in a monastery? Should we stop interacting with everyone who is not a faithful Christian? Is that what coming out means?

No, clearly not, God has work for us in the midst of our societies. We are called to be fishers of man, and you cannot fish if you walk away from the fish. But we should not be part of our world in the sense that we are attached to it. Love God first is the greatest command. The key characteristic of the societal influences that keep us from a relationship with God is that they do not love God first. They propagate love for temporal things (such as fame, fortune, politics, money, security, pleasure), more than love for God. And thus their loyalty is not to God. That is something we have to come out of. If we don’t, we will share in the sins and judgment that it will receive.

Have you come out? Do you love God more than anything this world has to offer?