The Story of two Biblical Cities

Two cities, Jerusalem and Babylon, are frequently mentioned throughout the Bible. These two cities are in contradistinction to each other. This is not a conincidence, for the Holy Spirit has taken these two cities to symbolize two diametrically opposed principles:

1. Jerusalem is eternal and heavenly. It represents man in all his sin and weakness, saved by the grace of God, and brought back to God's origainal purpose, God becoming his life and all.

2. Babylon represents fallen man who is hoplessly and helplessly self-centered, even in his noblest aspirations and ideals, is in bondage to the corrupting influence of his self-seeking.

Bible history of these two cities reveals the antipathy between them - the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These two principles of life cannot co-exist. Someone had said, the Bible is - "A tale of two cities".

The beginning of Babylon

Genesis 11 tells how fallen men sought to build a city:

They said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4, NKJV, emphasis added).

That this was much more than an innocent attempt to build a new city can be seen from the fact that the Lord Himself was grieved and cut the work short. This city is the expression of fallen men's pride. This city became known as "Babel", and was the beginning of Babylon. Throughout the Old Testament the name for Babylon in the Hebrew language is always "Babel".

The beginning of Jerusalem

Genesis 12 tells how God called Abram (later Abraham) out of the city, Ur of the Chaldeans, which was one of the neighboring cities of Babel.

The Lord said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you" (Gen. 12:1, emphasis added).

The writer of Hebrews gave us some insight of the "land that I (God) will show you":

"By faith Abraham obeyed when he as called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going ...; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:8, 10, emphasis added).

Bible history tells us that Ur was a city with a high level of civilization. Even before leaving Ur Abraham was a man of culture and sophistication, belonging to one of the aristocratic families of Ur. It was while Abraham was living in such a city that the God of glory appeared to him, and in that revelation, Abraham saw the City of God - "The city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God".

Ur, in comparison with the City of God, had no true foundations. It was built on the sands of human genius, human resourcefulness and human ability, and that it must therefore, pass away. The "City of God" which Abraham sought was the heavenly Jerusalem, of which the earthly Jerusalem is but the symbol. Notice that although Abraham visited the earthly Jerusalem, he never lived in it. His life had become centered in the eternal.

There are only two cities to which men can belong

From that point onwards in the Bible, there are only two cities to which a man can belong: Babylon or Jerusalem. If he does not belong to Jerusalem then he belongs to Babylon.

Babylon

At the time when the Book of Revelation is written, the earthly city of Babylon no longer existed. Yet the judgment of the spiritual Babylon is revealed in Revelation Chapter 18:

"And he (an angel) cried migheily with a loud voice saying, 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have commited fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury'" (Rev. 18:2, 3, NKJV).


"Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come" (Rev. 18:10).

"Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, 'Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore'" (Rev. 18:21).

I believe this fallen spiritual Babylon represents the fallen world. The 'great' cities of the world, whether the cities of Bible time, such as Rome, Athens, or Alexandra, or those of our time, express the glory, philosophy and power of the fallen world. They are all "Babylon". It is the sum of human genius and human glory. It symbolizes the ingenuity, abilities and aspirations of the fallen man. Babylon is his creation. It is created by his restless desire for self-expression and self-fulfillment. Babylon is a city without spiritual foundation even though it appears to have great and solid foundations. In fact, she is built on sand and upon the top-soil of human resourcefulness and not upon the bed-rock of divine grace, righteousness and salvation.

Jerusalem

The writer of Hebrews described Jerusalem as "the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God" (Hebrews 11:10).

Jerusalem has none of the natural advantages of Babylon, yet the Lord selected it as the capital for His people. He Himself chose Jerusalem as His dwelling place - His throne:

"This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it" (Ps. 132:14).

"At that time Jerusalem shall be call The Throne of the Lord, and all nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem" (Jer. 3:17, NKJV).

Jerusalm (Mount Zion) is called the City of our God:

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, in Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge" (Ps. 48:1 - 3).

I believe the purpose of redemption and salvation is God's means to His end and not the end itself. God's plan of salvation was designed by Him to bring us back to His original purpose for mankind. The means are obviously essential and vital, but are not greater than the end. God's purpose is that man, saved and joined to Him in Christ, should become His eternal dwelling place and home:

"... in whom (Christ) the whole building, being fitted together, growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Eph. 2:21, 22, NKJV, emphasis added).

This "dwelling place of God" is looked at in many different ways in Scripture - the "Temple of God", the "House of God", the "body of Christ", "bride" and the "Holy City, New Jerusalem".

"Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, God Himself will be with them and be their God'" (Rev. 21:2, 3, emphasis added).

This city is called, on the one hand, the "bride", and on the other hand, the "holy city, New Jerusalem", a combination of two quite different ideas which are not normally associated. The bride represents the most intimate union known to man; the most direct, loving relationship, in which two people share one name, one life, one home and one future. A city, however, represents a center of administration and government. Thus we have two vital matters. We have the desire of God to bring us into an eternal union, with Himself, in which we become partakers of eternal union with Himself, in which we become partakers of eternal life, and at the same time, we should reign with Him in Jerusalem, the Holy City,

Contrast between Babylon and Jerusalem

If Babylon is the product of man from beginning to end, the sum of man's glory, Jerusalem is totally concerned with God. She begins with God, with God's election and choice. She continues by the grace of God: her life, her survival and preservation, her development - all are of God. Time and again God has allowed this city to face total destruction. Then, when all was most dark and impossible, God has stepped in and delivered her. This has been the history of Jerusalem, whether the earthly or the spiritual city. Jerusalem also ends with God. She is brought at last to the glory of God, and becomes the eternal home of God, the place of His throne.


If Babylon is the symbol of man, Jerusalem is the symbol of God. Jerusalem represents the rule of heaven, as opposed to man's rebellion against divine authority; she represents the eternal as opposed to the transient and the corruptible. She represents the spirit as opposed to the flesh; the way of God as opposed to the way of this world. This is why even the Jerusalem of this earth has stood like a rock throughout the ages. Babylon, with all its pomp, its world-wide empire, its great system of government, its high-sounding philosophy and strength of human will and character, finally passes away. Jerusalem, however, abides forever.


The earthly Jerusalem is the shadow of the eternal heavenly or New Jerusalem. She will never pass way until the New Jerusalem takes her place.


The psalmist declared: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of host is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (Ps. 46:1 - 7, NKJV).


In the midst of all the struggle the city of God stands firm. It makes no difference on what level the conflict rages: whether it is the spiritual conflict which has raged through the ages over the purpose of God and its realization, or whether it is earthly battles which have raged over earthly city of Jerusalem. In the midst of all the shaking, all the change, the city of God stands firm. God is in her and therefore she will not be moved. Because God is in her she will finally triumph.


The fact that in Jerusalem God is everything is beautifully expressed by the psalmist:


"His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me: Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: 'This one was born there'. And of Zion it will be said, 'This one and that one were born in her; and the Most High Himself shall establish her.' The Lord will record, when He registers the people: 'This one was born there'" (Ps. 67:1 - 6).


Those who were born in Zion (born again by the Spirit of God) belong not to this world, but to God and His Kingdom. They do not belong to Babylon, the city of this world, but belong to the "City of God" - The "City which has foundations".


Notice the three matters that are vitally related - true foundations, things of glory, and a new birth. The glory of God can never be given anything which does not have the foundations of God.


To the born again believers, Paul said: "... but he Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. for it is written: 'Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.' Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise" (Gal. 4:26 - 28, NKJV).


Those who have been born again have been born in Zion - the Jerusalem above or the spiritual Jerusalem.


The writer of Hebrews said, "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels" (Hebres 12:22).


A little later he added: "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come" (Hebrews 13:14).


On the one hand, we are born in Jerusalem, and on the other hand, we are coming to it, by the grace of God and His overcoming power. This was the city for which Abraham sought (Hebrews 11:10). And not only Abraham but also the rest of his family and all the Old Testament saints mentioned in Hebrews 11.


"Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He had prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:16).


Conclusion


All who are redeemed by God are, in some wonderful way, bound up with this "Jerusalem which is above". This city is the calling of all true believers in Christ - this is our "goal".


Paul said, "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14, NKJV).