Down with Babylon! (Psalm 79 & Revelation 18)

alright, i think at least one of these passages is pretty straightforward: psalm 79 is a plea for mercy from god after the israelites had been taken captive by the babylonians in 586 BC. revelation (written hundreds of years later, around 100 AD) makes references to babylon falling and i imagine this would have to do with persian conquest around 539 BC. so israel gets taken captive by babylon in 586 BC and has to wait 47 years before persia destroys babylon and sets the jews free. somehow, i suspect that the babylon referred to in revelation is a much more metaphorical reference than simply the fall of the babylonian empire that took place 630 years previous.

anyway, there are a lot of references to mercy and judgement in these two portions of the bible. i guess mercy and judgement often go together. who doesn't want mercy when it comes to being judged? the thing is, mercy is colloquially defined as being exempted from something harsh that we deserve, so to ask for mercy is to recognize what we have done wrong, acknowledge a fair judgment, and subsequently ask for that judgment to be reduced or eliminated altogether. so if i believe in the bible, how can i take this? moreover, how can we ask for a just god without recalling that in doing so, we are asking god to administer a fair judgment on us, not just everyone else? a lot of these people in psalms and revelations talk about the judgment of god -- well, it's easy to forget that i am part of the problem. (if only i could be more like g.k. chesterton). so how can this cognitive dissonance of fair judgment and mercy be reconciled? i think the only thing i can do is turn to christ. he's the only one who has willingly taken on the effects of sin but hasn't actually participated in the behavior. i have done stuff that wrongs others; i have been wronged by others. christ is the only one who has been wronged by me but has never wronged anyone else. i think this theology is what makes christ so unique in a world full of religious options. he's the only true form of consistency. in conclusion, i need to recognize the judgment for my sinful behavior before i ask for mercy, and upon discovering that fair judgment includes me, i need to appeal to christ for mercy. i believe this is the real process of repentance and atonement.