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BABYLON THE GREAT

REVELATION 18

Whereas in Chapter 17 one of the seven angels with the bowls took John to see an allegory of Babylon, giving him its interpretation, in this chapter the events are again literal: they take place after all the previous happenings, including the destruction by the ten kings of the mystery religion also called Babylon because of its origin, and this chapter marks the end of the tribulation.

It begins by an announcement by the seventh other angel Rev.Chapter 14), apparently of a higher order because of his great authority and brilliance. He announces the collapse of Babylon the Great: the tense in the Greek is prophetic aorist which speaks of coming events as if they had already transpired. When God says something is going to happen, you can speak about it as though it had already happened, because it is sure to happen. After its destruction, the place where Babylon is situated will become a place of confinement of demons, foul spirits, unclean and hated birds (where they will stay during the millennium). Babylon is the focus of contamination of world political and commercial powers.

The city of Babylon, object of this chapter, will be the political and commercial capital of the world - as Jerusalem will be the religious capital after the apostate religion in Rome is overthrown. All unfulfilled Old Testament prophecies about Babylon (Isa.13:19-22, Jer.51:59-64, etc.) will be met; she will be the focus of iniquity of all the world, and where all commerce will be controlled from, as prophesied by Zechariah (Zech.5:5-11): Shinar is where the tower of Babel, from which Babylon originated, was built. Babylon will be rebuilt before, or during the first three and a half years of the tribulation period; its very low moral and spiritual levels will be notorious, contaminating the leaders of the world's nations, and international commerce magnates. Babylon, in the Bible, represents mankind's rebellion against God.

Before its destruction, God's people are ordered to leave the city (Jer.50:6-8,28, 51:5-6,45), and the voice is probably that of the Lord Jesus, so as not to share in its sins and punishment. He commands that retribution be given proportionately to its actions and lifestyle from which it benefited.

Its punishment and destruction comes from God: whilst its population suffers the judgment of the seven vials, causing death, mourning and famine, in only one day the city will be consumed by fire (as in antiquity Babylon was taken by the Medo-Persians in one day), and will never more be inhabited by humans.

Three classes of people will lament for Babylon:

1. the kings of the earth (the Beast and his confederates), for their power and authority will have been established from Babylon.

2. the world's merchants, because international commerce will have been based in Babylon and they will have lost their fortunes.

3. the shipping magnates and carriers because Babylon will have been the source of their wealth.

There will be joy and triumph both in heaven and earth at the irrecoverable fall of Babylon: while its own people are bewailing it, the servants of God are called to rejoice over it, because:

• the fall of Babylon is an act of God's justice, avenging his people's cause, for they will have committed their cause to him to whom vengeance belongs; though they do not take pleasure in the miseries of any, yet they have reason to rejoice in the discovery of the glorious justice of God.

• it will be an irrecoverable ruin. This enemy will never molest them any more, and of this they were assured by a remarkable token: an angel from heaven takes up a stone like a great millstone, and casts it into the sea, and says that, in a similar way, Babylon will be violently thrown down, and disappear, because of its great wickedness, first in deceiving the nations, and secondly in destroying and murdering those whom she could not deceive. Such abominable sins deserve so great a ruin.

The Fall of Babylon the Great

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily 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!
3 "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury."
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
5 "For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 "Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7 "In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.'
8 "Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon's Fall

9 "The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
10 "standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
11 "And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12 "merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13 "and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
14 "The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.
15 "The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 "and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 'For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.' Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance
18 "and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What is like this great city?'
19 "They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, 'Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.'
20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!"

Finality of Babylon's Fall

21 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.
22 "The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore.
23 "The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
24 "And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."
Rev 18:1-24 (NKJV)