Revelation

18.1-24

The theme of this chapter is God's destruction of Babylon. Separated into seven sections, it can be seen as the combined reading of a verdict and an obituary. The chapter opens with the PRONOUNCEMENT OF GUILT (vv1-3) against the city of Babylon, with whom all the nations of the world are also indicted following her in her spiritual filth and sexually immorality. God's people are called out of Babylon in the AQUITTAL OF THE SAINTS (vv4-5) who do not participate in the sins of Babylon, nor suffer the plagues she endured. THE VERDICT (vv6-8) is read according to the principle of justice, or law of retaliation (Mt 5:38, Ex. 21:23-24, Lev. 24:19-20, Deut 19:21), also satisfying the prayers of the martyred saints from 6:9-10. When someone dies today, their life is memorialized with a Lamenting OBITUARY (vv9-19) that includes the same elements seen here : the Announcement - "the smoke of her burning" (v9); the Biographic information - "the great city, Babylon, the strong city" (v10); the Family Members - the merchants of the earth (v11), those who became rich from her (v15), every shipmaster, passenger, sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea (v17); and the Funeral information - "in one hour she has been laid waste" (19) . But it is only those who share in Babylon's fate who truly lament her judgment. At the RECEPTION (v20), looking down from heaven, rejoicing is the appropriate response for righteous judgment. Next a strong angel picks up "a stone like a great millstone" (v21) and throws it into the sea. This MEMORIAL SERVICE (vv21-23a) is a dramatic picture of Babylon's destruction that we can visualize as the stone disappears into the sea, and the angel states " So will Babylon... not be found any longer" (v21). The EPILOGUE (vv23b-24) is then clear; Babylon's judgement was because of the abuse of power "merchants were the great men of the earth" (23b), alignment with the enemies of God - "sorcery" from pharmakeia - root meaning magic and occult (v24), and the murderous slaughter of God's people "blood of prophets and of saints" (v24).

CHAPTER 18

Fallen Is Babylon

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “FALLEN, FALLEN IS BABYLON THE GREAT! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird and a prison of every unclean and hateful beast.
3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the power of her sensuality.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 “Pay her back even as she paid, and give her back double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7 “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning, for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’
8 “For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived sensuously with her, will cry and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,
10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “And the merchants of the earth cry and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargo anymore—
12 cargo of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from precious wood and bronze and iron and marble,
13 and cinnamon and amomum and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargo of horses and carriages and human beings and human lives.
14 “And the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were splendid and shining have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.
15 “The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, crying and mourning,
16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;
17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,
18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’
19 “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, crying and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who have ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”
21 Then a strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
22 “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer;
23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”