Revelation 18
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
The Angel is illuminated with God’s glory. This angel has great authority. The announcement is about a fallen Babylon and its complete desolation. Its pride, greed, idolatry and selfish wealth is evident its fall. This is a description of Material Babylon. Material Babylon has done a great disservice the entire world. The world has followed its lead into these vices, these desires, and it has destroyed everything in the end.
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
God’s people must separate from Babylon. Babylon isn’t a place that the followers of God should be. In this succinct verse we see a very important message. In our lives we must depart from worldliness (Isaiah 52:11, Jer 50:8, Jer 51:45, 2 Corin 6:14). This is a common concern of all scripture. But how do we do that? How do we separate from a world that we must live in?
If we view the “world system” as an organized opposition to God, it may make it clearer. That’s what Babylon stands for: a system that willfully walks away from God and says that its own truth is enough to sustain it. When we, as Christians, get sucked into that system and begin to chase after the very things that repulse God, then we’ve fallen into a great and subtle trap. We must be aware of how we deal in the world and make a valiant effort to turn away from things that are in opposition to God. We must remember that if we are of the world, then we are complicit in its sins. We must make a stand for God.
The people of Babylon do not do this and their atrocities against God reach all the way to Heaven (v.5). God remembers these crimes (Heb 8:12).
6
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7
Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.’
8
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
The Greek word for “to give back” is apodidomi and it is translated as “to give back what is due”. In the book of Exodus we get the foundational idea of paying back double (Exodus 22:4-9). When there was theft, restitution was paid back double.
In this verse there is a 3-fold sin. First, v.7 refers to the glory and luxury she gave herself. This is self-indulgence. The second sin, pride, is continued in verse 7, as well as the avoidance of suffering.
These are important to note because self-indulgence, selfishness, is the root of sin. It’s about getting what we want, despite if it hurts others, despite if it will hurt us physically or spiritually, because we want it now. Our selfishness destroys us.
If selfishness is a root problem, then if we dig a little deeper, we can certainly find a new bottom. Pride is the very sin we all deal with, and its the one sin that corrupts us more than any other. Pride is the deep idea that we achieve things on our own, and we can often relish in those feelings. It adds to our selfishness. Pride also destroys us.
But what about the avoidance of suffering. Why is that so bad? No one wants to suffer. In suffering, God speaks to us perhaps most profoundly. We often need to be brought to the edge of suffering in order to understand we have nothing in this life but God. God teaches us through suffering. But if we avoid that appointment with adversity, then do we learn? If we avoid learning, then do we grow?
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’
This is a king’s lament. He is looking at the city from a distance and mourns over it. The destruction has come, yet there is melancholy from the king. He sees the great destruction, the end of his life in the city, and is sad. But why is he sad? Destruction has certainly come quickly, but is that it? Could it be that the king is mourning his own abandoned life in the embrace of the sins of the city? Like Lot’s wife in Genesis, she is unable to run away from Sodom without taking a look back at the city. Her heart was still there, harnessed to the city, the life, somehow tied to the opposition to God.
11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17
In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.
The is the merchant’s lament. The merchants are heartbroken, but why? Because no one will buy their goods anymore. There is great self-interest here. Their sorrow is because they can’t live off this city, that was opposed to God. It speaks volumes to us in this life. Do we derive a life from some nefarious source? Does our livelihood depend on something that hurts someone else?
If you sell desks to a cigarette company, are you not somewhat complicit in their dealings? You know that cigarettes hurt others and one of the marketing ploys of cigarette companies is to introduce smoking to young children. But you’re just selling them desks, and its a big order, and that order can help your company. If you know the company is bad, you shouldn’t be helping it succeed. It’s the same story with the merchants of Babylon. Their funnel for a better life is gone. They don’t necessarily care for the people, but for the goods they could sell to it.
18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
Commercial Babylon has fallen. Again, a selfish response. They mourn and wail over its demise, but it is for their own selfish interests. The point is this: if we are yoked to something other than God, we will crumble when it is destroyed.
20
“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22
The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23
The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
The rejoice is not in the destruction and death of this moment, but for God’s righteous judgment. The millstone in verse 21 hearkens back to Jer. 51:61-64, where Jeremiah predicts this moment. This is a passing of the old world system. People will be hurt by Babylon’s fall to the extent of how they invested in it.
24
In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Babylon’s judgment was against its crimes and atrocities against God, and foundationally we find that God’s people were slaughtered by Babylon. The people of Babylon were judged by its actions.
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:
“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’
She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
3
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
The Angel is illuminated with God’s glory. This angel has great authority. The announcement is about a fallen Babylon and its complete desolation. Its pride, greed, idolatry and selfish wealth is evident its fall. This is a description of Material Babylon. Material Babylon has done a great disservice the entire world. The world has followed its lead into these vices, these desires, and it has destroyed everything in the end.
Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
5
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
God’s people must separate from Babylon. Babylon isn’t a place that the followers of God should be. In this succinct verse we see a very important message. In our lives we must depart from worldliness (Isaiah 52:11, Jer 50:8, Jer 51:45, 2 Corin 6:14). This is a common concern of all scripture. But how do we do that? How do we separate from a world that we must live in?
If we view the “world system” as an organized opposition to God, it may make it clearer. That’s what Babylon stands for: a system that willfully walks away from God and says that its own truth is enough to sustain it. When we, as Christians, get sucked into that system and begin to chase after the very things that repulse God, then we’ve fallen into a great and subtle trap. We must be aware of how we deal in the world and make a valiant effort to turn away from things that are in opposition to God. We must remember that if we are of the world, then we are complicit in its sins. We must make a stand for God.
The people of Babylon do not do this and their atrocities against God reach all the way to Heaven (v.5). God remembers these crimes (Heb 8:12).
6
Give back to her as she has given;
pay her back double for what she has done.
Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
7
Give her as much torment and grief
as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;
I will never mourn.’
8
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
The Greek word for “to give back” is apodidomi and it is translated as “to give back what is due”. In the book of Exodus we get the foundational idea of paying back double (Exodus 22:4-9). When there was theft, restitution was paid back double.
In this verse there is a 3-fold sin. First, v.7 refers to the glory and luxury she gave herself. This is self-indulgence. The second sin, pride, is continued in verse 7, as well as the avoidance of suffering.
These are important to note because self-indulgence, selfishness, is the root of sin. It’s about getting what we want, despite if it hurts others, despite if it will hurt us physically or spiritually, because we want it now. Our selfishness destroys us.
If selfishness is a root problem, then if we dig a little deeper, we can certainly find a new bottom. Pride is the very sin we all deal with, and its the one sin that corrupts us more than any other. Pride is the deep idea that we achieve things on our own, and we can often relish in those feelings. It adds to our selfishness. Pride also destroys us.
But what about the avoidance of suffering. Why is that so bad? No one wants to suffer. In suffering, God speaks to us perhaps most profoundly. We often need to be brought to the edge of suffering in order to understand we have nothing in this life but God. God teaches us through suffering. But if we avoid that appointment with adversity, then do we learn? If we avoid learning, then do we grow?
Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall
9 “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’
This is a king’s lament. He is looking at the city from a distance and mourns over it. The destruction has come, yet there is melancholy from the king. He sees the great destruction, the end of his life in the city, and is sad. But why is he sad? Destruction has certainly come quickly, but is that it? Could it be that the king is mourning his own abandoned life in the embrace of the sins of the city? Like Lot’s wife in Genesis, she is unable to run away from Sodom without taking a look back at the city. Her heart was still there, harnessed to the city, the life, somehow tied to the opposition to God.
11 “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
17
In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.
The is the merchant’s lament. The merchants are heartbroken, but why? Because no one will buy their goods anymore. There is great self-interest here. Their sorrow is because they can’t live off this city, that was opposed to God. It speaks volumes to us in this life. Do we derive a life from some nefarious source? Does our livelihood depend on something that hurts someone else?
If you sell desks to a cigarette company, are you not somewhat complicit in their dealings? You know that cigarettes hurt others and one of the marketing ploys of cigarette companies is to introduce smoking to young children. But you’re just selling them desks, and its a big order, and that order can help your company. If you know the company is bad, you shouldn’t be helping it succeed. It’s the same story with the merchants of Babylon. Their funnel for a better life is gone. They don’t necessarily care for the people, but for the goods they could sell to it.
18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:
“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
where all who had ships on the sea
became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
Commercial Babylon has fallen. Again, a selfish response. They mourn and wail over its demise, but it is for their own selfish interests. The point is this: if we are yoked to something other than God, we will crumble when it is destroyed.
20
“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you.”
The Finality of Babylon’s Doom
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:
“With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.
22
The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
will never be heard in you again.
23
The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
The rejoice is not in the destruction and death of this moment, but for God’s righteous judgment. The millstone in verse 21 hearkens back to Jer. 51:61-64, where Jeremiah predicts this moment. This is a passing of the old world system. People will be hurt by Babylon’s fall to the extent of how they invested in it.
24
In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
Babylon’s judgment was against its crimes and atrocities against God, and foundationally we find that God’s people were slaughtered by Babylon. The people of Babylon were judged by its actions.