Revelation 18:5
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Revelation 18:5
her sins have reached to heaven
Although each and every evil deed of history is known to God, there comes a time where the number and magnitude of sins reaches a point where God is forced, by His righteous character, to intervene. When this occurs, sin is said to gain His attention in a special way. The voice of Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground (Gen. Gen. 4:10). The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah reached up to God (Gen. Gen. 18:20-21; Gen. 19:13). Nineveh’s wickedness came up before the LORD (Jonah Jonah 1:2). Particularly heinous acts are said to reach up to heaven (2Chr. 2Chr. 28:9). As guilt compounds, it is said to grow up to the heavens (Ezra Ezra 9:6). In the establishment of Babel , the people had attempted to make themselves a name by constructing a tower which reached to heaven (Gen. Gen. 11:4). Instead, they had been dispersed. Now they have built a new tower reaching to heaven—a tower of sin. As her sin is so great it reaches to heaven, so is her judgment: “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; for her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies” (Jer. Jer. 51:9).
God has remembered her iniquities
Not that God could forget a single one of her iniquities, but that He now considers the sum total of their weight and the need to respond in righteous judgment. As the iniquity of the Amorites finally reached its full height (Gen. Gen. 15:16), the guilt of Babylon now requires God’s intervention in order to be true to His righteous character. “And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” (Rev. Rev. 16:19+). Babylon had thought her wickedness would not be taken into account: “You have said, ‘No one sees me’ ” (Isa. Isa. 47:10).
Although each and every evil deed of history is known to God, there comes a time where the number and magnitude of sins reaches a point where God is forced, by His righteous character, to intervene. When this occurs, sin is said to gain His attention in a special way. The voice of Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground (Gen. Gen. 4:10). The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah reached up to God (Gen. Gen. 18:20-21; Gen. 19:13). Nineveh’s wickedness came up before the LORD (Jonah Jonah 1:2). Particularly heinous acts are said to reach up to heaven (2Chr. 2Chr. 28:9). As guilt compounds, it is said to grow up to the heavens (Ezra Ezra 9:6). In the establishment of Babel , the people had attempted to make themselves a name by constructing a tower which reached to heaven (Gen. Gen. 11:4). Instead, they had been dispersed. Now they have built a new tower reaching to heaven—a tower of sin. As her sin is so great it reaches to heaven, so is her judgment: “We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country; for her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies” (Jer. Jer. 51:9).
God has remembered her iniquities
Not that God could forget a single one of her iniquities, but that He now considers the sum total of their weight and the need to respond in righteous judgment. As the iniquity of the Amorites finally reached its full height (Gen. Gen. 15:16), the guilt of Babylon now requires God’s intervention in order to be true to His righteous character. “And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” (Rev. Rev. 16:19+). Babylon had thought her wickedness would not be taken into account: “You have said, ‘No one sees me’ ” (Isa. Isa. 47:10).