Revelation 18

The Fall of Babylon the Great

1 After this I saw another angel with great authority coming down from heaven, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.

2 He cried in a mighty voice: It has fallen,^[a] Babylon the Great has fallen!^[b] She has become a dwelling for demons, a haunt^[c] for every unclean spirit, a haunt^[d] for every unclean bird, and a haunt^[e] for every unclean and despicable beast.^{[f] [g]}

3 For all the nations have drunk^[h] the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.^[i] The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from her excessive luxury.

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven: Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins,^[j] or receive any of her plagues.

5 For her sins are piled up^[k] to heaven,^[l] and God has remembered her crimes.

6 Pay her back the way she also paid,^[m] and double it according to her works.^[n] In the cup in which she mixed,^[o] mix a double portion for her.

7 As much as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, give her that much torment and grief. Because she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief,'^[p]

8 therefore her plagues will come in one day^[q]- death, and grief, and famine. She will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who judges her is mighty.

The World Mourns Babylon's Fall

9 The kings of the earth who have committed sexual immorality and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

10 They stand far off in fear of her torment, saying: Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in a single hour^[r] your judgment has come.

11 The merchants of the earth will also weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise any longer-

12 merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine fabrics of linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; all kinds of fragrant wood products; objects of ivory; objects of expensive wood, brass,^[s] iron, and marble;

13 cinnamon, spice,^{[t] [u]} incense, myrrh,^[v] and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine wheat flour, and grain; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human bodies and souls.^{[w] [x] [y]}

14 The fruit you craved has left you. All your splendid and glamorous things are gone; they will never find them again.

15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,

16 saying: Woe, woe, the great city, clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls;

17 because in a single hour^[z] such fabulous wealth was destroyed! And every shipmaster, seafarer, the sailors, and all who do business by sea, stood far off

18 as they watched the smoke from her burning and kept crying out: "Who is like the great city?"^[aa]

19 They threw dust on their heads and kept crying out, weeping, and mourning:^[ab] Woe, woe, the great city,^[ac] where all those who have ships on the sea became rich from her wealth; because in a single hour^[ad] she was destroyed.

20 Rejoice over her, heaven, and you saints, apostles, and prophets,^[ae] because God has executed your judgment on her!^[af]

The Finality of Babylon's Fall

21 Then a mighty angel^[ag] picked up a stone like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying: In this way, Babylon the great city will be thrown down violently^[ah] and never be found again.^[ai]

22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again;^[aj] no craftsman of any trade will ever be found in you again; the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;

23 the light of a lamp will never shine in you again; and the voice of a groom and bride will never be heard in you again.^[ak] [All this will happen] because your merchants were the nobility of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery,^[al]

24 and the blood of prophets and saints, and all those slaughtered on earth, was found in you.^{[am] [an]}

Revelation 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

Another angel from heaven proclaims the fall of mystical Babylon. (1-3) A voice from heaven admonishes the people of God, lest they partake of her plagues. (4-8) The lamentations over her. (9-19) The church called upon to rejoice in her utter ruin. (20-24)

Verses 1-8 The downfal and destruction of the mystical Babylon are determined in the counsels of God. Another angel comes from heaven. This seems to be Christ himself, coming to destroy his enemies, and to shed abroad the light of his gospel through all nations. The wickedness of this Babylon was very great; she had forsaken the true God, and set up idols, and had drawn all sorts of men into spiritual adultery, and by her wealth and luxury kept them in her interest. The spiritual merchandise, by which multitudes have wickedly lived in wealth, by the sins and follies of mankind, seems principally intended. Fair warning is given to all that expect mercy from God, that they should not only come out of this Babylon, but assist in her destruction. God may have a people even in Babylon. But God's people shall be called out of Babylon, and called effectually, while those that partake with wicked men in their sins, must receive of their plagues.

Verses 9-19 The mourners had shared Babylon's sensual pleasures, and gained by her wealth and trade. The kings of the earth, whom she flattered into idolatry, allowing them to be tyrannical over their subjects, while obedient to her; and the merchants, those who trafficked for her indulgences, pardons, and honours; these mourn. Babylon's friends partook her sinful pleasures and profits, but are not willing to share her plagues. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and that sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they do not lament for the anger of God, but for the loss of outward comforts. The magnificence and riches of the ungodly will avail them nothing, but will render the vengeance harder to be borne. The spiritual merchandise is here alluded to, when not only slaves, but the souls of men, are mentioned as articles of commerce, to the destroying the souls of millions. Nor has this been peculiar to the Roman antichrist, and only her guilt. But let prosperous traders learn, with all their gains, to get the unsearchable riches of Christ; otherwise; even in this life, they may have to mourn that riches make to themselves wings and fly away, and that all the fruits their souls lusted after, are departed from them. Death, at any rate, will soon end their commerce, and all the riches of the ungodly will be exchanged, not only for the coffin and the worm, but for the fire that cannot be quenched.

Verses 20-24 That which is matter of rejoicing to the servants of God on earth, is matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. The apostles, who are honoured and daily worshipped at Rome in an idolatrous manner, will rejoice in her fall. The fall of Babylon was an act of God's justice. And because it was a final ruin, this enemy should never molest them any more; of this they were assured by a sign. Let us take warning from the things which brought others to destruction, and let us set our affections on things above, when we consider the changeable nature of earthly things.

Footnotes

• [a]. Other mss omit It has fallen
• [b]. Rv 14:8; Isaiah 21:9
• [c]. Or prison
• [d]. Or prison
• [e]. Or prison
• [f]. Other mss omit the words and a haunt for every unclean beast. The words and despicable then refer to the bird of the previous line.
• [g]. Isaiah 13:20-22
• [h]. Other mss read have collapsed; other mss read have fallen
• [i]. Rv 14:8; 17:2
• [j]. Isaiah 52:11; Jr 50:8; 51:6,9,45; 2 Co 6:17
• [k]. Or sins have reached up
• [l]. Jr 51:9
• [m]. Jr 50:29
• [n]. Isaiah 40:2; Jr 16:18; 17:18
• [o]. Rv 14:8
• [p]. Isaiah 47:7-8
• [q]. Suddenly
• [r]. Suddenly
• [s]. Or bronze, or copper
• [t]. Other mss omit spice
• [u]. Or amomum, an aromatic plant
• [v]. Or perfume
• [w]. Or carriages; and slaves, namely, human beings
• [x]. Slaves; "bodies" was the Gk way of referring to slaves; "souls of men" was the Hb way.
• [y]. Gn 36:6; Nm 31:32-35; 1 Ch 5:21; Ezk 27:13
• [z]. Suddenly
• [aa]. Ezk 27:32
• [ab]. Ezk 27:30
• [ac]. Rv 18:10, 16
• [ad]. Suddenly
• [ae]. Rv 12:12
• [af]. Or God pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you; see Rv 18:6
• [ag]. Rv 5:2; 10:1
• [ah]. Jr 51:59-64
• [ai]. Rv 16:20; 18:11,14,22-23
• [aj]. Isaiah 24:8
• [ak]. Jr 25:10
• [al]. Ancient sorcery or witchcraft often used spells and drugs. Here the term may be non-literal, that is, Babylon drugged the nations with her beauty and power.
• [am]. Lit in her
• [an]. Rv 6:10; 16:6

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 18

This chapter gives an account of the fall of Babylon, and of the lamentation of many, and of the joy of others, by reason of it; which account is published by several angels: the first that declares her fall is described by his original, descending from heaven; by the great power he had; by his resplendent glory, and by his mighty cry in publishing her destruction; which is illustrated by the desolate condition she will be in upon her fall; the reasons of which are given, became the nations and kings of the earth had committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth were enriched by her luxury, Re 18:1-3. Another voice is heard from heaven, calling upon the people of God, first to come out of her, lest partaking of her sins they should share in her plagues, seeing her iniquities had reached to heaven, and were remembered before God; and next to take full vengeance on her, because she had glorified herself, lived deliciously, and in great security, Re 18:4-7. And then follows a continuation of the account of her destruction, what her plagues would be, death, mourning, famine, and fire; and which would be sudden, in one hour, and certain, from the power and justice of God, Re 18:8. Next follow the lamentations of the kings, merchants, and masters of ships, because of her greatness, riches, and merchandise, which are all come to nothing, Re 18:9-19. And then the church; the saints, apostles, and prophets, are called upon to rejoice at the vengeance taken on her, Re 18:20 upon which a mighty angel appears, who by an action signifies the manner of her destruction, and the irrecoverableness of her state and condition, Re 18:21 and declares her utter ruin, by affirming that nothing that was either delightful or profitable, or necessary or comfortable, should any more be found in her; giving the reasons of it, because of her luxury, idolatry, and bloodshed, Re 18:22-24.