Qǐshìlù 18

1 Cǐ hòu , wǒ kànjian Lìng yǒu yī wèi yǒu dà quánbǐng de tiānshǐ cóng tiān jiàng xià . dì jiù yīn tāde róngyào fāguāng .

2 Tā dàshēng hǎn zhe shuō , Bābǐlún dà chéng qīng dǎo le , chéng le guǐ mó de zhù chù , hé gèyàng wūhuì zhī líng de chaó xué , ( huò zuò laó yù xià tóng ) bìng gèyàng wūhuì kĕ zēng zhī què niǎo de chaó xué .

3 Yīnwei liè guó dōu beì tā xié yín dà nù de jiǔ qīng dǎo le . dì shàng de jūnwáng yǔ tā xíng yín , dì shàng de kè shāng , yīn tā shēhuá taì guò jiù fā le cái .

4 Wǒ yòu tīngjian cóng tiān shàng yǒu shēngyīn shuō , wǒde mín nǎ , nǐmen yào cóng nà chéng chūlai , miǎndé yǔ tā yītóng yǒu zuì , shòu tā suǒ shòu de zāiyāng .

5 Yīn tāde zuìè tāo tiān tāde bú yì shén yǐjing xiǎngqǐ lái le .

6 Tā zĕnyàng daì rén , yĕ yào zĕnyàng daì tā , àn tā suǒ xíng de jiābeì de bàoyìng tā . yòng tā tiaó jiǔ de bēi , jiābeì de tiaó gĕi tā hē .

7 Tā zĕnyàng róngyào zìjǐ , zĕnyàng shēhuá , yĕ dāng jiào tā zhàoyàng tòngkǔ bēiāi . yīn tā xīnli shuō , wǒ zuò le huáng hòu de wèi , bìng bú shì guǎfu , jué búzhìyú bēiāi .

8 Suǒyǐ zaì yī tiān zhī neì , tāde zāiyāng yào yī qí lái dào , jiù shì sǐwáng , bēiāi , jīhuāng , tā yòu yào beì huǒshào jìn le . yīnwei shĕnpàn tāde zhǔ shén dà yǒu nénglì .

9 Dì shàng de jūnwáng , sùlái yǔ tā xíng yín yītóng shēhuá de , kànjian shāo tāde yān , jiù bì wèi tā kūqì āi haó .

10 Yīn pà tāde tòngkǔ , jiù yuǎn yuǎn de zhàn zhe shuō , āi zāi , āi zāi , Bābǐlún dà chéng , jiāngù de chéng a , yī shí zhī jiān nǐde xíngfá jiù lái dào le .

11 Dì shàng de kè shāng yĕ dōu wèi tā kūqì bēiāi , yīnwei méiyǒu rén zaì mǎi tāmende huò wù le .

12 Zhè huò wù jiù shì jīn , yín , bǎoshí , zhēnzhū , xìmábù , zǐse liào , chóuzi , zhūhóngsē liào , gèyàng xiāng mù , gèyàng xiàng yá de qìmǐn , gèyàng jí bǎoguì de mùtou hé tóng , tiĕ , hàn bái yù de qìmǐn ,

13 Bìng rònguì , dòu kòu , xiāngliào , xiānggāo , rǔxiāng , jiǔ , yóu , xì miàn , maìzi , niú , yáng , chē , mǎ , hé núpú , rénkǒu .

14 Bābǐlún nǎ , nǐ suǒ tān aì de guǒzi líkāi le nǐ . nǐ yīqiè de zhēn xiū mĕiwèi , hé huámĕi de wùjiàn , yĕ cóng nǐ zhōngjiān huǐmiè , jué bùnéng zaìjiàn le .

15 Fàn maì zhèxie huò wù , jiè zhe tā fā le cái de kè shāng , yīn pà tāde tòngkǔ , jiù yuǎn yuǎn de zhàn zhe kūqì bēiāi , shuō ,

16 Āi zāi , āi zāi , zhè dà chéng a , sùcháng chuān zhe xì má , zǐse , zhūhóngsē de yīfu , yòu yòng jīnzi , bǎoshí , hé zhēnzhū wéi zhuāngshì .

17 Yī shí zhī jiàn , zhème dà de fù hòu jiù guīyú wú yǒu le . fán chuán zhǔ , hé zuò chuán wǎng gè chù qù de , bìng zhòng shuǐ shǒu , lián suǒ yǒu kào hǎi wéi yè de , dōu yuǎn yuǎn de zhàn zhe ,

18 Kànjian shāo tāde yān , jiù hǎn zhe shuō , yǒu hé chéng néng bǐ zhè dà chéng ne .

19 Tāmen yòu bǎ chéntǔ sǎ zaì tóu shàng , kūqì bēiāi , hǎn zhe shuō , āi zāi , āi zāi , zhè dà chéng a . fán yǒu chuán zaì hǎi zhōng de , dōu yīn tāde zhēn bǎo chéng le fùzú . tā zaì yī shí zhī jiàn jiù biàn chéng le huāng chǎng .

20 Tiān nǎ , zhòng shèngtú zhòng shǐtú zhòng xiānzhī a , nǐmen dōu yào yīn tā huānxǐ . yīnwei shén yǐjing zaì tā shēnshang shēn le nǐmen de yuān .

21 Yǒu yī wèi dàlì de tiānshǐ jǔqǐ yī kuaì shítou , hǎoxiàng dà mòshí , rēng zaì hǎi lǐ , shuō , Bābǐlún dà chéng , yĕ bì zhèyàng mĕng lì de beì rēng xià qù , bùnéng zaìjiàn le .

22 Tán qín , zuòlè , chuī dí , chuīhào de shēngyīn , zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān jué bùnéng zaì tīngjian . gè xíng shǒu yì rén zaì nǐ zhōngjiān jué bùnéng zaì yùjiàn . tuī mò de shēngyīn zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān jué bùnéng zaì tīngjian .

23 Dēng guāng zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān jué bùnéng zaì zhàoyào . xīnláng hé xīn fù de shēngyīn , zaì nǐmen zhōngjiān jué bùnéng zaì tīngjian . nǐde kè shāng yuánlái shì dì shàng de zūnguì rén . wàn guó yĕ beì nǐde xiéshù míhuò le .

24 Xiānzhī hé shèngtú , bìng dì shàng yīqiè beì shā zhī rén de xiĕ , dōu zaì zhè chéng lǐ kànjian le .

Qǐshìlù 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.

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.