| Fallen is
Babylon (Revelation 18)
The scarlet woman, otherwise known as the mother
of the harlots has been positively identified as
that great city that reigneth over the kings of the
earth. Revelation chapter 18 contains numerous
characteristics of the harlot which help reinforce
the belief that the Babylon of Revelation is the
nation-city of Rome. To someone living in the first
century, there is no other city but Rome which could
have fit these characteristics. As with the first
series of visions before the introduction of the
little book, we are seeing the imminent downfall of
the oppressors of Christianity. Much more
information with much more detail has been given in
the second series of visions. Through the
activities of the beasts portrayed in chapter 13 we
have seen many of the ways the Christians were
persecuted. They were denied the ability to
participate in free trade, they were forced to
receive a certificate claiming they had bowed down
to emperor worship under witnesses. The bowls of
wrath were similar to the opening of the seals where
they pertained to the divine retribution God
unleashed on the earth and on its inhabitants in the
effort to bring the ungodly to repentance.
In the first series of visions, Rome was brought
to her knees and then destroyed. In the second
series of visions which are a culmination of what
was found in the "little book" that John received,
Rome is brought to her knees and now we have reached
the point where we will see her downfall again but
this time with much more detail. The entire chapter
of Revelation 18 illustrates in vivid picturesque
fashion the destruction and downfall of the Roman
Empire.
Revelation 18:1-2
1 After these things I saw another angel coming
down out of heaven, having great authority; and the
earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen,
fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a
habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean
spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful
bird.
Babylon here is a picture of Rome. Peter
referred to Rome as Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13. It is
obvious that Babylon was a common term among
Christians of the day when referring to Rome. It
was dangerous indeed to name Rome in a bad light
publicly. Rome's downfall is described in the past
tense which represents to the original readership
the surety of her fate. To the first readers of
John's visions, their enemy is as good as dead.
Revelation 18:3
For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication
all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the
earth committed fornication with her, and the
merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of
her wantonness.
All of the emperor worship, all of the pagan gods,
all of of the decadence, promiscuity, homosexuality,
decadence, infanticide, gluttony, excess and
lascivious living has not gone unnoticed by God.
And because of this and their stubborn refusal to
repent, not only did Rome herself fall, but all of
the nations who made up the Empire fell with her and
were conquered.
This verse is strong internal evidence in support
of the Roman empire being the evil object of the
Christian persecution. No other city in this
timeframe of the writing saw any of the surrounding
nations fall with her. It is significant here to
note that the Babylon of this vision did not go down
alone. Several nations shared in her fate. It is a
historical fact that when the Roman Empire declined
and eventually fell, several nations shared in that
fate.
Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying,
Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no
fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of
her plagues:
It is not at all difficult to identify the owner
of this voice. He referred to his listeners
as "my people". This exhortation from
heaven's throne is a restatement of what inspiration
has said elsewhere.
Ephesians 5:11
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them."
2 Corinthians 6:17
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you."
It is no secret that God does not want His
children associating with the deeds of worldly
people. He knows that when they do, they are
subject to be overcome by temptation. Nobody likes
to see their children tempted to do evil and God is
certainly no different. Christians are called to be
separate from the world, pilgrims traveling in a
foreign land, with their nationality in heaven.
This is how Christians set themselves apart from the
people of the world. One can observe them and their
actions and see that they are not the same as those
who live in the world.
The warning within Revelation 18:4 does not go
unnoticed. God does not want His children to suffer
the plagues that will be inflicted upon the
unrighteous. Those who do not come out and separate
themselves from the sins of the Roman Empire will
suffer in her plagues. The Application for us today
is no different. Christians living today are to be
separate from worldly activities just like the
Christians living under the Roman persecution did.
We can become partakers of the sins of others by
joining in with their activities and in so doing
will share in the consequences.
Revelation 18:5
"for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and
God hath remembered her iniquities."
Babylon, here used to illustrate Rome, has
persecuted Christians and has gone down as one of
the most decadent and immoral societies that ever
existed on earth. Her sins were so egregious that
they were said by John to have reached even unto
heaven. They had piled up and piled up until they
are illustrated here as being a heap of
unrighteousness set before the throne of God in His
sight.
Revelation 18:6
"Render unto her even as she rendered, and double
(unto her) the double according to her works: in the
cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double."
The persecution, pain and suffering she inflicted
upon the saints is going to be payed back double and
indeed it was. Her refusal to repent from Christian
persecution and idolatry cost Rome her very
existence on earth and those who never repented
indeed will suffer the fate of the lost on top of
the misery that befell them during the fall of
Rome.
Revelation 18:7
"How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed
wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning:
for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no
widow, and shall in no wise see mourning."
In addition to doubling the misery and pain she
dealt on the Christians, Rome is also going to be
shamed to the level she glorified herself. Rome
thought she was so mighty and so powerful that it
would never end. She thought she was invincible and
would never fall. How wrong she was.
These words are reminiscent of the prophecy of
Isaiah concerning the real Babylon: Isaiah 47:7-9
"And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so
that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart,
neither didst remember the latter end of it.
Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to
pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in
thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall
not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of
children: But these two things shall come to thee
in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and
widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their
perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and
for the great abundance of thine enchantments."
Revelation 18:8
"Therefore in one day shall her plagues come,
death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be
utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God
who judged her."
When judgment comes it's going to be swift,
severe and sure. John is not telling his readers
that these plagues will be accomplished collectively
in a single day. Rather, when they do come, they
will be swift and devastating.
Revelation 18:9
"And the kings of the earth, who committed
fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep
and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of
her burning,"
And the vassal kingdoms who were part of the
Roman Empire who bowed to the emperors and joined in
with the pagan idolatrous practices of Rome who
thought they were so safe and secure under her
protection are going to realize their benefactor and
protector is no longer there. Their rich lifestyles
are torn away as nation after nation falls to
invading conquerors of the Roman Empire.
Revelation 18:10
"standing afar off for the fear of her torment,
saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the
strong city! for in one hour is thy judgment come."
Not wanting to share in the fate of Rome, her
vassal kingdoms kept their distance as best they
could. They hated to see her fall but not badly
enough to go share in her fate.
Revelation 18:11
"And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn
over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any
more"
Many merchants the world over enjoyed great trade
opportunities with Rome. Her many roads paved the
way for trade routes all over the empire. People
who lived in and did business with the Roman Empire
enjoyed great benefits from Roman commerce. But
when Rome fell, so also fell the trade opportunities
enjoyed by the merchants of the world.
Revelation 18:12-14
"merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious
stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and
silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every
vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;
and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment,
and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour,
and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and (merchandise)
of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men.
And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone
from thee, and all things that were dainty and
sumptuous are perished from thee, and (men) shall
find them no more at all."
During the height of the Roman Empire the
citizens lived one of the most luxurious opulent
lifestyles imaginable. They had slaves for nearly
everything. Wealthy Roman citizens believed it was
beneath them to even lift a finger to take care of
themselves. They had slaves for doctors, cooking,
house keeping, working, gardening, etc, etc. They
heaped up for themselves gold and precious jewels of
every kind available. Every substance and object
which was characteristic of great wealth was brought
in and sold to them. And now they are gone.
Revelation 18:15-16
"The merchants of these things, who were made
rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of
her torment, weeping and mourning; saying, Woe, woe,
the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen
and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and
precious stone and pearl!"
Those who attained great wealth from Rome mourn
her downfall but they won't come near to the city
for fear of getting caught up in her destruction.
It is significant to look at the description of the
wealth and the riches and degree of prosperity that
this city once enjoyed. The city illustrated in
this vision was a shining, wealthy beyond
description city who rose up before the entire world
in her splendor and power. In the timeframe of this
writing there is only one city that demonstrated the
possession of worldly goods and fortune that is
illustrated here. It can be only Rome. "That
great city which reigneth over the kings of the
earth", (Revelation 17:18).
Revelation 18:17
"for in an hour so great riches is made desolate.
And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any
wither, and mariners, and as many as gain their
living by sea, stood afar off"
In an hour suggests the suddenness and
unexpectedness for which this all happened. And
again we see those who traded with the great and
powerful nation-city of Rome standing afar off and
watching her destruction from a distance, not
wanting to get too close lest they get caught up in
her destruction and perish as well.
Revelation 17:18
"and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of
her burning, saying, What (city) is like the great
city?"
There was no other city on earth that could
compare to the great nation-city of Rome. There can
be little doubt here that the most powerful city on
the earth was in view here. The greatest, the
richest, the one that nobody thought would ever
fall, the great and mighty city of splendor, wealth
and power, the most brilliant, glorious city to ever
rule upon the earth at that time; who else is like
this great city?
Revelation 17:19
"And they cast dust on their heads, and cried,
weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great
city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea
were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in
one hour is she made desolate."
Scattered throughout the Revelation like raisins
in raisin bread are little clues that we use to
positively identify Rome as the great harlot of
Babylon. Here is just such a clue. The harlot was
a port city where trade ships sailed in with goods.
Again the one hour speaks of the abruptness and
surety of the event and not to an actual time
frame.
Revelation 17:20
"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints,
and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath
judged your judgment on her."
During the opening of the seals the souls of
slain martyrs cried out asking when their blood
would be avenged on their murderers, (Revelation
6:9-11). They were given white robes and told they
must wait until God's purpose was finished. They
had to wait until their fellow saints fulfilled
their roles and duties and all the souls who would
convert had done so.
The saints, apostles and prophets who had been
slain by the Roman Empire finally saw judgment
handed out for the atrocities, the pain, the
suffering and the persecution wrought on them by an
evil empire who glutted herself in their blood.
Revelation 18:21-22
"And a strong angel took up a stone as it were a
great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying,
Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon, the great
city, be cast down, and shall be found no more at
all. And the voice of harpers and minstrels and
flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more
at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever
craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and
the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in
thee"
These words are reminiscent of Jeremiah's
prophecy to Seriah of the real Babylon in Jeremiah
51:61-64
"And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest
to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these
words; Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken
against this place, to cut it off, that none shall
remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it
shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when
thou hast made an end of reading this book, that
thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the
midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, Thus shall
Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that
I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary..."
We see here in these words not only the
suddenness and unexpectedness of Rome's downfall but
we see now the finality of it. Neither Babylon nor
Rome will ever rise to power again. God's judgment
is thorough and final.
Revelation 18:23
"and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at
all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of
the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for
thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for
with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived."
Rome's merchants were indeed wealthy. Compared
to the princes of the earth. The power and splendor
of the Roman Empire deceived all the peoples and
nations into believing she could never fall. With
her power seeming so absolute it was easy for them
to be deceived into joining in with her and
partaking of the idolatrous worship, the pagan
ceremonies and the lascivious lifestyles. What need
had anybody for the God of the Christians when they
had the magnificent Rome to embrace?
Revelation 18:24
"And in her was found the blood of prophets and
of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the
earth."
It wasn't enough that Rome partook of the evils
of idolatry and lasciviousness. They would not
tolerate the Christians who opposed these
practices. The faithful Christians refused to bow
down to the emperors and the other false Gods. The
faithful Christians refused to participate in their
wild drunken feasts and celebrations, choosing the
way of righteousness and goodness. They became the
objects of ridicule, discrimination and persecution
to the point that they were rounded up and
slaughtered. It would be an impossible task to
quantify the number of Christians killed by those of
the Roman Empire. Satan is a truly heartless,
vicious and cruel enemy of all that is good.
"And
I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the
saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus"
(Revelation 17:6)
Revelation 18 Paraphrase
Then I saw another angel descending from heaven,
possessing great authority, and the whole earth was
illuminated with his radiance and splendor. And he
shouted with a mighty voice, "The Mighty Empire is
fallen! She has allowed herself to become a home and
dwelling place for demons, a dark habitation of
every loathsome spirit, a prison for every filthy
and detestable bird. For all nations have partaken
of the filth of her fornication and will share in
the wrath to come. Their rulers and leaders have
joined with her in committing idolatry and the
businessmen of the earth have become rich with the
wealth of her excessive luxury and wantonness."
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
"Come out from her, my children, so that you will
not share in her sins, neither suffer in her
plagues. For her crimes and transgressions against
me are piled up as high as heaven, and God sees her
wickedness and her crimes. She will be repaid what
she herself has paid to others and her punishment
shall be doubled in accordance with what she has
done. She will received a double portion for herself
of the sufferings she mixed for others. To the
degree that she glorified herself and reveled in her
wantonness, to that measure shall be imposed her
torment and anguish and tears and mourning. Since in
her heart she boasts, I am not destitute; as a queen
on a throne I sit, and I shall never see suffering
or experience sorrow. So shall her afflictions and
calamities come upon her suddenly and unexpectedly.
Pestilence and anguish and sorrow and famine will
befall her and she shall be utterly destroyed for
mighty is the Lord God Who judges her."
And the rulers and leaders of the earth who
joined with her in her immorality and idolatry, and
luxuriated with her will weep and lament over her
when they see the smoke of her destruction. But
they will stand a long way off, in terror of her
torment, and they will cry, Woe and alas, the great
city, the mighty city, Babylon! How suddenly your
doom has overtaken you! And earth's merchants will
weep and grieve over her because no one is there to
buy their merchandise anymore.
Their merchandise is of gold, silver, precious
stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and
scarlet clothes; all kinds of scented wood, all
sorts of articles of ivory, all varieties of objects
of costly woods, bronze, iron, and marble; Of
cinnamon, spices, incense, ointment and perfume, and
frankincense, of wine and olive oil, fine flour and
wheat; of cattle and sheep, horses and conveyances;
and of slaves and souls of men! So now the ripe
fruits and delicacies for which you soul longed have
gone from you and all your luxuries and dainties,
your elegance and splendor are lost to you forever.
The merchants who sold these articles, who grew
wealthy through their business with her, will stand
a long way off, in terror of her doom and torment,
weeping and grieving aloud, and saying, "Alas, alas
for the great city that was robed in fine linen, in
purple and scarlet, bedecked and glittering with
gold, with precious stones, and with pearls! Because
in no time at all the vast wealth has been wiped
out."
And all ship captains and pilots, navigators and
all who live by seafaring, the crews and all who ply
their trade on the sea, stood a long way off
watching. And they cried as they watched the smoke
of her destruction, saying, "What city could be
compared to the great city?" And they wept and
grieved, exclaiming, "Woe and alas, for the great
city, where all who had ships on the sea grew rich
through trade with her from her great wealth! So
unexpected and suddenly she has been destroyed and
has become destitute."
Rejoice over her Oh Heaven. Rejoice children of
God and apostles and prophets for at long last God
has executed vengeance upon her for your sakes. Then
a single powerful angel took up a boulder like a
great millstone and flung it into the sea, crying,
"With such violence shall Babylon the great city be
hurled down to destruction and shall never again be
seen."
The music of harpists and minstrels and flute
players and trumpeters shall never again be heard in
you, and no skilled artisan of any craft shall ever
again be found in you, and the sound of the
millstone shall never again be heard in you. Never
again shall the light of a lamp shine in you, and
the voice of bridegroom and bride shall never be
heard in you ever again. For your merchants were
great and prominent men of the earth, and by your
deception of security and power all nations were
deceived into joining in with your wantonness and
idolatry.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of
saints, and of all those who have been slain by her
on the earth.
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