REVELATION CHAPTER 18, “The Overthrow Of Commercial Babylon”

Jim Bomkamp

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapter 17 and the overthrow of religious Babylon.

1.1.1. We saw that in chapter 17 and 18 that Babylon has two symbolisms: all false religion and the commercial systems of the world.

1.1.2. We saw in chapter 17 that all false religions’ belief systems can be traced to the religions of ancient Babylon. We saw specifically how that many of the teachings and practices of Catholicism came from Babylon beginning after 300BC when Constantine was supposedly converted to Christianity and made Christianity the world religion, as he sought to appease the followers of the pagan religions by incorporating their rites, beliefs, and practices into the church.

1.1.3. We saw that the world Ecumenical Church, which includes the Roman Catholic Church, will enable the Antichrist to get to power in the first half of the 7 year Tribulation, however at the mid-point of the Tribulation that the Antichrist and the kings under his authority will steal the riches and power away from the world Ecumenical Church and she will once for all be destroyed.

1.1.4. We saw that when the world Ecumenical Church is destroyed at the mid point of the 7 Year Tribulation, all of the world will be forced to worship the Antichrist at the threat of death.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapter 18 and the overthrow of commercial Babylon.

1.2.1. In this chapter, John receives a revelation from another angel concerning the complete overthrow of Babylon the city which will at that time be not only the center of all religious worship in the world, but also the center of all commerce and business in the world.

1.2.2. From several Old Testament prophesies concerning the city of Babylon, we read that the city was prophesied to at some time be completely destroyed at the time of the “day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13-14 ; Jeremiah 50-51), to the extent that there would never be another city build on its foundations (Jeremiah 51:26), nor would any person every inhabit it again (Isaiah 13:20). However, history reveals to us that though the city of Babylon gradually declined after the time of those Old Testament prophesies, that it was never destroyed in the way described in those prophesies. In fact, there have always been people living upon the ruins of Babylon and several cities have existed at its site for the past 2,500 years. Peter even tells us in his epistle of 1 Peter that he had written that letter from Babylon.

1.2.3. We would then expect that because the word of God is infallible and inerrant that the full destruction of Babylon is something that is still future. Chapter 18 here again prophesies the full destruction of the city of Babylon just as if it is echoing the chorus of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the city.

1.2.4. The New Bible Dictionary has the following entry concerning the history of the city of Babylon:

“According to Gn. 10:10, *Nimrod founded the city as his capital, while Babylonian religious tradition gives the credit to the god Marduk (otherwise apart from the reference to the building of the Tower of *Babel (the ziggurat) there are no records of its foundation).

Sargon I of Agade (c. 2400 bc) and his successor Sharkalisharri built temples for the gods Anunitum and Amal and restored the temple-tower according to tradition. It is possible that their city of Agade was built on part of the ruins of the earlier city of Babylon. In the time of Shulgi of Ur (c. 2000 bc) Babylon was attacked and then ruled by governors (patensi) appointed from Ur. With the advent of the Amorite 1st Dynasty of Babylon under Sumu-abum the city walls were restored and Hammurapi and his successors enlarged the town, which flourished as capital of their realm until its overthrow by the Hittites c. 1595 bc. After a period under Kassite domination the city revolted and was attacked on several occasions, notably by Tiglath-pileser I of Assyria c. 1100 bc. Babylon repeatedly strove for its independence, and once a Chaldean ruler, Marduk-apla-iddina II (722-710, 703-702 bc), sent embassies to enlist the help of Judah (2 Ki. 20:12-18). Isaiah’s account of the fate of the city (Is. 13) is very similarly worded to the account by Sargon II of Assyria of his sack of the place. In an attempt to remove the chief rebels, some of the leading citizens were deported to Samaria, where they introduced the worship of local Babylonian deities (2 Ki. 17:24-30). Sennacherib made his son king of Babylon but he was killed by pro-Babylonian Elamites in 694 bc. In an attempt to end this upsurge of Babylonian nationalism Sennacherib sacked the city in 689 bc and removed the sacred statues. His son, Esarhaddon, sought to restore the holy city to which he transported Manasseh as prisoner (2 Ch. 33:11). He made Babylon a vassal-city under a son, Sãamasû-sûum-ukin, who, however, quarrelled with his brother *Ashurbanipal of Assyria. In the subsequent war of 652-648 bc Babylon was severely damaged by fire, and once again the Assyrians tried appointing a local chief, Kandalanu, as governor.

The decline of the Assyrian empire enabled Nabopolassar, a Chaldean, to recover the city and found a new dynasty in 626 bc. His work of restoring the city was ably continued by his successors, especially his son, Nebuchadrezzar II, king of Babylonia (2 Ki. 24:1), whose boast was of the great city he had rebuilt (Dn. 4:30). It was to Babylon that the victorious Babylonian army brought the Jewish captives after the wars against Judah. Among these was Jehoiachin, whose captivity there is confirmed by inscriptions found in the ruins of Babylon itself. The plunder from the Temple at Jerusalem, brought with the blinded king Zedekiah (2 Ki. 25:7-3), was stored in the main temple of this city, probably that of the god Marduk (2 Ch. 36:7). The city was later ruled by Ameµl-Marduk (*Evil-Merodach) and was the place where Daniel served the last Chaldean ruler *Belshazzar, co-regent of Nabonidus.

As predicted by Isaiah (14:1-23; 21:1-10; 46:1-2; 47:1-5) and Jeremiah (50-51), Babylon was to fall in its turn and be left a heap of ruins (see d). In October 539 the Persians ruler Cyrus entered the city and Belshazzar was slain (Dn. 5:30). The principal buildings were spared and the temples and their statues restored by royal decree. There is no extra-biblical record of the government of the city, which now became a subsidiary Persian capital with an Achaemenid palace there. The temple vessels were delivered to Sheshbazzar for restoration to Jerusalem, and the discovery of the record of this, probably in the record office at Babylon, in the reign of Darius I (Ezr. 5:16ff.) was the cause of a further return of exiles rallied at Babylon by Ezra (8:1). Babylon, as of old, was the centre of a number of rebellions, by Nindintu-Beµl in 522 bc, and Araka (521 bc), and by Belshimanni and Shamash-eriba in 482 bc. In suppressing the latter, Xerxes destroyed the city (478 bc); although Alexander planned to restore it, he met his death there before work had progressed far, and with the funding of Seleucia on the river Tigris as the capital of the Seleucid rulers after the capture of Babylon in 312 bc, the city once again fell into disrepair and ruins, although, according to cuneiform texts, the temple of Bel continued in existence at least until ad 75.”

1.2.5. Tim Lahaye, in his Revelation Commentary has the following quote concerning how after the prophesies of Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51 were given, that at least six cities used parts of ancient Babylon in their being established, “It is reliably reported that at least six cities bear the marks of having used parts of ancient Babylon in their building, including Seleucia, buit by the Greeks; Ctesiphon, by the Parthians; Almaiden, by the Persians; and Kufa, by the Cliphs. Hillah, just a twenty-minute walk from the Babylonian ruins, was built almost entirely from the ruins of Babylon. The builders of Baghdad, fifty miles north of the site of ancient Babylon, also used materials from the ancient city.” Thus, we conclude that the prophesies of Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51 have not as yet been fulfilled.

1.2.6. As has happened so many times already in our study of the book of Revelation, we need in this chapter to determine what things are of a symbolic nature and what things are to be interpreted literally. To begin with, we have to determine whether or not the city of Babylon mentioned in the chapter is the resurrected city of ancient Babylon or whether it refers symbolically to some other city or to some system upon the earth. Many good Bible commentators have tried to identify Babylon as being a code name for Rome, and that the resurrected Roman empire that will be the home of the Antichrist is in view. However, because of these unfulfilled prophesies concerning Babylon it is my opinion that the ancient city of Babylon is to be rebuilt either just before the 7 Year Tribulation or at the beginning of it, and that this city will then immediately rise to being the center of all of the world’s commerce, trading, and business as it is also the capital city of the Antichrist and His world empire. It is this city then that will be destroyed at the conclusion of the 7 Year Tribulation period.

1.2.7. In the past 25+ years Iraq and Sadaam Hussein have been rebuilding Babylon and according to Tim Lahaye, by the time of the writing of his Revelation commentary, they had already spent one billion dollars in its rebuilding.

2. VS 18:1 - “18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.” - After the vision in chapter 17 of the fallen woman who symbolized all of the false religions on the face of the earth, John now sees another great angel coming down out of heaven

2.1. Tim Lahaye in his Revelation commentary has given several good reasons for believing that chapter 17 and 18 don’t occur simultaneously and that the events of chapter 18 occur during the 7 Year Tribulation period after the events of chapter 17 and its description of the overthrow of “religious Babylon”, which will occur at the mid-point of the 7 year Tribulation:

2.1.1. Chapter 18 begins with “after this”.

2.1.2. Chapter 18 begins by telling us that it was “another angel” who came and proclaimed the events that will occur in the fall of “Commercial Babylon”.

2.1.3. The names for Babylon are different in the two chapters, in chapter 18 it is “Babylon the great” that is mentioned, not “Babylon the great the mother of harlots”.

2.1.4. The Babylon of chapter 17 will be destroyed by the kings of the earth but the Babylon of chapter 18 will be destroyed by cataclysmic judgments of God.

2.1.5. The kings who destroy Babylon in chapter 17 rejoice at her destruction, but the kings and merchants of chapter 18 weep and lament at the destruction of Babylon.

2.1.6. There would be no place for the Antichrist to do away with all of the other religions and substitute their worship for worship of him, if chapter 17 occurred at the end of the 7 year Tribulation along with the events of chapter 18.

2.2. As chapter 18 describes the event, “commercial Babylon” must be destroyed at the conclusion of the 7 year Tribulation, just before the “glorious appearing” (second coming) of Christ.

2.3. Here in chapter 18, we see that the interpretation of the chapter is to be literal. Whereas chapter 17 was interpreted primarily in a symbolic way. Chapter 17 dealt with the overthrow of religious Babylon, and chapter 18 deals with the overthrow of “commercial Babylon”.

2.4. In chapter 17, the kings of the earth and the Beast rejoiced over the overthrow and downfall of the woman, however in chapter 18 the kings and merchants of the earth mourn at the overthrow of commercial Babylon.

2.5. Babylon as a city has great significance in the history of the world. Nimrod the mighty hunter was the founder of Babylon. In ancient Babylon, mankind congregated together and through their united effort sought to be self-sufficient to the greatest extent. God’s command to man was to go out into all parts of the world and to propagate the earth. It was never God’s plan for mankind to congregate together in a big city and create a major business and commercial center. However, that was what happened in ancient Babylon. Not only did mankind gather together in one city united for the purpose of business and commerce, mankind also sought to assert its independence of God.

2.6. The building up of the Tower of Babel was actually the logical extension of the city life of the city itself. Mankind thought that if they built a huge tower up into the skies that they would be able to see up into the heavens and far out across the earth, thus all of the secrets of the universe would soon begin to unravel to them. There occurred at Babylon then an accelerated massing of knowledge and learning, however it had to be curbed because it did not fit into God’s plan for the human race. Therefore, God judged the people of Babylon and confused their tongues so that they suddenly could not understand one another. Then, because of the inability to understand each other the different people groups within the city spread out into all the earth, and wherever they went they brought with them the religion, culture, and business models which originated in Babylon.

2.7. The English word ‘babel’ means “confusion” and has come into our language because of the confusion of the languages by God at the Tower of Babel.

2.8. One of the most reoccurring themes in the Bible is that of not living for the riches of this world, for instance:

2.8.1. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Tim. 6:9-10, “9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang.”

2.8.2. Again, Jesus taught the parable of the man who was rich in the world’s things only and who wanted to build bigger barns in Luke 12:16-21, “16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive. 17 “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 “And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.””

2.9. So, just as all of the world’s idolatrous worship and religions can be traced to ancient Babylon, likewise the world’s systems of business can be traced back to Babylon, and thus in the mind of God the city of Babylon has dual significance.

2.10. It is important that we see that the events of chapter 18 are subsequent to the events of chapter 17. It must be so, for the woman of chapter 17 is made desolate, naked, and burned with fire by the Beast.

2.11. It is evident from the scriptures that the judgments that were pronounced upon Babylon were never fulfilled in history past. Concerning the total destruction that was to occur to Babylon we read:

2.11.1.According to Isaiah 13:19-22 Babylon was to be completely destroyed never to be inhabited again, “19 And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. 21 But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls, Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. 22 And hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.”

2.11.2.Likewise, Jeremiah says the same things about Babylon in Jer. 51:24-26, 61-64, “24 “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the Lord. 25 “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth,” declares the Lord, “And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags And I will make you a burnt out mountain. 26 “And they will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,” declares the Lord. 61 Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, 62 and say, ‘Thou, O Lord, hast promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’ 63 “And it will come about as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, 64 and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again, because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.”

2.12. Instead of ancient Babylon being suddenly and completely destroyed so that no one would ever live in her again, history records instead that Babylon slowly declined over history. In fact, throughout the centuries, there has always been some city of moderate size on the sight of ancient Babylon. Therefore, since the judgments prophesied against Babylon have not occurred in history-past, it is my belief that the city will be rebuilt in the future, and then all of those prophesies can be carried out. Ancient Babylon is less than 30 miles from Baghdad, Iraq, and the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, began the rebuilding of ancient Babylon as early as the mid 1970’s.

2.13. Interestingly, Babylon is located right in the center of the earth, and it has been the feeling of many leaders throughout history that the sight of the city would make an excellent choice for a world capital. Someone also recently suggested that Babylon would make a good home for the United Nations someday.

2.14. I believe that the city will most likely be rebuilt almost over night by the Beast during the first half of the seven year Tribulation Period, or just before it. The city will then immediately become the world capital of business and commerce, and the world markets will begin an unprecedented upward trend causing many to become rich over night. However, God will completely destroy the city of Babylon overnight right before the very end of the Tribulation Period, and then the Battle of Armageddon shall be carried out.

2.15. Here in this verse, we see that ‘another angel’ is introduced to us, and this angel is a very powerful angel. In fact, he is so powerful that the whole earth is lighted by his very presence. This angel is not the Lord Jesus Christ, for Jesus is not ‘another angel’, but rather ‘the angel’ of the Lord.

3. VS 18:2 - “2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.” - The very powerful angel announces with a mighty voice that Babylon is fallen and has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit and unclean and hateful bird

3.1. Here in this verse, we see that three different times the city of Babylon is called a place where demons will dwell. During the last half of the seven year Tribulation Period the city will be filled with people who are demon-possessed. Then, after the destruction of the people of the city, disembodied demons will be left there by themselves.

3.2. In our study of the book of Revelation, we have looked at how we need to first of all expect scripture to be interpreted literally. However, if a passage is expressed in the scriptures as being symbolic, then that symbolic interpretation is to be used. Also, if a passage cannot be understood without it having a symbolic interpretation, then it requires a symbolic interpretation. At this point then, the way to go about interpreting the symbols needs to be undertaken by looking at how those same symbols are used in other passages of scripture having symbolic interpretation. The three references to demons here are: ‘a dwelling place of demons’, a ‘prison of every unclean spirit’, and a ‘prison of every unclean and hateful bird’. In the parables in the scriptures and as given by Jesus, ‘birds’ are always used to symbolize evil spirits, and thus here in this verse Babylon is called the prison of ‘every unclean and hateful bird’, which must be a reference to it being a habitation of demons. Scriptures where birds symbolize demons includes:

3.2.1. In the Parable of the Sower, it was the birds of the air that came and ate the seed that fell beside the road, and Jesus explained that these birds symbolize demons that come and steal the word of God from many peoples’ hearts and minds when they have heard it.

3.2.2. In the kingdom parable Jesus taught of the mustard seed that grew up into a large tree where the birds of the air could lodge, it is believed that the birds symbolize Satan’s planting of false believers on the inside of the church and God’s people, to divert them from God’s purposes and intentions for them.

3.3. We see in this chapter that there is a duality used when Babylon is said to have ‘fallen’. This has been explained in a few different ways. Some have pointed to the fact that religious Babylon fell in chapter 17, and now commercial Babylon falls in chapter 18. Others have said that the repetition is used just for emphasis upon the surety of the act occurring.

4. VS 18:3 - “3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”” - The angel tells John that the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of Babylon’s immorality

4.1. The rules and ethics of business have always been contrary to the heart and will of God, and in fact the words “business ethics” contradict each other in God’s mind. In the Old Testament government of Israel, the Lord instructed the people not to charge usury (interest), and yet the business world is largely built upon various types and definitions of usury. Plus, powerful business interests have always controlled governments and exploited the poor and vulnerable people of the earth.

4.2. All of the nations of the earth who have inherited and bought into the system of business and commerce from ancient Babylon have thus ‘drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality’, and ‘the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her’.

4.3. The rebuilt city of Babylon is in focus as a direct fulfillment of the judgments of chapter 18 of the book even though all of the nations and kings of the earth since the time of ancient Babylon have followed the same rules and standards of business conduct and commerce that originated in Babylon.

4.4. Through the world’s business and commerce systems, many will become rich, as I earlier mentioned in this chapter, and the angel tells John in this verse that the ‘merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality’.

5. VS 18:4-5 - “4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; 5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” - John hears another voice from heaven telling the Lord’s people to come out of Babylon

5.1. This voice from heaven must be the voice of the Lord Himself for His address is to ‘my people’.

5.2. Those who are God’s people and who have not taken the mark of the Beast during the seven year Tribulation Period are commanded by the Lord in this verse (‘another voice’) to come apart from the world system of Babylon, that system of worldly business and commerce. They are told to flee the city lest they should also be judged along with the city.

5.3. God will judge the rebuilt city of Babylon with all of the fury that He once judged Sodom and Gomorrah, for God says that the sins of the city have ‘piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities’.

5.4. The judgment that will come upon Babylon will come upon her because God has ‘remembered her iniquities’, for her sins are ever before His face. The Lord is going to judge Babylon without mercy, for on the “Day of the Lord” (as scripture refers to it) the Lord will have lost all of His great mercy and patience that He has for people who refuse to humble themselves and repent before Him.

5.5. We Christians must be careful that we do not go along with this sinful world that is in rebellion against God, but rather we should stand out as lights in a very dark place. We Christians must be careful of compromise with the spirit as well as the sins of this world that is in rebellion against God. This world is offensive to God, and if we are to be pleasing to Him we must be separate and holy unto Him. In 2 Cor. 6:14-18, Paul exhorts us as Christians that we are to come apart from this world’s system, “14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 17 “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you. 18 “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”

6. VS 18:6-8 - “6 “Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. 7 “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’ 8 “For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.” - The voice from heaven commands that Babylon be paid back double according to her deeds

6.1. Here in these verses, we see the judgment that God Himself sees as just for this city and the business and commerce mechanism within her. The people of the rebuilt city of Babylon, as well as all of those who are participating with the city of the Antichrist will be judged and according to God’s standards, given ‘double according to’ their deeds. She herself has prepared her own judgment in the cup which she has mixed. The people under the government and control of the Beast have no excuse for their sins. God’s holy angels have made proclamations which all have heard, and He has even raised His two witnesses from the dead in the sight of all mankind. Willingly and knowingly have all the unrepentant upon the earth submitted themselves to the government of the Beast.

6.2. As a beast themselves, the people of this world in cohesion with the Beast (Antichrist) have themselves become beasts living ‘sensuously’ fulfilling all of the lusts of their flesh and mind to the full. Therefore, God says that He will now render them judgment with no mercy, literally ‘torment and mourning’.

6.3. The people under the Beast (Antichrist) had lifted themselves up and thought of themselves as a mighty and noble ‘queen’ whom none could overthrow. However, God says that the judgment against the city of Babylon would occur in just ‘one day’. The world had been boasting that although all of the other cities of the world have been leveled by the massive global earthquake that had occurred during the last half of the seven year Tribulation Period, the city of Babylon had stood. Much like ancient Babylon with the Tower of Babel before God’s judgment, the people under the Beast boasted of how nothing could ever happen to destroy their mighty city which ruled over the whole earth.

6.4. The Lord says that in one day Babylon would be completely destroyed, in fact ‘she will be burned up with fire’, and cease to exist forever.

6.5. We have already seen in the book of Revelation all of the plagues that will come upon the world in the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments. These plagues will also come upon those of the city of Babylon, and in fact some of them appear to be confined to the city itself. The angel tells John about how the plagues will come upon Babylon: ‘in one day her plagues will come’. When the people of this world in rebellion against God least think that anything could happen to them, it will come upon them and completely devastate them.

6.6. We people often have made the same mistakes as the people of the city of Babylon. We think that nothing could ever happen to us, and then we tempt the Lord by living our lives outside of the guidelines that He has for us. We often will come to the Lord when something bad happens to us, however so often we forget the Lord and seeking Him when things are going good for us. We go on then living our lives as if God does not exist. We may lift up a prayer here or there, or even open our Bible or go to church from time to time, however we are not really seeking the Lord nor His will for our lives. We often become presumptuous thinking that surely God must be for us and we must be doing what He wants us to be doing. However, we aren’t even seeking the Lord at all. Then, our sin finds some of us out. In one day all of our hopes come falling down, and we are left devastated. That business that we began fails and we find ourselves filing bankruptcy. Or, we suddenly discover that our spouse has decided that enough is enough and leaves us. Or, the children we raised while living in our lukewarm relationship with the Lord end up turning completely against the Lord and us, and perhaps some of them even get into trouble. When these things happen, we find ourselves broken and praying that the Lord would somehow be able to forgive us, though we realize that we do not deserve anything from Him but the judgment of hell. Oh, how we ought to learn from proud Babylon who turns away from following the Lord and instead lives in presumption thinking that surely nothing could ever happen to her. Oh, how we ought to learn just what foolishness it is to try to live our lives on the fence, not in the world but not really in the kingdom either, neither hot nor cold for the Lord.

7. VS 18:9-11 - “9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ 11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more;” - The voice tells John that the kings and the merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over Babylon when she is destroyed

7.1. As I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, in chapter 17 when religious Babylon is overthrown the kings of the earth and the Beast rejoice. However, here in chapter 18 when commercial Babylon is overthrown, the kings and merchants of the earth will ‘weep and lament over her’. The world, including all of the organized crime families, will have gotten caught up in all of the financial gain gotten through business and commerce under the Beast (Antichrist) and his capital city of Babylon. The world will have come to live for luxury and the things of this world, and when they see their bottom line overthrown and the complete depression and overthrow of all of the nations economies, all will weep and mourn over their own losses.

7.2. In verse 9, it is repeated that the city will be burned up with fire. It may be a nuclear fire that erupts through an explosion or leak, or it could be a divine rain of fire and brimstone as fell on Sodom and Gomorrah, or something else, however the city will be completely burned up. In fact, for some reason out of ‘fear of her torment’ all of the world stands back and will not go near Babylon after she is burned to the ground. Could it be they are standing back because of the lingering effects of some weapons of mass destruction used by some nation or group against the city in destroying it?

8. VS 18:13-14 - “12 cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, 13 and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.” - The voice from heaven speaks of all of the cargoes shipped by the city of Babylon

8.1. These verses include a huge list of goods which were traded by the nations of the earth through the world-wide capital city of Babylon.

8.2. Some have tried to load symbolic language into this list by categorizing the goods, however it seems apparent to me that this is just a list of a whole bunch of stuff which will be part of the commodities trading and commerce that the world will be wrapped up in.

8.3. It is of note that everything in this list is something that has been part of trade commerce from the time of John’s writing all the way unto our day today.

8.4. Further, most of these goods are things that make up the lifestyle of those who live an upper class life of luxury.

8.4.1. Slave trade is still practiced in parts of the world today, and the reference to slaves and human lives here can not only refer to slavery but it may also refer to the trade in prostitution which will be done on a large scale under the Beast’s government.

8.4.2. All forms of indulgence of the lusts of the flesh will be practiced in the world at that time, and they will be practiced at an unprecedented rate. We have already seen here in the book that there will be a large use of drugs among the people of this government.

9. VS 18:14 - “14 “And the fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.” - The voice from heaven tells John that the fruit that they longed for has gone from them as has all luxury and splendor

9.1. Speaking to the people of the city of rebuilt Babylon, the angel says that all of the things which comprised their life of luxury and ease will be taken from them. All of their hopes and possessions will be striped away over night and never be found again.

9.2. It is the Battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Christ which occurs immediately upon the overthrow of commercial Babylon.

10. VS 18:15-16 - “15 “The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;” - The voice from heaven tells John that the merchants of these items will stand at a distance from her because of her torment, weeping, and mourning

10.1. It is appropriate that the ‘merchants’ of the earth are found mourning the destruction of Babylon, for it is they who place and keep in power the kings of the earth. It is really those who are rich and powerful who are in control of the governments of the world, for they have bought off their rulers.

10.2. We see here that the merchants ‘will stand at a distance’ from Babylon, not wanting to get too close to her as they are watching her burn to the ground. They can just not comprehend how this city which was so mighty and impregnable, plus filled with all of the riches of the world, could be completely burned with fire and destroyed.

10.3. As it was mentioned concerning the kings of the earth in verse 9, it has also been speculated that the merchants of the earth are standing at a distance from Babylon at this point in time because there has possibly been an outpouring of weapons of mass destruction that has occurred upon her, and perhaps the fear of radiation poison or some other WMD is keeping them away.

11. VS 18:17-19 - “17 for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, 18 and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’” - The voice from heaven tells John that the city of Babylon was destroyed in one hour

11.1. When the twin towers of the Word Trade Center were destroyed on 9/11/2001 by terrorists who had hijacked two airliners and crashed them into the towers, some questioned whether that event was a fulfillment of this prophesy, especially because those towers represented symbolically in our world today the world’s trade and commerce, plus they were toppled in one hour. However, this could not be the fulfillment of this prophesy because the destruction in this prophesy halts forever all of the world’s business and commerce system. This event is yet to occur in the future.

12. VS 18:20 - “20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”” - The voice from heaven, or perhaps John himself, tells the heavens, saints, apostles, and prophets to rejoice over Babylon because of the judgments pronounced against her

12.1. The angel gives the anthem to ‘rejoice’ in and worship the Lord, for He has finally answered all of the imprecatory prayers of saints, apostles, and prophets of all ages. The Lord has finally let loose his rage upon both false religion as well as worldly business and commerce.

12.2. So many throughout the ages had denounced and preached against idolatrous worship as well as this world’s system, and now finally all of their prayers have been answered.

13. VS 18:21 - “21 And a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.” - John sees a strong angle through a great millstone into the sea and state that the great city will be thrown down in this way

13.1. A ‘strong angel’ (similar to other strong angels previously mentioned in the book) demonstrated to John what Babylon’s destruction will be like. He took a heavy stone and threw it into the sea, and nothing could keep that stone from descending down to the depths of the sea never to return. So, will be Babylon’s violent and utter destruction.

13.2. In Matt. 18:6, Jesus used for example a millstone thrown into the sea when He warned His disciples never to cause anyone to stumble. “6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.”” The people of the kingdom of the Beast had caused the people of the world to stumble, now they shall also get a millstone tied around their neck and be thrown into the depths of the sea.

14. VS 18:22-23 - “22 “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” - John tells us that the sound of harpists, musicians, flute-players, trumpeters, craftsman, and mill workers will not be heard in Babylon again

14.1. These two verses reveal how that all of the cultural life of the city of Babylon will cease. This will affect all of the paid musicians, craftsman, mill workers, and those who would get married. The city shall never again be inhabited as Isaiah and Jeremiah had foretold, and there will never even be a ‘lamp’ lit over the city.

14.2. This business and commerce of this world’s system appears as the sin of ‘sorcery’ to the Lord. He has always hated the world’s systems. Riches are not to be hoarded or desired, and it is much better to work hard with your hands and till the earth. Then, your heart has less chance of becoming proud and lifted up, and you will be more likely to worship and serve the creator of all.

15. VS 18:24 - “24 “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”” - The voice from heaven (or John himself again) tells us that in Babylon was found the blood of prophets and saints, all who had been slain on the earth

15.1. Babylon, as I have repeated in this chapter, represents the commerce and business of this world, and it is this world which has always been the persecutor of God’s saints and prophets.

15.2. All who try to live a godly life for Christ have and will encounter the persecution of this world, and thus commercial Babylon is really guilty of the blood of all those who have been martyred for their faith in Christ. This world’s system came from ancient Babylon, and rebuilt Babylon will be the penultimate fulfillment of this world’s system, and thus she is guilty of the blood of all of the martyrs.

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