THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 18 – The Doom of Babylon, The Victory of The Lamb
Episode 20
(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, ” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME”)
Before we delve into this chapter, I am reminded and I want to remind the reader, that John of Patmos, (also known as John the Revelator, and John the Apostle), was an untrained and uneducated man, (See Acts 4:13); “Now when the men of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Court) saw the confidence and boldness of Peter and John, and grasped the fact that they were uneducated and untrained [ordinary] men, they were astounded, and began to recognize that they had been with Jesus.” Yet, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John wrote amazing words of prophecy, perfectly in context and synchronized with all scriptures. And remember, he had only been with Jesus for about five or six years. All of this to point out the impossibility that the Book of The Revelation, (or any of scripture, for that matter), could be anything other than the Breath, Words and Mind of God, inspired by, breathed and spoken by God, to and through John, and written in the Holy Scriptures so to be beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, and for our training in righteousness.
The previous chapter 17 told us of the doom of Babylon and the victory of the Lamb of God. This chapter 18 tells us of the effects and the aftermath of the fall of Babylon, and sentencing for her crimes against God and humanity.
Babylon Is Fallen
Revelation 18:1, After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his splendor and radiance. Verse 2. And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [and certainly to be destroyed] is [footnote ‘a’] Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird.
(Commentary Break: The Bible doesn’t name the angel who possesses great authority and illuminates the earth with his splendor and radiance, but suggests that the entire world will witness this event and hear his words. Everyone left on the planet is put on notice of what has happened is by the Hand of God, and is warned of what is to come.
Babylon, the entirety of the world’s systems and condition, described by this angel as a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird. (Just as a point of interest, the ‘unclean and loathsome bird’ is a representation of an ‘evil spirit’ or a demon. An unclean and loathsome bird represents the kind of spirit that dwells alone in desolate places; the habitation of devils; as old Babylon was of satyrs, Isaiah 13:21 demons, which appeared in a hairy form, like goats, and the word is rendered devils in Leviticus 17:7, and the inhabitants of Rome now are no other; (some assume the pope will be so described in these final days, along with his cardinals, priests, Jesuits, monks, and friars, as the spirits of devils, and their doctrines the doctrines of devils; (see Revelation 16:14), and the hold of every foul spirit: devils are frequently called unclean spirits, and these appear in desert and desolate places, (see Matthew 12:43), which become a cage or a prison for every ‘unclean and hateful bird’ such, as vultures, which generally reside in desolate and uninhabited places. (End Commentary Break).
Verse 3. For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury.”
(Commentary Break: “All the nations”. Let that sink in! Every nation, every head of every nation, every national leader, and every merchant (and by association, every person who buys or sells), is guilty of committing immorality with the Harlot, Babylon!
It will be ‘just as it was in the days of Noah’, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. So the Lord was sorry that He had made mankind on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Then the Lord said, “I will wipe out mankind whom I have created from the face of the land”. (see Genesis 6, verses 5 through 7). (End Commentary Break).
Verse 4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues; verse 5, for her sins (crimes, transgressions) have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and crimes [for judgment]. Verse 6. Repay to her even as she has repaid others, and pay back [to her] double [her torment] in accordance with what she has done; in the cup [of sin and suffering] which she mixed, mix a double portion [of perfect justice] for her. Verse 7. To the degree that she glorified herself and reveled and gloated in her sensuality [living deliciously and luxuriously], to that same degree impose on her torment and anguish, and mourning and grief; for in her heart she boasts, ‘I SIT AS A QUEEN [on a throne] AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never, ever see mourning or experience grief.’ Verse 8. For this reason in a single day her plagues (afflictions, calamities) will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire and completely consumed; for strong and powerful is the Lord God who judges her.
(Commentary Break: Verse 4 says “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues”. This ‘calling out of Babylon’ could be a reminder of what God has already done through the rapture, or by way of the evangelistic work of the one hundred forty four thousand from the 12 tribes of Israel; but most likely, since all that has already occurred and the only remaining people of God are the one hundred forty four thousand from the 12 tribes of Israel, God is saying to them, your work is finished. Come home.
Verses 5 through 8 tell of God’s recompense for Babylon’s sins and crimes is to be doubled and will come in a single day. His repayment will come as plagues, afflictions, and calamities, pestilence, mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire and completely consumed. (This may be just a foretaste of what is still to come. See 1st Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be burned up.”) (End Commentary Break).
Laments for Babylon
Verse 9. “[footnote ‘b’] And the kings and political leaders of the earth, who committed immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and beat their chests [in mourning] over her when they see the smoke of her burning, verse 10, standing a long way off, in fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, the strong city, Babylon! In a single hour your judgment has come.’
Verse 11. “And merchants of the earth will weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their cargo (goods, merchandise) anymore, verse 12, cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet; all kinds of citron (scented) wood and every article of ivory and every article of very costly and lavish wood and bronze and iron and marble; verse 13, and cinnamon and spices and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat; of cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and carriages; and of slaves and human lives. Verse 14. The ripe fruits and delicacies of your soul’s desire have gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and extravagant are lost to you, never again to be found. Verse 15. The merchants who handled these articles, who grew wealthy from [their business with] her, will stand a long way off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, verse 16, saying, ‘Woe, woe, for the great city that was robed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, gilded and adorned with gold, with precious stones, and with pearls; verse 17, because in one hour all the vast wealth has been laid waste.’ And every ship captain or navigator, and every [footnote ‘c’] passenger and sailor, and all who make their living by the sea, stood a long way off, verse 18, and exclaimed as they watched the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What could be compared to the great city?’ Verse 19. And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her great wealth, because in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Verse 20. Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints (God’s people) and apostles and prophets [who were martyred], because God has executed vengeance for you [through righteous judgment] upon her.”
(Commentary Break: The world will not acknowledge this as a judgment executed by God. Instead, ‘the kings and political leaders of the earth, who committed immorality and lived luxuriously with her, will weep and beat their chests in mourning over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing a long way off, in fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, the strong city, Babylon! In a single hour your judgment has come.’
And they will throw dust on their heads in grief, and will cry out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, for the great city, where all who had ships at sea grew rich from her great wealth, because in one hour she has been laid waste!’
But God says to the heavens, and the saints and apostles and prophets and those who were martyred, because God has executed vengeance for you through righteous judgment upon her, you are to rejoice over her destruction. (End Commentary Break).
The Divine Sentence upon Babylon
Verse 21. Then a single powerful angel picked up a boulder like a great millstone and flung it into the sea, saying, “With such violence will Babylon the great city be hurled down [by the sudden, spectacular judgment of God], and will never again be found. Verse 22. And the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never again be heard in you, and no skilled artisan of any craft will ever again be found in you, and the sound of the millstone [grinding grain] will never again be heard in you [for commerce will no longer flourish, and normal life will cease]. Verse 23. And never again will the light of a lamp shine in you, and never again will the voice of the bridegroom and bride be heard in you; for your merchants were the great and prominent men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived and misled by your sorcery [your magic spells and poisonous charm]. Verse 24. And in Babylon was found the blood of prophets and of saints (God’s people) and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth.” (End of Chapter 18).
SPECIAL NOTES: Because this and the previous chapter focuses on the city of Babylon, I would like to share an educated speculation about the City of Babylon. The question which arises, “Is Babylon a world system? Is it an actual city? Or can it be both?”
In order to provide an amazing commentary, I am using a video by Zion’s Hope and David Rosenthal. And I am providing partial excerpts and my comments. Or, you can watch the entire video at “What is the mystery of Babylon – part 3”).
(Transcript Excertps, in part). “You should know that there are hundreds of thousands of millions of people, 5 times every day, turning and praying to this pagan idolatrous system (known as the Hajj, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia ), and it is absolutely tragic. I want you to see not only is this a religious center but is being turned into an unbelievable economic powerhouse, the likes of which the world may never have seen before. They are completely transforming Mecca which is in the middle of the desert, and in the center of the Great Mosque in Mecca, they are creating platforms, so many millions of people can come and worship at the Kaaba, which is in the center. (And Saudi Arabia is getting even richer from all the pilgrims coming.) The have essentially bulldozed central Mecca to make way for the 4th tallest tower and largest building on earth. This tower contain various luxury hotels and over four thousand shops. The monarchy of Saudi Arabia is completely transforming Mecca and they are using the religious system of Islam to build an economic center such as has never been seen before!
Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia, where they are building the King Abdulla Financial Center, because the Saudi Arabian government is afraid that petroleum will cease to provide for their trillion dollar economy. If I could tell you about all the excesses, you would be amazed. Things such as gold plated cars, billion dollar mansions and vile excesses also. They are also building a new city, just south of Riyadh, the likes of Las Vegas, to provide entertainment to keep the masses of young Saudis from going elsewhere, including a new 6 Flags amusement park at the cost of about seven hundred fifty million dollars. So, they are transitioning from a petroleum based economy to an economy based on industry, business and shipping.
Now, as you know, Mecca is an inland city about 40 miles from the Red Sea and from Jedda, a large marine port city. Jedda is building a new port and city called the King Abdulla Economic City, based upon shipping, the new means of finance for Saudi Arabia. This city offering golf courses, institutions of all sorts, universities, etc. But the main emphasis is to be shipping. “With its strategic location and state-of-the-art technologies, all managed by national and global experts who strive to offer the best possible services, King Abdullah Port has earned its place at the heart of the world’s major shipping lines, all within a solid plan that will bring to reality its vision of becoming one of the largest ports in the world, (with over eleven thousand vessels passing through the Red Sea in 20 17).” (Quote: King Abdullah Port).
NOW, is this coming into focus now, regarding the ‘city of Babylon’ we find in the book of the Revelation? It is bound to make it the premier gateway for shipping of goods into Saudi Arabia.
Now, recall the merchants of Revelation 17, when they see the smoke of their burning and the ships afar off! Are you beginning to see the parallels? (End excerpts and comments.)
Remember, our focus on these Last Days should be on Israel and the Middle East – where it all began and where it will end.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
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