Chapter Eighteen
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
1) To note the pronouncement and depiction of the fall of Babylon, the
great city
2) To observe the reasons why Babylon would receive such terrible
judgment
3) To ascertain the identity of Babylon, the great harlot
SUMMARY
In this chapter we find the fall of "Babylon the great" proclaimed, and
the great mourning over her by those in the world. The fall of Babylon
is proclaimed by an angel with great authority, who illuminated the
earth with his glory. The reasons for her fall include how the nations
and kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and how the
merchants have become rich through her abundance. Meanwhile, a voice
from heaven calls for the people of God to come out of her lest they
receive the plagues to come upon her. Her judgment will involve death,
mourning, famine, and utter destruction by fire, for it is the Lord God
who judges her (1-8).
The fall of Babylon is mourned by the kings of the earth who committed
fornication with her, and the merchants and sea-traders who had become
rich by her. They all cry out "Alas, alas, that great city..." as they
observe her judgment. They bemoan that in just one hour her riches
came to nothing and she has become desolate. On the other hand, heaven
itself, along with the apostles and prophets, are called to rejoice,
because God has avenged them on her (9-20).
Finally, a mighty angel throws a large stone into sea to depict with
what great violence Babylon will be thrown down. The sounds and sights
of music, crafts, even weddings will be gone. The fall of Babylon is
justified, for her merchants were great, by her sorcery the nations
were deceived, and in her was found the blood of prophets, saints, and
all those slain on the earth (21-24).
What is this chapter describing? If the date of the book suggested in
the introduction is correct (spring, 70 A.D.) , and Jerusalem is indeed
the "harlot", then this chapter likely refers to the destruction by the
Romans in August, 70 A.D. This would be in harmony with 17:16, where
those who first supported the harlot eventually turned on her. So it
was with Jerusalem, who depended upon the approval of the Roman
authorities to persecute the church, and later became the object of
Roman persecution herself. Very fitting is the depiction of Jerusalem
as a harlot, for she who should have been a great spiritual city had
become a great commercial center by virtue of the roads that passed
through her between Europe, Asia and Africa. Her spiritual adultery
was also manifested by rejecting the many prophets and apostles sent to
her (cf. Mt 23:31-39 with Re 17:6; 18:20,24; 19:2).
OUTLINE
I. THE FALL OF BABYLON PROCLAIMED (1-8)
A. BY AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN (1-3)
1. John sees an angel coming down from heaven
a. Having great authority
b. Illuminating the earth with his glory
2. The angel cries mightily with a loud voice
a. Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen
b. She has become...
1) A dwelling place of demons
2) A prison for every foul spirit
3) A cage for every unclean and hated bird
c. With her...
1) The nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication
2) The kings of the earth have committed fornication
3) The merchants of the earth have become rich
B. BY A VOICE FROM HEAVEN (4-8)
1. Calling God's people to come out of her
a. Lest they share in her sins and her plagues
b. For her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered
her iniquities
2. Calling for judgment to be rendered her
a. Render her just as she rendered them
b. Repay her double according to her works
c. In the cup she has mixed, mix double for her
d. To the degree she glorified herself and lived
luxuriously...
1) Give her torment and sorrow
2) For she says in heart that she is a queen and will not
see sorrow as a widow
e. Her plagues will come in one day...
1) Death, mourning, and famine
2) Utterly burned with fire
-- For great is the Lord God who judges her
II. THE FALL OF BABYLON MOURNED (9-20)
A. BY THE KINGS OF THE EARTH (9-10)
1. Those who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her
2. They shall weep and lament when they see the smoke of her
burning
3. They shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, saying...
a. "Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!"
b. "For in one hour your judgment has come."
B. BY THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH (11-17a)
1. They shall weep and mourn over her
2. For no one buys their merchandise anymore
3. All that they longed for, both rich and splendid, they shall
find no more
4. The merchants shall stand at a distance for fear of her
torment, weeping and wailing...
a. "Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine
linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and
precious stones and pearls!"
b. "For in one hour such great riches came to nothing."
C. BY THE TRADERS AND TRAVELERS ON THE SEA (17b-19)
1. They stood at a distance, crying when they saw the smoke of
her burning, "What is like this great city?"
2. Throwing dust on their heads, they cried out, weeping and
wailing...
a. "Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on
the sea became rich by her wealth!"
b. "For in one hour she is made desolate."
D. BUT NOT BY THE HOLY APOSTLES AND PROPHETS (20)
1. They are to rejoice over her
2. For God has avenged them on her
III. THE FALL OF BABYLON JUSTIFIED (21-24)
A. THE FALL OF THE GREAT CITY ILLUSTRATED (21-23a)
1. By a mighty angel...
a. Who took a stone like a great millstone and cast it into
the sea
b. Who then proclaims "Thus with violence the great city
Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found
anymore."
2. Neither shall be heard or seen in her...
a. The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters
b. A craftsman of any craft
c. The sound of a millstone
d. The light of a lamp
e. The voice of bridegroom and bride
B. THE FALL OF THE GREAT CITY JUSTIFIED (23b-24)
1. For her merchants were the great men of the earth
2. For by her sorcery all the nations were deceived
3. For in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of
all who slain on the earth
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