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18
Her fall proclaimed
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 And he cried out with a strong voice saying:
“It fell, it fell, Babylon the great!
and has become a dwelling place of demons,
even a prison of every unclean spirit,
also a prison of every unclean and detestable bird.
3 Because all the nations have drunk of the rage
of the wine of her fornication,
and the kings of the earth have fornicated with her,
and the merchants of the earth became rich
through the strength of her luxury.”
4 And I heard another Voice from heaven saying:
“Come out of her, my people,* Could an angel say “my” people? This may be God Himself speaking. But just how can one ‘come out’ of Babylon?—by rejecting all that she represents.
so as not to participate in her sins
and so as not to receive of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached to heaven
and God has remembered about her her iniquities.† What God has remembered about her is her iniquities.
6 Render to her just as she rendered to you;‡ Evidently it is “my people” who are supposed to be doing this. First we must disassociate ourselves from the whore, but then we are to participate in her punishment, “double”. Only it does not say how the paying back works, and I, for one, would like to know.
yes, pay her back double, according to her deeds;
in the cup that she mixed,
mix double for her.
7 To the extent that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously,
by so much give her torment;
because in her heart she says,
‘I sit a queen, and am not a widow;
and I will certainly not see sorrow.’
8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day
death and sorrow and famine
and she will be burned up with fire;
because the Lord God who has judged her is strong.
Her fall lamented
9 “The kings of the earth who fornicated and lived luxuriously with her will weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for fear of her torment,§ None of her lovers charge to the rescue; they stay well clear of the action! They enjoyed the whore, but… (Actually, why do men go to prostitutes? They want sex without commitment.) saying:
‘Alas, alas, O great city Babylon, O mighty city!
Because your judgment came in one hour.’
11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and sorrow over her, because no one buys their goods anymore: 12 goods of gold and of silver, of precious stones and of pearl, of fine linen and of purple, of silk and of scarlet; every citron wood and object of ivory, every object of most precious wood and of bronze and of iron and of marble; 13 cinnamon and incense and perfume and frankincense, wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep and horses and carriages, and bodies and souls of men!” 14 (‘Yes, the fruit that your soul craved has gone from you, and all the sumptuous and splendid things have perished from you, and you will never find them again!’)* An unidentified speaker interjects a cheerful note. It may be that “the fruit that your soul craved” had to do with the “bodies and souls of men”. 15 “The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand afar off for fear of her torment,† I guess we should not expect the merchants to be braver than the kings, now should we? weeping and sorrowing 16 and saying:
‘Alas, alas, O great city!
that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet,
and was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;
17 because in one hour such great wealth was laid waste.’
“And every ship captain, and all who travel by ship—sailors and as many as work the sea—stood afar off 18 and cried out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘Who is like the great city!?’ 19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and sorrowing and saying:
‘Alas, alas, O great city!
by which all who had ships in the sea became rich,
by her costly abundance;
because in one hour she was laid waste.’
Her doom final
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, yes you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced your judgment against her!”‡ Perhaps this should be connected to verses 6-7, above. In that event, the judgment was pronounced in faith. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a huge millstone and threw it into the ocean saying:
“The great city Babylon will be thrown down violently,
and will never be found again.
22 The sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never be heard in you again;
no craftsman of whatever craft will ever be found in you again;
the sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again;
23 the light of a lamp will never shine in you again;
the voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again;
because your merchants were the magnates of the earth,
because by your sorcery§ The whore uses sorcery, and kills God's prophets and saints. The Lord Jesus said that the “Jerusalem” of His day killed God's prophets, so the whore has been around for quite a while. all the nations were deceived.”
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, even of all who had been butchered on the earth.

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*18:4 Could an angel say “my” people? This may be God Himself speaking. But just how can one ‘come out’ of Babylon?—by rejecting all that she represents.

†18:5 What God has remembered about her is her iniquities.

‡18:6 Evidently it is “my people” who are supposed to be doing this. First we must disassociate ourselves from the whore, but then we are to participate in her punishment, “double”. Only it does not say how the paying back works, and I, for one, would like to know.

§18:10 None of her lovers charge to the rescue; they stay well clear of the action! They enjoyed the whore, but… (Actually, why do men go to prostitutes? They want sex without commitment.)

*18:14 An unidentified speaker interjects a cheerful note. It may be that “the fruit that your soul craved” had to do with the “bodies and souls of men”.

†18:15 I guess we should not expect the merchants to be braver than the kings, now should we?

‡18:20 Perhaps this should be connected to verses 6-7, above. In that event, the judgment was pronounced in faith.

§18:23 The whore uses sorcery, and kills God's prophets and saints. The Lord Jesus said that the “Jerusalem” of His day killed God's prophets, so the whore has been around for quite a while.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD