Introductory remarks:
In chapter 17 we saw the judgment of 'mystery' or religious Babylon. In chapter 18 we will see the judgment on commercial Babylon. In chapter 17 we saw the Antichrist taking over Christ-less religion in the middle of the Tribulation. In chapter 18 the judgment of commercial Babylon will come at the end of the seven years Tribulation.
"Two 'Babylons' are to be distinguished in the Revelation: ecclesiastical Babylon, which is apostate Christendom, headed up under the Papacy; and political Babylon, which is the Beast's confederated empire, the last form of Gentile world-dominion. Ecclesiastical Babylon is 'the great whore' (Rev. 17:1), and is destroyed by political Babylon (Rev. 17:15-18), that the beast may be the alone object of worship (2 Thess. 2:3, 4; Rev. 13:15). The power of political Babylon is destroyed by the return of the Lord in glory . . . The notion of a literal Babylon to be rebuilt on the site of ancient Babylon is in conflict with Isaiah 13:19-22. But the language of Rev. 18:10, 16, 18, seems beyond all question to identify 'Babylon' the 'city' of luxury and traffic, with Babylon the ecclesiastical Babylon center, viz. Rome. The very kings who hated ecclesiastical Babylon deplore the destruction of commercial Babylon" (C.I. Scofield notes - pp. 1346-47).
The Fall of Babylon
Verse 1, "And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory."
LGT "After these things I saw another angel coming down out of the heaven, having great authority, and the earth illuminated from his glory."
"And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven,"
The term 'after these things' refers to the past judgments, and this brings us down to the last of the Tribulation. The phrase 'another angel' is allos angelos, which means another angel of the same kind, and this one has great authority, that is, he must have been one above the others in rank. John saw this angel as he was coming down out of heaven, for he illuminated the earth.
"And the earth was lightened with his glory."
What a scene this must be, that John relates it as lighting up the entire earth. Swete says: "So recently has he come down from the presence that in passing he flings a broad belt of light across the dark earth."
Verse 2, "And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
LGT "And he cried with a strong voice saying: Fell, fell, Babylon the great, and became the habitation of demons and a garrison [resort] of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, [and a prison of every unclean beast]."
"And he cried mightily with a strong voice,"
This is the same as 14:8, "Did fall, did fall, Babylon the great." Here in this passage we have the same message, but only here it comes from an angel with greater authority and rank.
"Saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,"
The literal reading is as we have it in the LGT. The word 'fallen' in the original is placed in the emphatic position, and it reads, Fell, fell, Babylon the great. The word 'Fell' in the Greek is epesen, and is a prophetic aorist, and reads thus. The prophetic aorist, as I mentioned before, is stating a future event as if it had already taken place. When God speaks, it happens. "This is the fall of ecumenical religion of the Tribulation" (Theime).
"And is become the habitation of devils,"
This is literally, 'became the habitation of demons.'
"And the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."
The Greek word for 'hold' is phulake, and it means a garrison or watchtower, as in Hab. 2:1, rather than a prison. "Some, however, explain it, not as a cage where they are kept, but as a place of safety to which they resort" (Vincent).
"The description of fallen Babylon as the habitation of demons and the hold of evil spirits and a cage of unclean birds is most graphic, and it strikingly depicts the horrible end of apostasy. That which professes to be the spouse of Christ, and which issues its oftimes blasphemous decrees as under the direction of the Spirit of God, is seen to be but a Satan-inspired and demon-directed system in which every unholy thing flourishes and evil men can find shelter and are protected in the promulgation of their evil doctrines and practices. To this, the papacy has fully answered in the past, and its character remains unchanged to this present hour. It would be practically impossible to find a viler history than that of the medieval popes and their emissaries. It was a Roman Catholic writer who said, 'The annals of the church are the annals of hell'.
The proverb 'The corruption of the best thing is the worst of corruption' is strikingly illustrated in the history of the church. It seems almost impossible to believe that the church to which the apostle Paul addressed his epistle could, in a few centuries, degenerate into the Roman church, as it is now known. But this is the mystery of Babylon, as we have already seen. And a more amazing thing, if that were possible, is the solemn fact that the reformation churches, once delivered from this vile system, should now look hopefully for reconciliation with it, so readily be able to forget its dreadful past and overlook its current wicked pretensions! (Ironside should be alive today to see the degeneracy of the Catholic Holy Fathers and their obsession with little boys). We in America, and our brethren in Britain, see Rome at its best, because men do not readily do in the light what they will do in the dark. But, as it has been said, 'Character is what a man is in the dark,' and we may test this system by the same principle. If, then, you want to know the true character of Romanism, go to the lands where the lights of the Reformation has barely penetrated; look at the countries south of us, to the great Latin American republics, where the papacy has borne sway and poisoned the morals of the people for centuries. There you will see the results of Babylonianism unchecked by enlightened Christianity. What a horrible cesspool of iniquity it is. Let those tell who have seen it for themselves. There idolatry in most abhorrent form, and the gospel is a proscribed [forbidden] teaching, which would be absolutely prohibited had the church full power as it did in the days of old" ( H. A. Ironside's commentary of the Revelation).
Verse 3, "For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
LGT "Because out of the wine of the fury of her fornication all the nations have drunk [or fallen], and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth out of the power of her luxury were enriched."
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication,"
Some manuscripts read 'have fallen' for the phrase 'have drunk'. This is the meaning. All businesses are run by the government and it has corrupted the entire business world.
"And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,"
The word 'fornication' is of course, spiritual adultery. The leaders lead the way following the ways of the Antichrist.
"And the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies."
" The word 'merchant' (emporoi) originally meaning one on a journey by sea or land, especially for traffic. Hence a merchant as distinguished from (kapelos) a retailer or huckster" (Vincent).
"The word for merchant means 'those who travel'. It is not those who produce goods or manufacture goods, but those who are brokers, engaging in business for a big profit. Business is a sacred cow that nothing must harm or hinder. This is true today, of course. Man uses business as the biggest excuse for having no time for God, yet these same men must finally stand before God. God will judge godless commercialism. Big business is in for it, I can assure you of that. In fact, it has had a rough time in our day" (McGee). Theime says, "Those businessmen who will wear the mark of the beast will become extremely wealthy by playing footsy with this religion."
Verse 4, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
LGT "And I heard another voice out of heaven saying, You, My people, come out from her, in order that you may not have fellowship with her sins, and in order that you receive not of her plagues."
"And I heard another voice from heaven,"
That is, 'I heard another voice of the same kind - allos. Many commentators believe this is the voice of the Son of God.
"Saying, Come out of her, my people,"
'My People' will be the remnant of believers who will come through the Tribulation. This call is for believers only.
"That ye be not partakers of her sins,"
This phrase is literally, in order that you may not have fellowship with her sins. God is calling the believers away from apostate religion in this verse; I believe we have a similar calling in Romans 12:1, 2. God would have all His family separated from the world and her sins.
" It is implied here that by remaining in Babylon they would lend their sanction to its sins by their presence, and would, in all probability, become contaminated by the influence around them. This is a universal truth in regard to iniquity, and hence it is the duty of those who would be pure to come out from the world, and to separate themselves from all the associations of evil" (Barnes).
"And that ye receive not of her plagues."
If God's people insist on remaining in the world they will receive what is coming on the world; this is what God is trying to spare His people from. The judgment that was to come on the guilty city would not discriminate; God's people must flee.
Verse 5, "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
LGT "Because her sins have mounted up as far as the heaven, and God remembered her unrighteousness."
"For her sins have reached unto heaven,"
"Her sins have piled up as high as heaven - this means that sins have reached the point of saturation - if God did not destroy the religion, the religion might wipe out the entire human race - so to protect humanity, this religion is removed by finesse [skillful] judgment" (Theime).
"And God hath remembered her iniquities."
God has never, nor will He ever wink at sin. It may seem that to apostate religion that God is not mindful of her unrighteousness, but judgment will certainly come, as John uses the prophetic aorist 'remembered', emnemoneusen, that is, His remembering is a certainty. We are reminded of the frustration of the Psalmist when he cried out to God, Why do the heathen prosper. It may seem to the family that God is letting unbelievers get away with their sins, but this verse tells us differently.
Verse 6, "Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double."
LGT "Give to her as she has given, and you double the double according to her works, in the cup which she mixed you mix to her double."
This law of double recompense according to Levitical law, (Exodus 22:4, 7, 9).
"Reward her even as she rewarded you,"
This is the prayer of the saints, that is, of divine retribution; as she has persecuted the saints persecute her.
"And double unto her double according to her works:"
The saints are asking not only pay-back time, they ask for double pay-back; this is very Scriptural, for we read in Isaiah 51:7, "She hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."
"In the cup which she hath filled fill to her double."
This is literally, in the cup she has mixed, mix to her double. This is the same idea of double punishment. "Let her drink abundantly of the wine of the wrath of God - double that which she has dealt out to others. That is, either let the quantity administered to her be doubled, or let the ingredients in the cup be doubled in intensity" (Barnes).
Verse 7, "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow."
LGT "So much as she glorified herself and lived wantonly [immoral], so much give to her torment and mourning; because in her heart she says that I sit a queen, and am not a widow, and in no way will I see mourning."
"How much she has glorified herself,"
Ancient Babylon, at her zenith, boasted of world conqueror, and now Rome is going to do the same; the world is at peace, and the Antichrist will boast of being the only one who could bring it about.
"And lived deliciously,"
The Greek word for 'deliciously' is estreniasen, meaning wantonly or immorally; so in this context it would mean they lived hard, loose and fast.
"So much torment and sorrow give her:"
The prayer is that she receives the just punishment for her deeds, as has been expressed in the previous verses.
"For she saith in her heart, I sit a queen,"
The word 'for' is hoti, and is here better rendered 'because;' so you see, in her own mind she is saying, I am enthroned as a queen; remember Satan said in his own mind that he was higher than God, and that he was going to exalt his throne above the Most High, and then he fell from heaven, and from his wonderful original status.
"And am no widow,"
"A widow of this day lost her power and with a loss of her children also was abandoned - so this means religion losing its influence and maybe even its children, that is, new converts" (Theime). In Isaiah 47:8 we read, Now, then, hear this, you sensual one, who dwells securely, who says in your heart, I am, and there is no one besides me. I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know loss of children [New American Standard Bible].
"And shall see no sorrow."
Apostate religion at this time will be so complacent; because of the security they feel under the Antichrist, they will say they have no fear of judgment. "This is indicative of a state where there was nothing feared, notwithstanding all the indications which existed of approaching calamity [of course this would only be found in the Word of God, and the apostate church doesn't have a clue about the truth, or what is about to take place]. In this state we may expect to find Papal Rome, even when its last judgments are about to come upon it; in this state it has usually been; in this state it is now, notwithstanding all the indications that are abroad in the world that its power is waning, and that the period of its fall approaches" (Barnes).
Verse 8, "Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
LGT "Because of this in one day will come her plagues, death and mourning and famine, and in fire she will be utterly burned, Because strong [is the] Lord, the God who judges her."
"Therefore shall her plagues come in one day,"
This verse begins with the word 'therefore' and it means because of her big-headed attitude in verse seven, I sit a queen, and am no widow; now because of her luxury, and the disaster she brought on others, her plagues will come in one day, that is, very swiftly. Of this sudden and complete destruction Isaiah gives us a good description: 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. (Isa. 47:9)
Death and mourning, and famine;"
This death is 'death by judgment', and the mourning is 'grief'; the famine represents economic depression. McGee notes that "Death, mourning, and famine are the three horsemen who ride roughshod over Babylon".
"And she shall be utterly burned with fire:"
The literal Greek of this phrase is burned in fire, and this suggests that it might be referring to a literal fire, that is, that the antichristian ecumenical religion will be destroyed completely.
"For strong is the Lord God who judgeth her."
God and only God could destroy these antichristian forces. Robertson notes: "The doom of Babylon is certain because of the power of the Lord."
Verse 9, "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,"
LGT "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep for her, and will wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning."
"And the kings of the earth,"
This verse begins the lamentation of the rulers of all nations over the fall of 'mystical Babylon.'
"Who have committed fornication"
This 'fornication' is spiritual apostasy, that is, they have turned from the true God to worship religion, which is spiritual idolatry. Today we see more and more denominations, and here in America, we are a very religious nation, but the teaching of the Word of God is almost lost. There is a religious stooge today from a large church here in Orange County that is on a campaign to get his members to join him in an effort to bring about world peace. This is none other than the popular 'Pastor, Rick Warren' of the Saddleback Church. He has published a little booklet, which was given to me by a Christian brother, called 'Passport to Peace'. I would like to know just what in the world a so-called evangelical preacher is doing getting involved with a worldly pursuit as world peace, when every Christian who has read anything of the Word of God knows that there will be no peace until Christ brings this peace with Him when He returns to earth to set up His Kingdom; in this little book 'Passport to Peace' Pastor Rick says we are to go out and build God's Kingdom now, and he urges his parishioners to join others in going to the third world countries and teach them to be self sustaining. The amazing thing to me is, that in the entire book, Rick doesn't once mention Bible study; he doesn't mention it because it is obvious by his preaching and his books, he is not interested in Bible doctrine. Daniel calls those who predicted peace on earth before Christ returns 'false prophets, for they cry peace, peace, when there is no peace. The reason I go off on this clown so often is that I have many friends that are being taken in by his social gospel. This is only a small example of what the world will be like in the Tribulation.
"And lived deliciously with her,"
(See verse 7 for the definition of the word 'deliciously)
"Shall bewail her, and lament for her,"
"No one dreamed that this great city would be judged. Yet by the time the sun goes down, Babylon is nothing but smoldering ruins. When the news goes out, the world is stunned, and then begins the wail. The whole world will howl when Babylon goes down. I imagine that, if you were on the moon, you would have to tune down your earphones because the howl would be so loud!" (McGee).
"When they shall see the smoke of her burning,"
When Rome burned the first time, Nero stood on his roof and was intrigued and amused; the second time revived Rome burns, probably from a nuclear invasion, the entire adulterous world will howl.
Verse 10, "Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come."
LGT "Standing from afar on account of the fear of her torment saying, Woe woe, the great city, Babylon the strong city, because in one hour your judgment has come."
"Standing afar off for fear of the torment,"
Some commentators, such as Theime, believe their fear phobos, will be from nuclear contamination. The main thing is that even if they were not afraid they would be powerless to render any assistance to stop the onslaught. The kings of the earth stand in amazement and awe, unwilling and unable to lend her help.
"Saying, Alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city!"
The Greek word for 'woe' is ouai, which is an expression of great woe; we would say 'oooowwie.' "Ouai is an onomatopoeic word [the sound describes the meaning - oouuuuuuuiiiii]. In Greek dramas, the actors would beat their chests and yell. Ouai ouai to describe the mourning in painful sounding words" (Theime). That strong city Babylon is fallen, how could this possibly be?
"For in one hour is thy judgment come."
Babylon's judgment will be swift. These governments that were in support, and were supported by the Revived Roman Empire, were impotent to lend help. "They marvel at the sudden destruction of that which they thought was a gilt-edged security. The judgment came in the space of one hour, reminding us of the sudden devastation caused by atomic explosions. This is a frightful picture presented to us, and it is the final conflagration and catastrophic judgment that will bring Christ to the earth to set up His kingdom" (McGee).
Verse 11, "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:"
LGT "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their merchandise anymore."
"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her;"
"The dirge of the merchants follows the wail of the kings" (Robertson). The fall of ecumenical Babylon results in the loss of profit for the merchants of the world, reason enough for their wailing. The luxury items are mentioned in verse 12-16.
The image is that of a rich and splendid city. Of course, such a city depends much on its merchandise; and when it declines and falls, many who had been accustomed to deal with it, as merchants or traffickers, are affected by it, and have occasion to lament its fall.
For no man buyeth their merchandise anymore:"
The Greek word for 'merchandise' is gomon, and it refers to the lading of the ship, that is, the loading of the ship. So you see, what follows in the next few verses will explain what the merchandise was that was loaded on the ships and brought into Rome.
Verse 12, "The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,"
LGT "Lading [merchandise] of gold and silver, and of precious stone, and of pearl, and fine linen, and of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every article of ivory, and every article of most precious wood, and of brass, and of iron, and of marble,"
"The merchandise of gold, and silver,"
Gold and silver are necessary commodities in any large city.
"And precious stones, and pearls,"
This represents the necessities of all the wealthy ladies, for who can imagine a woman of means without these things.
"And fine linen,"
"This was also a valuable article of commerce. It was obtained chiefly from Egypt. Linen, among the ancients, was an article of luxury, for it was worn chiefly by the rich, Exodus 28:42; Luke 16:19. The original word here is byssus, and it is found only in the New Testament only in this place, and in Luke 16:19 [see my exposition on the Rich Man and Lazarus]. It was a 'species of fine cotton, highly prized by the ancients.' Various kinds are mentioned - as that of Egypt, the cloth which is still found wrapped around mummies; that of Syria, and that of India, which grew on a tree similar to the poplar; and that of Achaia, which grew in the vicinity of Elis" (Barnes).
"And purple and silk,"
On purple see Luke 16:19. "The word 'silk' sterikou, is properly an adjective, meaning pertaining to the Seres, a people of India, perhaps of modern China.
Before the time of Justinian, when silkworms were first brought to Constantinople, it was thought that the Seres gathered or combed the downy substance woven by the worms from the leaves of certain trees. Hence Virgil speaks of the Seres, how they comb (depectant) the fine fleeces from the leaves.
Silk was a costly article of luxury among the Romans, so that Tacitus relates that in the reign of Tiberius a law was passed against 'men disgracing themselves with silken garments.' 'Two hundred years after the age of Pliny,' says Gibbon, 'the use of pure or even of mixed silks was confined to the female sex, till the opulent [wealthy] citizens of Rome and the provinces were insensibly familiarized with the example of Elagabalus, the first who, by this effeminate habit, had sullied [desecrated] the dignity of an emperor and a man. Aurelian complained that a pound of silk was sold at Rome for twelve ounces of gold' ('Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,' chp. 40). At the time of Justinian the Persians held a monopoly of this trade. Two missionary monks residing in China imparted to Justinian the project of introducing the eggs of the silkworm into Europe, and returning to China concealed the eggs in a hollow cane and so transported them" (Vincent).
"And scarlet,"
(See Matthew 27:6)
"And all Thyine wood,"
"The Greek word for 'Thyine' is thuinon, meaning the citrus, a North African tree, a native of Barbary, used as incense and for inlaying. Pliny speaks of a mania among the Romans for tables made of this wood. The most expensive of these were called orbes, circles, because they were massive plates of wood cut from the stem in its whole diameter. Pliny mentions plates four feet in diameter, and nearly six inches thick. The most costly were those taken from near the root, both because the tree was broadest there, and because the wood was dappled and speckled. Hence they were described by different epithets according as the markings resembled those of the tiger, the panther, or the peacock" (Vincent).
"And all manner vessels of ivory,"
This is the only place ivory is mentioned in the New Testament.
"References to ivory are frequent in the Old Testament. The navy of Tarshish brought ivory to Solomon with apes and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22). His great throne was made of it (1 Kings 10:18). Ahab's ivory palace (1 Kings 22:39) was probably a house with ivory panels. 'Ivory palaces' are mentioned in Psalm 45:8, and 'houses of ivory' in Amos 3:15. The Assyrians carried on a great trade in this article. On the obelisk in the British Museum the captives of tribute-bearers are represented as carrying tusks. The Egyptians early made use of decoration, bringing it mostly from Ethiopia, where, according to Pliny, ivory was so plentiful that the natives made of it door-posts and fences, and stalls for their cattle. In the early age of Greece ivory was frequently employed for ornamental purposes, for the trappings of horses, the handles of kegs, and the bosses of shields. Homer represents an Asiatic woman staining ivory with purple to form trappings for horses, and describes reigns of chariot-horses as adorned with ivory. The statue of Jupiter by Phidias was of ivory and gold. In the 'Odyssey' of Homer, Telemachus thus addressed his companion, the son of Nestor, as they contemplate the splendor of Menelaus' palace:
'See, son of Nestor, my beloved friend,In all these echoing rooms the sheen of brass,
Of gold, of amber and of ivory;
Such is the palace of Olympian Jove.'
Odyssey, iv., 71-74
(Quoted by Vincent)
"And all manner vessels of most precious wood,"
This includes every category of expensive woods.
"And of brass, and iron, and marble,"
These are obvious commodities for commerce, especially in the building industry.
Verse 13, "And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."
LGT "And cinnamon, and omomum, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and of horses, and of chariots, and of slaves, and souls of men."
"And cinnamon,"
"The word 'cinnamon' is gr. kinnamonon; it is of Phoenician origin as to its name, and is possibly imported from South China" (Robertson). "Cinnamon is mentioned as one of the ingredients of the holy oil for anointing (Exodus 30:23), and as a perfume for the bed (Prov. 7:17)" (Vincent).
"And odours,"
"Odors in Greek is amomum, an odoriferous shrub (imported from India), from which a precious ointment was prepared" (Analytical Greek Lexicon).
"And ointment,"
The same as 'odors' only I would add that preparations for the hair were made from it; today women use hair spray.
"And frankincense,"
"Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark, and suffering the gum to flow out. It is highly odoriferous or fragrant when burned, and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God. (See Exodus 30:8; Leviticus 16:12), It is found in the East Indies, but chiefly Arabia. It is unnecessary to say that incense has been always much used in public worship in Rome, and that it has been, therefore, a valuable article of commerce and luxury in all ages" (Barnes' commentary on Matthew and Revelation).
"And wine,"
"An item of commerce and a luxury in all ages."
"And oil,"
This of course is olive oil, a very necessary commodity.
"And fine flour,"
The best and finest wheaten flour; wine, flour, and incense were all used in the daily sacrifices.
"And beasts,"
The Greek word for 'beasts' is ktnene, meaning 'a beast of burden, that is, cattle.
"And sheep, and horses,"
Merchandise the ancient world could not have done without.
"And chariots,"
The Greek word for 'chariot' is pedone, "It means properly a carriage with four wheels, or a carriage drawn by mules (Prof. Stuart). The word is of Gallic origin, and was an article of luxury for the well to do" (Barnes).
"And slaves, and souls of men."
The Greek word for 'slaves' is somata, and it means the body. It is suggested that the phrase should read, the bodies, even the souls of men. Prof. Stuart suggests that the slaves here refer to the grooms who were hired to take care of the horses and chariots, and the 'souls of men' were the household slaves. Nevertheless, they were dealing very much in slavery in ancient Rome.
McGee says that even today in big business men are selling their souls to their corporations.
Verse 14, "And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all."
LGT "And the ripe autumn fruits of the desire of your soul are departed from you, and all the (fat, dainty, delicate, and sumptuous), and all the bright things have departed from you, they will absolutely not find them."
"And the fruits"
This is literally 'the ripe autumn or summer fruits; As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpa to serve the Chaldeans, who will come unto us; but ye, gather wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken" (Jer. 40:10).
"That thy soul lusted after"
These luxury items your soul lusted after.
"Are departed from thee,"
These items are no longer brought into the city to be sold.
"And all things which are dainty and goodly"
This phrase is literally; all things fat, dainty, delicate, and sumptuous. "These words characterized all kinds of furniture and clothing which were gilt, or plated, or embroidered, and therefore were bright or splendid" (Prof. Stuart).
"And thou shalt find them no more."
This phrase is repeated but with the addition of a double negative ou me, which makes it more emphatic, that is, they will never, on any occasion, be found in the city.
Verse 15, "The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,"
LGT "The merchants of these things, the ones who were made rich from her, will stand afar off because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,"
"The merchants of these things,"
The merchants of the things mentioned in verses 12-14.
"Which were made rich by her,"
These merchants who were made rich trafficking in these goods.
"Shall stand afar off for fear of her torment,"
(See verse 10).
"Weeping and wailing,"
All the merchants can see is their whole world being ruined.
Verse 16, "And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!"
LGT "Saying, Ooouuuie, ooouuuiii, [woe, woe], the city, the great one, which [was] clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and gilded [with] gold and precious stones and pearls!"
Compare verses 10-12. This is simply a repeat of the dirge of the merchants.
Verse 17, "For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off."
LGT "Because in one hour was made desolate so much wealth. And every helmsman [captain] and he who sails to a place, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off."
"For in one hour so great riches is come to naught."
Theime makes a note that this could be the result of a nuclear explosion. McGee and Barnes note that this phrase should be joined to verse 16.
"And every shipmaster,"
This is of course the captain of the ship.
"And all the company in ships,"
This phrase is in the Greek, and he who sails to a place; "he who sails from one place to another along the coast, or who does not venture out far to sea; and thus the phrase would denote a secondary class of sea captains or officers - those less venturesome, or experienced, or bold than others. There can be little doubt that this is the correct reading; and hence the class of seamen here referred to is coasters. Such seaman would naturally be employed where there was a great and luxurious maritime city, and would have a deep interest in its fall" (Barnes).
"And sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,"
These people who make their living by the sea were the third group of mourners to join in the wail. (See also on verse 10)
Verse 18, "And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!"
LGT "And cried as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What [city] is like the great city?"
"The great eternal city Babylon/Rome is eternal no longer" (Robertson). All these that have such a great interest in the city kept screaming, 'What city has ever met such a doom?'
Verse 19, "And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her coastlines! For in one hour is she made desolate."
LGT "And they cast dust upon their heads and screaming, both weeping and mourning saying, Ouai, ouai, the great city, in which they were made rich, the ones who had ships in the sea through her coastlines, because in one hour she was made desolate."
"And they cast dust on their heads,"
This was an ancient custom of showing grief: And shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in ashes (Ezekiel 27:30).
"And cried, weeping and wailing,"
Literally: they were screaming, and weeping and mourning.
"Saying, Alas, alas,"
Again they scream out that sound, ooouuuiii, ooouuuiii, the sound of the word, ouai, is the form of the wail.
"That great city,"
That great city Babylon/Rome.
"Wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea"
All the ships of the sea were made rich by the extravagance of that great city.
"By reason of her costliness!"
The Greek word for 'costliness' is timiotetos, and it means, 'preciousness or extravagance. "The luxury of a great city encircles many individuals, however much it may impoverish itself" (Barnes).
"For in one hour is she made desolate."
Literally, because in one hour she is become desolate. In a brief period of time this great city is ruined.
Verse 20, "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her."
LGT "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and the saints, and the apostles, and the prophets, because God did judge your judgment upon her."
"Rejoice over her thou heaven,"
We have just been studying how the men of the earth who side with the antichrist will lament over the fall of the revived Roman Empire; the ones who bore the mark of the beast will be horribly sorrowful, but those in heaven will rejoice. For those who think that God will not punish the wicked of this earth; who think that God is only a God of love; who think God would never send anyone to hell; who think that the world is getting better and better; need to read the Book of the Revelation. God will punish the wicked and it has been heralded throughout the Scripture, even in the Old Testament: Praise, O heaven, His people, worship Him, all you gods! For he will avenge the blood of His children, and take vengeance on His adversaries; He will repay those who hate Him, and cleanse the land for His people (Deuteronomy 32:43). Jeremiah says of the doom of ancient Babylon: Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them, shall shout for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come against them out of the north says the Lord (Jeremiah 51:48).
"And ye holy apostles and prophets;"
This phrase distinguishes that the 12 apostles are here meant, by the use of the article with the word apostles; they were the pre-cannon leaders and writers of the New Testament Scriptures. The prophets of course are the Old Testament prophets, also noted by the use of the article, so every believer in heaven is rejoicing.
"For God hath avenged you on her."
This phrase is literally, because God did judge your judgment upon her. This is God's answer to the imprecatory prayer of the martyred saints in Revelation 6:10: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Verse 21, "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."
LGT "And one strong angel took up a stone as it were a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with a mighty fall will the great city Babylon be cast down, and will be found no more in any way."
"And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea,"
"A strong angel takes a great millstone and hurls it into the sea, which closes over it as if it had never been. In the same way, Rome will be obliterated. John was taking his picture from the destruction of ancient Babylon. The word of God came to Jeremiah: When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, and say, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disasters that I am bringing on her' (Jeremiah 51:63-64)" (William Barclay).
A millstone that was used in the mill-house for grinding corn weighed 2-5 tons.
Saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,"
As the stone is cast into the sea, so with great violence will Rome fall.
"And shall be found no more."
"In later days, Strabo, the Greek geographer, was to say that ancient Babylon was so completely obliterated that no one would have dared to say that the desert where it stood was once a great city" (William Barclay). So will the revived Roman Empire be completely wasted, and then Christ will set up His Kingdom.
Verse 22, "And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;"
LGT "And a sound of harpers and of musicians, and of flute players, and of trumpeters, in no way will be heard in you any longer, and all craftsman of any craft will in no way be found in you any longer, and [the] sound of a millstone will in no way be heard in you any longer."
"And the voice of harpers,"
This is literally, And a sound [phona] of harpers."
"And musicians,"
"The idea, in this verse and the following, is substantially the same as in the previous parts of the chapter, that the mystical Babylon - Papal Rome - would be brought to utter desolation. This thought is here exhibited under another form - that all which constituted festivity, joy, and amusement, and all that indicated thrift and prosperity, would disappear. Of course, in a great and gay city, there would be all kinds of music; and when it is said that this would be heard there no more it is a most striking image of utter desolation" (Barnes).
"And of pipers,"
This is literally, autolan, flute players. "Only here and Matthew 9:23. The female flute-players, usually dissolute [degenerate] characters, were indispensable attendants at the Greek banquets. Plato makes Eryximachus in 'The Symposium,' say: 'I move that the flute-girl who has just made her appearance, be told to go away and play to herself, or, if she likes, to the women who are within. To-day let us have conversation instead' ('Symposium' 176). Again, Socrates says: 'The talk about the poets seems to me like a commonplace entertainment to which a vulgar company have recourse; who, because they are not able to converse and amuse one another, while they are drinking, with the sound of their own voices and conversation, by reason of their stupidity, raise the price of flute-girls in the market, hiring for a great sum the voice of a flute instead of their own breath, to be the medium of intercourse among them' ('Protagoras,' 347). Compare Isaiah 24:8; Ezekiel 26:13" (Quoted by Vincent).
"And trumpeters,"
"Trumpets were common instruments of music, employed on festival occasions, in war, and in worship. Only the principal instruments of music are mentioned here, as representatives of the rest. The general idea is, that the sound of festivity and joy, would cease" (Barnes).
"Shall be heard no more at all in thee;"
That is, it will be permanently and completely desolate. McGee notes' "All the rock music will go out of style then - and I thank God for that!"
"And no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee;"
The GNP [gross national product] will be forever finished. All manufacturing will come to a screeching halt.
"And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;"
The sound of the millstone has been suggested as the workers who worked the mill sang as they worked, signifying prosperity.
"When you have skilled labor, you have good industry. When you have good industry you prosper and the hard workers demand entertainment. So, the entertainers rise up. All three are related and when religion here fails, it takes prosperity that was tied to it and there is no time for leisure, only survival" (Theime).
Verse 23, "And the light of the candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more in thee; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for thy sorceries were all nations deceived."
LGT "And the light of the lamp will in no way shine in you any longer. And the voice of the bridegroom and bride will in no way be heard in you any longer, because your merchants were the great ones of the earth [or land], because with your sorceries they have mislead all the nations."
In verses 21-23 every phrase is ended with a double negative; John uses this grammatical tool in order to stress the absoluteness of each phrase, that is, ou me, meaning in no way, or by no means, will these things function anymore.
"The crafts that have been prostituted to the service of the Antichrist will end. The wheels of the factories will never turn again. The bright lights of the cities will go out forever. It is interesting to note the beginning of all these things are recorded in Genesis 4:16-22. Also, social and family life shall end. The great tycoons of big business will disappear. This city deceived the world with the worship of Antichrist - this is the strong delusion [the big lie]" (McGee).
"It is the destruction of the greatest schemes and works of man to make way for that which has been in the mind of God and promised through His prophets from the beginning of the world. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and built a city after the murder of his brother Abel. This was the beginning of man's boasted civilization. All of the arts and sciences had their origin there. There were artificers in brass and iron; trade and barter, the pursuit of the unrighteous mammon began there; and there, too, dwelt those who handled the harp and organ. Music charmed the weary sons of Cain as they sought to make themselves happy and this world attractive apart from God. The Lord blotted out all of this in the deluge, but it is evident that Ham, Noah's son, had learned the same ways. In his family, the world as an ordered system of things, apart from God, had a new beginning, Nimrod built a city and a tower, as we have seen, and it became the mother city from whence others went out and built a godless and selfish civilization. That system eventually crucified the Lord of Glory, and His accusation was written above Him in Hebrew, the language of religion; Greek, the language of culture; and Latin, the language of world politics - the world, as such, arrayed against God and His Christ. And this is the world that is to reach its culmination in Babylon the Great, presided over by the greatest geniuses that earth has ever produced but only to be judged by God because of its inveterate [chronic] enmity to everything holy and its constant rejection of His Son. Its downfall will prepare the way for the establishment of the kingdom of God and the reign of righteousness and peace for which humanity has sighed so long. Man's city must fall to give place to the city of God, which shall stand forever; hence, the joy in heaven at Babylon's destruction" (H. A. Ironside).
Verse 24, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."
LGT "And in her [the] blood of prophets and of saints was found, and all the ones who were slain upon the earth."
"God's people got rough treatment in this city and God judged it. This is Satan's city, and he was a murderer from the beginning. Babylon was a city that murdered; its final crime was slaying God's people.
As we contemplate the destruction of other great cities and civilizations of the past which have fallen. One of the most widely read books of all time is The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire written by Edward Gibbon in 1788. In it he gives five reasons why that great civilization withered and died:
- The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis for human society.
- Higher and higher taxes; the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
- The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, more immoral.
- The building of great armaments when the real enemy was within - the decay of individual responsibility.
- The decay of religion; faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, losing power to guide the people."
(McGee).
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