THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON THE GREAT (CHAPTER 18). The Fall of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18:1). We now have in more detail an explanation of the mystery of the prostitute. The connections between Revelation 18 and Jeremiah 50, 51 stress that the essential nature of the prostitute parallels Baby... [ Continue Reading ]
‘After these things I saw another angel coming down out of Heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lightened with his glory.' Another great angel is seen as involved with the fulfilling of God's final purposes. Note that none of these angels are ever named apart from Michael, who is named... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he cried with a mighty voice saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great, and is become a habitation of devils, and a haunt of every unclean spirit and a haunt of every unclean and hateful bird”.' The angel declares that Babylon the Great is fallen. Becoming a haunt of birds is a favourite ind... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen, and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wanton luxurious living.' Her love of idolatry, sexual deviancy and the occult have brought on her the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, “Come forth, my people, out of her so that you have no fellowship with her sins and so that you do not receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached even unto Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities”.' The voice from Heaven can only be that o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works. In the cup which she mingled, mingle to her double. To the same extent as she glorified herself, and bathed in luxury (waxed luxuriously or behaved wantonly), so much give her of torment and mourning, for s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore in one day will her plagues come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judged her.' This came upon Rome even though by that time it called itself a ‘Christian' city. But it was still a cesspool of sin and its nature essen... [ Continue Reading ]
LAMENTATION OVER BABYLON THE GREAT BY THE SELF-SEEKERS (REVELATION 18:9). We have witnessed the fall of Babylon the Great, now we witness the ‘grief' of her ‘friends'. The kings, the merchants and the ship-owners all weep over her, but their main concern is how it will affect them. The reader is aw... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail over her when they look on the smoke of her burning, standing far off for fear of her torment, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city. For in one hour is your judgment come”.' T... [ Continue Reading ]
. ‘And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buys their merchandise any more.' They weep not for her but for themselves. Their means of profit has gone. Then are outlined in great detail the merchandise in question to bring out both her luxurious living and the loss to the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the fruits which your soul lusted after are gone from you, and all things that are dainty and sumptuous are perished from you, and men shall find them no more at all.' The woman is in direct contrast with the bride of Christ in chapter 19. The bride is clothed in the righteous living of the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘The merchants of these things who were made rich by her will stand far off for fear of her torments, weeping and mourning, saying, “Woe, woe, the great city. She who was arrayed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearl. For in one hour so great riche... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And every ship's captain, and everyone who sails anywhere, and seamen, and as many as gain their living by the sea, stood afar off, and cried out as they looked on the smoke of her burning, saying, “What city is like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads and cried, weeping and mournin... [ Continue Reading ]
THE VERDICT OF HEAVEN (REVELATION 18:20). ‘Rejoice over her, you Heaven, and you people of God (saints) and you Apostles and you prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her.' The judgment is not that of the people of God but by the Judge Himself (v. 11). Here the heavenly beings and the Old T... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And a strong angel took up a stone, as it were a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with a mighty fall shall Babylon the great city be cast down and shall be found no more at all”.' This is a further interesting example of how quickly the scene can move forwards and then back... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the sound (voice) of harpists and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters will no more at all be heard in you, and no craftsman of whatever craft will be found any more at all in you, and the sound of the millstone will be heard no more at all in you, and the light of a lamp shall shine no m... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And in her was found the blood of prophets and of the people of God (saints) and of all who have been slain on the earth.' But she was also responsible for the martyrdom and murder of the countless millions who have died by violence through the ages. This could not be said individually of Babylon o... [ Continue Reading ]