College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 18:1-20
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 59
Text Revelation 18:1-20
After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 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 wantonness.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. 7 How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. 8 Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning, 10 standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for the one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more; 12 merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stone, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon, and spice, and incense, and ointment, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep; and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men. 14 And the fruits which thy soul lusted after are gone from thee, and all things that were dainty and sumptuous are perished from thee, and men shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning; 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, she that was arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearl! 17 for in one hour so great riches is made desolate. And every shipmaster, and every one that saileth any whither, and mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood afar off, 18 and cried out as they looked upon the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like the great city? 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, wherein all that had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.
Initial Questions Revelation 18:1-20
1.
The angel of Revelation 18:1 left the throne room of God. What does this vs. say about this angel?
2.
Is it possible that cities and nations are used, as a whole, for good or bad - Revelation 18:2? Discuss the problem of the good individual and the totally corrupt society of which he is a part. If evil dominates, what happens to the good which individuals do? This thesis is of vital concern to contemporary as well as first century Christians. Reinhold Niebuhr's Moral Man and Immoral Society, is a brilliant analysis of this problem.
3.
In Revelation 18:3 we see the problem of the big nation and the little nations. Does this imagery apply in our own day?
4.
What was the economic effects of alliances with the great harlot - Revelation 18:3?
5.
How is it possible to have fellowship with sin - Revelation 18:4?
6.
How does God humiliate the proud city - Revelation 18:7?
7.
God's judgment is so sure and severe that it will take how long for her plagues to come - Revelation 18:8?
8.
In the great power struggles between nations are all morally responsible for their actions, regardless of their attempts to justify any given action as politically expedient - Revelation 18:9?
9.
In Revelation 18:10 we note sacred sarcasm against any and all who trust in their own strength (misplaced trust) - Revelation 18:10. Discuss.
10.
Discuss the relationship between morals, merchants, and money - Revelation 18:11.
11.
What would happen in our world, if the things were no longer of value - Revelation 18:12? Would nations give their wealth to escape a nuclear holocaust? Would the money mongers exchange their wealth for their safety?
12.
How can we make merchandise of the souls of men - Revelation 18:13?
13.
How did the merchants respond to the destruction of the great city - Revelation 18:15?
14.
How long did it take God to make desolate the great city - Revelation 18:16?
15.
How were the great merchant ships affected by the destruction of the great city - Revelation 18:19?
16.
Has God vindicated His people by His judgments - Revelation 18:20?
The Doom of Babylon
Chapter Revelation 18:1-24
John gives us the announcement of the collapse of Babylon in this chapter.
John saw another angel coming down out of heaven. The heavenly messenger proclaims the ruin of Babylon (Revelation 18:1-8). John uses a series of quotations in this section of The Revelation from Jeremiah 25:15; Jeremiah 25:27; Jeremiah 50:8; Jeremiah 50:39; Jeremiah 51:8; Isaiah 21:9; Isaiah 47:7-8; Isaiah 48:20; Psalms 137:8. The fall of Babylon has effected the economy of the world. The merchants, the kings of the earth, and the seafaring people are mourning over their economic catastrophe. The imagery of the laments come directly from Ezekiel, Chapter s 26-27.
The angel came directly from the throne room of God because the earth was lightened with his glory. The entire populated earth was to hear the announcement of doom.
The angel cried - Fallen fallen (epesen) is Babylon the great, and became a dwelling place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and having been hated bird,.. The mighty city has become so corrupt that evil spirits make it their home. The luxury of Rome provided the seed of immorality!
The kings and nations of the earth shared the guilt of decadent Rome. --- And the merchants of the earth became rich (the English word, waxed, of the 1901 translation comes from the German word wachsen - to grow or increase) from power of her luxury (strçnous is a late Greek word for arrogance which stems from luxury).
The angel hurls down the challenge for the Christians to - Come forth, my people, out of her, that (hina - purpose clause) you do not share (the Greek word is to have fellowship with) in her sins, and that you do not receive of her plagues. God's judgment is coming. May the people of God be in but not of the world when His trumpet sounds to assemble mankind in the valley of judgment. Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:45; Isaiah 48:20, and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 issues the same command to come out! This is one of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian life - how to witness to a lost world, and yet not become tainted with her sins. One thing is certain, the Church cannot be a ghetto institution and carry out the great final commission of our Lord.
Their iniquities have reached heaven. God's universe is still a moral universe, and whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap.
The double recompense was a vital part of the Levitical law (see Exodus 22:4; Exodus 22:7). The Spirit of vengeance has already been manifested in The Revelation 6:10How long O Master, the holy and true, doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? The divine justice demands that the evil city (the entire Empire) be rewarded for her iniquity. The voice that John heard said, Give back (apodate - 2nd aor. imp. mood signifies a command to return double as she gave to you) to her as indeed she gave back, and double (imp. mood - command again) double unto her double according to her works; in the cup in which she mixed - mix (again imper. mood) to her double. There will be a pay day some day! Evil shall not always prosper nor prevail. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. The verse implies that the persecuted Christians are to retaliate. Each major verb is in the imperative or command mood. In the historical situation, the Christians were in no condition to retaliate; therefore, in the plan of God Christians alone shall prevail, and mercy, justice, and righteousness shall run down the hills of the new Jerusalem as mighty waters. One of the central problems of a Christian World-view is the phenomenon of evil. How can God be both just and justifier of the alien sinner? How can God be both Holy and all-powerful and permit evil to persist? How can the Christian God permit His people to be persecuted and slain? Does this verse speak of the O.T. lex talionis? (See also The Sermon on The Mount - Matthew 5:38-48). Does this verse imply that the great harlot is to receive twice as much punishment as she deserves? The phrase kata ta erga autçs (according to her works) clearly shows that the harlot receives just the amount that she deserves!
Swete's words are very appropriateLet her share of misery be proportionate to her arrogant self glorification. (Swete, op cit., p. 230). The great harlot is humiliated by her loss of wealth and status. (Our age is not the only age which has been burdened by - The Status Seekers). Their wealth and social status is now replaced by torment and sorrow. Because (hoti or causal or force - shows the ultimate cause of her torment and sorrow) in her heart she continually says, because (hoti - again the cause) I sit a queen, and I am not a widow, and shall by no means (ou mç - the double negative is an idiom for absolutely not) see sorrow. This is manifestly a belligerent, arrogant attitude. The self-image of the great harlot made her ready for the visitation of God's judgment. There is no fall like the fall which comes when one thinks he is on top! This is true of individuals or nations, or empires, or civilizations (see Arnold Toynbee's History for his analysis of the fall of the great world civilizations). All the great civilizations, including Rome, fell at the height of their power. Why? Their moral decadence destroyed the ethical foundations of her society. Societies have been built on reason (Plato's rationalistically oriented Republic); law (Roman civilization contributed concepts of Law which are still inseparably bound to the 20th century, western civilization); religion (Jewish civilization and Roman Catholic Europe, up to the modern era of Newton, Galileo, Descartes, Leibniz, et al.) Religion had been used for over one thousand years as a foundation of society; yet, it contributed to the collapse of Medieval Europe. The 1955 Harvard Report on Education claimed that Western civilization would never again utilize Christianity as the foundation for our social structure. This may be true, but no one could seriously claim that Biblical Christianity has ever been used as the foundation for human civilization. Here we have the insoluable paradox between humanly engineered society and the Kingdom of God! What place does human effort really play in the working out of God's purpose in the universe? (See W. A. Beardslee, Human Achievement and Divine Vocation in Message of Paul: Studies in Biblical Theology, Alec R. Allenson, Inc., 635 East Odgen Ave., Naperville, Illinois.)
Jesus warned those of us who fail to lay up treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. This is exactly the situation we find in this verse. The great harlot was not building for eternity, but rather, for the pleasures available only for a season. Moses understood this problem very well. A person cannot serve both God and Man. God's spirit enabled Moses to serve the living God, even at the expense of earthly possessionsWhen he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; accounting the reproach of Christ's greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked unto the recompense of reward (Hebrews 11:24-26). The fall of Babylon was inevitable, because of the power and purpose of the living God. John heard the voice out of heaven sayTherefore (dia touto - transitional preposition) in one day her plagues will come, death, and sorrow, and famine, and she will be burned down (utterly consumed) with fire; because (hoti - causal force - the cause of death, famine, and destruction by fire) the Lord God is strong (and not in text) - the one who judged her. (krinos - 1st aor. participle, the fact is asserted that the judgment is over.) How long can the strongest stand in the presence of the living God, when they are enthralled with evil? God's messenger stated that the mighty Roman Empire would last one day (en mia hçmera). The proud, arrogant harlot thought that she would be able to stand against her strongest enemy, but she forgot to consider the greatest of all of her enemies - the Holy, Righteous God! She thought that no one could call her to give an account, but the all-mighty is the one who judged her. She was unprepared for that summons!
This verse begins a section which extends to Revelation 18:20. Those who repeatedly committed fornication with the great harlot lament - kings, merchants, and navigators. This is followed by the scene of rejoicing in heaven. The kings of the earth will weep and wail over herwhen all the petty kings of the earth see that the giant harlot is fallen, they will express their loss with intensive crying, and wailing or agonized mourning. The source of their income and immoral pleasure lies in debris heaps. This will be their immediate responsewhenever they see the smoke of her burning,if this is the response of the men of international influence, how will the lesser persons respond? The rulers of the earth have yielded to her temptations; and have enjoyed the prestige of her wealth. What do these men deserve - when they stand in judgment?
The destruction is so extensive that the ruins of her can be seen by thosestanding from afar because of the fear of her torment, saying, Woe, Woe, the great city Babylon, the strong city! Because in one hour came (çlthen - 2nd aor. ind. - it came in a single, final act) your judgment. Note the paradox between the descriptive phrases - the strong city, and the great (megalç - great both with respect to power and size or extent of control of the nations of the earth) and the fact that it only took God one hour to judge her. This imagery shows the greatness of God. What men think is great and powerful will be absolutely powerless, when God comes in judgment. It took centuries to build the mighty Roman Empire and God leveled her cities, wealth, prestige in one hour. Can America learn anything from this pronouncement by the voice out of heaven?
Beginning in this verse through Revelation 18:14, Rome is pictured as the great commercial city controlling the economy of the world. (Check Revelation 13:17And that no man should be able to buy or to sell save he that hath the mark,---) This implies an absolute control of commerce or international trade. Does the Gospel of Christ have anything to say to the economic systems of our day? Does redemption in Christ contribute anything to the political and economic situation of our own day? The preceding two verses mentioned the response of the rulers of the world to the fall of Babylon. Now in this verse the heavenly messenger describes the merchants of the earth. John uses imagery taken from Ezekiel Chapter s 26-27, where he describes the fall of Tyre. The merchants weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargo anymore. The merchants were not particularly grieved because of the fall of Babylon, the great harlot, but because their income was cut off.
What were the cargos of the merchants? They were the status symbols of the first century. Our contemporary status symbols, at least for middle class society, are new homes and automobiles. The cargoes which came from all over the world were things which only a very wealthy culture could afford. Note Revelation 17:4, and notice again the apparel of the great harlot. The things by which she sought power and security were all perishable. Paul warns us not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:1 f). The glamorous fashions of this world will not avail us anything on the day of judgment. All men will be leveled before the throne of God; wealth, social status, education, prestige will not aid their possessors in that hour of God's righteous indignation. I heard Billy Graham telling of his personal audience with the queen of the Netherlands. After a short while, Billy began talking to this head of a royal house about Jesus Christ. Suddenly, she got stiff and reared back and saidMr. Graham, do you mean that I must repent too? He replied, yes, your majesty, you must repent too! This will be the plight of us allnone shall escape, for there is no hiding place from the wrath of the Lamb. Read the items listed in the cargo, but pay special attention to the last two items in the listand bodies (sômaton - slaves - but men were so cheap, that they were listed as nothing but bodies - merchants of men were called Body-merchants), and the souls of men. How cheap are bodies and souls of men in view of Calvary? The moral degradation of the great city becomes most apparent when we see that that which is in the image of God can be purchased in the market place. (See also Colossians 2:8 f; 2 Peter 2:3 on the theme of Using People). When human life becomes a commodity everything else is lost! For further study on these two verses find out where these cargo items came from and note how universal was Rome's control and significance. Rome was the biggest thing that man had built on the earth - but it is now fallen! How small this giant had become in one hour.
What is the relationship of man's spiritual needs and things? The 20th century finds mankind locked in a bitter struggle between a materialistically oriented, atheistic communism and the so-called Christian West. The hideous truth is that we are just as materialistically oriented as the communist world ever dared to be. And the fruit which your soul lusts (epithumias - basic immoral desire means to want more than anything else in the world. It is used in a good, positive sense by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1, when speaking of Elders desiring their office more than anything else in the world) after-departed (or went away) from you, and all the sumptuous things and the bright things (glittering things) perished from you, and shall find no more at all (kai ouketi ou me - means will absolutely never be found again).
The merchants wail, because their priceless cargos - suddenly become worthless! The things that thrilled them had been destroyed in one hour. Their lust for luxury has now turned into weeping and sorrowing.
These verses recount the words and haunting memories which dashed through their minds as they watched from afar. They just cannot bring themselves to accept the fate of the filth of Rome because in one hour (hôra - hour is the shortest period of time used in the Bible) such great wealth was made desolate (çrçmothç - 1st aor. passive voice indicative - in a single act - God made the wealth and its supposed security - desolate!) The angel next presents four groups of people(1) Shipmasters, (2) The ship's passengers, (3) Sailors, and (4) Tradersas a group who stood from afar. Through their stunned gaze they were mutteringwhat (city - not in text) is like unto this great city! The vastness of her influence is seen in the assertion that By which all the ones having ships in the sea were rich from her worth (costliness); The great harlot was the only city in the world who could afford to consume the luxurious cargos mentioned in Revelation 18:12-13; Revelation 18:16.
God has sealed the downfall of Babylon and heaven is commanded to rejoice Because God has judged your judgment on her. The eternal city is eternal no more!
Discussion Questions
See Revelation 18:21-24.