College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 18:21-24
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 60
Text Revelation 18:21-24
21 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. 22 And the voice of harpers and minstrels and flute-players and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft, shall be found any more at all in thee; and the voice of a mill shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 and the light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bride-groom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the princes of the earth; for with thy sorcery were all the nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth.
Initial Questions Revelation 18:21-24
1.
What did the great millstone cast into the sea symbolize - Revelation 18:21?
2.
Is the joy and happiness gone from the city according to Revelation 18:22?
3.
Why will there be no more craftsmen - Revelation 18:22?
4.
Why will there be no more grinding of the grain - Revelation 18:22?
5.
What social, family and individual issues might be raised by the fact that there shall be no light from the lamps - Revelation 18:23? What about the source of oil necessary for the lamps?
6.
Is is possible that there were no more young left after the destruction in view of second clause of Revelation 18:23?
7.
Can a nation or a society be responsible for crimes which were engineered and executed by their leaders - Revelation 18:24?
John next saw that one strong angel lifted a stone like a great millstone, and threw (it - not in text) into the sea, saying, thus with a violent impulse Babylon the great city shall be thrown down, and by no means shall be found any longer. The imagery speaks of the final destruction of the eternal city.
The places of entertainment are destroyed. This entertainment might have occurred in the great religious Temples which were the sanctuaries of the immoral mystery religions. The musical instruments which were used in the services of the pagan religions are no longer heard in the great city. There are no crafts-men whatsoever. If there is no market for a given product, then men will not learn the craft. International economy has collapsed, therefore it would be utter folly to continue to make products which will not be purchased. There is no grain produced and no one to buy (or who could buy it); therefore, the sound of a mill shall be no means be heard in you any longer.
The great city is in ruin! Her places of entertainment, Temples, homes, and public buildings have gone up in smoke. Men no longer go out in the night to hide in the flickering shadows of half-lighted buildings in order to commit their immoral acts. No one can be found who is still arrogant because of the luxury of the great harlot. Darkness has captured the city which spawned malignant darkness. The light of a lamp by no means shall shine in you any longer.-----The young men and women have left, or were killed in the great judgment, because the voice of the bridegroom and bride shall by no means be heard in you any longer; because your merchants were (çsan - imperfect tensetheir merchants used to be the great ones of the earth, but this is no longer true) the great ones of the earth, because by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. Most men are easily deceived, particularly when they labor under the delusion that wealth, luxury, and physical force are adequate to provide for security. Some men have no commitment about anything; they just want to be on the winning side. Contemporary man has observed the rise and fall of some very powerful men. Whenever power is not tempered by Christian morality, it will inevitably destroy its possessor.
In the great city, which was bred and nurtured by evil, the great heavenly voice charges her with another barbarian activity butchery. (See Dill, Roman Society, p. 242 - now in paperback - excellent, standard work!) It was a common thing for the socially elite of Rome to butcher Christians in order to celebrate a Roman holiday.
Discussion Questions
Chapter Revelation 18:1-24
1.
What was the angel's message in Revelation 18:4?
2.
Discuss the Holiness and Righteousness of God in view of the persistent problems of evil - Revelation 18:6.
3.
Does Revelation 18:6 imply that God demands more punishment than is deserved?
4.
What was the attitude of the great harlot in Revelation 18:7?
5.
Discuss the relationship of God's purpose and human achievement - Revelation 18:7.
6.
How long does it take God to bring destruction upon the great harlot - Revelation 18:8?
7.
What groups of people are mentioned in Revelation 18:9?
8.
What were the cargoes of the ships? Discuss the items as status symbols - Revelation 18:12-13.
9.
What does Revelation 18:13 tell us about the value of a man in first century Roman culture?
10.
What does the goals of a person tell us about that person - Revelation 18:14?
11.
What has happened to turn the priceless cargoes into worthless trash - Revelation 18:15?
12.
What are some of the implications of the relationship of luxury and spirituality - Revelation 18:19?
13.
What has happened to the lights, the craftsmen, brides and grooms, the mills, the places of entertainment in the great city - Revelation 18:22 ff?
14.
What barbarian activity is implied in Revelation 18:24?