Revelation 19:1-3

Chapter 19 - Jesus begins His reign on earth

After  John is shown an expanded explanation of the judgment of Babylon he is now about to see the coronation and marriage of the Lamb of God in heaven.

 1  And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 

2  For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

3  And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

God judged the great whore named “Babylon the Great”. She is called a whore because the earth was corrupted by her relationship with Satan in place of God. The judgments of God on Babylon avenged the blood of those who were killed by her in all past times as well as during this end time tribulation.

The smoke of her burning rises on the earth literally until the new heaven and earth over a thousand years later. It might seem hard to believe that this land in Iraq would smolder for over a thousand years but this scripture and the one in Isaiah indicate that it will and that only creatures of the night will ever occupy this land.

Apparently the atomic wars in the area of Iraq or the falling meteorites ignite the huge oil tar pits in that land that provide the fuel for the burning. We know of coal mines that continue to burn underground for scores of years so this is not out the realm of natural possibilities. The smoke of the great whore continues to rise eternally even after the thousand years, when all that are identified with her are judged at the great white throne judgment and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11 – Revelation 20:15).