Revelation 18:1-2; Babylon the Great Is Fallen

Revelation 18:1-2  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 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. 

This world’s gain is a delusion. We are warned not to set our hearts on the riches of this world and set our ambition upon them.

James 4:13-14  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 

The dwellers on earth during the Tribulation time shall be disappointed for lusting after the inordinate gain promised by the Antichrist. God will now destroy the Antichrist’s economic superstructure. All who are linked with that global end-time system shall suffer great loss. We are reminded of God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19, when fire and brimstone fell from heaven to totally burn the city and its wicked inhabitants, this end-time judgment will likewise be total and complete.

MacArthur observed well, “Summing up what they reveal about that period, God’s judgment will rain down on the earth in the form of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments. Although those judgments will be worldwide in scope, they will focus particularly on Antichrist’s world empire of Babylon. That empire will involve both a religious and a commercial aspect. At the midpoint of the Tribulation, Antichrist will destroy the false Babylonian religious system, which will be absorbed into commercial Babylon (cf. Revelation 12). Religion will not cease to exist, but will be restricted to the worship of Antichrist. The Babylon in view in chapter 18 is Antichrist’s worldwide commercial empire, which will rule the world during the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. That Antichrist will be able to build the greatest commercial empire the world has ever known in the midst of the devastating judgments of the Tribulation reveals his incredible power.

God’s destruction of commercial Babylon is the theme of chapter 18. It is thus a very somber chapter; it is a requiem, a dirge for the funeral of humanity. With the destruction of the satanic last and greatest human empire, the stage is set for the triumphant return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Though some commentators view it as a symbol for Antichrist’s whole godless system, the Babylon described in chapter 18 is most likely an actual city. It is called a city five times in the chapter (v10, 16, 18, 19, 21), and other features in the text imply that a literal city is in view.

Revelation 18:10  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 

Revelation 18:16  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! 

Revelation 18:18  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 

Revelation 18:19  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 costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 

Revelation 18:21  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. 

Since the text plainly describes Babylon as a city, and there is nothing in the context to indicate otherwise, it is safest to view it as a real city. The specific Old Testament prophecies of Babylon’s destruction and perpetual desolation (Isa. 13:19–22; 14:22–23; Jer. 50:13, 39; 51:37), as yet unfulfilled, also argue that chapter 18 describes an actual city (cf. Revelation 12). But while Babylon will be an actual city, its influence will be worldwide. As Antichrist’s capital city, it will be the hub of and represent his commercial empire. Thus, the judgment and destruction of Babylon will kill the head, and the rest of the body of Antichrist’s whole world empire will follow in death.

Babylon will have received plenty of warnings of its impending doom by the occurrence of the events of chapter 18. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the two witnesses, the rest of the redeemed, and an angel flying in the heavens will have proclaimed the gospel message. That message includes the truth that God will judge those who refuse to repent. In addition, earlier in the Tribulation an angel specifically warned of Babylon’s impending doom, crying out “… Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. ” (Revelation 14:8). The angel spoke of Babylon’s yet future fall as if it had already happened, emphasizing the certainty of its doom.

But despite the repeated warnings, the people of the world will refuse to repent (cf. Revelation 9:20–21; 16:9, 11), and God’s judgment will fall on Babylon.

Revelation 9:20-21  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 

Revelation 16:9  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 

Revelation 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 

Chapter 18 records seven aspects of that judgment on Antichrist’s commercial empire: judgment pronounced, judgment avoided, judgment defined, judgment lamented, judgment enjoyed, judgment completed, and judgment justified.”

 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2000). Revelation 12–22 (pp. 176–178). Chicago: Moody Press.

May God’s people be awakened to the perils to their souls not to join hands with the world – 1 John 2:16-17  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Amen.