<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" The Fall Of Babylon The Great (18:1-24) INTRODUCTION 1. In chapter seventeen, the mystery of the great harlot and the beast was explained... a. Wherein I viewed the "beast" to represent the persecuting emperors of Rome (e.g., Nero, Domitian) b. And that "Babylon the harlot" who sits on the beast represented the commercial and pagan spirit of Rome where many Christians died for the faith in Christ 2. Now in chapter eighteen, we read of the fall of "Babylon the Great"... a. With the fall of Babylon proclaimed in verses 1-8 b. Followed by the fall of Babylon mourned in verses 9-20 c. Ending with the fall of Babylon justified in verses 21-24 [So let's begin with...] I. THE FALL OF BABYLON PROCLAIMED (1-8) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. By an angel from heaven - Re 18:1-3 a. John sees an angel coming down from heaven 1) Having great authority 2) Illuminating the earth with his glory b. The angel cries mightily with a loud voice 1) "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen..." 2) And has become: a) A dwelling place of demons b) A prison for every foul spirit c) A cage for every unclean and hated bird 3) With her: a) The nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication b) The kings of the earth have committed fornication c) The merchants of the earth have become rich 2. By a voice from heaven - Re 18:4-8 a. Calling God's people to come out of her 1) Lest they share in her sins and her plagues 2) For her sins have reached to heaven and God has remembered her iniquities b. Calling for judgment to be rendered her 1) Render her just as she rendered them 2) Repay her double according to her works 3) In the cup she has mixed, mix double for her 4) To the degree she glorified herself and lived luxuriously... a) Give her torment and sorrow b) For she says in her heart she is a queen and will not see sorrow as a widow 5) Her plagues will come in one day... a) Death, mourning, and famine b) Utterly burned with fire 6) For strong is the Lord God who judges her -- Proclamation of her fall from two sources: 1) an angel from heaven, and 2) a voice from heaven B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. In this proclamation of the fall of Babylon (i.e., Rome) we see God's justice at work - Re 18:2-3,5-8 a. Babylon had become a home for demonic spirits b. Babylon had defiled the nations, kings, and merchants c. Babylon would receive double according to what she had done to others 2. In this proclamation of the fall of Babylon (i.e., Rome) we see God's mercy at work - Re 18:4 a. God has forewarned His people to come out of her b. Lest they find themselves on the receiving end of her plagues -- Similar to how Jesus warned His disciples of the destruction of Jerusalem (cf. Lk 21:20-24), so here God's people are forewarned of the judgment coming upon Babylon (Rome) [The proclamation of judgment is then followed by...] II. THE FALL OF BABYLON MOURNED (9-20) A. AS DESCRIBED IN THE TEXT... 1. By the kings of the earth - Re 18:9-10 a. Those who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her b. They shall weep and lament when they see the smoke of her burning c. They shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, saying: 1) "Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!" 2) "For in one hour your judgment has come." 2. By the merchants of the earth - Re 18:11-17a a. They shall weep and mourn over her b. For no one buys their merchandise anymore c. All that they longed for, both rich and splendid, they shall find no more d. The merchants shall stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing: 1) "Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!" 2) "For in one hour such great riches came to nothing." 3. By the traders and travelers on the sea - Re 18:17b-19 a. They stood at a distance, crying when they saw the smoke of her burning, "What is like this great city?" b. Throwing dust on their heads, they cried out, weeping and wailing: 1) "Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth!" 2) "For in one hour she is made desolate." 4. By not by the holy apostles and prophets - Re 18:20 a. They are to rejoice over her b. For God has avenged them on her -- Divine justice bringing grief to those who profited by her wealth, and joy to those who had suffered from her sins and persecution B. OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION... 1. If Rome (in particular her commercial and immoral spirit) is the "harlot", then this chapter may describe the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. 2. Statements in Re 18:3,9-19 seem to fit Rome better than Jerusalem a. "all the nations...the kings of the earth" b. "the merchants of the earth...all who had ships on the sea" 3. The fall of "Babylon" was due to her treatment of apostles, prophets, and saints - Re 18:20,24 a. When Revelation was written (ca. 70 A.D.), Rome had already killed Peter and Paul, along with thousands of other Christians b. By the time of Rome's fall (476 A.D), there had been at least ten periods of persecutions by Rome against the church -- Rome, just as much as does Jerusalem, certainly qualifies as "Babylon, the harlot!" CONCLUSION 1. In this chapter we get a picture of what the early Christians faced... a. Persecution by political forces with the aid of corrupted commercial enterprises b. Yet given promises similar to that Paul wrote to the church in Rome: "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord." - Ro 12:19 2. Should we ever find ourselves living in similar circumstances... a. Let the Book of Revelation be a guide and source of comfort b. With its warnings and its promises that can be applied to ourselves Especially the words of our Lord of lords and King of kings... "Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." - Re 2:10<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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