REVELATION 18
This chapter can be divided into three sections, as follows:
O Announcement of Babylon's destruction, verses 1-8
O Lamentation over Babylon, verses 9-19
O Celebration and permanence of destruction, verses 20-24
At the beginning of the chapter, an angel descends from heaven, and the earth is radiant from his splendor, which probably means this angel is usually in the presence of God. He announces that Babylon has fallen and it has become a dwelling place for demons and for every loathsome and detestable bird. I'm not sure which birds are loathsome and detestable, but this reminds me of being taken to a drive-in to see Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds", and the concept here is that demons and Alfred Hitchcock's birds are dwelling in Babylon, as if it were a dungeon, which means they are no longer free to torment mankind. This may apply to the three loathsome spirits spoken of earlier in Revelation 16:13-14. The angel says this is due to Babylon's influence over nations and her passionate unchastity, fornication or idolatry, wantonness and excessive luxury. Throughout Revelation, the language of sexual sin and idolatry are interchangeable, they stem from the same spiritual deficiency, and each causes the other. It is reasonable to say, therefore, that the key to overcoming sexual temptation and living in holiness is one's relationship and reverence for the Lord. Revelation 17:14 says Christ's disciples are called, chosen and faithful, contrasted with the unfaithfulness and unchastity of Babylon. The church is described as the bride of Christ, whereas Babylon is referred to as a prostitute.
Then John hears another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so you do not share in her sins or her plagues." This is an appeal to Christians for holiness, sanctification, a renewed mind, spiritual and in this case, even physical separation from the world. Just as God refused to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot left (Genesis 19:1-29), he wants Christians to leave Babylon so he can judge it without being concerned for their welfare.
Verse 6 seems puzzling at first, because it asks Christians to repay Babylon double for the misery she has caused. At first, one may ask how this can be a valid request from God, in light of many passages in scripture which ask us not to take revenge on others, such as Matthew 5:38-48 and Romans 12:14-21. I believe the significance of this passage is a request for Christians to be twice as disgusted with Babylon's sins as Babylon is indulgent in them, not that this is actually a call for revenge.
Verse 7 speaks about Babylon's attitude toward itself, and God's response toward that attitude. Babylon glorified herself, reveled in her wantonness and boasted she was not a widow and would never see suffering. Note the similarity to the attitude of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17, "I am rich, I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing." Yet Jesus calls the Laodiceans wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.
Verse 8 says this allegorical Babylon will be destroyed suddenly, just as Babylon's empire was conquered suddenly by Persia.
Verses 9-19 tell us that many men are grieved by Babylon's destruction, kings in verses 9-10, merchants in verses 11-16 and sea captains in verses 17-19.
Some interesting things emerge from these laments. First of all, note how the grief is expressed. The rulers beat their breasts and stood at a safe distance in verse 9, an act of despair which ironically reminds us of Luke 23:48, when many in the crowd who witnessed Christ's crucifixion returned home beating their breasts, not realizing the plan and foreknowledge of God. Verses 11, 15 and 19 tell us the merchants and sea captains wept over Babylon, in contrast to the celebration of the saints which is described in Revelation 18:20-19:9.
Babylon's merchandise can be divided into seven groups:
Treasure - gold, silver, precious stones and pearls.
Fabrics - fine linen, silk, purple and scarlet material.
Building materials - scented wood, ivory, bronze, iron and marble.
Spices - cinamon, incense, ointment, perfume or myrrh and frankincense.
Food - wine, olive oil, fine flour and wheat.
Livestock - cattle, sheep, horses.
Men - the bodies and souls of men.
This list includes gold, frankincense and myrrh (some translations say perfume, instead of myrrh), the gifts offered to Jesus by the wise men, who brought them to worship Christ. Even the reference to souls has a parallel in the gospels, in that Jesus told Peter "henceforth, you will be catching men" (Luke 5:4-10). It is not the merchandise, but the misuse of people and the love for money, hording and self-indulgence, rather than God, which creates the idolatry which causes Babylon's destruction.
When verse 13 lists souls among Babylon's merchandise, it probably refers to slavery, and it also implies that much of Babylon's wealth was generated by slave labor or at least people who were unfairly and insufficiently compensated for their labor. Child labor in China and multi-million dollar pay and bonus packages for corporate executives, economic systems where many are working for the wealth of very few, in our world are indicative of the same ethic and practice in the world today.
Reading the laments in verses 9-19 closely, one is struck by the grief and terror of the rulers, merchants and sea captains, yet it doesn't seem they are at all grieved for Babylon itself, but only for their loss of wealth and the lost opportunity to obtain wealth. They are clearly frightened by the suddenness and the severity of the disaster which has befallen Babylon, standing far off in terror, as verses 8, 10, 15, 17 and 19 indicate. They missed God, because they did not put him first in their lives, they relied on created things rather than the Creator of all things, and they have lost the security and the wealth which Babylon and its commercial and political system provided. It is easy for us as Christians to rely on the jobs we have to sustain us, rather than relying on God , as Matthew 6:19-34 instructs us to do.
Recalling Revelation 17:1-6, as well as Revelation 18:3 and 18:24, we know that Babylon has mocked God and has become drunk on the blood of the saints. We've all heard stories of Romans feeding Christians to the lions in the first century, and we are familiar with the holocaust of World War II. One can only assume that Babylon has refined and expanded on these cruelties. So the saints rejoice over her fall in verse 20, and in the first nine verses of chapter 19. God's judgment has been on their behalf, perhaps in response to the prayer of the souls under the altar in Revelation 6:9-11.
Verses 21-24 tell us God's destruction of Babylon is permanent. Each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 18:2-6, Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2) tell us that it would be better to have a millstone tied around one's neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause a child to sin. In verse 21, an angel throws a millstone into the sea, symbolizing Babylon's destruction. We live in a culture which increasingly tempts even children to sin, and it seems reasonable to suspect a similar fate awaits much of our entertainment industry and many of our celebrities.
The harp, the flute, the trumpet and singing will not be heard in Babylon anymore. Yet there is still music among the saints, as in Revelation 14:2-3 and Revelation 15:2-4. No craftsman shall be found in Babylon anymore, no lamp will shine in it and the voice of brides and bridegrooms shall not be heard there again.
In chapter 19, we will discuss the marriage supper of the Lamb and the great supper of God.
O Announcement of Babylon's destruction, verses 1-8
O Lamentation over Babylon, verses 9-19
O Celebration and permanence of destruction, verses 20-24
At the beginning of the chapter, an angel descends from heaven, and the earth is radiant from his splendor, which probably means this angel is usually in the presence of God. He announces that Babylon has fallen and it has become a dwelling place for demons and for every loathsome and detestable bird. I'm not sure which birds are loathsome and detestable, but this reminds me of being taken to a drive-in to see Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds", and the concept here is that demons and Alfred Hitchcock's birds are dwelling in Babylon, as if it were a dungeon, which means they are no longer free to torment mankind. This may apply to the three loathsome spirits spoken of earlier in Revelation 16:13-14. The angel says this is due to Babylon's influence over nations and her passionate unchastity, fornication or idolatry, wantonness and excessive luxury. Throughout Revelation, the language of sexual sin and idolatry are interchangeable, they stem from the same spiritual deficiency, and each causes the other. It is reasonable to say, therefore, that the key to overcoming sexual temptation and living in holiness is one's relationship and reverence for the Lord. Revelation 17:14 says Christ's disciples are called, chosen and faithful, contrasted with the unfaithfulness and unchastity of Babylon. The church is described as the bride of Christ, whereas Babylon is referred to as a prostitute.
Then John hears another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so you do not share in her sins or her plagues." This is an appeal to Christians for holiness, sanctification, a renewed mind, spiritual and in this case, even physical separation from the world. Just as God refused to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot left (Genesis 19:1-29), he wants Christians to leave Babylon so he can judge it without being concerned for their welfare.
Verse 6 seems puzzling at first, because it asks Christians to repay Babylon double for the misery she has caused. At first, one may ask how this can be a valid request from God, in light of many passages in scripture which ask us not to take revenge on others, such as Matthew 5:38-48 and Romans 12:14-21. I believe the significance of this passage is a request for Christians to be twice as disgusted with Babylon's sins as Babylon is indulgent in them, not that this is actually a call for revenge.
Verse 7 speaks about Babylon's attitude toward itself, and God's response toward that attitude. Babylon glorified herself, reveled in her wantonness and boasted she was not a widow and would never see suffering. Note the similarity to the attitude of the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17, "I am rich, I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing." Yet Jesus calls the Laodiceans wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.
Verse 8 says this allegorical Babylon will be destroyed suddenly, just as Babylon's empire was conquered suddenly by Persia.
Verses 9-19 tell us that many men are grieved by Babylon's destruction, kings in verses 9-10, merchants in verses 11-16 and sea captains in verses 17-19.
Some interesting things emerge from these laments. First of all, note how the grief is expressed. The rulers beat their breasts and stood at a safe distance in verse 9, an act of despair which ironically reminds us of Luke 23:48, when many in the crowd who witnessed Christ's crucifixion returned home beating their breasts, not realizing the plan and foreknowledge of God. Verses 11, 15 and 19 tell us the merchants and sea captains wept over Babylon, in contrast to the celebration of the saints which is described in Revelation 18:20-19:9.
Babylon's merchandise can be divided into seven groups:
Treasure - gold, silver, precious stones and pearls.
Fabrics - fine linen, silk, purple and scarlet material.
Building materials - scented wood, ivory, bronze, iron and marble.
Spices - cinamon, incense, ointment, perfume or myrrh and frankincense.
Food - wine, olive oil, fine flour and wheat.
Livestock - cattle, sheep, horses.
Men - the bodies and souls of men.
This list includes gold, frankincense and myrrh (some translations say perfume, instead of myrrh), the gifts offered to Jesus by the wise men, who brought them to worship Christ. Even the reference to souls has a parallel in the gospels, in that Jesus told Peter "henceforth, you will be catching men" (Luke 5:4-10). It is not the merchandise, but the misuse of people and the love for money, hording and self-indulgence, rather than God, which creates the idolatry which causes Babylon's destruction.
When verse 13 lists souls among Babylon's merchandise, it probably refers to slavery, and it also implies that much of Babylon's wealth was generated by slave labor or at least people who were unfairly and insufficiently compensated for their labor. Child labor in China and multi-million dollar pay and bonus packages for corporate executives, economic systems where many are working for the wealth of very few, in our world are indicative of the same ethic and practice in the world today.
Reading the laments in verses 9-19 closely, one is struck by the grief and terror of the rulers, merchants and sea captains, yet it doesn't seem they are at all grieved for Babylon itself, but only for their loss of wealth and the lost opportunity to obtain wealth. They are clearly frightened by the suddenness and the severity of the disaster which has befallen Babylon, standing far off in terror, as verses 8, 10, 15, 17 and 19 indicate. They missed God, because they did not put him first in their lives, they relied on created things rather than the Creator of all things, and they have lost the security and the wealth which Babylon and its commercial and political system provided. It is easy for us as Christians to rely on the jobs we have to sustain us, rather than relying on God , as Matthew 6:19-34 instructs us to do.
Recalling Revelation 17:1-6, as well as Revelation 18:3 and 18:24, we know that Babylon has mocked God and has become drunk on the blood of the saints. We've all heard stories of Romans feeding Christians to the lions in the first century, and we are familiar with the holocaust of World War II. One can only assume that Babylon has refined and expanded on these cruelties. So the saints rejoice over her fall in verse 20, and in the first nine verses of chapter 19. God's judgment has been on their behalf, perhaps in response to the prayer of the souls under the altar in Revelation 6:9-11.
Verses 21-24 tell us God's destruction of Babylon is permanent. Each of the synoptic gospels (Matthew 18:2-6, Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2) tell us that it would be better to have a millstone tied around one's neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause a child to sin. In verse 21, an angel throws a millstone into the sea, symbolizing Babylon's destruction. We live in a culture which increasingly tempts even children to sin, and it seems reasonable to suspect a similar fate awaits much of our entertainment industry and many of our celebrities.
The harp, the flute, the trumpet and singing will not be heard in Babylon anymore. Yet there is still music among the saints, as in Revelation 14:2-3 and Revelation 15:2-4. No craftsman shall be found in Babylon anymore, no lamp will shine in it and the voice of brides and bridegrooms shall not be heard there again.
In chapter 19, we will discuss the marriage supper of the Lamb and the great supper of God.
posted by TAPIOCA at 12/21/2006 06:37:00 PM
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