Revelationchapter 18

A.Babylon Is Fallen: Come Out of Her, My Peoplevv. 1-8

1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. 2 And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. 3 All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.” 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. 5 For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. 7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

B.Kings, Merchants, and Sailors Weep for the Cityvv. 9-19

9 Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. 10 In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” 11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo— 12 cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men. 14 And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.” 15 The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn, 16 saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance 18 and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim. 19 Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

C.A Millstone Thrown Down, Never Found Againvv. 20-24

20 Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. 22 And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” 24 And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

A funeral dirge for a city, sung in the cadence of Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 50-51, and Ezekiel 27.

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A funeral dirge for a city, sung in the cadence of Isaiah 13, Jeremiah 50-51, and Ezekiel 27. An angel with great authority comes down, 'and the earth was lightened with his glory,' crying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons.' Another voice calls the faithful out: 'Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins.' Then three laments, the kings weeping afar off; the merchants weeping over an unsold cargo list that runs from gold and pearls through cinnamon and wheat and ends 'and merchandise of horses and chariots and slaves; and souls of men'; and the shipmasters casting dust on their heads. A strong angel casts a great millstone into the sea: so shall Babylon be cast down and found no more at all.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament.

Context

Apocalyptic · John — Revelation overview

A. 1–8 Babylon Is Fallen: Come Out of Her, My People
B. 9–19 Kings, Merchants, and Sailors Weep for the City
C. 20–24 A Millstone Thrown Down, Never Found Again

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Revelation 188 verses
- Revelation 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
- Revelation 18:8Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”
- Revelation 18:9Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her.
- Revelation 18:10In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
- Revelation 18:15The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn,
- Revelation 18:18and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.
- Read Revelation 18: 2 more there →
Jeremiah 515 verses
- Jeremiah 51:6Flee from Babylon! Escape with your lives! Do not be destroyed in her punishment. For this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; He will pay her what she deserves.
- Jeremiah 51:8Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been shattered. Wail for her; get her balm for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
- Jeremiah 51:37Babylon will become a heap of rubble, a haunt for jackals, an object of horror and scorn, without inhabitant.
- Jeremiah 51:49“Babylon must fall on account of the slain of Israel, just as the slain of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 51:63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates.
- Read Jeremiah 51 →
Revelation 174 verses
- Revelation 17:2The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”
- Revelation 17:4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
- Revelation 17:6I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.
- Revelation 17:16And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.
- Read Revelation 17 →
Ezekiel 274 verses
- Ezekiel 27:13Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged slaves and bronze utensils for your merchandise.
- Ezekiel 27:27Your wealth, wares, and merchandise, your sailors, captains, and shipwrights, your merchants and all the warriors within you, with all the other people on board, will sink into the heart of the sea on the day of your downfall.
- Ezekiel 27:30They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.
- Ezekiel 27:31They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and bitter mourning.
- Read Ezekiel 27 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Jeremiah 504 verses
- Jeremiah 50:15Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take out your vengeance upon her; as she has done, do the same to her.
- Jeremiah 50:29Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.
- Jeremiah 50:31“Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts, “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you.
- Jeremiah 50:34Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.
- Read Jeremiah 50 →
Revelation 162 verses
- Revelation 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
- Revelation 16:19The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath.
- Read Revelation 16 →
Isaiah 232 verses
- Isaiah 23:8Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
- Isaiah 23:14Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for your harbor has been destroyed!
- Read Isaiah 23 →
Ezekiel 262 verses
- Ezekiel 26:13So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard.
- Ezekiel 26:21I will make you an object of horror, and you will be no more. You will be sought, but will never be found,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
- Read Ezekiel 26 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.