Revelation 18:1
in Revelation 18After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
KJV
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
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This verse in Revelation 18
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAfter these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, etc. This strong angel illuminating the earth can also be understood as the Lord incarnate and the doctors of the Church; who, endowed with heavenly light, proclaim the fall of the …
This site's exposition
illuminated by his glory
on Revelation 18:1-3
The angel cries Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, doubling the word as Isaiah 21:9 did over the first Babylon. Her crime is named three ways: the nations drank her wine, the kings were immoral with her, and the merchants grew wealthy from her luxury.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
This angel possesses great power. For it is speaking of the destruction of the world's wisdom, which is also signified by the destruction of Jericho, and of the ruin of the earthly kingdom. By indicating that a stronger one has come against the strong one …
He says that this one is the illuminated and enlightens the earth by his glory.
The Medieval Church1 voice
This passage reveals the brilliance and brightness of the holy powers, which greatly surpasses the light of the stars and the heavenly bodies.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Here seems to be an allusion to the prediction of the fall of pagan Babylon ( Isa. xxi. 9 ), where the word is repeated as it is here: has fallen, has fallen. Some have thought a double fall is hereby intended, first her apostasy, and then her ruin; and they think the words immediately following favour their opinion;
And the earth was enlightened with his glory - To make his coming more conspicuous. If such be the lustre of the servant, what images can display the majesty of the Lord, who has "thousand thousands" of those glorious attendants "ministering to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him?"
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And after these things,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And after these things - After the vision referred to in the previous chapter. I saw another angel come down from heaven - Different from the one that had last appeared, and therefore coming to make a new communication to him. It is not unusual in this book that different communications should be entrusted to different angels. Compare Rev 14:6, Rev 14:8-9, Rev 14:15, Rev 14:17-18. Having great power - That is, he was one of the higher rank or order of angels. And the earth was lightened with his glory - The usual representation respecting the heavenly beings.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And--so Vulgate and ANDREAS. But A, B, Syriac, and Coptic omit "And." power--Greek, "authority." lightened--"illumined." with--Greek, "owing to."
The earth was lightened with his glory - This may refer to some extraordinary messenger of the everlasting Gospel, who, by his preaching and writings, should be the means of diffusing the light of truth and true religion over the earth.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μετὰ | meta | After | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ταῦτα | tauta | these things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| εἶδον | eidon | I saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| ἄλλον | allon | another | G243 → | 155 times |
| ἄγγελον | angelon | angel | G32 → | 175 times |
| καταβαίνοντα | katabainonta | descending | G2597 → | 81 times |
| ἐκ | ek | out of | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανοῦ, | ouranou | heaven, | G3772 → | 272 times |
| ἔχοντα | echonta | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| ἐξουσίαν | exousian | authority | G1849 → | 102 times |
| μεγάλην, | megalen | great, | G3173 → | 243 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γῆ | ge | earth | G1093 → | 248 times |
| ἐφωτίσθη | ephotisthe | was illuminated | G5461 → | 11 times |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 → | 911 times |
| τῆς | tes | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δόξης | doxes | glory | G1391 → | 165 times |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | of him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
μετὰAfter
metaG3326 →461 times
ταῦταthese things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
εἶδονI saw
eidonG1492 →374 times
ἄλλονanother
allonG243 →155 times
ἄγγελονangel
angelonG32 →175 times
καταβαίνονταdescending
katabainontaG2597 →81 times
ἐκout of
ekG1537 →911 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανοῦ,heaven,
ouranouG3772 →272 times
ἔχονταhaving
echontaG2192 →707 times
ἐξουσίανauthority
exousianG1849 →102 times
μεγάλην,great,
megalenG3173 →243 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
γῆearth
geG1093 →248 times
ἐφωτίσθηwas illuminated
ephotistheG5461 →11 times
ἐκfrom
ekG1537 →911 times
τῆςthe
tesG3588 →19766 times
δόξηςglory
doxesG1391 →165 times
αὐτοῦ.of him.
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Thessalonians 2:8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
it leads to
- Revelation 19:20–21
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and…
- 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed.
- Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness He will judge the poor, and with equity He will decide for the lowly of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and slay the…
- Revelation 20:10
And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day…
- Revelation 19:20–21
Through
Revelation 10:1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 1:28
The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the…
- Matthew 17:2
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
- Revelation 1:15–16
His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters.
- Ezekiel 1:28
Through
Luke 17:24For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:27
For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
- Matthew 24:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About Revelation

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:1; Bede, Commentary on Revelation; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Revelation and Primasius of Hadrumetum, COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:1.
