Revelation 18

Revelation 18:1-3

We have here, 1. An angel proclaiming the full of Babylon, ver. 1, 2. 2. Affirming the rest of her full, ver. 3. 3. Giving warning to all that belonged to God, to come out of her, ver. 4, 5. and to afflict in her destruction, ver. 6—8. 4. The great lamentation made for her by these that had been large barres in her faded plan-fures and prefers, ver. 9—20. 5. The great joy that there would be among others at the fight of her irrecoverable ruin, ver. 20, 6.

1. 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. 3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich, through the abundance of her delicacies.

Descending from heaven with brightness like the sun, an angel, unveiled with great power, cross, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen; her long-expected doom is come; and as she hath been filled with abominations, her deserted palaces and ruined habitations shall become the den of dragons, the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird; and the cause of her ruin is ascribed to her idolatries, adulteries, and the merchandise of souls, which enabled her and her ecclesiastics to riot in wealth and luxury.

4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill the double. 7. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall prevail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning. 10. Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great-city Babylon, that mighty city for in one hour in the judgment came. 11. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth her merchandise any more: 12.

The merchandise of gold and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner of vessels of ivory, and all manner of vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 12. And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and charrots, and slaves, and souls of men. 14. And the fruits that thy soul lurled after, are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly, are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15. The merchants of these things which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off, for fear of her torment, weeping, and wailing, 16. And saying, Alas, alas, that great city that was cloathed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls: 17. For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every ship-matter, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as made by sea, stood afar off, 18. And cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city? 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 collines: for in one hour is she made desolate. 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles, and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her. 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill-stone, 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. 22. And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of piper, and of trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft be in, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a mill-stone shall be heard no more at all in thee. 23. And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived: 24. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Revelation 18:4-24

We have here,

1. Warning given to the people of God to separate themselves from Babylon mystical, and, because of her enormous provocations against God, to retaliate upon her righteous vengeance. She proudly vaunted her imperial state, and boasted of her security; but sudden destruction shall overtake her; and, buried from the turmoil of grandeur, death, mourning, and famine shall seize her, and by the judgment of the Almighty Lord he shall be utterly burnt with fire. Note, [1.] They who would be saved from the ruin of the wicked, must separate themselves from their hearts. [2.] God will give righteous judgment to the sinner, and repay him according to the multitude of his ungodines.

2. A disful lamentation is taken up for her fall by the kings and merchants of the earth, and sailors, the cardinals, priests, monks, Jesuits, and other ecclesiastics, who trafficked in dis-punfations, indulgencies, &c. making merchandise of the souls of men. Standing afar off, and beholding the smoke of her burning, they will be well here sudden and irrecoverable ruin, and therewith the loss of all that grandeur, wealth, and luxury, in which they had long indulged themselves: a sorrow of the world which wrecketh death, and but aggravates the miseries complained of.

3. The saints of God, with the apostles and prophets, are called to triumph over her, and to rejoice in her fall: for when she wicked fall there is shouting; not from a spirit of private revenge, but from a delight to behold God glorified in his righteous judgments.

4. To give a sign of Babylon’s irrecoverable ruin, a mighty angel hurts a mill-stone into the sea, intimating, that all joy should for ever cease, every kind of traffick be at an end, the necessities of life fail, no light appear, no feudal song any more be heard, but solitude and silence reign in her desolate palaces; because by her sorceries and idolaters she had bewitched the earth, and at her hands was required the blood of all the martyrs which had been slain on the earth by her cruel effects and persecutions. Note, The sinner who kicks down into the sky’s of hell under the wrath of God, is lost for ever, and shall never rise up again.