Revelation 18:1–8

18:1 Angels play a prominent role in Revelation, and the destruction of Babylon in chapter 17 is now replayed and revisited from another angle. We again see John coming to the end of history only to backtrack and fill in what has happened in more depth. It was insufficient to announce the judgment of the city in chapter 17, for John wants to explain in more detail the reasons for the judgment and the horror it engenders among unbelievers. The angel descends from heaven, showing its transcendent authority, and illumines the earth with its glory and splendor (cf. Ezek. 43:2). The beauty and power of the angel indicate it is about to introduce a matter of weighty importance.

18:2 The angel announces with authority and majesty (cf. 7:2; 10:3; 14:7, 9, 15; 19:17) that Babylon the great has fallen. The impending fall of Babylon has been declared previously in Revelation (14:8; 16:19; 17:5), and now it is further expounded. The pronouncement of Babylon’s fall echoes the words of Isaiah: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground” (Isa. 21:9). Babylon in the OT was the great enemy of the people of God. It was Babylon that sent Judah into exile in 586 BC, and Babylon is the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Dan. 2:32, 37–38) and the lion in Daniel’s vision (Dan. 7:4, 17). The OT prophets announced God’s judgment on Babylon for its evil and idolatry (e.g., Isa. 13:1–14:23; 47:1–15; Jer. 50:1–51:64). Babylon was destroyed and judged in 539 BC, but its fall became a type and pattern for kingdoms and cities opposed to God.

Here in Revelation, Rome, as the city of man, is described as Babylon. Any city that sets itself up in opposition to God becomes Babylon, as Rome did in the ancient world. Just as ancient Babylon was judged, so too will Rome be judged. Again, John reuses the language of Scripture (cf. Isa. 13:21–22; 14:23; 34:11, 14; Jer. 50:39; 51:37). The city of man, the Babylon of the world, will become the home of demons and unclean spirits. Foul and unclean birds and animals will dwell there. Babylon was once a thriving and exciting city, but it never recovered from its destruction in 539 BC. This forecasts the final judgment, when the city of man will be desolated and destroyed forever. Rome will ultimately and finally face the same fate as Babylon.

18:3 The fundamental reason for Babylon’s judgment, and Rome’s, is now relayed to John’s audience. The nations of the world have drunk the wine of her immorality (cf. Jer. 25:15; 51:7). John is not talking primarily about sexual sin here, even though he uses language of sexual unfaithfulness. In the OT, Israel’s defection from the Lord is described as whoredom and harlotry (cf. Jer. 3:8–9; Ezekiel 16; 23; Hos. 1:1–3:5; cf. also Isa. 23:17). So, too, the root sin of the city of man is abandoning God, pursuing other gods instead of him (cf. Rom. 1:21). The great city has influenced the nations of the world so that they have turned away from the one true God. The kings of the earth have followed the same path, and their sin is also described in terms of sexual deviance. Once again, the metaphor communicates spiritual adultery—rejection of God’s lordship. The merchants of the earth are indicted for growing rich from the luxuries afforded by their alliance with Babylon. John is not saying that riches per se bring judgment, but those gained by participation in the same idolatry and evil as Babylon do indeed (cf. Ezek. 27:12, 18, 33).

18:4 Now another voice rings out, presumably that of another angel. This voice also comes from heaven, signaling a transcendent authority. But here the message is for the people of God, those who have remained faithful to Jesus Christ. They are exhorted to come out of Babylon, to avoid participating in her sins, for those who sin like Babylon in forsaking the Lord will face the coming final judgment. In commanding God’s people to flee Babylon, the angel echoes the OT: “Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, ‘The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!’” (Isa. 48:20; cf. Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 9, 45). Israel was commanded literally to leave Babylon, to return to Judah and Jerusalem. John’s readers are not commanded to leave Rome literally (cf. 2 Cor. 6:17). John means they must not participate in the idolatry of Rome; they must not give their allegiance to the emperor and forsake Jesus Christ. They must be willing to renounce the wealth and reputation of the world to follow Jesus Christ. The sins pursued by Babylon should be forsaken, for those who participate in such sins will also receive the plagues coming upon Babylon. “Plagues” refers to both the trumpet (Rev. 9:18, 20) and the bowl judgments (15:1, 6, 8; 16:9, 21), and here it designates final judgment.

18:5 The judgments inflicted on Babylon are warranted, for her sins have reached heaven, meaning they are remarkable for their depth and breadth (cf. Gen. 18:20; Ezra 9:6; Jonah 1:2). Jeremiah said about historical Babylon, “Her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies” (Jer. 51:9). The long stretch of no punishment made it seem as if there would be no judgment, but God never forgets iniquities, putting all things right in the end.

18:6 God remembers Babylon’s sin because he is just, and his justice is manifested in the maxim, “The punishment fits the crime.” The Babylons of the world will not remain unscathed, for the evil they do will turn back on them. Often in the OT, Babylon is threatened with punishment for her misdeeds (cf. Ps. 137:8; Jer. 16:18; 50:15, 29; 51:24, 49). It is somewhat surprising, then, that the punishment is said to be double for her works—her cup of wrath is mixed to a double portion. How should we understand this? It is quite unlikely that John teaches that Babylon is punished more than she deserves. Perhaps the language is hyperbolic, expressing the thought that Babylon receives the full measure of her punishment. Or, conversely, the double punishment motif could indicate that the gravity of her sin—her sins reached up to heaven (Rev. 18:5)—warrant a greater punishment (cf. Ps. 79:12).

18:7 The interpretation proposed for the previous verse is confirmed here, for once again John emphasizes that the punishment fits the crime. The fundamental sin of the city of man is her glorifying herself instead of giving glory to the one true God. She refuses to give thanks and praise to God and worships the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:21, 25). Inasmuch as Rome has pursued luxury, to that extent will she experience torment and sorrow. Remarkably enough, the Babylons of this world are convinced they will not face punishment. Picking up the words of Isaiah 47:7–8, the harlot exalts herself as queen instead of seeing herself as a wicked and scheming prostitute (cf. Ezek. 28:2–8). She is also deluded, convinced she will never know widowhood or mourning. She thinks she has a godlike status, immune to the vicissitudes of life and the judgment of God.

18:8 The sin pursued by the harlot will come cascading suddenly upon her, just as Isaiah predicted: “These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood” (Isa. 47:9; cf. Jer. 50:31). Again, the judgment upon the historical Babylon is appropriated typologically and applied to Rome. In a single day her confidence will vanish as plagues descend upon her. The plagues are identified as death, mourning, and famine. The prostitute, in a punishment reminiscent of the penalty for a priest’s daughter who turns to prostitution (“The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire”—Lev. 21:9), will be burned with fire (cf. Rev. 17:16). The judgment is not impersonal or simply cause and effect. God personally judges her, showing his lordship and mighty power (cf. Jer. 50:34), for no one can triumph over him. Nor can anyone give himself over to evil without facing God’s wrath.