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.
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 to her 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 burned 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 bewail 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 is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their 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 vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted 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 the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed 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 shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade 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 costliness! 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 millstone, 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 pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone 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.

1And after these things, I saw another Angel come downe from heauen, hauing great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.

2And he cryed mightily with a strōg voyce, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of deuils, and the hold of euery foule spirit, and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird:

3For all nations haue drunke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the Kings of the earth haue committed fornication with her, & the Merchants of the earth are waxed rich thorow the abundance of her delicacies.

4And I heard another voice from heauen, saying, Come out of her, my people, that yee be not partakers of her sinnes, and that yee receiue not of her plagues:

5For her sinnes haue reached vnto heauen, and God hath remembred her iniquities.

6Reward her euen as she rewarded you, and double vnto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.

7How much she hath glorified her selfe, and liued deliciously, so much torment and sorrow giue her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a Queene, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

8Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine, and she shall bee vtterly burnt with fire, for strong is the Lord God, who iudgeth her.

9And the Kings of the earth, who haue committed fornication, and liued deliciously with her, shall bewaile her and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning:

10Standing afarre off for the feare of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie Babylon, that mighty citie: for in one houre is thy iudgement come.

11And the Merchants of the earth shall weepe and mourne ouer her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.

12The merchandise of gold, and siluer, and pretious stones, and of pearles, and fine linnen, and purple, and silke, and scarlet, and all Thine wood, and all maner vessels of Yuorie, and all maner vessels of most precious wood, and of brasse, and iron, and marble,

13And Cynamome, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, & wine, and oile, and fine floure, and wheat, and beasts, and sheepe, and horses, and chariots, and slaues, and soules of men.

14And the fruits that thy soule lusted after, are departed from thee, and all things which were daintie, and goodly, are departed from thee, and thou shalt finde them no more at all.

15The Merchants of these things which were made riche by her, shall stand afarre off for the feare of her torment, weeping and wailing.

16And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linnen, and purple and scarlet, and decked with gold, and pretious stones, and pearles:

17For in one houre so great riches is come to nought. And euery shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailers, and as many as trade by sea, stood a farre off,

18And cryed when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like vnto this great citie?

19And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping, and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costlinesse, for in one houre is she made desolate.

20Reioyce ouer her thou heauen, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets, for God hath auenged you on her.

21And a mightie Angel tooke vp a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great citie Babylon bee throwen downe, and shall bee found no more at all.

22And the voyce of harpers and musitions, and of pipers, and trumpetters, shall bee heard no more at all in thee: and no craftsman, of whatsoeuer craft hee be, shall be found any more in thee: and the sound of a milstone shalbe heard no more at all in thee:

23And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee: and the voice of the bridegrome and of the bride shalbe heard no more at all in thee: for thy Merchants were the great men of the earth: for by thy sorceries were all nations deceiued.

24And in her was found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that were slaine vpon the earth.

 

1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth became illumined by his splendor. 2 He cried out in a mighty voice: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. She has become a haunt for demons. She is a cage for every unclean spirit, a cage for every unclean bird, (a cage for every unclean) and disgusting (beast). 3 For all the nations have drunk the wine of her licentious passion. The kings of the earth had intercourse with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her drive for luxury." 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Depart from her, my people, so as not to take part in her sins and receive a share in her plagues, 5 for her sins are piled up to the sky, and God remembers her crimes. 6 Pay her back as she has paid others. Pay her back double for her deeds. Into her cup pour double what she poured. 7 To the measure of her boasting and wantonness repay her in torment and grief; for she said to herself, 'I sit enthroned as queen; I am no widow, and I will never know grief.' 8 Therefore, her plagues will come in one day, pestilence, grief, and famine; she will be consumed by fire. For mighty is the Lord God who judges her." 9 The kings of the earth who had intercourse with her in their wantonness will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her pyre. 10 They will keep their distance for fear of the torment inflicted on her, and they will say: "Alas, alas, great city, Babylon, mighty city. In one hour your judgment has come." 11 The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her, because there will be no more markets for their cargo: 12 their cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; fine linen, purple silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant wood of every kind, all articles of ivory and all articles of the most expensive wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 cinnamon, spice,incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human beings. 14 "The fruit you craved has left you. All your luxury and splendor are gone, never again will one find them."15 The merchants who deal in these goods, who grew rich from her, will keep their distance for fear of the torment inflicted on her. Weeping and mourning, 16 they cry out: "Alas, alas, great city, wearing fine linen, purple and scarlet, adorned (in) gold, precious stones, and pearls. 17 In one hour this great wealth has been ruined." Every captain of a ship, every traveler at sea, sailors, and seafaring merchants stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her pyre, "What city could compare with the great city?" 19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and mourning: "Alas, alas, great city, in which all who had ships at sea grew rich from her wealth. In one hour she has been ruined. 20 Rejoice over her, heaven, you holy ones, apostles, and prophets. For God has judged your case against her." 21 A mighty angel picked up a stone like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea and said: "With such force will Babylon the great city be thrown down, and will never be found again. 22 No melodies of harpists and musicians, flutists and trumpeters, will ever be heard in you again. No craftsmen in any trade will ever be found in you again. No sound of the millstone will ever be heard in you again. 23 No light from a lamp will ever be seen in you again. No voices of bride and groom will ever be heard in you again. Because your merchants were the great ones of the world, all nations were led astray by your magic potion. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and holy ones and all who have been slain on the earth."

Doom of Political, Commercial Babylon

v 1. The last chapter closed with the destruction of religious Babylon at the middle of the Tribulation, This chapter tells what comes after these things, the destruction  of rebuilt commercial,  political Babylon on the Euphrates at the end of the Tribulation. John had already seen the seven plagues completed. Now a very powerful angel came to show him Babylon's demise. Perhaps he is the same one who announced the destruction of Babylon in 14:8. This angel messenger is so powerful and majestic that his appearance lights up the earth. Babylon’s construction blossomed under the ten nations and exploded under the beast, but it’s destruction will be much quicker. Babylon had been spared for her own special destruction. 
v 2. The prophecies of Isa. 13:19-22 and Jer. 50:39,40 concerning the total destruction of Babylon has not yet taken place. Though the destruction was great, it was not sudden. People still live there and bricks from old Babylon are in use in several small cities. In fact, it is currently being rebuilt. Double “is fallen” indicates the fall is to be all at once.  When her fall was mentioned in 14:8, it was a warning. Now it is announced. There will be complete destruction of the city and it’s inhabitants. This seat of the world’s idolatrous practices is also the stronghold of demons, and will be populated by demon possessed men. None will be left but a horde of demons and evil spirits. The bodies they had possessed had been burned. Carrion birds , possibly demon embodied, on the way to Armageddon will stop to eat the burned flesh of people.
v 3. Babylon’s wickedness is the same in Rev. 14, 17 and 18. The entire world will be deeply engrossed in the godless commercialism being transacted here and the wealth it generates. The rich church has been destroyed, but political and commercial Babylon continue to thrive and seduce men. Zechariah saw and described this as the woman and the epha, Zech. 5:5-11. The commerce had been removed but he saw two women carry it back, Zech. 5:9-11. So even though it looks now like New York would be destroyed,  world finance may move from New York, Geneva etc. back to Shinar or Babylon. Some believe Zech. 5 also allows for reestablishment of the pagan religion. (See notes there.)
v 4. God called 8 righteous people out before destroying the world in the flood. He called 3 out before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. He calls the Church out before the start of the Tribulation. In 2 Cor. 6:17 believers are told to come out and be separate. Whatever the size of the remnant here, the Lord Himself called from heaven for believers to come out, before he brings sudden total destruction on Babylon. Although it could have come later, this call may have been shortly after the middle of Tribulation, before the last plagues. This would have been about when the three angels went about over the earth preaching to people. Believers should not have been there, but Mystery Babylon and things of the world have always had an attraction for believers, in spite of the unequal yoke warning of 1 Cor. 6:14-17 or Jer. 51:45.
v 5. Sins of Nimrod, Nebuchadnezzar and hosts of others in Babylon have raged for centuries, not just the Tribulation. God  has kept a perfect record of it
v 6. Several decades ago school children with a gripe used a retaliatory expression, “Double. double too.” Here God pronounces double judgment but  it is judgment that is well deserved.
v 7. This Babylon will be totally complacent in pride, living luxuriously and sensually. This will be replaced with pain and sorrow, and the beautiful new buildings will be ruined.
v 8. Proud Babylon boasted of being a lady forever with no sorrow, but in a day she will be utterly burned as Sodom was, v 10,17,19.. Her new buildings may have withstood the earthquakes of the last plague, but she is still burned. The Lord may have had the earthquake unleash fires from below, He may have sent fire from heaven, but it is “God who judges her”.
v 9. Babylon will have the world’s first total dictatorship. She will be the wall street of the financial world, the Paris of the fashion world, the Los Vegas of the gambling world, the Hollywood of the entertainment world and even the ungodly religious center of the world. There may be a short interval between the quakes and the fiery destruction, because people all over the world watch her burning. Men committed suicide at the great stock market crash, and these men will wail to see their commerce and investments going up in smoke. 
v 10. World wide satellite television  will display the sudden destruction. The stock market crash of 1929 with it’s agonies and suicides will be but a drop in the bucket compared to this worldwide crash.
v 11. Great merchants are not weeping over sin, but loss of commerce.
v 12,13 Every kind of merchandise and luxury available will be there, including drugs, v. 23, called sorceries. Oil is probably not just olive oil but petroleum. Ruthless cheap labor  may include slavery, but sadly, people of all age and gender will sell their bodies to immorality and their souls to Satan to satisfy their pleasure.
v 14-19. The lament continues for all the lost luxuries and riches, and they bemoan that the destruction was so sudden. Shipping and every other related industry will be bankrupted, and they can only agonize as they see the smoke of her burning.
v 20. While all earth mourns, all heaven rejoices at the vindication of God’s justice and holiness. There is joy that brazen corruption of men who had turned against believers and persecuted them are finally brought to judgment. They see the fulfillment of Rom. 12:19, vengeance is the Lord’s, Deut. 32:35.
v 21. Another angel appears, and this may coincide with 16:17-21. This is days after the burning, and vultures have completed their work. He cast a great millstone into the sea, probably the Persian Gulf, while saying, “Babylon is no more”. Obviously the stone would sink, never to rise again. At the end of Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Babylon, he said to bind a stone to the book and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates. Likewise, Babylon would sink and rise no more, Jer. 51, 63, 64.
About simultaneous to this millstone being cast into the sea, the worldwide earthquake levels Babylon splitting the crust of the earth. The molten burning asphalt like material which underlies the city will engulf it and it will sink from sight with only the smoke of it’s destruction remaining. The whole Mesopotamian plain may drop and be covered over by both the Euphrates and the waters of the gulf. Nothing of it will ever be seen again, Jer. 51:41,42.
This will be the final destruction spoken of in Jer. 50:39, “it shall be no more inhabited forever.” It also fits the time frame of Isa. 13:9,10. It is the day of the Lord when the sun, moon and stars  will be darkened. This will also be almost the end of the Tribulation. Dan. 2:35 describes Christ’s kingdom as a mountain that filled the whole earth destroying other kingdoms. Also Dan. 2:44,45 speaks of Christ as the smiting stone that crushes kingdoms. Soon God will destroy the dragon that is in the sea, Isa. 27:1.
v 22,23.  Seven times in this chapter it is said of the things the world desires, that they will be no more at all. All skills, craftsmen and culture will be wiped out forever with the city. No more of even the most normal things of living can exist there anymore. Along with other corruption, Babylon had deceived men by the drugs and supernatural demonic activity 
24. Worse than all her corruption is the bloodshed of God’s people throughout the centuries. All the barbaric and atrocious acts of every generation and in every nation have stemmed from the anti God movement started by Nimrod and reinforced by demonic influence from Babylon. Truly, that is where Satan’ seat is. Rev. 2:13.
In Rev. 6:9-11 the martyrs under the altar were crying out for their blood to be avenged. With this great destruction upon the system that killed them, they have been avenged. The destruction of both Religious and Political Babylon has been complete.
At this point it is only fair that I insert a view held by some that Isaiah 18 refers to the United States instead of just Ethiopia. Along that line, we do not understand today how Babylon can be so quickly rebuilt if the Rapture would come soon. We know it could, with the right governments and finances behind it. Especially if there would be a  time lapse between the Rapture and the beginning of the Tribulation. Remember how fast the formidable iron curtain wall came down after President Reagan told Kruchev to “Tear down that wall.” It may be possible that these people are right, and that New York City is the Babylon of today, with all of it’s commerce, shipping, finance, arts and entertainment. Of course, so far as we know New York is not underlain with bitumen the way Babylon is, but it and our country are becoming a godless place. We allow Muslim prayers and Muslim stamps, but do not allow Christian prayer using the name of Jesus, or permit the ten commandments on stamps, etc. I am not teaching   that New York is the Babylon, but I am open to the possibility.