The Revelation of St. John the Divine
Revelation 18
Chapter XVIII · Vol. IV, pp. 534–535
2 Babylon is fallen. 4 The people of God commanded to depart out of her. 9 The kings of the earth, 11 with the merchants and mariners, lament over her. 20 The saints rejoice for the judgments of God upon her.
1 And after1 thesea things I saw banother 2angel come down from heaven, having great power; cand the earth was lightened with his glory.
1 The vision in this chapter is exhibited after the visions recorded from ch.11.19, to the end of ch. xvii. But the events foretold in ch. xviii. do not follow after in point of time, but merely in point of vision; for the fall of Babylon, proclaimed ch. 18. 2, evidently synchronizes with a corresponding proclamation, ch. 14. 7,8.—C.
a ch.xv.-xvii.
b ch.14.6,8;1.20.
2 Another angel. A vision of Christ the uncreated angel of the covenant in a new emblematic form.—C.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, dBabylon 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.Cited in WCF 25.5
d Is.13.19,21;14.23;21.9;34.9-14. Je.50.39;51.8,37,64. ch.14.8;16.4;17.2. 1 Ti.4.1,2, with Le.17.7;xi. Mar.5.2.
3 Fore all nations3 have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, gand the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance4 of her delicacies.
e ch.14.8;17.2. Is.47.15. Je.51.7.
3 All (the) nations of the Roman empire to which the prophecy extends.—C.
g ver.11-19,23. 2 Pe.2.1,3.
4 Or, power.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, hCome out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 Fori her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
i Je.51.9. ch.16.19.
6 Rewardj 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.5
j ch.13.10. Ps.137.8. Je.50.15,29;51.24,49. 2 Ti.4.14. ch.14.10. Je.16.18;17.18. Ex.21.23,24;22.4-9.
5 Fill to her double—not as an act of selfish and irritated retaliation, but as an act of that retributive justice whereby the thief was compelled, as a warning to others and a punishment to himself, to pay double the value of what he had stolen, Ex.22.4,7,9.—C.
7 Howk 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 Thereforel shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: nfor strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
l ver.10,17,19. Is.47.9-11;66.15;ch.13.10;17.16. Je.51.6. 2 Th.2.8.
n ch.15.7;14.10;11.17. Ps.62.11. Je.50.31,34.
9 And othe kings of the earth,6 who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, pshall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the qsmoke of her burning,
o ver.3,7;ch.16.14;17.2,17.
6 The kings of the earth are not the 'ten horns,' or kings de jure, among whom the Roman empire was divided; for these 'shall hate the whore and make her desolate, and burn her with fire' (ch. 17. 16); but the kings de facto, the wicked heathen orders by whose counsels, from the rise of paganism up to the time of the Reformation, Christendom was almost absolutely governed; and by whose counsels even Protestant kingdoms continue to be influenced in their policy, and misguided to their ruin.—C.
p Eze.26.16,17;27.30-32;8.14. Ps.58.10. Je.50.40.
q ver.18; ch.14.11;19.3. Ge.19.28.
10 Standingr afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for sin one hour is thy judgment come.
A.M. cir. 4100. A.D. cir. 96.
s ver.8,17,19. Is.47.9,11. ch.17.1. Je.51.8.
11 Andt the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise7 any more;
t Eze.27.27-36;26.15-21. ver.3; ch.17.17;13.17.
7 Their merchandise, in images, relics, rosaries, scapularies, and above all, masses and indulgences.—C.
12 Theu merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine8 wood,9 and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,Cited in WLC 151
u Eze.27.5-24. 1 Ki.10.11,12. ch.17.4.
8 Or, sweet.
9 The meaning of θύινον, translated thyine wood, is not specifically known. It seems to have been a general name for all odoriferous woods; and from its occurrence after 'linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,' it seems, most probably, to refer to such as are used in wardrobes both for the preservation of garments from moths, and for communicating to them an agreeable perfume, or for being burned, as sandal-wood, and certain kinds of pastils are still burned by the rich and luxurious in various countries.—C.
13 Andv 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,1 and souls of men.2Cited in WLC 151
v Pr.7.17. Ps.23.5. Eze.27.13-22. Ps.4.7. Is.22.13.
1 Or, bodies, Eze.27.13. 2 Pe.2.3.
2 Either the sale of men's lives and liberties in this world (as in the case of the Waldenses and Albigenses, and natives of Peru and Mexico), or the assertion of power either to shorten the residence and torture of 'the souls of men' in hell or entirely to deliver them within a given period, and at a stipulated price.—C.
14 Andx 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.
x Lu.16.25. ch.16.20;12.8.
15 They merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
y ver.3,9-14,19,23.
16 And saying, zAlas, 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 ain one hour so great riches is come to nought. bAnd every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,3
a ver.8,10; ch.17.4. Is.47.9,11. Je.51.8. La.4.6.
3 While it is evident that a great series of events will prepare for the downfall of the pagan usurpation, it is equally evident that 'one hour' will complete it; and although the form and manner of the destruction is unknown, the event is not the less certain.—C.
18 And cried when they csaw the smoke of her burning, saying, dWhat city is like unto this great city!
c ver.9;ch.14.11;19.3. Ge.19.28. Is.34.9,10.
19 Ande they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, gwherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! hfor in one hour is she made desolate.
e Jos.7.6. 1 Sa.4.12. 2 Sa.13.19. Ne.9.1. Job 2.12. Eze.27.30,31. ver.10,16.
g ver.3,23.
h ver.8,10,17. Is.47.9,11. Je.51.8. La.4.6.
20 Rejoicei over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
i Is.44.23;49.13. Je.51.48. ch.19.2. De.32.43. Ps.96.11-13. Lu.11.47,50;18.7,8.
21 Andj 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.
j Ex.15.5. Ne.9.11. Je.51.63,64. ch.12.8;16.20. 2 Th.2.8.
22 And4 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 Andk 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:5 forl thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
* As the Asiatic Babylon, the first seat of the four empires, has been depopulated, so as to answer most literally to this description of ruin; so, it is most probable, will European Rome, their last seat, be as literally 'swept with the besom of destruction.'—C.
A.M. cir. 4100. A.D. cir. 96.
k Is.24.8. Je.7.34;16.9;25.10;33.11.
5 See note * in first column.
l Is.23.8. ver.3,9,11; ch.17.25,13,17;13.3,4,8,14. 2 Ti.3.2-6;4.3,4. 1 Ti.4.1-4. 2 Ki.9.22. Na.3.4.
24 Andn in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were 6slain upon the earth.
n ch.17.6;19.2;13.2,7;11.7,2. Da.7.21,25. Mat.23.29-35. Je.51.49.
6 i.e., for the witness of Jesus, ch.11.7.—C.
Notes
Ver. 1-3. To punish her for corrupting the nations with her idolatry and other wickedness, and enriching her people with her traffic in divine things, the pagan state shall be utterly destroyed, and exposed as a diabolical system of uncleanness, murder, and every other shocking abomination, and Rome shall be turned into a desolate and frightful heap of rubbish. 4-6. As in later times multitudes revolted from paganism, to the advantage of their souls and their countries, so hereafter the faithful followers of Christ ought and shall break off every connection with it, and shall be God's instruments for ruining its power. 7, 8. The miseries of the obstinate pagans shall be dreadful, answerable to their former ambition, pride, luxury, and wealth. 11, 12, 16, Merchants may denote, not only such as trade in the commodities of life, but also the heathen peoples, who enrich themselves in selling spiritual offices, ordinances, pardons, deliverance from purgatory, and eternal happiness, to their deluded votaries.—The things mentioned, ver. 11-13, 22, 23, may either relate to the pagan worship, to their relics, pardons, indulgences, to their costly images, rich furniture of temples and chapels, and rich dresses for their images and priests, the incense used at their altars, their use of musical instruments in their worship, their burning of lamps before their altars and images; or they may in general denote that Rome shall be so utterly ruined that nothing valuable or desirable shall be left in it. 20, 24. The pagan persecution of the oracles and saints of God will be especially regarded in and shall aggravate their ruin. 21-23. In the most sudden and terrible manner God will utterly, and without any possibility of recovery, destroy Rome and all her wicked influence.
Ver. 21. Millstone. An emblem of agriculture, civilization, labour, and food is here chosen to signify that, in the mystical Babylon, there will be an end of all these, even as, at this very hour, there is an end of them in the natural Babylon, and it sinks in the sea both by the casting of the angel and its own gravity, to intimate that Babylon will fall both by the outward and visible arm of Providence, and by the downward gravitation of its own corruptions. C.
Reflections.—Sin brings the most fearful disgrace and misery upon wicked persons and societies at last; and as there is no opportunity of punishing societies in the other world, their sins must overtake them in this. Earthly grandeur, pleasure, luxury, power, and wealth often issue in and render our misery more intolerable; and God forces men to mourn under his judgments who refused to mourn for their sins. Let wickedness be varnished over with pretences to sanctity and kindness as it will, or have been committed ever so long ago, God will mark it, and in his time fearfully punish it with righteous judgments. Superstition, idolatry, lewdness, luxury, merchandise in spiritual things, in men's souls or bodies, allurements to apostasy from God, and particularly cruel persecutions of his saints and servants, will at last issue in everlasting confusion and irretrievable misery.—With conscientious zeal and abhorrence ought all true Christians to hasten from the spiritual fellowship of heathen temples or societies, that their own sin and temporal ruin may be prevented. And with holy joy and triumph ought all the people of God to behold his righteous judgments inflicted on incorrigible persecutors, by which he vindicates his own righteous cause, and delivers his people from future molestations.