Read · Listen · Study

Revelation 18 · Berean Standard Bible

Playback speed

¹After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. ²And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast. ³All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.” ⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues. ⁵For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ⁶Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. ⁷As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’ ⁸Therefore her plagues will come in one day— death and grief and famine— and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.” ⁹Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. ¹⁰In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, the mighty city of Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” ¹¹And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo— ¹²cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; ¹³of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men. ¹⁴And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.” ¹⁵The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn, ¹⁶saying: “Woe, woe to the great city, clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! ¹⁷For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance ¹⁸and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim. ¹⁹Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.” ²⁰Rejoice over her, O heaven, O saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. ²¹Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again. ²²And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again. ²³The light of a lamp will never shine in you again, and the voices of a bride and bridegroom will never call out in you again. For your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” ²⁴And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

Berean Standard Bible · public domain. More versions and languages in the Reading Plan.

Revelation

Revelation 18

"The Fall of Babylon"

✦

Detailed Analysis

Event Description

A Mighty Angel's Proclamation: The chapter begins with a mighty angel coming down from heaven, illuminating the earth with his splendor, and announcing with a mighty voice that "Babylon the Great" has fallen. The city has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit. The Nations' Intoxication: The nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries, and the kings of the earth committed adultery with her. The merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.

Vivid Artistic Descriptions

Babylon's Dramatic Downfall and the World's Response

The Mighty Angel's Declaration Visualize the mighty angel announcing Babylon's fall, a powerful moment marking the end of a corrupt empire and the commencement of divine justice. The World's Despair Witness the profound impact of Babylon's fall on different groups - kings, merchants, and mariners, each mourning the loss of their prosperity and stability. The Final Act of Judgment Imagine the angel throwing the millstone into the sea, a symbolic gesture of Babylon's irrevocable and complete destruction, emphasizing the finality of God's judgment.

Babylon's Dramatic Downfall and the World's Response

Song

The End of Babylon

Full Poem

THE ANGEL'S FATEFUL CRY With splendor bright, the angel descends, "Fallen is Babylon," his voice portends. A den of demons, a prison for spirits unclean, Her luxuries lost, her end unseen. THE WORLD'S LAMENTATION Kings and merchants, in sorrow they wail, Their wealth and power, of no avail. Sailors and traders, from afar they behold, Her fiery demise, once brazen and bold. THE MILLSTONE'S DESCENT A millstone cast, into the depths it sinks, Babylon's end, closer than one thinks. No song or craft, in her will thrive, Her memory vanished, as if never alive.

Conclusion

Judgment of Corruption and Worldly Excess: Chapter 18 vividly depicts the fall of Babylon as a symbol of divine judgment against corruption, greed, and idolatry, and the transient nature of worldly power and wealth. Cross-References: Isaiah 21:9: The prophetic declaration, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen!" Jeremiah 51:8: Babylon suddenly fallen and destroyed. Ezekiel 27: The lament over Tyre, similar to the lament for Babylon, symbolizing the downfall of proud, wealthy cities. In summary, Revelation 18 provides a dramatic and symbolic depiction of the fall of Babylon, signifying the collapse of corrupt, idolatrous, and oppressive worldly systems. The chapter contrasts the world's mourning with the call for rejoicing in heaven, underscoring the justice of God's judgment and the ultimate fate of all that stands opposed to His righteousness and holiness.