The Fall of Babylon

The Angelic Announcement of Babylon’s Fall

Revelation 18:1–3 ESV

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”

Revelation: Verse by Verse (An Angel Announces the Fall of Babylon (18:1–3))

In 18:1 John sees another angel, after the one from chapter 17, “descending from heaven,” in contrast to the beast who “ascends from the Abyss” in 17:8. There are two further contrasts: First, he possesses “great authority” while the beast only has a derived authority given it by the dragon (13:2) and God (13:5). Second, he illuminates the earth with his splendor (or “glory”), while the members of the false trinity have no glory in this book. The term is never used of them. The angel reflects the glory of God (as in 10:1), implying he comes directly from the divine presence. This echoes Ezekiel 43:2, which says that “the land was radiant with his glory” as God in solemn procession entered the renewed temple through the east gate. This passage is fulfilling that prophecy, and now it includes judgment, putting an end to evil.

In a loud voice this angel repeats the cry of Revelation 14:8, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!” It alludes to Isaiah 21:9, where a messenger in a chariot makes this announcement and adds, “all the images of the gods lie shattered.” The judgment on the empire includes the destruction of its idols, especially the idol set up of the antichrist in Revelation 13:14–15. This event was foretold by Isaiah.

The desolation of Babylon/Rome/the empire of the beast is described in three parallel lines. It depicts a ghost town, a deserted city inhabited by demons and unclean birds, taken from Isaiah 13:21–22; Jeremiah 50:39; 51:37 (Babylon); but also Zephaniah 2:14–15 (Assyria) and Isaiah 34:11–14 (Edom). First, “she has become a dwelling for demons.” This is natural because demons are said to inhabit desert areas (Isa 34:14; Matt 12:43). The meaning of this is clarified in the other two lines. She is “a haunt [literally, ‘prison’] for every impure spirit,” building on the biblical view that demons are chained in the prison-house of darkness (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). Finally, she is “a haunt for every unclean bird … every unclean and detestable animal.” This echoes the presence of scavenger birds in Isaiah 13:21 and prepares for the carrion birds invited to the “great supper of God” in Revelation 19:17–18, 21. The point is that Babylon will become a dead ghost town with no inhabitants, an unclean place unfit for life.

The reason for this (18:3) is the depth of her depravity, again expressed in three poetic lines. First, as in 14:8 and 17:5, she is not just filled with sin herself but has gotten the nations drunk on “the wine that leads to passion for her adulteries.” They have freely participated in her debauchery and so will perish with her. In 14:10 it was said that this willing life of immorality would result in “drinking the wine of the wrath of God”; so also here (see Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15–18; Zech 12:2). In the second line, not only the nations but also their rulers have imbibed in immorality (which includes religious apostasy/idolatry) with her. The third line adds the “merchants” and moves into the economic side of her depravity. The sin of excessive luxuries and economic exploitation of the unfortunate is frequently condemned in Scripture. For the Roman elite gross consumption was the order of the day, and the empire’s economy was at all times intended to support the ruling class.

The Judgment and Command for Believers to Leave

Revelation 18:4–8 ESV

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

The Command to Leave

Revelation: Verse by Verse (The Command to Leave (18:4))

Voices from heaven have spoken in Revelation 10:4, 8 and 14:2, 13 and always carry direct messages from the throne itself. The command “Come out of her, my people” demands that true Christians separate themselves completely from her depraved society; this command is frequent in Scripture (Isa 52:11; Jer 50:8; Ezek 20:41; 2 Cor 6:14, 17). Here it means to leave the city lest they be destroyed with the pagans (Jer 51:45, “Run for your lives!”). In its spiritual sense this is the definition of holiness: to separate from the things of the world. The danger is that they “share in her sins” and thereby “receive … her plagues.” This is God’s law and in the Roman world is lex talionis, the law of retribution. What you do has consequences, and divine as well as human law says you receive just recompense for your actions (good or bad).

The Basis of Judgment

Revelation: Verse by Verse (The Basis of Judgment (18:5))

The reason for removing oneself entirely from such sinful pleasures is the depth of Babylon’s depravity: “her sins are piled up to heaven” (Jer 51:9), literally “touched the sky.” This is reminiscent of the tower of Babel that attempted to reach heaven (Gen 11:4), and states that the sins of the nations are a vast heap that have piled up to God himself. Therefore “God has remembered her crimes,” and when God remembers, he acts. For the righteous, he works on their behalf (Pss 105:8–11; 111:5–6); and for sinners he acts in judgment (Psa 109:14; Jer 14:10). When the just God “remembered Babylon” in 16:19, he gave her “the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.” The wrath of God is a judicial response to the crimes of the wicked.

The Explanation of Judgment

Revelation: Verse by Verse (His Just Judgment Explained (18:6–8))

This section too is dominated by the lex talionis and says that God will repay Babylon in kind for her sins. Imagine a courtroom, as the divine Judge reads the verdict and Babylon stands before the Bema (judgment seat), receiving her just recompense. The swift severity of the sentence begins this section: “Pay back to her as she has given” (recalling Jer 50:29 of Babylon); “Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done.” The same verb is used in both parts: “Pay her what she has paid others.” This is a frequent scriptural emphasis, and the basis of the doctrine of reward and punishment—what you do to others, God will do to you.

The second and third lines are more difficult to interpret: “Pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup.” This does not sound just, so some think this refers to a full or complete requital for her crimes, with “double” a metaphor for full recompense rather than twice the penalty. Yet at the same time a double penalty was required for some crimes, such as stealing an animal (Exod 22:4, 7, 9), and the prophets called for double retaliation on occasion (Isa 40:2; Jer 16:18; 17:18). So either way, this call for a double portion of judgment stresses again the severity of her crimes.

The next two verses (18:7–8) provide two examples of this “cup” of sin. First, she has “glorified herself” rather than God. Scripture is replete with passages that condemn arrogance, like Luke 14:11, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled” (also 2 Sam 22:28; Prov 3:34; Isa 2:12, 17; 1 Pet 5:6). A primary emphasis in Revelation is that all glory belongs only to God. Second, she is characterized by “sensuous luxury,” a term that connotes both sensuous living and inordinate opulence. This has been true of virtually all empires throughout history, but Rome has always been considered the archetype for such misuse of power for pleasure.

This is portrayed clearly in her boastful claim, “I sit enthroned as a queen.” Note the startling contrast—a prostitute claiming to be a queen! The sense of entitlement and the desire to exploit the rest of the world to achieve unprecedented wealth and a licentious lifestyle typified Rome. Consider Messalina, the wife of Claudius, whose sexual appetite was so prodigious that she would at times become a sacred prostitute in one of the temples. Bacchanalia was the order of the day among the Roman elite.

To this is added, “I am not a widow, I will never mourn.” In the Roman world a widow was not supposed to remarry and would often have to stay with the husband’s family. They often had only their dowry to live on, as the estate would go to the sons in order to carry on the family dynasty. So widowhood was greatly feared. For the early church, ministry to the many penniless widows was particularly important (Acts 6:1–7; 1 Tim 5:3–16; Jas 1:27). So her arrogant boast is that she will always sit on the throne and never have to suffer grief and dependence like a normal person.

Because of all this, her guilt is established. She has condemned herself in God’s court of law. Thus the sentence of Revelation 18:8 is a just legal decision. “Her plagues”—those she has brought upon herself—will now overtake her like a swift flood. Moreover, they will come “in one day,” echoing Isaiah 47:9, where the judgment of Babylon was to come “suddenly, in an instant.” The four plagues enumerated (“death, mourning, famine … consumed with fire”) have all been seen before: “mourning” in Revelation 18:7, “death” and “famine” in 6:8, “consumed with fire” in 17:16.

These apocalyptic judgments are the proper recompense for the enormity of her crimes. The principle is important—let none of us think we will get away with flaunting our self-centered pleasures before a holy God. Every act we do (good deeds as well as evil) will be justly repaid. Lust for power and for pleasure must come full circle and self-destruct. Even more so, the judgment for sin is guaranteed by Almighty God. As in 18:8, “mighty is the God who judges her.” There is a direct contrast with the pretentious “mighty city” of 18:10; God alone is truly mighty, and he is the sovereign Judge.

Three Laments Over Babylon

Revelation 18:9–19 ESV

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.” And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!” The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud, “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?” And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.

Lament of the Kings

Revelation: Verse by Verse (Lament of the Kings of the Earth (18:9–10))

These kings and sister nations have shared Babylon’s adulterous way of life (both immorality and idolatry) as well as her luxury (see 14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3; 19:2). They have lost their paramour and are bereft. These “kings” are the ruling class of the other nations, and they like Babylon have grown fat on the poverty of their people (Ezek 27:33). The sin of economic exploitation is a disgrace of nations today as much as in Roman times, and the message here is that there will be a future accounting with God.

So these kings see “the smoke of her burning,” a frequent image of judgment in the book (Rev 9:17–18; 14:11; 18:18). They lament the destruction of their gravy train and so “weep and mourn over her” (Ezek 27:35). But they do so only as they “stand far off and cry.” They distance themselves as far as possible from the burning city. They cry for their loss but want nothing to do with the punishment. Naturally they are completely “terrified at her torment,” saying in effect, “Better them than us.” They were guilty of the same sins and so wished not to be noticed.

Their cry is stereotypical. The three “woes” by these groups parallel the three “woes” of the trumpet judgments (8:11; 9:12; 11:14; see also 12:12). There it was a pronouncement of judgment; here it is a cry of sorrow and horror at the judgment that has already occurred. Once more Babylon is the “great city” (11:8; 16:19; 17:18); the earthly rulers have been seduced by the pretentious majesty of this depraved and doomed empire.

“One hour” connotes an immediate response. The suddenness of the judgment is reminiscent of the instantaneous judgment on Nebuchadnezzar when he was “immediately” driven insane by God in Daniel 4:33, and even more of the writing on the wall in Daniel 5 when Belshazzar was slain and his kingdom lost in one night. The instantaneous destruction here prepares for the similarly immediate annihilation of the army of the beast at Christ’s return in Revelation 19:19–21.

Lament of the Merchants

Revelation: Verse by Verse (Lament of the Merchants (18:11–17A))

These are the wholesale dealers who traveled the Roman roads, making fortunes in the agoras/marketplaces in every city. Their sorrow, like the sorrow of the merchants of Tyre (Ezek 27:27, 36), was at the loss of trade and profit. The amount of trade was staggering, with enormous profits from Africa, Egypt, India, China, and Europe.

The list of cargoes in 18:12–13 demonstrates the kind of wealth involved in the lucrative trade. It builds on Ezekiel 27:12–24 (15 of the 29 items), but is exclusively Roman and organized by types of cargo. For the most part it lists goods that were exclusively for the Roman elite and rarely if ever touched by the common people. The purpose is to show why God’s wrath has descended on such materialistic ostentation and self-centered ways of living. If we read through the list and see how many of these unimaginably luxurious (to the first century) items (or their equivalents) we ourselves have in our homes, it would be very convicting of our own materialism!

1. Precious stones and metals. Gold, then as now, was the most important metal, so prevalent as a sign of wealth (ceilings, buckles, jewelry) that many Romans began to turn to silver. Both gold and silver were imported from Spain. Silver became a status symbol, with couches, baths, and other luxury items being made from it. Precious stones came mostly from India and including those in the lists of 4:3, 21:19–20. Pearls were considered the most luxurious jewel and came from the Red Sea. They were enormously expensive, and there came to be so many worn by women that they became a symbol of decadence.

2. Luxurious fabrics. “Fine linen” describes the clothing of the wealthy. A dress from a famous garment center like Scythopolis could cost 7000 denarii (roughly equal to $280,000 today); purple or scarlet garments were particularly expensive (see 17:4). The purple dye came from the murex, a tiny shellfish that produced a drop at a time, so incredible numbers were needed for a single garment. In order of price, silk (from China), linen, or woolen garments were plentiful for the elite.

3. Expensive wood and building materials. Citron wood, from a North African tree, was the most expensive of them, known for its beautiful grain patterns, and tables made from it could cost millions. Other “costly woods” could be maple or cedar. Ivory was used in sculptures and idols as well as furniture. “Brass” or “bronze” was used in shields or furniture, but especially statues. Iron from Greece and Spain became weapons and also statues. Marble was from Africa, Egypt, and Greece and was used for buildings as well as plates, jars, and baths.

4. Spices and perfumes. Cinnamon came from Africa or the Orient, used as a spice, perfume, incense, and a flavoring for wine. “Spice” was amomum from India, used to make hair fragrant. “Incense” blended several ingredients for both religious and home use. Myrrh from Somalia was quite expensive for perfume or medicine. Frankincense was another perfume, given with gold and myrrh to the baby Jesus, paying for the family’s sojourn in Egypt (Matt 2:11).

5. Food Items. These were mainly staples and not expensive, but Rome was famous for its extravagant banquets, importing expensive delicacies like nightingale tongues or the breasts of doves. A single banquet could cost the equivalent of millions of dollars. Wine came from Sicily or Spain, and olive oil from Africa and Spain. Wheat was imported from Egypt and given free to about 200,000 citizens of Rome (called “the grain dole,” estimated at 80,000 tons) to keep them happy. The rest of the empire suffered greatly to supply all this.

6. Animals and slaves. This does not list animals transported for the games (lions, elephants, and so on) or meant for food (beef was not a popular meat), but those animals used for work. The slave trade was immense. There were an estimated 10 million, or close to 20 percent of the population of the Roman Empire. The status of the wealthy was connected to the number of slaves they owned. In the first century bc war produced most of the slaves, but in the time of Jesus and Paul it was debt. Rome plundered the world for slaves as well as for goods.

The merchants’ grief over the fall of Babylon is entirely for their losses. There is no remorse, only sorrow for what has been taken away. “The fruit you longed for” refers to all these luxuries that are now gone. The splendor of these expensive goods has vanished and is “never to be recovered.” They are gone forever, a warning to any society (like ours!) given over to the folly of conspicuous consumption. The old adage, “You can’t take it with you,” is still oh so true. Like the kings, the merchants too will “stand far off” because they want nothing to do with the punishment of Babylon. They share the guilt of Babylon/Rome, for they have “gained their wealth from her,” but they neither acknowledge their part in her sins nor have any sympathy for her plight. There is nothing but a self-centered sorrow at all they have lost.

Their mourning in 18:16 also parallels that of the kings. “Woe, woe great city” is found also in 18:10, 19 and expresses horror at the destruction of the world’s capital city that is now a wasteland (18:2, 22–23). The description of her luxurious garments is a near-verbatim copy of the description from 17:4. The kings mourn the loss of her power, the merchants the loss of her ostentatious wealth. The extravagant lifestyle of this wicked empire has been found wanting, judged, and destroyed forever (see Jas 5:2–5). The sudden destruction of all this (“in one hour”) parallels the effect of death on every one of us. The possessions we may spend our lives acquiring will be taken from us in an instant.

Lament of the Sea Farers

Revelation: Verse by Verse (Lament of the Sea Captains and Sailors (18:17B–19))

Virtually all of Rome’s wealth came by sea, so the inclusion of these next groups is natural, building on Ezekiel 27:29, “all who handle the oars … the mariners and all the sailors.” There are four groups: the “sea captain” is the one who commands the ship rather than the owner (listed in 18:19); those who “travel by ship” are the passengers and merchants; the “sailors” are those who sail the ship; and “all who earn their living from the sea” are possibly fishermen and merchants. These are mostly the shipping magnates rather than small shipping companies, the lords of the sea who forced out small competitors and gained favorable tax status from Rome.

Like the kings and merchants, they too see “the smoke of her burning” and stand “far off.” They remember the glory days when they cried, “Who is like the beast?” (13:4) and “Who is like this great city?” (here, echoing Ezek 27:32 on Tyre). They go further in their sorrow, throwing “dust on their heads” as a sign of mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12; Job 2:12). They too decry the destruction of the “great city” but center on their own losses. Again, they are lamenting not Rome but themselves; they have lost their livelihood. Those who “became rich through her wealth” are especially the owners of the cargo ships but would include everyone involved (sailors, merchants, fishermen). Babylon’s sudden ruin is their ruin; their future has gone with the destruction of the “great city.”

Babylon’s Final Doom

Revelation 18:20–24 ESV

Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!” Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”

The Call to Rejoice

Revelation: Verse by Verse (The Call for the Heavens and the Saints to Rejoice (18:20))

Note the absolute contrast between 18:19 and 20. Those who have joined with and profited from Babylon’s destruction mourn her passing and are filled with terror (“woe”), while those who are faithful to God are filled with joy that the name of God has triumphed and his people vindicated. Thus both the inhabitants of heaven and the saints on earth are enjoined to “rejoice over her.” At first glance this reaction seems offensive; aren’t we supposed to pray for the lost rather than feel jubilant over their fate? This will be even more evident in the “hallelujah” hymns of 19:1–5. Yet we must remember that this refers to those have rejected God with finality, committing the “unpardonable sin” (Mark 3:28–30; Heb 6:4–6; 1 John 5:16) when they took the mark of the beast (Rev 13:16). The rejoicing takes place because God’s justice is being served; those who rejected him with finality and oppressed his people are receiving the just recompense they have brought upon themselves. This is the theme of this verse.

There are two groups who are called to rejoice, building on Old Testament passages where heaven and earth are called to celebrate God’s righteous deeds (Psa 96:11; Isa 49:13; Jer 51:38). The “heavens” are the celestial beings of this book, the angels, elders, living creatures, and possibly the saints who have died and are in heaven. Those on earth are the “heaven-dwellers” of Revelation 12:12, with the threefold designation “saints, apostles, prophets.” The “apostles” are certainly the Twelve of the Gospels and Acts, the “twelve foundations” of Revelation 21:14. The “prophets” here are probably not the Old Testament prophets (if so, we would expect the order to be reversed: “prophets and apostles”) but New Testament prophets like those of Revelation 11:18; 22:9. In Ephesians 4:11 these are listed as officers in the church.

God’s justice is the reason for the jubilation, another example of the lex talionis theme (see Rev 6:9–11; 11:5, 18; 14:8, 10; 16:5–7; 18:6). Like 18:6, this is a legal scene, and the saints and angels watching divine justice at work celebrate the just penalty handed down by the Judge of all. These who have committed the “eternal sin” (Mark 3:29) and taken the lives of God’s people (“the judgment she imposed on you”) will now suffer that same punishment, “as they deserve” (16:6, see Gen 9:5–6; Deut 19:16–19). The joy is not over the souls lost but over the vindication of God’s people and the honor of God’s name, emphasized in the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6:9: “May your name be honored/made sacred.”

The Destruction of Babylon

Revelation: Verse by Verse (The Destruction of Babylon (18:21–24))

For the final time a “mighty angel” acts (Rev 5:2; 10:1–2). In his previous two appearances he bore the scroll containing God’s plan for ending this world and exemplified the authority of God over his creation. Now he picks up “a boulder the size of a huge millstone,” a stone so large it had to be turned by a donkey (Mark 9:42), weighing several tons. In a prophetic act (as in Rev 10:8, 10; 11:1–2) he casts it into the sea. This is similar to the scene where Jeremiah ties “a stone to the scroll” and throws it into the Euphrates, saying, “So will Babylon sink to rise no more” (Jer 51:63–64). In these final days of this age, “Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.” Her violent demise is still future (“will be thrown down”) and will occur in two stages: civil war (Rev 17:16) and total destruction at the return of Christ (19:11–21). She has been judged (18:20), and her just punishment is imminent (here). The terrible violence of her destruction is prophesied in the casting of the millstone and will take place at Armageddon (16:16; 19:19–20) and the final judgment (20:13–15).

The last phrase, “never to be found again,” provides the model (“never … again”) for the five details used to flesh out the terrible nature of that judgment in 18:22–23a. These five losses build on the merchants’ lament of 18:14, “all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.” First, all music and musicians are gone, those artists who brighten everyday life and bring joy to humdrum existence (Isa 24:8; Ezek 26:13). Second, the craftsmen and trades that make city life possible have departed forever, removing the economic substrata of the empire and demanding the end of civilization. Moreover, this was a major source of oppression against Christians, who were ostracized from the trade guilds due to their refusal to worship the patron gods of the guilds. So once more this destruction constitutes just payback.

The last three are likely derived from Jeremiah 25:10, “I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, the sounds of millstones, and the light of the lamp.” The third is the disappearance of the millstones, meaning that there will be no food supply, probably related both to business (the production of food) and family life (the “hand mill” noted in Matt 24:41). Without food there is no life and no joy in life. Fourth, “the light of the lamp” switches from day (the millstone) to night. These are not torches outside the house but the small lamps of the home, thus referring to the simple joys of family life. They too are to be seen no more. Finally, “the voice of the bridegroom and bride” provide the strongest metaphor yet for the “joy and gladness” (Jer 25:10, where it is first in the list) of life. This provides a further contrast between the destinies of sinner and saint. The nations will never again know the celebration of a wedding, while God’s people will become the “bride of Christ” (Rev 19:7–8; 21:2, 9).

The reasons for the terrible judgment on Babylon are presented again in 18:23b–24. In ancient law courts the crimes were read aloud as the sentence was carried out. That is the point here. In the lists of sins in this chapter (also 18:2, 3, 7) there are five primary types: idolatry, immorality, economic tyranny, sorcery, and murder. The last three are stressed here. The merchants of 18:11–17a encompass types three and four, and so are described here as “important people” but also as sorcerers (see below). The elite of Rome were the senatorial families but also many in what was called the “equestrian class,” made up of wealthy families with land holdings and including the wealthy merchants. Rome both dominated and exploited its subject peoples for their resources, and the merchants distributed that wealth. In Isaiah 23:8 the merchants of Tyre are called “princes … renowned in the earth.” They live their lives worshiping success and trying to get ahead. God is out of the picture, and this could be called “economic idolatry,” a sin many of us are also guilty of committing (see also Jas 4:13–17).

They were also the “sorcerers” who “led the nations astray.” Magic was a huge enterprise in the Roman Empire, and Ephesus with its temple to Artemis was a leading city practicing sorcery. The creation of a universal demand for ostentatious luxury was a type of sorcery, and the people were definitely deceived. If anything, this type of economic “magic” describes our modern mindset even more than in the first century, for the deception perpetrated by the advertising industry is even more universally successful today. This includes immorality as well, for blatant sexual innuendoes are rife in TV commercials.

Finally, Babylon is condemned for murdering the saints. The mention of those “slaughtered on the earth” goes back to 6:9 and the cries of the “slaughtered souls” to God. The mention of the “prophets and saints” revisits the list in 18:20.

Like the original readers of Revelation, we live in a narcissistic culture, a society of greed whose credo is, “I can do whatever I want, and my rights trump everyone else’s.” This culture is the heart of the evil empire of Babylon the Great, and it describes the American way as well. As it was in the first century, it is still easy for us to go along with the prevailing culture and live like our friends do, but there are consequences to such hedonistic acts. The stakes are a lot higher than we think, and we will pay the piper in the end. The punishment the great prostitute faced was inevitable, and that is exactly what will happen to our selfish way of life. Pleasure-seeking societies always self-destruct, and we must heed the command and warning of 18:4: “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins!”

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”