Revelation 18

The next section of the book of Revelation begins here, from chapter 17-20. Most anticipate it more than the rest because of the thousand year binding of Satan and millennial reign of the saints from chapter 20 — but what this sections big emphasis is about showing how easy it is for God to judge Satan and Rome and negate their power.

Revelation 17 -

Picture of a city that is portrayed as a harlot.

V.5 — “Babylon the great” written on its head. What city is like Babylon? It’s Rome.

If you and I walked into Rome at its height, we would be thinking “WOW! Look at the architecture, look at their ingenuity” and if we bought into the propaganda we’d be thinking “Rome is Good! The keeper of peace! It’s benevolent and great!” —- but Joh is pulling hot e curtain back to say “No, it’s not beautiful. It’s more like a harlot.

V.9-10

Seated on “seven hills” = makes it obvious it’s Rome, if it wasn’t clear before. That was its geography.

Also, it was the 7 kings.

The seven heads are described as both seven hills and seven kings. Rome, famously built on seven hills, is clearly in view here.

The kings are symbolic of successive powers—“five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come”—pointing to the temporary nature of earthly rule.

This isn’t meant to be a historical countdown of emperors. That misunderstands apocalyptic literature, which speaks symbolically rather than through strict timelines.

Some suggest this is mocking God's eternal nature—a beastly imitation of “was, is, and is to come.”

But from Nero to Domitian the result is the same — they’re big and bad, but God still brings them down.

Don’t get too lost in the weeds, remember the big picture — it’s clearly Rome, Rome is like a Harlot, and it’s destined to fall!

John is saying it’s not great at all, it’s not glorious — it’s destined for judgment.

How do you think proud Roman citizens would feel hearing John describe Rome this way? Probably one reason someone like him is exiled.

V.17-18 — And she, the city, is riding the beast — and that beast turns on her and destroys her - the beast she used to harm others not destroys it. God turns the evil of the evil doers on itself. God is punishing the city by using the things they did wrong to others to be done to them.

Typically through scripture, that’s how God’s justice works!

Like Wiley coyote.

Proverbs 5:22 “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.” —— it becomes your own trap and demise.

Revelation 18

V.1-3

Rome had made many wealthy. But it did so at the expense of others. A harlot takes from others and promises “affection and friendship” in return, but it’s a false and empty promise.

For the Church, there wasn’t instruction to make the fall of Rome happen - it was already destined to by God because of their evil deeds.

V.4-5

Sin builds up and heaps up - and Babylon the great had been heaping it up high for a while.

God says to His followers “GET OUT! Don’t be lulled into complacency by the luxury of Rome!” It’s so easy to get lulled into that, to become apathetic because of wealth and comfort. To live and enjoy the things that Babylon has to offer. God wakes up his people through John saying “Get out! Don’t be hitched to her or you’ll suffer the same fate!”

They need to dissociate themselves from the materialism and trust and loyalty to the nation that poses as affectionate and friend that supplies your needs — only God can do that. Don’t fall for the trap, don’t willingly choose comfort because it’s easier and more enjoyable.

Rome may view that as rebellion — they may punish you, kill you, persecute you. But the lamb will give you the real victory crown if you’re loyal to Him.

Jesus started out saying to the 7 Churches a warning to not get lulled into complacency because of earthly riches gained from the nation being prosperous. He reminds Laodicea you’re not rich and good, your poor blind wretched and naked! Rome can’t make you rich and give you the right clothing, only Jesus can give you white robes that cover your shame and salve to open your eyes to truth!

Jesus is saying through John you need to decide where your hope comes from!!

And Jesus is showing us this city to contrast it later with the city of God that does in fact last forever, that truly is beautiful.

V.6-7

Isn’t this the way any great cities and nations have talked? “I’m too great to fail! I’m rich! I’m powerful!” The more it thinks about itself that way, the more a nation thinks about itself that way, the more likely it is to happen.

V.8-10

V.9, call back to 17:12

All the other leaders trusted Babylon, the kinds of the earth hooked up to Babylon so when it fell so did they.

V.11-13

…slaves. Human souls.

His point is that slaves are human beings not objects. He concludes the list this way to show that to them they were just trade items to make luxury in the empire even better.

And all of it will stop - the merchants will weep and wail because they were benefiting from cruelly obtained wealth.

V.14, 17-19

John is writing to Christians who have been enticed by the wealth of Rome that ask for their loyalty. He’s saying you will go down with the ship! Don’t entangle yourself with her! Don’t be loyal to that, but instead give it to the Lamb!

And in the next verse we see, not everyone is saddened by the fall of Babylon — which by the way, when it falls, it is fast. God can take care of any so called “mighty nation” or enemy in a flash, in “one hour” as the text says to show it is short and fast.

It is a simple matter for God to strike and reduce them into a pitiful state.

V.20

“FOR YOU, AGAINST HER”

The ones making a profit off of Rome’s exploitations and what they were doing, they were appalled and dismayed by the thought of Rome falling.

But the people being harmed and who had their belongings and resources taken, the ones being persecuted — this is good news. This is Justice. God will allow evil of evildoers come back to bite them.

Remember what Jesus said the Church of Smyrna. Revelation 2:9, look their briefly with me.

Jesus could see their real true wealth, and they and us needed the reminder to have the Heavenly perspective as well, to look to what Jesus looks at!

Jesus says, “I know”—He sees everything they’re going through. That alone should bring comfort. In a wealthy, prosperous city, these Christians are struggling—not because they’ve done wrong, but because they’ve remained faithful in the face of persecution. The world sees them as poor, weak, and defeated. But Jesus sees the truth: “You are rich.” Rich in faith, in loyalty, in spiritual treasure that can’t be taken.

Behind their trials is Satan, using Rome as his tool. Even some Jews—those who appear faithful—are slandering Christians to the Roman authorities, siding more with Caesar than with God. Rome looks powerful, but it's the beast working through them.

Jesus doesn’t promise escape—He promises a crown. He says, “Be faithful unto death.” It may cost them their comfort, their safety, even their lives. But He reminds them of what really matters. Like He said in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Notice Jesus doesn’t say, “Go fight for your reputation!” or “Make Smyrna a Christian city!” He says, stay faithful. Yes, He wants the lost to repent, but He also deeply desires that the saved stay saved—that they remain loyal no matter what. That’s half the mission of the Church: not just reaching the lost, but encouraging the saved to stay faithful all the way through.

If you are loyal to Jesus—you win. You conquer. You overcome. And that’s true victory.

There is rejoicing by God and His people when God brings JUSTICE. Just be sure you’re on the good side of it, on the grace side of Justice.

V.21-23

Jeremiah 51:63–64 “When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’ ” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.” —- another Old Testament allusion that the readers in the 1st century would have been well familiar with.

Cities like Babylon the Great, Rome…they’re harlots - they deceive, bewitch, entice and enchant the world saying “give me your resources, your food, the things that belong to YOU and I will give you my friendship, my affection, my protection…” and so they strip the world of what they have.

And if you have the audacity to call out the beast for being a beast, the city for being a harlot, will suffer at their hand and pay the consequences….

V.24

The reminder to those of you who are who are going along to get along, those of you whose loyalty is divided — don’t you know what this thing has done to our people?! To your brothers and sisters?! Don’t you know that it’s drunk on the blood of Christians?! Did you forget? You became apathetic and complacent and went along to get along! Where do you think this wealth comes from? From evil. And it will fall.

Come out of there. Replace your full loyalty in God. Be saved from destruction!

What kind of places are Babylon’s?

Ones that become great through greed — accumulating more and more to satisfy a never ending appetite

Ones that seduce neighbors into forfeiting needed resources in exchange for friendship — that’s what a harlot does.

Ones that enrich themselves at the expense of others.

This is nothing new. There are always these types of governing authorities.

What’s the point? Do not allow Babylon to be your hope or your homeland. These cities/nation….BEAST, they will fall. And if thats where your hope is, then on that day you will be hopeless.

You have a homeland and city! It has foundations that will never fail, where God reigns where the lamb sits! That is YOUR city and hope.

We meet like this often as we can to help remind ourselves to resist from being enticed by the things of this world, to resist being enticed by greed and luxury and complacency so that we’re not apathetic. To resist following the beast and remind ourselves that our loyally needs to be only to the lamb.