Revelation Chapter 18

THE DECLINE AND FALL OF BABYLON (Rev 18:1-24)

Introduction to This Chapter

It should be said from the outset that Chapter 18 of Revelation has an uncanny resemblance to Volume Four of Studies in the Scriptures. It seems most probable that the “voice from heaven” in Rev 18:4 is the Seventh Messenger to the Church, Charles T. Russell — the same as is symbolized in Rev 17:1 as “one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls.” It is not stretching the edges of faith to come to this conclusion. After all,

WHO historically DELIVERED the “Come out of her” message?

Then note the structure of Verses 4-20:

Verses 4-5: A statement of Babylon’s unredeemable condition along with the accompanying GOOD ADVICE, TO ABANDON HER.

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”

Verses 6-8: A statement (either as an encouragement to saints, or as a prayer to God) to give to Babylon the things she deserves as a result of her sinful history.

“Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore, her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.”

The first three chapters of Volume IV accomplish the above.

Verses 9-10: A statement of how the KINGS react to their collapsing old order along with a lament that “JUDGMENT” has come to the ecclesiastical paramour.

“The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’”

Chapters 4 through 6 of Volume 4 deal with this NATIONAL weakness question as well as the “judgment” of ecclesiasticism.

Verses 11-17: A statement of how the CAPITALISTS attempt to adjust to the loss of the old order (called “merchants” in Verse 11).

“And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance…

Verses 17-19: A statement of how others down the economic chain mourn because the reliability of the old order is “laid waste.”

“For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour, she is made desolate.’”

Chapters 7 through 10 of Volume IV deal with the economic forces and their results on all levels of society.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE HERE: Chapter 18 is mostly ABOUT economics. So is Volume IV. (Please consider *Item #74L in Appendix B. Presented below.)

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CHAPTER 18

*The Economic Viewpoint

This is the next-to-last narrative of Babylon’s fall. It is also the longest. This chapter is the “Fourth Volume” of Revelation. Chapter 18 tells us that ECONOMICS are a (if not THE) major factor in Babylon’s collapse.

Here we see a detailed inventory of economic interests losing their stability because of the political weakness of Babylon in this century.

The violent end of her Rev. 18:21

“Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.”

…parallels the descriptions of Rev. 17:16

“And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire”.

As well as Rev. 16:18-21

“And there were noises and thundering’s and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nation’s fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great,” and

Rev. 14:19, 20.

“So, the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs”.

The HARVEST IMPLICATIONS for the saints are more subtle. It clearly shows the folly of spending time, money, or thought on financial matters. It also shows (Verses 4-8) the need for our separateness and our WORK in spreading the truths which will help further her judgment.

CHAPTER 19

The Spirit-born & Spirit-begotten Viewpoint The first part of this chapter belongs with Chapter 18. Rev. 19:1-10 shows the wonderful rejoicing which will follow Babylon’s death.

The primary HARVEST IMPLICATION for us in this section is Verse 10 where we are admonished to learn the PROPER USE of the works of the 7th messenger.

Continued with next post.