Revelation Chapter 18

PART III (Verses 21-24)

Verse 21 seems no longer to be the “voice from heaven,” but a continuation of John’s vision. The third and final section of this chapter shows the final and total destruction of Babylon AFTER the “smoke of her burning” — the SLOW BURN since 1914.

There will be NO MOURNING for her after THIS total FINAL destruction. This is the seventh plague, the winepress, the burning her up with fire (Rev 17:16), Armageddon — the END OF ENDS.

VERSE 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.”

AND A STRONG ANGEL: There are only three “strong angels” in Revelation. (See also Rev 5:2 and Rev 10:1.) Each one represents a time of revolution —a major upheaval in the affairs of men. (Whether or not a literal angel was in charge of each of these events seems not important.)

The first is the fall of Israel at the time of the establishment of Christianity.

The second is the French Revolution and the beginning of the “Time of the End.”

Now the third, this strong angel (Verse 21) is the trouble which becomes Armageddon. It is the revolution which Chapter 17 pictures as the beast out of the abyss which devours the harlot.

(For and in depth look at this “beast coming out of the abyss”, please see our blog post entitled, “It Comes”, “The Beast that was, is not, and is yet to come again.” Rev 17:8)

TOOK UP A STONE: How fraught with meaning is this little group of words! The prophecy of Isaiah 23 is such a strong parallel to Revelation Chapter 18. How much more meaningful, then, to learn that Tyre (Strong’s # 6865) means a stone or a rock!

The Roman church claims to be the rock on which Christ built. It claims Peter (stone) as its first Pope. It is the counterfeit of the true rock which is Christ.

The angel TAKES UP a stone. Revelation Chapters 13, 16, and 17 all suggest a brief RISE for Papacy before its fall. Isaiah 23 shows the same when, after *the 70 years (after 1989?), she again goes to play the harlot.

LIKE A GREAT MILLSTONE: This stone (Tyre) is not just like any stone, but like a GREAT MILLSTONE: the world’s largest and oldest grinder of “food” for Christendom. (Compare with Matt. 24:41.)

AND THREW IT INTO THE SEA: A millstone is a very large and heavy rock. It does not fall or sink slowly. The sea (the people, the strange beast of Rev 17:16) swallows her up with one big gulp.

SAYING, THUS: There is no mistaken picture here. The angel wants to be certain that we get the simile. He’s not talking now of a slow consuming like Daniel 9:26 (KJV) suggests. He says “THUS” — just like the plunging stone.

BABYLON, THE GREAT CITY: — the one the kings (Verse 10), the merchants (Verse 16), and the lesser economic forces (Verse 19) all acknowledge as the epitome of their former respect.

WILL BE THROWN DOWN WITH VIOLENCE: The angel is still being graphically specific. “Thrown down” seems bad enough; but he adds “with violence.” The Greek means RUSHING IMPETUOSITY. It should be an awesome display!

AND WILL NOT BE FOUND ANY LONGER: This day is yet (hopefully soon) to come. It is the fulfillment of Rev 19:20. No one will need to ask if it has been fulfilled. Isaiah 23:18 shows the transition. All of her wealth and influence will be transferred to the rightful ROCK. It will be re-dedicated as “Holiness to the Lord” (KJV) — the same re-dedication as the “horses’ bridles.”

See Zech. 14:20 “In that day “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.”

and Rev. 14:20. “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 70 years in which Tyre (Papacy) was forgotten:

There appears to be two thoughts on this 70-year period, both of which seem feasible and have their adherents.

“Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: “Take a harp, go about the city, you forgotten harlot; Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that you may be remembered.” And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.” Isa 23:15-17

First there is the opinion held by many Bible Students (as mentioned in the outline of this Chapter) that this period was fulfilled “from the late teens (1919) to the late 1980’s (1989) when Communism dominated Eastern Europe, and the Papacy was no longer able to stimulate the economic interchange with that part of its old dominion. Now, however, she begins again to “play the harlot” (See Rev. 17:16-18) until (Isa. 23:18) the Lord will take doctrinal control from her and write “HOLINESS TO THE LORD” on the bridles. (See Zech. 14:20 margin and Rev. 14:20.)

Another opinion as presented in a discourse given by Brother George Tabac entitled “Tyre and Sidon in Prophecy” is that,

“As a result of the French Revolution, “It looked as if the Papacy were dead. In fact, half of Europe thought the Papacy was dead.”

Thus, it was for 70 years Tyre was forgotten, it looked as if Papacy was dead. It was during this time that Protestantism took center stage as it were. In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was formed. Others followed in quick succession on the European continent. The American Bible Society was founded in 1816. The American Tract Society in 1825. William Miller’s Adventist movement brought worldwide attention to focus on prophecies of the Second advent of Christ. The stage was being set for the greatest clarification of Biblical truths of the entire Gospel Age by the Seventh messenger, Brother Russell.

Thus, Tyre or Papacy was forgotten for 70 years, from 1799 to 1869.

But then what happened to fulfill the rest of the prophecy?

“And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.”

Exactly 70 years after 1799, in December of 1869, began Papacy’s Vatican Council 1. It was the first ecumenical council held since 1563. It resulted in a constitution that declared the infallibility of the Pope and a primacy that set the stage for the reawakening of Papacy’s influence in the world.

It was the beginning of the renewal of Tyre or Papacy’s harlotry with the political leaders of the nations of Christendom. The period of Papacy being forgotten for 70 years had come to an end.”

---

Brother Shallieu’s thoughts on Verse 21

“And 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.”

Millstones, which are used in pairs, are usually huge circular stones, flat on two sides, with a hole in the center. The lower stone may be fastened to or encircle a stake-like arrangement or be secured to a cogwheel set up to grind grain between an upper and this lower stone. The lower stone is stationary, and the upper stone is rotated by hand or animal or by water power. As the coarse grain is ground, the husk is broken, and wind or another fanning method blows away the chaff, leaving only the wheat germ or flour behind.

From the natural standpoint, the weight and size of the millstone would be impressive. This verse shows how the Lord will deal with the influential and powerful nominal systems. An individual would find it impossible to lift up such a huge stone and throw it into the sea. Such an act would require mighty power. Accordingly, The Christ, the Herculean (“mighty”) angel acting as God’s agent, will pick up the impressive, weighty stone and hurl it down violently (the Greek means “with vigorous impetuosity”) into the sea.

John, who witnessed this act in vision, would be impressed with the size of the stone, then with the strength of the angel, and finally with the tremendous splash caused by the stone being cast into the sea. When the “great city” is destroyed in one hour, great will be the repercussion. Everybody will be affected when the false system is destroyed; figuratively, there will be a big splash.

Of Seraiah, a quiet prince, Jeremiah commanded: “And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates: And thou shalt say, thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her” (Jer 51:63,64).

Concerning the Exodus, it is written: “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone… they sank as lead in the mighty waters” (Exod. 15:4,5,10).

The mighty angel taking up “a stone like a great millstone” suggests a temporary lifting up of Babylon to a great height (prestige and influence once again, this during the “hour of temptation” and power) before it is cast down into the sea— (the “sea” class) the anarchistic masses.

Continued with next post.