Chapter 18
THE LAMENT FOR BABYLON
“What city is like unto this great city?” (Rev.18: 17)
THE GREAT CITY
Before we commence a detailed exegesis of this chapter it is important to consider what is meant by the great city. We have identified the great city as Jerusalem, and this is essentially correct, but she is also more than a singular city. The fact that this chapter is based on prophetic dirges over the fall of Babylon and Tyre already indicates that we are dealing with a metaphor.
The great city encapsulates all the cities of the earth, for the fall of Babylon precipitates the fall of the cities of the nations (16: 19).
In order to understand the implications of this chapter it is important to establish how cities are viewed in scripture. The author strongly recommends The Meaning of the City by Jacques Ellul and the following transcript is a compilation of some of the most important passages in his book.1
The city represents man’s ultimate rejection of God. It demonstrates man’s creativity and independence. Rather than rely on God, Cain built a city in order to provide protection and security for himself (Gen.4: 17) and cities quickly became the focus of primitive industrialisation (Gen.4: 22).
Gods dwelling place was never in the city, for it was David who wished to build God a house in the city.
“Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?” (2 Samuel 7:6-7)
This is a kind of refusal to enter the city, to make a home there. And all of Jerusalem’s destiny is included, then, in this opposition emphasised by God:
“You David, want to build me a house, and put me in a city. But in fact, it is I, the Lord, who will build you up a house.”
And the Lord then grants David’s immediate posterity the permission to build the Temple, but it is nothing more than accepting David’s wish. Jerusalem’s destiny is henceforth unique and ambiguous, that of being one of man’s cities chosen by God. Jerusalem is a holy city. But she is still a city. She carries man’s mark, even in her election, even in her adoption by God. She never escapes from all the characteristics of the city, as is indicated by the accusations constantly aimed at her, aimed at the sins she never ceases falling into anew. Her sins are those of other cities: she acts like them and is condemned like them.
Moreover, Jerusalem fulfilled by Christ’s death what had ever been announced; namely that she would play a unique role in the history of salvation. And how earnestly did she seek out that role. This obviously emphasises Jerusalem’s ambiguity. She is, in spite of her sanctification and adoption, the city seeking to combat God, to destroy his action. But all she does by this is to continue accomplishing God’s will, and not only his general will, but his particular will for her.
God’s revelations instruct us of the unparalleled truth that by Jesus Christ’s death, Jerusalem literally becomes Babylon. During the period of time between Christ’s ascension and his return there is a confusion of the formerly holy city and the city of demons, Babylon.
Jerusalem here is called the great city and this term is, as we know, characteristic of Babylon. Moreover, the text as a whole confirms our identification. Jerusalem here plays a part which should be that only of Babylon. She is the defiled place where all nations of the earth gather to revel drunkenly and make merry over the death of God’s prophets. She is celebrating therefore, the victory of the Beast, and becomes the city of the nations.
Moreover in John’s portrayal there is much food for reflection, if only from the historical standpoint, for those who consider Revelation only as a political writing turned against Rome. (Ellul was a reformed sociologist, historian and lawyer and had every reason to be critical of Rome, yet did not fall into the trap of so many of his contemporaries)
Jerusalem – ever controlled by the Goyim and unable to attain spiritual liberation in the Christian faith. Neither Jewish nor Christian, but always torn apart, going from one persecution to another, from siege to destruction, with no durable period of domination, no settled condition, no possible restoration under Arab domination. Even today’s Jewish domination is but one more sign of the underlying contradiction. A wandering city, defiled, condemned. A deserted city in the midst of it’s swarming peoples and confused races. A deserted city because she did not recognise her Lord: “Your house is desolate, for you will not see me again.” He alone could have populated her; he alone could adequately take the place of the Temple and was waiting to do so. A city of which not one spiritual stone was left upon another, full of horrible tourist churches and monuments raised by every sect and every religion, the symbol of division and spiritual falsehood, the symbol of satanic spirituality, a subject of mocking for the Holy Spirit.
Jacques Ellul concludes that the city is essentially a metaphor for mans work, it is God’s pardon that will transform it. This pardon teaches us, much better than any historical considerations, the vanity and relativity of man’s work, since everything depends on forgiveness. God’s pardon will make the city of man into a New Jerusalem; that is, its precise goal is to keep her disappearing into nothingness. So not only man’s spiritual destiny is connected with God’s forgiveness, but also the destiny of his work and the very materiality of history, which rests exclusively on this act of God – rests on the infinitely thin line, that razor blade which separates decisively between the work destined to vanish and the work that will be transformed into a creation of God for all eternity.
To this the present author would add that although Abraham was promised a country, in Hebrews this becomes a city; “for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (Heb.11: 10) This city is the New Jerusalem, whose dimensions will eventually encompass the whole world.
In conclusion the great city carries a specific and a generic meaning.
Generically she represents the work of man – the whole world becomes the great city. The city is a place of ambiguity. Whilst demonstrating the independence and creativity of man, it represents man’s ultimate rejection of God. Therefore it is the city, home of man’s rebellious heart, that must be reformed.
Specifically the great city is represented by Jerusalem – a city with a unique heritage, adopted by God and destined for transformation along with the rest of the earth.
THE GREAT CITY AND THE MERCHANTS
We have already considered the city as man’s edifice against God. She is not only the place of false religion but also of unbridled materialism as Revelation chapter 18 makes apparent.
Once again we have a truth that transcends the meaning of a singular city. At this stage the author refers to another Christian classic – Capitalism and Progress (a diagnosis of western society) by Bob Goudzwaard.
In this book the history of modern capitalism is analysed. Until the middle ages man laboured under the hierarchical structure of the church (however corrupt that church had become) in the belief that man was a sinful creature and paradise could only be achieved in the “next life.” The church was the arbiter of God’s will on earth and man’s destiny was essentially outside of his own control. The Renaissance liberated man from the burden of the church and prepared the way for industrialisation.
“Man is free, the master of his fortune, not chained to his place in a universal hierarchy but capable of all things.”1
The next few centuries saw the development of such ideas as rationalism, humanism, utilitarianism and evolution, leading to a general belief in human progress. This belief has become the faith of the city. By rejecting God as the only means of salvation, and replacing this with faith in progress, mankind could realise his own happiness – paradise on earth.
The outcome of these ideas was the industrial revolution and modern capitalism. The “god of this age” is technology and the elevation of man’s wisdom. Capitalism has emerged as the triumphant ideology of the 20th century, even adopted by communist countries like Russia and China. Whilst, undoubtedly the populations of the western world have benefited from capitalism (i.e., higher living standards – better medicines etc.) the premise testifies to spiritual bankruptcy. Man is a sinful creature and paradise cannot be achieved through human progress.
This does not deter man from his headlong rush to utopia, for the industrial revolution has now become the “technological revolution.” The very stuff of life can now be genetically manipulated promising the holy- grail of ever longer, healthier lives. Man can now create and adopt new life forms- he has become a god in his own universe. Capitalism has now entered a new phase, for it is now truly global.
“Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth: The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.” (Dan.4: 10-12)
The faith of the “global village” can therefore also be designated as faith in “mammon.” Again we are faced with a specific and a generic meaning.
Specifically, the city of Jerusalem will again become a “den of thieves”, a holy city immersed in trade and merchandising. She therefore typifies the religion of mammon. She will become the “throne of the beast” ultimately rejecting all religion for the worship of man himself – “that no man might buy or sell, save that he had the mark” (13: 7). Economic activity finally used as a tool of subjection.
Generically, the whole world is condemned for this philosophy – a religion of materialism and consumerism on a global scale (Babel). The influence of the Jews in the world of commerce, especially in America, should not be underestimated (ironically the dollar bill contains the words, “In God we trust”). However, the religion of capitalism will not lead to paradise, on the contrary it contains the seeds of its own destruction for the very environment that is so rapaciously plundered is about to collapse. Economically it also fails to deliver paradise, for the divide between rich and poor countries is accelerating.
She is therefore condemned for her trade in luxury goods and her enslavement of men (18: 13). That slavery should be a problem in the 20th century may seem surprising to some. This is true in a literal and metaphorical sense. Slavery still exists in some parts of Africa. More pertinently, economic slavery exists, whether it is the exploitation of child labour or the even more distasteful sexual tourism – rich countries still oppress the poor.
In a sense we have all become slaves to consumerism and have all contributed to the building of the great city – whether we like it or not, we are part of the world we live in.
“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matt.6: 24)
REVELATION CHAPTER 18
Rev.18 continues the same subject matter as the previous chapter – the fall of Babylon. The reason for placing the chapter division between the two is doubtless the completely different approach that each has to the same event. While Rev.17 is a purely narrative account, 18 waxes eloquent in offering us an almost poetic appraisal, from both a divine and worldly perspective, of the loss of this great city. The description is much more vivid, image after image is knit together to form the most brilliant patchwork of Old Testament texts. The text has a definite inverted structure, marked by the change in speaker:
A. Mighty angel (v.2f)
B. Heavenly voice (vv.4-8)
C. Kings (v.9f)
D. Merchants (vv.11-17)
C. Mariners (vv.17-19)
B. Heavenly voice (v.20)
A. Mighty angel (vv.21-24)
Closer examination reveals that each parallel element has certain features in common. Thus the first and second A’s possess a threefold structure consisting of the following:
(a) A declaration of the destruction of Babylon (v.2, 21)
(b) A description concerning its future state (v.2,22f)
(c) Three reasons for its fall – “for…and…and…” (v.9, 23f)
The B elements, uttered by some unidentified voice from heaven, both address the saints as “you” (v.4, 20). The middle CDC section, containing mourning for Babylon by three different categories of people, each begins the lament with the words, “Alas, alas, that great city!” (v.10,16,19). Between these first and last lines, words are found which relate to the category of people speaking. Thus the kings focus upon the might of the city (v. 10), the merchants upon its fine garments and jewels (v. 16), and the mariners upon those “who had ships at sea” (v. 19). Such parallels and refrains are typical of Hebrew poetic style.
Some commentators are of the opinion that the theme of Rev.18 spills over into the following chapter, for the judgment of the harlot is again mentioned in 19: 2f. Yet at the beginning of Rev.19 we notice the start of a new structure based upon the repetition of the word “Hallelujah” (19: 1, 3, 4, 6). This and the perfect balance of the content of Rev.18 suggest that the chapter division has, in fact, been appropriately located.
The picture of the harlot has been drawn from three distinct sources, ie, those prophetic texts relating to Jerusalem, Tyre and, instead of Nineveh, yet hardly different in it’s significance, Babylon. In some cases the quotation is almost verbatim.
References to ancient Babylon
Babylon is fallen, is fallen Isa.21: 9
Is become the habitation of devils and
the hold of every foul spirit. Jer.50: 39; Isa.13: 21
All nations drunk of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication. Jer.51: 57
Come out of her my people… Jer.51: 6, 45; 50: 8
Her sins have reached unto heaven. Jer.51: 9
Reward her even as she rewarded you. Jer.50: 29; Ps.137: 8
I sit a queen and am no widow… Isa.47: 8
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day. Isa.47: 9
Rejoice over her, thou heaven. Jer.51: 48
A stone….cast into the sea. Jer.51: 63
Thus shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down. Jer.51: 64
All that were slain upon the earth. Jer.51: 49
References to Tyre
Kings of the earth committed fornication
with her. Isa.23: 17
The kings of the earth shall wail and lament her. Ezk.26: 16, 17
Gold, precious stones, spices… Ezk.27: 22, 24 etc
Bodies and souls of men. Ezk.27: 13
Merchants weeping and lamenting. Ezk.27: 31
Every shipmaster and all company of ships.. Ezk.27: 29, 30
And they cried out, What city is like unto
this great city. Ezk.27: 32
They cast dust on their heads, weeping and wailing. Ezk.27: 30
The voice of harpers heard no more at all in thee. Ezk.26: 13
Thy merchants were the great men of the earth. Isa.23: 8
References to Jerusalem
Double unto her double. Jer.16: 18; Isa.40: 2
The sound of the millstone no more heard
…and the light of a candle shall shine no more in thee. Jer.25: 10
The voice of the bridegroom… Jer.25: 10
In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints… Jer.2: 34
THE GLORY RETURNS
“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (Rev.18: 1-2)
When it says of the angel that the earth was lighted with his glory it is referring back to Ezekiel 43.
“Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house. And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places.” (Ezek.43: 1-7)
Before the destruction of the nation and the temple, because of the whoredoms committed there, Ezekiel saw the glory departing in stages, withdrawing via the threshold (10: 4,18) to the mountain on the east (11: 23) and finally back to heaven. God had abandoned the nation to its fate, destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. In a similar fashion, Jesus Christ (the glory of God) withdrew from the temple precinct and ascended to heaven from the Mt., of Olives on the east, leaving the temple ready for desolation by the Romans. One presumes that a parallel can be drawn with the martyr-witnesses; with their death the glory also departed (11: 12) and the city was left ripe for destruction and subsequent cleansing. Now however, the reverse is about to occur. Israel, purged of her sins has the glory restored – John is carried away in the spirit to a great high mountain and sees the New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven, having the glory of God. (21: 10,11) This is the essence of the angelic message, he comes not to gloat over the fallen, but to announce the triumph of God’s purposes and the final liberation of God’s people from all oppression. This angel, notwithstanding the gloom of his proclamation, is an angel of the gospel.
The angel’s opening words, Fallen, fallen is Babylon, are the words with which the prophet on his watchtower announced to Jerusalem the news of the capture of Babylon by Cyrus (Isa.21: 9). The picture of a city reduced to utter desolation, the home of unclean spirits and unclean birds and beasts, is found in doom oracles of about the same period, one directed against Babylon, the other against Edom (Isa.13: 21; 34: 11-15).
Babylon is no longer a great tree, offering protection to the birds of heaven and the beasts of the field (Dan.4: 10-12), but rather she has become a cage (RV prison) for every unclean and hateful bird. The hateful birds are no doubt a reference to carrion eaters such as vultures, for the inhabitants have defiled their city, not with the carcasses of their kings, but with the bodies of the witnesses. She has become a place of demons. Demons are always associated with idol worship (image of the beast) and unclean spirits.1
When Jesus Christ came to exorcise the unclean spirit from the nation (cp.legion), he prophesied that the condition of the patient would deteriorate because of an obstinate refusal to replace the uncleanness with something wholesome. After wandering in the wilderness, the unclean spirit returned to his house making the final condition worse than it previously was (Mtt.12: 43-45). In fact it was seven times worse – complete madness! Jesus had declared their house unclean and prophesied that it would be desolated. Now, the woman after her initial wilderness wandering is encountered still in the wilderness, and with seven worse spirits in her bosom she has truly become an unclean harlot-city. In the repetition of the word unclean there is no doubt a contrast intended with the holy city, into which nothing unclean may enter (21: 27).
DRUNK WITH FORNICATION
“For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.” (Rev.18: 3)
The reason given for the total obliteration of Babylon is the now familiar one: all nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication. But now John has a new disclosure in store for us. He has repeatedly warned his readers against the dangers of idolatry, particularly by use of the offensive word fornication. He has seen men freely choosing to worship the monster. But he has so far given barely a hint why men should have considered it reasonable to do so or what the precise nature of their fornication was. Now we are given the first hint, which will be enlarged on in the next paragraph: the merchants of the earth have made their fortunes on her lavish wealth. For a time the great city was allowed to control the beast, giving peace and security to this region of the world, thus making possible a vast luxury trade and bringing widespread prosperity. This, we are to understand, is the true nature of the seduction exercised by the great whore. The kings of the earth were guilty of an economic dalliance, which involved the idolatrous worship of Mammon. When the archetypal Babylon, like the ancient one, boasts, “I am a queen on my throne”, her fault is not mere arrogance, but an unquestioning faith in her own inexhaustible resources, unaccompanied by any sense of deeper lack (cp.3: 17). Such was the oracle directed against Ephraim:
“He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress. And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.” (Hosea 12:7-8)
The Hebrew for merchant is Canaanite (RVmg). In the eschaton there will no longer be the Canaanite (merchant) in the house of the Lord. Ephraim’s riches are not the result of oppression but deceit (RVmg) a clear play on the name of Jacob (the deceiver) – the previous verses relate the wrestling of Jacob, who although successful in his dealings with men, was utterly defeated when confronted by God. He overcame his old nature and was renamed Israel, in acknowledgement of the fact that God was prince (ruler) in his life. The prophecy of Hosea has many other connections with Revelation chapter 18, tabulated below.
REVELATION 18 HOSEA
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (v.3)
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. (4:11)
I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. (6:10)
He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
(12:7)
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (v.4 )
Say ye unto your brethren,
Ammi [my people]; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. [that hath obtained mercy] (2:1)
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (v.5)
And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face. (7:2)
According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. (13:6)
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. (v.6)
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. (11:1)
The firstborn given a double portion
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Rev.14:11)
When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died. (13: 1)
The prophecy of Hosea forms the basis of the parable of the prodigal son in Lk.15: 11-32.1 There is always hope for those who, even at this late stage, return to the Father.
COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev.18: 4)
The words are again drawn from the old Testament, when natural Israel is called on to forsake the doomed city of Babylon in Isa.48: 20; and there are parallels also with 52: 11, Jeremiah 50: 8 and 51: 6, 45 and Zechariah 2: 6-7. In the New Testament the words are no doubt intended to remind us of Paul’s call to the saints of all ages, “Come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.” (2 Cor.6: 17, itself quoted from Isaiah 52: 11) This was not a summons to flight, but to abstain from the idolatrous practices of pagan society. Similarly, the crime in Revelation is the worship of the image of the beast, for it is the ultimate rebellion against God. These are the words of Moses at the Korah rebellion: “And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.” (Num.16: 26) Again this is the ultimate rebellion, for man himself presumes to be equal to God (his representative Moses). The image of the beast, after all, bears the number of man (a man)- it becomes the worship of man himself. The call is obviously to be heard before the destruction of “Babylon” takes effect, just as the call of the Lord Jesus to his disciples to forsake the doomed Jerusalem (Lk.21: 21) had to be heeded before the city was broken up. Like Sodom, the city cannot be spared for the multitude of its iniquities but, like Lot (Gen.19: 16), the faithful have the opportunity to escape. These words cannot be addressed to the martyrs, for the great ordeal has already sent them to their death. Who are they who are to come out and when? Apart from the timeless call to those called on to join their Lord without the camp (Heb.13: 13-14), having here no continuing city, the urgency grows as the day approaches in which “yet once more” the Lord will shake the (Jewish) world. (Hag.2: 6 ; Heb.12: 26-28). The Jewish believers needed to disentangle themselves from reliance on a doomed temple as the destruction of Jerusalem approached. But the only inhabitants now left in the great city are those who, through all the premonitory plagues, have obdurately refused to repent. Yet even at this late hour it is still possible for men to prove themselves God’s people and to escape their share in Babylon’s plagues by dissociating themselves from her sins. To the bitter end the miracle of grace remains open, and God never ceases to say, “My people”, to those who before were not his people. (Hos.2: 23; Rom.9: 25; 1 Pet.2: 10)
THE TOWER OF BABEL
“For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Rev.18: 5)
Like the tower of Babel the sin of the great city is so blatant that it reaches to heaven. It threatens the sovereignty of God himself, and is of such a magnitude that it can no longer be ignored. The longsuffering of God has been stretched beyond the limit and has finally expired, he will not be mocked. The man of sin has been revealed in all his glory, but though he exalt himself to heaven, he will be cast into the lowest part of hell. The time has arrived for just retribution.
DOUBLE DESTRUCTION
“Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.” (Rev.18: 6)
The cup from which Babylon must drink a double draught is the cup she mixed for others, to which God has had to add no other ingredient but his ratifying wrath. Vengeance is the prerogative of God alone and the principle of lex talonis is applied, the law that demands that the punishment shall match the crime. Exact retribution there may be, but only for those who insist to the last on being given their deserts and on refusing the offer of divine mercy. God has a record of (lit. has remembered) her crimes. When God forgives, he also forgets; and when he forgets it is blotted out from the record (Jer.31: 34).
The expression double unto her can only be understood with respect to the Jerusalem background, since the expression has its origins within the law and covenant. In Deut.21: 17 it states that the firstborn son should inherit a double portion from the father. Israel was God’s firstborn (Ex.4: 22), and therefore if found wanting would receive a double punishment for his sins (as Isa.40: 2). At this particular point, since Tyre and Babylon are in no sense firstborn, any application to these (or to Rome) is wholly excluded.
I SIT A QUEEN AND AM NO WIDOW
“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Rev.18: 7)
This soliloquy is based on Isa.47: 8, 9:
“Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.”
The emphasis on widowhood is appropriate since one of the results of war in ancient times (and all times) was the slaughter of adult males, many of whom were husbands and fathers. Widows and orphans were extremely disadvantaged in ancient Israel because they were deprived of the protection and financial support afforded them by their husbands and their families and consequently often experienced extreme hardship and oppression.
UTTERLY BURNED WITH FIRE
“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” (Rev.18: 8)
This verse describes the effects of the outpouring of the vial plagues (see Jer.18: 21) and the burning of the city (Rev.17: 16), a punishment solely reserved for a priests daughter who committed harlotry. Pestilence and famine were the common results of a prolonged siege, mourning is linked with the death of the inhabitants, and burning with fire is the final act of destruction by the conquerors. A fate Jerusalem has suffered twice before.
THE LAMENT OF THE KINGS
“And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” (Rev.18: 9-10)
Heaven has lamented the idolatrous materialism that has led to Babylon’s fall. Now the voice from heaven goes on to tell how earth will join the lament, because the bottom has dropped out of the world market. The kings of the earth are said to mourn the mighty city, the merchants the wealthy city; but this is a distinction without a difference, for the kings have shared her fornication and luxury, i.e. their sovereignty has been based on the mercantile prosperity she provided. Three times we are told that the desolation is to be accomplished in one hour, and we are reminded of the one hour of the ten kings reign with the monster, during which they will wage war on the Lamb (17: 12-14). The one hour of persecution is balanced by the one hour of retribution, because the blood of the martyrs is not only the seed of the New Jerusalem but the ruin of the great whore. The phrase standing afar off, is also repeated three times in this text unit (v.10, 15, 17) and characterises the stance of each of the three groups who witness the destruction of the archetypal Babylon; kings, merchants and the maritime professionals. This spatial separation not only expresses the horror they feel at its sudden and unexpected destruction; it also refers to their attempt to distance themselves from a judgment they deserve to share. We note how no one comes to her rescue – where are the merchant ships of Tarshish?
“Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.” (Isa.51: 17-18)
PRECIOUS MERCHANDISE
“And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.” (Rev.18: 11-13)
Most commentators understand the list of merchandise, particularly the mention of slavery (v.13) as indicative of the Roman markets with their unparalleled access to world trade. Later, this vast accumulation of worldly wealth and temporal power became a characteristic of the Roman Catholic Church. The author would not dispute that there is a universal element of truth in this perception, the Romish Church is a false religion and has done what false religions always do, self- aggrandisement.
This assessment is however, an oversimplification and ignores important scriptural considerations:
1. The revelation of the man of sin is only fully manifested right at the end.
2. It only exists a short while.
3. It has Middle Eastern origins.
4. It is typified by Solomon’s kingdom.
Solomon was specifically condemned for three sins:
(a) Idolatry – image of the beast.
(b) Foreign marriages- fornication with the kings of the earth.
(c) Commerce- 666 talents of gold income per annum.
Commerce flourished in his kingdom and brought wealth; and voyages were successfully made to Ophir and traffic was conducted with India. For the protection and fostering of trade, he built store cities, among others Palmyra, in the desert midway between Damascus and the Euphrates. Many of the goods listed in Revelation bear correspondence with the materials stockpiled by David, for the building and ritual of the temple (2 Chron.2: 4, 7,8).
This was innocent enough, and Solomon spent 7 years building the temple, after which he devoted 13 years 1 to the building of his own palace (1 Kgs.7: 1-12). This was completed with a magnificent throne approached by six steps and flanked by two gold lions (cp, the lion mouth 13: 2, 5).
The splendour of his court, the magnificence of his table, and his pomp when on excursions corresponds to his wealth and political power (1 Kgs. 10: 4, 5, 21).
“And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt. And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.”
(2 Chron.9: 26-27)
Although Solomon’s reign commenced with the best of motives, absolute power corrupts absolutely. His reign became a parody of the kingdom, and the gift of divine wisdom was transformed into man’s wisdom.
Without a doubt, the picture in Revelation is based on Solomon’s corrupt kingdom. It serves as a salutary lesson in how easily divine principles can be corrupted. This is not, therefore a picture of the Roman Church, although she too will undoubtedly play her part, for all false religion will be flushed out by this phenomenon.
How do we understand the slaves (bodies) and souls of men in this light? Solomon raised a levy (tribute) of bondservants on the nations he conquered (1 Kgs.9: 21). No doubt their labour contributed towards the building of his palace (and the temple?) and was also used for domestic service. We are told that he did not raise a levy (tribute) from among the children of Israel.
Presumably, the 30,000 men required for cutting timber and mining stone in Lebanon were Gentile captives (1 Kgs.5: 13-18). This is not completely clear, but we know that the common people resented Solomon’s harshness.
“Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.” (1 Kgs.12: 4)
The prophet Samuel had given them advance warning of this:
“And he will take your daughters to be confectioneries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day. Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us.” (1 Sam.8: 13-19)
The outcome of the matter was the rebellion of Jereboam the son of Nebat, and the disintegration of Solomon’s Empire. The significance of this slavery to our time period is to be found in (Rev.13: 16, 17), where men are branded with the mark of ownership. They have a choice, either serve the beast and his image or die (starve?) for the consequences of refusal are economic ruin. Presumably at this stage the harlot-city is “the throne of the beast” and controls the levers of political power. It is not difficult to imagine how ten Arab nations with the city of Jerusalem playing a prominent role could impose economic hardship on the whole world through the only currency it truly values – oil.
THE DESIRE OF THE SOUL
“And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.” (Rev.18: 14)
Here the phrase translated the ripe fruit you desired can be rendered more literally the ripe fruit of the desire of your soul. The children of Israel were commanded the following:
“When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border, as he hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, I will eat flesh, because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.” (Deut.12: 20)
It was not sinful for them to eat (clean) flesh “only, be sure thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.” (v. 23) The harlot has, however, developed an appetite for blood, for she has no qualms in drinking the blood of the saints and the prophets. She also exercises her other lust, materialism: “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.” (Ps.10: 3) But even more than the desire for temporal power is the desire to be like God: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Gen.3: 6)
WOE, WOE, THE GREAT CITY
“The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!” (Rev.18: 15-16)
The RV has the rendering woe instead of alas. This is repeated in v.10, 16 and 19. These three woes have already been encountered in the last three trumpets (8: 13) also a judgment against Israel, and are now intensified in the judgment of the great city which happens in the vial section. We now have 2 x 3 Woes – render double unto her (v.6).
At this point the words of the merchants echo the description given by the angel in 17: 4 – except for this one particular detail:
Rev.17: 4 Rev.18: 16
“clothed in purple and scarlet, “clothed in fine linen and
and decked with gold and scarlet and decked with
precious stones and pearls.” precious stones and pearls.”
While in the minds of the merchant associates of the harlot she was worthy to be clothed in fine linen, not so with the angel, who omits these words. The reason for this can be readily explained by reference to 19: 8 where it states that the bride was attired in fine linen – for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. How unfitting it would have been to include this in 17: 4. And how remarkably consistent is the scriptural use of imagery!
THE LAMENT OF THE SHIPMASTERS
“For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.” (Rev.18: 17-19)
The shipmasters had every reason to lament for they were out of business. Consider the following:
2 Chronicles 9:20-22 And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon. For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
1 Kings 9:26-28 And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon. And they came to Ophir, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
1 Kings 10:22-23 For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshish with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks. So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.
With exemplary restraint John never shows us the fall of Babylon. Just as earlier he declined to describe God and allowed us to see him through the hymns of the worshipping host of heaven, so now he allows us to see the fall of Babylon only through the laments of the heavenly and earthly spectators. But this is no mere literary or dramatic device. There is a sense in which the spectators speak for the author as well for themselves. He has had to be told not to stare in wonder at the great whore (17: 6-7), for he too was able to appreciate the glamour and brilliance, however deeply aware he might be of their dangers. He was no ascetic, contemptuous of the beauties and amenities of the civilised world. The cry, “Was there ever a city like the great city?” is wrung from his own heart as he contemplates the obliteration of the grandeur of the city of Jerusalem. The proof of this is to be seen in the thoroughly material splendours of the holy city, into which “ the treasures and wealth of the nations” are to be brought (21: 6). There was nothing sinful about the commodities that made up the luxury trade, until the great whore used them to seduce mankind into utter materialism. Every object of worth that seafaring man had ever carried to grace the life of the city, whether in its natural state or enhanced by the craftsmanship of man, belonged to the order of God’s creation which must be redeemed by the overthrow of Babylon, and would find its proper place in the New Jerusalem. In the meantime it is with infinite pathos that John surveys the loss of so much wealth.
THE SONG OF WITNESS
“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” (Rev.18: 20)
This is very close to the LXX version of Deuteronomy 32: 43 – the song of witness against the nation of Israel, a prophetic song, as the previous chapter (Deut.31) makes clear:
“For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.”
(Deut.31: 20,21)
The rejoicing of the saints stands in sharp contrast to the mourning of the kings, merchants and seafarers. It is the heavenly voice that summons the saints to rejoice because God has avenged you on her. This verse is not easy to translate. Literally it reads: “God has judged your judgment from her.” This very difficult expression has given rise to many different interpretations. Some consider that it means, “God has judged her and vindicated you”; but it is not obvious how this can be gotten from the Greek. The RSV appears to take krima (judgment) as a cognate accusative and “your judgment” as the equivalent of “judgment in favour of you”: “God has given judgment for you against her.” The NEB takes krima as the equivalent of the Hebrew rib, which can either mean a lawsuit or the cause which a man submits to the arbitration of a judge: “in the judgment against her he has vindicated your cause.”
These renderings suffer the same two disabilities; they overload the final phrase, ex autes (from her), and they give to krima a meaning that it does not have anywhere else in Revelation, in the New Testament, or indeed even in the Septuagint. In the New Testament krima means one of three things (a) the right to act as a judge (Rev.20: 4); (b) the judicial act of passing sentence (John 9: 39; Rom. 20: 4; Acts 24: 25; 1 Pet.4: 17); and most frequently (c) the sentence passed by a judge. It is not hard to see that only the third sense will fit the present context. “Your judgment”, then, must mean either “the sentence passed by you” or “the sentence passed on you”; and the first of them is inappropriate here because God is the judge. The verse would then literally read; Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath sentenced or judged (instead of avenged) you on her.
Thus your judgment must be the sentence passed on the martyrs in law court of “Babylon.” John has previously been invited to watch the passing of sentence on the great whore (17: 1); now he hears that this consists in the reversal of the sentence she passed on you. The phrase ex autes is best explained by two Old Testament laws – the law of bloodshed and the law of malicious witness. The law of bloodshed declares: “I will require from a man the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds a man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed” (Gen. 9: 5-6). The law of malicious witness adds: “If a malicious witness comes forward to accuse a man of crime, then both parties to dispute shall appear before the Lord…and if the witness is found guilty of perjury and has accused his fellow falsely, you shall do to him as he meant to do to his fellow” (Deut.19: 16-19; cp.Rev.11: 13). John has produced a portmanteau version of these two laws. God has imposed on her the sentence she passed on you. Babylon has brought a malicious accusation against the martyrs, which has resulted in their death. But the case has been carried “before the Lord”, to the court of final appeal, where judgments are true and just. There Babylon has been found guilty of perjury, and God has therefore required from her the life of her victims, exacting from her the penalty she extracted from them.
With this forensic setting so clearly before us, we can now the better appreciate why John has throughout called the victims of persecution witnesses (martyrs). The Greek word martyrs had not yet come to be a technical term, meaning a martyr. It still meant “one who gives evidence in a court of law.” It had, of course, been used metaphorically of the missionaries of the ecclesia, who were witnesses to the truth and power of the gospel (Acts 1: 8). But John uses it more literally than this, with an eye to its legal origins. He knew from his own experiences that no Christian could be put to death for his faith without first being given the opportunity of testifying at his own trial before a Roman judge (cp. Lk.21: 13). But he wishes to assure prospective martyrs that the evidence given in earthly law courts leading to a death sentence, is also evidence given in the heavenly court, leading to the condemnation of Babylon. This explains the lack of gloating in the song of triumph, since the martyrs can be vindicated only by the reversal of Babylon’s sentence, so that Babylon’s malicious witness recoils on her own head.
BABYLON TO SINK LIKE A MILLSTONE
“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.” (Rev.18: 21)
The mighty angel is the third to be given this appellation (5: 2 ; 10: 1). Since the first was the angel of the great scroll, in which was written the redemptive purpose of God, and the second was the angel of the little scroll, which contained the witnesses part in that purpose, the third appearance of the mighty angel (Gabriel?) must mark the consummation of the contents of both scrolls. His symbolic act with the millstone and the words he speaks are reminiscent of both Jeremiah and Jesus. Jeremiah wrote his prophecies against Babylon in a scroll and was told to tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates, saying, “So shall Babylon sink, never to rise again” (Jer.51: 60-64). Jesus declared that the faithful man could have this mountain (Mt. Zion, with its temple and Judaism) removed and cast into the sea. Jesus also warned that it would be better for a man to be thrown into the sea with a millstone round his neck than to cause one of his disciples to stumble (Mtt.18: 6).
With the hurling of the millstone it is as though a voice called, “Stop!” over all the activities of the great city.
NO MORE AT ALL
“And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” (Rev.18: 22-23)
This whole section is a paraphrase of Jer.25: 10 and refers to the ancient city of Jerusalem:
“Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.” (Jer.25: 10)
The prophecy of Joshua ben Ananias (AD 62), which anticipated the destruction of Jerusalem, contains one line that reads “A voice against the bridegroom and the bride.” (Jos.J.W.6.301)
Jeremiah had warned his contemporaries that the normal activities of the city of Jerusalem would cease. Jesus had also warned their descendants that the day of the Son of man would overtake them, like lightening out of a clear sky, amid all the pursuits of the city – trade, building and marriage (Lk.17: 24-30). The old Jerusalem will pass away as though she had never existed, she will be replaced with, and transformed into the New Jerusalem.
“Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.” (Jer.33: 10-11)
The voice of gladness will be heard again, the voice of bride, the Lamb’s wife and voice of the bridegroom himself (21: 9).
“Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.” (Zech.8: 3-8)
BLOODGUILT
“And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Rev.18: 24)
There is yet another echo of the teaching of Jesus in the last words of the angel. Jesus had warned his contemporaries that, unless they disassociated themselves from the past by an act of national repentance, their generation would “be held accountable for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world.” (Lk.11: 50). The national history was a record of cumulative guilt. They were instructed to, “fill up the measure of their fathers”, and they did – by murdering the witnesses in Jerusalem (11: 8). In fact this last verse is almost the exact equivalent of Lk.13: 33, “It cannot be that a prophet shall perish out of Jerusalem.”
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NOTES
1 Summation from pages 94-97, 137, 140-144, 180.
NOTES
1 Peter Gay, The Enlightenment: An interpretation. Vol., 1 pg.226.
NOTES
1 See, Demons, Magic and Medicine by A. Perry.
NOTES
1 Compare the following: Hos.2: 7; 14: 2 – Lk.15: 18, Hos.13: 1, 13, 14 – Lk.15: 24, 32, Hos.9: 1-3 – Lk.15: 13-16
NOTES
1 The number 13 in scripture signifies rebellion.
