Lament Over Fallen Babylon

18 After this I saw another angel(A) coming down from heaven.(B) He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.(C) With a mighty voice he shouted:

“‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’[a](D)
    She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,(E)
    a haunt for every unclean bird,
    a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.(F)
For all the nations have drunk
    the maddening wine of her adulteries.(G)
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,(H)
    and the merchants of the earth grew rich(I) from her excessive luxuries.”(J)

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her, my people,’[b](K)
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;(L)
for her sins are piled up to heaven,(M)
    and God has remembered(N) her crimes.
Give back to her as she has given;
    pay her back(O) double(P) for what she has done.
    Pour her a double portion from her own cup.(Q)
Give her as much torment and grief
    as the glory and luxury she gave herself.(R)
In her heart she boasts,
    ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;[c]
    I will never mourn.’(S)
Therefore in one day(T) her plagues will overtake her:
    death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,(U)
    for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

“When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her(V) and shared her luxury(W) see the smoke of her burning,(X) they will weep and mourn over her.(Y) 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off(Z) and cry:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AA)
    you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour(AB) your doom has come!’

11 “The merchants(AC) of the earth will weep and mourn(AD) over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore(AE) 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble;(AF) 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.(AG)

14 “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her(AH) will stand far off,(AI) terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn(AJ) 16 and cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AK)
    dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
    and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!(AL)
17 In one hour(AM) such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’(AN)

“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea,(AO) will stand far off.(AP) 18 When they see the smoke of her burning,(AQ) they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city(AR)?’(AS) 19 They will throw dust on their heads,(AT) and with weeping and mourning(AU) cry out:

“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,(AV)
    where all who had ships on the sea
    became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’(AW)

20 “Rejoice over her, you heavens!(AX)
    Rejoice, you people of God!
    Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
    with the judgment she imposed on you.”(AY)

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

21 Then a mighty angel(AZ) picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea,(BA) and said:

“With such violence
    the great city(BB) of Babylon will be thrown down,
    never to be found again.
22 The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
    will never be heard in you again.(BC)
No worker of any trade
    will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
    will never be heard in you again.(BD)
23 The light of a lamp
    will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
    will never be heard in you again.(BE)
Your merchants were the world’s important people.(BF)
    By your magic spell(BG) all the nations were led astray.
24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,(BH)
    of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”(BI)

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude(BJ) in heaven shouting:

“Hallelujah!(BK)
Salvation(BL) and glory and power(BM) belong to our God,
    for true and just are his judgments.(BN)
He has condemned the great prostitute(BO)
    who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”(BP)

And again they shouted:

“Hallelujah!(BQ)
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”(BR)

The twenty-four elders(BS) and the four living creatures(BT) fell down(BU) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”(BV)

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
    all you his servants,(BW)
you who fear him,
    both great and small!”(BX)

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,(BY) like the roar of rushing waters(BZ) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!(CA)
    For our Lord God Almighty(CB) reigns.(CC)
Let us rejoice and be glad
    and give him glory!(CD)
For the wedding of the Lamb(CE) has come,
    and his bride(CF) has made herself ready.
Fine linen,(CG) bright and clean,
    was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts(CH) of God’s holy people.)

Then the angel said to me,(CI) “Write this:(CJ) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”(CK) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”(CL)

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him.(CM) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!(CN) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”(CO)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

11 I saw heaven standing open(CP) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider(CQ) is called Faithful and True.(CR) With justice he judges and wages war.(CS) 12 His eyes are like blazing fire,(CT) and on his head are many crowns.(CU) He has a name written on him(CV) that no one knows but he himself.(CW) 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,(CX) and his name is the Word of God.(CY) 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,(CZ) white(DA) and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword(DB) with which to strike down(DC) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[d](DD) He treads the winepress(DE) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:(DF)

king of kings and lord of lords.(DG)

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds(DH) flying in midair,(DI) “Come,(DJ) gather together for the great supper of God,(DK) 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,(DL) free and slave,(DM) great and small.”(DN)

19 Then I saw the beast(DO) and the kings of the earth(DP) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse(DQ) and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet(DR) who had performed the signs(DS) on its behalf.(DT) With these signs he had deluded(DU) those who had received the mark of the beast(DV) and worshiped its image.(DW) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake(DX) of burning sulfur.(DY) 21 The rest were killed with the sword(DZ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,(EA) and all the birds(EB) gorged themselves on their flesh.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 18:2 Isaiah 21:9
  2. Revelation 18:4 Jer. 51:45
  3. Revelation 18:7 See Isaiah 47:7,8.
  4. Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9

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