Revelation 18: Fallen, Fallen Is Babylon The Great

Woodland Hills Church of Christ

Fallen, Fallen is Babylon the Great

Revelation 18

Introduction: If there is any chapter to which we Americans should relate, it would be this one. The United States has repeatedly been compared to the Roman Empire, not only for its power, but for its dangerous slide into corruption.

This chapter shouts a warning to all such nations who give themselves to the fulfillment of earthly lusts. Psalm 2:10-12, “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth, Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Too often we think of a nation and rulers only in terms of their politics. But the Lord gives a clear message: respect for the King of kings is the key to success. Before all else, these governments and rulers serve at the mercy of Jesus who rules all. That is the ultimate message.

The chapter is divided into four sections:

• Vs. 1-3 Another angel’s mighty voice
• Vs. 4-8 Another voice from heaven
• Vs. 9-19 The lament over Babylon
• Vs. 20-24 A mighty angel casts Babylon into her tomb

1. The Angel with the Mighty Voice (1-3)
   1. 17:18 has already identified the harlot-Babylon as the Roman Empire. She is the symbol of lust and seduction, filled with every kind of wickedness.
   2. In 18:2 Her judgment is pronounced and the result of her wickedness is described. This comes from Isaiah 21:9, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the carved images of her gods he has shattered to the ground.”
   3. 1 Corinthians 10:19-20, Paul explains the seriousness of idolatry: “What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.” Demons are the originator and supporters of idolatry. All the lusts humans pursue and to which they sacrifice themselves are urged by what Paul calls the “elemental spirits.” To call Rome the dwelling place for demons and every unclean and detestable beast indicates empire was filled with everything that was demonic.
   4. It is critical that we see beyond a simplistic statement of sinful things and recognize the gods of wickedness that are present. The idols of America are obvious; they are not hidden. If demons in the first century were behind the promotion of sensual idolatry of lewd temple worship, those same demons are certainly what is behind sensuality portrayed in our television and media. Is the addiction to these 21st century temple gods any different than the offerings to the temple gods that were in every city of the Roman Empire?
   5. Therefore, Babylon’s fall strips away her luxurious facade and reveals the skeletons of her evil. Listen again to Paul’s words describing idolatry: “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” (Romans 1:24-25). From those words, can you tell any difference from then until now? Nothing has changed.
   6. Vs. 3: Notice the words at the end of the verse: luxurious living. “Luxurious” is not just wealth, but carries the idea of sensuality. After all, idolatry is the creation of gods that represent the desires of the human will. The nations readily joined Rome’s wickedness by using it to grow their wealth. As Hailey states, “Such connections and associations are seen all over the world today as men seek to gain wealth by immoral, avaricious, and unscrupulous means…Internal corruption of a nation is expressed in pornographic movies, magazines, and lewd entertainment, which prey on the depravity of human beings. Prostitution, gambling, and narcotics make up only a portion of the world of corrupt, anti-God, destructive forces, which thrive on lust.”
2. Another Voice from Heaven, (4-8)
   1. “Come out from her lest you share in her plagues…”
      1. John does not say this voice is from an angel, making us wonder, is this the voice of God? God has certainly given this warning before. If you share in her sins, you will also share in her plagues! Paul said, “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them” (Ephesians 5:5–7) Paul is talking to Christians! Be not deceived! We cannot enter the kingdom of Christ without coming out from the midst of the present age.
      2. Paul added to this in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers…Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?…Therefore, go out from their midst and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing…” Paul is not commanding to stay away from unbelievers, but to not be influenced by them and partner in their sins.
   2. “Her sins are heaped as high as heaven” Any doubt that these idolatrous sins in America has reached as high as heaven? God remembers these iniquities and does not forget them. Note God’s promised punishments:
      1. “Repay double for her deeds” – God will balance the scales, rendering justice.
      2. “As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her like measure of torment and mourning.” That has always been the problem with mankind. God gives wonderful gifts to bless us, and it is used to glorify ourselves instead of God.
      3. “I sit as queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.” What arrogance! All the great nations said them same: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, all said that they could not fall and boasted their superiority. Indeed, so has our country. Thus, note God’s words: “For this reason her plagues will come in a single day.” That is, it will be sudden, just like all judgments do. But notice what is coming: “death and mourning and famine.” It isn’t necessarily the attack of another country, it is just a nation so corrupted it rots from the inside out.
3. The Lament Over Babylon (9-19)
   1. Notice the effect that fall of Rome has on the rest of the world. All the nations had depended on her and gotten their wealth by participating in her sensuous idolatry, glorifying her instead of God. Thus, when Rome fell, all their source of food and luxury was taken away.
      I read a book years ago warning America and the world what happens when we live on debt and the economy finally crumples under its own weight. The author’s statement was, “When America sneezes, the world gets pneumonia.” Indeed, the world depends on our luxury. But will we depend on and glorify God?
   2. Verses 11-19 Notice all the people who are now affected! How quickly the tables have turned. All of those merchants and those who enjoyed the delicacies had no idea how quickly their economy could crumble. The same is true with us. We just go to the store, and it is there – anything we desire, ready made, it is there!
4. A Mighty Angel Casting Babylon into Her Tomb
   1. First, look at 21-23. Like a great millstone, Babylon is cast into the sea. It is thrown down “with violence.” No more joy and laughter in this great city. No more sounds of music. No more merchants from which to buy your luxuries.
   2. Verse 24: And when the autopsy is done, “there is found in her the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
   3. Look again at verse 24. You may have noticed something odd. Rome is blamed for all who have been slain on earth? No, in this case we see the importance of Rome being compared to Babylon. Babylon was called the mother of harlots. She is not the only harlot. She was the original and she has produced so many more. Babylon is the world city God promised to destroy in Isaiah 24. That world city still exists in all nations who follow her sensuous idolatry. Rome fell, but the world city has not yet been fully judged!
   4. Therefore, as we have pointed out previously, this great letter from Jesus to the churches includes us. The final judgment of Babylon the great is still to come, and we need to open our eyes, living soberly and righteously. Come out from her midst lest you share in her plagues!
   5. Verse 20: “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints…” That may seem hard and harsh. How could we rejoice over the fall of our country? We need to think differently. If our country or any country turns away from God, practicing its immorality, giving glory to itself as it feeds its lusts, and then even persecutes those who live for God and will not support their wicked culture, that’s when we will rejoice over its fall!

Conclusion: What should we do about this? Neither Paul or Peter or John told Christians to respond by moaning and mourning about the condition of the worldly culture around us. No, as Paul said while he was imprisoned in Rome:
“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:2–6). That is our answer to Babylon!

Berry Kercheville

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