Last week, in Revelation 17, we read in depth about two main characters: the Beast, and Babylon. We've seen repeatedly that the Beast is a symbol for evil human empires. Satan takes ordinary nations, and makes them extraordinary by giving them his power, and authority, and throne. But as part of this process, those nations become extraordinarily evil. They are committed to deceiving people into giving their allegiance to the wrong flag. And they are committed to persecuting Christians. In the first century, the Beast took the form of the Roman empire, especially under the reigns of Nero, and Domitian. Domitian, in particular, called himself "Lord" and "God," and he expected to be worshipped and served as such. But anywhere that we see nations lifting themselves up as exceptional, and expecting every other kingdom to toe their line, and do what they want, you are seeing the Beast. Anywhere you see Christians harmed, you're seeing the Beast.
So that's the Beast.
The second main character we read about last week was Babylon. Babylon, as the rider of the Beast, represents something like the cities that stand at the center of the empire (not completely happy with this, fwiw. There is a nuance here I need to add.). These cities are known for their remarkable wealth, and power, and pleasure. They are also known for their violence, against all who oppose them. In the OT, the greatest example of this was Babylon. Babylon was wealthy, and powerful. She was also idolatrous, and violent, and immoral. The original Babylon has long since been destroyed by God. But new Babylons emerge. In the first century, Rome was (a type of) Babylon. So Rome was called Babylon, the Great City, the Great Prostitute.
Now, if you were a first century Christian, living under the Beast, and under the Great Prostitute, the question you find yourself asking, is this: "Is the Great Prostitute good-looking, or not?" Her goal is to seduce you by her offer of wealth, and power, and luxury, and security. When you find these things available to you, do you find yourself drawn to her, away from the Lamb? Or are you able to stop, and focus on the right things-- on her persecution of the church, on her idolatries, on her violence, on her many detestable things?
And most importantly, do you see her end? She, along with the Beast, are on their way to destruction. God comes in judgment on every evil superpower, that aligns itself with satan, and gives itself to attacking the Lamb, and the church.
As we've continued our study in Revelation, thinking about these things, I'm becoming more and more confident that we find ourselves in a parallel situation today. The Beast, today, takes the form of the U.S. There's other countries involved with that, who have aligned themselves with the U.S. The Beast is bigger than just us. Talk to any Canadian Christian, for one thing, and they'll be happy to talk about the dark, demonic turn their nation has taken. But when I look at our rampant idolatry, and violence, and immorality, and then I look to see how we've spread our values across the world, we look like the Great Prostitute, who has birthed prostitutes across the globe. When I was driving through Minnesota this past week, and saw a billboard celebrating how the state is at the forefront of providing abortion access for the region... it's the Beast.
So last week, in Revelation 17, we found ourselves confronted with one main question: Is the Great Prostitute good looking, or not? At first glance, we probably see her decked out with all kinds of earthly wealth-- gold, precious stones, and pearls, dressed in purple and scarlet. In her hand, she had a golden cup.
If that's all you let yourself see, she looks good. She's attractive. You'll be tempted to chase her. You'll find yourself on her doorstep, compromising yourself, turning away from the Lamb. But if you stop and look inside her cup, you'll realize she's offering you detestable things. And, on top of that, if you let yourself see her commitment to harming the church, you'll stay away. What the Prostitute offers, in places like Babylon, and Rome, and Hollywood, and Vegas, and Washington D.C., maybe looks tempting. But the offer is deceptive, because nothing of lasting value is involved. And in the end, Jesus is coming in judgment on the Prostitute.
So we may be tempted, when we look at superpowers, and at their great centers of culture, and beauty, and wealth, to turn from the Lamb to the Prostitute. It's hard not to walk the streets of Vegas, or Hollywood, or New York City, without getting sucked in. But don't marvel; remember her end.
So that was last week, chapter 17.
This week, in Revelation 18, we find ourselves focusing exclusively on Babylon. Last week, we were told she was going to destruction. This week, that destruction has happened. It's past tense. She has fallen. She has been ruined. The focus isn't really on how that happens. The focus is on how you view her fall. When Babylon falls, do you celebrate it? Or do you mourn over it?
Let's read Revelation 18:1-3 (verse 4 has its own separate little intro-- trying to take this in the chunks Revelation splits itself into):
(1) After these things I saw another angel,
descending from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth was lit up by his glory,
(2) and he cried out in a strong voice, saying,
"It fell! It fell! Babylon the Great!,
and it became a dwelling place of demons,
and a haunt of every unclean spirit,
and a haunt of every unclean bird,
and a haunt of every unclean and hated beast,
(3) because from the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality all the nations have fallen,
and the kings of the earth, with her, they have committed sexual immorality ["with her" is
focused],
and the merchants of the earth from the power of her sensuality/luxury have become rich,"
In verse 1, John sees another angel, and this angel has true glory-- the glory you get from God. This glory far surpasses the glory of the Prostitute. This angel dazzles the world with light.
And this angel announces-- celebrates, really-- that Babylon the Great has fallen. The only thing that can still be found in her, is detestable, hated things. It'd be like walking the strip at Las Vegas, and it's no longer filled with people. Instead, it's filled with snakes, and bats, and demons.
In verse 3, this angel says that there are two reasons God's judgment has fallen on Babylon. The first, is because she turned the entire world away from God. Her cup, filled with all kinds of detestable things, causes people to fall away, and that's not something God tolerates forever. People will always do dark, wicked things. But the source of that evil, gets judged hard by God.
The second reason God's judgment has fallen on Babylon is in the last sentence of verse 3. "and the merchants of the earth from the power of her sensuality/luxury have become rich,"
In every Babylon, the most wealthy people are its merchants. When it comes to luxuries, Babylon has a voracious appetite. Wealth flows in toward its center. And that flow never slows down, never stops. The people who produce those luxuries, and get it to Babylon, become wealthy themselves.
Now, let me just stop, and talk about wealth for a second. Sometimes, people are wealthy because God makes them wealthy. Sometimes, people are wealthy because they use their talents and abilities, and hone them, and work hard to become wealthy. But other times, the reason people are wealthy, is because they are providing for the Great Prostitute. Their wealth isn't a sign of God's favor. It's not evidence that they worked hard, and diligently. It's evidence that Babylon seduced them, and that they are chasing the Great Prostitute.
So verses 1-3 give two reasons why God came in judgment on the Prostitute. (1) She caused people to turn from the Lamb, to her. And (2), she made merchants rich.
If you don't find yourself squirming yet, reading #2, you probably will.
With this, we come to verse 4. Here, we find a new voice. There's a female voice in heaven, who calls to God's people. I feel like we need to remind ourselves that this voice was addressed, originally, to first century Christians. What John sees has a clear, straightforward application for his readers. But we find that same voice, still speaks to us today.
Now, this voice isn't given an identity. She's just introduced, without fanfare or explanation. But this voice, I'm confident, is the heavenly church. She's the bride of Christ, up in heaven, made up of the holy ones who have gone before us. Verse 4:
(4) and I heard another voice from heaving, saying (feminine singular-- fascinating-- the church?),
"Come out, my people, from her [Jeremiah 51:6, 45, 50],
so that you don't partner/co-fellowship in her sins,
and [come out] from her plagues,
in order that you don't receive,
(5) because her sins have been glued/welded together up to heaven,
and God has remembered her unrighteous deeds.
Let's pause here for a minute. What we see in these verses, is a clear, straightforward command.
The woman sees that her people, some of them, have compromised. They've marveled at Rome, and the Roman empire, and see the wrong thing. They've been seduced by the prostitute. The woman in heaven sees all of this clearly. She sees the bigger picture. And so she invites people to come out from the Prostitute.
What exactly does this mean?
Up to this point, Babylon has stood as a symbolic way of describing Rome. The woman, Rome, rides the Beast, the Roman empire.
But what we see here, I think (arguably), is that Babylon is more complicated than this. Babylon is bigger than this. Babylon is based in Rome, but she reaches into every corner of the empire. She's everywhere (Proverbs 7:12-- "at every corner"), offering people wealth, and pleasure, and security.
So if you're a Christian in Laodicea, what does it mean to come out of Babylon?
It's not about physically leaving Rome, or even physically leaving the Roman empire and moving to India. The call to come out of Babylon, is something like the call to be "in" the world, but not "of" the world. It's a call to reject the values of the world, and satan. So don't partner in Babylon's sins. Don't embrace her, or her lifestyle. Follow the Lamb, instead.
In verse 6, the female voice from heaven calls us to do something else:
(6) Give out (2nd person plural) to her, just as she herself also gave out,
and pay back double in accordance with her works, [Isaiah 40:2].
In the cup which she mixed, mix for her double.
As greatly as she glorified herself and lived in luxury/sensually (verbal form of vs. 3 word),
to the same degree give to her torment/torture and suffering/mourning [Revelation 11:10],
because in her heart She says,
"I am seated [as] Queen,
and a widow, I am not,
and suffering/mourning, I will absolutely never see.
(8) For this reason, in one day her plagues will come-- death and suffering/mourning and famine--,
and with fire she will be burned up,
because strong, the Lord God [is]-- The One Judging her, ["strong" is focused],
The female in heaven here calls us (there's no indication that the audience has changed. She addressed the earthly church in verses 4-5; she's still addressing the church here), to torture Babylon. We are to torment her, to the same degree that she lived in luxury and self-indulgence. [which also shows "coming out of Babylon" can't mean physically leaving. You have to be close to someone physically, to torture them].
Now, this idea of torturing the world was found earlier in chapter 11. It's been a while, so let's turn back there and read the first 10 verses. I argued, and scholars are pretty widely agreed on this, that the two witnesses are the church (NRSV updated no reason):
11 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Come and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing sackcloth.”
4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in this manner. 6 They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.
7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will wage war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is prophetically[a] called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days members of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and exchange presents, because these two prophets TORMENTED the inhabitants of the earth.
Revelation 11 calls us to embrace the lifestyle of Jeremiah, and Elijah, and Moses-- to openly, publicly challenge the Beast, and the Prostitute. To point out their sins. To speak the truth about sin and wrath and judgment. And this testimony is confirmed by signs and wonders. Like Elijah, we can shut and open the heavens. Like Moses, we can strike the earth with plagues. But the signs and wonders are not the end-all, be-all. The focus, is on our testimony.
With these verses in mind, let's reread 18:6-7:
(6) Give out (2nd person plural) to her, just as she herself also gave out [Jeremiah 25:15-38],
and pay back double in accordance with her works, [Isaiah 40:2].
In the cup which she mixed, mix for her double.
As greatly as she glorified herself and lived in luxury/sensually (verbal form of vs. 3 word),
to the same degree give to her torment/torture and suffering/mourning [Revelation 11:10],
because in her heart She says,
"I am seated [as] Queen,
and a widow, I am not,
and suffering/mourning, I will absolutely never see.
How does our testimony, repay Babylon for her sins? How can our speech, be God's cup of fury?
What we are seeing here, I think, is a reworking of Jeremiah 25:15-38 [h/t Craig Koester, who pointed me in this direction, while disagreeing with it, but I'm here (apparently) following Barbara Rossing, The Choice Between Two Cities]. Let's just read parts of it (NRSV updated no reason):
15 For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. 16 They shall drink and stagger and go out of their minds because of the sword that I am sending among them.
17 So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it:
27 Then you shall say to them, Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink; get drunk and vomit; fall and rise no more because of the sword that I am sending among you.
28 And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them: Thus says the LORD of hosts: You must drink! 29 See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that is called by my name, and how can you possibly avoid punishment? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, says the LORD of hosts.
30 You, therefore, shall prophesy to them all these words and say to them:
The LORD will roar from on high
and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold
and shout like those who tread grapes
against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
for the LORD has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
and the guilty he will put to the sword,
says the LORD.
32 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
See, disaster is spreading
from nation to nation,
and a great tempest is stirring
from the farthest parts of the earth!
33 Those slain by the LORD on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented or gathered or buried; they shall become dung on the surface of the ground.
Jeremiah's words are God's cup of wrath. They are a warning of what's to come. And God combines those words, with acts of judgment, to kill people from one end of the earth to the other.
That's basically the idea of Revelation 18. We have a role, right now, in God's judgment of the world. We testify about sin, and wrath, and judgment, and Jesus. We warn people, and they either heed that warning, or reject it. And God takes those words, and makes them part of his judgment of Babylon.
Let's keep reading, from Revelation 18 verse 9 to 19. As I read, focus on two things: how complete God's judgment is, and how fast it is:
(9) and they will weep and mourn over her-- the kings of the earth-- the ones with her committing sexual immorality and living in luxury/sensually [Ezekiel 26:15-17; 27:35; h/t Koester]--
when they see the smoke of her burning;
(10) from far off standing, because of fear of her torment/torture, saying [Jeremiah 18:16],
"Ah!, Ah!, the Great City! Babylon, the Powerful City!,
because in one hour your judgment has come,"
(11) and the merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her [Ezekiel 27:36]
because their cargo, no one buys any longer-- cargo of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls [Revelation 17:4] and fine linen and purple cloth and silk and scarlet cloth and all kinds of scented wood and and all kinds of ivory goods and all kinds of goods from precious wood and brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and amomum (a spice) and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine and olive oil and very fine flour and wheat and domestic livestock and sheep and horses and carriages and slaves (literally: bodies) and human lives (literally "souls"-- "souls" in Revelation means "living things")--
(14) and the harvest fruit/season of the desire of your soul/life has left from you,
and all the luxuries and splendor have perished from you,
and from now on, they will absolutely never be found.
The merchants of these things-- the ones becoming rich from them-- from far off will stand because of fear of her torture/torment,
weeping, and mourning, saying,
"Ah!, Ah!, the Great City! The one dressed in fine linen and purple cloth and scarlet cloth, and wearing
gold and precious stones and pearls,
because in one hour such great wealth was ruined ("wildernessed"),"
and every ship's helmsman and every seafarer and sailors and as many people as work on the sea, from far off stood,
(18) and they were crying out,
seeing the smoke of her burning, saying,
"Who is like the great city?,"
(19) and they threw dust upon their heads,
and they were crying out,
weeping and mourning, saying,
"Ah!, Ah!, the great city!,
by/in which all the ones having ships on the sea were made rich from her prosperity,
because in one hour she was ruined ("wildernessed").
There are two groups here, who mourn the destruction of Babylon. The first, is the kings of the earth, who have entered into relationships with Babylon, and committed themselves to her (vs. 9-10). The second, is all of the merchants who fed Babylon (vs. 11-19).
Both of these groups are so closely tied to Babylon, that they lose everything. They lose their own wealth, and luxuries. And what they've lost, can't be regained. It's like the difference, for a farmer, between losing a crop, and losing your land. A lost crop is painful, and frustrating, and something you forever remember and grieve. But losing your land to the bank, is far worse. When you lose your source of income, there's no way to make that up. There's no way to recover.
So that's what we see here. The merchants have lost everything, and they are stuck with ships, and cargo, that are suddenly worthless.
The other thing we see here, is that Babylon falls in a single hour. I think is symbolic, and not literal. I don't know that God has a stop watch. But the idea is that Babylon falls so quickly, that there's no way to get your wealth out of the system in time. In the world of Wall Street, they say that whoever panics first, panics best. When a stock collapses because a business falls apart, or it's revealed as fraud, or something catastrophic happens to it, there's a rush for the exit. A few people can make it out almost whole. But lots of people get caught, and lose everything. When things collapse, you want to be the first out of the door.
That's what we see here. And so, maybe, we can add to what John means, when he encourages Christians to leave Babylon. Coming out from Babylon doesn't just mean separately yourself mentally, or spiritually, from Babylon. It means separating yourself financially, at least to some degree, as well. If you find yourself living under Babylon, don't keep everything in the system. Don't keep every last dollar in the bank, or in stocks, or tied up in long-term investments. If God's judgment is coming, and Babylon is going to collapse, you want to be a bit of a prepper. In that situation, it's not so much about stacking wealth, as it is about stacking food, and basic necessities. Maybe, you own a generator that you just have, but never use. For those who live in big cities, it's maybe also about having some kind of more rural connections, where you can flee if need be.
Most of us can never fully leave the system. But this chapter is reminder, that we need to accept that every investment we've made, every dollar, can be quickly lost when God's judgment comes. Hold lightly to it, because every Babylon gets judged, eventually.
With this, we come to verses 20-23. Up to this point, the kings and merchants of the world have mourned over the fall of Babylon. But here, we are called to have a different reaction:
(20) Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and the holy ones and the apostles/sent ones and the prophets,
because God has passed judgment for you on her,
(21) and one strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone,
and he threw it toward the sea, saying,
"In this way, with violence, it will be thrown down-- Babylon, the great city,
and it will absolutely never be found again,"
(22) and the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpets will absolutely never be heard in you again,
and every craftsman of every skill/trade will absolutely never be found in you again,
and the sound of a mill will absolutely never be heard in you again,
(23) and the light of a lamp will absolutely never shine in you again,
and the sound of a bridegroom and bride will absolutely never be heard in you again,
because your merchants were the magnates/highly esteemed of the earth,
because by your sorcery, all the nations were deceived,
and in her, the blood of the prophets and the holy ones was found-- and all the ones who were
slaughtered upon the earth."
So we read about lots of people grieving when Babylon falls. They're pained, by the loss of wealth, and opportunity. But the expectation we see in verse 20, is that God's people respond differently. When Babylon falls, God's people rejoice because we know we are seeing our vindication. God is fighting for us, against our oppressors. And our cries for justice have been heard, and answered (Revelation 6:9-11).
Before I try to wrap this up, I want to call attention to is the last part of verse 23. What makes God angry, isn't just the death of his people. Babylon, riding the Beast, is violent toward everyone who opposes her. She slaughters people across the earth. She drone strikes innocent people filling water jugs in Afghanistan. She topples democratically elected leaders, who don't toe the line. She financially sanctions nations who oppose her, in the hope that children starve to death. She murders people, from one end of the earth to the other.
Violent empires don't last. God always brings them down. Sometimes, He makes them tear themselves apart (Revelation 17:16). Sometimes, He raises up another nation to topple them. But one way or another, every manifestation of Babylon, and the Beast, goes to destruction.
So if you find yourself living under an evil empire that has a history of false flag operations, and toppling nations, and killing innocent people across the world, what you should you do? I will keep this short, with one exception, and bullet point it. But take this list home, and think about it.
(1) Consider the possibility that satan has turned the U.S. into the Beast, and several of its key cities into Babylon.
(2) Consider the possibility that your wealth is due, in part, to your connection to Babylon. Why do Christians in the U.S. have more wealth and luxury than Christians in Niger? My guess is that the answer has more to do with proximity to the Beast, than it does to God's blessing.
(3) Understand, that if we are the Beast, that God's judgment is coming sooner or later. God doesn't tolerate evil, violent, arrogant, idolatrous superpowers forever. Satan is only allowed to do his thing through any nation for so long.
(4) "Come out of Babylon" mentally, and spiritually. Give your allegiance to the Lamb. Follow him. Don't get seduced by the Prostitute.
(5) "Come out of Babylon" financially, at least to some degree. If God comes in judgment on Babylon, anything you have in the system will be lost. All of us will lose something if that happens. But we don't need to lose everything.
(6) Consider how important it is for you, to have the best in life. There is nothing wrong with occasionally indulging in luxuries. It's okay to go to a really restaurant to celebrate an anniversary, or birthday, or some really special event. It's okay to fancy spices in the cupboard. To enjoy the food and drink that your paycheck brings you. God put lobsters and crabs in the ocean, knowing that some of you would really enjoy that as a really special treat. And lobsters and crabs are part of what God gave you dominion over, to eat, and enjoy, thanking God for his provision. The coffee I buy is a total luxury. It's harvested from hand-picked beans grown at a particular elevation in South America. A merchant then ships it to monks, living in Wyoming, who carefully roast it. And merchants then somehow magically get it to my door, all for about $15/lb. Coffee is my splurge, and my conscience is clear.
There's very few individual choices we make with our credit card, that put us in danger of God's wrath. Luxuries, here and there, I think are okay.
But where I think it starts to get God's attention, is when we increasingly find that we "need" these luxuries in most areas of our life, most of the time. Do we desire the best in building materials for our houses? Do we need marble, and custom oak cabinets? Do we need the very best in clothing? Do we always need steak, and lobster?
When you develop a taste for luxury, it's hard to go back. And it's hard to not keep adding to it. When you've had great coffee, it's hard to drink Folger's. When you've ridden in a nice car, it's hard to keep driving your beater. Luxuries here and there are okay. But if I find that it becomes something I need, and a way of life, I should be scared. It's completely okay for me to make use of the world. But I'm not supposed to make full use of it (1 Corinthians 7:31).
(7) Torture the world, by openly testifying to everyone about sin, and wrath, and judgment, and Jesus.
(8) Rejoice, and don't mourn, when Babylon falls.
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Bonus quote from Craig R. Koester, who nicely captures the rhetorical point of the chapter, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014), 713:
"Revelation’s portrayal of God’s judgment on the great city is a sharp indictment of the imperial society in which the readers lived. As already noted, not all of John’s readers would have shared his critical stance toward Rome (§35 COMMENT). Christians at Smyrna may have been impoverished and vulnerable (2:9–10), but those at Laodicea prospered in the Roman economy and seemed quite content with the current order of things (3:17). Therefore, the author tries to shape their perspectives so that they might see how Rome used the benefits of trade to make people accept a social and religious system that was at odds with the reign of God and the Lamb."
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Translation:
(1) After these things I saw another angel,
descending from heaven,
having great authority,
and the earth was lit up by his glory,
(2) and he cried out in a strong voice, saying,
"It fell! It fell! Babylon the Great!,
and it became a dwelling place of demons,
and a haunt of every unclean spirit,
and a haunt of every unclean bird,
and a haunt of every unclean and hated beast,
(3) because from the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality all the nations have fallen,
and the kings of the earth, with her, they have committed sexual immorality ["with her" is
focused],
and the merchants of the earth from the power of her sensuality/luxury have become rich,"
(4) and I heard another voice from heaving, saying (feminine singular-- fascinating-- the church?),
"Come out, my people, from her,
so that you don't partner/co-fellowship in her sins,
and [come out] from her plagues,
in order that you don't receive,
(5) because her sins have been glued/welded together up to heaven,
and God has remembered her unrighteous deeds.
(6) Give out (2nd person plural) to her, just as she herself also gave out,
and pay back double in accordance with her works, [Isaiah 40:2].
In the cup which she mixed, mix for her double.
As greatly as she glorified herself and lived in luxury/sensually (verbal form of vs. 3 word),
to the same degree give to her torment/torture and suffering/mourning [Revelation 11:10],
because in her heart She says,
"I am seated [as] Queen,
and a widow, I am not,
and suffering/mourning, I will absolutely never see.
(8) For this reason, in one day her plagues will come-- death and suffering/mourning and famine--,
and with fire she will be burned up,
because strong, the Lord God [is]-- The One Judging her, ["strong" is focused],
(9) and they will weep and mourn over her-- the kings of the earth-- the ones with her committing sexual immorality and living in luxury/sensually--
when they see the smoke of her burning;
(10) from far off standing, because of fear of her torment/torture, saying,
"Ah!, Ah!, the Great City! Babylon, the Powerful City!,
because in one hour your judgment has come,"
(11) and the merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her
because their cargo, no one buys any longer-- cargo of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls [Revelation 17:4] and fine linen and purple cloth and silk and scarlet cloth and all kinds of scented wood and and all kinds of ivory goods and all kinds of goods from precious wood and brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and amomum (a spice) and incense and ointment and frankincense and wine and olive oil and very fine flour and wheat and domestic livestock and sheep and horses and carriages and slaves (literally: bodies) and human lives (literally "souls"-- "souls" in Revelation means "living things")--
(14) and the harvest fruit/season of the desire of your soul/life has left from you,
and all the luxuries and splendor have perished from you,
and from now on, they will absolutely never be found.
The merchants of these things-- the ones becoming rich from them-- from far off will stand because of fear of her torture/torment,
weeping, and mourning, saying,
"Ah!, Ah!, the Great City! The one dressed in fine linen and purple cloth and scarlet cloth, and wearing
gold and precious stones and pearls,
because in one hour such great wealth was ruined ("wildernessed"),"
and every ship's helmsman and every seafarer and sailors and as many people as work on the sea, from far off stood,
(18) and they were crying out,
seeing the smoke of her burning, saying,
"Who is like the great city?,"
(19) and they threw dust upon their heads,
and they were crying out,
weeping and mourning, saying,
"Ah!, Ah!, the great city!,
by/in which all the ones having ships on the sea were made rich from her prosperity,
because in one hour she was ruined ("wildernessed").
(20) Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and the holy ones and the apostles/sent ones and the prophets,
because God has passed judgment for you on her,
(21) and one strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone,
and he threw it toward the sea, saying,
"In this way, with violence, it will be thrown down-- Babylon, the great city,
and it will absolutely never be found again,"
(22) and the sound of harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpets will absolutely never be heard in you again,
and every craftsman of every skill/trade will absolutely never be found in you again,
and the sound of a mill will absolutely never be heard in you again,
(23) and the light of a lamp will absolutely never shine in you again,
and the sound of a bridegroom and bride will absolutely never be heard in you again,
because your merchants were the magnates/highly esteemed of the earth,
because by your sorcery, all the nations were deceived,
and in her, the blood of the prophets and the holy ones was found-- and all the ones who were
slaughtered upon the earth."
