The Destruction of Babylon the Great
• "1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from Heaven, having great power; and the Earth was lightened with his glory." The previous chapter ended with a short statement that the Antichrist and his governmental system of Ten Horns "shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire" (Rev 17:16). The angel, which began the discourse of Chapter 17, promised to "shew unto [the Apostle John] the judgment of the Great Whore that sitteth upon many waters" (Rev 17:1); but, to do so, he had first to give John a better understanding in that chapter of the identity of the Whore, the Beast, and the Ten Horns, i.e., "I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the Beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns" (Rev 17:7). The distinction between Chapter 17 and 18 is that the last chapter revealed to us that the Almighty will use the agency of the Antichrist to accomplish His Judgment of the religious system of Babylon the Great, i.e., "16 And the Ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His Will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the Beast, until the Words of God shall be fulfilled" (Rev 17:16-17), while Chapter 18 makes no mention of the agency of the Antichrist, but presents the Judgment of Babylon the Great as coming solely from Jehovah. The focus in Chapter 18 is on the Judgment that the LORD God gives upon "that great city Babylon, that mighty city" (Rev 18:10) of Rome, the capital city of Babylon the Great, i.e., the City of Seven Hills (17:9). Babylon's Judgment will yield the collateral damage of cutting off the lucrative commerce that we learn that Babylon feeds upon and controls, i.e., the "merchants of the Earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Rev 18:3). After all, Babylon the Great seeks her ease, aggrandizement, and glory now; and, not in the world to come. To "eat, drink, and be merry" (Luke 12:19) appeals to Babylon's "lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1John 2:16), which Jesus turned down when Satan tempted Him. "And [Satan] saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4:9).
"Another angel" (Rev 18:1) refers to another (Greek, allos, another of the same kind) angel than the angel, which instructed John in the previous chapter. These blessed angelic beings are superior both in power, i.e., "having great power" (Rev 18:1), and understanding to man, for man was created a "little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:5). But, mankind, who has experienced the Grace of Salvation and the vicissitudes of Sanctifying Faith, has come to the side of the Almighty in a way altogether unknown to these "ministering spirits" (Hebrews 1:14). For this reason, the angels in Heaven have the greatest awe of the Gospel program, because the Gospel speaks of the interest of the exalted Saviour in the eternal welfare of the lowliest of sinners. "Unto whom [the prophets] it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven; which things the angels desire to look into" (1Peter 1:12). The same kind of angel, by whom the "Earth was lightened with his glory" (Rev 18:1), condescends to "minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).
• "2 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." The very name Babylon brings to mind the mad attempt of building the Tower of Babel, "whose top may reach unto heaven... [to] make [for the builders] a name" (Genesis 11:4)-- glorifying the builders and not God. Or, we could very well imagine Nebuchadnezzar's "image of gold" (Daniel 3:1), towering 90 feet above the "plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon" (Rev 3:1)-- commanded to be worshipped by the Babylonian king, for Daniel's dream declared Nebuchadnezzar to be the "head of gold" (Rev 2:38).
Again, the word Babylon represented the wicked and futile attempt to exalt man and not God. "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? " (Isaiah 2:22). But possibly, the most enduring representation of the concept of Babylon, is the Pontifex Maximus seated on the Papal Throne of the Roman city of Seven Hills, i.e., "seven mountains, on which the woman [Babylon the Great] sitteth" (Revelation 17:9). When that mighty and glorious angel cries out, "Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen" (Rev 18:2), then all those who love the LORD will surely rejoice. "1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in Heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power, unto the LORD our God: 2 for True and Righteous are His Judgments: for He hath judged the Great Whore, which did corrupt the Earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever" (Revelation 19:1-3)
What did the LORD mean that Babylon the Great "is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" (Rev 18:2)? This indicates that mighty Babylon has been divinely, officially, and finally abandoned to its Judgment, cutting off the invitation of Salvation to all those taking refuge within her treacherous walls. "Come out of her, My people," cries Jehovah in the fourth verse of this chapter, eliminating the possibility that the faintest glimmer of Elect Life will any longer remain in the Doomed City, i.e., "the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel" (Exodus 11:7). Only that which remains in the Seven Hilled City are "devils... every foul spirit... [and] every unclean and hateful bird" (Rev 18:2).
And, with all respect to "every unclean and hateful bird" (Rev 18:2), they most likely represent the ceremonially unclean birds of the Old Testament, e.g., vultures, ravens, etc. (Leviticus 11:13-20), that will be present to feast on the carnage of the decimated City of Rome. Since the wicked human occupants of Babylon the Great's epicenter will be completely decimated-- though the False Prophet will not be allowed to expire on his Papal Throne, that he may be personally captured alive by Jehovah Jesus and cast with the Antichrist into the Lake of Fire (Rev 19:20)-- only "devils... [and] every foul spirit" (Rev 18:2) are left in their "habitation... hold... [and] cage" (Rev 18:3). "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the LORD" (Romans 12:19).
• "3 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." It is instructive that "all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the Earth have committed fornication with" (Rev 18:3) Babylon the Great. What entity today has such a global reach, that has spanned so much of the Christian era, and has been so responsible for counterfeiting the Christian religion in its presentation to the world of the "faith in Christ" (Acts 24:24) than the Roman Catholic Church? The evil of Babylon's spiritual intoxication is proliferated through her comprehensive reach of humankind.
"15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! 16 Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory" (Habakkuk 2:15-16). Is it any wonder that the "merchants of the Earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies" (Rev 18:3), since both have immensely benefited by their intimate cohabitation and correlation? For example, Pope Nicolas V (1447-1455) authorized the King of Portugal to war on the African people, take their property and enslave them; and, Pope Innocent VIII (1484-1492) ordered civil rulers to deliver up all heretics to the Church, and thereby forfeit their property and wealth (from "Halley's Bible Handbook: An Abbreviated Bible Commentary" [1965], p. 779).
• "4 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." Again, before the "Judge of All the Earth" (Genesis 18:25) brings His wrath upon Babylon the Great, He miraculously and audibly calls out "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). Since the conversion of Saul of Tarsus on the Road to Damascus, who has heard of such a miraculous call to the Elect for Deliverance and Safety? "If ye love Me, keep My Commandments" (John 14:15). When Saul first began to obey the Jesus Whom he was persecuting, then he was truly Christian. "4 And [Saul of Tarsus] fell to the Earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the LORD said, I am Jesus Whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, LORD, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the LORD said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do" (Acts 9:4-6). Likewise, if any that are Elect obediently answer the call to flee the Roman city, then they will be spared, as Lot was when he fled Sodom. "6 And [God] turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked" (2Peter 2:6-7).
"Come out of her, My people" (Rev 18:4) coincides with the timing of a Pre-Wrath Rapture, in that before Babylon the Great is judged and the "Vials of the Wrath of God" (Rev 16:1) are then poured out in the few remaining days before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, God mercifully provides a "way to escape" (1Corinthians 10:13). If the United States of America can be equated in type to the Judgment of Babylon the Great, then a Pre-Tribulational Rapture would conceivably occur before such a Judgment. "After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in Heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come Up Hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter" (Rev 4:1). Notice also that a Pre-Wrath Rapture would be a Second "Come Up Hither" (Rev 11:12), which occurs when the "Two Witnesses" (Rev 11:3)-- Moses and Elijah-- are resurrected and raptured. The concept that God would reveal Himself as a God of Mercy before He would disclose Himself as a God of Judgment, rings true at this time, as it did with Lot at Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot acknowledged God's mercy, when he told the angels, "Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life" (Genesis 19:19).
• "5 For her sins have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." The LORD commands the Elect inhabitants of Babylon the Great, "Come out [Greek, exelthete] of her" (Rev 18:4). John the Beloved seamlessly transitions to a divine commentary concerning the conduct of those who do not leave, e.g., "her sins have reached unto Heaven" (Rev 18:5). God has been taking careful account of all the sins of Babylon the Great, and this verse reminds us that the knowledge of her sins is remembered by the Almighty. "Be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). Why are Babylon's iniquities "remembered" (Rev 18:5) at this time? They are recalled because the Divine Mind knows that this is the most prudent time for that knowledge to be exercised against Babylon the Great.
"It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!" (Luke 17:1). In our finite exuberance, we would move the All Wise God to immediately pull up and judge all the False Wheat that masquerades as True Believers, but the LORD of the Harvest overrules us, since more harm than good will come, if we do not wait until His appointed time of Judgment. "28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto Him, Wilt Thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But He said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the Tares [False Wheat, i.e., False Professors of Christianity], ye root up also the Wheat [True Professors] with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the Tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the Wheat into My barn" (Matthew 13:28-30).
• "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." Retribution for sin is the theme of this chapter, i.e., "Reward her even as she rewarded you" (18:6). Though the Saints take delight in the mercy of God granted to themselves and others, God's offer of Salvation must be a limited time offer or the Devil himself would eventually repent himself back into the presence of God. "Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7). With the understanding that Divine Retribution for sin must be made, if the moral agent does not accept the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, then we have been told in advance that this is the time for Babylon the Great to pay for her sins. "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose Judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not" (2Peter 2:3). A double measure of Judgment, i.e., "double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double" (Rev 18:6), is commanded, to indelibly imprint upon the universe of moral agents that unrepented sin is a heavier load than the "pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25).
Not only is this the time of God's Judgment of the Whore, but we are commanded to cooperatively judge or "reward [Greek, apodote, recompense] her" (Rev 18:6) for her sins, instead of seeking her Salvation. "5 Let the Saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; 7 to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; 8 to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; 9 to execute upon them the Judgment written: this honour have all His Saints.
Praise ye the LORD" (Psalm 149:5-9). How do the Saints accomplish the rewarding of "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Revelation 17:5)? Prayer is God's appointed means for our participation in the Judgment of the Mother of Harlots. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). And, that prayer for Babylon's appointed Judgment should be offered up even now. "I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them" (Ezekiel 36:37). Dear LORD, judge Babylon the Great; but in the meantime, redeem as many as possible from her clutches! "22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 22, 23).
• "7 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." It comes as no surprise that Roman Catholicism celebrates the Queen of Heaven as being Mary the mother of Jesus, for we have already established to our satisfaction that Babylon the Great embodies the Church of Rome. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). But not coincidentally, Scripture identifies the Queen of Heaven as a pagan goddess, most likely Ashtaroth (literally, means a star), who was worshipped for fertility, especially in Phoenicia. "And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth" (Judges 2:13). Ashtaroth was known as Ishtar, the goddess of sexual love in Mesopotamia, and as Aphrodite, the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty in Greece. The Queen of Heaven was offered worship, for example: (1) "to burn incense unto the Queen of Heaven" (Jeremiah 44:17), which may be compared to the burning of votive candles when Roman Catholics pray to Mary,
(2) "to make cakes to the Queen of Heaven" (Rev 7:18), which can be analogized to the sacrifice of the bread (host) in the Catholic Mass, and
(3) "to pour out drink offerings unto [the Queen of Heaven]" (Jer 44:18), which can also be likened to the offering of the wine in the Catholic Mass. Just as the unwilling mind could never see such a connection, a willing heart and mind could easily understand the correlation. "If any man will do His Will, he shall know of the Doctrine" (John 7:17). Without speculation, Scripture assures us that for those who know how to exploit the Roman Catholic system, the wealth of the Catholic Church is immense, i.e., "How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously" (Rev 18:7). God's Judgment of Babylon the Great extends only towards those who for whatever reason refuse to leave the culture of lies and deception that is the Church of Rome. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2Corinthians 6:17). It is instructive that the Saints are enjoined, "So much torment and sorrow give her" (Rev 18:7), revealing that they will participate in judging Babylon the Great, i.e., specifically through prayer which directs the Almighty to judge her.
"Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers" (Ezekiel 20:4). The Spirit of God reasons through the Scriptures that the wilful union with a harlot brings the same Judgment upon both, i.e., "What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith He, shall be one flesh" (1Corinthians 6:16). The self-satisfied, wilfulness of the crime of Babylon the Great is represented by her statement, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow" (Rev 17:7), which was the same statement made by Ancient Babylon before her destruction, i.e., "And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it" (Isaiah 47:7).
Old Testament Civil Law for the nation of Israel mandated a particular kind of death, i.e., execution by burning, for a whore, who was the daughter of a priest-- because it scandalized, disgraced, and reproached the True Religion that the whorish daughter was misrepresenting. "And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire" (Leviticus 21:9). Perhaps, this is the reason that the Almighty directs the Judgment of the Great Whore, whose papal leadership counterfeits Christianity to the world, to be burning by fire. "And the Ten Horns which thou sawest upon the Beast, these shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire" (Revelation 17:16).