요한계시록 Chapter 18

Translation: ESV

1

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.

Key Message

The glory of the angel proclaiming Babylon's fall illuminating the whole earth shows that this judgment is a momentous event affecting the entire world.

▸A powerful angel appears to announce the fall of Babylon.

A powerful angel appears to announce the fall of Babylon. The expression 'the earth was made bright with his glory' reflects Ezekiel 43:2 ('the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. The sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory'). Some scholars view this angel as Christ Himself — such is the weight and authority of this proclamation.

Related Verses

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
2

And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

Key Message

The complete fall of Babylon the great shows the actual fulfillment of prior prophetic declarations — the complete end of the forces opposing God.

▸The repetition 'Fallen, fallen' was already declared in 14:8 and is now described in detail.

3

For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.

Key Message

Babylon's fall is the retribution for sin on three dimensions: spiritual corruption, political compromise, and economic exploitation.

▸Three reasons for Babylon's fall are presented: first, all nations were brought down by the wine of her immorality; second, the kings of the earth committed immorality with her; third, merchants became wealthy from her luxury.

4

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;

Key Message

God's people must be spiritually separated from the corruption and sin of the worldly system — only then can they escape its judgment.

▸From heaven comes the call: 'Come out of her, my people.

5

for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Key Message

God remembers all the wickedness of the world, and when sin is full He will certainly judge it.

▸'Her sins are heaped as high as heaven' is an image from Genesis 18:20 ('the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave') and Jeremiah 51:9 ('her judgment has reached up to heaven').

6

Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

Key Message

God's judgment as perfect justice causes the wicked to receive back exactly what they have done — and this is genuine cosmic justice.

▸'Repay her double' commands a retribution stronger than mere lex talionis.

7

As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.'

Key Message

Babylon's pride ('I am the eternal queen') is the direct cause of her judgment, for God humbles the proud.

▸Babylon's pride becomes the basis for her judgment.

8

For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.

Key Message

The proud declaration 'I shall certainly not be judged' collapses in an instant before the judgment of the mighty God.

▸Judgment comes 'in a single day' — emphasizing sudden and complete judgment.

9

And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

Key Message

The kings of the earth mourning Babylon's fall is not genuine repentance but lamentation over the loss of their own interests.

▸Verses 9–19 present three groups' laments as they witness Babylon's fall: the kings of the earth (vv.

10

They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come."

Key Message

Even the most powerful-seeming worldly power can collapse in a single hour before God's judgment.

▸The kings 'stand far off, in fear of her torment,' watching Babylon's fall.

11

And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,

Key Message

The economic allure of the worldly system disappears together with the system when it falls, and those who depended on it collapse with it.

▸The second group of mourners: merchants.

12

cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,

Key Message

Babylon's vast cargo list shows how extreme the material abundance of the worldly system is — and all of it collapses in an instant.

▸Verses 12–13 enumerate Babylon's cargo.

13

cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.

Key Message

The trading of those made in God's image as commodities is Babylon's greatest sin and the core reason for her judgment.

▸It is shocking that the cargo list ends with 'slaves, that is, human souls.

14

"The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!"

Key Message

The permanent disappearance of worldly greed and luxury is God's judgment on the material idols of this world.

▸The address shifts to a direct vocative addressed to Babylon.

15

The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

Key Message

Those who grew wealthy depending on Babylon's economic system can only weep helplessly before its collapse.

▸Just like the kings (v.

16

saying, "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!

Key Message

The splendor and luxury of the world are fleeting, and today's glory can become tomorrow's cause for mourning.

▸The merchants' lamentation begins.

17

For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafarers, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off

Key Message

No matter how vast wealth may be, it can disappear 'in a single hour' — this is the fundamental vanity of a life that depends on material things.

▸'In a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste' declares the transience of all wealth.

18

and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?"

Key Message

Even the city considered the greatest in the world is brought down before God's judgment, and its splendor vanishes in smoke.

▸The sailors see the smoke of Babylon's burning and lament: 'What city was like the great city?' This is an echo of Ezekiel 27:32 ('Who was ever destroyed like Tyre in the midst of the sea?').

19

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste."

Key Message

When the worldly economic system collapses, all who depended on it collapse with it — this is the end of a life that depends on worldly material things.

▸The sailors 'throw dust on their heads.

20

Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"

Key Message

Babylon's judgment is the realization of God's justice for the saints and prophets, and heaven praises it.

▸There is a sudden shift from the song of mourning to an exhortation to praise: 'Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets!' This joy is not delight in the enemy's suffering but praise that God's righteous judgment has been accomplished.

21

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;

Key Message

Babylon's destruction is as complete and permanent as a great millstone thrown into the sea — it can never be restored.

▸A powerful symbolic action: a mighty angel hurls a great millstone into the sea and declares Babylon's fall.

22

and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more,

Key Message

The disappearance of all the sounds of civilization and prosperity shows the complete and permanent end of Babylon's civilization.

▸A list of things that will disappear from Babylon: the sounds of musicians, craftsmen, the sound of the mill.

23

and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.

Key Message

The worldly system seduces the world with the sorcery of economic allure and cultural deception, but this sorcery also ends before God's judgment.

▸'The light of a lamp' and 'the voice of bridegroom and bride' are direct quotations from Jeremiah 25:10.

24

And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."

Key Message

The most fundamental reason for Babylon's judgment is the blood of the prophets and saints, and God will certainly avenge their blood.

▸The final reason for Babylon's fall: in her was found the blood of prophets, saints, and all martyrs.