Principles of Interpretation: There are patterns to Revelation which should be considered when trying to understand it. One pattern is that each new section is introduced by a scene from the temple. There is significance to these introductions. Do not ignore them. They are a key to understanding the section. Another pattern is that the book is written in symbolic language. The King James Version translates verse 1 as “he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” To signify is to show in signs, i.e., symbols. Those symbols are based in the rest of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. As such, look to the rest of the Bible to interpret Revelation rather than using Revelation to interpret the rest of the Bible. This also means that you need to let the Bible interpret itself rather than attempting to have it fit into today’s headlines. In short, do not treat Revelation as separate from the rest of the Bible. Instead, expect that the events described in Revelation have been presented in other parts of the Bible. A third pattern in Revelation is the idea of judgement. There are courtroom scenes and wrath and complaints about God not bringing justice. In fact, humans are not the only ones under judgment. God Himself is on trial, and the repeated verdict is that God is just, holy, and worthy. From the beginning claim that this is the Revelation of Jesus to the promise in the last chapter that we shall see God’s face, Revelation is an examination of who our Creator is and whether He is worthy of our loyalty.

Disclaimer: There are four basic methodologies used to interpret the book of Revelation in modern society: futurism, historicism, idealism, and preterism. Many modern churches have embraced the idea of the secret rapture, which is a form of futurism. On the other hand, some churches say that Revelation deals solely with events that were happening in the apostolic era. This is called preterism. Other churches teach that Revelation does not describe any specific time period. Instead, the symbols are philosophical and/or spiritual ideas. The series of studies that I am posting is based on historicism, which says that the Bible teaches that Revelation begins with the time of John and describes the interactions of the church with a hostile world throughout history culminating in the final future eradication of sin from the universe. This view denies a secret rapture. I do not want you to be in confusion about the basic premises of this series of lessons. If you disagree with the historicist viewpoint, please study for yourself to be certain that the interpretations that you have been told by others and simply accepted make sense with the whole Bible. As you study, first ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit; then study the verses, and let the Bible interpret itself. Even if you disagree with my comments, you may find the verses and background information that I provide useful. Finally, I want to emphasize that I myself am still studying Revelation and my understanding is deepening each time I open the book and read. Revelation is a distillation of the whole Bible; as such, the limited space of this blog and my limited understanding means that these lessons are not nearly as in-depth as they could (and maybe should) be.

References: See the end of this post for sources and references.

Part 1:  The Charges Against Babylon

Note:  This section starts before the plagues.  Verse 4 speaks of the plagues as in the future.  Thus, this section is now and future to us, but before probation closes.

Introduction:  Revelation 17 and 18 are looking at the same persecuting system from different angles.  In chapter 17, this apostate church is viewed as a prostitute committing adultery with political powers.  In chapter 18, this system is described as a city.  Thus, we have a contrast of two cities.  Chapter 18 presents us with the false city claiming to belong to God while being the dwelling of demons. In contrast, chapter 21 presents us with God’s true city.  The false city will be judged and destroyed.  The true city will become the center of worship for the whole world.  Whether a prostitute riding the scarlet beast or a city called Babylon, this is the same apostate church-state organization from previous chapters of Revelaton.  Yes, this organization includes the papacy, but it also includes apostate Protestant churches who have abandoned God’s principles in order to enforce worship.  In winning the culture wars, they lose the Kingdom.

Revelation 18:1-2

(1)  After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright 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.

• Fallen, fallen—This word is repeated twice to indicate the certainty of the fall.
• Isaiah 13:19-22  (Revelation is making reference to a prophecy about literal Babylon when it was conquered by the Medes and Persians.  However, Revelation is applying this prophecy to symbolic Babylon.) (19)  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.  (20)  It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there; no shepherds will make their flocks lie down there.  (21)  But wild animals will lie down there, and their houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will dwell, and there wild goats will dance.  (22)  Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand and its days will not be prolonged.
• These verses explain why Babylon is considered to be fallen.  How has Babylon become fallen?  It has become the dwelling of demons / the haunt of every unclean spirit, bird, and rotten beast.  The next verse tells the specific charges against Babylon.

Revelation 18:3  Formal Charges

(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.”

• This is a statement of the charges against Babylon.  There are 3 charges. 

Revelation 18:4-5

(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; (5)  for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

• This is a repetition of the Second Angel’s Message in Revelation 14, which emphasizes the religious apostasy of Babylon. Revelation 14:8  (8)  Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
• Jeremiah 51:5-9 (This is a reference to a prophecy about literal Babylon in Jeremiah.) (5)  For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts, but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.  (6)  “Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her.  (7)  Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine; therefore the nations went mad.  (8)  Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; wail for her! Take balm for her pain; perhaps she may be healed.  (9)  We would have healed Babylon, but she was not healed. Forsake her, and let us go each to his own country, for her judgment has reached up to heaven and has been lifted up even to the skies.
• God wants to heal, not destroy, so He sends out a call for all who will listen and be saved.  This is a call to purity.  God is telling His people not to participate in the sins of Babylon.  He is calling His people to be true citizens of the kingdom of heaven.
• This is the last plea for a dying people to come and be saved, just as Noah was to give a message to the people before the flood.  We are to shout the three angels’ messages to a dying world.  Remember, angels are messengers.  When the angel of chapter 18 joins his voice to the three angels of Revelation 14, the message is amplified.  This is the time of the latter rain of the Holy Spirit and the shaking of the church to purify it.
• Why is the loud cry necessary at this particular time?  Why must God’s people leave now when God left them in Babylon before this?  The answer is in verse 2.  Babylon has become the home of demons.  At one time, it might have been safe for a believer to be in confusion and partially deceived, yet still able to follow God.  However, by time of Revelation 18, Satan has become so active in Babylon that staying is not an option.  God’s people must leave.

Revelation 18:6

(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.

• The Andrews Study Bible says that the expression about “repaying double” and the “double portion” is “an ancient metaphor for full and final punishment (Jer. 17:18).”

Revelation 18:7-8

(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.’  (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.”

• Isaiah 47:7-11  (This is a reference to a prophecy about literal Babylon in Isaiah.  Revelation 18 applies it to symbolic Babylon.) (7)  You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.  (8)  Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children”: (9)  These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.  (10)  You felt secure in your wickedness; you said, “No one sees me”; your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.”  (11)  But evil shall come upon you, which you will not know how to charm away; disaster shall fall upon you, for which you will not be able to atone; and ruin shall come upon you suddenly, of which you know nothing.
• Just as literal Babylon looked invincible but was conquered in a night, spiritual Babylon will be destroyed quickly with the result that God’s people will be delivered from her oppression.  We must remember that appearances of worldly power always fall before divine power.  We must always remember that God sees and God remembers and God delivers.  We are not alone facing Babylon.  There are more with us than with our enemies.

Part 2:  The Demise of Babylon  This part sounds strange and repetitive to our modern ears, but it is in the form of an ancient funeral dirge that starts out with “Woe, woe/Alas! Alas! The great city” and ends with “in one hour”.  This pattern is repeated three times.  The feeling that ancient readers would have experienced is an assurance of the death of Babylon and death to the hopes of the friends/family of Babylon.  Babylon is dead.

Revelation 18:9-19

(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.  (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.”  (11)  And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,  (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,  (13)  cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and 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!”  (15)  The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,  (16)  “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!  (17)  For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off  (18)  and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”  (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.

• Who mourns for the fall of Babylon?  Kings, merchants, and sailors/sea traders
• What are the kings mourning for?  They lived in luxury with Babylon.
• What are the merchants mourning for?  No one buys their cargo.
• What are the sailors mourning for?  Their ships grew rich from Babylon’s wealth.
• What is the single common denominator?  Greed
• This passage in Revelation is speaking of Babylon, but the wording of this passage is pointing us to another famous ancient city—Tyre. Ezekiel 27:12-36 (12)  “Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares.  (13)  Javan, Tubal, and Meshech traded with you; they exchanged human beings and vessels of bronze for your merchandise.  (14)  From Beth-togarmah they exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.  (15)  The men of Dedan traded with you. Many coastlands were your own special markets; they brought you in payment ivory tusks and ebony.  (16)  Syria did business with you because of your abundant goods; they exchanged for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and ruby.  (17)  Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they exchanged for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, meal, honey, oil, and balm.  (18)  Damascus did business with you for your abundant goods, because of your great wealth of every kind; wine of Helbon and wool of Sahar  (19)  and casks of wine from Uzal they exchanged for your wares; wrought iron, cassia, and calamus were bartered for your merchandise.  (20)  Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding.  (21)  Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your favored dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you.  (22)  The traders of Sheba and Raamah traded with you; they exchanged for your wares the best of all kinds of spices and all precious stones and gold.  (23)  Haran, Canneh, Eden, traders of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.  (24)  In your market these traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of colored material, bound with cords and made secure.  (25)  The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas.  (26)  “Your rowers have brought you out into the high seas. The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.  (27)  Your riches, your wares, your merchandise, your mariners and your pilots, your caulkers, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your crew that is in your midst, sink into the heart of the seas on the day of your fall.  (28)  At the sound of the cry of your pilots the countryside shakes,  (29)  and down from their ships come all who handle the oar. The mariners and all the pilots of the sea stand on the land  (30)  and shout aloud over you and cry out bitterly. They cast dust on their heads and wallow in ashes;  (31)  they make themselves bald for you and put sackcloth on their waist, and they weep over you in bitterness of soul, with bitter mourning.  (32)  In their wailing they raise a lamentation for you and lament over you: ‘Who is like Tyre, like one destroyed in the midst of the sea?  (33)  When your wares came from the seas, you satisfied many peoples; with your abundant wealth and merchandise you enriched the kings of the earth.  (34)  Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters; your merchandise and all your crew in your midst have sunk with you.  (35)  All the inhabitants of the coastlands are appalled at you, and the hair of their kings bristles with horror; their faces are convulsed.  (36)  The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.’”
• The question is why are we supposed to look at Tyre when we are speaking of Babylon?  What do the two have in common?  Look at the next chapter of Ezekiel 28.  Who is Tyre a symbol of here?  Satan.  In Isaiah 14, Babylon is a symbol of Lucifer.  The power behind the throne of both Babylon and Tyre was the devil.
  • The two cities that are symbolic of Satan are here.  What do you think that means?  This is about a system being defeated, but it is also about Satan himself being defeated.

Revelation 18:20

(20)  Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!”

• Verses 9-19 are about a lamentation from the political leaders, merchants, and traders.  Verse 20 is about the saints, apostles, and prophets.  What is their reaction?  Rejoicing
• Why has God judged against Babylon according to verse 20?  The judgment is for the people.  God is not destroying Babylon for His own sake.  He is destroying Babylon for the sake of His people.
• This passage parallels what God said about the predicted fall of the original Babylon in  Jeremiah 51:48-49  (48)  Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her,” declares the LORD.  (49)  “Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon.
• This judgment is not against an innocent, unknowing city.  This judgment is against an enemy of God’s people who has abused them and killed many people even though they were innocent.

Revelation 18:21

(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;

• This symbol did not come out of nowhere.  The angel is giving a symbol that John and the Jews would be very familiar with.  This was a symbol that meant the final end of Babylon. Jeremiah 51:59-64 (59)  The word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign. Seraiah was the quartermaster.  (60)  Jeremiah wrote in a book all the disaster that should come upon Babylon, all these words that are written concerning Babylon.  (61)  And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: “When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words,  (62)  and say, ‘O LORD, you have said concerning this place that you will cut it off, so that nothing shall dwell in it, neither man nor beast, and it shall be desolate forever.’  (63)  When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates,  (64)  and say, ‘Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I am bringing upon her, and they shall become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Revelation 18:22-23

(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,  (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.

• What kind of sorcery did Babylon use in the end times?  Revelation 16:13-14 (13)  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.  (14)  For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.
• What kind of situation will bring an end to Babylon?  Violence.  This makes sense.  Jesus said that those who live by the sword will die by the sword.  Babylon is a bloody violent city, so when it goes down, it will be with violence.
• There is a list of the ordinary: music/crafts people/ food production / light /marriage.  Then there is the sin laid at the door of the ordinary.  They were deceived by Babylon’s sorcery.  However, we should not feel sorry for them because they had warning.
  • The Trumpets warned them, but they did not repent:  Revelation 9:20-21 (20)  The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,  (21)  nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.
  • The Third angel’s message warned them, and they did not repent:  Revelation 14:9-11 (9)  And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,  (10)  he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.  (11)  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
• They chose their own fate.  They chose to reject the truth of the Bible and believe a lie instead, just like the Pharisees did when confronted with Jesus.

Revelation 18:24

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

• Babylon is charged with the death of prophet and saints, which makes sense, but it is also charged with the deaths of everyone who has died on earth.  This goes beyond the end-time alliance of church and state.  This is why we were directed to look at Tyre and see Satan.  The one behind Babylon is found guilty of all the death in the world.

Summary: Essentially, in Revelation 18 and 21 we have the contrast between the rulership of Satan and the rulership of Jesus.  Satan rules a city called confusion where might makes right and people are allied based on greed and deception.  Jesus rules a city called peace where there is no room for greed as gold is used as pavement.  Jesus’ city is built upon His loyal people from the twelve tribes of Israel to the twelve apostles.  Jesus’s city is a place of truth, not deception.  There is order rather than confusion. 

References:

• Andrews Study Bible–In some lessons, I refer to study comments from this Bible.
• God Cares: The Message of Revelation for You and Your Family-A book by C. Mervyn Maxwell that examines how the prophecies of Revelation relate to an individual’s life.
• Plain Revelation–A book by Ranko Stefanovic that summarizes the meaning of various sections of Revelation
• Revelation of Jesus Christ–A book by Ranko Stefonovic that comments on each verse of Revelation.
• Salvation in Signs and Symbols–a series of shows where two pastors and two others study through the books of Revelation and Daniel. These programs can be accessed at 3abnplus.tv . Scroll down to 3ABN Dare to Dream Network and choose Salvation in Signs and Symbols from the list there.
• Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary (Volume 7) (Copywrite 1957)–This is the old green set of commentaries, not the new commentary series that is in the process of being published and should be released after 2022. (Boy, I would love to get my hands on that set when it comes out!)
• Table Talk–A series of shows where four pastors discuss various topics. These programs can be accessed at tabletalk.online . Season 4 focuses on Revelation.
• Unlocking Revelation–A series of pamphlets that can be downloaded for free from lightbearers.org and clicking on Resources