TUESDAY
Yesterday we saw the angel’s announcement that Babylon has fallen. Next in the judgment of Babylon, we come to the responses to the fall of Babylon. In these verses we will see the responses of kings, merchants and seafaring people. These are representative of all unbelievers. Spoiler alert—none of them are happy about it. In reading this we get a deeper glimpse into the sin of Babylon and are exhorted to not follow the same path with the same response to the loss of Babylon’s evil.
Kings
Revelation 18:9-10 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.”
Sexual immorality refers to idolatry and participating in the imperial cult worship of the emperor. Here, this idolatry is linked to the material wealth that it afforded. These kings sold their souls for wealth and luxury. They participated in the worship of the emperor and the evil ways of the empire and were rewarded with wealth for it. So, now at the judgment of Rome their wealth is gone so they respond with weeping and wailing. This is not a sympathetic mourning. It is selfish, in that they have now lost their source of wealth and luxury.
Note that the kings stand far off. They were happy to accept her luxuries and cozy up to Rome for those. But they want none of her judgment and have zero interest in coming to her aid.
“Alas!” is an “interjection denoting pain or displeasure.” (BDAG) It’s like us saying “Ouch!” or “Yikes!” when we see a painful situation. Rome thought it was impregnable, but its downfall came quickly—”in a single hour”.
Merchants
The response of the merchants reveals the economic evil of Rome.
Revelation 18:11-13 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.
This prophecy is similar to Ezekiel’s prophecy against Tyre in Ezekiel 27.
Rome was their cash cow, golden goose, whatever metaphor you want to use. So when it is gone they weep and mourn, not for Rome, but for their personal loss of wealth. This long list of materials is meant to emphasize the wealth and excess luxuries that Rome enjoyed. Most of these goods were imported from other regions of the empire or beyond the empire, which reveals the massive reach of Rome and its excessive luxury.
The one that John calls out the most is the last one—slaves. The words are literally “…bodies—human souls.” This is a jarring (in the ancient world) condemnation of slavery. The “bodies” of course implies slavery, which is followed by the reality that they are not just commodities, as thought by slave traders, but they are human souls. The wealth of the Roman empire was built on the backs of slaves. The Roman world had a complex system of slavery. Conquered peoples were often given as slaves to Roman elites. People were kidnapped and sold as slaves. A person could sell himself into slavery, as well as his family, to pay back a debt. One could be punished with enslavement. Slavery was so common that nearly 20% of those living within the empire were likely slaves. (Schreiner, Revelation, p. 615)
Revelation 18:14-15 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,
Again, like the kings the merchants stand far off. They want none of this judgment, but they weep at the loss of their wealth.
Revelation 18:16-17a 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.”
Seafarers
Revelation 18:17b-19 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.
Shipping imports and exports were vital to the Roman economy, as it still is to any economy today. Their praise for the city is praise that should only be reserved for God. They have put their faith in the wrong source.
Saints
Next, we hear what is likely the voice of the angel again. Whereas the other groups mourn at the loss of their wealth and power, the people of God are called to rejoice that the evil of Babylon has been judged.
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!”
Rejoicing at the downfall of Rome may seem strange, but remember this is written to an oppressed people group against the evils of the empire. The rejoicing is that “God has given judgment for you against her.” They are to rejoice at the justice of God being delivered.
Heaven is full of rejoicing, as Rome is like a post-apocalyptic city. These pictures reveal the completion and fullness of God’s judgment.
Now we see another dramatic reenactment of Rome’s judgment and fall.
Revelation 18:21-24 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; 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. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
The kings grieve their loss of power and luxury, the merchants grieve their loss of wealth, the seafarers likewise grieve their loss of wealth. Conversely, the people of God rejoice at the just judgment of God. The people of God have an eternal and heavenly perspective that allows them not to grieve the loss of wealth in this life. Their treasure is truly in heaven.
Notice that this is not a call for the people of God to overthrow Babylon (the Roman Empire) this is a prophetic declaration that God will judge the empire in the end. It would be a horrible misreading of Revelation to think that Christians must act in a violent way to overthrow the empire. This couldn’t be further from the point. The point is that God will judge the evil empire, so we are free to live as faithful witnesses, following the way of the crucified lamb who gave his life in love for even his enemies.