Revelation 18:9 - 20

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster , all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’

19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’

20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

The kings of the kingdoms who aligned themselves with the policies of the Roman-Catholic empire in both supporting her and gaining riches from her practices will suffer and mourn the loss of the church-state relationship.

This description of a city, the great Babylon still refers to the great Harlot, the Roman-Catholic church-state which makes it headquarters at Rome.

These kings are mourning because the Reformation has set into motion a revolution which is crashing down onto the capitol of the empire, it is feeling it all at once, like the hour of doom for the church-state. And this doom is going to mean the end of them profiting from trade with her.

The merchants of verse eleven are the prominent leaders in Rome who have been getting rich both politically and financially by imposing their false doctrines on the people of the empire.

Once the people understand the deceptions which have been imposed on them the “merchants” will have no willing customers.

The items listed in verses twelve and thirteen are literal items, of which the leaders of the church-state through their corrupt practices gained for their own selfish enjoyment, but they symbolize the riches extorted from the subjects of the kingdoms which served under the authority of Rome.

At the time of the revolution which is incited by the Reformation these luxuries of which the leaders enjoyed will never again be available to them as leaders of the church-state which was being dissolved.

These “merchants” or leaders of the corrupt church-state are in fear of the torment which the political and religious revolution was wreaking on the wicked Roman-Catholic church-state headquartered in Rome.

The literal description of these fine materials which symbolically covered the city of Rome is quite appropriate because the clergy of Rome wore linen, the royal colors of Rome was purple and scarlet and the garments were adorned with gold and precious stones. The city is said to have these decorations because the scarlet woman, the great harlot made Rome her headquarters.

“One hour” of course means all of these things which were enjoyed by the leaders of Rome and all who enjoyed prosperous business dealings with her, whether merchants, ship owners, sailors or dock hands, came to an end all at once. Once the revolution boiled over the riches of the Roman-Catholic empire dissolved in one big bang. The failure of Rome as a business partner would cause a world-wide economic depression.

“What city is like” refers to the previous greatness compared to the worthless condition she faces after the revolution. Her condition is like a great city being burnt to the ground by a wild-fire.

“They threw dust on their heads,” was an ancient custom of mourning and sadness, (Joshua 7:6; Job 2:12; Lamentation 2:10) in one full swoop the Roman-Catholic church-state was be destroyed as “Babylon the Great” is destroyed and the union of church and state ceases to be.

The voice from heaven instructs the great servants of God who had been formost in defending the one true church against the efforts of the apostate church to destroy her. Now that the conspiracy formed by the union of church and state was ending it was time and had exceeding good reason to rejoice.