We
have here, I. An angel proclaiming the fall of Babylon, ver. 1, 2. II. Assigning the reasons of her
fall, ver. 3. III. Giving warning to all who belonged to God to come out of
her (ver. 4, 5), and to assist in her destruction, ver. 6-8. IV. The great
lamentation made for her by those who had been large sharers in her sinful
pleasures and profits, ver. 9-19. V. The great joy that there would be among
others at the sight of her irrecoverable ruin, ver. 20, &c.
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The
Fall of Babylon.
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A. D. 95.
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1 And after these things I saw another angel
come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with
his glory. 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. 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. 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. 5 For her sins
have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
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.
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. 8 Therefore shall her
plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be
utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
The downfall and destruction of Babylon form an event so fully determined in
the counsels of God, and of such consequence to his interests and glory,
that the visions and predictions concerning it are repeated. 1. Here is
another angel sent from heaven, attended with great power and lustre, v.
1. He had not only light in himself, to discern the truth of his own
prediction, but to inform and enlighten the world about that great event;
and not only light to discern it, but power to accomplish it. 2. This angel
publishes the fall of Babylon, as a thing already come to pass; and this he
does with a mighty strong voice, that all might hear the cry, and might see
how well this angel was pleased to be the messenger of such tidings. Here
seems to be an allusion to the prediction of the fall of pagan Babylon (Isa.
xxi. 9), where the word is repeated as it is here: has fallen, has
fallen. Some have thought a double fall is hereby intended, first her
apostasy, and then her ruin; and they think the words immediately following
favour their opinion; She has become the habitation of devils, and the
hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird,
v. 2. But this is also borrowed from Isa. xxi. 9, and seems to
describe not so much her sin of entertaining idols (which are truly called devils)
as her punishment, it being a common notion that unclean spirits, as well as
ominous and hateful birds, used to haunt a city or house that lay in its
ruins. 3. The reason of this ruin is declared (v. 3); for, though God
is not obliged to give any account of his matters, yet he is pleased to do
so, especially in those dispensations of providence that are most awful and
tremendous. The wickedness of Babylon had been very great; for she had not
only forsaken the true God herself, and set up idols, but had with great art
and industry drawn all sorts of men into the spiritual adultery, and by her
wealth and luxury had retained them in her interest. 4. Fair warning is
given to all that expect mercy from God, that they should not only come
out of her, but be assisting in her destruction, v. 4, 5. Here
observe, (1.) God may have a people even in Babylon, some who belong to the
election of grace. (2.) God's people shall be called out of Babylon, and
called effectually. (3.) Those that are resolved to partake with wicked men
in their sins must receive of their plagues. (4.) When the sins of a people
reach up to heaven, the wrath of God will reach down to the earth. (5.)
Though private revenge is forbidden, yet God will have his people act under
him, when called to it, in pulling down his and their inveterate and
implacable enemies, v. 6. (6.) God will proportion the punishment of
sinners to the measure of their wickedness, pride, and security, v.
7. (7.) When destruction comes on a people suddenly, the surprise is a great
aggravation of their misery, v. 8.
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The
Fall of Babylon.
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A. D. 95.
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9 And the kings of the earth, who have
committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and
lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that
great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment
come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn
over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The
merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and
fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all
manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and
of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and
ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat,
and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of
men. 14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed
from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from
thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15 The merchants
of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 And saying, Alas,
alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster,
and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea,
stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her
burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing,
saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had
ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made
desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye
holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it
into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be
thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice
of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no
more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be,
shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard
no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine
no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride
shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men
of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that
were slain upon the earth.
Here we have,
I. A doleful lamentation made by Babylon's friends for her fall; and here
observe,
1. Who are the mourners, namely, those who had been bewitched by her
fornication, those who had been sharers in her sensual pleasures, and those
who had been gainers by her wealth and trade--the kings and the merchants of
the earth: the kings of the earth, whom she had flattered into
idolatry by allowing them to be arbitrary and tyrannical over their
subjects, while they were obsequious to her; and the merchants, that
is, those who trafficked with her for indulgences, pardons, dispensations,
and preferments; these will mourn, because by this craft they got their
wealth.
2. What was the manner of their mourning. (1.) They stood afar off, they
durst not come nigh her. Even Babylon's friends will stand at a distance
from her fall. Though they had been partakers with her in her sins, and in
her sinful pleasures and profits, they were not willing to bear a share in
her plagues. (2.) They made a grievous outcry: Alas! alas! that great
city, Babylon, that mighty city! (3.) They wept, and cast dust upon
their heads, v. 19. The pleasures of sin are but for a season,
and they will end in dismal sorrow. All those who rejoice in the success of
the church's enemies will share with them in their downfall; and those who
have most indulged themselves in pride and pleasure are the least able to
bear calamities; their sorrows will be as excessive as their pleasure and
jollity were before.
3. What was the cause of their mourning; not their sin, but their
punishment. They did not lament their fall into idolatry, and luxury, and
persecution, but their fall into ruin--the loss of their traffic and of
their wealth and power. The spirit of antichrist is a worldly spirit, and
their sorrow is a mere worldly sorrow; they did not lament for the anger of
God, that had now fallen upon them, but for the loss of their outward
comfort. We have a large schedule and inventory of the wealth and
merchandise of this city, all which was suddenly lost (v. 12, 13),
and lost irrecoverably (v. 14): All things which were dainty and
goodly have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
The church of God may fall for a time, but she shall rise again; but the
fall of Babylon will be an utter overthrow, like that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Godly sorrow is some support under affliction, but mere worldly sorrow adds
to the calamity.
II. An account of the joy and triumph there was both in heaven and earth at
the irrecoverable fall of Babylon: while her own people were bewailing her,
the servants of God were called to rejoice over her, v. 20.
Here observe, 1. How universal this joy would be: heaven and earth, angels
and saints, would join in it; that which is matter of rejoicing to the
servants of God in this world is matter of rejoicing to the angels in
heaven. 2. How just and reasonable; and that, (1.) Because the fall of
Babylon was an act of God's vindictive justice. God was then avenging his
people's cause. They had committed their cause to him to whom vengeance
belongs, and now the year of recompence had come for the controversies
of Zion; and, though they did not take pleasure in the miseries of any, yet
they had reason to rejoice in the discoveries of the glorious justice of
God. (2.) Because it was an irrecoverable ruin. This enemy should never
molest them any more, and of this they were assured by a remarkable token (v.
21): An angel from heaven took up a stone like a great millstone,
and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus shall Babylon be thrown down
with violence, and be found no more at all; the place shall be no longer
habitable by man, no work shall be done there, no comfort enjoyed, no light
seen there, but utter darkness and desolation, as the reward of her great
wickedness, first in deceiving the nations with her sorceries, and
secondly in destroying and murdering those whom she could not deceive,"
v. 24. Such abominable sins deserved so great a ruin.
