“Revelation 18:1-3”

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

“After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory. And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

About 150 years before the fall of the literal Babylon, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “‘Now behold, here comes a troop of riders, horsemen in pairs.’ And one said, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon’” (Isaiah 21:9). In verse 1 a powerful, radiant angel “having great authority,” came down from heaven proclaiming the same fate for Rome and her mighty world empire. By all appearances to earthbound mortals she seemed rock-solid and indestructible, but the King of kings and Lord of lords would reduce her to rubble just as He had done the domain of such celebrated kings as Nebuchadnezzar and Marduk over 1000 years earlier.

Instead of being “clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls” (Revelation 17:4), “She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison for every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird” (verse 2). Read Isaiah’s scathing rebuke of Israel’s ancient enemy, Edom for the punishment of her wickedness, and the empty wasteland that she would become for similar imagery. Like the wicked cities of Tyre (Ezekiel 26:19-21) and Babylon (Isaiah 13:17-22) before her, Rome would receive her just deserts. “Like these ancient enemies of righteousness, Rome is worthy to fall, and with its pagan god-Caesar worship, her once glorious temples will become the habitation for the foul and gruesome. This is not a literal prophecy but a word-picture to describe Rome’s fall.” (Harkrider)

Robert Harkrider wrote concerning verse 3: “Babylon was not content to sin by herself, so she brought others to share in the wine of her fornication (14:8; 17:2). The world nations have joined with her, attempting to capitalize on her imperial wealth and power, and as they do so they have committed spiritual fornication. They had turned against the one true God of heaven and adulterated themselves with the idols of paganism. Thus, they bore the ‘mark of the beast’ upon themselves.”

On the individual and congregational level, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you and I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Please read Revelation 18:4-8 for tomorrow.

Have a great day!

-Louie Taylor

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