Revelation 18
(Rev 18:1) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
(Rev 18:2) 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.
(Rev 18:3) 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.
In Chapter 17 we find how to identify the woman and the beast—they are a church –state union. The heads of the beast show a progression of time and there was a period of time when there was no state part, only church. This occurred in Napoleon’s day when the Pope died in prison
Chapter 17 also leads up to a future event when 10 kings will give power to that beast. We call that the hour of power of the beast.
Chapter 18 is a continuation of chapter 17. Again we are given clues to identify this Beast and
Woman. She has all the nations in her pocket and has fooled them or lulled them into submission—but this is different than them giving her power for the space of an hour. This leads up to that point.
Before that happens, God’s people need to proclaim its destruction like the Prophet Elijah did about Ahab and Jezebel. This pronouncement of doom to the false system because of their corruption and abominations they commit is part of the “come out of her MY people”. Notice that Jehovah God still has people in this system.
(Rev 18:4) 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.
This come out of her message happens before the plagues can begin. I do not believe the message spoken about in the scriptures about coming out of her has taken place yet. There have been messages to come out in the past—but I think this message is the final one before the destruction.
In the Lot type—we see Lot (who pictures God’s people in Babylon, the false systems) is told to come out. He really didn’t want to, but was forced out. He came out just before the destruction.
(Rev 18:5) For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
(Rev 18:6) 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.
(Rev 18:7) 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.
(Rev 18:8) 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.
We see in this verse that her plagues come in short order. It is not a drawn out process any more than the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, or the fall of literal Babylon, or the Temple of Dagon or Jezebel—who all picture the same thing.
This last call to come out is because the destruction is imminent.
(Rev 18:9) 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,
(Rev 18:10) 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.
(Rev 18:11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
(Rev 18:12) 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,
(Rev 18:13) 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.
Those who benefited from this union “stand afar off” that is they distance themselves from her when they see the writing on the wall. She goes down alone.
(Rev 18:14) 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.
(Rev 18:15) The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
(Rev 18:16) 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!
(Rev 18:17) 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,
Verse 17 again shows this all happens very quickly. Not a hundred or more years, but very quickly.
(Rev 18:18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
(Rev 18:19) 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.
The third reference to how quickly she goes down
(Rev 18:20) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
(Rev 18:21) 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.
(Rev 18:22) 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;
(Rev 18:23) 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.
(Rev 18:24) And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Verse 24 shows why she needed to be destroyed—It was responsible for the death of the prophets and saints. In chapter 16 and in Daniel we see that the Beast (Rome) was bent on “wearing out the saints”—this last verse shows the blood guilt.
Verse 23 shows at the time she goes down—there is no longer the voice of the bridegroom—Jesus. There is no longer “My people” in the system—they have come out. Lot has been extracted and now the destruction can come.
