Last week, when we covered the bowl judgments, I said I was going to take the approach that John's vision explains God’s coming judgment on the Roman Empire by taking into the account of the fall of Babylon in light of the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, and use all of these as framework for a universalized prediction of the judgments that will fall on all Babylons (World Systems) until the final global Babylon is gone when the cup of the global iniquity is full.
The world of the “earth dwellers”– the corrupt systems that cater to the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes, and the pride of life[1] – is going to be dismantled and judged, with nations and peoples reaping what they have sown. With that in mind, the next two chapters show the nations of the world bemoaning the loss of Babylon the Great. Two things to remember:
The details John describes do not neatly fit any past historical city. It’s not less than Babylon or Rome, but it’s more than just one city. It's the archetypal head of all worldly resistance to God.
It shows systemic satanic deception and power at a global and national level. I know the idea that there can be “systemic sin” is a debated issue right now, but John sure thought it was a thing. Babylon is the poster child. New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger wrote: “Babylon is allegorical of the idolatry that any nation commits when it elevates material abundance, military prowess, technological sophistication, imperial grandeur, racial pride, and any other glorification of the creature over the Creator... The message of the book of Revelation concerns…God’s judgments not only of persons, but also of nations and, in fact, of all principalities and powers—which is to say, all authorities, corporations, institutions, structures, bureaucracies, and the like.”[2]
Because these chapters are soooo thick with all the same kind of hyperlinks we’ve seen before (Old Testament, historical people and events, Jewish literature), I’m going to let you read through the text and the footnotes included here on your own. We are going to jump to my own paraphrase/version that tries to take all those footnotes into consideration, and then we will discuss a couple key revelations in Revelation J So, let’s skip to page 7.
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And then one of the seven messengers entrusted with the seven bowls came over to me.[3] Guide: Come, and I will show you the true nature and God’s judgment of the great whore[4] who is sitting on the many waters.[5] She has seduced all the kings[6] of the earth[7] into committing lewd, sexual acts[8]; and most earth dwellers have become intoxicated[9] with the wine of her harlotry.[10] Immediately I was in the Spirit, and the guide picked me up and carried me off. In the middle of a vast desert,[11] I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast covered with blasphemous names.[12] The beast had seven heads and ten horns like the beast I had seen earlier rising out of the sea. The woman[13] was dressed in purple and scarlet fabrics; she shimmered with gold and jewels and pearls.
I looked closer and saw that her hand held a golden cup[14] brimming with abominations, bubbling over with the impurities of her sexual exploits. On her forehead was inscribed a name, a mystery[15]: “Babylon the great, the mother of whores and the abominations that defile the earth.” I looked and saw that the woman was drunk because she had gorged herself on the blood of the saints and the blood of those people who refused to deny Jesus even to save their own lives.[16] When I saw her, I was filled with wonder.
Guide: Why are you so amazed? I will reveal to you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast you saw was, and is not,[17] and is about to come up out of the abyss and go away into eternal destruction. And the earth dwellers, whose names have not been inscribed in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast because it was and is not and is to come. Here is the mind possessing wisdom: The seven heads signify the seven mountains[18] where the woman is seated.[19] They also stand for seven kings. Five have fallen, one is alive, and the last has not yet come to reign.[20] But when he does come, he will be allowed to reign only a short time.[21] Regarding the beast that was and is not, it is actually an eighth ruler[22] that springs from the seven and goes away into eternal destruction.[23] The ten horns you saw stand for ten kings who have not yet ascended to power, but they will be invested with royal authority for a single hour and will reign together with the beast.[24] These come together for one purpose and one purpose alone: to yield their power and authority to the beast. Together they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will be victorious over them because He is the Lord over all lords and the King over all kings; and those who stand with Him are called, elect, and faithful.
(continuing to speak to me) The waters you saw, where the whore is seated, represent the peoples and multitudes, ethnicities and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will despise the whore[25]; they will make her a wasteland and strip her naked.[26] They will gorge themselves on her flesh and incinerate her with fire.[27] For God has placed in their hearts to do what He has purposed, that is, to become one in mind and to surrender their kingdoms over to the beast until the words of God accomplish their end. 18 And the woman you saw—she is the great city that rules over the kings[28] of the earth.[29]
Next I saw another messenger descending from heaven. I knew he possessed great authority because his glory illuminated the earth. Heavenly Messenger (with a powerful voice): Fallen, fallen, is Babylon[30] the great city![31]It has become a habitat for demons, A haunt for every kind of foul spirit, a prison for every sort of unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk deeply from the wine of the wrath of her immorality, And the kings of the earth have disgraced themselves by engaging in gross sexual acts with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown fat and rich, profiting off the power purchased with her luxury.
Then I heard another voice from heaven urge, “My people, get away from her—fast.[32] Make sure you do not get caught up in her sins. Put some distance between you so that you do not share in her plagues, for her sins are higher than the highest mountain. They reach far into the heavens, and God has not forgotten even one of her missteps.” Deal out to her what she has dealt out to others, and repay her double according to her deeds.[33] In the cup where she mixed her drink, mix her a double. Whatever glory she demanded and whatever luxury she lived, give back to her the same measure in torment and sorrow.
Secretly she says in her heart: “I rule as queen; I am not like a widow;[34]
I will never experience grief.”[35] Because of this arrogance, in a single day, plagues will overwhelm her. Her portion will be death and sorrow and famine, and she will be incinerated with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who exacts judgment on her. And the kings of the earth, who committed lewd, sexual acts and lived lavishly off of her, will weep and wail over their loss when they see the smoke from her burning body rise into the sky. They will stand at a distance, fearing they, too, might fall victim to her torment. They will moan,Woe to you, our great city! Babylon, the most powerful city in the world. In a single hour, your day of judgment has come. And the merchants and the magnates of the earth weep and mourn over her demise because no one is buying their goods any longer:[36] warehouses remain full of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine fabrics, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant woods, items made of ivory, and items finely crafted out of expensive wood; bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, rich flour, and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and human cargo (the trafficked souls of humanity).[37]
Everything your heart desired has gone away; All the glitz and glitter are lost to you forever; you’ll never have them again! The sellers of these goods, who made a fine profit from her, will stand at a distance. Like the kings, they will fear her punishment might fall on them too. They will weep and mourn their loss. Woe to you, our great city, dressed in finest linens, in purple and scarlet fabrics, dazzling in gold and jewels and pearls. In a single hour, all this wealth is gone. And all the sea captains, all those who sail the seas, sailors, and those who make a living by the sea, stood at a distance. Strong men were reduced to tears as they gazed on the smoke that rose from her ruins. “Was there ever any city like her?” they asked. They threw dust in the air covering their heads. They wept bitterly and mourned their loss. Woe to you, our great city; all who had ships at sea became rich off your wealth! In a single hour, you have been utterly ruined.[38]
Rejoice over her torment, O heaven. Join in the celebration, you saints, emissaries, and prophets because God has judged in your favor and against her. Then a mighty messenger picked up a huge stone—it looked like a great millstone—and he cast it into the sea.[39] Mighty Messenger: Watch and see. This is how Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down; violently will she go down, and they will search for her in vain. Never again will the sound of music grace your streets. The melodies and harmonies of the harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never be heard again. And never again will an artisan of any craft be found in your markets, And never again will the grinding of the millstone provide rhythm to your city, And never again will the light of a lamp bring warm light to your houses, And never again will the voices of the bridegroom and bride bring joy to your festivities.[40] For the merchants were the magnates of the earth, and all the nations fell prey to your sorceries.[41] And in her streets the blood of the prophets, saints, and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth,[42] ran freely.[43]
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Here begins my paraphrase/ translation - for better or worse :)
And then one of the seven messengers entrusted with the seven bowls of plagues came over to me. This angel said,“Come, and I will show you the true nature of and God’s judgment on a spiritual prostitute who has seduced all the kings of the earth into the worship of anything but God: money, power, sex, the state, luxury, people, self – anything but God. These empires offer a system of domination that seduces the powerful, partly with the promise of more power, and intoxicates common people with its alluring false promise of security that supposedly comes from increasing prosperity and power.
Everyone who loves this world – it’s almost like they have become drunk on sin, addicted to sin on which it is built. They can’t get enough of it.” My guide carried me to the middle of a vast desert, the place where the church fled to get away from Satan’s attacks.
I saw this spiritual prostitute sitting on a beast splattered with the blood of the saints. This 7-headed beast is all the nations and all the rulers of the world, territorially grand and ideologically expansive, creating a compromised but tantalizing blend of politics and religion, and blasphemously self-promoting its own (alleged) grandeur, making claims about itself that are rightly made only about God.
The woman was wearing a headband (as prostitutes are required to do) covered with the names of all the other gods with whom people had been committing spiritual adultery. The woman appeared beautiful (as all wealthy nations do): she was dressed in stunning robes; she shimmered with gold and jewels and pearls. She looked fine.
But when I looked more closely, I saw that her hand held a golden cup brimming with poison, with abominations. It was frothing over with the spiritual ooze that follows idolatry. On her forehead, right beside her headband, was inscribed her name, solving the mystery about who she was: “Babylon the great, the mother of idolatry and the abominations that defile all the nations of the earth.” Babylon was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those people who refused to deny Jesus even to save their own lives.
When I saw her, I was astonished and confused. My guide said, “Let me explain. The beast you saw is all nations that rise up against God - past and present and future. They arise from Satan’s domain and will return to it in the end. Jesus’ resurrection has ensured their final defeat, but until then they have life, even thought their death is sure. Those who love earthly nations and worldviews – those whose names have not been inscribed in the book of life - will be mesmerized by all these nations. They will love the greed, exploitation, luxury and idolatry Babylon has to offer them.
Even though Babylon is seated in power on all of these nations past, present and future, they are all temporary. They all rise only to fall. None of them can last forever. The last of these nations are not yet here, but when they arrive, they will (like the others) be powerful for a limited time as they appear to rule the world. These nations of the world have one purpose and one purpose alone: to worship and serve the idolatrous goals of the beast. Together they will make war on God and His Kingdom, but Jesus - the Lamb who was slain - will be victorious over them. He is the Lord over all lords and the King over all kings; His called, elect, and faithful will stand with Him.
The waters you saw represent the peoples and multitudes, ethnicities and languages. And the prostitute, Babylon, is a worldview of systemic evil that seduces and then rules over the kings of the earth. But they will eventually plunder and shame her. They will all consume themselves; their sin will spark a fire of judgment and reap an inferno. For God has placed in their hearts to do what He has purposed, that is, to become one in mind and to surrender their kingdoms to evil until the words of God accomplish their end. Remarkably, the idolatrous nations end up undermining the very powers, riches, and privileges they sought. This is how false worship always ends: it is self-destructive through overindulgence and unrestrained oppression and violence.
When another messenger descended from heaven, I knew he possessed great authority because his glory illuminated the earth. He said with a powerful voice: “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great city! The systems the world held in awe have now become a lifeless wilderness, a habitat for demons and foul spirits, a home for everything unclean and hateful.” This is because all the nations have drunk deeply from the intoxicating wine of violence and greed, and are paying the price. All the nations have disgraced themselves by joining this idolatry as they were bought with power and enslaved withluxury. The buyers and sellers of decadence and oppression have grown gluttonous, and rich, and cruel.
Then I heard another voice from heaven say, “My people – followers of the Lamb - get away from Babylon and her nations—fast. Do not get caught up in her sins. Put distance between you so that you do not share in her judgment, because her sins are higher than the highest mountain. They reach far into the heavens like smoke rises from an inferno, and God has not forgotten even one of her missteps. God will deal out to her what she has dealt out to others, and repay her double according to her deeds. In the cup from which she poured our violence and misery, God will mix her a double. Whatever glory she demanded and in whatever luxury she lived, she will get back the same measure in the torment of justice and the sorrow of guilt and shame that follows sin.
Secretly she says in her heart: “I rule as a powerful queen; my lovers will never leave me and take away my luxury; I will never experience the grief of loss and need.” Her addiction to power and comfort leads to arrogant self-sufficiency; the desire to avoid suffering leads to corruption, as anything can be done to keep what she has. Because of this arrogance, judgment will take her by surprise and overwhelm her. Her life will turn into death and sorrow, and her plenty to famine, and all that she gloried in will disappear like trash incinerated with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who exacts judgment on her.
And the kings of the earth, her political lovers who committed vile spiritual idolatry with her and lived lavishly off of her, will mourn over their loss when they see the extent of her collapse. But... they will stand at a distance. They only loved her for what she could do for them. They will be full of fear that they, too, might fall victim to the same torment. They will moan, “Woe to you, our great city! Babylon, the most powerful city in the world! Your day of judgment has crashed down on you.”
And as the economy crashes, and luxury and indulgence disappear, the merchants – the buyers and sellers of things and people - will weep and mourn over her demise. All their stuff will count as nothing. It will be useless. Warehouses of luxury goods consumed in acts of conspicuous consumption will remain full of unused and useless gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine fabrics, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant woods, items made of ivory, and items finely crafted out of expensive wood; bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, and frankincense.
Staples that people need to live - wine, olive oil, flour, and wheat – staples imported in such massive and unnecessary quantities that they left others malnourished and starving - these will be gone. The money and power that follow cattle, sheep, horses, chariots will dry up. Worst is their human cargo- the trafficked bodies and souls of defenseless humanity used, abused and treated like commodities. This, too, will end.
The empire’s elites once got rich and indulgent at the expense of the rest of the empire and indeed the world; now, everything their hearts desire has gone away; all the glitz and glitter are lost forever. The sellers of these goods, who made a fine profit from selling them to Babylon, will stand at a distance. Like the kings, they will fear her punishment might fall on them too. They will weep and mourn the loss of the city that made their extravagance possible. “Woe to you, our great city, dressed in finest linens, in purple and scarlet fabrics, dazzling in gold and jewels and pearls. Your empire of wealth has collapsed.”
And all the movers and shakers of this oppressive economic system that abused and consumed things and people alike will keep their distance as well. Men thought of as strong (by beastly standards) will be reduced to tears as they gaze on the smoke that rose from her ruins. “Was there ever such a glorious human city like this one?” they will ask as they weep bitterly and mourn their loss.“Woe to you, our great city; all who trafficked things and people became so rich off your wealth! Now, you have crumbled.”
But these economic and political titans of the earth? They were deceived and corrupted. All the nations fell prey to Babylon’s poisonous seduction. And it was in Babylon’s streets that people paid the price: the blood of the prophets, saints – indeed, all whose lives have been pillaged - ran freely. Empires will eventually resort to anything necessary, including lethal violence, to silence the pro-God, counter-cultural witness of the faithful. Their economic, physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering filled the gutters of the cruel world.
O heaven, rejoice when you see justice roll down, because it means God has been victorious. Join in the celebration, you saints, emissaries, and prophets because God has judged in favor of the followers of the Lamb and against the followers of Babylon and Rome.
Then a mighty messenger picked up what looked like a huge millstone and he cast it into the sea. The messenger said, “Watch and see. This is how Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down; violently will she go down, and they will never find her again. Do you remember when Jeremiah prophesied God’s judgment on Jerusalem? It will happen again, but this time to the Babylons of the world: No more celebratory music, because there will be nothing to celebrate; no more marketplace hubs of community life, there is no community when there is no unity; food and fuel will be scarce, as consumers and hoarders and users care only for themselves; even the closest of human relationships will fall by the wayside. And thus Babylon will fall.
Empires often eventually die of self-inflicted wounds; their subjects revolt and destroy the very thing that has empowered them; this reversal is, in a very real sense, the judgment of God. [44]
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The “Babylon/Rome” societies mentioned in Scripture have certain common characteristics:
Overabundance, and luxury accumulated at the expense of others (Jer 51:13; Eze 16:13, 49; Na 2:9; Rev 18:3, 7, 16-17). It’s when the love of money becomes the root of all kinds of evil: exploitation, greed, the commodification of people.
Arrogance, self-trust and boastfulness (Isa 14:12-14; Jer 50:31; Eze 16:15, 50, 56; 27:3; 28:5; cf. Rev 18:7). Even the most powerful nations who say, “I rule the world,” and whom people say, “Who is like her?” are going to fall.
The use of power and violence against God’s image bearers and children (Jer 51:35, 49; Eze 23:37; Na 3:1-3; cf. Rev 18:10, 24). Ninevah was judged for violence against image bearers; Egypt for violence against God’s people. All the spilled blood of the innocent cries out to God.[45]
Oppression and injustice (Isa 14:4; Eze 16:49; 28:18; cf. Rev 18:5, 20). Unfair courts, corrupt legal, political and economic systems.
Idolatry (Jer 51:47; Eze 16:17, 36; 23:7, 30, 49; Na 1:14; cf. Rev 17:4-5; 18:3; 19:2)[46]Think specifically of emperor worship (as we saw in the 7 letters) which tried to make Christ subservient to Caesar. Nations will seek to make the state or its political leaders the source of hope and trust, the thing that demands our allegiance even if it puts us at odds with our faith.
In summary: We see an arrogant international economic power with clients around the world, hostile to the path and people of God, engaged in the uncontrolled pursuit of luxury, with commerce that even includes trading in human beings, and with a willingness to use violence and exploitation to keep its comfort and power. That’s…all nations, given enough time.[47]
Revelation is a sustained stripping of the sacred from secular power—military, political, economic—and a parallel sustained recognition of God and the Lamb as the rightful bearers of sacred claims. [48] Revelation is a summons to uncivil worship and witness.
John is calling followers of Jesus to choose allegiance to Babylon or to Christ. We choose either Heavenly Kingdom or Earthly Empire. Christians must “come out” – that is, withdraw their support of and participation in – from any nation, party or leader who demands an almost worshipful loyalty and adulation. The Cross must always stand higher than the flag.[49]
Let’s pull from today’s headlines just to see the timelessness of John’s warning. The Jerusalem Post published an article this week that I think is worth noting. It’s called “Ukrainian religious leaders liken Putin to anti-Christ, Hitler.”[50]
The spokesman of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine had harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin calling him the anti-Christ and likening him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. “Putin is really not messiah, but really anti-Christ of our current time,” Yevstratiy Zoria, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, said on the BBC Global News Podcast. “He is anti-Christ because everything what he does, everything what he do now, is totally against gospel, against God’s law.”Zoria’s statement followed that of Metropolitan Epiphanius I of Ukraine who said on Sunday that “the spirit of the anti-Christ operates in the leader of Russia.”
“The spirit of the antichrist operates in the leader of Russia, the signs of which the Scriptures reveal to us: pride, devotion to evil, ruthlessness, false religiosity. This was Hitler during World War II. This is what Putin has become today.” While these statements serve to highlight a religious conflict between the Orthodox churches of Russia and Ukraine, Putin – though seemingly secular – has not shied away from using religion in his political quests. In his latest nonfiction book, Enemies and Allies, Evangelical author Joel C. Rosenberg explored how religion factors into Putin’s politics.
“Putin… claims to be a Christian, occasionally attends the Russian Orthodox Church, poses for photo ops with Orthodox priests, and refers in speeches to the church and its importance in Russian life more than any Russian leader since the days of the czars. But there is no evidence that he has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or that the teaching of the Bible actually shapes or guides his actions. Rather, the evidence suggests Putin is playing on the deep cultural and nationalistic affection the Russian people have for the Russian Orthodox Church to advance his popularity and political power."
[An article] in The Heritage Foundation argued that “Putin often invokes the Russian Orthodox Church in his public speeches, giving the church a much more prominent place in Russian political life than under his predecessors. But these invocations hardly seem sincere in the religious sense. Rather, he has used the church to justify Russian expansion...” Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines [noted] that Putin has been encouraged by the Russian Orthodox Church to invade Ukraine. The Church, he said, has bought into the "mythology," which Putin believes, that Russia and Ukraine belong together – Ukraine is a fake country.
Or, from Christianity Today, in an article entitled “Hundreds of Russian Pastors Oppose War In Ukraine.”
Ukrainian evangelicals have had enough. Battered by a week of war, they have heard numerous prayers for peace uttered by their Russian colleagues. But they did not hear condemnation. “Your unions have congratulated Putin, giving thanks for freedom of belief,” said Taras Dyatlik, the Overseas Council regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “The time has come to make use of that freedom.”
“Remember Mordechai and Esther,” he wrote March 1 in an open letter. “Do not be like Jehoshaphat, who entered into an alliance with Ahab, and was silent when God spoke through the prophet Micaiah.” Dyatlik accused his Russian colleagues of buying into national rhetoric—first in 2014, when Russian-backed forces invaded the eastern region of Donbas—and again today. But “begging on my knees,” he leveraged his reputation with the heads of Russia’s evangelical unions—while acknowledging their difficult reality. “You fear prison,” he said. “[But] do not be faithful to Putin. Be faithful to the body of Christ.”
Oh, friends. We must be careful. The Russian church is not uniquely susceptible to this kind of deception. Christians who were, and are, and are to come will live in Babylons that look good, but in whose hand is a bowl full of abominations. Russian Christians are not unique in being deceived by how national leaders paint the world; Russian Christians are no unique in needing to fight the tendency to compromise for the sake of economic, physical or spiritual comfort. Russian Christians are not unique in tarnishing their legacy over the pursuit of or alignment with state power. This is as old as Revelation.
"Come out of her, my people."
(Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6-9; Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17).
Christians are to flee, to separate themselves ideologically and spiritually from all the forms of Babylon. If we "share in her sins," we will share in her sufferings. This warning is addressed to professing Christians. We must be wise.[51] I want to talk next week about how we do this pointedly and purposefully. I leave you with this as prep.
The task of a witness is to speak courageously in word and deed, testifying to the truth of God and prophesying against all falsehood that distorts and parodies divine truth.
Witnesses offer testimony to the vision of God given them in the hope that others will repent from error and turn to the truth, but their success is measured, not by the quantity of their converts, but by the steadfastness of their testimony.
This suggests that the church should be missional and prophetic, a martyrological community, a gathering of witnesses. Such a calling is difficult and dangerous, but it carries with it the promise of God’s protection in the present and God’s reward in the future.[52]
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[1] 1 John 2:16
[2] Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael Gorman
[3] “Many believe that chapter 17 describes religious Babylon and chapter 18 the commercial aspect.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)
[4] Jezebel in 2:20–23 was a key seducer akin to Babylon the prostitute (2:21, 22; cf. 17:2). In the Bible, harlotry frequently symbolizes apostasy and idolatry (see Is 1:21; 23:15; Jer 13:25–27; Ezk 16; Hos 4:12; Nah 3:4). (Orthodox Study Bible) “The best background for understanding the language of the chapter is… the descriptions of Jerusalem as the harlot in Eze 16 and 23 and Babylon as the harlot in Jer 51.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[5] Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute. Introduces the theme of ch. 17 and contrasts with 21:9(“Come, I will show you the bride”). (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)
[6] “Some Jewish prophecies complain about Rome’s drunken weddings with her suitors, the kings of the East she was seducing.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[7] “Both the kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth are seduced into committing spiritual adultery with Babylon. The indication is that she made them drunk with power, material possessions, false worship, and pride.” (NKJV Study Bible)
[8] “Nineveh, the capital of the evil Assyrian empire, seduced the nations with her prostitution and witchcraft (Nah 3.4)” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[9] Seducing the nations into idolatry, likely through the empty promise of political power and especially economic gain (cf. 18:2–19) (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)
[10] “Because Babylon is the city responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem’s first temple in 586 b.c., John uses this ominous symbol to describe the Babylon of his day—Rome, the city on seven hills… Its beauty and power are legendary, but beneath the surface lies the truth of its nature. What Rome represents in John’s day has been replicated by many different world powers and their material attractions.” (The Voice Commentary)
[11] Why in the desert, when she usually sits on many waters? “Since the woman who gave birth to the Child-Ruler fled into the wilderness as a place of protection (12:6, 14), perhaps Babylon here is seen as being in league with the dragon and the beast as they ferociously pursue God’s people (12:13–16).” (NKLV Study Bible) On the other hand, Believer’s Bible Commentary thinks this is an apostate church. Primasius said it was “the absence of God, for his presence is paradise.”
[12] “Full of blasphemous names.” These are spiritual competitors, the names of the gods and the other nations. (Michael Heisser)
[13] “Gentiles often personified their homeland as a woman, or the city as a wealthy goddess enthroned beside a river.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[14] Jeremiah 51:7
[15] “Roman law stated harlots must wear headbands exhibiting their name. This great harlot bears the mysterious name of BABYLON . . . MOTHER OF HARLOTS. For the late-first-century Christians, Babylon was incarnate in Rome (see 1Pt 5:13), but it is primarily a spiritual reality, a “mystery,” transcending concrete manifestations. (Orthodox Study Bible)
[16] Condemnations of Babylon and Tyre (Jer. 50; 51; Ezek. 27) (ESV Reformation Study Bible)
[17] “The play here on the tenses "was . . . is not . . . will come" refers to a three-stage history of the beast… That John's beast "is not" refers to his defeat by the Lamb on Calvary (cf. Jn 12:31-32)… all other gods are nothing or nonexistent (1Co 8:4-6). Satan once had unchallenged power over the earth ("was," cf. Lk 4:6; Heb 2:14-15). Yet he is given a "little time" to oppose God and his people (12:12c; 13:5; 20:3b) before his final sentencing to "destruction" (v.11; cf. Mt 7:13; Jn 17:12; Ro 9:22; 2Th 2:3). It is this apparent revival of Satan's power and authority over the world after his mortal wound (Ge 3:15) that causes the deceived of earth to follow him.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[18] “An ancient seal showing a seven-headed chaos monster being slain illustrates John's imagery. In that scene, the monster is being slain by a progressive killing of its heads. Four of the heads are dead…Yet the chaos monster is still active because three heads still live. Similarly, John's message is that five of the monster's heads are already defeated (12:11). One head is now active, thus showing the reality of the beast's contemporary agents who afflict the saints; and one head remains, indicating that the battle will soon be over but not with the defeat of the contemporary evil agents. “(Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[19] Ancient writers commonly referred to Rome as the city on seven hills. However, “In the seven other instances in Revelation, the word for "hills" here is always rendered "mountains," which are world powers (Isa 2:2; Jer 51:25; Da 2:35; Zec 4:7). It seems better, then, to interpret the seven mountains as a reference to the seven heads or kings, which describe not the city but the beast.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[20] “Seven mountains may also refer to successive world empires (see Ps. 30:7; Jer. 51:25; Dan. 2:44, 45).“ (NKJV Study Bible)
[21] “These five may be the first five Roman emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar with the being Nero. The five might simply represents an indefinite number of previous persecuting states, with the sixth indicating Christians are near the end.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)
[22] So much speculation here. Most agree: it’s the final ruler before God wraps up history.
[23] “Of the three stages of the beast—was, is not, will come—only the last is related to his coming "up out of the Abyss" (v.8)… Christ has killed the monster by his death (Ge 3:15; Rev 12:7-9) and for believers he "is not" (has no power), yet the beast still has life ("one is" [v.10]) and will attempt one final battle… and will give the appearance that he is alive and in control of the world (cf. Lk 4:5-7). That beast belongs to the seven qualitatively (he is of the same quality)." (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[24] “The number “ten” goes back through v. 7 and 13:1 to Dan. 7:7, 24… the beast has characteristics of all four of Daniel’s beasts.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible) “May designate the ten provincial governors of Rome, Rome’s client kings from conquered territories, or the “the kings of the earth” (v. 18; cf. 16:14)” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)
[25] “A prostitute’s former lovers might betray her (Lam 1.2), strip her (Ezek 16.39; 23.26–29) or even kill her (Jer 4.30). In the OT God stripped his people (Jer 13.22, 26–27; Ezek 16.37), Nineveh (Nah 3.5) and Babylon (Isa 47.3)” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[26] “Evil will turn against evil as the beast and its “ten horns” will destroy Babylon, the idolatrous economic system that supports them. They despise, shamefully expose, and burn Babylon (cf. Isa 47:1–14), which also recalls the judgment against apostate Israel (cf. Ezek 16:35–42; 23:28–30).” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)
[27] “The lesson from Roman times can be generalized: idolatrous states end up destroying the very powers, riches, privileges, and people that they originally supported. False worship is self-destructive.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)
[28] “By this period people in the empire spoke of Rome as the city that ruled land and sea to the ends of the earth.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[29] “When John’s prophecy will be fulfilled, an amazing thing will happen: The harlot will be made desolate by the very system that carried her.” (NKJV Wiersbe Study Bible)
[30] “’Babylon’ means ‘confusion’…It signifies people who are arrogant, robbers, dissolute and impious, and who persevere in their wickedness.” Caesarius of Arles
[31] Likely inspired by Is 13:19–22; 34:11–15
[32] “Separation is a refusal to participate in the works of darkness (2Co 6:14–18).” (Orthodox Study Bible)
[33] Double payment was exacted from a thief (Ex 22.4, 7, 9), and from God’s people (Isa 40.2; Jer 16.18). Babylon would drink from “the cup she mixed” (cf. Rev 14.8–10; Isa 51.22–23; Jer 50.29; Ob 15). (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[34] See Isaiah 47 for background imagery here.
[35] Babylon's sin is described as satiety ("luxury"), pride ("boasts, I sit as a queen"), and avoidance of suffering ("I will never mourn"). Luxury leads to boastful self-sufficiency (Eze 28:5); the desire to avoid suffering leads to the dishonest pursuit of luxury (Eze 28:18).
[36] This is Roman merchandise. (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[37] “Most items on the list are luxury goods, symbols of conspicuous consumption; some are basic staples, such as wheat, but imported in such massive quantities that residents of Rome ate free while many peasants in Egypt, where much of the grain was grown, were malnourished. The list climaxes with “human lives” sold as slaves (v. 13)—the gravest injustice of the empire (cf. Deut 24.7)… Rome’s rich indulged themselves at the expense of the rest of the empire.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[38] Reminscent of Eze 27, a lamentation over the fall of Tyre.
[39] “God commanded Jeremiah to hurl a stone into the middle of the Euphrates to symbolize the permanent fall of Babylon (Jer 51.63–64). Revelation amplifies the image as a millstone thrown into the sea, probably recalling Jesus’ warning in Mark 9.42 and Luke 17.2.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[40] “When God judged Judah by means of Babylon, Jerusalem became desolate, without lighted lamps or the sounds of millstones or the joyful sound of newlyweds (Jer 25.10; cf. Jer 16.9). Now Babylon reaps what it sowed.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[41] Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh mentions “the prostitute, gracefully alluring, mistress of sorcery, who enslaves nations through her debaucheries and peoples through her sorcery” (Nah 3.4).
[42] “The great sin of Babylon is cited. She has martyred the prophets and followers of Jesus. John has already mentioned this blood-guiltiness (17:6; cf. 19:2). Elsewhere the death of martyrs is attributed to "the inhabitants of the earth" (6:10), the "beast that comes up from the Abyss" (11:7, 13:7), and the "beast, coming out of the earth" (13:15). In v.24 "the blood . . . of all who have been killed on the earth" refers to all those who have been martyred because of their loyalty to the true God. Once again, in John's mind, Babylon the Great encompasses all the persecution against the servants of God until his words are fulfilled (cf. 17:17).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[43] Note also the many allusions to Jer. 50; 51and Ezek. 27.
[44] Several paragraphs from Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman, were woven into this.
[45] Deuteronomy 32:33
[46] This list from NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
[47] Dragons, John, and Every Grain of Sand: Essays on the Book of Revelation. Edited by Shane wood.
[48] Ibid
[49] Asbury Bible Commentary
[50] https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-699171
[51] Expositor’s Bible Commentary
[52] Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael Gorman