10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, a‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! bFor in one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “And athe merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12amerchandise 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 asouls of men.
14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have1 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, athat great city bthat was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17aFor in one hour such great riches1 came to nothing.’ bEvery shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance
18aand cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, b‘What is like this great city?’
19a“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! bFor in one hour she is made desolate.’
20a“Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you1 holy apostles and prophets, for bGod has avenged you on her!”
Finality of Babylon’s Fall
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, a“Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and bshall not be found anymore.
Revelation 18 is not describing a church, but a city/nation involved in massive, worldwide merchandising, shipping, and manufacturing. It is a prophetic picture of globalism. What church has sufficient economic power that, when it ceases to exist, worldwide trade quickly comes to a grinding halt, throwing hardheaded businessmen into a panic? Except possibly as an investor, the Catholic Church has never been involved in manufacturing. Revelation 18 provides no information whatsoever tying the Woman riding the Beast to religion.
The merchants, who gained wealth and perverse pleasures from this world's system of religion and commerce, cry and lament because it satiated their greed for materialistic acquisition and their lust for self-pleasure. As the Babylonian system incorporates every expression of corrupt government, so its prostitution includes every corrupt economic system and idolatry. Even human beings are reduced to cargo, traded as slaves to drive the engines of production, prosperity, and sinful pleasures.
Sadly, the modern descendants of Israel have promoted and become part of this self-serving, perverse world system. Sin inevitably brings its own punishment, and there are always consequences to disobedience. Thus, when today's Israelites go into captivity in the last days, they will have no excuse for their sin and no freedom whatsoever.
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