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18
The Fall of Babylon
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was lit up from his splendor. 2 And he cried out with a strong voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and she has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, and a cage for every unclean and detestable bird! 3 For all the 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 have become rich through the wealth of her luxury.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you participate in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 Because her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as also she gave back to you, and pay back double as also she did, and according to her works. In her cup which she mixed, mix for her a double portion. 7 In as many things as she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give to her torment and sorrow; because she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am not a widow, and I shall by no means see sorrow.’ 8 On account of this her plagues will come in one day—death, sorrow, and famine. And she shall be burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who has judged her.
The World Mourns for Babylon
9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her shall weep and mourn over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing from afar on account of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! Because in one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise 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, perfume and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the sumptuous things and the gaudy things have perished from you, and you shall by no means find them no more. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, shall stand at afar on account of the fear of her torment, both weeping and sorrowing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, she who was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and having been gilded with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 Because in one hour such great wealth was laid waste.’ And every captain, and all those sailing along the coast, and sailors, and as many as work on the sea, stood from afar 18 and were crying out, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘Who is like this great city?’
19 “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and sorrowing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, by which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! Because in one hour she was laid waste.’
20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her!”
Finality of Babylon's Fall
21 Then a mighty angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence Babylon the great city shall be cast down, and shall by no means be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, and musicians, and of flutists, and of trumpeters shall by no means be heard in you anymore. And no craftsman of any craft shall by no means be found in you anymore, and the sound of a mill shall by no means be heard in you anymore. 23 And the light of a lamp shall by no means shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and of a bride shall by no means be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the magnates of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those who had been slain on the earth.”

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito