Songs are often written and/or sung to
commemorate/celebrate/reflect on certain life events. Think of all the breakup
songs there are in country and pop music today, all the party songs that get
people on the dance floor, or those songs of remembrance that have us thinking
about bygone eras. Each of these songs has an intended purpose—some happy and
some sad. Interestingly, there are many songs in the Book of Revelation that
serve specific purposes. Today and next week we are going to look at two of
them. First up is a sad song of lament sung by the world as it anticipates the
fall of Babylon the Great. This song is sung in Revelation 18:9-24 as two
reactions are given to the destruction of the coming world order. It is my
prayer that as we hear this pathetic tune, we will, as God’s people, find
reason to rejoice that the same fate lamented in this passage by citizens of
the world is not the destiny reserved for us who are in Christ.
a. REACTION #1: The
Sad Song of the World-18:9-20
Prior to the events
that will lead to the end of the world as we know it, those belonging to the
fallen system will see the writing on the wall and mourn their imminent loss.
The first to sing their sad song are the “kings of the earth, who committed acts
of immorality and lived sensuously with her”—i.e. those who traded a meaningful
relationship with Christ for trysts with the things/personalities of the world.
These “will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning” (18:9).
It is important to recognize both with the song of the kings and the merchants
that these are not manifestations of repentance. They are saddened that their source
of power and wealth is now destroyed. While they ought to be broken over how
their sin has grieved the heart of God and incurred his wrath, they are upset
first and foremost by how God’s judgment has inhibited their personal source of
power. Instead of subjecting themselves to the true sovereign of the universe,
they grieve that their own sovereignty is thrown into jeopardy.
In addition to be
upset by a loss of power, the “kings” are terrified at the fate of the capitol
and, in an effort to escape the same punishment, these are shown “standing at a
distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the strong city!’…” Though these kings recognize that the hour of
judgment has come for Babylon—“for in one hour your judgment has come’”—little to
do they know that their fate is connected to this powerhouse and they will soon
experience the same.
The swiftness of the
judgment (in one hour) on a regime called “Babylon” (the coming world order) is
parallel to the fate of the Babylon of the Old Testament in Daniel 5. There, a
celebration of idolatry and licentiousness is interrupted by a supernatural
message via a floating hand that inscribes a message on the plaster wall of the
palace. The message, interpreted by Daniel, spelled swift judgment for a regime
that had forgotten Daniel’s God and, as Daniel puts it “that same night,
Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain” (Daniel 5:30). Here, an idolatrous and
immoral world power is handed the same quick fate and, at least in this
context, the kings are able to recognize the writing on the wall.
Not only do the
kings mourn the loss, so do the merchants—i.e. those benefiting economically
from the world’s system. The text reads as follows: “And the merchants of the
earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more—cargoes
of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and
silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory an d
every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, and
cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive
oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and
chariots and slaves and human lives. The fruit you long for has gone from you,
and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and
men will no longer find them,…” (18:11-14). The list of cargo mentioned here is
teaming with historically significant connotations. These products were very
expensive and affordable only to the wealthy of Roman society in the first
century (when this was written). In fact, the immediate context to which this
book was sent (Asia minor) was one of the richest provinces in the ancient Roman
empire and exported many of these products throughout Rome. The indictment
being made here in Revelation is therefore an indictment on excessive
materialism and affluence of a world that seeks to serve itself at any cost—trading
what is of lasting value (righteousness in Christ) for what is only of
temporary significance (the things of this world).
Some of the more interesting commodities mentioned in the list
include “slaves and human lives” (18:13). In the first century, slaves, most of
whom were men, numbered about 10,000,000—approximately 20% of the population of
the empire (Wilson, SIBBC, 351). Slavery looked very different in Rome than
it did in the history of the United States. Slavery was often entered into
voluntarily to pay a debt and was a temporary condition that people could work
their way out of. The prediction here in Revelation 18 reveals that in the
future, people will be economically enslaved to the coming world order—a regime
that controls every aspect of the lives of its citizens and trades people and their
skills like commodities to serve its nefarious purposes.
Like the kings mentioned
earlier, “the merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand
at a distance because of the fear of her
torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was
clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and
precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid
waste!’...” (18:15-17a). Again, as with the kings, the sadness of these
merchants is not at their sin and how they’ve scammed the system and exploited
people to get rich; it is that their cash cow is being taken away. Swift
judgment will, like a massive stock market crash, devalue the wealth of the
world, leaving no buyers left to make these merchants rich.
The shipmasters,
sailors, and passengers join in on the lament of these merchants in verses
17b-19-“And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as
make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they
saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’…” Accompanying
their cries is the expression of their distress—“and they threw dust on their
heads” (Rev. 18:18). This is a sign of acute mourning/grief in the Old
Testament (often accompanied with rolling in ashes) (see Josh. 7:6; Ezek. 27:30).
What is fueling this dramatic display of displeasure is again revealed in verse
19 “Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by
her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’…”. These merchants are grieved that the wealth of
the world that made them rich is gone.
As the merchants,
sailors, and others concede the defeat of their 401Ks and nest eggs, another voice
interrupts the pathetic song with “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints
and you apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you
against her’…” (18:20). When the fallen world mourns, God people can rejoice.
After all, saints, apostles, and prophets are not of this fallen world and look
forward to a new world to come. Because the fate of God’s people are not
connected to the world as it currently exists, they do not mourn as the rest of
the world does when its institutions are dismantled. Instead, they rejoice,
knowing that just around the corner, there is a better reality awaiting them.
b. REACTION #2: The
Proclamation of the Strong Angel-18:21-24
Following the reaction
of the world’s sympathizers is a proclamation given by “a strong angel.” This
proclamation begins with a concrete illustration of what the fall of Babylon will
look like. “Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and
threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down
with violence, and will not be found any longer,’…” (18:21). The violence of
the act symbolizes the violence with which Babylon will be destroyed (see
Jeremiah 51:63-64 for a similar demonstration). Babylon’s fall, still future, will
come by means of two separate but related events: the civil war already described
in 17:16 in which the Antichrist will consolidate absolute power over the world
order, and in the final destruction at the return of Christ in Revelation
19:11-21. These two events will sink Babylon in the abyss of history, much as
the millstone thrown by the angel, no doubt, sunk in the sea.
Though the city will
be, at its height, a veritable metropolis teaming with activity, affluence, and
attention—not unlike New York, Dubai, or London today—once this future Babylon
falls this angel reveals “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players
and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any
craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be
heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any
longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any
longer;…” (18:22-23a). The lack of music suggests that there is no longer
anything to celebrate (as all celebrations centered on the world’s successes
and that world has failed). The absence of craftsman and the silence of the
mill suggests that there is nothing to work for (because there is no one left
who can afford what is produced). The darkness that envelopes the once well-lit
and gleaming district is indicative of the spiritual and existential darkness
that characterizes this place and its citizens. While the millstone was heard
during the regular workday, the lamp indicated life at night. Here, both the
day life and night life of this coming world power has ceased (Osborne, Revelation,
657). Additionally, people are no longer giving themselves in marriage as
they know time on the earth is short. Ultimately, this ominous presentation
indicates that “the normal activities of life—music, work, and marriage—will forever
disappear from the streets of Babylon” (Wilson, ZIBBC, 352). Very suddenly,
what was the center of the world will become a ghost town, making what was seen
at Pompeii after the eruption of Vesuvius look like practice.
After proclaiming
the fate of Babylon, the “strong angel” outlines the reasons for this in verses
23b-24—“for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations
were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and
of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth,…”. In ancient courts,
crimes were always read aloud as the sentence was carried out. Following this
custom (and in addition to those crimes already listed in places like 18:2-3, 7),
the angel spells out against exactly what charges are being punished. First, “your
merchants were the great men of the earth.” This summarizes the emphasis on
wealth, luxury, and greed already mentioned in the chapter (Osborne, Revelation,
658). Second, “all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.” This context
uses “sorcery” figuratively to describe the demonic deception behind the mass
buy in to the world in general, its leadership in particular, and the Antichrist
most specifically. For instance, earlier, the false trinity was described as
having “deceived” the nations (see 12:9; 13:14) into worshiping the beast. This
is no surprise as the Scripture frequently connects idolatry to demonic
influence (see Deut. 32:16-17; Ps. 106:35-37; 1 Cor. 10:20). The third
indictment brought against Babylon is the murder of the saints—“And in her was
found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the
earth,…” (18:24). Accentuated in its own separate independent clause and the sudden
move from 2nd to 3rd person, this is what grieves God
most—that the wicked world would seek to destroy his people and anyone made in
his image. So much life has been lost during this period and what was dealt by
this corrupt world system will now be dealt to her.
So What?
The sad song of the
world and the proclamation of the strong angel in this passage illustrate something
very important: the world stands to lose everything in its focus on material
possessions and temporal sources of strength. Thankfully, there is another way
to live that is not dependent on fleeting things. There is another kind of
security that is not limited to whomever controls whatever government is
currently in power. Psalm 20:7-9 reads “Some trust in chariots and some in
horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They
are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord,
give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” In what are you
placing your trust today? What kind of song will you be singing when what is
prophesied in Revelation comes to pass? Will you be mourning the loss of your assets
or will you be rejoicing in the hope of victory?
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