Revelation 18

King James Version

Full text for Revelation Chapter 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.

2And 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.

3For 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.

4And 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.

5For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

6Reward 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.

7How 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.

8Therefore 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.

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,

10Standing 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.

11And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

12The 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,

13And 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.

14And 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.

15The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16And 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!

17For 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,

18And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What [city is] like unto this great city!

19And 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.

20Rejoice over her, [thou] heaven, and [ye] holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

21And 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.

22And 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;

23And 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.

24And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

A mighty angel proclaims the catastrophic fall of Babylon the Great, declaring her a habitation for evil spirits due to her widespread spiritual fornication and the enrichment of earthly merchants. A heavenly voice then commands God's people to depart from her to avoid her sins and impending plagues. Her judgment, swift and severe, is executed by the Lord God, leading to her utter burning.

Medium Summary

Revelation 18 begins with a powerful angel announcing the complete downfall of Babylon the Great, now a desolate place for foul spirits, because all nations, kings, and merchants have engaged in spiritual fornication and grown rich through her luxurious trade. A voice from heaven urges God's people to 'Come out of her' to escape her sins and the plagues destined for her, as her iniquities have reached heaven. Babylon, having glorified herself and lived deliciously, will face sudden death, mourning, famine, and fire. Kings, merchants, and mariners, who benefited from her wealth, lament her swift destruction from afar, mourning the loss of her vast riches and influence. In contrast, heaven, apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice over God's vengeance. The chapter concludes with an angel symbolizing Babylon's violent and permanent overthrow, declaring that all sounds of life and joy will cease within her, for she deceived nations and shed the blood of saints.

Long Summary

Revelation 18 opens with a mighty angel descending from heaven, whose glory illuminates the earth, proclaiming with a strong voice that 'Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.' He declares her to be a habitation for devils and every foul spirit, attributing her downfall to her widespread spiritual fornication with all nations and kings, and her role in enriching the merchants of the earth through her abundant delicacies. A distinct voice from heaven then commands God's people to 'Come out of her,' lest they partake in her sins and receive her impending plagues, for her iniquities have reached unto heaven. The divine instruction is to reward her doubly for her deeds and self-glorification, as she proudly declared herself a queen who would see no sorrow. Consequently, her plagues—death, mourning, famine, and utter burning—will come upon her in a single day, for the Lord God who judges her is strong. The kings of the earth, who shared in her fornication and luxury, will weep and lament from afar, witnessing the smoke of her burning and acknowledging her swift judgment. Similarly, the merchants of the earth will mourn bitterly, for their extensive trade in gold, precious stones, fine linens, spices, beasts, and even 'slaves, and souls of men,' will cease entirely. Shipmasters and mariners also stand afar off, crying out in despair over the sudden desolation of the great city that brought them wealth. In stark contrast, heaven, holy apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice, for God has avenged them upon Babylon. The chapter concludes with a mighty angel casting a great millstone into the sea, symbolizing Babylon's violent and irreversible destruction, declaring that all sounds of music, craft, light, and joy, including the voices of bridegroom and bride, will forever cease within her, for her merchants were great men, and by her sorceries all nations were deceived, and in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Core Concepts

  • Fall of Babylon the GreatAn angel announces the complete and irreversible destruction of Babylon, depicted as a center of spiritual corruption and commercial greed, now a dwelling for evil spirits.
  • Divine JudgmentGod's righteous judgment is executed upon Babylon for her widespread spiritual fornication, self-glorification, and the persecution of saints, resulting in swift and comprehensive plagues.
  • Call to SeparationA voice from heaven urges God's people to 'Come out of her' to avoid partaking in Babylon's sins and receiving her impending plagues, emphasizing the need for spiritual distinction.
  • Lamentations of Earthly PowersKings, merchants, and mariners, who profited from Babylon's luxurious trade and influence, mourn her sudden and complete destruction from afar, recognizing the end of their prosperity.
  • Economic RuinThe chapter details the vast array of merchandise, including human souls, that constituted Babylon's wealth, highlighting the total collapse of her commercial empire and the economic despair of those who traded with her.
  • Finality of DestructionSymbolized by a millstone cast into the sea, Babylon's overthrow is portrayed as absolute and permanent, with all sounds of life, joy, and commerce ceasing forever within her.
  • Vengeance for the SaintsHeaven, apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice over Babylon's destruction, as it represents God's just vengeance for the blood of prophets and saints found within her.