BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: REV 18

REVELATION CHAPTER 18

I) [Rev 18:1-3]:
(Rev 18:1 NASB) "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.

(Rev 18:2 NASB) And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

(Rev 18:3 NASB) For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

A) [Expositer's Bible Commentary On Rev 18:1-3]:

(Rev 18:1 NASB) "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.

(Rev 18:2 NASB) And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

(Rev 18:3 NASB) For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

"4. The fall of Babylon the Great (18:1-24)

Chapter 18 contains the description of the previously announced "judgment" (krima; NIV, "punishment") of the prostitute (17:1). It is important not to separate this chapter from the portrayal of the prostitute in chapter 17, for there is no warrant for making the prostitute in chapter 17 different from the city in chapter 18 (cf. 17:18). Under the imagery of the destruction of the great commercial city, John describes the final overthrow of the great prostitute, Babylon. He is not writing a literal description, even in poetic or figurative language, of the fall of an earthly city, such as Rome or Jerusalem; but in portraying the destruction of a city, he describes God's judgment on the great satanic system of evil that has corrupted the earth's history. Drawing especially from the OT accounts of the destruction of the ancient harlot cities of Babylon (Isa 13:21; 47:7-9; Jer 50-51) and Tyre (Ezek 26-27), John composes a great threnody that might well be the basis of a mighty oratorio. Here in chapters 17-18 is some of the most beautifully cadenced language in the whole book. John combines the song of triumph and the wailing strains of lamentation into a noble funeral dirge (cf. 2Sam 1:17-27; Isa 14:4-21; Lam, in its entirety).

First, there is a kind of prelude in which the whole judgment is proclaimed (vv. 1-3). Then there comes a call for God's people to separate themselves from the city because the divine plagues are about to descend upon her in recompense for her crimes (vv. 4-8). The main movement that expresses the laments for the city's fall is divided into three parts: (1) the lament of the kings of the earth (vv. 9-10), then (2) the lament of the merchants who traded with her (vv. 11-17), and (3) the lament of the sea captains who became rich from the cargoes they took to the city (vv. 18-20). Lastly, the finale sounds the death knell of the life of the city because she deceived the nations and killed God's people (vv. 21-24).

1-3 So magnificent is the event about to be enacted that a dazzling angel of glory bears the divine news. Some interpreters have associated this glory with the shekinah glory that, in Ezekiel's vision, departed from the temple because of the harlotry of the Israelites (Ezek 11:23) but later on returned to the restored temple (Ezek 43:2).

In words very similar to those of the prophets who encouraged the people of God as they faced ancient Babylon, the angel announces that Babylon the Great, Mother of all the earthly prostitute cities, has fallen (cf. Isa 21:9; Jer 51:8 with Rev 14:8; 18:2). Again, in words reminiscent of the judgment announced against ancient Babylon when the city would be inhabited only by detestable creatures and evil spirits (Isa 13:19-22; 34:11; Jer 50:39), John hears the same fate announced for this Mother of prostitutes (v. 2).

"Demons" (daimonion) are associated elsewhere with idolatry (see comments at 9:20 and at 16:14). The "haunt" (phylake) is a watchtower; the evil spirits, watching over fallen Babylon like night birds or harpies waiting for their prey, build their nests in the broken towers that rise from the ashes of the city (Swete). She who was a great city has become a wilderness.

The prostitute city will be judged because of her surfeit of fornication (v. 3). Here the same thought of 17:2 is expanded as we hear echoes of the judgments on ancient Tyre and Babylon (Isa 23:17; Jer 51:7; Rev 14:8). One of the great sins of Babylon was her luxury (strenos; cf. at 18:7, 9). Because wealth may lead to pride, the prophets and John view surfeit as a manifestation of Babylon (Rev 18:7; cf. Ezek 28:4-5, 16-18). The close proximity of fornication with luxury may suggest that there is a fornication with Babylon that not only involves idolatry (cult prostitution) but that may be pride in excessive wealth."

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]:

"Again it is evident that if special, out of the ordinary theological, symbolical, geographical, numerical insights are required to understand the Bible; and since most people do not possess these insights then the Bible is not meant for all men to read and understand; but must depend upon some elite, superior individual(s) to lead / teach / instruct them. But the language in the Bible does include all individuals of accountable age evidently only needing to study it utilizing normal reading / linguistic skills and nothing else

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS]:

. Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."
II) [Rev 18:4-8]:
(Rev 18:4 NASB) "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

(Rev 18:5 NASB) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Rev 18:6 NASB) Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

(Rev 18:7 NASB) To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

(Rev 18:8 NASB) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

A) [Expositer's Bible Commentary On Rev 18:4-8]:
(Rev 18:4 NASB) "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

(Rev 18:5 NASB) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Rev 18:6 NASB) Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

(Rev 18:7 NASB) To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

(Rev 18:8 NASB) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.

"4-8 "Come out of her, my people" forms the burden of Jeremiah's refrain concerning Babylon (Jer 50:8; 51:6-9; cf. Isa 48:20; 52:11; 2Cor 6:17). Even in its OT setting, this was no mere warning to leave the actual city of Babylon, much less here in Revelation. John is burdened to exhort the churches to shun the charms and ensnarements of the queen prostitute (v. 7) as her qualities are manifest in the world they live in.

[Biblestudymanuals Commentary]:
There are no churches nor believers who are Christians, i.e., members of the body of Christ present during this period. Only Temple worship by believers who are Jews and Gentiles is in view. Hence the antichrist presented his image in the Holy of holies in the Temple not the church.

A cont.) [Expositer's Bible Commentary On Rev 18:4-8 cont.]:

( Rev 18:4 NASB) "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

(Rev 18:5 NASB) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Rev 18:6 NASB) Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

(Rev 18:7 NASB) To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

(Rev 18:8 NASB) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong."

"Wherever there are idolatry, prostitution, self-glorification, self-sufficiency, pride, complacency, reliance on luxury and wealth, avoidance of suffering, violence against life (v. 24), there is Babylon. Christians [Biblestudymanuals: Correction Jewish & Gentile] believers are to separate themselves ideologically and, if necessary, physically from all the forms of Babylon. Already John has warned the churches of her deceit and snares (chs. 2-3). If they refuse to separate themselves, they will "share in her sins" and also in the divine judgments (NIV, "plagues"). It is not necessary to see this as one last call to repentance addressed to the beast worshipers (Caird). Rather, like the warnings in the letters to the churches (chs. 2-3), it is addressed to professing Christians [correction: believers] who were being seduced by Satan through the wiles of the queen prostitute to abandon their loyalty to Jesus. If this occurred, Christ would be forced by their own decision to blot out their names from the book of life and include them in the plagues designed for Babylon when she is judged (cf. 3:5; so Farrer, Revelation of St. John, p. 155, n.2).
[Biblestudymanuals: Believers cannot lose their salvation for being unfaithful

. Those that are unfaithful may suffer greatly and not survive during the Tribulation Period, i.e., die early physical deaths but they will nevertheless make it to heaven albeit lose out on tremendous eternal rewards]

God will not forget her crimes (adikemata), which are multiplied to the height of heaven (v. 5; cf. Gen 18:20-21; Jer 51:9). Her punishment will fit her crimes (v. 6; cf. Ps 137:8; Jer 50:15, 29; Matt 7:2). This OT principle of lex talionis is never enjoined on God's people in the NT but, as here, is reserved for God alone (Matt 5:38-42; Rom 12:17-21). "Mix her a double portion from her own cup" (cf. Exod 22:4, 7, 9; Isa 40:2) reflects both the ideas of the severity of God's judgment on those who persistently refuse to repent as well as the truth that God's wrath is related to the outworking of sin (cf. Rom 1:24-32). Verse 7 illustrates the latter point.

Babylon's threefold web of sin is described as satiety ("luxury"), pride ("boasts,... sit as a queen"), and avoidance of suffering ("I will never mourn"). The three may be interrelated. Luxury leads to boastful self-sufficiency (Ezek 28:5), while the desire to avoid suffering may lead to the dishonest pursuit of luxury (Ezek 28:18). "I sit as a queen" echoes Isaiah's description of judgment on Babylon (Isa 47:7ff.) and Ezekiel's description of Tyre (Ezek 27:3). As she avoided grief through her satiety, her punishment therefore is grief (penthos, "mourning," "sorrow," "misfortune"). Suddenly, "in one day," she will experience what she has avoided by her luxury: "death, mourning and famine." Like ancient Babylon, this queen of prostitutes will become unloved and barren (Isa 47:9). In spite of her many charms (v. 23c), she will be powerless to avert her destruction (v. 8). The words "consumed by fire" (cf. 17:16) may refer to the destruction of a city (cf: vv. 9, 18) or to the OT punishment for prostitution if the woman is a priest's daughter (Lev 21:9). As strong as "Babylon the Great" is, the Lord God is stronger and will judge her."
B) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 18:4-8]:
(Rev 18:4 NASB) "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

(Rev 18:5 NASB) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

(Rev 18:6 NASB) Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.

(Rev 18:7 NASB) To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'

(Rev 18:8 NASB) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong."

"18:4-8. Following the pronouncement of the angel, another voice from heaven instructed the people of God to leave the city so that they would escape the judgment to come on it (vv. 4-5). Babylon will receive torture and grief commensurate with her glory and luxury, in which she boasted that she was a queen (v. 7). Death, mourning, and famine, also fire, will come on the city in one day (v. 8)."

III) [Rev 18:9-20]:

(Rev 18:9 NASB) "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,

(Rev 18:10 NASB) standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

(Rev 18:11 NASB) "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more—

(Rev 18:12 NASB) 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 and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,

(Rev 18:13 NASB) 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.

(Rev 18:14 NASB) "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.

(Rev 18:15 NASB) "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,

(Rev 18:16 NASB) 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;

(Rev 18:17 NASB) for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,

(Rev 18:18 NASB) and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'

(Rev 18:19 NASB) "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, '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!'

(Rev 18:20 NASB) "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."

A) [Expositer's Bible Commentary On Rev 18:9-20]:

(Rev 18:9 NASB) "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,

(Rev 18:10 NASB) standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

(Rev 18:11 NASB) "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more—

(Rev 18:12 NASB) 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 and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,

(Rev 18:13 NASB) 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.

(Rev 18:14 NASB) "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.

(Rev 18:15 NASB) "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,

(Rev 18:16 NASB) 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;

(Rev 18:17 NASB) for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,

(Rev 18:18 NASB) and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'

(Rev 18:19 NASB) "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, '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!'

(Rev 18:20 NASB) "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."

"9-19 Even quick reading of Ezekiel 27 shows that here in these verses John had in the back of his mind Ezekiel's lamentation over the Fall of ancient Tyre. Those who entered into fornication with the great mother prostitute wail over her destruction. In terms drawn from the fall of harlot cities in the past, John describes the end of the great reality of evil, Babylon the Great. While allusions to Rome may seem to appear, it is only because Rome, like Tyre, Babylon, or Jerusalem, is herself a prostitute citv; and the characteristics of all these cities are found in the queen mother of prostitutes.

First, the kings of the earth cry out their dirge (vv. 9-10).There is a connection between their adultery with Babylon and their sharing of her luxury, as if sharing her luxury was part of their adultery (cf. Ezek 26:16; 27:30-35). So great is the heat and smoke of her burning that they must stand "far off" (v. 10). Though ultimately the kings are all the heavenly powers that rule in the affairs of earthly kings and kingdoms (see comments at 17:10, and at 14; cf. 1Cor 2:6, 8), in this extended poetic allegory they are the merchant princes who bewail the collapse of the last great city of man under Satan's rule. The lament "Woe, Woe" (cf. 8:13; 9:12; 11:14; 12:12) is repeated three times in this part of the threnody over Babylon and reflects pain at the suddenness of her downfall ("in one hour," cf. vv. 8, 17) and the emptiness of their own existences apart from her.

The merchants wail (vv. 11-17). They have most to lose because Babylon the Great was built on luxury. The lists that follow are inventories of exotic items reminiscent of the great Oriental suks (marketplaces). Swete has an excellent discussion of the more important items (pp. 230-31). In v. 13 "bodies and souls of men" require special mention. "Bodies" (somata) is a Greek idiom for slaves (cf. LXX of Gen 36:6), while "souls of men" (psychas) means essentially the same as bodies (slaves). Thus the whole expression means "slaves, that is, human beings."

The refrain (v. 16) also shows the blending of the prostitute image of chapter 17 (dressed in fine linen, etc.; cf. 17:4) and the city image of chapter 18 ("O great city"). The wares are less suitable for Rome than for Asia Minor (Lilje, p. 236).

Finally, in vv. 17-19 the sea captains and sailors add their lament because they too suffer irreparable loss because of the city's burning (cf. Ezek 27:28). This language is more appropriate to Tyre as a great port city than Rome, which was inland and had the not-too-distant Ostia as its port. But in any case, it is not John's intent to describe any one city but the great harlot city, the archetype of the earth's evil cities.

20 The threefold lament is balanced by a song of heavenly jubilation. Babylon has also persecuted the church of Jesus (saints, apostles, prophets). Except for the mention of false apostles earlier in the book (2:2), this is the only reference to apostles in Revelation (cf. 21:14). If it is correct to see in v. 20 a reference to their being killed (cf. v. 24), perhaps John had in mind Herod's martyring of James (Acts 12:1-2) or Rome's killing of Peter and Paul. The picture of Babylon cannot, however, be confined to the political activity of Rome. Therefore, John attributes the deaths of the martyrs to Babylon the Great. It is she who has killed Jesus (11:7-8) and Stephen by the hands of unbelieving Jews (Acts 7:57-60) and the martyr Antipas by the hands of pagan cultists (2:13; cf. Matt 23:34-37)."
B) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 18:9-20]:

(Rev 18:9 NASB) "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,

(Rev 18:10 NASB) standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'

(Rev 18:11 NASB) "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more—

(Rev 18:12 NASB) 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 and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,

(Rev 18:13 NASB) 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.

(Rev 18:14 NASB) "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.

(Rev 18:15 NASB) "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,

(Rev 18:16 NASB) 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;

(Rev 18:17 NASB) for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,

(Rev 18:18 NASB) and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'

(Rev 18:19 NASB) "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, '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!'

(Rev 18:20 NASB) "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her."

"18:9-20. When kings who were involved with the city see its destruction they will be grieved, and will cry, Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! (v. 10) Merchants too will bemoan the city's downfall since they will no longer be able to carry on commerce with the city. The description in verses 12-13 indicates the great luxury and wealth of the city. This obviously refers to an economic and political situation rather than a religious one. The mourning of the merchants is similar to that of the kings: Woe! Woe, O great city... ! (v. 16)

Sea captains... sailors, and others in navigational occupations will lament in similar fashion: Woe! Woe, O great city... ! (v. 19) All three groups—kings, merchants, and sailors—speak of her destruction as sudden: in one hour (vv. 10, 17, 19). As the world mourns the destruction of Babylon, the saints are told to rejoice because God has judged her for the way she treated you (v. 20)."

[BIBLESTUDYMANUALS COMMENTARY]:

. Therefore special insights are NOT required to understand the Bible. Given this point of view which is biblical, it is feasible that what God has inspired the bible writers to write in His Word for the moment is incomprehensible until such time that He has determined / decreed it to be comprehensible and fulfilled in that time."
IV) [Rev 18:21-24]:

(Rev 18:21 NASB) 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.

(Rev 18:22 NASB) "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;

(Rev 18:23 NASB) 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; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

(Rev 18:24 NASB) "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

A) [Expositer's Bible Commentary On Rev 18:21-24]:

(Rev 18:21 NASB) 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.

(Rev 18:22 NASB) "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;

(Rev 18:23 NASB) 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; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

(Rev 18:24 NASB) "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

"21-24 The final lament over the fall of Babylon, spoken by an angel, is poignant and beautiful. A mighty angel picks up a huge stone like a giant millstone (four to five feet in diameter, one foot thick, and weighing thousands of pounds) and flings it into the sea. One quick gesture becomes a parable of the whole judgment on Babylon the Great! Suddenly she is gone forever (cf. Jer 51:64; Ezek 26:21). The melancholy recollection of the pulsing life that once filled this great city with the joy of life sounds through these verses "like footsteps dying away in the distance in a desolate city which lies in ruins" (Lilje).

All nations were deceived (plano, "led astray") by her "magic spell" (pharmakeia, "sorcery"). John has previously used pharmakeia in conjunction with "murders," "fornicators," and "thefts" (see comments at 9:21). An element of drugging is involved that results in fatal poisoning (MM, p. 664). With her deceit, Babylon charmed the nations. Compare the similar charge against the harlot city Nineveh for her lies to other nations (Nah 3:4).

In the final verse (24), 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 the OT, the city of Jerusalem (Ezek 24:6, 9; cf. Matt 23:37) and Babylon Jer 51:35) are called cities of bloodshed. In v. 24 "the blood... of all who have been killed on the earth" refers to all those who in history have been martyred because of their loyalty to the true God. John's word for kill (sphazo) is consistently used for martyrs (5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 9; 13:8). In John's mind, Babylon the Great (v. 2) is much more comprehensive than ancient Babylon, Nineveh, Jerusalem, or Rome. She encompasses all the persecution against the servants of God until the words of God are fulfilled (cf. 17:17)."
B) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Rev 18:21-24]:

(Rev 18:21 NASB) "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.

(Rev 18:22 NASB) "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;

(Rev 18:23 NASB) 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; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.

(Rev 18:24 NASB) "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

"18:21-24. The final and violent destruction of the city is compared to throwing a large millstone... into the sea (v. 21). The lament follows that those who once characterized the city—harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, and workmen of any trade (v. 22)—will not be seen in the city again. Nor will there be light and the joy of weddings (v. 23). The reason for her judgment is that by her magic spell (pharmakeia; cf. 9:21) all the nations were led astray from God (18:23; cf. 17:2), and she was guilty of murdering prophets and... saints (18:24; cf. 17:6).

The question remains as to what city is in view here. A common view is that it refers to the city of Rome, because of the prominence of Rome as the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the capital of the ancient Roman Empire. Some find confirmation of this in the fact that the kings and sea merchants will be able to see the smoke of the burning of the city (18:9, 18).

Other evidence seems to point to the fact that it is Babylon itself, located on the Euphrates River, which in the end time will be converted into a ship-bearing river. When all the evidence is studied, the conclusion seems to point to Babylon being rebuilt as the capital of the world empire in the end time rather than to Rome in Italy. Bible expositors, however, continue to be divided on this question."

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