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Revelation 18

18
The Destruction of Babylon
1After these things, I saw another angel coming from the heavenly realm with great authority, and the earth was flooded with the brilliance of his splendor. # 18:1 This mighty angel is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ. (1) The symbol of an angel stands for Jesus, the Messenger who is the Word of God. (2) Jesus frequently is described as the One who came down from heaven. (3) Jesus Christ has power and authority above all others. (4) He floods the earth with the brilliance of his splendor. No heavenly being is capable of drenching the earth with glory but the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the same “angel” of Rev. 10:1–2. 2He shouted out with a thunderous voice:
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a demonic dwelling place,
a prison for every unclean spirit, unclean bird,
and every unclean, detestable beast. # 18:2 See Isa. 13:21; 34:11.
3All the nations have drunk # 18:3 Or “have fallen because of the wine of her wrath.”
of the wine of her immoral passion,
and the kings of the earth
have committed fornication # 18:3 A metaphor for idolatry. with her,
and merchants of the earth have grown wealthy
because of her power and luxury.”
4Then I heard another voice from heaven saying:
“My people, come out from her
so that you don’t participate in her sins
and have no share with her in her plagues,
5because her sins are heaped as high as heaven # 18:5 Or “her sins have touched the heaven.”
and God has remembered her vileness. # 18:5 Or “iniquities.”
6So repay to her double the same treatment
that she has treated others with—
pay her back double for all her deeds
and make her drink twice the brew she gave to others! # 18:6 Or “Mix a double amount for her in the cup she mixed.”
7With the same measure she exalted herself
and lived luxuriously,
give her that measure of torment and grief,
because she said in her heart,
‘I am no widow; I rule as a queen!
I will never experience grief.’
8Therefore, her plagues will fall on her in one day—
disease, famine and mourning.
She will be burned with fire.
For mighty is the Lord God who judges her!”
9The kings of the earth who fornicated with her and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of the fire that burns her up. 10And they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, saying:
“Oh no! You who were once
the great and powerful city Babylon,
now in one hour your complete devastation has come!”
11The earth’s merchants weep and mourn for her because no one buys their merchandise # 18:11 Or “ship’s cargo.” anymore: 12their gold, silver, jewels, and pearls, their fine linen, purple cloth, silk, and scarlet cloth, all kinds of things made from expensive wood, # 18:12 Or “citron wood.” ivory, bronze, iron, and marble, 13quantities of the finest cinnamon, spice, incense, frankincense, and myrrh, wine, olive oil, wheat, and the finest flour, sheep, cattle, horses, and their four-wheeled carriages, and the trafficking of the bodies and souls of people. 14And they will say:
The splendid delicacies # 18:14 Or “ripe fruit,” a metaphor for life’s delicacies. for which your soul craved have departed from you. All your elegance and splendor have disappeared, never to be seen again.
15Those who sold these things and grew wealthy through their business with her will stand far off, terrified over her torment. They will weep and mourn, saying:
16“How horrible!
The great city that once clothed herself
with fine linen and purple and scarlet cloth
glittering with gold, with jewels and with pearls—
17in one brief moment such vast wealth is now laid waste!”
Every ship’s captain and his crew, every seafarer and mariner, watched from far away 18and cried out as they saw her go up in flames:
“What city was ever like the great city Babylon?”
19As a sign of their dismay, they threw dust on their heads
and shouted with sobs and grief:
“How horrible, so horrible, O great city Babylon!
For in one moment you suffered such destruction—
you who once made the merchants on the sea
so very wealthy.
20Rejoice over her, O heaven
You apostles and prophets and holy believers, rejoice!
For on your behalf
God pronounced the judgment against her
that she wanted to bring upon you!”
21Then a mighty angel took up a stone, like a huge millstone, and threw it into the sea, saying:
“With this kind of sudden violence, the great city Babylon
will be thrown down and exist no more.
22The music of harps, minstrels, flutes, and trumpets # 18:22 Or “the sound of harpists, minstrels, flutists, and trumpeters.”
will never grace your city again.
No artisan of any trade will ever be found in you again,
and the noise of factories # 18:22 Or “the noise of a mill.” falls silent.
23The light of a lamp will never shine in you again,
Nor will the joyous laughter of a wedding # 18:23 Or “the voice of bridegroom and bride.” be heard in you.
Your merchants were once the tycoons of the world,
But you deceived all the nations by your sorcery. # 18:23 Or “magic” (spells), which often involved drug usage.
24For the bloodstains of the holy believers and the prophets
and all who were slaughtered were all over you!” # 18:24 Or “her.”

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Revelation 18: TPT

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