Revelation 18 (notes)
May 1, 2026
Babylon Is Fallen (Revelation 18:1-8)
Babylon is more than religious power or political power, but is also the economic or business world Babylon. In the last chapter Babylon was represented by a false religious system that worked with the nations of the world. Babylon is also represented as a city of commerce and trading. Some have said this may be New York, but I see it as representative of the entire business world system which exists within this Babylonian framework. Remember, the world system which man built in cooperation with Satan is government, business, and society. 1 John 2. This chapter describes the fall of the business part of the world system.
John saw another angel come down from heaven with great power and the earth was illuminated by his glory. He cried with a loud voice and proclaimed the downfall of Babylon. He said Babylon is fallen and is a house of devils, a hold of foul spirits, a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. All nations drank the wine of the wrath of her fornication. The kings of the earth committed fornication with her and the merchants of the earth became rich through her abundance.
John heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you do not participate in her sins, and that you do not receive her plagues. Her sins reached heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”
Babylon worshiped herself but she shall fall in one day. Death, mourning, and famine shall come to Babylon and she shall be utterly burned with fire. Strong is the Lord God who judges her.
This command to come out of Babylon is repeated throughout the Bible. It is a call for God’s people to separate themselves from the spirit of the world system. We are not to walk in agreement with a system that operates by the pride of man, that promotes covetousness, and is controlled by the lust of the flesh.
We separate ourselves, and the goal while still in this world is to be ambassadors for Christ. We have the commission of the word of reconciliation. Our job is to witness, testify, and call men to be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Our goal is not our own life, or money, or worldly success. Our goal is the same as Jesus Christ. To reconcile men back to God.
This world system will burn with fire. Don’t walk in agreement with this world system, or you also will find your life’s work burned up in the fire. 1 Corinthians 3:13.
Lament Over Babylon (Revelation 18:9-20)
John saw the end of economic Babylon. The end of this world system in the business part of it (“the lust of the eyes”), will be destroyed swiftly. The downfall of economic Babylon will be swift and sudden. From the description of this city which fell suddenly and was burned with fire one may wonder if a nuclear bomb was dropped on a city.
A time is coming when the world economy will suddenly collapse and will never recover. These verses go into great detail describing all the facets of the economy.
At the end of this description heaven rejoiced because God avenged his holy apostles and prophets.
The world economic system is set in contrast to God’s holy apostles and prophets. Why does the world system hate God’s prophets so much? Because they preach the same message Jesus preached. Man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. The rich will be brought down. God will lift up the humble and the poor. But those who have sold their soul to this world system will be burned in the fire.
The world lamented the fall of Babylon but heaven rejoiced. The end of this world system will be the beginning of the reign and rule of the true King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is coming back, and he will rule over all the nations.
The Doom Of Babylon (Revelation 18:21-24)
John saw a mighty angel take a great stone and cast it into the sea, and the angel proclaimed, “Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”
This is a specific moment which will come when everything this world system has built through business and the economy will be completely finished.
It will be destroyed suddenly, like a bomb falling on a major city and wiped out in a moment. This world economic system will be destroyed completely and will never recover again.
After this world economic system is destroyed it will not be coming back.
Next after the end of this world economic system will be the kingdom of God on earth. We will never go back to this system as it is right now.
No more will men make a great name for themselves and build corporations and assign men numbers in order to control them and subjugate men into bondage to idolatry and covetousness. This fallen economic system we live in today will be destroyed and will never come back again.
Notice how this world economic system was tied directly into the murder of God’s prophets and saints.
The reason why God’s prophets are killed is a result of the way this world operates in its economic system. This is why the Pharisees killed Jesus. He threatened their position, their power, and their money.
If they had accepted Jesus they would have lost their money and power.
The end of this world economic system will be the beginning of what the Bible said about the meek.
The meek shall inherit the earth. God’s prophets and saints will work for Jesus in his kingdom, and the economy in that kingdom system will have nothing to do with the pride of men, the names of men, or numbering men into subjection and bondage.
Everyone will be set free to serve God in love, and each one will love his neighbor as himself. That will be the economy of God on earth. A kingdom of love where each person helps the next one and everyone serves one another in love.
There will only be one name exalted in that day, and his name is exalted above all others. Jesus! King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:9-13.