Revelation 17–18: Come out of her, my people": Babylon

Scripture: Berean Standard Bible

Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”

And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead a mysterious name was written:

BABYLON THE GREAT,

THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I could see that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and witnesses for Jesus. And I was utterly amazed at the sight of her.

“Why are you so amazed?” said the angel. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.

This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

The beast that was, and now is not, is an eighth king, who belongs to the other seven and is going into destruction. The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast. These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast.

They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings; and he will be accompanied by his called and chosen and faithful ones.”

Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory. And he cried out in a mighty voice:

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!She has become a lair for demonsand a haunt for every unclean spirit,every unclean bird,and every detestable beast.All the nations have drunk the wineof the passion of her immorality.The kings of the earth were immoral with her,and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthyfrom the extravagance of her luxury.”

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“Come out of her, my people,so that you will not share in her sinsor contract any of her plagues.For her sins are piled up to heaven,and God has remembered her iniquities.Give back to her as she has done to others;pay her back double for what she has done;mix her a double portion in her own cup.As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury,give her the same measure of torment and grief.In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen;I am not a widow and will never see grief.’Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire,for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Then the kings of the earth who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her will weep and wail at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. In fear of her torment, they will stand at a distance and cry out:

“Woe, woe to the great city,the mighty city of Babylon!For in a single houryour judgment has come.”

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo— cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men. And they will say:

“The fruit of your soul’s desirehas departed from you;all your luxury and splendor have vanished,never to be seen again.”

The merchants who sold these things and grew their wealth from her will stand at a distance, in fear of her torment. They will weep and mourn, saying:

“Woe, woe to the great city,clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet,adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!For in a single hoursuch fabulous wealth has been destroyed!”

Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim.

Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out:

“Woe, woe to the great city,where all who had ships on the seawere enriched by her wealth!For in a single hourshe has been destroyed.”

Rejoice over her, O heaven,O saints and apostles and prophets,because God has pronounced for youhis judgment against her.

Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying:

“With such violencethe great city of Babylon will be cast down,never to be seen again.And the sound of harpists and musicians,of flute players and trumpeters,will never ring out in you again.Nor will any craftsmen of any tradebe found in you again,nor the sound of a millstonebe heard in you again.The light of a lampwill never shine in you again,and the voices of a bride and bridegroomwill never call out in you again.For your merchants were the great ones of the earth,because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.”

And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.