Vision Six - the Role & Results of Imperial Power
Revelation 17:1 - 19:5
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Once again, a mighty angel is chosen to deliver a pivotal message. The glow coming from this angel is evidence
that the angel came directly from the presence of God with this message.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, ...
The message repeats the message of Revelation 14:8 delivered by one of the first three angels of the set
of seven angels, and quotes
Isaiah 21:9.
This declaration of the angels is a "doom song," borrowing heavily from doom songs of the Old Testament prophets. Specifically,
Isaiah 13:19-22 announces
the destruction of Babylon.
Isaiah 34:11-15 announces
the destruction of Edom.
Jeremiah 50:39-40 and
51:37 describe the destruction of Babylon.
Zephaniah 2:13-15 announces
the destruction of Nineveh.
... and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Birds in this region weren't our sweet singing chickadees and robins. These birds would have been those explicitly
listed in the passages above, such as ostriches, ravens, hawks, owls, and vultures. In the parallels with Babylon, Edom, Tyre, and
Nineveh, John is telling his listeners that the God who brought down these earlier oppressive nations is certain to do the same to Rome.
3 For 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.
In this passage, the angel makes clear that Rome is condemned for setting itself up as an alternative religion
to God, and using the might of both its government and its economic system to perpetuate this false belief to the rest of the world.
In this portrayal of Rome, there is a precursor to the challenges for 21st century Christians. Rome was more of an economic power
than a military power, in contrast to Egypt, Assyria, or Babylon. There are similarities in the descriptions of Tyre in
Ezekiel 25-27, so in
the combination of references to Tyre and Rome we see warnings for our society in taking comfort and security in our wealth.
4 And 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.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
This call to believers shows that God shows restraint in handing out justice to Rome, so that His faithful have
a chance to avoid the punishment.
There are a number of parallels in the Old Testament to the call to come out of an evil location. Some of these are a victorious
release from slavery, others are a call to escape the evil and resulting punishment, and both fit this instance. In
Isaiah 48:20 and
52:11, God calls the
overcoming believers out of Babylon to go back home again. In
Genesis 12:1, God calls
Abram to come out of his homeland to the land promised to him and his descendants. In
Jeremiah 50:8 and
51:6, God warns the
faithful to come out from the evil land and escape the punishment intended for the unfaithful. In
Genesis 19:15-17, the
angels call, then literally drag Lot and his family out of sinful Sodom before it is destroyed. In
Numbers 16:23-26,
Moses calls the Israelites out of the camps of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram before God causes the earth to swallow them up for their evil.
6 Reward 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.
Barclay translates this closer to the spirit of the text as "Repay her in the coin with which she paid others, and
repay her double for her deeds."
The word used here for "render" is the same Greek word, apodidomi, used in
Matthew 22:21 when
Jesus says, "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." In this parallel we see the
full story presented of Rome. The government that Jesus affirmed earlier in the century became the government that set itself
up as a religion by the end of the century, and the government that in the end would receive what was due in punishment for its sins.
The concept of a double measure emphasizes justice, rather than vengeance.
Exodus 22:7 and 22:9
give in the Levitical law that the punishment for theft is double restitution for what was taken. This concept appears
frequently in the prophets.
Isaiah 40:2 comforts
Jerusalem after having received double for her sins.
Jeremiah 16:18
promises double punishment for sin.
7 How 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.
8 Therefore 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.
Rome's arrogance increases the punishment, and Rome's strength is completely useless against a power so much
stronger that the destruction comes suddenly. This passage is almost an exact quote of
Isaiah 47:7-9, where
Babylon's arrogant pride was met with God's swift and overwhelming justice. Other similar passages from the prophets include
Ezekiel 28:1-10 in
reference to Tyre's arrogance and wealth, and
Zephaniah 2:15 in
reference to the arrogance of Nineveh that was met with destruction. Because God is faithful, destruction of Rome is certain.
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,
10 Standing 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.
Of all the punishments inflicted on Rome, the one John refers to in these parallel passages is fire. This had great
significance to the Christians of that time, in just retribution for Nero blaming and persecuting the Christians for his own
burning of Rome in 64 A.D.
The reaction of these kings will be the same for the next two groups. They feel selfishly sorry for themselves because they can
no longer take advantage of what Rome provides. They clearly never loved Rome, although Rome tried through every means
available to be loved -- in the end, all Rome did was to appeal to the selfishness of those she seduced. They stand far off,
justifiably afraid of the justice given to the city, and unwilling to take any action to help the city. This is the same as what the earlier
passage portrayed with the ten horns turning on the harlot after the defeat. Evil will do anything to save itself.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet,
and all thyine ["scented"] wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass,
and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours ["perfume"], and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat,
and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves [literally "bodies"], and souls of men.
14 And 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.
The opulence of the Roman empire was greater than any society since, including the present U.S.A. The Roman
empire used a profound number of slaves -- at the time of John's writing, half of the residents of the city of Rome were slaves. The
parties thrown by residents of Rome outdid each other in extravagance, such that some mere millionaires killed themselves in despair
at their poverty and inability to keep up. One example of this unbelievable extravagance was the common practice of drinking pearls
dissolved in wine. In our time, the closest gesture we have of similar opulence would be the image of a rich businessman lighting
cigars with $100 bills.
These descriptions of the goods brought by the merchants show the international scope of Rome's control, with goods from North
Africa, India, and China listed. This list, while appropriate for Rome, comes first from
Ezekiel chapters 26 and 27
in describing the downfall of Tyre, a might seaport. The message to this quotation from Ezekiel is a reminder that God is not awed by wealth.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And 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!
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. ...
Notice the close parallel to the grief expressed by the kings, with the emphasis being material goods.
... And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
19 And 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.
The phrase "as many as trade by sea" was a common idiom that included sailors and fishermen. There is a
parallel in the reaction of sailors to Tyre's destruction in
Ezekiel 27:28-34.
There is a parallel in the historical destruction of Rome. Secular historians tell us that the beginning of the end for Rome
happened as early as during the reign of Augustus Caesar, when the pursuit of pleasure started competing as a mindset with the
discipline and loyalty that had made a great power of Rome. Over the centuries to follow, Rome relinquished her grip on more and
more outlying countries, and had to spend more military might controlling uprisings. The end, however, came suddenly in 410 A.D.,
when in the period of one week in August, Alaric and his army of Goths (evil against evil) attacked, conquered, pillaged, and completely
wasted the city of Rome.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
John here adds his comments for the benefit of his listeners, with an emphasis on rejoicing
because of God's righteousness.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, ...
There is a separate Greek word for the "great millstone," which was so large that it took a yolked animal to
turn it, and the smaller millstone, operated by a person preparing a meal. There are several similarities to this phrase in the scriptures. In
Jeremiah 51:63-64,
the prophet is told to tie the scroll to a rock and throw it into the Euphrates, symbolizing how Babylon will disappear from
the earth. Once a rock (or millstone) drops below the surface, it is as if the rock never existed. Another significant parallel is Jesus' teaching in
Mark 9:42: "If any
of you puts a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were
hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea." The sin in this passage is similar to Rome's corruption of the entire world,
so the symbolism of the great millstone reinforces the similarity.
... saying,
Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And 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;
23 And 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: ...
The poetic construction of this passage, with the repetition of the emphatic Greek double-negative "no more"
emphasizes the end of normal life and the utter silence and desolation caused from the just punishment on Rome. This passage is
almost an exact quote from
Jeremiah 25:10,
and to a lesser degree,
Jeremiah 7:34 and
16:9 -- except Jeremiah's
statements are about Jerusalem after the Babylonians conquer the southern kingdom.
... for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The Greek word for "sorcery" has the same root as our word "pharmacy," in the sense of "snake oil" and
other trickeries, illusions, and manipulations. In the midst of all the condemnations of the Roman Empire, don't miss that the
harshest and strongest is that she killed God's faithful.
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, ...
This was likely assumed to be a choir of angels, similar to the choir of angels in Revelation 5:11.
... Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and
hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
The word "hallelujah" is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew phrase halal, meaning praise, and Jah,
God or Yahweh. The emphasis and repetition of "hallelujah" is reminiscent of
Psalms 113-118, a
praise passage called the Hallel, which was required learning for every Jewish boy. Notice that only three attributes are assigned to
God, rather than seven as in earlier praise passages in heaven. The emphasis of this passage, the holiness of God, is better served by the symbolism of three.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
The account of the eternal smoke from the ruin of Rome borrows from
Isaiah 34:9-10, declaring
that the smoke from the ruins of Edom would be seen forever, as a constant reminder of God's righteousness.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
These closest to the throne represent the peoples of the old and new covenants and all of the creation, and they now
join the song started by the angels.
5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
This time, an angel in the presence of God summons all the faithful to join in the appropriate response of praise to
God for his eternal faithfulness to us, as John's descriptions of the End Time become more glorious with each vision.
Interpretation for the End Times
Another common interpretation of the "seven kings" represented by the seven heads of the beast is that these
are past kingdoms and kingdoms to come. This interpretation is like the interpretation Daniel made of the dream of King
Nebuchadnezzar about the giant statue
(Daniel 2:31-45). From
these interpretations, both of the seven heads and the composition of the statue, we in the 21st century should be ready for
the final worldwide power before the End Time. At the same time, foretelling interpreters thought the same in past centuries.
The danger in this method of interpreting apocalyptic literature is that it requires the passage to speak its primary message of hope
to the first century Christians in colloquial terms, while simultaneously speaking a foretelling of the end time in 21st century
vernacular. The seven heads representing the completeness of the authority of Rome is essential to the message of hope, in
that it assures the listeners that God is more powerful than any combination of Roman authority. Any interpretation that tries to weaken that message misses the purpose of the book.
Applicability for today
There is so much more for our modern era in this vision than figuring out God's timeline!
We cannot ponder this account of Rome's sinfulness and judgement without coming to grips with its materialism and our own
society's materialism. The judgement on Rome is similar to the story in
Mark 10:17-22, where
Jesus meets the rich young ruler. The passage shows the piety of the young man, and the favor which Jesus showed to him, but
when Jesus "drew the line" and required the man to choose between Jesus and his possessions, the man faltered and left.
In what ways to do we let our materialism interfere with our service of God? There are obvious ways, like cutting on our giving to the
church in favor of spending on ourselves. The more insidious are cases where we confuse wealth with faithfulness. Dawn gives an
example of an extravagant, beautiful wedding, in which the holiness of the union before God was lost in the pageantry and
elegance. Likewise, the perpetuation of wealth often leads to injustice and exploitation, as in the problems of the Corinth church in
1 Corinthians 11:17-34
where the act of communion had been distorted into a celebration of wealth of the members.
In this respect, we should be open to applying the writings about this harlot to our world today. What applied to Babylon, Tyre,
and Nineveh in the Old Testament, and to Rome in the first century, applies to more than just one city today. Our egalitarian
political and economic system means that every city is a source of temptation, of greed, of exploitation of others for our
gain. We must be vigilant against anything in our lives -- finery, fun, music, security -- that interferes or supersedes our love for
God and for our fellow man.
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