Revelation 18:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."

NIV: In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."

NASB: And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.'

CSB: In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all those slaughtered on the earth.

NLT: In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.'

KJV: And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

NKJV: And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

George Orwell was a writer best known for book such as Animal Farm and 1984. In one of his more well-known quotes, he stated "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it." By the time of the tribulation, the world's opposition to truth—especially Christian truth—will be at an all-time high. So, too, will be its hatred for those who dare stand up for what is moral and right.

End-times Babylon will have no tolerance for God's people. The beast and his followers hate them so much they kill them and leave their blood stains on the streets (Revelation 11:7–8). The evil system (Revelation 17:1–3) led by the beast is described in John's vision as martyring believers wherever it found them (Revelation 13:7; 12:16–17). Babylon's goal will be to rid the earth of those who follow the Lamb and refuse to bow to the beast.

Even today, in countries opposed to Christianity, followers of Jesus are laying down their lives for the sake of the gospel. Jesus did not promise His followers a placid life; rather, He predicted that true believers would often suffer persecution. He said, "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19). He also predicted, "Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God" (John 16:2), and promised, "In the world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33).

The overthrow of Babylon will partially avenge these martyrs.

Revelation 18:21–24 provides a description of Babylon—the political and economic center of the Antichrist—after its fall. Isaiah predicted Babylon's fall and wrote about its desolation after God overthrows it (Isaiah 13:19). Daniel 2:34–35 and Daniel 2:40–45 describe the collapse of the beast's empire at the return of Jesus Christ. Jesus referred to the end of the times of the Gentiles in Luke 21:24. The times of the Gentiles began with the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian forces and the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, and it will end with the destruction of Babylon.

A glorious angel announces the fall of Babylon, here used to name a dwelling place for demons and the source of corrupt commercialism. Another angel summons believers to get out of Babylon and avoid being caught up in the judgment for her sins. God is ready to punish Babylon for extensive wickedness. He promises to burn the city with fire. The kings of the earth mourn Babylon's demise, and they keep a safe distance from her as she burns. Merchants, too, weep because no one can purchase cargo from her and profit from selling her goods. Like the kings, the merchants try to put distance between themselves and Babylon for fear of sharing her destructive fate. Their mourning is intense. They throw dust on their heads, weep, mourn, and lament how quickly she fell from prominence and prosperity to a wasteful state. A mighty angel announces Babylon's doom and desolation. The city that once included renowned merchants, deceived the nations, and martyred believers, is now shattered into silence and desolation.

Revelation 18:1–8 contains a glorious angel's pronouncement of doom on Babylon. This Babylon here appears to be a literal physical city, whereas the Babylon described in chapter 17 is a corrupt religious system. The Babylon of chapter 17 was associated with a political system but was not the political power. The Babylon of chapter 18 is the center of a demonic political, commercial, and economic system. The fall of Babylon parallels what happened to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1–29). Religious Babylon falls in the middle of the tribulation to the delight of kings. Commercial Babylon falls at the end of the tribulation, and kings lament her fall.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''