Revelation 18:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’

NIV: Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’

NASB: To the extent that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, to the same extent give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.’

CSB: As much as she glorified herself and indulged her sensual and excessive ways, give her that much torment and grief. For she says in her heart, "I sit as a queen; I am not a widow, and I will never see grief."

NLT: She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’

KJV: 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.

NKJV: In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’

This passage refers to "Babylon," which seems to be a specific political and economic system. In chapter 17, "Babylon" was used in reference to a corrupt spiritual approach. Here, it's a city, perhaps standing in symbolically for an entire empire. The voice from heaven, heard by John, recalled how Babylon had glorified herself. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11), Babylon had attempted to make a name for herself. The beast wanted his empire to be the admiration and wonder of the whole world. Because Babylon had an exalted opinion of herself, she lavished luxuries on herself.

Today, those who feel they are the center of the universe and deserve everything they can lavish on themselves fail to heed Jesus' warning that no one can serve God and money (Matthew 6:24). A life full of things but devoid of God is an empty life that is headed for an eternity full of suffering and remorse. Babylon, as a culture, is smug and complacent. She considers herself a queen who will never cease to be prosperous nor be deserted. However, she deceives herself and demonstrates the truth that "pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18).

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.

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.

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.''