Another powerful angel descends from heaven, and the earth is illuminated with his glory. This is likely Christ Himself, coming to pronounce final judgment on the city that rejected Him. The description matches Jesus perfectly: He comes from heaven, has great authority, and His glory lights up the earth.
With a mighty voice, the angel cries out the most devastating funeral song in human history: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!" The repetition emphasizes finalityâthere's no coming back from this judgment.
"Fallen, fallen" echoes the prophet Isaiah's funeral song over Israel: "She has fallen, she will not rise againâthe virgin Israel. She lies neglected on her land; there is none to raise her up" (Amos 5:2).
The most tragic transformation in history has occurred. Jerusalem, which was supposed to be God's dwelling place on earth, has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit.
This language comes straight from Old Testament prophecies about desolated cities. When a city or nation completely rebels against God, it becomes uninhabitable by anything goodâonly demons and unclean animals remain. This happened to Babylon (Isaiah 13:21) and Edom (Isaiah 34:10-14), and now it's happening to Jerusalem.
Why is Jerusalem being judged? Because she committed fornication with the nations, kings, and merchants. Instead of leading the world to God, she joined them in rebellion against Christ.
Political alliances that compromised her faith. Most notably, choosing Caesar over Christ: "We have no king but Caesar!" (John 19:15)
Corrupting temple worship for profit. Jesus' anger at the money changers was about this very issueâturning God's house into a den of thieves
Spiritual adultery by adopting pagan practices and leading other nations into false religion instead of to the Messiah
According to Josephus, many of the temple shops belonged to the high priestly family, who had become "great procurers of money." The court of the Gentiles was essentially a religious marketplace that corrupted both worship and commerce. When the religious center becomes corrupt, everything else follows.
In the midst of judgment, God shows mercy: "Come out of her, My people, that you may not participate in her sins and receive her plagues." This is the most important evangelistic message in the entire book!
God's people must separate from apostate Judaism and join the Church. There's no reforming the old systemâit's time to abandon ship and get in the lifeboat!
Literally "adhered" to heavenâthey're stuck there permanently, demanding judgment
The time of patience is over; justice must be served
Don't get caught in the crossfire when judgment falls
Jerusalem's pride reaches epic proportions. Like the original Babylon, she says in her heart: "I sit as a queen and am not a widow, and will never see mourning." This is the sin of Satan himselfâclaiming to be equal with God.
Josephus records that when the Roman armies finally destroyed Jerusalem, "there was left nothing to make those who came there believe it had ever been inhabited." The proud city that thought it could never fall was utterly erased from the earth in AD 70.
As the smoke rises from burning Jerusalem, three groups of people lament her destruction. But noticeâthey don't mourn for the people, they mourn for their lost profits!
What they lost: Political alliance and power
Their cry: "Woe, woe, the great city! In one hour your judgment has come!"
Why they stand far off: They realize that if God judged Jerusalem, their own judgment can't be far behind
What they lost: Lucrative trade in temple goods
Their cry: "In one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!"
The real tragedy: They were trading in "bodies and souls of men"âmaking money off human trafficking and spiritual deception
What they lost: The shipping industry that served the temple
Their cry: "What city is like the great city?"
Their grief: Throwing dust on their heads like mourners at a funeral
John provides an incredibly detailed list of the luxury goods that made Jerusalem rich. Notice the progression from precious to practical, ending with the most horrible item of all:
Gold, silver, precious stones, pearls
Fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet
Citron wood, ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, marble
Cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, oil, flour, wheat
Cattle, sheep, horses, chariots
"Bodies and souls of men" - Human trafficking and spiritual deception for profit
While earth mourns the loss of profits, heaven throws a party! "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has judged your judgment against her!"
The judgment on Jerusalem is called "your judgment"âthe Church's judgment! This wasn't random destruction, but divine justice answering the prayers of persecuted Christians. The Church must recover this triumphant perspective: we're not victims, we're victors whose King has already won the decisive battle.
A strong angel takes up a stone like a great millstone and throws it into the sea, declaring: "Thus will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer."
Jesus had warned that anyone who caused "little ones" to stumble would be better off with a millstone around their neck, thrown into the sea (Matthew 18:6). Jerusalem had been the ultimate stumbling block, preventing people from coming to Christ. Now she gets the millstone treatment herself.
The angel lists five things that will disappear forever from Jerusalem, each representing a different aspect of the temple system:
"The sound of harpists and musicians... will not be heard any longer"
Temple connection: The Levitical orchestra and choir
"No craftsman of any craft will be found any longer"
Temple connection: The skilled workers like Bezalel and Hiram
"The sound of a mill will not be heard any longer"
Temple connection: The temple as the "mill" that supported the world
"The light of a lamp will not shine any longer"
Temple connection: The golden lampstand in the Holy Place
"The voice of bridegroom and bride will not be heard any longer"
Temple connection: The marriage covenant between God and Israel
John concludes with the ultimate proof of Jerusalem's identity: "In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."
This verse is a direct quote from Jesus' condemnation of Jerusalem in Matthew 23:34-37:
"Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify... that upon you may fall all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah... Truly I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!"
This language cannot be used of Rome or any other city. Only Jerusalem was guilty of "all the righteous blood shed on the earth." The case is closed.
Dispensationalists see this as a future global economic collapse, while preterists identify it as the historical destruction of Jerusalem's temple-based economy in AD 70. The preterist view is supported by the specific parallels to Jesus' own prophecies about Jerusalem and the historical fulfillment in the Roman siege.