Revelation 18:1-24

The city of Babylon and the religious system she represents continues to be the focus of this chapter.  This seems to be an alternative view of the same events described in the previous chapter.  It is a clear demonstration of what happens to those who oppose the work of God in the world.
THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON: This city and system that has stood in opposition to God and in the name of God has brought such great hardship and suffering on the true followers of Christ is decisively judged.  The destruction is swift, great and complete.  This is the final fate of all who reject Christ and choose to abandon the worship of God for the worship of idols of their own making.  Babylon represents this deviation from God’s truth and illustrates the results that all who reject God’s authority will experiment. 
THE DISTRESS OF THE NATIONS: In the previous chapter, we saw the delight of the kings of the earth because of this judgment, however, there will also be a great lament of the loss of the splendor that Babylon represented for men.  She apparently is a representative of the majesty of human accomplishment.  The abuse of power she demonstrated caused the nations to lament her fall, but once she was gone the realization that all the pride of man that she had stood for had also been destroyed.  Men love to stand in awe of their own accomplishments and will often worship the things that they make with their own hands.  God does not share His glory with anyone or anything.  He will judge and destroy all who and all that strives to compete with Him no matter what the loss may be to the men that worship these false gods.
THE DELIGHT OF HEAVEN: While the nations of the earth regret the loss of Babylon the hosts of heaven rejoice.  Throughout the history of Christ’s church, true believers have suffered greatly because of Babylon.  They have long prayed and cried out that their sufferings and deaths be avenged so when God steps up and brings these things to a close, there is great rejoicing in all of heaven.  The angles and the saints praise God for His justice and are pleased to know that God’s name and the truth have finally and decisively been defended.  There may be tribulation and tears on this sin cursed earth.  However, in eternity God will make all things right.  We must not be deceived into living for or looking at the “short term” but we must fix our eyes on Christ and His eternal purposes.  Only as we discipline ourselves to do this will we be able to rejoice now, in the face of suffering as we will then when we rest on eternal shores.

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