Revelation 16-18
Mystery Babylon
Judged

The seven angels are commanded to pour out the seven bowls/vials of God's wrath. The first four are more general and the last three more specific, just like the seals and trumpets. Some think these occur as the Lord descends. Notice they are called the wrath of God rather than the Lamb, and are somewhat similar to those plagues with which God struck Egypt at the Exodus. These are not just punitive retribution, but are revelatory of the heart of those on the earth who refuse to repent. The first angel pours out a judgment that results in boils or sores on those who received the mark of the Beast and worship his image (similar to the sixth plague on Egypt - Exodus 9:10).

The second turns the sea into blood and everything in it dies. The third turns the rivers and springs into blood so there is no water to drink (like what happened to the Nile, Exodus 7:17). An angel praises God for righteously judging those who poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets. The evil people deserve their judgment, in kind. The altar (voice from it) agrees that the Lord God Almighty is true and righteous in His judgment. If He didn't judge, then He wouldn't be righteous. This means that all sin must be negatively judged, and all righteous behavior positively judged. If otherwise, God would be unjust.

 The bowl of the fourth angel causes the sun to scorch men with fire, and their response to a taste of God's fiery judgment isn't to repent. Instead, they curse/blaspheme God for the problems they brought upon themselves. They didn't repent of their works and give Him glory, which would be to recognize His right to rule in their lives.16:10-11 The fifth angel heads to the throne of the Beast, to pour out the next bowl, and his kingdom (the earth) was darkened (Exodus 10:22). The cumulative effects of the judgments cause a lot of pain, but still no repentance nor praise, but instead, a lot of cursing against God.

The sixth angel's bowl dries up the Euphrates (cf Exodus 14 -Red Sea), preparing the way for the kings of the East to come on the scene for judgment at Armageddon (verse 16 below). The unholy trinity calls for all the kings of the earth to gather for war against God, issuing the invitation through three unclean spirits that somehow resembled frogs (another similarity to Exodus 8:5).

The voice of Christ is heard in one of the seven “beatitudes” or statement of blessing in Revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7,14), promising blessing/reward to those who watch (stay on guard) and keep their clothes (a metaphor for righteousness) so they don't walk naked (deprived of glory - see comments on 2 Corinthians 4-5), and have their shameful sin exposed. The reminder of Christ's coming “as a thief” (2 Peter 3:10) points to the loss that the unprepared will suffer. The verse would serve as a warning for Tribulation saints to persevere, and saints of all ages to be ready for the judgment at the return of Christ. In 1:3 blessing was promised to those who hear and keep the words of this book. These are words to hear and heed.

Armageddon (literally the “mountain of the place of slaughter”) could be a reference to the mountain near the town of Megiddo, (Mt. Carmel) where Elijah slaughtered the prophets of Baal in the Valley of Jezreel.

The seventh angel pours out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice said “It is done/finished: meaning the wrath of God had been poured out. The catastrophic effects that followed were unlike any previously seen in human history (appropriate, since this is just about the end of the world as it has been known). The great city became three parts. There is debate whether this is Jerusalem, or physical Babylon, or spiritual Babylon. Ezekiel indicated major geographical changes in Jerusalem at the return of Christ, but the following chapters consider the fall of Babylon, so it's more likely that this verse introduces Babylon. All the cities of the nations fell, and Babylon is singled out for special judgment (next chapters). Every island fled, and the mountains were gone. Giant hailstones (100 pounds each) pulverized the people on whom they landed, and rather than surrendering and submitting to God, people are still cursing Him.

Some argue for Babylon being a literal city, and in some passages it may be just that, a revived city in Iraq that achieves prominence in the End Times as it did under Nebuchadnezzar, when all the kingdoms of the know world were given to him as prophesied by God, and then he was destroyed as God also prophesied, to show that God was the One who ruled in the world. Others think Babylon is a code word for Rome, or for the Roman Catholic Church. The judgments in these two chapters relate to both a religious and commercial entity that had world wide influence. Protestants have been fond of equating this with the Papacy (and there are similarities), but the mystery Babylon of the future might be something the world has yet to see. It's most likely that Babylon is representative of the false religious systems from sensual pagan demon worship to “respectable religiosity” of any organized (or disorganized) religion not based upon the Word of God (both apostate Christian and non-Christian). John is shown a “mystery“ Babylon that represents a world religious and commercial system that is hostile toward true believers in the true God, just as it was back in the days of the Tower of Babel. Babylon is personified as a great whore or prostitute who leads or seduces the kings of the earth into idolatry, literally “fornication” or sexual immorality, an imagery used to depict unfaithfulness to God. Her sitting on many waters describes her pervasive influence over many peoples (as verse 15 indicates). John is carried in the Spirit to the wilderness to witness the woman sitting on a beast matching the description of the Anti-Christ (Revelation 13:1). Apparently she operates with his power which supports her. Outwardly she has every worldly appeal, but inside are the abominations depicted as the evil in the cup she sips. She wears an rather unflattering name tag (to most), describing her character and power (as names often do in Scripture). “Mystery” is the word for “hidden” so her evil is not obvious to those who consort with her. She is definitely opposed to Jesus, and responsible for martyring many of His followers, as well as faithful OT saints.

The angel explains the Beast as the one that was, was not, and is again (resurrection from the “fatal” wound 13:3). Those who fall for the phoney miracles and worship him are those whose names have not been written in the book of life. The time when they have not been written is from (apo) the foundation of the world. The preposition apo with the genitive denotes separation as its fundamental meaning. “From” or “since” are appropriate translations indicating the time span from the foundation of the world, to the present in John's day. During that time, those who believe are written in the Lamb's book of life, and their name is not blotted out (forfeit inheritance) if they remain faithful. Remember that the “book of life” is the register of those who participate in the political life or rule of a city state (see comments on 3:5, 13:8 and upcoming references in chapters 20, 21, and 22). John elaborates on the heads as seven mountains upon which the woman sits, which has led many to speculate that Rome with its seven surrounding hills in is view. Yet John is told that they represent kings on the earth, as do the horns, who in unity, give their authority to the Beast. The initial anti-God kingdoms are most likely those mentioned in Daniel (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome), with another yet to come (the Beast's). The ten kings are considered those of a revived Roman Empire. Other have matched them up with historical kings; still others say they are symbolic of all civil authority. If speculating who each king is essential for you to obey Jesus, love others, make disciples, and glorify God, feel free to consult a couple of commentaries for more details to scratch your head over.

 The kings will war against the Lamb and the Lamb (Jesus) will overcome them because He is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Those who are in union with Jesus will also overcome, and are the invited (and responsive), chosen (elect, select, choice) and faithful. Note that being invited precedes the state of being choice (or of excellent quality), which precedes the condition of being faithful.

The religious system symbolized by the Great Prostitute will be hated by the ten kings and the Beast (lovers are so fickle), and will abandon her, destroying her with fire. This is probably a reference to the destruction of her city and power. They will turn on her who had ruled over the kings of the earth because God worked in their hearts to rebel against her, just as Satan and his minions work to get people to rebel against God. 

Next, John sees another angel having great power, who illuminated the earth with his glory. This is a great verse to see the identification of power/authority, light, and glory, the energizing force of the universe. This angel focuses on the commerce aspects of Babylon. In Ancient times the temple of the god was the the bank and center of commerce for a city or locale. The fall of the corrupt religious system symbolized by the Great Harlot has repercussions in the world of buying and selling. The angel announces the fall of Babylon the great, and the accompanying desolation. She becomes the desolate habitation of demons and all that is unclean. The reason for this destruction is because of the unfaithfulness she propagated among the nations of the world, and the independence from God spawned by wealth. “Wall Street” comes to mind as an example of John using Babylon, as a geographical place, but also a world-influencing economic center that has often been portrayed as a hot-bed of corruption and vice. (Some would also view it as the center of worship of the almighty buck, in whom they trust.)

John hears another voice that has reverberated though the ages calling the people of God out of the corruption of “Babylon” so that they don't participate in her sins, otherwise they will participate in her judgment. If there was no possibility of believers being entranced and entrapped by materialism, there would be no need for this warning. God will repay “Babylon” and those who sin with her, double for her sinful ways, being corrupt, and corrupting others. To the degree that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, she will be humbled and tormented. She said she was a queen above any possibility of need, yet in one day she will be reduced to ashes, because the God who judges is so much stronger than her wealth and self-sufficiency. Remember that those believers who live for “Babylon's” pleasures and benefits, rather than the pleasure of God, and His benefits, will share in her discipline. They won't get tossed into the lake of fire (for their names were written in the book of life) but their works will be totally burned up in the garbage dump of Gehenna (1 Corinthians 3:15).

The kings of the earth who had profited from their union with Babylon will lament her destruction, which has not yet taken place, but will, in an very short period of time. The merchants too will mourn her loss, because the breakdown of the economic system with her fall will destroy their business. Note that they trade not only in the luxuries and necessities of life, but also in human bodies and souls! Those things for which people's souls lusted will be totally gone.

The merchants will weep and mourn for the loss of what was the source of their riches, as will those who profited in transportation. They will see the smoke of her burning and weep. This seems to indicate that a physical location is destroyed, observable from the sea. The fragile nature of temporal things is underscored by the fact that in an hour, all is lost.

Meanwhile, in heaven, there is cheering and rejoicing. The saints, apostles, and prophets who were victims of the temporal materialistic system will be avenged by God's judgment.

A mighty angel took a giant stone and cast it into the sea, indicating the violent and overwhelming destruction that will occur. Entertainment and industry, production and merriment will be no more, at all, in Babylon. Because of her deception of the nations (last chapter) and persecution of the prophets (who denounced both apostasy and injustice), and martyrdom of the saints, and the shedding of innocent blood, Babylon is judged, by the Judge of all the earth.