Revelation 18:15, commentary and pictures

The merchants enriched by Babylon's luxury will stand far off in fear, weeping as her great wealth is brought to nothing in the hour of God's judgment when her iniquity is complete. This belongs to the prophecy of Revelation 18 concerning mystic Babylon's final condition and downfall after the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6-12, announcing the last call for God's people still in her to separate from her sins and plagues. Those prophecies are certain, soon to be fulfilled and even now being fulfilled as the final crisis approaches. Therefore the warning must be sounded to all with a loud voice and full power, without softening or muffling, while mercy holds back judgment until the message has reached those who have not heard it. The ruin will expose fraud and oppression, for riches gained by unjust gain cannot save, and God's people must heed it by coming out and not defiantly rebuilding as before.

Merchants Mourn Babylon's Ruin

The merchants who were made rich by Babylon's abundance shall stand afar off for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing as her great wealth is brought to nothing. Their riches and luxury come to nothing in the hour of God's judgment, when her iniquity is complete and her time for destruction has come. These events are certain to be fulfilled, and belong to the last call of mercy and warning to the world before God's judgments fall.

The judgment on mystic Babylon reaches the false shepherds who turn people from God's law to human theories, and the consequences of their work will come upon them when her punishment comes. Those who grew rich through her stand at a distance and mourn when that punishment arrives.

The merchants belong to a corrupt union in corrupt harmony with kings, rulers, and religious teachers, and share its gain. Babylon is a church turned into Babylon by exalting the false and spurious Sabbath above the Sabbath which Jehovah blessed and sanctified for the use of man, by teaching the immortality of the soul, and by rejecting the truth.

The costly fireproof structures of men will become ashes just as Sodom perished in the flames of God's vengeance, in retributive judgments permitted to fall upon those who have continued in sin in the face of great light. The great buildings built story upon story will be thrown down by the turning and overturning of God's power, when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth. One word from the Lord, one touch of His mighty power, will make those massive structures fall, bringing terrible scenes and destruction in the world whose fearfulness cannot be imagined. Costly vessels with their treasures of gold and silver and their human freight will sink into a watery grave, and man's pride will be buried with the treasures he accumulated by fraud. The flattering monuments of men's greatness will be crumbled in the dust even before the last great destruction comes upon the world, and a time right upon the world of sorrow that no human balm can heal. By this God will avenge the widows and orphans who in hunger and nakedness cried to Him for help from oppression and abuse, for He keeps a record of every action for good or evil, and riches gained through fraud will not save those who amassed them. The description is enough to cause all who read it to fear and tremble, but those who do not love the light will not come to the light lest their deeds be reproved and will not follow on to know the Lord, saying by their attitude that they want not His way but their own way.

Prophecy's Final Warning Call

The verse belongs to the prophecy of Babylon's final condition and downfall in Revelation 18, which follows the rejection of the threefold warning in Revelation 14:6-12. That chapter brings into view the next great event after that worldwide message. It announces the final call for God's people still in Babylon to separate from her. The corruption of churches whose principles have become corrupted is given as the reason the messages of Revelation 14 must be proclaimed.

The prophecies of Revelation 18, including the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18, are soon to be fulfilled, certain to be fulfilled, and being fulfilled. They provide the prophetic setting for the proclamation of the third angel's message and the coming down of another angel with great power whose glory lights the earth. Revelation 18 records the very last call to the churches, the last message of warning that all are now to hear and now to be given.

That last call comes before the events of Revelation 19, when the beast and the false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire. It comes before the dragon who started rebellion in heaven is bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. After that follow the resurrection of the wicked, the final destruction of Satan and all the wicked, and the final triumph and reign of Christ on this earth.

The verse is part of the foretelling of the day of God's wrath to come, whose torment will be awful with events bringing great distress to beholders. It exposes the wickedness existing in the world and the importance of obeying God's law. It shows scenes yet to take place in the cities as a wonderful display of God's power in destruction and rebuke and calamity because of the sins of the city, as illustrated by a city recently destroyed.

Instruction about this representation was written out on the morning of April 17, and on the following morning of April 18 a terrible judgment of God fell upon San Francisco. The verse will be fulfilled when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth. Then terrible scenes will take place whose fearfulness in destruction cannot be imagined.

The verse belongs to God's solemn warning about the last events of this earth's history, made known by Christ Himself to John while on the Isle of Patmos. It is to be read and understood in these last days. Its lesson of things which will be is to be kept before us so Satan cannot keep minds confused and gain a great victory.

Sounding the Last Warning

Revelation 18:15 belongs to the warnings contained in Revelation and to the testing truths for this time, forming part of the last call of mercy to the world. Its warning must be sounded to all and be given more fully, with a loud voice and with all power and efficiency, and all should read and understand the whole chapter. God's mercy is shown in His long forbearance in holding back His judgments until that message has reached those who have not yet heard it. The chapter's truths are part of that last call of mercy and warning to the world before God's judgments fall.

The message of the chapter must be presented boldly and powerfully, in no measured terms, with no toning down and no softening or muffling of the truth for this time. It makes the third angel's message a life-and-death question in which everything is now at stake, to be strengthened and confirmed. Satan has devised to bind about its proclamation and to mingle deceptions with truth, to create side issues that turn attention from the great issue, the test to be brought upon God's people in these last days. He seeks to hinder it by diversion into other lines of work, and there must be no diversion into lines that would hinder it.

Proclaiming this verse belongs with proclaiming the truth about the Sabbath of the Lord, showing the seventh day to be the seal of the living God. It belongs with showing what may be expected from the papal power that has made void the law of God, and with warning that the Protestant churches are reaching out to grasp the hand of that power. Its message is not an inferior matter that Satan would have silenced, so workers must not allow other lines of work to disqualify them from preaching it. Revelation means revelation, and this is the last work to be done for the world so the world is not left in darkness. The message sanctifies men and women through the truth and prepares a people to stand in the great day of God which is fast coming with stealthy, awful dread.

God's judgment in the verse falls on those made rich by unjust gain, who abused privilege and took advantage of fellow men. The Lord keeps a record of every action for good or evil, and will avenge the widows and orphans who in hunger and nakedness cried to Him for help from oppression and abuse. Riches gained through fraud will not save those who amassed them. The call is to make amends for wrong done and to hear His voice.

The verse warns God's people to come out from the doomed city so as not to share her sins and plagues. It warns believers who profess the prophecies and have witnessed such destruction not to ignore God's special indications, show indifference, or make light of the rebuke. They must not flatter themselves that they will lightly rebuild greater buildings far in advance of former buildings, nor defiantly invest means as before, for if they do God will exercise His power to counteract their efforts. The description is enough to cause all who read it to fear and tremble. But those who do not love the light will not come to the light lest their deeds be reproved and will not follow on to know the Lord, saying by their attitude that they want their own way and not God's way.