Revelation 18:21, commentary and pictures

The verse foretells the certain, violent and complete overthrow of that great city Babylon, which shall be thrown down and be found no more at all. That Babylon is mystic Babylon, the churches whose principles have become corrupted. Its final fall comes when rejection of the threefold warning has brought the church fully into the condition foretold by the second angel, and it is the next great event following the final warning message to the world, whose prophecies are soon to be fulfilled and about to take place. It belongs to present truth for this time, the third angel's message, the last great testing truth and last call of mercy and warning to the world, which must be presented boldly and powerfully with a loud voice and with no weakening or toning down. It announces the final call for God's people still in Babylon to separate from her so they will not share her sins and plagues, while God in mercy holds back His judgments until the message has been given more fully because many have not yet heard it.

Babylon's Final Complete Overthrow

The image of a stone like a great millstone cast into the sea depicts the certain, violent and complete overthrow of that great city Babylon, which shall be thrown down and shall be found no more at all. Babylon is mystic Babylon, churches whose principles have become corrupted, a condition that makes the messages of Revelation 14 necessary. This final, complete fall comes when rejection of the threefold warning has brought the church fully into the condition foretold by the second angel.

The chapter presents the next great event following the final warning message to the world. Its prophecies are soon to be fulfilled, about to take place, being fulfilled, and surely to be fulfilled. Those coming events are a cause of deep concern.

The verse stands with the prophecies of Revelation 12 to 18 now being fulfilled, just before the time pictured in Revelation 19. Then the beast and false prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire, followed by the binding of the dragon for a thousand years, then 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. It belongs with Revelation 16:13-21, 21, and 22 as God's solemn warning about the last events of this earth's history, made known by Christ Himself to John on Patmos to call minds to things which will be in these last days.

The overthrow is God's retributive judgment falling from His storehouse upon those who continue in sin in the face of great light. It comes because of the sins and wickedness in the world and disobedience to God's law. It follows the work of false shepherds who turn people from God's law to human theories and produce growing wickedness that will bring consequences upon themselves.

Proclaiming the Final Warning

Revelation 18:21 belongs to present truth for this time, the third angel's message, the last great testing truth to be sounded to all. It is the last call of mercy and the message of warning, the very last call to the churches and the last message and last work to be done for the world. The prophecy of Revelation 18 is being fulfilled, and all are to hear its warning now.

The truth of the chapter must be read and proclaimed with a loud voice by the human agencies chosen for the work, with all power and efficiency. It is to be presented boldly and powerfully, with no weakening, no muffling, and no toning down. The number of workers is to be increased rather than diminished, with no diversion into lines that hinder the message. Everything is at stake as a life-and-death question, so the world is not to be left in darkness but the earth is to be filled with the knowledge of God and salvation and lightened with glory.

The warning to be given includes proclaiming the truth about the Sabbath of the Lord and showing the seventh day to be the seal of the living God. It includes showing what may be expected from the papal power that has made void the law of God, and warning that the Protestant churches are reaching out to grasp the hand of that power. This is an important message that must not be treated as an inferior matter.

The chapter announces the final call for God's people still in Babylon to separate from her and come out of her so they will not share her sins and plagues. This fall comes when rejection of the threefold warning has brought the church fully into the condition foretold by the second angel. The last message will accomplish its work as those open to truth heed the call to come out, and this proclamation prepares a people to stand in the great day of God fast coming with stealthy, awful dread.

God in mercy with long forbearance holds back His judgments while waiting for this message to be given more fully to the world because many have not yet heard it. People hearing the truth for the first time may still be saved. The truths of Revelation 18 and 19 should be read and understood by all, verse by verse, to learn things yet to take place. Satan would silence the message, bind its proclamation, keep minds confused about these things, and mingle deception with truth to create side issues that turn people from the great issue and the test to be brought upon God's people.

Judgment Upon the Cities

Revelation 18 is a warning of what is coming on the earth, and its scenes must be read verse by verse to learn the things yet to take place in the cities. The violent throwing down of that great city Babylon to be found no more is a wonderful display of the power of God because of the sins of the cities, and the events described as about to take place are a cause of deep concern. A city recently destroyed stands as a special indication and rebuke of God pointing to this coming destruction. The verse gives no specific light about what will happen to New York and is not a prediction that New York or another named city will be destroyed by a particular disaster such as a tidal wave.

Its image of a great city violently thrown down shows that even massive buildings built story upon story will fall with violence and be found no more when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth by the turning and overturning of His power. One word from the Lord and one touch of His mighty power brings destruction whose fearfulness cannot be imagined, underscoring the need to warn people. The terrible judgment that fell upon San Francisco on April 18, 1906, shown beforehand in a night representation of destruction, illustrates the kind of sudden overthrow to come when Babylon will be violently thrown down and found no more in the day of God's wrath because of wickedness and disobedience to God's law. San Francisco and Oakland, becoming like Sodom and Gomorrah, will suffer God's judgments, with fire, flood, and earthquake presented as warnings of His approach.

In that retribution costly structures supposed to be fireproof will become ashes just as Sodom perished in the flames of vengeance. Costly vessels with treasures of gold and silver and human freight will sink into a watery grave, great riches will come to nothing and be consumed by fire, and man's pride will be buried with treasures accumulated by fraud. Flattering monuments of human greatness will be crumbled in the dust even before the last great destruction comes upon the world. God will avenge widows and orphans who in hunger and nakedness cried for help from oppression and abuse, and sorrow will come that no human balm can heal, enough to cause all who read to fear and tremble.

The judgment falls on wicked human agencies and their sins, not on the buildings themselves. The calamity calls abusers of privilege to make amends for wrongs done to fellow men and to turn from selfishness and reject their own way for the Lord's way. Those who believe the prophecies must not ignore it, show indifference, make light of witnessed destruction, or defiantly plan greater buildings and investments in the cities, for God will exercise His power to counteract such efforts, but must hear His voice and come out so as not to partake of her sins and plagues. Those who do not love the light and will not come to the light lest their deeds be reproved will not follow on to know the Lord.