And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Again they say Alleluia a second time as the great multitude in heaven praises God because His judgments are true and righteous in condemning Babylon the great whore who corrupted the earth and in avenging the blood of His servants upon her. Her smoke rising up for ever and ever shows that her overthrow is complete and final, the lasting destruction of the system that opposed God's law and led the world into false worship. The rising smoke does not mean the wicked live on in conscious torment while the redeemed praise God, but is strong symbolic language for their utter and everlasting destruction, and at that triumph angels and the redeemed rejoice because the devil can tempt and trouble them no more and the inhabitants of other worlds are delivered from his presence. The praise belongs to the final judgment and triumph of Christ when the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, followed by Satan's binding for a thousand years, the final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's reign. With the whole of Revelation 18 and Revelation 19 it will surely be fulfilled in a tremendous crisis soon to come, as a testing truth and last call of mercy and warning to be read and understood by all while God in mercy holds back His judgments.
Praise for Righteous Judgment
The great multitude in heaven sounds a second, repeated Alleluia, praising God because His judgments are true and righteous in judging the great whore, Babylon, who corrupted the earth with fornication and whose violence and shed blood against His servants has been avenged. Her smoke rising up for ever and ever pictures that judgment as complete, lasting, final and enduring, expressing the lasting finality of her destruction. That condemned system is the power that opposed God's law and led people into false worship, and its lasting smoke stands alongside the Alleluia within the conflict with Satan and the final judgments.
The praise continues as an extended scene of heavenly worship in which the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down and worship, and a voice comes out of the throne calling all servants to praise God, leading on to rejoicing that the Lord God omnipotent reigns and that the marriage of the Lamb has come. The Alleluia is a celebration of triumph in which angels and the redeemed rejoice because the devil can no longer tempt or trouble them. In that same triumph the inhabitants of other worlds are delivered from his presence and temptations.
The rising of the smoke for ever does not mean the wicked suffer conscious torment for ever while the redeemed praise God, nor an eternally burning hell that torments the lost. It is strong symbolic language for their complete and lasting destruction. After that destruction the heavenly host joins the praise and says Amen.
Final Triumph and Warning
The verse belongs to the prophetic picture of the final judgment and triumph of Christ set forth in its chapter. That picture includes the beast and the false prophet cast into the lake of fire. It is followed by Satan's binding for a thousand years, then the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's reign on earth in final triumph over evil. Together with the whole of Revelation 18 and Revelation 19 it will surely be fulfilled in a tremendous crisis soon to come that is advancing with mighty strides. Its fulfillment comes with the life-giving message and last warning to be sounded to a fallen world.
It is part of the testing truths for this time and part of the last call of mercy that is to be given more fully to the world. Its truth is to be read and understood by all as part of the message of warning that must be sounded to all people. God in mercy and long forbearance is holding back His judgments until that warning has been given and those who have not yet heard have had opportunity to hear. It concerns the closing scenes of this earth's history now being lived. Every minister as a watchman on the walls of Zion must discern these messages and give them with a certain trumpet sound, for to pass along without discerning and giving them quiets souls to sleep and brings eternal loss.
Its heavenly praise with the rising smoke of Babylon's destruction belongs to the heavenly events to be regarded with confidence, as God prepares a people to stand in the day of the Lord. The unsanctified have never learned that song of praise and cannot enjoy it, for its praise is out of harmony with their tastes and desires. The chapter shows God's reckoning with those who enforce the worship of the beast, for the persecutions Christians endured at the hands of those under apostate control will then be seen. God overlooks and forgets nothing, and seeking to compel men to do evil is a most heinous sin in His sight. All who insult God by forcing the worship of the beast upon men should be afraid when they read it.
Again they say Alleluia a second time as the great multitude in heaven praises God because His judgments are true and righteous in condemning Babylon the great whore who corrupted the earth and in avenging the blood of His servants upon her. Her smoke rising up for ever and ever shows that her overthrow is complete and final, the lasting destruction of the system that opposed God's law and led the world into false worship. The rising smoke does not mean the wicked live on in conscious torment while the redeemed praise God, but is strong symbolic language for their utter and everlasting destruction, and at that triumph angels and the redeemed rejoice because the devil can tempt and trouble them no more and the inhabitants of other worlds are delivered from his presence. The praise belongs to the final judgment and triumph of Christ when the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, followed by Satan's binding for a thousand years, the final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's reign. With the whole of Revelation 18 and Revelation 19 it will surely be fulfilled in a tremendous crisis soon to come, as a testing truth and last call of mercy and warning to be read and understood by all while God in mercy holds back His judgments.
Praise for Righteous Judgment
The great multitude in heaven sounds a second, repeated Alleluia, praising God because His judgments are true and righteous in judging the great whore, Babylon, who corrupted the earth with fornication and whose violence and shed blood against His servants has been avenged. Her smoke rising up for ever and ever pictures that judgment as complete, lasting, final and enduring, expressing the lasting finality of her destruction. That condemned system is the power that opposed God's law and led people into false worship, and its lasting smoke stands alongside the Alleluia within the conflict with Satan and the final judgments.
The praise continues as an extended scene of heavenly worship in which the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down and worship, and a voice comes out of the throne calling all servants to praise God, leading on to rejoicing that the Lord God omnipotent reigns and that the marriage of the Lamb has come. The Alleluia is a celebration of triumph in which angels and the redeemed rejoice because the devil can no longer tempt or trouble them. In that same triumph the inhabitants of other worlds are delivered from his presence and temptations.
The rising of the smoke for ever does not mean the wicked suffer conscious torment for ever while the redeemed praise God, nor an eternally burning hell that torments the lost. It is strong symbolic language for their complete and lasting destruction. After that destruction the heavenly host joins the praise and says Amen.
Final Triumph and Warning
The verse belongs to the prophetic picture of the final judgment and triumph of Christ set forth in its chapter. That picture includes the beast and the false prophet cast into the lake of fire. It is followed by Satan's binding for a thousand years, then the resurrection and final destruction of the wicked, and Christ's reign on earth in final triumph over evil. Together with the whole of Revelation 18 and Revelation 19 it will surely be fulfilled in a tremendous crisis soon to come that is advancing with mighty strides. Its fulfillment comes with the life-giving message and last warning to be sounded to a fallen world.
It is part of the testing truths for this time and part of the last call of mercy that is to be given more fully to the world. Its truth is to be read and understood by all as part of the message of warning that must be sounded to all people. God in mercy and long forbearance is holding back His judgments until that warning has been given and those who have not yet heard have had opportunity to hear. It concerns the closing scenes of this earth's history now being lived. Every minister as a watchman on the walls of Zion must discern these messages and give them with a certain trumpet sound, for to pass along without discerning and giving them quiets souls to sleep and brings eternal loss.
Its heavenly praise with the rising smoke of Babylon's destruction belongs to the heavenly events to be regarded with confidence, as God prepares a people to stand in the day of the Lord. The unsanctified have never learned that song of praise and cannot enjoy it, for its praise is out of harmony with their tastes and desires. The chapter shows God's reckoning with those who enforce the worship of the beast, for the persecutions Christians endured at the hands of those under apostate control will then be seen. God overlooks and forgets nothing, and seeking to compel men to do evil is a most heinous sin in His sight. All who insult God by forcing the worship of the beast upon men should be afraid when they read it.