2 The Fall of the City Proclaimed, Ch. 18:1‐24
The mystery of the Harlot and of the Beast having been revealed, another angel now declares the doom which awaits them. The downfall of the city and the destruction of her wealth is set forth as the type of the overthrow of corrupt society with all pertaining to it, in order that the fulness of Christ’s kingdom may be ushered in among men. In the vision of the prophet the ruin is viewed as already complete; attention is centered so fully upon the result attained that the method by which it is accomplished is left quite out of view. But the closing verses of the preceding chapter serve to indicate the source of her destruction, viz. in the ten horns, or subdivisions of the world‐kingdom, which rise against the Harlot and overthrow her (ch. 17:16‐17),—the historic fate of world‐ empires and world‐cities in revolution and ruin. It is here worthy of note how clearly we find in this chapter reverberating echoes from Isaiah’s Doom of Babylon and of Tyre (Isa. ch. 13:23, 47), and from Jeremiah’s Doom of Babylon (Jer. chs. 50 and 51), as well as from Ezekiel’s Doom of Tyre (Ezek. chs. 26‐28).(526) Though the fall of the heathen city of Rome was doubtless foremost in John’s mind, let us not forget that it only formed the basis of the wider thought of the ultimate fate and fall of the great godless world which it so clearly foreshadowed, the foresight of which was a part of the prophetic vision.(527)
(1) The Announcement of Her Overthrow, Ch. 18:1‐3
An angel—called here “another angel” in distinction from the one designated as “one of the seven angels” in chapter seventeen (v. 1)—is seen coming down out of heaven, having great authority, and crying with a mighty voice, “Fallen! fallen is Babylon the great!” and recounting the story of her crimes as the abundant cause of her ruin.
(2) The Warning to God’s People, Ch. 18:4‐8
Yet another voice from heaven bids the people of God come out of her before the final retribution, that they be not made partakers of her sins and receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached even unto heaven; and urges the executors of her judgment to reward her double, i. e. to exact full legal retribution for her sins (Ex. 22:4‐7). And she shall be utterly destroyed, shall be “burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her”.