Revelation 18–19

Babylon Falls

18After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority. His glory filled the earth with light. ²With a mighty voice he shouted,

“Fallen! Babylon the Great has fallen!

She has become a place where demons live.

She has become a den for every evil spirit.

She has become a nest for every ‘unclean’ and hated bird.

³All the nations have drunk

the strong wine of her terrible sins.

The kings of the earth took part in her evil ways.

The traders of the world grew rich from her great wealth.”

⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven. It said,

“Come out of her, my people.

Then you will not take part in her sins.

You will not suffer from any of her plagues.

⁵Her sins are piled up to heaven.

God has remembered her crimes.

⁶Do to her as she has done to others.

Pay her back double for what she has done.

Mix her a double dose of what she has mixed for others.

⁷Give her as much pain and suffering

as the glory and wealth she gave herself.

She brags to herself,

‘I rule like a queen. I am not a widow.

I will never be sad.’

⁸But she will be plagued by death, sadness and hunger.

In a single day they will all catch up with her.

She will be burned up by fire.

The Lord God who judges her is mighty.

⁹“The kings of the earth who committed terrible sins with her will sob. They will be sad because they used to share her riches. They will see the smoke rising as she burns. ¹⁰They will be terrified by her suffering. Standing far away, they will exclaim,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!

How terrible for you, Babylon, city of power!

In just one hour you have been destroyed!’

¹¹“The traders of the world will cry and be sad over her. No one buys what they sell anymore. ¹²Here is what they had for sale.

Gold, silver, jewels, pearls.

Fine linen, purple, silk, bright red cloth.

Every kind of expensive wood.

All sorts of articles made out of ivory, valuable wood, bronze, iron and marble.

¹³Cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense.

Wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat.

Cattle, sheep, horses, carriages, human slaves.

¹⁴“The merchants will say, ‘The pleasure you longed for has left you. All your riches and glory have disappeared forever.’ ¹⁵The traders who sold these things and became rich because of her will stand far away. Her suffering will terrify them. They will cry and be sad. ¹⁶They will cry out,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city,

dressed in fine linen, purple and bright red!

How terrible for you, great city, gleaming with gold, jewels and pearls!

¹⁷In just one hour your great wealth has been destroyed!’

“Every sea captain and all who travel by ship will stand far away. So will the sailors and all who earn their living from the sea. ¹⁸They will see the smoke rising as Babylon burns. They will ask, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ ¹⁹They will throw dust on their heads. They will cry and be sad. They will cry out,

“ ‘How terrible! How terrible it is for you, great city!

All who had ships on the sea

became rich because of her wealth!

In just one hour she has been destroyed!

²⁰Heaven, be glad for this!

God’s people, be glad! Apostles and prophets, be glad!

God has judged her for the way she treated you.’ ”

²¹Then a mighty angel picked up a huge rock. It was the size of a large millstone. He threw it into the sea. Then he said,

“That is how

the great city of Babylon will be thrown down.

Never again will it be found.

²²The songs of musicians will never be heard in you again.

Gone will be the music of harp, flute and trumpet.

No worker of any kind

will ever be found in you again.

The sound of a millstone

will never be heard in you again.

²³The light of a lamp

will never shine in you again.

The voices of brides and grooms

will never be heard in you again.

Your traders were among the world’s most important people.

By your magic spell all the nations were led down the wrong path.

²⁴You were guilty of the murder of prophets and God’s people.

You were guilty of the blood of all who have been killed on the earth.”

Hallelujah!

19After these things I heard a roar in heaven. It sounded like a huge crowd shouting,

“Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

²The way he judges is true and fair.

He has judged the great prostitute.

She polluted the earth with her terrible sins.

God has paid her back for killing those who served him.”

³Again they shouted,

“Hallelujah!

The smoke from her fire goes up for ever and ever.”

⁴The 24 elders and the four living creatures bowed down. They worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out,

“Amen! Hallelujah!”

⁵Then a voice came from the throne. It said,

“Praise our God,

all you who serve him!

Praise God, all you who have respect for him,

both great and small!”

⁶Then I heard the noise of a huge crowd. It sounded like the roar of rushing waters and like loud thunder. The people were shouting,

“Hallelujah!

Our Lord God is the King who rules over all.

⁷Let us be joyful and glad!

Let us give him glory!

It is time for the Lamb’s wedding.

His bride has made herself ready.

⁸Fine linen, bright and clean,

was given to her to wear.”

Fine linen stands for the right things that God’s people do.

⁹Here is what the angel told me to write. “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” Then he added, “These are the true words of God.”

¹⁰When I heard this, I fell at his feet to worship him.

But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I serve God, just as you do. I am God’s servant, just like other believers who hold firmly to what Jesus has taught. Worship God! What Jesus taught is the very heart of prophecy.”

The Rider on the White Horse

¹¹I saw heaven standing open. There in front of me was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True. When he judges or makes war, he is always fair. ¹²His eyes are like blazing fire. On his head are many crowns. A name is written on him that only he knows. ¹³He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood. His name is The Word of God.

¹⁴The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses. They were dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

¹⁵Out of the rider’s mouth comes a sharp sword. He will strike down the nations with it. Scripture says, “He will rule them with an iron rod.” He stomps on the grapes of God’s winepress. The winepress stands for the terrible anger of the God who rules over all.

¹⁶Here is the name that is written on the rider’s robe and on his thigh.

The Greatest King of All and The Most Powerful Lord of All

¹⁷I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the air, “Come! Gather together for the great supper of God. ¹⁸Come and eat the dead bodies of kings, generals, and other mighty people. Eat the bodies of horses and their riders. Eat the bodies of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies. They had gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.

²⁰But the beast and the false prophet were captured. The false prophet had done miraculous signs for the beast. In this way the false prophet had tricked those who had received the mark of the beast and had worshiped his statue. The beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the rider’s mouth. All the birds stuffed themselves with the dead bodies.