A Year with Jesus: 'Every Babylon Must Fall'

The deepest pains may linger through the night,
but joy greets the soul with the smile of morning.
(Psalm 30:5)

Next I [John] saw another messenger descending from heaven. I knew he possessed great authority because his glory illuminated the earth.

Heavenly Messenger (with a powerful voice):

Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great city!
It has become a habitat for demons,
A haunt for every kind of foul spirit,
a prison for every sort of unclean and hateful bird.

For all the nations have drunk deeply
from the wine of the wrath of her immorality,
And the kings of the earth have disgraced themselves by engaging in gross sexual acts with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown fat and rich, profiting off the power purchased with her luxury.

Then I heard another voice from heaven urge,

A Voice:

My people, get away from her — fast.
Make sure you do not get caught up in her sins.
Put some distance between you so that you do not share in her plagues,
For her sins are higher than the highest mountain. They reach far into the heavens,
and God has not forgotten even one of her missteps.

Deal out to her what she has dealt out to others,
and repay her double according to her deeds.
In the cup where she mixed her drink, mix her a double.

Whatever glory she demanded and whatever luxury she lived,
give back to her the same measure in torment and sorrow.

Secretly she says in her heart:

I rule as queen;
I am not like a widow;
I will never experience grief.

Because of this arrogance, in a single day, plagues will overwhelm her.
Her portion will be death and sorrow and famine,
And she will be incinerated with fire,
for mighty is the Lord God Who exacts judgment on her.

...

Then a mighty messenger picked up a huge stone — it looked like a great millstone — and he cast it into the sea.

Mighty Messenger [an angel of God]:

Watch and see. This is how Babylon, the great city,
will be thrown down; violently will she go down,
and they will search for her in vain.

Never again will the sound of music grace your streets.
The melodies and harmonies of the harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters
will never be heard again.
And never again will an artisan of any craft
be found in your markets,

And never again will the grinding of the millstone
provide rhythm to your city,

And never again will the light of a lamp
bring warm light to your houses,
And never again will the voices of the bridegroom and bride
bring joy to your festivities.
For the merchants were the magnates of the earth,
and all the nations fell prey to your sorceries.

And in her streets the blood of the prophets, saints,
and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth, ran freely.

(Revelation 18:1-8; Revelation 18:21-24)