Greetings! Welcome back to our series on Revelation chapter 18, where we study how the whore of Babylon receives her punishment. In the second installment of the series, we studied Jerusalem’s relationship with three Gentile groups: the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, and the shipmasters of the earth. And then we studied her relationship with her own people: the prophets, apostles, and the saints. Her relationships with these groups of people were upside down to what they should have been. In this last post, we’re going to look at how Jerusalem’s destruction will come in “one hour.” Let’s get into this!
Chapter 18: The Whore of Babylon Is Judged
Third in a Three-Part Series
by Karen Thompson
Standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ (Rev. 18:10)
For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ (Rev. 18:17–18).
They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’ (Rev. 18:19)
In One Hour
Let’s talk about the phrase “one hour.” All three Gentile groups described Jerusalem’s sudden destruction taking place in “one hour.” Verse 10: “for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Verse 17: “for in one hour so great riches is come to nought.” Verse 19: “for in one hour is she made desolate.” Her destruction is achieved in one hour.
One Hour Symbolizes a Period of Seven Years
Let’s go back and review what Revelation chapter 17 has to say about the phrase “one hour.” If you recall, Revelation 17:12 says about the ten horns, who are the ten kings, “but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.” The ten kings will receive power as kings “one hour” with the beast.
There are two important elements in this phrase: “one hour” and “as kings.” Let’s first talk about the “one hour” element. The kings will receive power as kings for one hour with the beast. Obviously, this hour is not a literal hour. This one hour symbolizes the full length of Daniel’s 70th week, a period of seven years. If you recall, this symbolism of “one hour” stems from the opening of the seventh seal. About the seventh seal, Revelation 8:1 says, “And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” When the seventh seal was opened, all of heaven was silent for the space of one-half hour. Heaven wasn’t silent because no one was speaking. Heaven was silent due to inactivity. Heaven’s silence was a reflection of what was happening on earth. The little horn and the ten kings will have entered into a covenant of peace which will result in peace among these nations. Peace on earth brought about silence in heaven. No warfare on earth means heaven’s war machine was shut down. The book of Daniel tells us the peace will only last for three- and one-half years. It will end when the little horn breaks the covenant and invades Jerusalem in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week.
Peace among these 10 nations will last for only three- and one-half years. That time of peace was symbolized in heaven as one-half hour. So one-half hour in heaven is the equivalent of three- and one-half years on earth. If the first half of the 70th week is one-half hour, then the last half of the 70th week must also be one-half hour. Two half hours combined make one full hour. So the phrase “receive power as kings one hour with the beast” can be interpreted to mean “receive power as kings for seven years with the beast.” The kings will receive power with Antichrist when they enter into a covenant together, a covenant of seven years.
Let’s get back to our study of Revelation chapter 18. As noted, this one hour is symbolic of the full length of Daniel’s 70th week, a period of seven years. During these seven years, Jerusalem will have experienced three significant invasions. First, the little horn will invade Jerusalem which will trigger the start of Daniel’s 70th week of seven years. He will then enter into a covenant with other nations, which brings peace. The little horn will break the covenant of peace by invading Jerusalem in the middle of the seven-year period. As a result, Jerusalem will be under the control of Antichrist for three- and one-half years. Then at the end of the seven years, the Jewish people gain control of Jerusalem; Antichrist and the other kings respond by invading her again and destroying her with fire.
For Jerusalem, Daniel’s 70th week will be a time of great destruction. In fact, Daniel 12:1 says it will be the worst time since the beginning: “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.” This period of seven years will bring about Jerusalem’s demise. That’s when Messiah comes.
The Residents of Heaven Rejoice Over Jerusalem’s Destruction
Rev. 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Now we come to the last group of people to have a relationship with Jerusalem. This last section of chapter 18 begins in a most startling way. We have just read how the kings of the earth, the merchants of the earth, and the shipmasters all mourn and wail over the great city’s demise. But then we read in verse 18 that all of heaven rejoices over the great city’s demise! “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”
This sentence reminds us why the great city is being judged so harshly. Not only is she guilty of apostasy and abominations, but she is responsible for killing God’s prophets and apostles! Mind you, these are her own people that she had murdered! This betrayal is why her judgment is a double portion.
This allegory highlights how perverse and twisted Jerusalem’s relationships had become. She was “in bed” with the Gentile kings, merchants, and shipmasters of the earth. She courted and enticed these Gentile nations to enter into relationships with her. In Ezekiel chapter 16, Ezekiel prophesied how God viewed Jerusalem’s relationships with these Gentile lovers: “Rather, you were as an adulterous wife who receives strangers instead of her husband! Men give gifts to all harlots, but you give your gifts to all your lovers and hire them, bribing [the nations to ally themselves with you], that they may come to you on every side for your harlotries (your idolatrous unfaithfulnesses to God). And you are different [the reverse] from other women in your harlotries, in that nobody follows you to lure you into harlotry and in that you give hire when no hire is given you; and so you are different” (Eze. 16:32–34 Amp.).
She is, again, referred to as an unfaithful wife. Then Ezekiel refers to Jerusalem as a harlot but not a normal kind of harlot. Normally, men give gifts to the harlot. But here it says Jerusalem gave gifts to her lovers, and she hired them and bribed them to be her ally. Her different kind of harlotry is again emphasized: “you give hire when no hire is given you….” Jerusalem sought after Gentile nations to have relationships with them and made them rich, but she got nothing in return from them.
In fact, the prophet Jeremiah said Jerusalem’s “lovers” wanted to seek her life: “And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life” (Jer. 4:30). Her lovers will want her downfall. They used Jerusalem for their own profit, but they had no loyalty to her. We saw this sentiment with the kings, merchants, and shipmasters when none of them came to her assistance in her greatest time of need.
But the relationship with her own people, God’s prophets, apostles, and the saints, was the opposite of her relationship with Gentile groups. Her own people, she persecuted and had murdered. Jerusalem’s streets were stained with their blood. Jerusalem should have been their covering of protection. Instead, Jerusalem sought after Gentile nations to be her friend, but viewed her own religious people amongst her as enemies. Her relationships were upside down.
A Mighty Angel Prophetically Acts Out Jerusalem’s Destruction
Then in Revelation 18:21, John said he saw a mighty angel pick up a stone like a millstone, and he threw it into the sea. The angel said, “Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.” This marks the end of what was Jerusalem, the city that committed idolatry with the kings of the earth and committed all manner of abominations. That city is gone, never to rise again. But don’t fret. In the next chapter, we see the new Jerusalem will take its place.
The rest of the verses reflect the death of the city. All the activity that makes a city, a city will come to an end. There will be no more entertainment or merriment: “And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee” (v. 22). There will be no more merchants or businesses: “no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee;and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee” (v. 22). There will be no more typical joyous activities of its citizens: “the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee” (v. 23). The city will go into darkness, which is to mean she will cease to exist: “And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee” (v. 23). Lastly, “for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness caused the nations of the earth to be deceived.
The Blood of the Saints
Now let’s look at the very last verse in chapter 18: “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” We are again reminded in this verse about the blood of the prophets and the saints being spilled in Jerusalem. Verse 24 has the same content as the verse in Revelation 17:6: “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus….” As well as verse 20, “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”
We see the woman herself drunk—with blood! She’s drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. Jerusalem was responsible for the death of her own prophets and apostles. Sinful kings don’t like to hear prophets telling them that if they don’t repent, judgment will come. It was a tough job to be a prophet during this time. God’s prophets were persecuted and even killed. Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for this very thing: “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation” (Luke 11:49–50).
It also says the whore was drunk with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When Jesus drew converts to Himself, it set off great persecution not only toward Him but to His followers as well. Jews that believed on Jesus were persecuted by their fellow Jews. We read about Stephen being stoned to death in Acts chapter seven. When Stephen was being dragged out of the city so they could stone him, they laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58).
In his own words, Saul described himself as “a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the Church…” (Phil. 3:5–6). The young Saul approved of the death of the Christian convert Stephen. And after Stephen’s death, there began a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 8). Saul set out to make trouble for the Jewish followers of Jesus; he boldly entered their homes and dragged them out and threw them in prison (Acts 8:1–3).
He didn’t stop there. Acts chapter nine says Saul “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1–2). But, thank God, on his way to Damascus, Saul had a life-changing experience when he saw a bright, shining light and he fell to the ground. Out of the bright light, he heard the voice of Jesus asking him, “Why are you persecuting me?” In that experience, the Church’s greatest persecutor, Saul, became one of the greatest followers of Jesus Christ, better known as the apostle Paul.
The Bible speaks of other such persecutions. In order to vex the Church, King Herod arrested the apostle James, the brother of John, and killed him with the sword. He saw how much it pleased the Jews so he decided to kill the apostle Peter as well (Acts 12:1–3). But he failed to kill Peter because the believers prayed for his deliverance, and God sent an angel to deliver him out of prison.
Jesus had strong words for those who would try to prevent anyone from following Him. He said, “Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea” (Mark 9:42). How interesting. We read this same phraseology in regard to the whore of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18:20–21: “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”
At first, this chapter can be difficult to interpret. But its message comes to light when you understand the key to its interpretation is the understanding that Jerusalem is being judged for her full length of history, her history of apostasy and sins of abominations, as well as the innocent shed blood of God’s holy prophets, His apostles, and His saints. Jerusalem’s final judgment of destruction is the result of Jerusalem’s total accumulation of sins from her ancient past all the way to her present.
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