Revelation Unlocked #236.

The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and all who make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich from her prosperity, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” – Revelation 18:15-20. NASB

I get asked from time to time why the Bible does not include great civilizations like China in its prophetic landscape. The answer is that Bible prophecy only deals with those civilizations that affect the people of God. However I can see China here, as one of the merchants that have gotten wealthy in the wake of Babylon (a wonder for a communist country.) They will mourn over the collapse of the world’s economy, as will everyone else who depended on her wealth.

Babylon was not only wealthy; she was fully self-absorbed in this wealth (18:7). She was willing to do almost anything to preserve her wealth and position. But the statement of Jesus, “Give, and it shall be given unto you” (Luke 6:38,) suggests the ironic principle that, if you want to be truly wealthy, you have to give your riches away. 

It seems that the one who creates a family fortune finds meaning and purpose in gathering that fortune. But that kind of motivation will not work for later generations. They will inherit more than they can ever use, and unless they have been taught to serve a higher purpose with that wealth, they lose a sense of meaning and purpose. They will focus instead on the pursuit of social status and will be willing to spend enormous sums on self-gratification. 

An interesting feature of V20 is that God’s people are commanded to rejoice, they are commanded to be happy. Most of us think that we can only be happy when things are going well. But evidently, happiness is a choice, a choice that God’s people can make even in the hardest of times. Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time – it’s not how your life is arranged; it’s how your head is arranged. It is not what happens to you that matters, but what happens in you. Life is not what happens to us but what we do with what happens to us.

In vs11-17 the financial system that brought great riches has collapsed. In a matter of days, the world’s economy collapsed. Not little by little, but like dominos falling one nation after another. The world will go broke overnight. The wealthy and the poor will lose it all. Whom will they blame? V16 tells us. “The great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!” The imitator of Christ! The promise of greatness has gone. The one who denied buying and selling to the faithful has received the same  judgment.

Then a strong angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again. And the sound of harpists, musicians, flute players, and trumpeters will never be heard in you again; and no craftsman of any craft will ever be found in you again; and the sound of a mill will never be heard in you again;” – Revelation 18:21-22

Economic exploitation and negligence remain central to Babylon’s pattern of sin. As of 2024, approximately a billion people globally live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2.15 per day . The richest 20% of the world’s population consume about 80% of global resources, while the poorest 20% consume just 1.4% . In 2024, over 295 million people across 53 countries faced acute hunger, with 38 million children under five acutely malnourished . This crisis is exacerbated by climate change, conflict, and economic instability, and is further intensified by significant reductions in humanitarian aid from wealthier nations. Look at what is happening in Somalia and other places because the world’s richest country has removed aid to the poorest.