The Fall of Babylon

Scripture Reading: Revelation 18:1-24, Isaiah 52:11, Jeremiah 51:47-50

One of the most remarkable aspects of Scripture is how God can take historic events and use them to point to massive spiritual realities. For example, in Exodus 16 God provided manna for the people of Israel to feed them daily. This was about more than just physical provision; it shows us that “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3). It gives context to the Lord’s prayer, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

In much the same way, we encounter the historic empire of Babylon in the Old Testament—they fought against Israel and eventually conquered and exiled God’s people. Those events led to the destruction of the temple, the displacement of the people from the promised land, and the fulfillment of God’s judgment for Israel’s rebellion. But Babylon is also representative of something even greater, even to a cosmic scale, as we find in Revelation 18.

An angel (that is, a messenger from God) loudly celebrates the destruction of Babylon—but he wasn’t referring to the fall of the Mesopatamian empire that conquered Israel. Babylon, throughout much of the Bible and especially in apocalyptic writings, represents the kingdom of rebellion against God. This is why the people of God are called out of Babylon (Revelation 18:4), not because we are citizens of this evil kingdom but because we are residents of a fallen world. In Isaiah 52:11, the people of God were called out in a similar fashion and told to “purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD.”

So in Revelation 18, the angel is not merely encouraging God’s people to distance from this evil kingdom.  We are reminded to be set apart to serve as priests in the presence of God. After God destroys Babylon, He establishes the new Jerusalem and resides there with His people (Revelation 19–22). We are all true citizens of that new kingdom, servants in the presence of our God.

Revelation 18 is a celebration of the final fall of evil, the destruction and judgment of all earthly opposition to Jesus in souls, societies, and kingdoms. It highlights the rulers and merchants, meaning those who have gained wealth and power by rebelling against God and have done so at the expense of God’s people (Jeremiah 51:49, Revelation 18:5). The promises of this chapter are why we can have confidence and faith even in the face of injustice or persecution. This is why we aren’t hopeless when the world around us seems to be growing in rebellion against God. He will bring judgment, and all God’s people are called to celebrate Babylon’s downfall: “Rejoice over her, heaven, and you saints, apostles, and prophets, because God has pronounced on her the judgment she passed on you!” (v.20). We rejoice in our God’s victory and perfect justice.

Written by Barnabas Piper