Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Lamentation and Joy

Reflections on Revelation 18:9-20

Three groups which have profited from their relationship with the prostitute Babylon lament the fall of her who in pride said she would never be a widow in mourning. Those groups are the kings of the earth, merchants, and seafaring men.  The laments of these three remind us of the laments of mariners, inhabitants of coastland, kings, and merchants over the city of Tyre in Ezekiel 27:29-36. 

The kings of the earth mourn because they have purchased the favor of (committed sexual immorality with) Babylon and her gods by plundering their own people.  Now Babylon, like Jerusalem who had also played the part of a prostitute (Ezekiel 16:15-22), is stripped of her luxurious clothing and destroyed (compare with Ezekiel 16:35-40).  

The merchants mourn because they had profited by carrying precious cargoes to Babylon, cargoes that were also carried to Tyre (compare Revelation 18:12 with Ezekiel 27:1-25).   Just as God stripped Tyre of its wealth because its pride had made her exalt herself as a god (Ezekiel 28:2 ff.), so God now strips Babylon of her wealth and destroys her. 

Finally, all who make their living on the sea raise a lament because the source of their income has been laid waste suddenly in a single hour. 

The section ends with the heavenly voice  which called God's people to come out of Babylon (v. 4) exhorting all God's people (saints, apostles, and prophets) to rejoice because God has judged Babylon on the behalf of all who had suffered and been slain (Note the punctuation in NASB, NKJV, NLT, and NET).  The wording is an allusion to Deuteronomy 32:43 where Moses says concerning God,

   Rejoice, O nations, with his people,
        for he will avenge the blood of his servants;
   he will take vengeance on his enemies
        and make atonement for his land and people. 

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