Skip to content

Topics Research

Question

What does the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18 represent? What is the anti-Jubilee theme? What does "come out of her, my people" mean for the church?

Topics

BABYLON

  • City of: Built by Nimrod (GEN 10:10), in the land of Shinar (GEN 10:10; 11:2), Tower of (GEN 11:1-9), Capital of the kingdom (DAN 4:30; 2KI 25:13; 2CH 36:6,7,10,18,20)
  • Gates: ISA 45:1,2; JER 51:58
  • Walled: JER 51:44,58
  • Splendor: ISA 14:4
  • Peter writes from: 1PE 5:13
  • Prophecies concerning: PSA 87:4; 137:8,9; ISA 13; 14:4-26; 21:1-10; 46:1,2; 47; 48:14,20; JER 21:4-10; 25:12-14; 27:1-11; 28:14; 32:28; 34:2,3; 42:11,12; 43; 46:13-26; 49:28-30; 50; 51; EZK 21:19; 26; 29:17-20; 30:10; 32:11; DAN 2:21-38; 4:10-26; 5:25-29; 7; HAB 1:5-11; ZEC 2:7-9
  • Figurative: REV 14:8; 16:19; 17; 18
  • Empire: Founded by Nimrod, called LAND OF SHINAR, SHESHACH (JER 25:26; 51:41), MERATHAIM (JER 50:21)
  • Prophetic denunciations against: PSA 137:8,9; ISA 13; 14:21; 43:14-17; 47; JER 50; 51

MERCHANT

  • General scriptures: GEN 23:16; 37:28; 1KI 10:15,28; 2CH 9:14; NEH 3:32; 13:20; JOB 41:6; So 3:6; ISA 23:2; 47:15; EZK 17:4; 27:13,17,21-36; 38:13; HOS 12:7; NAM 3:16; MAT 13:45; REV 18:3,11,23

COMMERCE

  • Laws concerning: LEV 19:36,37; 25:14,17
  • By caravans: GEN 37:25,27; ISA 60:6
  • By ships: 1KI 9:27,28; 10:11; 22:48; PSA 107:23-30; PRO 31:11; REV 18:19
  • Babylonians: REV 18:3,11-13
  • Articles of trade (matching Rev 18:12-13): Gold, Silver, Precious stones, Pearls, Linen, Purple, Silk, Thyine wood, Ivory, Brass, Iron, Marble, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Wine, Oil, Flour, Wheat, Horses, Chariots, Sheep, Slaves
  • Bodies and souls of men: REV 18:13

MARTYRDOM

  • General scriptures: PSA 44:22; MAT 10:21,22,39; 16:25; 23:34,35; 24:9; MRK 13:12; LUK 9:24; 11:50; 21:16,17; JHN 12:25; ROM 8:36; 1CO 13:3; REV 6:9-11; 11:7-12; 12:11; 16:6; 17:6
  • Instances: Abel (GEN 4:3-8), Prophets killed by Jezebel (1KI 18:4,13), Zechariah (2CH 24:21,22), John the Baptist (MRK 6:18-28), Stephen (ACT 7:58-60), James (ACT 12:2), The prophets (MAT 22:6; 23:35; ROM 11:3; 1TH 2:15; HEB 11:32-37)

MILLSTONE

  • Not to be taken as a pledge: DEU 24:6
  • Probably used in executions by drowning: MAT 18:6; MRK 9:42; LUK 17:2
  • Abimelech killed by one: JDG 9:53
  • Figurative of a hard heart: JOB 41:24

JUBILEE

  • Called THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD: ISA 61:2
  • Called THE YEAR OF LIBERTY: EZK 46:17
  • Laws concerning: LEV 25:8-55; 27:17-24; NUM 36:4
  • Trumpet sounded ON the Day of Atonement: LEV 25:9

LIBERTY

  • Proclaimed in the year of jubilee: LEV 25:10; JER 34:8,15-17
  • Political: JDG 17:6; 21:25; ACT 22:28
  • Figurative: ISA 61:2; 63:4; LUK 4:19; JHN 8:32,33,36; GAL 3:28; EPH 6:8; COL 3:11

TYRE

  • Commerce: 1KI 9:26-28; 10:11; ISA 23; EZK 27; 28:1-19; ZEC 9:2; ACT 21:3
  • Merchants: ISA 23:8
  • Riches: ISA 23:8; ZEC 9:3
  • Besieged by Nebuchadnezzar: EZK 26:7; 29:18
  • Prophecies relating to: PSA 45:12; 87:4; ISA 23; JER 25:22; 27:1-11; 47:4

PERSECUTION

  • Of the righteous: Including REV 2:3,10,13; 6:9-11; 7:13-17; 12:11; 17:6; 20:4
  • Of prophets: MAT 21:35,36; 23:35; ROM 11:3; 1TH 2:15; HEB 11:32-37

WINE

  • Figurative of divine judgments: PSA 60:3; 75:8; JER 51:7
  • Of abominations: REV 14:8; 16:19
  • Commerce in: REV 18:13
  • SHIP: Ships used in commerce (REV 18:19) — shipmasters' lament
  • EXPORTS: Articles of trade matching the Rev 18 merchandise list
  • SLAVERY: Connected to "bodies and souls of men" (REV 18:13) — the anti-Jubilee
  • LAMENTATIONS: Literary genre of the threefold lament (EZK 19; 28:12-19)
  • WRATH: Connected to thymos language in Rev 18:3