THE MOURNING FOR THE CITY – Revelation 18:9-20

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 7, 2016 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group; September 7, 2016 from Revelation 18:9-20

Theme: This passage describes the mourning that will characterize the unbelieving world at the destruction of the great ‘harlot’ city Babylon.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Our passage continues the Bible’s astonishing look at the destruction of the future city Babylon—the center-point of the philosophical, materialistic, political and religious system of the Antichrist. His ungodly system—“the spirit of the Antichrist”—is already in operation in this world (1 John 4:3); but it will one day become summarized by the Antichrist in this “great city” which will be suddenly destroyed. The particular focus of this passage is the mourning that the world will express over the sudden and complete destruction of this city in judgment. (This passage has much in common with the description of the destruction of the ancient city of Tyre in Ezekiel 27:12-36; and it may be that the destruction of that ancient city by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar was meant to prefigure the even greater destruction of this even greater city.)

There are four groups mentioned in this morning’s passage—all of whom respond to its destruction. The first is the kings of the earth (vv. 9-10), then the merchants (vv. 11-17a), then the sea-tradesmen (vv. 17b-19), and finally the redeemed in heaven (v. 20). With regard to the first three, several common elements can be detected in the description of their mourning over the city:

1. They all witness the destruction (vv. 9, 18). The merchants stand at a distance from it; but as vv. 11, 14 and 16 make clear, they feel its destruction—if not literally see it.

2. They all stand at a distance out of fear over its destruction (vv. 10, 15, 17).

3. They all see the smoke of its burning (vv. 9, 18; again, with the exception of the merchants who don’t see the smoke but clearly suffer the consequences of its burning).

4. They all weep (vv. 9, 11, 15, 18, 19).

5. They all say essentially the same thing: "Alas, Alas, that great city . . ." (vv. 10, 16, 19).

6. They all behold and bemoan a sudden desolation of the city. They say, “in one hour your judgment has come” (v. 10); and “in one hour such great riches came to nothing” (v. 17); and “in one hour she is made desolate” (v. 19).

7. They all experience a sense of irretrievable loss at its destruction (vv. 9, 11-14, 17, 19).

Note also that verse 10 and verse 20 (as verse 20 has it in the original language) clearly testify that the destruction of the city is an act of divine ‘judgment’. In this evaluation, both the ungodly kings of the earth and the declaration of heaven are found—in one rare and remarkable moment—to be in agreement with each other!

I. THE LAMENTING OF THE KINGS (vv. 9-10).

A. We’re told that the kings of the earth had committed "fornication and lived luxuriously" with the harlot city (v. 9; see 17:2). This may be meant to describe the rulers of what used to be called ‘Christendom’. Nations and kingdoms that formerly had a history of devotion to the Christian faith and its influence will have completely abandoned any association with the one true God and the faith of Christ. They will become unfaithful to God and His appointed King so that they may gain material wealth from an ungodly and rebellious connection—in an act of spiritual ‘fornication’—with this harlot city.

B. These earthly kings become ‘wedded’ to this world’s system—and then very quickly become widowed! They are said to weep and lament over her when they see "the smoke of her burning" (v. 9). Perhaps she will suffer something like the abrupt destruction that befell Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:23). It is a destruction that apparently occurs "in one hour"—that is, very suddenly and unexpectedly. They stand at a distance "for fear of her torment"—suggesting that they fear the same fate falling upon them if they drew any closer. Their response will not only be one of mourning, but also of great dread.

C. Note the words of their lament in verse 10. They clearly testify in it that it is an act of judgment from God. They knew the true nature of this harlot city, and knew that their association with it was an act of unfaithfulness to God. As Proverbs 29:1 says, He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” This city—and those kingdoms who aligned themselves to it—will be living illustrations of that proverb.

II. THE MOURNING OF THE MERCHANTS (vv. 11-17a).

A. Not only is the political world affected, but so also is the commercial world. The Bible tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell without pledging allegiance to the beast (see 13:17). Apparently one of the great draws of this city—and the system it represents—will be the wealth and luxury it promises to those who are connected to the Antichrist through it. But with the city’s destruction, no one buys the wares of these merchants anymore (v. 11). No one will be able to because there will no longer be anything to buy! They had stored all the treasure of their hearts in this city; and now it lies in ruins—along with all that they had hoped for from it (v. 14).

B. Take note the merchandise that was traded (vv. 12-13). Generally speaking, the list begins with that which is inorganic, then moves to that which is organic, then to food, then to living things, then to human bodies, and finally to human souls—which testifies to the great spiritual evil and cruel inhumanity of its trafficking. All of the desirable things of this world are taken from these merchants and their customers, and they no longer find the luxury and pleasure they had loved and lusted after (v. 14).

C. Like the kings, the merchants also will stand at a distance "for fear her torment" and mourn (vv. 15-17a). They speak of the luxury of the city in the same terms that John said that he saw in his vision of the harlot (compare 17:4 with 18:16). These too will testify of its sudden destruction.

III. THE CRYING OF THE SEA-TRADESMEN (vv. 17b-19).

A. The sea-tradesmen of the world—made rich by the harlot city’s merchandise—will also mourn for her (v. 17b). There is a declining order of roles being described to us—first the kings who are made rich and powerful by the city, then the merchants and businessmen who are made rich under the kings, and finally the sea-tradesmen and transporters who are made rich under the merchants. All of them, of every field of trade and transport, will cry over the city, saying, "What is like this great city?" All their hopes of becoming rich through her will be suddenly and completely gone!

B. The sea-tradesmen also testify of its sudden destruction (vv. 18-19). The fact that they throw dust on their heads suggest that they were somehow not on the sea at the time; but it may also simply be symbolic of the typical way that people in the east engaged in the deepest possible mourning.

IV. THE REJOICING OF THOSE IN HEAVEN (v. 20).

A. A final group testifies. But this voice—most likely of the angel of verse 4—calls for rejoicing from heaven, along with the holy apostles and prophets (and, in some translations, also the saints), over the destruction of this city. That which is a cause of mourning for the wicked of this world becomes a cause of rejoicing for those who were killed in the city (see v. 24; also 6:9-11).

B. Note, again, the clear testimony that this is judgment. We’re told that God had avenged His people on her. As it is in the original Greek text, God will have "judged the judgment" of His people upon her.

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What a vivid testimony this will be of Jesus’ warning: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36-37). Better to lose all the world in order to gain eternal life in Christ!