Revelation — Chapter 18

The Fall of Babylon

"Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins."

— Rev 18:4

Revelation 18 is the lament over the fall of Babylon — kings, merchants, and sailors weep over the destruction of the world economic system.

💔 The Lament over the Fall (18:9-20)

Rev 18:11-13

"And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth... and human bodies and souls."

The list of Babylon’s merchandise ends with 'human bodies and souls' — the economic system that treats people as commodities. Slavery is the ultimate symbol of the dehumanization of the Babylonian system. The merchants’ lament is for lost profit, not for the people.