Revelation 18:20

Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. HOLY APOSTLES. So C; but 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, Andreas, 'ye saints and ye apostles.' AVENGED YOU ON HER - `judged your judgment on (exacting it from) her.' 'Heaven more rejoices at the harlot's downfall than at that of the two beasts. For the most heinous of sins is that of those who know God's word of grace and keep it not. The worldliness of the Church is the most worldly of all worldliness. Hence, Babylon has not only Israel's sins, but also those of the pagans. John dwells longer on the abominations and judgments of the harlot than of the beast. "Harlot" describes the false church's essential character. She retains human shape, as woman-does not become a beast-has the form of godliness, but denies its power. Her rightful Husband, Yahweh-Christ, and th...

20-24 That which is matter of rejoicing to the servants of God on earth, is matter of rejoicing to the angels in heaven. The apostles, who are honoured and daily worshipped at Rome in an idolatrous manner, will rejoice in her fall. The fall of Babylon was an act of God's justice. And because it was a final ruin, this enemy should never molest them any more; of this they were assured by a sign. Let us take warning from the things which brought others to destruction, and let us set our affections on things above, when we consider the changeable nature of earthly things....

Verse Revelation 18:20. _REJOICE OVER HER_, THOU _HEAVEN_] This is grand and sublime; the fall of this bad city was cause of grief to bad men. But as this city was a _persecutor of the godly_, and an _enemy to_ _the works of God_, angels, apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice over her fall....

REJOICE OVER HER - Over her ruin. There is a strong contrast between this language and what precedes. Kings, merchants, and seamen, who had been countenanced and sustained by her in the indulgence of corrupt passions, or who had been enriched by traffic with her, would have occasion to mourn. But not so they who had been persecuted by her. Not so the church of the redeemed. Not so heaven itself. The great oppressor of the church, and the corrupter of the world, was now destroyed; the grand hindrance to the spread of the gospel was now removed, and all the holy in heaven and on earth would have occasion to rejoice. This is not the language of vengeance, but it is the language of exultation and rejoicing in view of the fact, that the cause of truth might now spread, without hindrance, through the earth. THOU HEAVEN - The inhabitants of heaven. Compare the notes on...

EXPOSITION REVELATION 18:1 AND AFTER THESE THINGS I SAW ANOTHER ANGEL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN; _after _[omitting "and"]… _coming down, _etc. The usual form of introduction to a new vision (cf. Revelation 4:1; Revelation 7:1, etc.). The "mystery" of the beast and the harlot having been declared, the angel now describes the doom in store for them. The angel is _from heaven_,_ _as carrying the news of the judgment which is sent from heaven (cf. Revelation 10:1;...

REJOICE OVER HER, THOU HEAVEN,.... This is said by the voice from heaven, Revelation 18:4 which having called upon the saints to come out of Babylon, and to take vengeance on her, now calls upon all good men to rejoice at her ruin, while others were weeping and wailing; not at that, simply considered, but as the justice of God is displayed therein: heaven may be literally understood, which sometimes is addressed when anything of very considerable note and moment is done or spoken of, whether it be something exceeding bad, as in Isaiah 1:2 or something exceeding great and good, as in Psalms 96:11 or else the inhabitants of heaven, either the angels, who as they rejoice at the good and happiness of the saints, so at the confu

May the Spirit of God take away the veil from our eyes while we read what was revealed to the beloved apostle John! Here we have the prophecy of the destruction of the great anti-Christian system of Babylon, which, being interpreted, is and can be none other than the apostate church of Rome. 18:20-24. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with. violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall he found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more...

CHAPTER 18 Revelation 18:1 . Babylon is now seen under another aspect. In the former chapter we have the religious center of Rome and her wicked idolatries, in the present chapter it includes also the whole system of apostate Christendom in its social and commercial aspect, the so-called “Christian civilization” in its final apostate condition and doom. Papal Rome in her short revival becomes the head of apostate Christendom and controls everything till her appointed doom comes upon her. While we saw in the preceding chapter the desolation of the whore by the ten kings and the beast, here we see how God views her and that He dethrones this system in His judgment. A strong angel comes down to announce her doom and to lay bare her inner and most awful corruption. A strong descending Angel whose glory lightened the earth, shows what the boasting thing, she, who bore the bless

THE REJOICING IN HEAVEN OVER THE FALL OF ROME. Revelation 18:20. judged your judgement: vindicated the cause of the Christian Church against Rome. REVELATION 18:21. TOOK UP A STONE: a symbolical action to represent the utter destruction of the city (_cf._ Jeremiah 51:63 f.). As this stone is flung into the deep, so shall Babylon vanish (Swete). Revelation 18:22. The sound of merriment and revelry is stilled: no sounds will in the future come from its industrial life, or domestic labour. The stillness of death will be over everything. For the imagery _cf._...

THE DOOM OF ROME (Revelation 18:1-3)...