Revelation 18:21

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. A - `one.' MILLSTONE. Compare the judgment on Egypt at the Red Sea (; ; ), and the doom of Babylon, the world-power (). WITH VIOLENCE - `with impetus.' This prophecy is regarded as still to be fulfilled....

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 18:21. _THUS WITH VIOLENCE SHALL THAT GREAT CITY BABYLON BE_ _THROWN DOWN_] This action is finely and forcibly expressed by the original words: Οὑτως ὁρμηματι βληθησεται Βαβυλων ἡ μεγαλη πολις. The millstone will in falling have not only an accelerated force from the law of gravitation, but that force will be greatly increased by the projectile force impressed upon it by the power of the destroying angel. _SHALL BE FOUND NO MORE AT ALL._] In her government, consequence, or influence. This is true of ancient _Babylon_; we are not certain even of the _place_ where it stood. It is also true of _Jerusalem_; her government, consequence, and influence are gone. It is not true of _Rome pagan_; nor, as yet, of _Rome papal_: the latter still exists, and the former is most intimately blended with

AND A MIGHTY ANGEL - See the notes on Revelation 18:1. This seems, however, to have been a different angel from the one mentioned in Revelation 18:1, though, like that, he is described as having great power. TOOK UP A STONE LIKE A GREAT MILLSTONE - On the structure of mills among the ancients see the notes on Matthew 24:41. AND CAST IT INTO THE SEA - As an emblem of the utter ruin of the city; an indication that the city would be as completely destroyed as that stone was covered by the waters. SAYING, THUS WITH VIOLENCE - With force, as the stone was t

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;...

AND A MIGHTY ANGEL,.... Not Christ, nor one of the ministering spirits, but some man or set of men, perhaps the same with him in Revelation 18:1 TOOK UP A STONE LIKE A GREAT MILLSTONE, AND CAST IT INTO THE SEA; just as Jeremiah took a stone and bound it to his book after he had read it, and cast it into the river Euphrates, as a sign and token of the destruction of old Babylon, Jeremiah 51:63 SAYING, THUS WITH VIOLENCE SHALL THAT GREAT CITY BE THROWN DOWN, AND SHALL BE FOUND NO MORE AT ALL; which is expressive of the utter destruction of Rome, and of the violence, force, and power with which it will be destroyed, and of the suddenness and swiftness of its destruction, and of the irrecoverableness of its state and condition....

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)...