Revelation 18:23

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. A blessed contrast is , "They need no candle (Babylon shall no more have even the light of candle); ... for the Lord God giveth them light." CANDLE - `lamp.' BRIDEGROOM ... BRIDE ... NO MORE ... IN THEE. Contrast the heavenly city, with Bridegroom, Bride and marriage supper (Isaiah 62:4; ; ;...

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 23. _BY THY SORCERIES_] Political arts, state tricks, counterfeit miracles, and deceptive manoeuvres of every kind. This may be spoken of many great cities of the world, which still continue to flourish!...

AND THE LIGHT OF A CANDLE SHALL SHINE NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE - Another image of desolation, as if every light were put out, and there were total darkness. AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND OF THE BRIDE SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE - The merry and cheerful voice of the marriage procession in the streets (notes on Matthew 25:1), or the cheerful, glad voice of the newly-married couple in their own dwelling (notes on John 3:29). FOR THY MERCHANTS WERE THE GREAT MEN OF THE EARTH - Those who dealt with thee were the rich, and among them were even nobles and princes; and now that they trade with thee no more there is occasion for lamentation and sorrow. The contrast is great between the time w

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 THE LIGHT OF A CANDLE SHALL SHINE NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE,.... Either for common use, or at feasts, or at marriages, which being kept at night, required candies, lamps, or torches; this shows that Babylon, or Rome, shall be deprived of everything, even of the least thing that is comfortable in life; see Jeremiah 25:10 this will be a just punishment upon her for her abuse of this blessing of life; so where wax candles in great numbers have been burning in the daytime, there will not be so much as a single candle to give light in the night; and where candles have been lighted up for the dead, there will not be one for the use of the living: AND THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM AND OF THE BRIDE SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN THEE: there will be no marrying, nor giving in marriage; no procreation of children, or propagation of posterity, in this place; which denotes the u

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)...