Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End -Hurling a Great Millstone - Conclusion

 In comparable terms, Jeremiah prophesied concerning apostate Jerusalem: "I will destroy out of them the sound exultation and the sound of rejoicing, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the hand mill and the light of the lamp. And all this land must become a devastated place, an object of astonishment." (Jeremiah 25:10, 11) As the principal part of Babylon the Great, Christendom will become a lifeless ruin, as so vividly depicted by Jerusalem's desolate condition after 607 B.C.E. The Christendom that once rejoiced lightheartedly and bustle with everyday noise will fin herself conquered and abandoned. 

Indeed, as the angel here tells John, all of Babylon the Great will change from a powerful, international empire to an arid desertlike wasteland. Her "traveling merchants," including top-ranking millionaires, have used her religion for personal advantage or as cover-up, and a clergy have found it profitable to share the limelight with them. But those merchants will no longer have Babylon the Great as their accomplice. No more will she be hoodwinking the nations of the earth with mystic religious practices. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Hurling a Great Millstone - Continue

 The throwing of the book with the attached stone into the river was a guarantee that Babylon would plunge into oblivion, never to recover. The apostle John's seeing a strong angel perform a similar act is likewise a powerful guarantee that Jehovah's purpose toward Babylon the Great will be fulfilled. The completely ruined condition of ancient Babylon today testifies powerfully to what will befall false religion in the near future.  

The strong angel now addresses Babylon the Great saying: "And the sound of singers who accompany themselves on the harp and of musicians and of flutists and of trumpeters will never be found in you again, and no sound of a millstone will ever be heard in you again, and no light of lamp will ever shine in you again; because your traveling merchants were the top-ranking men of the earth, for your spiritistic practice all the nations were misled." - REVELATION 18:22, 23. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Hurling a Great Millstone

 What John next sees confirms that Jehovah's judgment of Babylon the Great is final: "And a strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: 'Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the Gret city be hurled down, and she will never be found again.' " (Revelation 18:21) In Jeremiah's time, a similar act with powerful prophetic meaning was performed. Jeremiah was inspired to write in a book "all the calamity that would come upon Babylon. "He gave the book to Seraiah and told him to travel to Babylon.  There, following Jeremiah's instructions, Seraiah read a declaration against the city: "O Jehovah, you yourself have spoken against this place, in order to cut it off so that there may come to be in it no inhabitant, either man or even domestic animal, but that she may become mere desolate waste to time indefinite." Seraiah then tied a stone to the book and threw it in the rive Euphrates, saying: "This is how Babylon will sink down and never rise up because of the calamity that I am bringing in upon her." - JEREMIAH 51:59-64.

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Rejoicing Over Her Annihilation

 When ancient Babylon was overthrown by the Medes and the Persians, Jeremiah prophetically said: ""And over Babylon the heavens and the earth cry out joyfully." (Jeremiah 51:48) When Babylon the Great is destroyed, the voice out of heaven climaxes its message, saying of Babylon the Great: "Be glad over her, O heaven, also you holy ones and you apostles and you prophets, because God has judicially exacted punishment for You from her!" (Revelation18:20) Jehovah and the angels will be delighted to see the annihilation of God's ancient enemy, as well as the apostles and early Christian prophets, who by now are resurrected and have taken their position in the 24-elders arrangement. - Compare PSALM 97:8-12.

Indeed, all the "holy ones"-whether resurrected to heaven or still surviving on earth-will cry out for joy, as will the associated big crowd of other sheep. In time, all the faithful men of old will be resurrected into the new system of things, and they too will join in the rejoicing. God's people have not tried to avenge themselves on their religious persecutors. They have remembered Jehovah's words: "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah." (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:35, 41-43) Well, Jehovah has now repaid. All the blood spilled by Babylon the Great will have been avenged. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End -Merchants Weep and Mourn - Conclusion

 The account goes on: "And every ship captain and every man that voyages anywhere, and sailors and all those making a living by the sea, stood at a distance and cried out as they looked at the smoke from the burning of her and said, 'What city is like the great city?' And they threw dust upon their heads and cried out weeping and mourning, and said, 'Too bad, too bad-the great city, in which all those having boats at sea became rich by reason of her costliness, because in one hour she has been devastated!'" -  REVELATION 18:17b-19) Ancient Babylon was a commercial city and had a great fleet of ships. Similarly, Babylon the Great does much business by the "many waters" of her people. This provides employment for many of her religious subjects. What an economic blow the destruction of Babylon the Great will be for these! There will never be another source of livelihood like her. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Merchants Weep and Mourn -Continue

 The voice out of heaven says further: "The traveling merchants of these things, who became rich from her, and will stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and will weep and mourn, saying, 'Too bad, too bad-the great city, clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and richly adorned with gold ornament and precious stone and pearl, because in one hour such great riches have been devastated!' " (Revelation 18:15-17) With the destruction of Babylon the Great the "merchants" mourn at the loss of that commercial partner. Truly. it is "too bad, too bad for them. Notice, though, that their reasons for morning are entirely selfish and that they-like the kings-"stand at a distance." They do not get close enough to be of any help to Babylon the Great. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End -Merchants Weep and Mourn - Continue

 Yes, Babylon the Great was a close friend and a good customer of wealthy merchants. For example, the monasteries, nunneries, and churches in Christendom have over the centuries acquired huge amounts of gold, silver precious stones, valuable woods and other forms of material wealth. Further, religion's blessing has been bestowed on the lavish buying sprees and drunken orgies that accompany the celebration of Christ-dishonoring Christmas and other so-called holy days. Christendom missionaries have penetrated distant lands opening up new markets for the "traveling merchants" of this world. In the 17th century Japan, Catholicism, which had come with the traders, even became involved in feudal warfare. Reporting on a decisive battle under the wall of Osaka castle, The Encyclopedia Britannica states: "The Tokugawa troops found themselves fight against foe whose banners were emblazoned with the cross and with images of the Saviour and St. James the patron saint of Spain." The victorious fiction persecuted and practically wiped-out Catholicism in that land. The churches participation in worldly affairs today will likewise bring her no blessing.  

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End - Merchants Weep and Mourn

 The kings of the earth are not the only ones to regret the passing of Babylon the Great. "Also, the traveling merchants of the earth are weeping and mourning over her, because there is no one to buy their full stock anymore, a full stock of gold and silver and precious stone and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet; and everything in scented wood and every sort of ivory object out of most precious wood and of copper and of iron and of marble; also cinnamon and Indian spice and incense and perfumed oil and frankincense and wine  and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and horses and coaches and slaves and human souls. Yes, the fine fruit that your soul desired has departed from you [Babylon the Great], and all the dainty things and the gorgeous things have perished from you, and never again will people find them." - REVELATION 18:11-14.

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End

 The nations' reaction may seem surprising in view of the fact that Babylon was destroyed by the symbolic ten horns of the scarlet-colored wild beast. (Revelation 17:16) But when Babylon is gone, "the kings of the earth" will evidently realize how useful she was to them in keeping the people pacified and in subjection. The clergy have declared wars to be sacred, acted as recruiting agents, and preached the youth into battle lines. Religion has provided a screen of holiness behind which corrupt ruler have operated in oppressing the common people. (Compare Jeremiah 5:3o, 31; Matthew23:27, 28.) Notice, however, that these grief-stricken kings now stand at a distance from the doomed city. They do not get close enough to come to her aid. They are sad to see her go but not sad enough  to take risks in her half. 

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Chapter Thirty-Seven/Mourning and Rejoicing at Babylon's End

 Babylon's end is good news for Jehovah's people, but how do the nations view it? John tells us: "And the kings of the earth who committed fornication with her and lived in shameless luxury will weep and beat themselves in grief over her, when they look at the smoke from the burning of her, while they stand at a distance because of their fear of her torment and say, too bad, too bad, you great city, because in one hour your judgment has arrived!' " - REVELATION 18:9, 10.

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