Kings Standing Far Off from Babylon Revelation 18:10

An “angel” from heaven showed John the apostle many things which will occur in the tribulation time on the earth, and John wrote, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she has filled fill to her double. How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judges her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning.” In chapter eighteen and verse ten of Revelation the “kings” are “standing afar off for the fear of her torment” the city of Babylon where we read:

Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas,

that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

The verse reads, “Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas,...” John began with the word, “standing” which means “put in place, set, made firm and established” “afar off” or “from a far distance”, “for the fear” which means “because of the dread, terror and reverence” “of her torment” or “pertaining to the city of Babylon's torture”, “saying” which means “uttering, declaring or proclaiming” “alas, alas” or “woe, woe which are expressions of grief”. The “kings” of the earth will find it necessary to “stand far away” from the city of Babylon because of the “dread and awe” of the destruction that happened to her.

The verse continues, “... that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is your judgment come. ” John added the words, “that great city” which means “the massive, large, abundant, mighty and strong” “Babylon” which means “confusion” and was “a very large and famous city, the residence of the Babylonian kings which was situated on both banks of the Euphrates”, “that mighty city” or “that strong, firm and sure abode for inhabitants”! “for” which means “because, since and on account of” “in one hour” which means “in one single hour of time” “is your judgment” which means “is the city of Babylon's separation, condemnation, damnatory judgement and punishment” “come” or “arisen and arrived”. The “city of Babylon”, though powerful and strong, was “condemned and judged” in “one hour” by God.

When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see the response of the “rulers” of the world to the destruction of what will be a “mighty, strong, firm and sure” city. “Babylon”, though “mighty” during the tribulation period, shall fall beneath the “judgment of God”. When God judges no power on earth can restrain nor prevent Him. Nothing is mightier than God, and to have a sense that anything temporary in this world could ever stand against Him is foolish. This same God, who is “omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent”, desires to have a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and regardless of how “sinful” or “horrible” they have been, Jesus died for their sins. To receive Jesus as a personal “Savior and Lord” and align with the most powerful One of all is to put aside the “temporary” things of this world such as “Babylon” will portray. The only “awe, reverence and worship” that shall last will be that which is given to Almighty God.

Next time the “the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over” the city of Babylon, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.