The description of the merchants of the city of Babylon, is the same as that of the ‘woman’ who was seated on the ‘beast’. The ‘woman’, the ‘whore’, the ‘harlot’ is the city with kingship over the kings of the earth.
It is sometimes said of seamen that they have a different sweetheart in every port, and that they go looking for women to forget their loneliness when their ship docks after weeks at sea—with some exceptions of the good ones, of course.
Where there is smoke there is fire. Seamen understand that. And they start to talk about what they see – the destruction of the city, the fire and smoke – and they say: “Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city whose feet have taken her to settle in far-off lands?” Isaiah 23:7
The suddenness of the destruction makes a deep impression. In one hour, Babylon is brought to ruin, “judged” is said no less than three times. This is how quickly things can happen when the Lord, after endless patience…
John’s ‘seeing and hearing’ suddenly changes to speaking directly now, just as in verse 14. Who is speaking here is not clear, but it is an encouragement for whoever is reading aloud and for whoever is listening to the words of the prophecy of this Book, which is a Book of comfort for the Church.
“When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’ The words of Jeremiah end here.” This is how Jeremiah ends his prophecy.
Cain, the first murderer, was the ancestor of the first city builders and the first makers of musical instruments. Thus, human culture and art, with music and dancing and associated aspects of human culture developed through his lineage.
The picture changes continually between the real, literal, historic city of Babylon and Babel as a worldwide principle of every era and every place. Industry in Babylon will come to a complete standstill.
Babel is falling. The centre of the worldwide network of trade and economy, of religion and occultism, of economic and political power, is collapsing. God’s judgment is being meted out upon it, as it once was over Edom.
