All of us have experienced disappointment and pain in our lives; it’s an expected part of our human existence. And most of us have also experienced grief and mourning.

As you reflect on your experiences, what has grieved you or caused you to mourn? The loss of a loved one, a business failure, a financial loss, a broken relationship, a betrayal by a friend, a personal sin, seeing the vulnerable being taken advantage of?

What we grieve or mourn over shows what we value. If something isn’t very important to us, we’re not going to spend much time lamenting its loss. But the converse is also true: if we value something highly, losing it results in deep, prolonged grief or mourning.

That raises the question, “Which do I value most, things or people?” Automatically, most of us would say people, correct? But what do our actions reveal? Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35) and over the rebellious city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). He was grieved by the hardheartedness of the religious leaders (Mark 3:5). He had nothing to call His own except the clothes He wore. He told us not to worry about food and clothing, because the Father will provide those things for us. He said it was better to go to the house of mourning than the house of feasting. Clearly, Jesus’ priority was relationships.

In our previous episode from the opening verses of Revelation chapter 18, we learned of the divine pronouncement of doom on Babylon. In this study, we’ll see the reactions of those who were enriched by her wealth. I’ve titled today’s teaching, “Mourning for Babylon,” and our text is Revelation 18:9-19.

⁹ “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 

¹⁰ standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

¹¹ “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 

¹² merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 

¹³ and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 

¹⁴ The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 

¹⁵ The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 

¹⁶ and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 

¹⁷ For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 

¹⁸ and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’

¹⁹ “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’

In this text, three specific groups of people are identified as mourners for Babylon.

The First Group of Mourners are

The Kings

Nothing so clearly reveals the hardness of sinners’ hearts as their lack of sorrow over their sin. Through the years of devastating judgments, the Tribulation sinners will consistently refuse to mourn over their sin. But though they will not lament over their sin, they will cry over the destruction of Babylon. When the glorious centerpiece, the head of Antichrist’s empire, is judged and destroyed, there will be worldwide dismay and mourning.[1]

The destruction of Babylon in its political and economic aspects described in the preceding verses is now the subject of a lament by the kings of the earth. They were all allied with her. They were enriched by her wealth, and enamored with her power. This most likely includes the 10 kings of 17:12, 16, who participated in the destruction of the harlot, but it encompasses all the kings of the earth. The destruction of the seat of Antichrist’s political and economic power will strike a fatal blow to his empire. The fall of the city will symbolize the fall of that evil world system.

When Babylon is utterly burned with fire, they will see the smoke of her burning and bewail and lament her. They had habitually committed immorality with her and lived in luxury. Fascinated by the blazing inferno, yet afraid to draw near, they will stand at a distance in fear of her torment and wail loudly, “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.” What had seemed invincible is now reduced to ashes!

In the Greek language, the word for alas is ouai. It is an onomatopoeia. That is, it is a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Examples in English are words like bam, crash, thud, beep, and sizzle. And as you’ll notice, it is repeated twice, which strengthens the force of it. This is the same word that is translated as the triple woe pronounced in Revelation 8:13. Why the translators chose a different English word is beyond me.

If you know anything at all about Eastern cultures, their grief is loud and demonstrative and can even include self-flagellation. If you’ve ever witnessed ululation at a Muslim funeral, you know what I mean. That’s the way this is going to be. Their lament is most emphatic in the Greek by the repetition of the article: literally “Ouai, ouai, the city the great, Babylon the city the mighty.” It was great in its extent of power and accomplishment and mighty in the strength of its rule, but despite its greatness and strength, it nevertheless falls in one hour.

During this judgment, some who are crossing the dried-up Euphrates River on their way to Armageddon (16:12) will witness the flames and smoke in person. The remainder of the world’s rulers will watch it unfold in real time via the world’s media. However, every one of them will be careful to stay far away, fearing they may share her torment. They will mourn, not so much for the loss of life and property, not for their sins and mistaken priorities, but they will mourn because the source of their consumptive, luxurious, pleasure-filled lifestyle is gone forever.

This dreadful scene supports the idea that Babylon is an actual city, not a symbol for the world system. Obviously, the entire world isn’t destroyed at this point, since those watching Babylon burn are safe for the moment. However, Babylon’s destruction foreshadows the doom that will soon fall on the entire world, and the kings of the earth are devastated.

The Next Group of Mourners are

The Merchants

We see their dirge in verses 11-17a full of tears and grief. What is the reason for their lament? Their grief is occasioned by the loss of their trade with the city, “no one buys their merchandise anymore.” They lament because their materialistic passions can no longer be fulfilled. They are the classic illustration of all those in all times who gain the whole world, but forfeit their souls (Mark 8:36). Their markets are gone in one hour, i.e., a very short time!

Verses 12 and 13 list more than 2 dozen different items of their merchandise. “Merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of [aromatic] citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.” Interestingly, many of the items listed are like those in the destruction of Tyre in Ezekiel chapters 26-27. Few of them need further explanation.

Notice the inclusion of slaves, even human livestock; that’s the sense of the original wording. Slavery, including sexual slavery, is more common throughout the world than many are willing to admit. Women and children are sold as commodities to be used as sexual objects rather than precious human beings to be cared for and loved. In places like Thailand, the women in the storefront windows are not mannequins, but real, live women luring passersby with their provocative dress and actions. In the US, it’s not quite so out in the open, but it is here, nonetheless. It flourishes around major conventions and sporting events.  

In our pursuit of ease, some of the things we wealthy Westerners demand at low cost are manufactured by slave labor, and we prefer not to know it. People are treated worse than animals; overworked, driven to exhaustion, housed in squalor, kept in debt, and deprived of basic necessities. Evidently, all these things will be happening on a greater scale in the future Babylon.

John Phillips writes: What a catalog of opulence! What a vivid picture of a great, commercial city, trafficking in every luxury the heart could desire. This is the world’s great Vanity Fair. It offers articles of adornment and display, beautiful things to grace the mansions of the world’s millionaires. It deals in exotic spices and perfumes, in delicacies for the table, in provisions for banquets, in slaves, and in the souls of men. And Babylon imported all these things…. Babylon’s demand for this world’s goods was insatiable; ever it clamored for more and more![2]

It seems as though never before in human history has there been such a demand for the things on this extensive list. Merchants have never before experienced a market like this, or the enormous profits that go with it. This combined picture is one of complete abandonment to the wealth of this world and total disregard for the God who gives it.

Verse 14 tells of the sweeping removal of all these precious possessions described as “the fruits (food) that your soul lusted after” and “all things which were rich and splendid.” Both the merchants and the inhabitants of Babylon can no longer find these things. The words “no longer” translate a double negative in the Greek text, the strongest form of negation in the Greek language. That indicates these items will never be found again. They will be gone forever as God bankrupts the system.

Like the kings of the earth who stood afar off and watched the ascending smoke of the burning of Babylon, they wrongly assumed that this mercantile system, protected by the political leaders, would operate indefinitely. However, their incestuous relationship could not spare them from judgment. Like the kings, they also shall fear to go near the city; Weeping and wailing, they repeat their sad “alas.” All the great riches of the city, described again as fine linen, purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones, and pearls, are brought to nothing.

Another group of people mourns for Babylon: the workers.

The Final Group of Mourners are

The Workers

Of the three groups mentioned in our text, this is by far the largest. Large businesses have more employees than owners, presidents, CEOs, CFOs, department heads, and supervisors. These employees depend on their employers for their employment and livelihood, for the income needed to buy necessities and more. They are the critical cog in the wheels of commerce.

Verse 17b-18 reads, “Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’” Their lament is reminiscent of the proud boast of Antichrist’s deluded followers in 13:4, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” But the seemingly indestructible city is already destroyed before their eyes, and its seemingly invincible ruler will shortly meet his end (19:20).

Maybe you wonder, where do you find the general group of workers in a verse that only mentions those who trade on the sea?

Well, let’s think about it. What are the sea captains, ships, and sailors doing? They are transporting raw materials, parts, and finished products from one part of the world to another. All those things I listed, and more, need laborers to mine raw materials, manufacture parts, and assemble finished products before they get to the end consumer. Consider the vastness of global commerce and the amount of goods on the ocean at any given time, and “those who make their living from the sea” takes on a much larger meaning.

If you live anywhere near a major railroad, especially in the West and Midwest, what makes up a huge portion of rail traffic? Sea containers. You see long trains with double-stacked containers or semi-trailers being hauled “piggy-back,” so as soon as they reach their destination, they can be hooked to a truck and driven away. All kinds of commodities and products are in those sea containers, including refrigerated ones. (Just a side note: the “fruits your soul desired” in verse 14 is a word that relates to harvest, to food. Today, we can have a large variety of fruits and vegetables from all over the world at any season of the year! All those things take workers, too.)

All these most likely feel more keenly the calamity of Babylon’s demise. They don’t have the stored wealth of the rich. Their employment is gone, and along with it the ability to participate in this great bazaar of consumer goods. So bitter is the realization of their loss that, in the typical ancient expression of grief, they throw dirt on their heads and cry out like the others, “Ouai, Ouai, O great city by which all who had ships in the sea grew rich from her costly merchandise. For in one hour she is desolate.” Like those before them, they mourn not the city, but the end of their wealth derived from the global trading economy. It is all gone in one hour.

And so, from every world government, and every power behind that government, from every business headquarters and stock exchange, from every continent, every country, and every city comes forth the cries of woe. It is the inconsolable lament of the loss of all the luxuries, sensual pleasures, and the smorgasbord of foods from around the world. The world’s wealth, wisdom, and progress that seemed invincible now all lie in ashes!

The destruction of Babylon also ends the wicked control of the souls of men mentioned last in the list of commodities in verse 13. Ancient Babylon can no longer control the world religiously, politically, or economically.

As we view Babylon’s tragic end, I ask, “Is this description different from the consumerism of our world today?” Are not the very things listed in this text the pursuit of the nations, businesses, and workers of the world today? Is it not the pursuit of wealth, and status, and ease that drives the desire for more, more, more? Our nation is 40 trillion dollars in debt, largely because of the pursuit of these things, and its citizens carry huge amounts of personal debt.  

We can argue that we don’t live in luxury, but compared to most of the world, we do. Even those who came to the US from Europe to watch the World Cup marveled at the size of our grocery stores and the vast selection of goods, among other things. We are rich, and we are full, and like Israel of old, we must beware that we do not forget God, the giver of all good gifts.

Jesus told us, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Where is my heart, where is yours? How different would our response be from those in this text if we experienced the sudden loss of these things?

In contrast to the transitory wealth and glory of this world, which, in our text, are consumed by a great judgment from God, the true riches of faith, devotion, and service for God are laid up in heaven, far beyond the reach of the destructive hands of man and protected by the righteous power of God.

The fall of Babylon will be complete and irreversible, and all who trust in her power and riches will likewise perish. Let’s make sure we’re putting our faith in the Giver, rather than in His gifts. Otherwise, we too will be disappointed in the end.

[1] MacArthur, New Testament Commentary on Revelation, p. 892

[2] Philips, John, Exploring Revelation, p. 225