What is the meaning of Revelation 18:14? And they will say The lament comes from the very people who profiteered from Babylon’s commerce—kings, merchants, shipmasters, everyone enriched by her (Revelation 18:9–19). Their collective voice underscores that even the unbelieving world recognizes God’s judgment when it falls. Notice the echo of Jeremiah 50:46, where earth’s nations “cry out” at Babylon’s downfall. “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you” Everything Babylon craved—wealth, power, pleasure—suddenly slips away. The wording recalls Luke 12:20, where the rich fool’s stored goods are demanded of him “this very night.” James 5:1-3 warns the rich that their hoarded treasures will corrode. 1 John 2:17 reminds us, “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Babylon’s appetite was endless; God’s judgment is decisive. “all your luxury and splendor have vanished” Lavish living, fine merchandise, and glittering excess—listed in Revelation 18:12-13—are now gone without a trace. Isaiah 47:1-8 portrays ancient Babylon boasting, “I am, and there is none besides me,” only to be stripped of honor. Likewise, Ezekiel 28:16-19 pictures Tyre’s dazzling trade ending in ashes. Wealth gained apart from God is never secure. “never to be seen again.” The loss is permanent. Revelation 18:21 drives the point home: a mighty angel hurls a millstone, declaring, “Thus will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again.” Psalm 37:10 promises that the wicked “will be no more.” Nahum 3:19 says of Nineveh, “Nothing can heal your wound.” When God closes a rebellious era, there is no reopening it. summary Babylon’s admirers watch helplessly as everything they prized evaporates forever. God exposes the emptiness of worldly wealth, proves that judgment is final, and calls His people to set their hearts on treasures that cannot perish. |
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