Isaiah 21:9 “and, behold, here cometh a troop of men, horsemen in pairs. And he answered and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the graven images of her gods are broken unto the ground.”
Jeremiah 51:8 “Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: wail for her; take balm for her pain, if so she may be healed.”
Revelation 14:8 “And another, a second angel, followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, that hath made all the nations to drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Revelation 18:2 “And he cried with a mighty voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.”
Comment: The announcement of Babylon’s fall is in the past tense, not as an announcement of future destruction. After the fall it will no longer be a mystery, but clearly known. Many details are given about the fall, but the sudden end will fit together all the pieces. God’s prophetic message will be realized and clearly understood.
Jeremiah 50:2 “Declare ye among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is put to shame, Merodach is dismayed; her images are put to shame, her idols are dismayed.”
Comment: God does not want the message of the fall of Babylon to be concealed.
Jeremiah 50:28 “The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of Jehovah our God, the vengeance of His temple.”
Comment: Eyewitnesses flee to Zion and testify of God’s vengeance against Babylon.
Jeremiah 51:48 “Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for joy over Babylon; for the destroyers shall come unto her from the north, saith Jehovah.”
Comment: Not only is the fall of Babylon known on the earth, but also in the heavens.
Isaiah 48:20 “Go ye forth from Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth: say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed his servant Jacob.”
Comment: As part of the announcement, through the fall of Babylon God redeems Israel and it will be told to the ends of the earth.
Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles, and ye prophets; for God hath judged your judgment on her.”
Comment: The fall causes rejoicing by all of God’s people who have experienced her wickedness.
Revelation 19:1-4 “After these things I heard as it were a great voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Hallelujah; Salvation, and glory, and power, belong to our God: for true and righteous are his judgments; for he hath judged the great harlot, her that corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And a second time they say, Hallelujah. And her smoke goeth up forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God that sitteth on the throne, saying, Amen; Hallelujah.”
Comment: When the fall of Babylon takes place, those on God’s side in heaven will rejoice and praise God. God’s judgments are righteous. The harlot Babylon has corrupted the earth, causing the blood of God’s servants to be spilled.
Revelation 18:9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they look upon the smoke of her burning.”
Comment: The kings of the earth realize that their opportunity to receive benefits from their relationship with Babylon is gone. They are in shock and mourning.
Revelation 18:11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more.”
Comment: The merchants weep because the fall of Babylon causes the loss of their business.
Summary: Announcing the Fall of Babylon – When, to Whom, and by Whom
The fall is known and announced after the event happens. The announcement results in different reactions. The world is in shock and mourning because they realize their relationship with Babylon no longer exists. She will no longer be able to meet their needs.
God’s people, both the deceased and the living, will be rejoicing in heaven and on earth. On earth the message will be clearly announced by God’s followers telling how God has delivered Israel; how God is judging the evil caused by Babylon and the details of the prophetic message from the prophets. The prophets will experience what they had written about years ago. The saints martyred by the wickedness of Babylon’s influence know that God has finally avenged Babylon for her deeds. The world is in shock as they see the total destruction and the effects that it has on them.
