Summary: The Fall of Babylon Announced (18:1-3) 18:1-3 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. The opening phrase of chapter 18, “after these things,” marks a later revelation than that given in chapter 17. John declares, “I saw another angel come down from heaven.” The phrase “another angel” makes clear that the angel of chapter 18 is a different angel from that of 17:1. Though the angel is described as “having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory,” it is evident that this is a literal angel and not a theophany, nor Christ in the form of an angel. The term “another” (Gr., allon) makes clear that this angel is the same in kind as the angel of 17:1. And the facts that the angel has great power and that the earth is lighted with the glory of the angel lead to the conclusion that the angel is delegated to do a great work on behalf of God. The announcement by the angel given in verses 2 and 3 declares that Babylon the great is fallen. The repetition of the verb “is fallen,” found in the aorist tense, indicates a sudden event viewed as completed, though the context would indicate a future event. Seiss believes that the repetition of the phrase “is fallen” is intended to describe
