“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. ‘For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. ‘Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. ‘In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ ‘Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her‘”

Verses 4-8 call for believers in the Tribulation to separate themselves from the Babylonian global commercial system.

18:4

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.

Yet, another angel comes with another announcement warning the saints to leave Babylon. Judgment is near to this ideology. In the Tribulation, there will be closed shop in trade. If you do not buy the whole system, they shut you out.

“Come out” is an urgent imperative. “Come out now. Do not delay.” When it comes to dealing with a system like this, decisiveness is crucial. Saints must decisively separate themselves from this system.

The voice from heaven gives two reasons saints should separate themselves from the Babylonian system:

1) “lest you share in her sins” and

2) “lest you receive of her plagues.”

The word “share” means to be a partner with, fellowship with, connect with. Since believers fellowship with the Lord Jesus, they cannot have fellowship with a system that is fundamentally against what He is all about (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). The connection here is connection with the one world economic system of the Tribulation. Saints who do not separate themselves will take part in their judgment.

18:5

“For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

The voice warns that God has come to the end of His patience. He will now judge governmental Babylon. God does not forget justice. It may seem that His wheels grind exceeding slow, but they also grind exceedingly fine. God’s ultimate judgment is inescapable. It is certain.

18:6

“Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her” 

Babylon’s judgment is commensurate with her evil. God will double His judgment against this system. What goes around eventually comes around. The word “render” means to pay a debt. God will pay His debt to one world government; He will judge it once and for all.

18:7

In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow’.

To the degree that Babylonian globalism wallows in wealth as a central and value, to that degree will be her torment and sorrow. This Babylonian system thinks that nothing will daunt her. These people believe that they are invincible. They are full of pride. Global government and religion love to play the field. They do not commit themselves to one truth.

18:8

“Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine,” 

The word “therefore” implies an inference. God draws the inference that people who think that they are invincible will receive special judgment. Pride always brings a fall. God brings a sudden, fatal economic downfall to internationalism. The economic fabric of this system flies apart.

Judgment against this system will come in one fell swoop. They believe at one moment that they are invincible, and the next moment the whole system comes to one great crash. The stock market of the entire world will utterly and finally collapse.

Principle:

Separation from religion is fundamental to staying on track with the truth. Wealth brings a false sense of security.

Application:

The primary interpretation of this passage is to the Tribulation saints. However, the temptation to compromise one’s conviction is something every generation must face (2 Corinthians 6:14-17; 1 John 2:15-17).