God's Judgment

Revelation 18 is clearly a passage about the judgment of God.  In the passage, Babylon the Great (whatever nation that may be) is judged for her sins.  As I read the passage, there are three things that strike me about God's judgment:

1. It is thorough (verses 21-23).  God's judgment is vast and completely destructive.

2. It is swift.  Several times in the passage it is emphasized that the judgment occurs in a day.  Even a great power like Babylon the Great is no match for God.  It quickly meets its doom.

3. It is just.  Verses 5 and 6 make it clear that the punishment is in due proportion to the crime.  Verse 24 makes it clear that God is avenging Christians that have been martyred, treating Babylon as it treated the martyrs.

The clear lesson of Revelation 18 is God's judgment is awesome and to be feared.  Thus the lesson of verse 4: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues..." (NIV 1984).  Revelation 18 teaches us that God's people should not get entangled in the sins of the world so we don't get entangled in its judgment.