“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” (Revelation 18:2).

“And he cried mightily with a strong voice,” (vs 2)

This “voice” represents a warning marker that precedes major redemptive events! Elsewhere, such warning markers are called “loud voice” or “great voice.” They are authoritative and represent the certainty of the message[1] and its universal audition. They are end-time warnings to all who may have delayed commitment to God.

• First voice as it were a trumpet (4:1; cf. 1:10) – Feast of Trumpets warning call – judgment begins

• “Loud voice” (5:2) announcing that the judgment of the living has begun

• “Loud voice” (7:2) – sealing or making up of God’s kingdom – results of that judgment

• “Loud voice” (7:10) – kingdom made up – praise

• “Loud voice (10:3) – announcing the appointed time will soon begin

• “Loud voice” (14:7) – the hour of God’s judgment has begun

• “Loud voice” (14:9) – warning that executive judgment is about to occur

• “Loud voice” (14:15) – announces the harvest will soon begin

• “Great voice” (16:1) – announcing that probation has closed

• “Strong voice” (18:2) – interlude – last warning call (likely begins one year before probation closes at a typological Shemita starting at Trumpets)

• “Loud voice” (19:17) – announcing that all the wicked will die at His coming

“saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,” (vs 2)

This repeats the second angel’s herald (14:8) and echoes Isaiah: “And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground” (Isaiah 21:9b). Its judicial end will find its idols destroyed. Since the antichrist has idolized herself, she too comes to an end.

This will be elaborated on in verse 7, but its message is graphic in the NIV: “Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.”

A similar allusion is made in Zephaniah: “This is the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I am, and there is none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, and wag his hand” (Zephaniah 2:15).

“As it fell in times past, so will it be destroyed in the future. Part of the reason for using ‘Babylon’ is that the readers will know what God did to the first Babylon and be quick to recognize that in giving Rome that title he will once again carry out his judgment of that city. The aorist tense denotes the certainty of future fulfillment. It is the prophetic way of declaring that the great purpose of God in triumphing over evil is a fait accompli.” [2]

“and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” (vs 2)

This book is filled with “sets of three” expressions or bits of information. This is one and is called an “apocalyptic trilogy.”

The first expression describes the Roman Catholic Church – the harlot woman – as the “habitation of devils”: “And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant” (Jeremiah 51:37).

This is the opposite of Christians, who are said to be the dwelling place of God: “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

The second expression reveals the consequences of being inhabited with Satan’s minions – she contains or retains every “foul spirit.”

The third expression is that this “demon-possessed” church is now graphically portrayed as a cage or prison of every “unclean or hateful bird.” The word for “bird” is the usual expression for a cardinal, robin or sparrow. But the description of “unclean” (akathartos) and “hateful” (miseo) together means a morally detestable angel or evil spirit (same as a demon – 16:13-14).

This is enormously fascinating. The beast came out of the abyss (where Satan’s angels reside – 11:7, 17:8), showing the nature of its origins. Satan’s angels came out of the abyss (9:2), revealing who they were (depicted as locust with scorpion tails). Now we discover that they have a new home – this stunning apostate church! This is one of the amazing graphic images in this book. Satan’s spirits or angels are so much a part of the papacy and its supporting elements, it is described as a prison house!

Summary Line!

• Demon possession is in the Church of Rome (by implication, also residing in her “daughters” or apostate Protestantism).

• God’s last cry is for people to come out of demon possessed churches.

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