(2) 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. (3) 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 loud cry is intended to show, how extensive, as well as glorious, its blissful proclamation is. Perhaps, many of the Lord's hidden ones are supposed to be in Babylon at the time. They shall hear it and rejoice. And multitudes beyond Babylon, yea, in those islands of ours and other nations, who have been long oppressed under the secret, if not open tyranny of the whore's influence, shall hear it also. And I beg the Reader to observe, with me, how every feature describes this mystical Babylon, this Rome. It is now discovered at her fall, how like ancient Babylon in natural things, occupied only by reptiles and venomous creatures, so that no traveller can venture near it; mystical Babylon hath been in moral and spiritual things the habitation of devils from her damnable doctrines, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird, from her sinful, loose, and dissolute practices. See a striking account of ancient Babylon, in proof of the former instance, Isaiah 13:19 to the end. See also for a striking account of mystical Babylon, in proof of the latter, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12
Let the Reader observe the strong expressions of joy in the Angel's repeating his Words; Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen. Such mercies cannot be too often repeated. For although, through the protecting grace of the Lord, not a single one of the Lord's redeemed family, can the beast, and the whore, or the false prophet, or the devil, draw away, so as finally to perish, (see Revelation 13:8) yet, what persecutions and punishments, yea, temporal death, hath the inquisition of this heresy occasioned, for the many centuries in which the horrible delusion hath prevailed. Oh! who but must rejoice, in the glorious proclamation, and repeat with holy joy, and praises to the God of our salvation: Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen.
When it is said, that all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, it must be understood, as meaning those nations only, where her cursed influence and authority hath reached. Heathens and Mahometans are not included. Their delusion is from hell also, but under a different shape and character. In countries where Christianity was professed, as it was when the empire under Constantine became Christian; that is, became nominally so, in a mere outward form; there the devil, by a master-piece peculiarly his own, professed to be a Christian also; the more artfully to deceive. And this gave him an opportunity to introduce a variety of sects, which by denying the glorious truths of the Gospel in Christ's Godhead, and redemption by his blood, might as effectually lull his subjects on to ruin, as among heathens a total ignorance of Christ would accomplish the same. Let the Reader mark these things as he observes what is here said, and as he looks into the world, and if the Lord be his teacher, he will discover, that the devil hath his various ways and operations to deceive. But let the Reader still further observe, that his deceptions can go no further, than the Lord hath limited him. The Lord knoweth them that are his. And of such the Lord saith, none shall pluck them out of his hands. His Israel, his Church, his chosen are scattered. But, He will search and seek them out, from every place where they are scattered, in the cloudy and dark day. When Babylon falls, his redeemed shall be gathered out of her. When the false prophet is destroyed, Jesus will take care of his outcasts, which are now in the midst of that Moab, Isaiah 16:4. That sweet verse is a volume in point of fulness, and a whole Charter in point of security, to all the Lord's people. He shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect, from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven, Mark 13:27.