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Daily Devotions

Revelation

Revelation 
Day 
Day 127

"Such great riches came to nothing"

Text: Revelation 18:17

THE WEEPING OF THE MERCHANTS

Many lamented and mourned the demise of Babylon. The merchants trading with Babylon were among those who lamented the demise of the great city.

“The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you,
and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you,
and you shall find them no more at all.
The merchants of these things, who became rich by her,
will stand at a distance for fear of her torment,
weeping and wailing, and saying,
‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed
in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’
Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship,
sailors, and as many as trade on the sea,
stood at a distance and cried out
when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying,
‘What is like this great city?'”
Revelation 18:14-18

1. “Gone from you”

a) This phrase summarised what was felt deeply.

b) Babylon provided many things:

i) “Things which are rich and splendid”

ii) “The fruit that your soul longed for”

iii) These would not be found anymore!

2. “The merchants”

a) They had become rich through trading with Babylon.

b) They stood from afar, afraid to draw near, for fear of suffering the same fate.

i) They wept.

ii) They wailed.

3. Remembering “that great city”.

a) The merchants remembered Babylon in its height of fame.

b) They wept as they recalled Babylon.

“That great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet,
and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!”

4. Shipmasters, sailors and traders.

a) They too felt a great sense of loss.

b) They lamented deeply.

c) Their lament could be summarised in one phrase: “In one hour such great riches came to nothing”.

d) They knew that no other city was like Babylon. “What is like this great city?”