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The "Mother of all Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World" of Chapter 17 and the "Great City of Babylon" of Chapter 18 are one and the same. Both stand for civilized humanity apart from God; organized community opposed to God, "drunk with the blood of God's holy people". They represent the sinful earthly city belonging to Satan in opposition to the holy heavenly city belonging to God. One thinks of the godless builders of the Tower of Babel: "Come, let's build a city for ourselves that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world" (Gen. 11:1-9). In other words: "Let's do our own thing. We don't need God. We are God."
When the Great City of Babylon is overthrown, the world's mouth drops open; there is a monumental gasp of shock and horror. Because of her desire for extravagant luxury the merchants of the world have grown rich. But she was the home of demons and obscene immorality and firmly in Satan's grip. She was doomed to be destroyed. Yet there is stunned surprise that in a single moment it is all gone! "The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her". All their hopes of increasing wealth will be dashed.
Don't we live in such a society today? It has always been this way, and will be so right up to the second coming. Suddenly, when least expected, this world's ungodly and self-centred order will come to an abrupt end. What are we to do in the meantime? Wring our hands, complain, tut and judge? (We can all be guilty of this.) No! We are to look on humanity with compassion as sheep without a shepherd; as those duped by the enemy. We are to pray for them and point them to Jesus. We are to "live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people" (Ph. 2:15).