Revelation 18:4; Come Out of Her

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Revelation 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

Revelation 18:4-20 gives the prediction of a voice from heaven that Babylon will fall.

This extended prediction is in three parts:

(1) A Call for God’s people to Come Out of Babylon (v4-8)

(2) Laments by the Kings of the Earth, the Merchants, and the Sea People (v9-19)

(3) A Note of Heavenly Rejoicing (v20)

After an introduction in v4a, the call for God’s people to exit the city follows in v4b. John heard “another voice from heaven” issuing this call to God’s people. It is not the voice of God or of Christ, because the long poetic lamentation that follows would violate prophetic decorum if it were a divine voice. It is rather an angel speaking in the name of God as in Revelation 11:3 and 22:7-8.

Revelation 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred andthreescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 

Revelation 22:7-8  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 

In this connection note the first person pronoun and third-person reference in this call. The verb “come out” expresses the urgency of the call. This summon resembles the one to leave Babylon in Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6; 9, 45; Zechariah 2:6-7.

Isaiah 48:20  Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. 

Isaiah 52:11  Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD. 

Jeremiah 50:8  Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks. 

Jeremiah 51:6  Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this isthe time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. 

Jeremiah 51:9  We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. 

Jeremiah 51:45  My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD. 

Zechariah 2:6-7  Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. 

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 320]