Revelation 18:23 kjv
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Revelation 18:23 nkjv
The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
Revelation 18:23 niv
The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
Revelation 18:23 esv
and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
Revelation 18:23 nlt
The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again.
The happy voices of brides and grooms
will never be heard in you again.
For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
Revelation 18 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Total Desolation & Lack of Life | ||
| Job 18:5-6 | Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out; the flame of his fire does not shine. | Symbolizes the judgment and end of wicked prosperity. |
| Prov 24:20 | For there will be no future for the evil man; the lamp of the wicked will be put out. | Reinforces the cessation of hope and life for the unrighteous. |
| Jer 25:10 | Moreover, I will banish from them the sound of joy... the sound of millstones and the light of a lamp. | Prophecy against Judah and nations, mentioning lamp's light ceasing due to judgment. |
| Matt 25:8 | The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ | Foreshadows spiritual unpreparedness leading to darkness and exclusion. |
| Isa 13:19-20 | And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms... will never again be inhabited... | Prophecy of Babylon's complete desolation. |
| End of Joy & Celebration | ||
| Jer 7:34 | Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy... | Prophecy of Jerusalem's desolation, marked by silence of joy and marriage. |
| Jer 16:9 | For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will make to cease from this place... | Further prophecy of ceasing joy and wedding sounds. |
| Ezek 26:13 | I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. | Prophecy against Tyre, noting cessation of joy and music. |
| Jer 25:10 | ...and the sound of bridegroom and bride... | Specific mention of bride and groom voices ceasing as judgment. |
| Rev 19:7-9 | Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb has come... | Contrasts the ending of Babylon's 'marriage' with the true marriage of the Lamb. |
| Corrupt Merchants & Worldly Power | ||
| Isa 23:1-8 | The burden against Tyre... Her merchants were princes, her traders the world’s honored ones. | Depicts Tyre's economic might and influence, parallels with Babylon. |
| Ezek 27:1-36 | A lament over Tyre... You were in Eden, the garden of God... Every precious stone was your covering... | Detailed description of Tyre's immense wealth, trade, and eventual fall. |
| Luke 12:16-21 | The ground of a rich man was plentiful... 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years...' | Parable of the rich fool, highlighting the transience and futility of earthly wealth. |
| James 5:1-6 | Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries... Your riches are corrupted... | Pronounces woe upon the wealthy who have oppressed others and trusted in riches. |
| Rev 17:18 | And the woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. | Identifies "Babylon" as the city exercising worldwide political and economic power. |
| Rev 18:3, 11-19 | For all the nations have drunk of the wine... the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxury. | Contextual verses describing Babylon's immense wealth and its impact on nations. |
| Deception & Spiritual Practices | ||
| Exod 7:11-12 | But Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt... | Mentions ancient forms of "sorcery" (magic) opposing divine power. |
| Isa 47:9-12 | But these two things shall come to you in a moment... for the multitude of your sorceries... | Prophecy against Babylon specifically citing its sorceries and enchantments. |
| Gal 5:20 | ...idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger... | "Sorcery" (pharmakeia) listed among the works of the flesh, denoting spiritual impurity. |
| Rev 9:21 | And they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their sexual immorality nor of their thefts. | Humanity's refusal to repent from such evils in the context of judgment. |
| Rev 21:8 | But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers... | Sorcerers explicitly listed among those whose destiny is the lake of fire. |
| Rev 22:15 | Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters. | Those engaged in such practices are excluded from the New Jerusalem. |
Revelation 18 verses
Revelation 18 23 Meaning
Revelation 18:23 portrays the complete, utter, and irreversible desolation of "Babylon the Great." It signifies the termination of all normal life, joy, commerce, and spiritual deception within the fallen city. The cessation of lamplight symbolizes the extinguishing of life, prosperity, and the very presence of human activity. The silencing of wedding celebrations (bridegroom and bride's voice) points to the end of all joy, procreation, and the absence of new beginnings. The verse then declares the reasons for this severe judgment: Babylon's immense economic power, exerted through its merchants who dominated the world, and its widespread spiritual corruption ("sorcery") which ensnared and led astray all nations. This divine verdict marks the final collapse of a system built on materialism, exploitation, and spiritual manipulation, leaving it void of any remnant of life or vibrancy.
Revelation 18 23 Context
Revelation 18:23 is a pronouncement of utter and permanent destruction against "Babylon the Great," identified in the larger narrative as a global system or city characterized by immense wealth, political dominance, and spiritual depravity that opposes God. This verse immediately follows laments from various groups – kings, merchants, and shipmasters – who mourned the sudden downfall of this prosperous city, recognizing their own loss. The chapter depicts its sudden, irreversible ruin, mirroring prophecies against Old Testament cities like Tyre and Babylon. Historically, the audience would have understood "Babylon" as a symbolic representation of imperial Rome, the dominant economic and political power of their era, notorious for its pagan idolatry, persecutions, and extensive trade. This specific verse solidifies the complete eradication of Roman life as Christians would have understood it, condemning its exploitative commercialism and spiritual corruption which enticed and led astray the world, including its reliance on magical practices and idolatry.
Revelation 18 23 Word analysis
- and the light of a lamp (φῶς λύχνου, phōs lychnou):
- phōs: light; symbolizes life, guidance, blessing, hope, the divine presence.
- lychnou: of a lamp; a domestic light source.
- Significance: Lamps provided essential light for daily activities in homes and streets, representing normal human existence, commerce, and celebration. Its extinction signifies the total absence of life, prosperity, and the common fabric of society. This absence also contrasts sharply with the divine light of God and the Lamb in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:23).
- will never shine in you again (οὐ μὴ φανῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, ou mē phanē en soi eti):
- ou mē: a strong double negative in Greek; emphasizes absolute and final negation, signifying that this condition will never, under any circumstances, occur again.
- phanē: shine, appear, become visible.
- Significance: Reinforces the permanency of Babylon's desolation. Its future is one of eternal darkness, stripped of any light or vitality.
- The voice of bridegroom and bride (φωνὴ νυμφίου καὶ νύμφης, phōnē nymphīou kai nymphēs):
- phōnē: voice, sound.
- nymphīou kai nymphēs: of bridegroom and of bride.
- Significance: Weddings were, and remain, primary expressions of joy, new beginnings, communal celebration, and the continuation of life (procreation). The cessation of their voices symbolizes the ultimate silence, the end of joy, vitality, and the impossibility of any future generations or fresh starts within the city. This evokes Old Testament prophecies of judgment where such sounds ceased (Jer 7:34).
- will never be heard in you again (οὐ μὴ ἀκουσθῇ ἐν σοὶ ἔτι, ou mē akousthē en soi eti):
- ou mē: again, the strong double negative, emphasizing finality.
- akousthē: will be heard.
- Significance: Parallel to the lamp's light, this phrase emphasizes the complete and permanent absence of any form of human joy or communal activity within Babylon.
- For your merchants (ὅτι οἱ ἔμποροί σου, hoti hoi emporoi sou):
- hoti: because, for.
- emporoi: merchants, traders, wholesalers.
- Significance: Points to economic exploitation as a primary reason for judgment. These were the ones engaged in the vast and corrupt trade that characterized Babylon.
- were the great ones of the earth (ἦσαν οἱ μεγιστάνες τῆς γῆς, ēsan hoi megistanoi tēs gēs):
- megistanes: great ones, nobles, powerful rulers, chief men.
- Significance: Babylon's commercial power was not merely trade but dominion. Its merchants held positions of immense global influence and status, leveraging wealth for control and manipulation.
- and all nations were deceived by your sorcery (καὶ ἐν τῇ φαρμακείᾳ σου ἐπλανήθησαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, kai en tē pharmakeia sou eplanēthēsan panta ta ethnē):
- kai: and.
- en tē pharmakeia sou: by your sorcery, through your magical practices/drugs.
- pharmakeia: sorcery, magical arts, use of drugs or potions (often for malevolent purposes), enchantment. In the biblical context, it extends beyond mere medical use to practices associated with idolatry, the occult, spiritual manipulation, and even poison. It implies a deceptive, intoxicating spiritual influence.
- eplanēthēsan: were led astray, deceived, deluded, made to wander.
- panta ta ethnē: all the nations.
- Significance: This is a crucial condemnation. Babylon's influence wasn't just economic; it was deeply spiritual and deceptive. "Pharmakeia" suggests a spiritual seduction, where false religions, idolatry, and worldly allurements captivated and enslaved people globally, turning them away from God. This highlights the insidious nature of the world system's grip—not just through power or money, but through enchantment.
Words-Group Analysis
- "the light of a lamp...The voice of bridegroom and bride": These two images symbolize all that constitutes a thriving, joyful, and life-affirming society. Their absolute disappearance paints a picture of complete and irreversible desolation, not merely material destruction but the absence of vitality and hope.
- "For your merchants were the great ones of the earth": This phrase exposes the deep interconnectedness of Babylon's commercial power with its global political and social influence. Its economic activity was not neutral but served as a means for dominance and corruption.
- "and all nations were deceived by your sorcery": This identifies the spiritual core of Babylon's wickedness. The world's submission was not only coerced but enchanted, ensnared by its spiritual idolatry and seductive allure, ultimately blinding nations to divine truth. This deception through "sorcery" (pharmakeia) indicates manipulation, spiritual impurity, and potentially mind-altering influences that lead people astray from God.
Revelation 18 23 Bonus section
The strong double negative "οὐ μὴ" used for both "will never shine" and "will never be heard" reinforces the absolute and eternal nature of Babylon's judgment. It signifies that the system of this world, built on materialism and spiritual deception, once fully judged by God, will have no possibility of revival or reformation. It highlights a foundational biblical truth that while God is patient, there is an ultimate point of no return for unrepentant systems. Furthermore, the term "pharmakeia" has broader implications beyond just magic; it points to the intoxicating allure and enslavement inherent in false worship, covetousness, and the spiritual deceit propagated by worldly systems. It signifies that nations willingly subjected themselves to this deception, indicating a deep spiritual blindness and enchantment caused by their pursuit of earthly gain and pleasure associated with "Babylon." This ultimate desolation provides a stark contrast to the eternal joy and light found in the New Jerusalem (Rev 21-22), emphasizing the different destinies for those aligned with worldly power versus those who follow Christ.
Revelation 18 23 Commentary
Revelation 18:23 delivers a stark and comprehensive verdict against Babylon the Great, embodying a global system that rejects God and exalts itself. The total extinction of "the light of a lamp" and "the voice of bridegroom and bride" symbolizes a city stripped of all its former life, joy, and hope. This is not merely economic collapse, but a permanent, spiritual barrenness; no warmth, no festivity, no future will ever return. The reason for such devastating judgment is clearly articulated: its vast economic dominance, where its "merchants were the great ones of the earth," enriching themselves through opulence and exploitation. This material accumulation was intrinsically linked to a spiritual corruption – its "sorcery" (pharmakeia) by which "all nations were deceived." This refers not just to magic but to a deep, intoxicating spiritual influence, perhaps through idolatry, false ideologies, or the manipulative allure of its worldly system, that ensnared and led humanity away from God's truth. The verse serves as a powerful reminder of God's justice against systems that prioritize wealth and power over righteousness, leading to ultimate spiritual and physical desolation.Practical examples could include: modern systems built on unethical wealth accumulation; deceptive marketing that lures consumers into materialism; or spiritual movements that offer false hope or worldly solutions in place of Christ.