Revelation 18:24 kjv
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Revelation 18:24 nkjv
And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."
Revelation 18:24 niv
In her was found the blood of prophets and of God's holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth."
Revelation 18:24 esv
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."
Revelation 18:24 nlt
In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God's holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world."
Revelation 18 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 16:6 | "...for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets..." | Direct parallel; reason for judgment. |
| Rev 17:6 | "And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." | Babylon's intoxication with martyrs' blood. |
| Lk 11:49-51 | "...that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation...from the blood of Abel..." | Accumulation of righteous bloodguilt. |
| Mt 23:34-36 | "on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel..." | Christ's prophecy of full bloodguilt. |
| Jer 51:49 | "Babylon also must fall for the slain of Israel, as for Babylon were slain the people of all the earth." | OT Babylon's global guilt; strong echo. |
| Gen 4:10-11 | "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground...you are cursed from the ground." | Blood crying out for justice. |
| Rev 6:9-10 | "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God...and they cried out with a loud voice, 'How long, O Lord...until you judge and avenge our blood...'" | Martyrs' plea for divine vengeance. |
| Rev 19:2 | "For true and just are His judgments; for He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth...and has avenged the blood of His servants from her hand." | Divine justice for shedding blood of servants. |
| Acts 7:52 | "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" | Historical pattern of persecuting prophets. |
| 1 Kin 18:4, 13 | "...Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the Lord..." | Example of ruthless persecution of prophets. |
| Heb 11:36-38 | "Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment...slain with the sword." | Persecution of God's people throughout history. |
| Is 26:21 | "...the earth will disclose the blood shed on it..." | Earth revealing hidden blood. |
| Ezek 24:7-8 | "For the blood she shed is in her; she poured it on the bare rock...that fury may be aroused..." | A city's bloodguilt demanding justice. |
| Jn 15:20 | "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..." | Christ's prediction of persecution. |
| Dan 7:25 | "He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High..." | Oppressive power warring against saints. |
| Zech 13:3 | "and his father and mother who bore him will say to him, 'You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord'..." | False prophets, but also persecution. |
| Ps 79:3 | "They have shed their blood like water...and there was no one to bury them." | Lament for slaughtered God's people. |
| Ps 94:21 | "They gather together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent blood." | Wicked conspiring against the righteous. |
| Is 59:7 | "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood..." | Wickedness marked by shedding innocent blood. |
| Hos 4:2 | "There is cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed." | Societal moral decay leading to bloodshed. |
| Deut 32:43 | "Rejoice with Him, O heavens...for He will avenge the blood of His servants." | God's vengeance on behalf of His servants. |
| 2 Thess 1:6 | "...it is a just thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you." | God's just retribution for persecution. |
Revelation 18 verses
Revelation 18 24 Meaning
Revelation 18:24 proclaims that in "Babylon the Great"—a symbolic representation of the world system opposed to God—was found the culpability for the deaths of God’s messengers (prophets), His set-apart people (saints), and indeed all righteous individuals who have been violently killed on the earth throughout history. This verse serves as the definitive legal indictment against Babylon, establishing the full, comprehensive extent of her guilt and providing the just cause for her severe and final destruction by God. It signifies the accumulated bloodguilt for all who have suffered for their allegiance to God or as innocent victims of the corrupt, ungodly systems that Babylon embodies.
Revelation 18 24 Context
Revelation chapter 18 details the complete and utter destruction of "Babylon the Great," described as a magnificent and prosperous city that has defiled the nations with her idolatry, immorality, and economic exploitation. Chapters 17 and 18 work together, first introducing Babylon as a great harlot riding the beast (symbolizing a world-dominating spiritual and political-economic system that opposes God), then announcing her final, sudden judgment. The lamentations of kings, merchants, and mariners over her fall underscore her global influence and wealth. Verse 24, as the concluding indictment of Babylon, solidifies the divine rationale for this catastrophic judgment. It establishes that Babylon is not just condemned for her immorality or commercialism but specifically for her extensive, long-standing persecution and slaughter of God's people, reflecting the deep biblical principle of accountability for shed blood, and linking her corporate guilt to all unrighteous bloodshed across history. This indictment functions as the culmination of grievances against this ultimate anti-God worldly power.
Revelation 18 24 Word analysis
- And in her (kai en autē - Greek): This phrase serves as a direct linkage to the preceding descriptions of Babylon's sins and impending judgment. The preposition "in" (en) points to intrinsic presence or culpability. It signifies that the essence of Babylon, what defines her character and her legacy, includes this terrible bloodshed.
- was found (heurethē - Greek, from heuriskō, to find/discover): The use of the passive voice emphasizes that this "finding" is a definitive, undeniable revelation by God Himself. It implies a legal or judicial discovery of evidence. The guilt is not hidden or merely suspected but is unequivocally brought to light, making her condemnation just and unchallengeable.
- the blood (to haima - Greek): More than just a physical substance, "blood" here is deeply symbolic of life violently taken and, more profoundly, of guilt for those deaths. In biblical understanding, spilled blood "cries out" for justice (Gen 4:10). It signifies full culpability and the moral stain of murder.
- of prophets (prophētōn - Greek, plural of prophētēs): Refers to God's divinely appointed messengers who courageously spoke His truth, often at great personal risk. They were consistently persecuted and martyred by worldly powers for their witness, as documented throughout Old and New Testaments. Their blood represents defiance against God's direct revelation.
- and of saints (kai hagiōn - Greek, plural of hagios): "Saints" means "holy ones" or "those set apart for God." This refers to all of God's people, true believers in Christ, who lived devoutly. Their persecution highlights the fundamental enmity between the ungodly world system and those who belong to God.
- and of all who were slain (kai pantōn tōn esphagmenōn - Greek, from sphazō, to slaughter/sacrifice): This broadens the scope significantly. "All" indicates comprehensiveness. "Slain" (esphagmenōn) is a strong verb, often used for violent slaughter or sacrificial killing, denoting brutality. It extends the guilt beyond just explicitly recognized prophets and saints to encompass all innocent victims of Babylon's oppressive system throughout history, effectively linking her to the suffering of all righteous martyrs since Abel (Lk 11:51).
- on the earth (epi tēs gēs - Greek): This phrase emphasizes the global reach of Babylon's corruption and violence. Her influence extends worldwide, and her guilt encompasses bloodshed committed everywhere that her system has oppressed, manipulated, or caused death among humanity, particularly the righteous.
- "And in her was found the blood": This initial phrase declares Babylon's profound and undeniable culpability. It is not just that her system indirectly led to suffering, but that the very mark of murder, the "blood," was "found" within her, signifying direct responsibility for an immense ledger of death. This is the legal verdict establishing her guilt before the cosmic court.
- "of prophets and of saints": This group highlights God's special covenant people, those explicitly set apart for Him and His messengers. Their systematic persecution is a direct affront to God Himself and His testimony in the world. Babylon's attacks are thus seen as aimed against God's presence on earth.
- "and of all who were slain on the earth": This concluding phrase acts as a culminating accusation, making Babylon the ultimate reservoir of global bloodshed. It signifies that her oppressive, God-opposing system is intrinsically tied to every act of unrighteous violence and murder that has occurred across the world throughout time, making her uniquely accountable for the comprehensive injustice perpetrated against humanity and, particularly, the righteous.
Revelation 18 24 Bonus section
The charge against Babylon in Revelation 18:24 encapsulates the cumulative wickedness of all historical empires and world systems that have opposed God and persecuted His people. It demonstrates a profound biblical principle: divine justice holds powers accountable not only for their immediate actions but for their alignment with patterns of unrighteousness stretching back through history. The "blood" refers to a corporate guilt, a stain on humanity perpetuated through systems of injustice and rebellion against God, with Babylon acting as their final embodiment and receptacle. This also implicitly validates the cry for vengeance from the martyrs under the altar (Rev 6:9-10), indicating that God hears and answers the prayers of His persecuted faithful, bringing ultimate justice upon the systems that oppressed them.
Revelation 18 24 Commentary
Revelation 18:24 serves as the climactic and legal justification for the absolute judgment against "Babylon the Great." It declares her not merely as a symbol of economic luxury or spiritual apostasy but as the epicentre of universal unrighteous bloodshed, particularly that of God's faithful. The discovery of the "blood of prophets and saints" within her implies a definitive indictment for active persecution and murder of God's covenant people across all ages. The expansion to "all who were slain on the earth" signifies that this worldly system, in its comprehensive opposition to God, is held responsible for all innocent blood shed through its systemic oppression, tyranny, and violence. This accumulation of guilt demonstrates God's perfect justice and the complete righteousness of His forthcoming devastating judgment. Babylon’s fall is not arbitrary; it is a divine response to millennia of the world’s opposition to righteousness, climaxing in this comprehensive entity.