Revelation 18 5

Revelation 18:5 kjv

For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:5 nkjv

For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:5 niv

for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.

Revelation 18:5 esv

for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.

Revelation 18:5 nlt

For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
and God remembers her evil deeds.

Revelation 18 verses

Revelation 18 5 Meaning

Revelation 18:5 signifies the accumulated and extreme wickedness of "Babylon the Great," reaching such an immense proportion that it has ascended to the very presence of God, demanding His immediate and decisive judgment. This piling up of sins is not merely a metaphor for numerous offenses but points to the scale, nature, and audacity of her rebellion against divine order and justice. God's "remembering" these crimes indicates that the period of toleration has ended, and the time for active and proportionate retribution for Babylon's atrocities and injustices has arrived.

Revelation 18 5 Context

Revelation chapter 18 details the definitive fall of Babylon the Great, following the introductory announcement of her demise in chapter 17. This chapter functions as a lament for her destruction and an exhortation for God's people to separate from her. Babylon, in Revelation, symbolizes a powerful global system that stands in opposition to God and His people—a combination of political, economic, and false religious power, often associated with imperial Rome in the first century, yet having broader spiritual application to any oppressive anti-God world system. Verse 5 explains the divine rationale for this catastrophic judgment: the accumulated enormity of her transgressions has reached an unbearable limit, necessitating God's active intervention. The lamenting kings and merchants mourn her material wealth and influence, which contrasts sharply with the celebration of the saints and apostles over God's righteous judgment against her. The historical context for John’s original audience would have evoked images of the opulent yet oppressive Roman Empire, whose persecution of Christians and widespread idolatry mirrored the depicted sins of Babylon. The polemic is direct: against any earthly power that claims ultimate authority, promotes idolatry, persecutes the faithful, and relies on material rather than spiritual strength, challenging the contemporary belief in imperial Rome’s perpetual dominion and divine sanction.

Word Analysis

• For her sins: Greek: ὅτι αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι (hoti autēs hai hamartiai). "Ἁμαρτίαι" (hamartiai) plural for "sins," signifying not merely a few isolated transgressions, but a multitude and vast collection of wrongdoings. This covers every deviation from God’s standard, including idolatry, persecution, injustice, and economic exploitation.
• are piled up: Greek: ἐκολλήθησαν (ekollēthēsan). This verb means "they were glued together," "stuck fast," or "joined together." It indicates an accumulation or adherence. In this context, it vividly conveys sins being aggregated, forming a dense mass, becoming an insurmountable heap of guilt. It's a striking image of consolidation.
• to heaven: Greek: ἄχρι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ (achri tou ouranou). This phrase means "up to the heaven" or "as far as the heaven." It is a hyperbole to emphasize the enormous quantity and the offensive nature of the sins. It means they have reached the very throne room of God, becoming undeniably evident to the divine court and calling for His immediate judgment. It echoes instances where human pride or wickedness attempts to ascend to God (e.g., Tower of Babel).
• and God: Greek: καὶ ὁ Θεός (kai ho Theos). Refers to the sovereign, righteous, and judging God. It is His divine prerogative to act in justice.
• has remembered: Greek: ἐμνημόνευσεν (emnēmoneusen). This past tense verb, "he remembered," signifies God's active awareness and brings to mind His full consideration of Babylon’s actions. In biblical thought, God "remembering" is not merely recalling forgotten information but implies that the time has come for Him to act decisively based on His previous knowledge and judicial decree. It signifies a decisive point in divine reckoning where accountability is enacted.
• her crimes: Greek: τὰ ἀδικήματα αὐτῆς (ta adikēmata autēs). "Ἀδικήματα" (adikēmata) refers specifically to "unrighteous acts," "injustices," "wrongs," or "deeds of unrighteousness." This word highlights the character of Babylon's sins: they are not just personal failings, but acts of deliberate harm, oppression, and injustice against others, particularly against God's people and those exploited by her system.

Words-group analysis:

• For her sins are piled up to heaven: This phrase emphatically portrays the boundless magnitude and audacious nature of Babylon’s transgressions. It paints a picture of guilt accumulated so excessively that it forms a colossal structure reaching directly into God’s domain, indicating a direct offense against divine holiness and cosmic order. This accumulation points to the inexcusable degree of her guilt and the affront to God's omnipresence and justice.
• and God has remembered her crimes: This phrase denotes divine judicial intent. God's "remembering" signals that the accounts are settled, the record is complete, and the appointed time for consequential judgment has arrived. It is a powerful affirmation of divine justice, ensuring that no wickedness goes unaddressed and that those who persecute and oppress will ultimately face full accountability before a just God. It asserts that God's justice is neither blind nor forgetful but perfectly attentive and unfailingly precise in its timing.

Revelation 18 5 Bonus section

The hyperbole "piled up to heaven" draws parallels to ancient perceptions of immense structures aiming towards the sky, often representing human arrogance or defiance against God, like the Tower of Babel. This imagery underscores Babylon's spiritual pride and overreaching ambition, presuming to defy God’s ultimate authority. The idea of God "remembering" is particularly potent; it connects to biblical covenant theology where God "remembers" His promises to act for His people, and inversely, "remembers" or takes notice of iniquity, signaling that His patience has reached its end and the period of forbearance is over. This is not about a delayed reaction, but a precisely timed execution of judgment based on an accurate and complete divine record. The emphasis on "crimes" (adikēmata) over general "sins" highlights that Babylon's fall is specifically a response to her systematic injustices, exploitation, and cruelty against both humanity and the divine order.

Revelation 18 5 Commentary

Revelation 18:5 acts as the divine justification for the swift and devastating judgment unleashed upon Babylon the Great. It is not arbitrary destruction but a consequence meticulously tied to her deeds. The image of sins "piled up to heaven" vividly conveys the cumulative scale and offensive nature of her wickedness, signifying a monumental affront to God's holiness and cosmic justice. It implies a long history of transgressions reaching an undeniable climax, demanding divine attention. God's "remembering" these crimes is not a casual recollection, but an active declaration that the season for judgment has fully ripened. This highlights His omniscience and absolute justice: every unjust act, every instance of idolatry, every persecution against His saints, every materialist excess committed by this oppressive world system, has been precisely recorded and will now be dealt with. The verse serves as a profound theological statement: though God may show patience, His justice is perfect, and there comes a point when the sum of iniquity compels His intervention to uphold righteousness in the universe.