Have you ever heard someone who was glad that something bad happened to someone? It seems a little mean to celebrate another person's destruction, but there is an element of this in Revelation 18.
One of the sorrowful, but real parts of salvation is that God's enemies will be destroyed.
This is something that is hard to understand, since our usual way of dealing with the world is through forgiveness and mercy – and that is appropriate now! Especially since Jesus came into this world humbly to give us mercy and reveal God's love for us. This reflects God's desire that all people be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
However, God will be patient for only for so long – until the wickedness of the world is complete. However, in the same moment that the world faces destruction we receive our full salvation.
It is worth noting that while this destruction comes upon Babylon the Prostitute, the world mourns, but only mourns their own loss. There is no real compassion from the world for their partner. They mourn their loss of money; their loss of trade. Kings of the world will mourn their loss of influence and power.
The tossing of the millstone into the sea reminds us of Jesus' warning in Luke 17 that it would be better for a person to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck. This prostitute had led many into sin, and she is getting the judgment Jesus described.
As God's people how should we respond to this? We know that we will rejoice when we receive our salvation, but in the meantime we should be moved with compassion for those who will be devastated by the world's judgment. Since in Christ we do not desire the harm of even those who hurt us and persecuted us for the faith, our response is to all the more vigorously share the Good news of God's love so that fewer people will need to face that day of judgment with fear and sorrow, and more people will welcome it as the day of their salvation.
Father in Heaven, work in our lives to give us patient endurance and compassion on the world so that I will share the hope we have in Jesus' death and resurrection. Make me all the more determined to share the hope that I have as I face persecution and struggles in this world, and help me to keep my heart set on the heavenly home you have prepared for me; for Jesus' sake. Amen.
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