Ancient Babylon was indeed a great city, without rival in learning and sophistication. In fact, its “hanging gardens” were considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and historians still debate where they were and exactly how the Babylonians accomplished such a feat of architecture and engineering. Of course, we continue to marvel at other artifacts of the ancient world. What, for example, might the Colosseum of Rome have looked like when it was first built and was able to seat 80,000 people? The collapse of great empires always involves the destruction of beautiful things, as the kings and merchants and seamen point out in today’s passage.

So yes, the fall of the wicked, worldly civilization at the end of time will involve the loss of many luxury goods (vv. 12-13). But we need to remember that the riches of that godless culture will be acquired by evil means just as they will be used for evil ends. We get a hint of this in verse 13, as it includes slaves, “human souls” on the list of cargo that the great city buys and sells. Just so, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon may have been magnificent, but they were built by the same man who tore down the Temple of Solomon. In the same way, the Flavian emperors built the Colosseum of Rome with the riches they looted from their destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple of God. Should we really lament the loss of such ill-gotten gains?

And notice this too: even though those who buy and sell and transport the great city’s luxuries may weep and mourn its destruction, they will do so only while standing far off, “in fear of her torment” (vv. 10, 15, 17). Their loyalty is thus limited – they may miss the wealth and comfort that such a godless civilization will provide them, but they won’t lift a finger to prevent its inevitable collapse.

So, does it really make sense for us to care so much about institutions and objects that have no lasting value? Do we really want to share in the laments of such self-centered, fickle friends?

Revelation 18:9-19 (ESV)

9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.
10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore,
12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble,
13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
14 “The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!”
15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, “What city was like the great city?”
19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, “Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.