Revelation 14:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By the meaning of this name, Babylon is called the confusion of this world and of worldly turmoil. It is said that it will soon fall, or cease to be.

The wine of the wrath of fornications is the darkening of the mind through idolatry, or drunkenness with sin. For this, according to the Psalmist, God will destroy everyone who plays the harlot away from Him (Ps. 72:27).

This Babylon will finally be destroyed with the manifestation of the Jerusalem above, and with the condemnation of the lawless to torments.

I think that by Babylon he means the confusion and vain temptation of the present life, for Babylon is translated as confusion, and the frenzy of mad idolaters.

It is magnified by names, being called an ecstasy because of them. If you consider this sensible Babylon, perhaps you will not depart from the intended aim.

John says that apostasy from God is the wrathful wine of fornication, according to Scripture: "You have destroyed everyone who is unfaithful to You" (Ps 72:27). This fornication causes the darkening of the representation established in the mind.

For who in his right mind would worship trees and stones and bring upon himself the wrath of God? Therefore it is said of this wine: "Their wine is the venom of dragons and the deadly poison of asps" (Deut 32:33).

First Babylon made herself drunk with deadly wine, and then she forced all the nations over which she ruled to drink.

In foretelling the fall of the great city, the Angel also speaks of its cause. This is idolatry, which in prophetic sayings was often designated by the word fornication.

For example, the prophet Ezekiel says: "This shall be done to thee because of thy fornication with the nations, with whose idols thou hast defiled thyself" (Ezek. 23:30).

"Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great city." By Babylon almost all agree that pagan Rome is meant. The wine of error with which it makes the nations drunk is idolatry, which spread together with the dominion of Rome.

Another Angel announced the fall of Babylon, the kingdom of evil and sin in the world.

Abstinence of the mind is regarded among men as the least of obligations. The thirst for knowledge, without further examination, is accepted not only as a natural and innocent feeling, but even as a noble one.

Sensual luxury shows a certain respect for wine that darkens the mind in comparison with water that cleanses it. So also the luxury of the mind often passes with contempt by the pure springs of Israel.

It greedily receives from the hands of the Babylonian harlot, the false wisdom of the world, the cup from which, "with the wine of the wrath of her fornication," she makes all nations drink (Rev 14:8).

Our age has seen, and apparently not to its blessedness still sees, those who thirst for so-called enlightenment. From this cup they first drink the wine of spiritual fornication.