Revelation 18:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The reason for this is that by its sweet singing and sorceries this city deceived all nations and became the receptacle of the blood of prophets and saints.

All this probably points to the impious Persian Babylon. For at different times, even to the present, it has shed the blood of many saints and delighted in deceiving others by sorceries.

Therefore let us desire and pray that this city may receive the appointed recompense for its pride against Christ and His servants.

Yet, as we think, the opinion of the ancient teachers of the Church somewhat contradicts this. They referred these prophecies to Roman Babylon.

For Rome, the fourth beast, had ten horns. Of these, the highest will uproot three and subject the others to himself.

Thus John calls Babylon a great millstone, as it were, thrown down, because the course of time grinds all lovers of this world like a millstone and hurls them into its turning. Of them it is written, "The ungodly walk in a circle" (Ps 11:9).

"And the sound of harpists and singers, of flute players and trumpeters, shall be heard in you no more." John says that the merriment of the ungodly will pass away and be no more.

He indicated the reason, saying, "For your merchants were the great men of the earth," that is, in your life they found every possible good.

"And by your sorcery all nations were led astray. And in it was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth."

All this will come upon Babylon because, through idleness, pursuit of life's pleasures, and other temptations, it drew many away from God. Those who reproved it for this it persecuted with savage cruelty and shed their blood.

Some interpreters understand this great harlot, Babylon, spoken of in chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation, as the faithless Church. That is, it is a society of Christians who have lost and abandoned faith in God.

It consists of a mixture, for Babylon means confusion, of earthly and heavenly things. They have trampled the priceless pearl of the grace of the Holy Spirit, received in Baptism, into the mire of their own soul, uncleansed from passions and earthly attachments.