And I heard another voice from heaven, saying: Go out from her, my people; that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues.
και ηκουσα αλλην φωνην εκ του ουρανου λεγουσαν εξελθε εξελθετε εξ αυτης ο λαος μου ινα μη συγκοινωνησητε ταις αμαρτιαις αυτης και εκ των πληγων αυτης ινα μη λαβητε
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Read John's Apocalypse and see what is said about the woman clothed in scarlet, about the shame written on her forehead, about the seven mountains, about the many waters, and about departure from Babylon: "Come out of her, My people," says the Lord, "lest you take part in her sins and lest you be harmed by her plagues" (Rev 18:4). Then turn to Jeremiah and heed what is written in the same sense: "Flee from the midst of Babylon, and each of you save his soul" (Jer 51:6).
Purity from sin. Who among those born and dying will not at some time have to leave his homeland and abandon his inheritance? But Christ must not be abandoned, for one must fear losing salvation and the eternal dwelling.
Behold, the Holy Spirit cries through the prophet: "Depart, depart, go out from there. Touch nothing unclean. Go out from the midst of it. Purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isa 52:11).
Should not those who are the vessels of the Lord and the temple of God go out from the midst and withdraw, lest they be forced to touch the unclean and be defiled by deadly food?
In another place we hear a voice from heaven, indicating how the servants of God should act, and saying: "Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins and lest you receive her plagues" (Rev 18:4).
He who goes out and withdraws takes no part in sin. Truly, he exposes himself to blows who becomes a companion in crimes.
Therefore, in times of persecution the Lord commanded us to hide and withdraw, as He Himself both taught and did.
The crown descends if God deems one worthy of it, and it is acquired only at the hour of receiving it. He who withdraws while abiding in Christ does not deny the faith, but awaits his time.
But he who did not withdraw and fell remained with the intention of denying.
"Come out of her, My people." As He said to Lot in Sodom, "Escape for your life" (Gen 19:17), and in Isaiah, "Depart from here and touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it" (Is 52:11), so it is said here. For one must avoid living and dwelling together with those who insult God.
In this place John shows that Babylon is divided into two parts. When those who hope in God turn from evil to good, Babylon is divided. The part separated from it becomes Jerusalem.
For every day people pass from Babylon into Jerusalem, and from Jerusalem they return to Babylon. The evil turn to good, and those who seemed righteous in hypocrisy openly reveal themselves in evil.
Finally, concerning good people, Scripture also says through Isaiah: "Go out, go out from among them, and touch nothing unclean. Go out from the midst of it and be separate, you who bear its marks" (Isa 52:11).
The Apostle recalls this separation, saying: "The firm foundation of God stands, and the Lord knows His own," and, "Let everyone who confesses the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness" (2 Tim 2:19).
"Lest you take part," says John, "in her sins, and lest you receive her plagues." Since it is written, "The righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest" (Wis 4:7), how can the righteous share in the sin which the city's fall destroyed with the impious?
Only in this way: when the righteous leave the city of the devil, that is, luxurious and impious life. If one of them wished to remain and surrender to the lusts of Babylon, he would undoubtedly share in its sins.
When Scripture often says, "Come out," do not understand it in a bodily sense, but spiritually. To come out of Babylon means to renounce an evil way of life.
For in one house, in one church, and in one city, Babylon and Jerusalem exist together. Yet as long as the righteous do not consent to the evil, and the evil are not changed into the righteous, Jerusalem is recognized in the righteous and Babylon in the evil.
They live together in the body, but they are greatly separated in heart. The life of evil men is always on the earth, because they love the earth and set all their hope and desire of soul upon the earth.
But the mind of the righteous, according to the Apostle, is always in heaven, for they set their mind on things above (cf. Col 3:2).
When the angels of God seized the city of the Sodomites and then inflicted punishment on its inhabitants and the neighboring cities, or rather when the Son of God and the Holy Spirit appeared there, as St Cyril thought, they spoke to holy Lot.
For the Father judges no one, according to what is written, but has given all judgment to the Son (Jn 5:22). It is also clear that the Life-giving Spirit is present with Him by nature and essence.
Then they said to holy Lot: "Save your life. Do not look back, and do not stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed" (Gen 19:17).
The book of Revelation now teaches us this same thing. Since in so great and populous a city as Rome there is not one righteous man, and no servants of Christ were found in it, it is said to them: "Come out of her, My people."
"Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins and lest you receive her plagues." To take part in sins means to be a sharer in retribution, for retribution comes because of the first things.
"For her sins have reached to heaven." It is as if it says that they have defiled the surrounding air with sins. Therefore it is said that God was longsuffering, but now He will execute vengeance.
From what the heavenly voice said, this was heard: "whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom 8:29), and "the Lord knows those who are His" (2 Tim 2:19), or something similar.
Then follows: "Come out of her, My people, lest you take part in her sins." Concerning this place, I think the first coming is meant.
During it, until the end of the world, the good allow the impious to be mixed with them. Thus the impious should not think that the good must be abandoned because of them, or that they must follow a false counterfeit.
For the prophecy was fulfilled in this way: "Come out from among them and touch nothing unclean" (2 Cor 6:17). Then righteousness forever ceased to be mixed with sin, not by bodily separation, but by the full and perfect difference of will.
It is written in the sacred historical writings of the Lord's word: "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean" (2 Cor 6:17).
This "come out from here" does not oblige only bodily removal and separation. It requires the withdrawal and flight of mind and heart from the evil and lawless.
This is precisely what the voice heard by the Evangelist means. It is as if it said: "Let My faithful people, called and chosen by Jesus Christ, go out and be far from the quarrels, slanders, and calumny of pagan life. Let them be separated from it."
So righteous Lot, by God's command, came out of Sodom. He did not remain in the low and level place, but ascended the mountain near the city of Zoar. Thus he was delivered from the wrath of God that fell upon the adulterers.
So He also sees us faithful ones, who have gone out in mind and heart from likeness to the evil. We must not abide in fleshly pleasures, nor stand in the way of sinners.
Rather, we must soar and rise to the height of works pleasing to God. Then we shall not appear guilty of sins, nor undergo the punishment of sinners by being encompassed by sins.
We shall be delivered from the wounds that come upon them, because their sins have multiplied and risen on high, provoking the wrath of the Most High God against those who commit them.
These words contain a call to believing people to avoid in every way common dwelling and association with lawless men (cf. the history of Lot, Gen 19:17).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 28 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS