Bible Strands
Revelation 18:21
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — A mighty angel acts in response to the heavenly call to rejoice over God’s judgment against Babylon. The angel lifts a massive stone and casts it into the sea as a visible sign of the city’s irreversible destruction.
The words — ἦρεν (ēren) translates literally to "took up," and λίθον (lithon) means "stone." The angel physically handles this specific object to perform the prophetic gesture.
The thread — This action mirrors Jeremiah 51:63, where a stone is tied to a scroll and cast into the Euphrates to seal Babylon’s fate, and fulfills Ezekiel 26:21’s declaration that the judged city will become an object of horror never to be found.
Why it lands — The text establishes that divine judgment against Babylon operates with absolute finality. Readers must acknowledge the certainty of her downfall rather than anticipate restoration.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 51:63 When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and cast it into the Euphrates.
- Ezekiel 26:21 I will make you an object of horror, and you will be no more. You will be sought, but will never be found,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
- Revelation 5:2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”
- Job 20:8 He will fly away like a dream, never to be found; he will be chased away like a vision in the night.
- Daniel 11:19 After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he will stumble and fall and be no more.
- Revelation 12:8 But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.
- Revelation 16:20 Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.
- Revelation 18:22 And the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will never ring out in you again. Nor will any craftsmen of any trade be found in you again, nor the sound of a millstone be heard in you again.
- Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
- Exodus 15:5 The depths have covered them; they sank there like a stone.