Translation
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone as large as a millstone,
and cast it into
the sea, saying, “With such violent force the great city,
BABYLON,
Go to footnote numberwill be cast down, and it shall not be found any longer.
Paraphrase
Then a mighty angel picked up a stone weighing far more than a human can lift, and heaved it into the place of death, saying, “With such superhuman force the great center of power and prestige, called CONFUSION, and called the GATEWAY OF THE GODS, will be brought to ruin, and will never revive.
Footnotes
1
Revelation’s references to Babylon are all symbolic, based on that city’s history as an enemy of God’s people. Today people read in the passage above about Babylon never being rebuilt and they assume it is talking about the physical city called Babylon. Saddam Hussain had everyone up in arms by his efforts to rebuild the actual city of Babylon. By focusing on the physical city they are missing all the richness and the power of the message conveyed by the imagery, namely that Babylon represents seductive influences which God will one day eliminate completely.