The leaders of the world will mourn when the commercial Babylon of the last days is destroyed. They originally put their trust in the false religious system of the end times, but eventually even an empty religion got in the way of their lust for power and wealth. They rejoiced at the overthrow of the false church, but they will grieve deeply the loss of the booming economy of the last days.
"When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her." (Revelation 18:9) These kings are said to have "committed adultery" with the commercial system of the last days because they rejected the living God in favor of luxury, wealth, prestige, and power. They were unfaithful to their Creator. They lived in idolatry, favoring lies over the truth and favoring wealth over righteousness.
It's hard to say whether "the smoke of her burning" is a literal or a symbolic fire, but the fact that people must stand at a distance from the capital city of the Antichrist suggests that the city is actually on fire. We don't know what will cause the city to burn. Some scholars propose that a nuclear weapon strikes it. Others think that a natural disaster occurs. There could be a gas leak and an explosion, with fire spreading rapidly from structure to structure. The fire might even be purposely set by enemies of the Antichrist. These enemies wouldn't have to be Christians and probably aren't since setting fire to a city is not Christlike. But a group of malcontents who are unhappy with the direction the Antichrist's government is going might set the fire. A nation with terrorist leanings may cause the fire by setting off bombs or even using planes as bombs as they did on 9/11. We could speculate for a long time about the cause of the citywide fire, but what we need to keep in mind is that this fire is being used by God as judgment on the political capital of the world in the last days. "Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: 'Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!'" (Revelation 18:10) The calamity is sudden and shocking and unexpected. The citizens of the city will be going about their business as usual right before catastrophe strikes.
"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore---cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves." (Revelation 18:11-13) The items on this list are mostly luxuries. These items tell us that many citizens of the world are living lives of comfort and excess. Some of the items indicate cruelty and a lack of respect for the dignity of life, such as ivory poaching and human trafficking. Ivory poaching has endangered the very existence of elephants as a species. Human trafficking is on the rise. In my state of Tennessee, human trafficking is now the second most prevalent crime. In the Antichrist's economy, human trafficking will reach an all time high.
"They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: 'Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!'" (Revelation 18:14-17a) The merchants don't weep in sorrow and repentance over their sins. They weep over the loss of their wealth. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded us to store up our treasures in heaven where they will be safe forever (Matthew 6:19-21), but these merchants stored up their treasures on the earth and now are suffering the loss of these treasures. Still this doesn't compel them to turn from idolatry and greed. Still they don't bow their knees and their hearts to the living God.
"Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: 'Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich from her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!'" (Revelation 18:17b-19) The "city" of Revelation 18 is both the literal capital city of the Antichrist and a symbol of the entire commercial system and economy of the last days. The collapse of the capital is also the collapse of the economy. The stock market crashes. All trade agreements fall apart. Even the wealthiest and most influential people of the world will no longer be able to purchase the luxuries they're accustomed to having.
The fall of the capital and the economy is a direct judgment from God. It's a judgment on idolatry. It's a judgment on greed. It's a judgment on cruelty. The angels, along with the saints of God from every period of history, rejoice when God's judgment falls on the most sinful era and the most unholy government of all time. "Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you." (Revelation 18:20) Ever since God first placed human beings on the earth, Satan has been at work trying to turn human beings away from God. Many people have fallen for his lies. Many people have not only fallen for his lies, but they've persecuted those who were faithful to God. The destruction of the Babylon of the end times is proof that God is going to judge all wickedness. A day is coming in which everyone who has committed adultery against God will have to answer for their idolatry. A day is coming in which everyone who has shunned, slandered, or persecuted believers will stand trial for their crimes. The heavens rejoice when they see the fall of Babylon because the final day of judgment is near. The people of God rejoice because God is about to avenge those who belong to Him. He is a promise-keeping God, and one of His promises is this: "It is Mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." (Deuteronomy 32:35)
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