Revelation 18:4-6
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The call to "come out" isn't just about physically leaving a place, but fundamentally about severing fellowship with its sins, because participation in sin inevitably leads to sharing in its judgment. This highlights that staying is not neutral; it implies complicity and sets one up to receive the same ruin.
Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this, an angel announces the impending judgment on "Babylon," a symbolic representation of a corrupt, oppressive system. Now, a new voice from heaven, likely God's or Christ's, issues a direct, urgent plea to "my people" still caught within this system. The warning is stark: separate yourselves from this place of sin and spiritual corruption, lest you share in its impending destruction.
God’s people are in danger, not just from persecution, but from complicity. A voice rings out, calling them to step away from something deeply ingrained.
This verse isn't just about escaping a physical place; it's a profound call to spiritual separation. The 'her' refers to a system of sin and corruption – often identified with 'Babylon' in Revelation, representing worldly systems opposed to God.
Why Separate?
This call echoes throughout Scripture, urging believers to distinguish themselves from the world’s corrupting influences.
Who is this voice calling out? And why does it identify those within this corrupt system as 'my people'?
The phrase 'my people' is incredibly significant. It reveals God's intimate knowledge and deep affection, even for those caught within corrupt systems.
A Covenantal Identity
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Understand the original words
hamartia · Greek Noun
Missing the mark of God's standard; an act of rebellion or disobedience against the holy will of God.
plēgē · Greek Noun
Divine judgments or calamities sent upon the wicked; they function as signs of God's wrath against sin.
adikēma · Greek Noun
Lack of righteousness; lawlessness or injustice; violations of God's moral law.
apodidomi · Greek Verb
To render a return for actions done, often in the context of divine justice or retribution. In scripture, it signifies the principle that one reaps what one sows under the governance of a righteous God.
poterion · Greek Noun
A metaphor used throughout Scripture to represent a portion of divine wrath or judgment, which must be consumed or experienced by the recipient. It conveys the idea of an inescapable consequence administered by God.
The command to 'come out of her, my people' echoes ancient calls for God's people to separate from corrupt societies like Babylon and Jerusalem, highlighting a consistent theme of divine grace offering rescue from impending judgment.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar begins the Babylonian conquest of Judah, deporting some of the Jewish nobility, including Daniel. This event marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile, a period of captivity and spiritual testing for God's people.
539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The Medo-Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. This event ushers in a new era and eventually leads to the decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
c. 500 BC - c. 450 BC
Post-Exilic Reforms
Following their return from exile, Ezra and Nehemiah lead efforts to re-establish religious and civic life in Jerusalem. This period sees a renewed emphasis on adherence to the Law and separation from foreign influences.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Deportation of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel is conquered by Assyria, and a significant portion of its population is deported. This event serves as an earlier example of God's people being scattered due to disobedience.
AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple in response to a Jewish revolt. This catastrophic event serves as a historical parallel to the judgment described in Revelation, emphasizing the consequences of rejecting God's will.
c. AD 95— this verse
John writes Revelation
The Apostle John is exiled to the island of Patmos, where he receives the visions that form the Book of Revelation. The book is addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor facing various trials and pressures from the surrounding culture.
This passage directly echoes the command to flee from Babylon and warns God's people not to be caught in its destruction, mirroring the core message of Revelation 18:4.
Genesis 19:12-13The story of Lot being urged to leave Sodom before its destruction highlights the urgency and necessity of separating from sinful places to escape divine judgment, paralleling the command in Revelation.
2 Corinthians 6:17This New Testament verse calls believers to 'come out from them and be separate' and 'touch no unclean thing,' reinforcing the spiritual separation from corrupting influences that Revelation 18:4 emphasizes.
Matthew 24:16Jesus' instruction for people in Judea to flee to the mountains when they see the abomination of desolation is a similar warning to escape impending judgment, showing a consistent divine pattern of calling people to safety.
Isaiah 48:20This Old Testament call for God's people to 'go forth from Babylon' and proclaim their freedom directly parallels the theme of escape and deliverance found in Revelation 18:4.
ellicottRevelation 18:4: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
(4-20) The voice out of heaven warns the faithful to leave her, and describes her fall. (4) Voice from heaven . . .—Read, Voice out of heaven, saying, Come forth out of her, my people, that ye partake not in her sins, and that of her plagues ye receive not. The voice is not said to be that of another angel. It is not necessar…
pulpitRevelation 18:4: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
Verse 4. - And I heard another voice from heaven, saying. Probably the voice of another angel in succession to the one mentioned in ver. 1. Another angel takes up the theme, because the message is now directly addressed to Christians. Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of…
The call to "come out" isn't just about physically leaving a place, but fundamentally about severing fellowship with its sins, because participation in sin inevitably leads to sharing in its judgment. This highlights that staying is not neutral; it implies complicity and sets one up to receive the same ruin.
Just before this, an angel announces the impending judgment on "Babylon," a symbolic representation of a corrupt, oppressive system. Now, a new voice from heaven, likely God's or Christ's, issues a direct, urgent plea to "my people" still caught within this system. The warning is stark: separate yourselves from this place of sin and spiritual corruption, lest you share in its impending destruction.
Just before this, an angel announces the impending judgment on "Babylon," a symbolic representation of a corrupt, oppressive system. Now, a new voice from heaven, likely God's or Christ's, issues a direct, urgent plea to "my people" still caught within this system. The warning is stark: separate yourselves from this place of sin and spiritual corruption, lest you share in its impending destruction.
"Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquiti…" — The call to "come out" isn't just about physically leaving a place, but fundamentally about severing fellowship with its sins, because participation in sin inevitably leads to sharing in its judgment…
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Last reviewed October 2026