Revelation 18:5-6
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)
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It's easy to read "sins have reached unto heaven" as simply meaning "sins are very bad." But the original Greek word actually carries the sense of sins "clinging" or "sticking" to heaven, implying they've become so numerous and persistent that they've attached themselves to God's very presence, demanding His attention and judgment. This isn't just a high count of transgressions; it's a clinging, persistent defiance that God can no longer overlook.
The text describes a divine declaration that the sins of "Babylon" (representing a corrupt, worldly system) have reached their absolute limit. This isn't just about a lot of sins, but about them becoming so prominent and offensive that they have drawn God's full attention. God, who has been patiently observing, is now acting because these accumulated iniquities have reached a point of no return, triggering His judgment.
What does it mean for sins to 'reach unto heaven'? It's more than just a big number – it's a picture of profound rebellion.
The phrase 'her sins have reached unto heaven' is a powerful image from Scripture. It doesn't mean sins literally pile up physically high enough to touch the sky.
A Cry for Justice
Instead, it signifies that the sins have become so numerous, so persistent, and so heinous that they have attracted God's full attention and cry out for divine judgment. Think of it like a loud, continuous alarm that even God cannot ignore. It’s a sign that rebellion against God has reached its absolute limit.
God's Awareness
This also speaks to God's perfect knowledge. He sees everything. Even when it seems like wickedness is unchecked and ignored, God is fully aware. The sins have 'followed' or 'cleaved' to the city, becoming an inseparable part of its identity in God's eyes, demanding a response.
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Does God forget our sins? Sometimes it feels like it. But 'remembering' in this context means something far more significant.
The verse continues, 'and God has remembered her iniquities.' This isn't about God having a bad memory. Far from it!
The Memory of Justice
When God 'remembers' iniquities in this context, it means He is bringing them to account. It's the prelude to judgment. While His remembrance can also lead to forgiveness (think of how He forgets our sins when we repent), here it signifies the culmination of sin and the beginning of consequence.
Longsuffering's End
This 'remembrance' highlights God's incredible patience. He doesn't rush to judgment. He allows sin to accumulate, giving ample opportunity for repentance. But when that opportunity passes, His remembrance seals the fate of the unrepentant.
Understand the original words
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 verse's powerful imagery of sins 'reaching to heaven' and God 'remembering iniquities' echoes the prophetic warnings against powerful, corrupt empires like Babylon and the repeated judgments that fell upon Jerusalem for its unfaithfulness. This language speaks of sins so profound and persistent that they inevitably draw God's attention and righteous wrath, culminating in a judgment that is both inevitable and divinely ordained.
c. 1350 BC
Height of Egyptian Empire
During this era, the Egyptian Empire exerted significant influence, often clashing with Near Eastern powers. This context helps understand the imperial backdrop against which prophetic visions of judgment on powerful, oppressive entities might emerge.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria to Assyria
The Northern Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event marked a significant divine judgment on a nation that had turned away from God.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Judah and deported a significant portion of its elite, including Daniel. This began a period of Babylonian dominance and judgment upon Jerusalem.
587/586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, initiating the Babylonian exile for the remaining Judeans. This was a catastrophic judgment for national sin.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
The mighty Babylonian empire, which had judged Judah, was itself conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great. This illustrates the cyclical nature of divine judgment on powerful, unrighteous empires.
c. AD 30-33
Crucifixion of Jesus
The pivotal event of Christian faith, seen as the ultimate act of God's judgment on sin and His demonstration of love. The destruction of 'Babylon' is understood in light of this ultimate sacrifice and future consummation.
c. AD 70— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and its Second Temple, a devastating judgment seen by many early Christians as a consequence of Israel's rejection of Christ. This event often informs apocalyptic imagery of judgment.
This passage similarly describes the outcry of sin reaching God's ears, highlighting the divine awareness and impending judgment of wickedness, just as Revelation 18:5 speaks of sins reaching heaven.
Jeremiah 51:9The prophet Jeremiah uses similar imagery when describing Babylon's judgment, stating that its judgment 'reaches to heaven,' directly paralleling the idea of accumulated sin and impending divine retribution found in Revelation 18:5.
Luke 11:4Jesus' model prayer includes the petition 'forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us,' which contrasts with God 'remembering iniquities' in Revelation 18:5, showing how divine remembrance can lead to judgment for the unrepentant.
Psalm 7:16This Psalm speaks of the wicked digging a pit and falling into it themselves, illustrating a principle that the judgment for accumulated sin, as described in Revelation 18:5, often recoils upon the perpetrators.
barnesRevelation 18:5: "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
For her sins have reached unto heaven - So in Jeremiah 51:9 , speaking of Babylon, it is said, "For her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies." The meaning is not that the sins of this mystical Babylon were like a mass or pile so high as to reach to heaven, but that it had become so prominent as to attract the attention of God. Compare Genesis 4:10 , "The voice of thy br…
ellicottRevelation 18:5: "For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."
(5) For her sins have reached . . . —Better, For her sins have reached as far as heaven. The idea is of a great heap firmly fastened, and towering, like another Babel, as far as heaven. (Comp. 2Chronicles 28:9 , and Ezra 9:6 .) The idea is more than that of the cry of sin reaching heaven, as in the case of Sodom ( Genesis 18:20-21 ); the sins themselves, many and imperial, have touched the face of…
It's easy to read "sins have reached unto heaven" as simply meaning "sins are very bad." But the original Greek word actually carries the sense of sins "clinging" or "sticking" to heaven, implying they've become so numerous and persistent that they've attached themselves to God's very presence, demanding His attention and judgment. This isn't just a high count of transgressions; it's a clinging, persistent defiance that God can no longer overlook.
The text describes a divine declaration that the sins of "Babylon" (representing a corrupt, worldly system) have reached their absolute limit. This isn't just about a lot of sins, but about them becoming so prominent and offensive that they have drawn God's full attention. God, who has been patiently observing, is now acting because these accumulated iniquities have reached a point of no return, triggering His judgment.
The text describes a divine declaration that the sins of "Babylon" (representing a corrupt, worldly system) have reached their absolute limit. This isn't just about a lot of sins, but about them becoming so prominent and offensive that they have drawn God's full attention. God, who has been patiently observing, is now acting because these accumulated iniquities have reached a point of no return, triggering His judgment.
"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." — It's easy to read "sins have reached unto heaven" as simply meaning "sins are very bad." But the original Greek word actually carries the sense of sins "clinging" or "sticking" to heaven, implying th…
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