Revelation 18:5-6
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The word translated "reached" here can also mean "clung" or "stuck fast," suggesting her sins weren't just numerous, but a persistent, clinging mass that God couldn't ignore. This isn't just about quantity, but about how deeply corruption can embed itself until it demands divine attention.
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)
This verse is part of a powerful announcement of judgment against a corrupt, symbolic city referred to as "Babylon." An angel from heaven declares that her sins have reached the highest levels of offense, and God has now taken notice, remembering all her wicked deeds. This declaration immediately precedes the call for God's people to come out of her, lest they share in her impending plagues and destruction.
Ever feel like some things just keep piling up? The Bible uses vivid imagery to describe the immense weight of sin.
The phrase "sins have reached unto heaven" isn't just poetic hyperbole. It signifies that the sins of this place, called mystical Babylon, have become so numerous and so flagrant that they've attracted God's direct attention. Think of it like a mountain of sin, piled higher and higher, day after day, until it's impossible for God to ignore. It's a picture of accumulated evil, reaching a point where divine judgment is not just possible, but imminent.
Sometimes God seems to overlook sin. But that's not the whole story. What does it mean when God 'remembers' iniquity?
When the verse states, "God has remembered her iniquities," it implies that God, in His perfect justice and patience, had been allowing these sins to accumulate without immediate retribution. His 'remembrance' is not like our forgetful remembrance; it's a deliberate turning of His attention to fully acknowledge and prepare to deal with those sins. It signifies that His long-suffering has reached its limit, and He is now set to act upon the accumulated injustice. It's the moment before judgment falls, when the scales of justice are about to tip.
Understand the original words
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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 imagery of sins 'reaching to heaven' and God 'remembering' iniquities echoes prophetic condemnations of ancient empires like Babylon and Jerusalem when they reached the pinnacle of their corruption and judgment was imminent.
c. 587 BC
Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon
The Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar II, conquer Jerusalem and destroy the Temple. This event marked a devastating blow to Judah and led to the Babylonian exile, a period where many Israelites were forcibly relocated to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This marked a significant shift in regional power and eventually led to the return of many Jewish exiles to Jerusalem.
c. 1st Century AD
Roman Empire at its Height
During the time of the Roman Empire, cities like Rome and others within the empire engaged in extensive trade and political machinations, often characterized by exploitation and spiritual compromise.
c. 70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Roman legions under Titus brutally sack Jerusalem and destroy the Second Temple. This event represented a catastrophic loss for Judaism and a major turning point in Jewish history.
c. 95 AD— this verse
Revelation Written
The Book of Revelation is believed to have been written by the Apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos, near the end of the 1st century AD. It addresses a specific audience facing persecution under the Roman Empire.
This passage parallels the idea of sins or wrongdoings reaching God's attention, as Abel's blood cries out from the ground to God, similar to how the sins of Babylon are so prominent they reach heaven.
Jeremiah 51:9This verse speaks of Babylon's judgment reaching heaven, echoing Revelation's description of her sins reaching heaven, highlighting a consistent theme of divine reckoning for this ancient city and its symbolic representation.
Luke 15:15While a different context, the idea of 'sinking down' or becoming utterly destitute mirrors the ultimate collapse that awaits a city whose sins have 'reached' such a height, implying a complete fall.
2 Peter 3:9This passage speaks to God's patience and willingness to forgive, contrasting with Revelation 18:5 where God 'remembers' iniquities, showing the consequence of prolonged rebellion when mercy is finally set aside.
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…
The word translated "reached" here can also mean "clung" or "stuck fast," suggesting her sins weren't just numerous, but a persistent, clinging mass that God couldn't ignore. This isn't just about quantity, but about how deeply corruption can embed itself until it demands divine attention.
This verse is part of a powerful announcement of judgment against a corrupt, symbolic city referred to as "Babylon." An angel from heaven declares that her sins have reached the highest levels of offense, and God has now taken notice, remembering all her wicked deeds. This declaration immediately precedes the call for God's people to come out of her, lest they share in her impending plagues and destruction.
This verse is part of a powerful announcement of judgment against a corrupt, symbolic city referred to as "Babylon." An angel from heaven declares that her sins have reached the highest levels of offense, and God has now taken notice, remembering all her wicked deeds. This declaration immediately precedes the call for God's people to come out of her, lest they share in her impending plagues and destruction.
"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." — The word translated "reached" here can also mean "clung" or "stuck fast," suggesting her sins weren't just numerous, but a persistent, clinging mass that God couldn't ignore. This isn't just about qu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
