Why will God's wrath on Babylon be so tremendous?
God's wrath is tremendous because Babylon's world system persecuted, martyred, and murdered God's people for centuries. Revelation 18:24 says in her was found the blood of prophets, saints, and all slain on earth. Her sorceries—Greek pharmakia, meaning drugs—also deceived all nations.
Les explains that Revelation 18 gives multiple reasons God's wrath against Babylon is so tremendous. In verses 22–23 the city's cultural and commercial life is silenced: harpers, musicians, pipers, trumpeters, craftsmen, the millstone, candlelight, and the voices of bridegroom and bride are all gone. The merchants who were the great men of the earth were deceived by her sorceries. Les points out that "sorceries" is the Greek word pharmakia, which refers to drugs, so the tribulation will include a tremendous drug culture that deceives all nations. Then verse 24 supplies another reason: this world system, going back some 2,000 years and even 2,600 years to the empire of Babylon, has persecuted, martyred, and murdered God's people. In her was found the blood of prophets, New Testament saints, and all who were slain upon the earth.
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.