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These are the seven kings who have co-reigned with the Antichrist and submitted their authority to the Antichrist, the king of Babylon. Whatever power or authority they held, was held by the grace of Babylon. Seeing their authority waning with Babylon's destruction, they will lament the swiftness of the judgment. They will be able to see the smoke of Babylon afar off, for they will see it from the Valley of Jezreel in Israel.1
We believe the distinction between The Great Harlot and the city to be arbitrary and that the text identifies the Harlot as the city. See One or Two Babylons?. Since Scripture records that the city will be hated and made desolate by the Beast and his kings (Rev. [[17:16-18|bible.87.17.16-87.17.18]]+), the kings who bemoan her destruction are not those allied with the beast, but other kings of the earth which Scripture mentions at the time of the end (Rev. [[16:12-14|bible.87.16.12-87.16.14]]+; [[17:2|bible.87.17.2]]+; [[18:3|bible.87.18.3]]+, [[7|bible.87.18.7]]+; [[19:18-19|bible.87.19.18-87.19.19]]+).2We have before noted that "the ten kings" are never seen apart from the Beast; and "the kings of the earth" are never seen apart from Babylon. It is the former who hate and burn Babylon; it is the latter who weep and wail over her. In both chapters (Rev. [[17|bible.87.17.1]]+ and [[18|bible.87.18.1]]+) the city is called "Babylon the great." God and man both so call her. This great city cannot be separated from her own corrupt religion. They must be connected together, just as chapters [[17|bible.87.17.1]]+ and [[18|bible.87.18.1]]+ are connected; and yet distinguished as they are there distinguished.3
See commentary on Revelation 17:16.when they see the smoke of her burningNotes
1 Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Footsteps of Messiah, rev ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 2003), 331.
2 Morris holds to the two-destructions view: "The kings of the earth had burned Mystery Babylon, the harlot religious system, with fire, but these same kings mourn the burning of commercial Babylon (Rev. [[17:16|bible.87.17.16]]+; [[18:9|bible.87.18.9]]+), so obviously these are not the same burnings." -- Henry Morris, The Revelation Record (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1983), Rev. 18:8. His premise is incorrect. It is not the kings of the earth who destroy the harlot, but the ten kings with the Beast (Rev. [[17:16|bible.87.17.16]]+). Therefore, the mourning of the kings of the earth over the destruction of Babylon does not provide evidence for a different destruction of the city subsequent to that of the Harlot.
3 E. W. Bullinger, Commentary On Revelation (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1984, 1935), Rev. 18:9.
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