Matthew Poole and continuators on Revelation 18:2

2 And he cried mightily, with a strong voice, saying , Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen , and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird .

Whoever was meant by the Angel, v. 1. whom Iohn saw his Business was to give warning to the whole World (therefore he crieth with a strong voice)

That Rome the great Cit[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] Mother of spiritual Harlots, should fall. This Angel was a Prophet, and the Messenger of him who calls the things that are not, as if they were; and therefore he speaks in a Divine Prophetick stile: the Prophets (ordinarily) speaking of things to come, as past, or present, to denote the certain futurity of them, and doubling their words to assure us of it; for this, is fallen, v. 21. is expounded by shall be thrown down. We read of this Angel, ch. 14.8. but it is ordinary with Prophets to repeat the same things, and it is done as to the Chaldean Babylon, the Type to this Antitype. Both Isaiah and Ieremiah declared in more than one Sermon its certain approaching ruine. These words are taken from Isa. 21.9. where the word fallen is doubled, as here. They are found also, Ier. 51.8. God here explaineth what he had said before, ch. 14.8.

The words are such as might signifie a sinfull Fall, or Apostacy; and what is here, is true of it in that sense; Idols in Scripture being ordinarily called Devils: but they seem rather to be understood of a Penal Fall, for such is that spoken of, Isa. 21.9. after which it should become an Habitation of Devils, and a Cage of unclean Birds. See the like spoken of literal Babylon, Isa. 13.19, 20, 21. wild Beasts, and hateful Birds usually frequenting desolate places.

That Rome the great Cit[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] Mother of spiritual Harlots, should fall. This Angel was a Prophet, and the Messenger of him who calls the things that are not, as if they were; and therefore he speaks in a Divine Prophetick stile: the Prophets (ordinarily) speaking of things to come, as past, or present, to denote the certain futurity of them, and doubling their words to assure us of it; for this, is fallen, v. 21. is expounded by shall be thrown down. We read of this Angel, ch. 14.8. but it is ordinary with Prophets to repeat the same things, and it is done as to the Chaldean Babylon, the Type to this Antitype. Both Isaiah and Ieremiah declared in more than one Sermon its certain approaching ruine. These words are taken from Isa. 21.9. where the word fallen is doubled, as here. They are found also, Ier. 51.8. God here explaineth what he had said before, ch. 14.8.

Marginal references: Isa. 34.14. Jer. 50.39. & 51.37.; Isa. 34.11.