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This chapter talks of the fall of Babylon. It isn’t clear to me what Babylon represents. Whatever it is, it is described as making the nations rich, committing sexual immorality with them and of shedding blood, especially the blood of the saints. It talks of how the mains will mourn for Babylon after her judgement but that the saints will rejoice.

\(^{11}\)And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their \(^{12}\)cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, \(^{13}\)cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.

Throughout the New Testament the poor and lowly are shown dignity and respect by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles. It’s very noticeable how at the end of this long list of articles being traded John lists slaves, but doesn’t just let them sound like the other articles but drops in the comment that they are human souls. The phrase could equally be applied to anyone, it implies an injustice, an unfairness, a trampling of people created in the image of God.