Revelation 18:20

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, etc.] This is said by the voice from heaven, (<661804>Revelation 18:4) which having called upon the saints to come out of Babylon, and to take vengeance on her, now calls upon all good men to rejoice at her ruin, while others were weeping and wailing; not at that, simply considered, but as the justice of God is displayed therein: heaven may be literally understood, which sometimes is addressed when anything of very considerable note and moment is done or spoken of, whether it be something exceeding bad, as in (<230102>Isaiah 1:2 <240212>Jeremiah 2:12,13) or something exceeding great and good, as in (<199611>Psalm 96:1113) or else the inhabitants of heaven,…”

“holy apostles--So C reads. But A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS read, "Ye saints and ye apostles." avenged you on her--Greek, "judged your judgment on (literally, exacting it from) her." "There is more joy in heaven at the harlot's downfall than at that of the two beasts. For the most heinous of all sin is the sin of those who know God's word of grace, and keep it not. The worldliness of the Church is the most worldly of all worldliness. Hence, Babylon, in Revelation, has not only Israel's sins, but also the sins of the heathen; and John dwells longer on the abominations and judgments of the harlot than on those of the beast. The term 'harlot' describes the false Church's essential…”

“Rejoice over her - Over her ruin. There is a strong contrast between this language and what precedes. Kings, merchants, and seamen, who had been countenanced and sustained by her in the indulgence of corrupt passions, or who had been enriched by traffic with her, would have occasion to mourn. But not so they who had been persecuted by her. Not so the church of the redeemed. Not so heaven itself. The great oppressor of the church, and the corrupter of the world, was now destroyed; the grand hindrance to the spread of the gospel was now removed, and all the holy in heaven and on earth would have occasion to rejoice. This is not the language of vengeance, but it is the language of exultation…”

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven - That is, all the inhabitants of it; and more especially, ye saints; and among the saints still more eminently, ye apostles and prophets. Revelation 18:21”

“18:20 The laments (18:9-19) stimulate a call for heaven to rejoice. The people of God are not to grieve, because the judgment was for their sakes; they had suffered persecution from the evil forces represented by the great city.”

“Rejoice: Rev 19:1-3; Jdg 5:31; Psa 48:11, Psa 58:10, Psa 96:11-13, Psa 107:42, Psa 109:28; Pro 11:10; Isa 44:23, Isa 49:13; Jer 51:47, Jer 51:48 and ye: It is peculiarly worthy of remark, that the apostles, who are idolatrously honoured at Rome, and daily worshipped, should be specially mentioned as rejoicing in her fall; as if it "avenged them" on her, for the dishonour cast on their characters, while it vindicated the glory of God. Eph 2:20, Eph 3:5, Eph 4:11; Pe2 3:2; Jde 1:17 God: Rev 6:10, Rev 19:2; Deu 32:42; Psa 18:47, Psa 94:1; Isa 26:21; Luk 11:49, Luk 11:50, Luk 18:7, Luk 18:8 Revelation 18:21”