The description the great city
had of course already been used various times of Babylon from the mouths of kings, merchants, and mariners (Revelation 18:10, Revelation 18:16, Revelation 18:18–19). With the term they gave expression to their appreciation for Babylon, how influential the city was for their own sense of what was important in life. Now the mighty angel borrows their language not to express agreement with it but to express that what is great and significant in their eyes is disposable and repulsive in God’s eyes. In fact, this “great” city is already “fallen” (Revelation 18:2) so that in fact she is “great” no more.
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more;