Babylon destroyed by a millstone

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What is this millstone?

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Rev 18: 21

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

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Characteristics of the destruction

Starts with a great millstone cast into the sea

See scripture given above

Death mourning famine – verse 8

Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord God who judgeth her.

Burning and smoke – verse 9, 18

And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What [city is] like unto this great city!

Occurs in one hour – quick destruction – verses 10, 19

Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Although the stone is cast into the sea, only Babylon is destroyed.

Other cities mourn and fear at a distance. – verses 11, 17, 19

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any more:

For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

Destruction is violent – verse 21

And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast [it] into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

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Thoughts

A millstone is an inanimate object, and not flammable.

So a burning stone seems like a paradox.

Stones do not burn but this one seems to bring or create fire

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Perhaps the destruction causes things to explode, creating fire.

Or, the stone is an object that brings fire with it.

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Also the round shape of the stone is of interest.

A millstone also has a hole in it.

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Why a hole?

The bible could have just said a falling star or a rock, but why a round object with a hole in it?

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Using some imagination, I get images like these:

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Are these images of something to fall from the sky?

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This last image seems to be the closest to one of a millstone design. So what does it mean?

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So, I can understand a meteor, or debris from a large comet or passing space object,

but ….

what is this millstone, a round stone with a hole in it, which splashes into the sea, that directly targets and burns one city in the entire world, and leaves the others untouched.?

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Is this millstone just a metaphor?

Or is it an actual object the size of a city?

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Interestingly, the very next 2 verses indicate all the daily activity that will stop due to the destruction:

No harps, no music, no crafts, will be heard

No light will shine, no voices of bride and groom

And no sound of a millstone…….!

Revelation 18:22-23

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft [he be], shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

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The millstone is definitely a judgment that Jesus talked about.

It is a punishment for harming children:

Mark 9:42

And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

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Maybe the millstone that the angel uses is a real giant millstone, designed to cast the wicked Babylon into the sea.