Babylon has fallen; and the world, represented by three classes of its inhabitants--kings, merchants, and sailors--has poured out its lamentations over her fall. Very different are the feelings of the good, and these feelings appear in the narrative before us. _A great multitude_ is heard _in heaven_, not necessarily in the region beyond the grave, but in that of the righteous, of the unworldly, of the spiritual, whether in time or in eternity. This "multitude" is probably to be identified with that of chap. vii. 9. The definite article, which would render the identification complete, is indeed wanting; but we have already found instances of the same method of speech with regard to the one hundred and forty and four thousand of chap. xiv. 1, and with regard to the glassy sea of chap. xv. 2. The whole ransomed Church of God is therefore included in the expression. They sing first; and the burden of their song is _Hallelujah_, or Praise to God, because He has inflicted upon the harlot the due punishment of her sins and crimes. Nor do they sing only once; they sing the same ascription of praise _a second time_. The meaning is not simply that they do this twice, the "second time" having more than its numerical force, and being designed to bring out the intensity of their feelings and their song.[500] Then the four-and-twenty elders, the representatives of the glorified Church, and the four living creatures, the representatives of redeemed creation, answer, _Amen_, and take up the same song: _Hallelujah_. All creation, animate and inanimate, swells the voice of joy and praise. Meanwhile the _smoke of the harlot's torment goeth up for ever and ever_. Again, as once before,[501] we have here no right to fasten our thoughts upon immortal spirits of men deceived and led astray. Such may be included. If they have identified themselves with the harlot, we need not hesitate to say that they are induced. But what is mainly brought under our notice is the overthrow, complete and final, of sin itself. Babylon has been utterly overthrown, and her punishment shall never be forgotten. Her fate shall remain a monument of the righteous judgment of God, and shall illustrate unto the ages of the ages the character of Him who, for creation's sake, will "by no means clear the guilty."[502] A voice from heaven is then heard calling upon all the servants of God to praise Him; and this is followed by another voice, _as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Hallelujah: for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigneth_. He always indeed really reigned, but now He has taken to Himself His great power, and everything acknowledges its King.