<p>18:15 <i>The merchants of these things who were made rich by her shall stand far away, for the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning- </i>This category are not consumed in her judgments; they have come out of her in response to flee Babylon <i>lest</i> they partake in &quot;her torment&quot;, just as Lot's wife did; and yet they are equally on her side, with her in spirit, just as materialistic, as Lot's wife was. Or, as suggested on :10, these merchants are those outside of the earth / land, the likes of Western European businessmen, who became wealthy by serving the huge demand for luxury goods which arises from the dominance of the beast. Perhaps the words of lament are as it were put in their mouths, so we realize the nature of Babylon's existence. In fact in Revelation we know little about the apocalyptic Babylon until we read the laments over her after she is destroyed. They are clearly not believers nor are they fully repentant; for their weeping over her fall contrasts with Heaven's rejoicing at it (:20).</p><p>We need to note that the same word for &quot;made rich&quot; is used in the opening letters for how there are some in the church of the last days who are likewise &quot;made rich&quot; and thereby turn away from Christ (3:17). Even true Christians will be caught up in the attraction of making quick bucks for the sake of a nominal acceptance of the beast system.</p>