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 the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: Revelation 18:10-12.

The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, Revelation 18:15.

The angel explains in the next verse who the merchants are, “…for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” Revelation 18:23

We can conclude that the merchants are great men of the earth who are sorcerer’s (people who practice sorcery; black magic; wizardry), and were made rich by selling their merchandise to the “great city Babylon”. 

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones…”  Revelation 18: 11-12.

Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God.  Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.  Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house. 1 Chronicles 29:1-3

Things prepared for the holy house of God.

Here’s a clue to who’s buying the merchandise: 

 “…But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Daniel 11:38.

 The false Christ (beast) will honor a god with gold, and silver and with precious stones and precious things.  Revelation 13:4 tells us who the god of forces is, “…And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”

Fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: …and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet… Revelation 18:11-12

“… wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet…”

Exodus 36:8  

 Curtains for the temple.

And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. Exodus 28:5-8  

Garments of the Temple Officiates of Ancient Israel.

And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework; Exodus 36:37

Hangings for the tabernacle.

Thyine Wood

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more…and all thyine wood, Revelation 18:11-12.

The “Thyine” wood was used for incense in primeval religious ceremonies, and thence received its name of thu-on, or “wood-of-sacrifice.”

Cinnamon, and odours, and ointments

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more…”…cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, Revelation 18:11-12.

Moreover the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,  And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:  And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.  And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, Exodus 30:22-26

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.  Leviticus 26:31.

 Frankincense, wine, oil, and fine flour

And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more…and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour…. Revelation 18:13.

Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices. 1 Chronicles 9:29  These are instruments used in the sanctuary.

And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.  And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.  And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the Lord.   Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.  And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute. Leviticus 24:5-9

….for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived Revelation 18:22.

So the merchants are the great men of the earth who are magicians and it appears they are made rich by selling items to the rebuilt third temple.

Jesus prophesied that the Pharisee’s that rejected him would accept another, the false Christ,

“I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive,” John 5:43.

Who are the Pharisee’s?  They were a Jewish sect who persecuted Jesus.  The Temple Institute is the organization planning and preparing to build the third temple. On their website it says, “…While the Pharisees could be considered the true guardians of authentic Judaism - for their influence has kept adherence to the true Biblical ways alive amongst the Jewish people to this very day...”

Pray for Israel to acknowledge and accept Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah.