MADE DRUNK; THE VOICE SHALL BE HEARD NO MORE (REVELATION)

(4)   The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of adulteries;
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of fornication.

REV 17:2... (4)   The inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of adulteries;
"Wine of her fornication": The harlot's influence will extend beyond the world's rulers to the rest of mankind (compare verse 15; 13:8, 13:14). The imagery does not describe actual wine and sexual sin, but pictures the world's people being swept up into the intoxication and sin of a false system of religion.
The same way a drunken person naturally has no earthly idea what he is doing, this apostate group is so carried away with the world that they, too, do not realize the terribleness of what they are doing.  

"the inhabitants of the earth," who are represented as having been "made drunk with the wine of fornication."

 Here were allurements suited to sensual and worldly minds. Prosperity, pomp, and splendour, feed the pride and lusts of the human heart...
... and seduced others to join abominations.

That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank ... wine; Therefore the nations are deranged” (Jer. Jer. 51:7). It was her who first made them drunk, but in their consistent rejection and their drunken stupor they returned for more which allowed her to continue serving up.

made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of fornication” 
“They have been made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” The wine refers to the demonic doctrines, ideologies and concepts produced by this religious/political alliance.
In our day the worship of the queen of heaven is still present (a new face for an old concept) namely, one-world order through social reform and the mysticism of the New Age movement. This has to do with becoming like gods through New Age mysticism. So all racial distinctions, religious distinctions, and social distinctions must be removed. Everyone must learn to get along. Social reform and unification will be promoted as the greatest need.

“Drunkenness” in any form is an escape mechanism and the result of negative volition, indifference, apathy, and rejection. Because of the great negative volition that will exist at the time of the Tribulation, the world will be ripe for the wine of the harlot’s system. Lutzer and DeVries give us an excellent overview of the nature of this intoxicating wine.
“Having a golden cup” refers to an enticing manner of alluring men and nations. She invites men to drink of her deadly and stupefying wine by offering it in a golden cup, while arrayed in all her splendor.

those that dwell on the earth have lost their senses through pernicious and inebriating influence.  

and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine
of her fornication;
that is, the earthly minded men, mere carnal persons, have been drawn into idolatrous practices by the allurements of the Catholic Church, such as [···] pleasures, [···] whereby they have been intoxicated as men with wine, and have been filled with a blind zeal for that church, and the false doctrines and worship of it, and with madness and fury against the true professors of religion.

Were made drunken (emethusthhsan). First aorist passive indicative of methusko, old verb (from methu), as in Luke 12:45 , here only in the Apocalypse. Cf. Isaiah 51:7 and pepotiken in Revelation 14:8 . See Revelation 18:3 . 

Were drunken with the wine of fornication. The nations have received spirit and partaken of sins.

Have been made drunk with the wine of fornication - No wine can more thoroughly intoxicate those who drink it, than false zeal does the followers. 


On Rev 18:22 on the death of profane entertainment: to be posted aside
22. pipers--flute players. "Musicians," painters and sculptors, have desecrated their art to lend fascination to the sensuous worship of corrupt Christendom.
(1) No more music and entertainers (vs. 22a). The commercial and business world often seeks escape in the jive and jazz, the rock and roll of its music world in the various places of night entertainment. Consider the hotels, motels, bars, lounges, and other establishments where music is provided for the commercial world and its participants.
 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all;
There shall be no more mirth or joy; but heavy and lamentable things,
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers and
trumpeters
Which were for mirth, delight, and pleasure:
shall be heard no more at all in thee:
the words seem to be taken from ( Isaiah 24:8 ) ( Ezekiel 26:13 ) and may not only regard the loss of every thing that was delightful and pleasant to the ear in private houses, at festivals, and nuptials, and the like, but the ceasing of church music; there will be no more bells, nor organs, or any other instruments of music; no more chanters, and sub-chanters, choristers, singing men and boys:
And the voice of harpers. It is this third angel who declares the silence and desolation now.
And the voice of harpers - Players on stringed instruments. And musicians - Skilful singers in particular.And pipers - Who played on flutes, chiefly on mournful, whereas trumpeters played on joyful, occasions. Shall be heard no more; and no artificer - Arts of every kind, particularly music, sculpture, painting, and statuary, were there carried to their greatest height. (Not only) the arts that adorn life will cease forever.
The voice of harpers - Music was the entertainment of the rich and great;  
The voice (pone). Cf. Ezekiel 26:13 . Or "sound" as in 1 Corinthians 14:8 with salpigx (trumpet). For this song of judgment see Jeremiah 25:10 . Of harpers (kitharoidon). Old word (from kithara, harp, and oido, singer) as in Revelation 14:2 . Of minstrels (mousikon). Old word (from mousa, music), here only in N.T., one playing on musical instruments. Of flute-players (auleton). Old word (from auleo, to play on a flute, Matthew 11:17 , aulo, flute, 1 Corinthians 14:7 ), in N.T. only here and Matthew 9:23 . Of trumpeters (salpiston). Late form for the earlier salpigkth (from salpizw), here only in N.T. Shall be heard no more at all (ou me akousthe).
Isaiah 24:8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth
Or of drums, and such like musical instruments, used at junketings and jovial feasts. So the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more therein, ( Revelation 18:22 ) : the noise of them that rejoice endeth;
the tumultuous noise of revelling persons at feasts and banquets, at marriages, and such like seasons; and so it is said, that  the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all therein, or the joy expressed on such occasions by their friends and companions, ( Revelation 18:23 ) : the joy of the harp ceaseth;
an instrument of music used on joyful occasions; the voice of harpers is particularly mentioned in ( Revelation 18:22 ) .
.(2.) Music: The mirth of tabrets ceases, and the joy of the harp, which used to be at their feasts, ch. 5:12 .  All joy is darkened; there is not a pleasant look to be seen, nor has any one power to force a smile; all the mirth of the land is gone (v. 11); and, if it was that mirth which Solomon calls madness, there is no great loss of it.

Isaiah 24:8
8 The joyful timbrels are stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. 

24:8	Tabrets - Which they used in their feasts. The noise - The word properly signifies a confused clamour, such as drunken men make.

 Verb used by John in REV 17 for the inhabitants of the earth:
εμεθυσθησαν (emethystesan)  verb - aorist passive indicative - third person
methuo  meth-oo'-o:  to drink to intoxication, i.e. get drunk -- drink well, make (be) drunk(-en).
The word used in REV is emethysthēsan

ἐμεθύσθησαν

have been made drunk Thrice he gave it to him, and thrice he drank, not knowing what it was, and how it would work within his brain. And as he spoke he fell back in a drunken sleep.