One of the Four Beasts Presents CHAPTER XVI. ment-Greek," righteousnesses." 5. So ch. 11. 19; ef. ch. fire into the earth previous to the series of trumpets 16. 17. The tabernacle of the testimony" appropri- (ch. 8. 5). upon-So Coptic. But A, B, C, Valuate and ately here comes to view, where God's faithfulness in Syriac read," into." sure upon the men-antitype to the avenging His people with judgments on their foes is sixth Egyptian plague. "Noisome,”lit., evil cf. Deuabout to be set forth. We need to get a glimpse within teronomy, 28, 27, 35. The very same Greek word is used the Holy place to "understand" the secret spring and in the LXX. as here, Greek he kus. The reason why the the end of God's righteous dealings. betold-Omitted sixth Egyptian plague is the first here, is because it was by A, B, C. Syriac, and ANDREAS. It is supported directed against the Eyptian magicians, Jannes and only by Vulgate, Coptic, and PRIMASIUS, but no MS. Jambres, so that they could not stand before Moses: 6. having-So B reads. But A. C, read "who have:" not and so here the plague is sent upon those who in the that they had them yet cf. r. 71, but they are by anti-beast-worship had practised sorcery. As they subcipation described according to their office. linen-Somitted to the mark of the beast, so they must bear the Breads. But A, C, and Vulgate, "a stone." On the mark of the avenging God. Contrast ch. 7.3; Ezekiel principle that the harder reading is the one least likely 9. 4, 6. "Grievous," distressing to the sufferers. wen to be an interpolation, we should read, "a stone pure which had the mark of the beast-Therefore this first (and is omitted in A. B, C, and ANDREAS brilliant" (sovial is subsequent to the period of the beast's rule. the Greek: probably the diamond. With English Ver- 3. angel-So Band ANDREAS. But A. C, and Vulgate sion, cf. Acts, 1. 10; 10. 30. golden girdles-resembling omit it. upon-Greek, into." became as...blood-anthe Lord in this respect (ch. 1. 13). 7. one of the four swering to another Egyptian plague. of a dead manbeasts-Greek, "living creatures." The presentation of putrefying. living soul-So B and ANDREAS. But A. the vials to the angels by one of the living creatures, C, and Syriac, "soul of life" (cf. Genesis, 1. 30; 7. 21, imples the ministry of the church as the medium for 22). in the sea-So B and ANDREAS. But A, C, and manifesting to angels the glories of redemption Ephe- Syriac read, as respects, the things in the sea" A sians, 3. 10. vials-"bowls:" a broad shallow cup or (Exodus, 7. 20.) angel-So Syriac, Coptic and ANDREAS. bowl. The breadth of the vials in their upper part But A, B, C, and Vulgate omit it. 5. angel of the waters would tend to cause their contents to pour out all at -i.e., presiding over the waters. O Lord-Omitted by once, implying the overwhelming suddenness of the A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriae, Coptic and ANDREAS. and woes. full of...wrath-How sweetly do the vials full of shait be-A, B, C, Vulgate and ANDREAS for this clause odours, i.e., the incense-perfumed prayers of the saints, read, "(which art and wasti holy." The Lond is now contrast with these! 8 temple...hiled-Isaiah, 6. 4; cf. no longer He that shall come, for He is come in venExodus, 40, 34; 2 Chronicles, 5. 14, as to the earthly geance; and therefore the third of the three clauses tempie, of which this is the antitype. the glory of God, found in ch. 1. 4, 8; and 4. 8, is here and in ch. 11. 17. and...power-then fully manifested. no man was able to omitted. judged thus-it, these things." **The enter...the temple-because of God's presence in His didst inflict this judgment." 6. Ch. 11. 18, end; Genesis, manifested glory and power during the cecution of 96; Isaiah, 49. 26.) An anticipation of ch. 18. 20, 24; el. these judgments. ch. 13. 15. For-A, B, C, and ANDREAS omit. 7. another out of-Omitted in A, C, Syriac, and Coptic. Translat then, "I heard the altar (personified] saying." On the prayers of saints are presented before God; be neath it are the souls of the martyrs crying for vete geance on the foes of God. 8. angel-So Coptic and ANDREAS. But A, B, C, Vulgate and Syriac omit it upon-Not as in v. 2, 3, "into." sun-whereas by the fourth trumpet the sun is darkened (ch. 8. 12) in a third part, here by the fourth vial the sun's bright scorchang power is intensified. power was given unto him-rather, "unto it," the sun. men-Greek, " the men," viz., those who had the mark of the beast (v. 2). 9. men-Greck, "the men." repented not to give him glory-ich. 9. 2 Affliction, if it does not melt, hardens the sinner. U the better result on others ch. 11. 13; 14. 7; 16. 4. 10 angel-Omitted by A, B, C. Vulgate and Syriae. But Coptic and ANDREAS support it. seat-Greek, “* throm of the beast" set up in arrogant mimicry of God's throne; the dragon gave his throne to the beast ich 13 2). darkness-parallel to the Egyptian plague of darkness, Pharaoh being the type of antichrist (ef, eh, ia. 2, 3. Notes; cf. the fifth trumpet, ch. 9. 2. gnawed ther tongues for pain-Greek, "owing to the pain" occasioned by the previous plagues, rendered more appalling to the darkness. Or, as "gnashing of teeth" is one of the accompaniments of hell, so this "gnawing of their tongues" is through rage at the baffling of their hopes and the overthrow of their kingdom. They meditate revenge and are unable to effect it; hence their frendy. [GROTICs.] Those in anguish, mental and bodily, bas their lips and tongues. 11. sores-This shows that each fresh plague was accompanied with the continuance of the preceding plagues: there was an accumulation, not a mere succession, of plagues. repented not-d v. 9.) 12. angel-So Coptic and ANDREAS, A. B. C Vulgate and Syriac omit. kings of the east-Greek, "the kings who are from the rising of the sun. ference to the Euphrates similarly occurs in the sixth trumpet. The drying up of the Euphrates, I think, w Ver. 1-21. THE SEVEN VIALS AND THE CONSEQUENT PLAGUES. The trumpets shook the world-kingdoms in a longer process; the vials destroy with a swift and sudden overthrow the kingdom of the beast in particular who had invested himself with the world-kingdom. The Hebrews thought the Egyptian plagues to have been inflicted with but an interval of a month between them severally. [BENGEL referring to Feder Olam.] As Moses took ashes from an earthly common furnace, so angels, as priestly-ministers in the heavenly temple, take holy fire in sacred vials or bowls, from the heavenly altar to pour down (cf. ch. 8. 5). The same heavenly altar which would have kindled the sweet incense of prayer bringing down blessing upon earth, by man's sin kindles the fiery descending curse. Just as the river Nile, which ordinarily is the source of Egypt's fertility, became blood and a curse through Egypt's sin. 1. a great voice-viz, God's. These seven vials (the detailed expansion o' the vintage, ch. 14. 15-20, being called "the last," must belong to the period just when the term of the beast's power has expired whence reference is made in them all to the worshippers of the beast as the objects of the judgments), close to the end or coming of the Son of man. The first four are distinguished from the last three, just as in the case of the seven seals and the seven trumpets. The first four are more general, affecting the earth, the sea, springs, and the sun, not merely a portion of these natural bodies, as in the case of the trumpets, but the whole of them, the last three are more particular, affecting the throne of the beast, the Euphrates, and the grand consummation. Some of these particular judgments are set forth in detail in chs. 17.-20. out of the temple-B and Syriac omit. But A. C. Vulgate and ANDREAS Support the words. the vials-So Syriac and Coptic. But A, B, C, Vulgate and ANDREAS read, "the seven vials." up>n-Greek. into " 2. went Greek, went away." poured out-So the angel cast Ee The World Kings Ga'hered REVELATION, XVI. to Battle at Armageddon. firms his testimony to the beast by miracles, as the Holy Ghost attested similarly Christ's divine mission. unclean spirits like frogs-the antitype to the plague of frogs sent on Egypt. The presence of the "unclean spirit" in the land (Palestine) is foretold, Zechariah, 13. 2, in connexion with idolatrous prophets. Beginning with infidelity as to Jesus Christ's coming in the flesh, men shall end in the grossest idolatry of the beast, the incarnation of all that is self-deifying and God-opposed in the world-powers of all ages; having rejected Him that came in the Father's name, they shall worship one that comes in his own, though really the devil's representative; as frogs croak by night in marshes and quagmires, so these unclean spirits in the darkness of error teach lies amidst the mire of filthy lusts. They talk of liberty, but it is not gospel liberty, but license for lust. Their being three, as also seren, in the description of the last and worst state of the Jewish nation, implies a parody of the two divine numbers, three of the Trinity, and seven of the Holy Spirit (ch. 1. 4). Some observe that three frogs were the original arms of France, a country which has been the centre of infidelity, socialism, and false spiritualism. A, B, read, "as it were frogs," instead of "like frogs," which is not supported by MSS. The unclean spirit out of the mouth of the dragon symbolizes the proud infidelity which opposes God and Christ. That out of the beast's mouth is the spirit of the world, which in the politics of men, whether lawless democracy or despotism, sets man above God. That out of the mouth of the false prophet is lying spiritualism and religious delusion, which shall take the place of the harlot when she shall have been destroyed. 14. devis-Greek, "demons." working miracles-Greek. “ signs." go forth unto-or "for," .e., to tempt them to the battle with Christ. the kings of the earth and-A, B. Syriac, and ANDREAS omit "of the earth and," which clause is not in any MS. Translate," Kings of the whole habitable world." who are "of this world," in contrast to "the kings of from) the East" (the suurising), v. 12, viz., the saints to whom Christ has appointed a kingdom, and who are children of light." God in permitting Satan's mir to be taken figuratively, as Babylon itself, which is situated on it, is undoubtedly so, ch. 17. 5. The waters of the Euphrates (cf. Isaiah, 8. 7, 8) are spiritual Babylon's. i.e., the apostate church's (of which Rome is the chief, though not exclusive representative), spiritual and temporal powers. The drying up of the waters of Babylon expresses the same thing as the ten kings stripping, eating, and burning the whore. The phrase "way may be prepared for" is that applied to the Lord's coming (Isaiah, 40. 3; Matthew, 3. 3; Luke, 1. 76). He shall come from the East (Matthew, 24. 27; Ezekiel, 43. 2. "the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the East"): not alone, for His elect transfigured saints of Israel and the Gentiles shall accompany Him, who are kings and priests unto God" (ch. 1. 6). As the anti-Christian ten kings accompany the beast, so the saints accompany as kings the King of kings to the last decisive conflict. DE BURGH, &c., take it of the Jews, who also were designed to be a kingdom of priests to God on earth. They shall, doubtless, become priest kings in the flesh to the nations in the flesh at His coming. Abraham from the East (if Isaiah, 41. 2, 8, 9, refers to him, and not Cyrus) conquering the Chaldean kings is a type of Israel's victorious restoration to the priest-kingdom. Israel's exodus after the last Egyptian plagues typifies Israel's restoration after the spiritual Babylon, the apostate church, has been smitten. Israel's promotion to the priest kingdom after Pharaoh's downfall, and at the Lord's descent at Sinai to establish the theocracy, typifies the restored kingdom of Israel at the Lord's more glorious descent, when antichrist shall be destroyed utterly. Thus besides the transfigured saints, Israel secondarily may be meant by "the kings from the East" who shall accompany the "King of kings" returning "from the way of the East" to reign over His ancient people. As to the drying up again of the waters opposing His people's assuming the kingdom, cf Isaiah, 10. 26; 11. 11, 16; Zechariah, 10. 9-11. The name Israel (Genesis, 32, 28) implies a prince with God. Cf. Micah, 4. 8, as to the return of the kingdom to Jerusalem. DURHAM, 200 years ago, interpreted the drying up of the Euphrates to mean the wasting away of the Turkish power, which has heretofore held Pales-acles, as in the case of the Eyptian magicians who tine, and so the way being prepared for Israel's restoration. But as Babylon refers to the apostate church, not to Mahometanism, the drying up of the Euphrates (answering to Cyrus' overthrow of literal Babylon by marching into it through the dry channel of the Euphrates must answer to the draining off of the apos-magicians. Aaron brought up frogs; so did the matate church's resources, the Roman and Greek corrupt church having been heretofore one of the greatest barriers by its idolatries and persecutions in the way of Israel's restoration and conversion. The kings of the earth who are earthly (v. 14), stand in contrast to the kings from the East who are heavenly. 13. the dragon -Satan, who gives his power and throne (ch. 13. 2) to the beast. false prophet-distinct from the harlot, the apostate church of which Rome is the chief, though not sole, representative), ch. 17. 1-3, 16; and identical with the second beast, ch. 13. 11-15, as appears by comparing-saints and angels. shame-lit.."unseemliness" (Greek ch. 19. 20 with ch. 13. 13; ultimately consigned to the lake of fire with the first beast; as is also the dragon a little later (ch. 20. 10). The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, "the mystery of iniquity," form a blasphemous anti-Trinity, the counterfeit of "the mystery of godliness" God manifest in Christ, witnessed to by the Spirit. The dragon acts the part of God the Father, assigning his authority to his representative the beast, as the Father assigns His to the Son. They are accordingly jointly worshipped; cf. as to the Father and Son, John, 5. 23: as the ten-horned beast has its ten horns crowned with diadems (Greek, ch. 13. 1), so Christ has on His head many diadems. Whilst the false prophet, like the Holy Ghost, speaks not of himself, but tells all men to worship the beast, and con were His instruments in hardening Pharaoh's heart, gives the reprobate up to judicial delusion preparatory to their destruction. As Aaron's rod was changed into a serpent, so were those of the Egyptian magicians. Aaron turned the water into blood; so did the gicians. With the frogs their power ceased. So this, or whatever is antitypical to it, will be the last effort of the dragon, beast, and false prophet. battle-Greek, "war" the final conflict for the kingship of the world described ch. 19. 17-21. 15 The gathering of the worldkings with the beast against the Lamb is the signal for Christ's coming; therefore He here gives the charge to be watching for His coming and clothed in the garments of justification and sanctification, so as to be accepted. thief-(Matthew, 24. 43; 2 Peter, 3. 10.) they aschemosunce; Greek, 1 Corinthians, 13. 5: a different word from the Greek, ch. 3. 18 (Greek aischunee). 16. he-rather, "they (the three unclean spirits) gathered them together." If English Version be retained, "He" will refer to God who gives them over to the delusion of the three unclean spirits; or else the sixth angel (v. 12). Armageddon-Hebrew Har, a mountain, and Megiddo in Manasseh of Galilee, the scene of the overthrow of the Canaanite kings by God's miraculous interposi tion under Deborah and Barak; the same as the great plain of Esdraelon. Josiah, too as the ally of Babylon, was defeated and slain at Megiddo; and the mourning of the Jews at the time just before God shall interpose for them against all the nations confederate against Jerusalem, is compared to the mourning for Josiah at The Whore that Sitteth REVELATION, XVIL upon the Scarlet Beast Megiddo. Megiddo comes from a root, gadad, "cut seduced from its "first love" ch. 2. 4 to Christ, the off, and means slaughter. C. Joel, 3, 2, 12, 14. where heavenly Bridegroom, and given its affections to "the valley of Jei oshaphat" meaning in Hebrew, worldly pomps and idols. The woman ch. 12. 1 is the "judgment of God", is mentioned as the scene of God's congregation of God in its purity under the Old and final vengeance on the God opposing foe. Probably New Testament, and appears again as the Bride of the some great plain, antitypical to the valleys of Megiddo Lamb, the transfigured church prepared for the marand Jehoshaphat, will be the scene. 17. angel-Soriage feast. The woman, the invisible church, is latANDREAS. But A. B. Vulgate and Syriac omit it. ent in the apostate church, and is the church mil tant; inte-SO ANDREAS Greek eis. But A, B, "upon" (Greek the Bride is the church triumphant. 3. the wilderness epr. great-So B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic and AN--Contrast her in ch. 12. 6, 14, having a place in the wil DREAS. But A omits. of heaven-So B and ANDREAS. derness-world, but not a home; a sojourner here, lookBut A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit. It is done-ing for the city to come. Now, on the contrary, she is "It is come to pass." God's voice as to the final con- contented to have her portion in this moral widersummation, as Jesus' voice on the cross when the work ness. upon a scarlet...beast-The same as in ch. 13 1, of expiation was completed, "It is finished." 18 voices who there is described as here, "having seven heads ...thunders... lightnings-A has the order. "lightnings and ten horns therein betraying that he is representa...voices...thunders." This is the same close as that of tive of the dragon, ch. 12. 3), and upon his heads names the seven seals and the seven thunders; but with the (80 the oldest MSS. read of blasphemy?" cf. also .12-14, difference that they do not merely form the conclu- below, with ch. 19. 19, 20, and ch. 17. 13, 14, 16. Rome, sion, but introduce the consequence, of the last vial, resting on the world power, and ruling it by the cla.m viz., the utter destruction of Babylon and then of the of supremacy, is the chief, though not the exclusive, anti-Christian armies. earthquake-which is often pre- representative of this symbol. As the dragon is fleryceded by a lurid state of air, such as would result from red, so the beast is blood-red in colour: implying its the vial poured upon it. men were So B, Vulgate, blood-guiltiness, and also deep-dyed sin. The scarl Syriac, and ANDREAS. But A and Coptic read, "A is also the symbol of kingly authority. full-all over: man was." so mighty-Greek, "such." 19. the great not merely "on his heads," as in ch. 13. 1, for its opcity-the capital and seat of the apostate church, spirit position to God is now about to develop itself in all ual Babylon (of which Rome is the representative, if its intensity. Under the harlot's superintendence, the one literal city be meant). The city in ch. 11. 8 (see world-power puts forth blasphemous pretensions worse Note), is probably distinct, viz., Jerusalem under anti-than ir. Pagan days. So the pope is placed by the christ (the beast, who is distinct from the harlot or apos- cardinal in God's temple on the altar to sit there, and tate church). In ch. 11. 13, only a tenth fails of Jerusa- the cardinals kiss the feet of the pope. This ceremony lem, whereas here the city Babylon) "became (Greek) is called in Romish writers the adoration, Histoire into three parts" by the earthquake. cities of the na- de Clergé Amsterd, 1716; and Lettenburgh's Notita tions-other great cities in league with spiritual Baby- Cariæ Romanæ, 1683, p. 125; Heidegger Myst. Bab., 1. Jon. great...came in remembrance-Greek, "Babylon 511, 514, 5.7: a Papal coin Numismata pontificum, Paris, the great was remembered" (ch. 18. 5). It is now that 1679. p. 5) has the blasphemous legend, “Quem creant, the last call to escape from Babylon is given to God's adorant." Kneeling and kissing are the worship meant people in her ich. 18. 4). fierceness-the boiling over by St. John's word nine times used in respect to the outburst of His wrath Greek thumou orgees), cf. Note, rival of God (Greek proskunein), Abomination, too, ch. 14. 10. 20. Plainly parallel to ch. 6. 14-17, and by is the scriptural term for an idol, or any creature woranticipation descriptive of the last judgment. the shipped with the homage due to the Creator. Still mountains-rather as Greek, "there were found no there is some check on the God opposed world-power mountains," 21. fell-Greek, "descends." upon men whilst ridden by the harlot: the consummated anti-Greek, the men." was-Greek, "is." men-not those christ will be when, having destroyed her, the beast struck who died, but the rest. Unlike the result in shall be revealed as the concentration and incarnation the case of Jerusalem (ch. 11. 13, where "the remnant of all the self-deifying God-opposed principles which ... affrighted...gave glory to the God of heaven." have appeared in various forms and degrees here:ofore. "The church has gained outward recognition by leaning on the world-power, which in its turn uses the church for its own objects; such is the picture here of Christendom ripe for judgment." (AUBERLEN.] The seven heads in the view of many are the seven sac CHAPTER XVII. Ver. 1-18. THE HARLOT BABYLON'S GAUD: THE BEAST ON WHICH SHE RIDES, HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS, SHALL BE THE INSTRUMENT or JUDGMENT ON HER. As ch. 16. 12 stated generally the vial judgment about to be poured on the harlot, Baby-cessive forms of government of Rome: kings, consuis, lon's power, so chs. 17. and 18 give the same in detail. so ch. 19. gives in detail the judgment on the beast and the false prophet, summarily alluded to in ch. 16. 13-15, in connexion with the Lord's coming. 1. unto me-A. B. Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit. many So A. But B, "the many waters" Jeremiah, 51. 13): v. 15, below, explains the sense. The whore is the apostate church, just as the woman (ch. 12) is the church whilst faithful. Satan having failed by violence, tries too successfully to seduce her by the allurements of the world: unlike her Lord, she was overcome by this temptation: hence she is seen sitting on the scarletcoloured beast, no longer the wife, but the harlot; no longer Jerusalem, but spiritually Sodom (ch. 11, 8). 2 drunk with-Greek, "owing to." It cannot be Pagan Rome, but Papal Rome, if a particular seat of error be meant but I incline to think that the judgment (ch. 18. 2) and the spiritual fornication (ch. 18. 3), though finding their culmination in Rome, are not restricted to it, but comprise the whole apostate church, Roman, Greek, and even Protestant, in so far as it has been dictators, decemvirs, military tribunes, emperors, the The Whore's Name, Mystery, REVELATION, XVII. Babylon the Great. numphe kai to arnion. The whore and the beast: the Bride and the Lamb. of hariots-Greek, "of the harlots and of the abominations." Not merely Rome. but Christendom as a whole, even as formerly Israel as a whole, has become a harlot. The invisible church of true believers is hidden and dispersed in the visible church. The boundary lines which separate harlot and woman are not denominational nor drawn externally, but can only be spiritually discerned. If Rome were the only seat of Babylon, much of the spiritual profit of Revelation would be lost to us: but the harlot "sitteth upon many waters" . 1), and ALL nations have drunk of the wine of her fornication" (v. 2; ch. 18. 3; "the earth," ch. 19. 2). External extensiveness over the whole world, and internal conformity to the world Revelation thrice assigns to the harlot or Babylon. So Joachim, an abbot from Calabria, about A. D. 1200, when asked by Richard of England, who had summoned him to Palestine, concerning antichrist, replied that "he was born long ago at Rome, and is now exalting himself above all that is called God." Roger Hoveden Angl. Chron., 1. 2, and elsewhere, wrote, "The harlot arrayed in gold is the church of Rome." Whenever, and wherever (not in Rome alone) the church, instead of being "clothed (as at first, ch. 12. 1) with the sun" of heaven, is arrayed in earthly meretricious gauds, compromising the truth of God through fear, or flattery, of the world's-power, science, or wealth, she becomes the harlot seated on the beast, and doomed in righteous retribution to be judged by the beast (v. 16). Soon, like Rome, and like the Jews of Christ's and the apostles'-worldliness in extent and contents is symbolized time leagued with the heathen Rome, she will then be by the name of the world-city, "Babylon." As the come the persecutor of the saints (v. 6). Instead of sun shines on all the earth, thus the woman clothed drinking her Lord's "cup" of suffering, she has “a cup with the sun is to let her light penetrate to the utterfull of abominations and filthinesses." Rome, in her most parts of the earth. But she in externally Chrismedals, represents herself holding a cup with the self- tianizing the world, permits herself to be seduced by condemning inscription, "Sedet super universum." the world: thus her universality or catholicity is not Meanwhile the world power gives up its hostility and that of the Jerusalem which we look for ("the MOTHER accepts Christianity externally: the beast gives up of us all," ch. 21. 2; Isaiah, 2. 2-4; Galatians, 4. 26), but its God-opposed character, the woman gives up her that of Babylon, the world-wide but harlot city! [As divine one. They meet half way by mutual conces- Babylon was destroyed and the Jews restored to Jerusions: Christianity becomes worldly, the world becomes salem by Cyrus, so our Cyrus-a Persian name, meaning Christianized. The gainer is the world, the loser is the the sun-the sun of righteousness, shall bring Israel, church. The beast for a time receives a deadly wound literal and spiritual, to the holy Jerusalem at His (ch. 13. 3), but is not really transfigured: he will return coming. Babylon and Jerusalem are the two opposite worse than ever (v. 11-14). The Lord alone by His com- poles of the spiritual world.] Still the Romish church ing can make the kingdoms of this world become the is not only accidentally, and as a matter-of-fact, but in kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ. The "purple" virtue of its very PRINCIPLE, a harlot, the metropolis is the badge of empire: even as in mockery it was put of whoredom, the mother of harlots" whereas the on our Lord. decked - lit., "gilded." stones-Greek, Evangelical Protestant Church is, according to her "stone." filthiness-A. B. and ANDREAS read, "the principle and fundamental creed, a chaste woman: the filthy (impure) things." 5. upon...forehead...name-as Reformation was a protest of the woman against the harlots usually had. What a contrast to "HOLINESS harlot. The spirit of the heathen world-kingdom Rome TO THE LORD," inscribed on the mitre on the high had, before the Reformation, changed the Church in priest's forehead. mystery-Implying a spiritual fact the West into a Church-State, Rome: and in the East, heretofore hidden, and incapable of discovery by mere into a State-Church, fettered by the world-power, havreason, but now revealed. As the union of Christ and ing its centre in Byzantium; the Roman and Greek the church is a great mystery" (a spiritual truth of Churches have thus fallen from the invisible spiritual momentous interest, once hidden, now revealed, Ephe- essence of the gospel into the elements of the world. sians, 5. 31, 32): so the church conforming to the world [AUBERLEN.] Cf, with the "woman" called "Babyand thereby becoming a harlot is a counter "mystery" lon" here, the woman named "wickedness" or "law(or spiritual truth, symbolically now revealed). lessness,' "iniquity" (Zechariah, 3. 7, 8, 11), carried to iniquity in the harlot is a leaven working in "mys- Babylon: cf. "the mystery of iniquity" and "the man tery," and therefore called "the mystery of iniquity," of sin," "that wicked one, lit., "the lawless one" so when she is destroyed, the iniquity heretofore work (2 Thessalonians, 2. 7, 8: also Matthew, 24. 12). 6. ing (comparatively latently in her, shall be revealed martyrs-witnesses. I wondered with great admiration in the man of iniquity, the open embodiment of all-As the Gresk is the same in the verb and the noun. previous evil. Contrast the "mystery of God" and translate the latter wonder." John certainly did not godliness," ch. 10. 7; 1 Timothy, 3. 16. It was Rome admire her in the modern English sense. Elsewhere that crucified Christ; that destroyed Jerusalem and (v. 8; ch. 13. 3), all the earthly-minded ("they that scattered the Jews; that persecuted the early Christians dwell on the earth") wonder in admiration of the in Pagan times, and Protestant Christians in Papal beast. Here only is John's wonder called forth: not times; and probably shall be again restored to its the beast, but the woman sunken into the harlot, the pristine grandeur, such as it had under the Caesars, church become a world loving apostate, moves his sorjust before the burning of the harlot and of itself with rowful astonishment at so awful a change. That the her. So HIPPOLYTUS, de Antichristo (who lived in the world should be beastly is natural, but that the faithsecond century, thought. Popery cannot be at one and ful bride should become the whore is monstrous, and the same time the "mystery of iniquity," and the mani- excites the same amazement in him, as the same awful fested or revealed antichrist. Probably it will compro- change in Israel excited in Isaiah and Jeremiah. "Hormise for political power v. 3) the portion of Christi- rible thing" in them answers to abominations" here. anity still in its creed, and thus shall prepare the way "Corruptio optimi pessima:" when the church fails, for antichrist's manifestation. The name Babylon, she sinks lower than the godless world, in proportion which in the image, Daniel, 2., is given to the head, is as her right place is higher than the world. It is here given to the barlot, which marks her as being con- striking that in v. 3, "woman" has not the article, the nected with the fourth kingdom, Rome, the last part woman," "as if she had been before mentioned: for of the image. Benedict XIII., in his indiction for a though identical in one sense with the woman, ch. 12., jubilee, A.D. 1725, called Rome "the mother of all be- in another sense she is not. The elect are never perlievers, and the mistress of all churches" harlots like verted into apostates, and still remain as the true herself). The correspondence of syllables and accents woman invisibly contained in the harlot; yet Chrisin Greek is striking: He porne kai to therion; He tendom regarded as the woman has apostatized from As of the Seren Heads. "mountains," great seats of the world-power. The its first faith. 8. beast... was, and is not- cf. n. 11.) The time when the beast "is no:" is the time during which it has "the deadly wound:" the time of the seventh head becoming Christian externally, when its beast like character was put into suspension temporarily. The healing of its wound answers to its ascending out of the bottomless pit. The beast, or anti-Christian worldpower, returns worse than ever, with Satanic powers from hell (ch.11.7), not merely from the sea of convulsed nations (ch. 13. 1). Christian civilisation gives the beast only a temporary wound, whence the deadly wound is always mentioned in connexion with its being healed up, the non-existence of the beast in connexion with its reappearance; and Daniel does not even notice any change in the world-power effected by Christianity. We are endangered on one side by the spurious Christianity of the harlot, on the other by the open antiChristianity of the beast: the third class is Christ's "little flock." go-So B. Vulgate, and ANDREAS read the future tense. But A and IRENEUS, "goeth." into perdition-The continuance of this revived seventh (i... the eighth head is short: it is therefore called "the son of perdition," who is essentially doomed to it almost immediately after his appearance. names were -So Vulgate and ANDREAS. But A. B. Syriac, and Coptic read the singular, "name is." written in-Greek, "upon." which-rather, "when they behold the beast that it was." &c. So Vulgate, was, and is not, and yet is-A, B, and ANDREAS read, ". ... and shall come" (lit.. "be present," viz., again: Greek kai parestai). The Hebrew tetragrammaton, or sacred four letters in Jehovah "who is, who was, and who is to come," the believer's object of worship, has its contrasted counterpart in the beast "who was, and is not, and shall be present." the object of the earth's worship. [BENGEL.) They exult with wonder in seeing that the beast which had seemed to have received its death blow from Christi-"Kings" is the Scripture phrase for kingdoms, because anity, is on the eve of reviving with greater power than ever on the ruins of that religion which tormented them (ch. 11. 10). 9. Cf. ch. 13. 18; Daniel, 12. 10, where similarly spiritual discernment is put forward as needed in order to understand the symbolical prophecy, seven heads are seven mountains - The connexion between mountains and kings must be deeper than the mere outward fact to which incidental allusion is made, that Rome (the then world-city) is on seven hills (whence heathen Rome had a national festival called Septimontium, the feast of the seven-hilled city [PLU-"wounded to death," and has the "deadly wound" (ch. TARCH]: and on the imperial coins, just as here, she is represented as a woman seated on seven hills. Coin of Vespasian, described by Captain Smyth, Roman coins, p. 310; Ackerman, 1., p. 87). The seven heads can hardly be at once seven kings or kingdoms (v. 10), and seven geographical mountains. The true connexion is, as the head is the prominent part of the body, so the mountain is prominent in the land. Like "sea," and "earth" and "waters...peoples" (v. 15), so "mountains" have a symbolical meaning, viz., prominent seats of power. Especially such as are prominent hindrances to the cause of God (Psalm 68. 16, 17; Isaiah, 40. 4; 41. 16; 49. 11; Ezekiel, 35, 2); especially Babylon (which geographically was in a plain, but spiritually is called a destroying mountain, Jeremiah, 51. 25) in majestic contrast to which stands mount Zion, "the mountain of the Lord's house" (Isaiah, 2. 2), and the heavenly mount; ch. 21. 10. “a great and high mountain...and that great city, the holy Jerusalem." So in Daniel, 2, 35, the stone becomes a mountain - Messiah's universal kingdom supplanting the previous world kingdoms. As nature shadows forth the great realities of the spiritual world, so seven-hilled Rome is a representative of the seven-headed world-power of which the dragon has been, and is the prince. The seven kings" are hereby distinguished from the "ten kings" (v. 12): the former are what the latter are not, these kingdoms are generally represented in character by some one prominent head, as Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, Medo-Persia by Cyrus, Greece by Alexander, &c. the other is not yet come-Not as ALFORD, inaccurately representing AUBERLEN, the Christian empire beginning with Constantine; but, the Germa nic-Sclavonic empire beginning and continuing in its beast-like, ie., HEATHEN anti-Christian character for only "a short space." The time when it is said of it "it is not" (v. 11, is the time during which it is 13. 3. The external Christianization of the migrating hordes from the North which descended on Rome, is the wound to the beast answering to the earth sucationing up the flood heathen tribes) sent by the dragon, Satan, to drown the woman, the church. The empha.... sis palpably is on "a short space," which therefore comes first in the Greek, not on "he must continue," as if his continuance for some [considerable] time were implied, as ALFORD wrongly thinks. The time of external Christianization (whilst the beast's wound continues) has lasted for upwards of fourteen centuries, ever since Constantine. Rome and the Greek churches have partially healed the wound by restoring imageworship. 11. beast that...is not-his beastly character being kept down by outward Christianization of the state until he starts ap to life again as "the eighth" king, his "wound being healed" (ch. 13. 3!, antichrist manifested in fullest and most intense opposition to God. The HE is emphatical in the Greek. He, peculiarly and pre-eminently: answering to "the little horn" with eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things, before whom three of the ten horas were plucked up by the roots, and to whom the whole ten "give their power and strength" (e. 12, 13, 17. That a personal antichrist will stand at the head of the anti-Christian kingdom, is likely from the analogy of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Old Testament antichrist, |