CHAPTER FIFTEEN. ANTICHRIST AND BABYLON.
In the last chapter we confined ourself to the
Old Testament, in this and the one that follows we shall treat mainly of
Babylon in Rev. 17 and 18, though, of necessity, we shall examine these in the
light of Old Testament passages. In the previous chapter, we briefly reviewed
the Old Testament evidence which proves there is to be a re-built Babylon, over
which the Antichrist shall reign during the Time of the End. Now as both the
Old and New Testaments have one and the same Divine Author, it cannot be that
the latter should conflict with the former. "If the Old and New Testaments
treat of the circumstances which are immediately to precede the Advent of the
Lord in glory, the substantive facts of that period must be alike referred to
in both. If the Old Testament declares that Babylon and `the land of Shinar' is
to be the focus of influential wickedness at the time of the end, it it
impossible that the Revelation, when professedly treating of the same period,
should be silent respecting such wickedness, or respecting the place of its
concentration. If the Old Testament speaks of an individual of surpassing power
who will connect himself with this wickedness, and be the king of Babylon, and
glorify himself as God, it is not to be supposed that the Revelation should
treat of the same period and be silent respecting such an event. If, therefore,
in the Old Testament, the sphere be fixed - the locality named - the individual
defined - it is impossible that the Revelation, when detailing the events of
the same period, should alter the localities, or change the individuals. There
cannot be two sovereign individuals, nor two sovereign cities in the same
sphere at the same time. If the mention of the "Land of Shinar', and of
Assyria", and of "the king of Babylon", be intended in the Old Testament to
render our thoughts fixed and definite, why should similar terms, applied in
the Revelation to a period avowedly the same, be less definite?"
(B.W.Newton).
Of Rev. 17 and 18 it has been well said, "There
is, perhaps, no section of the Apocalypse more fraught with difficulty than the
predictions concerning Babylon. Enigmatical and inconsistent with each other
as, at first sight, they seem to be, we need to give careful attention to every
particular, and much patient investigation of other scriptures, if we would
penetrate their meaning and possess ourselves of their secret" (Mr. G.H.
Pember, M.A.). In prosecuting our present study we cannot do better than borrow
again from the language of Mr. Pember, "Nor is the present necessarily brief
and imperfect essay written in any spirit of dogmatic certainty that it solves
the mystery; but only as the conclusion, so far as light has been already
vouchsafed, to one who, having received mercy of the Lord, has been led to much
consideration of this and kindred subjects".
An exposition of the Revelation or any part
thereof should be the last place for dogmatism. Both at the beginning and close
of the book the Holy Spirit expressly states that the Apocalypse is a
"prophecy" (1:3; 22:19), and prophecy is, admittedly, the most difficult branch
of Scripture study. It is true that during the last century God has been
pleased to give His people not a little light upon the predictive portions of
His Word, nor is the Apocalypse to be excepted. Yet, the more any one reads the
literature on the subject, the more should he become convinced that dogmatism
here is altogether unseemly. During the last fifteen years the writer has made
it a point to read the Revelation through carefully at least three times a
year, and during this period he has also gone through over thirty commentaries
on the last book of the Bible. A perusal of the varied and conflicting
interpretations advanced have taught him two things. First, the wisdom of being
cautious in adopting any of the prevailing views; second, the need of patient
and direct waiting on God for further light. To these may be added a third,
namely, the possibility, yea, the probability, that many of the prophecies of
the Revelation are to receive a double, and in some cases, a treble,
fulfillment.
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable". This applies equally to the Prophets as to the Epistles,
and it was just as true five hundred years ago as it is today. That being so,
the right understanding of the final fulfillment of the prophecies in the
Revelation cannot be the only value that book possesses. There must also be
that in it which had a pertinent and timely message for the people of God of
this dispensation in each generation. There must be that in which strengthened
the faith of those saints who read it during the "Dark Ages", and that which
enabled them to detect and keep clear from the which opposed to God and His
Christ. In other words, its prophecies must have received a gradual and partial
fulfillment all through the centuries of the Christian era, though their final
fulfillment be yet future. Such is the case with Rev. 17 and 18. Ever since
John received the Revelation there has always existed a system which, in its
moral features, has corresponded to the Babylon of the 17th chapter. There
exists such a system today; there will exist such a system after the Church is
raptured to heaven. And there will also come into existence another and final
system which will exhaust the scope of this prophecy.
The position which the Apocalypse occupies in the
Sacred Canon is surely indicative of the character of its contents. The fact
that it is placed at the close, at once suggests that it treats of that which
concerns the end of things. Moreover, it is taken for granted that the student
of this sixty-sixth book of the Bible is already acquainted with the previous
sixty-five books. Scripture is self-interpreting, and we may rest assured that
whatever appears vague or difficult in the last book of Scripture is due to our
ignorance of the meaning of the books preceding, and particularly of the
Prophets. In the Apocalypse the various streams of prediction, which may be
traced through the Old Testament Scriptures, are seen emptying themselves in
the sea of historical accomplishment. Or, to change the figure, here we are
given to behold the last act of the great Dispensational Drama, the earlier
acts of which were depleted in the writings of the seers of Israel. And yet, as
previously intimated, these final scenes have already had a preliminary
rehearsal during the course of the Christian centuries.
It will thus be seen that we are far from sharing
the views of those who limit the prophecies of the Revelation to a single
fulfillment. We believe there is much of truth in both the Historical and
Futurist interpretations. We are in entire accord with the following words from
the pen of our esteemed brother, Mr. F.C. Jennings: "How many of the
controversies that have ruled, alas, amongst the Lord's people, have been due
to a narrow way of limiting the thoughts of God, and seeking to confine or bend
them by our own apprehension of them. How often two, or more, apparently
opposing systems of interpretation may really both be correct; the breadth, the
length, and height, and depth, of the mind of God, including and going beyond
both of them". Let us now come more directly to our present theme.
The first time that Babylon is mentioned in the
Apocalypse is in 14:8: "And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the
wine of the wrath of her fornication". Now what is there here to discountenance
the natural conclusion that "Babylon" means Babylon? Two or three
generations ago, students of prophecy received incalculable help from the
simple discovery that when the Holy Spirit spoke of Judea and Jerusalem in the
Old Testament Scriptures He meant Judea and Jerusalem, and not England and
London; and that when He mentioned Zion He did not refer to the Church. But
strange to say, few, if any of these brethren, have applied the same rule to
the Apocalypse. Here they are guilty of doing the very thing for which they
condemned their forebears in connection with the Old Testament - they have
"spiritualised". They have concluded, or rather, they have accepted the
conclusions of the Reformers, that Babylon meant Papal Rome, ultimately being
refined to signify apostate Christendom. But what is there in Rev. 14:8 which
gives any hint that "Babylon" there refers to the Papal system? No; we believe
that this scripture means what it says, and that we need not the annals of
secular history to help us to understand it. What then? If to regard
"Jerusalem" as meaning Jerusalem be a test of intelligence in Old
Testament prophecy, shall we be counted a heretic if we understand "Babylon" to
mean Babylon, and not Rome or apostate Christendom?
The next reference to Babylon is in Rev.
16:18,19: "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightenings; and there was
a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty
and earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts,
and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance
before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His
wrath". The remarks just made above apply with equal force to this passage too.
Surely it is a literal city which is in view, and which is divided into three
parts by a literal earthquake. If it does not mean this then the simple reader
might as well turn from the Apocalypse in dismay. More than a hint of the
literalness of this great city Babylon is found in the context, were we read of
the river Euphrates (v. 12). This is sufficient for the writer: whether or not
it is for the reader, we must leave with him.
We come now to Rev. 17, and as soon as we read
its contents we are at once struck with the noticeable difference there is
between it and the other passages which have just been before us. Here the
language is no longer to be understood literally, but symbolically; here the
terms are not plain and simple, but occult and mysterious. But God, in His
grace, has provided help right to hand. He tells us that here is "mystery" (v.
5). And what is more, He explains most (if not all) of the symbols for us - see
vv. 9,12,15,18. With these helps furnished it ought not to be difficult to
grasp the general outline.
The central figures in Rev. 17 are "the great
whore", the "scarlet-colored Beast", and the "ten horns". The Beast is
evidently the first Beast of Rev. 13. The "ten horns" are stated to be "ten
kings" (v. 12). Who, then, is figured by "the great Whore"? There are a number
of statements made concerning "the great Whore" - "the woman" - "the mother of
harlots" - which are of great help toward supplying an answer to this question.
First, it is said that she "sitteth upon many waters" (v. 1), and in v. 15
these are said to signify "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues".
Second, it is said, "The kings of the earth have committed fornication" with
her (v. 2). Third, she is supported by "a scarlet-colored Beast" (v. 3), and
from what is said of this Beast in v. 8 it is clear that he is the Antichrist,
here viewed at the head of the last world-empire. Fourth, the woman "was
arrayed in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones"
(v. 4). Fifth, "Upon her forehead was a name written - Mystery: Babylon the
great", etc. (v. 5). Sixth, the woman was "drunken with the blood of the saints
and with the blood of the martyrs" (v. 6). Seventh, in the last verse it is
said, "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth". These seven points give an analysed summary of what is
here told us about this "woman".
Now the interpretation which has been most widely
accepted is, that the "Whore" of Rev. 17 pictures the Roman Catholic system.
Appeal is made to the fact that though she poses as a virgin, yet has she been
guilty of the most awful spiritual fornication. Unlike the blessed One who, in
His condescension and humiliation, had "not where to lay His head", Romanism
has coveted silver and gold, and has displayed herself in meretricious luxury.
She has had illicit intercourse with the blood of saints. Other parallelisms
between the woman of Rev. 17 and the Roman Catholic system may be pointed out.
What, then, shall we say to these things?
The points of correspondence between Rev. 17 and
the history of Romanism are too many and too marked to be set down as mere
co-incidences. Undoubtedly the Papacy has supplied a fulfillment of the
symbolic prophecy found in Rev. 17. And therein has lain its practical value
for God's people all through the dark ages. It presented to them a warning too
plain to be disregarded. It was the means of keeping the garments of the
Waldenses (and many others) unspotted by her filth. It confirmed the faith of
Luther and his contemporaries, that they were acting according to the revealed
will of God, when they separated themselves from that which was so manifestly
opposed to His truth. But, nevertheless, there are other features in this
prophecy which do not apply to Romanism, and which compel us to look elsewhere
for the complete and final fulfillment. We single out but two of these.
In Rev. 17:5 Babylon is termed "the Mother
of harlots and abominations of the earth". Is this an accurate description of
Romanism? Were there no "harlot" systems before her? Is the Papacy the
mother of the "abominations of the earth"? Let scripture be allowed to
interpret scripture. In 1 Kings 11:50-7 we read of "Ashtoreth the goddess of
the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites...then did
Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill
that was before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of
Ammon"! The Papacy had not come into existence when John wrote the Revelation,
so that she cannot be held responsible for all the "abominations" which
preceded her. Again; in Rev. 17:2 we read of "the great Whore" that "the kings
of the earth have committed fornication" with her. Is that applicable in its
fulness to Rome? Have the kings of Asia and the kings of Africa committed
fornication with the Papacy? It is true that the Italian pontiffs have ruled
over a wide territory, yet it is also true that there are many lands which have
remained untouched by their religious influence.
It is evident from these two points alone that we
have to go back to something which long antedates the rise of the Papacy, and
to something which has exerted a far wider influence than has any of the popes.
What, then, is this something? and where shall we look for it? The answer is
not hard to find: the word "Babylon" supplies us with the needed key. Babylon
takes us back not merely to the days of Nebuchadnezzar, but to the time of
Nimrod. It was in the days of the son of Cush that "Babylon" began. And from
the Plain of Shinar has flown that dark stream whose tributaries have reached
to every part of the earth. It was then, and there, that idolatry began. In his
work on "The Two Babylons"[8] Dr. Hislop has
proven conclusively that all the idolatrous systems of the nations had their
origin in what was founded by that mighty Rebel, the beginning of whose kingdom
was Babel (Gen. 10:10). But into this we cannot now enter at length. We refer
the reader back to our comments on Nimrod in chapter 13. Babylon was founded
in rebellion against God. The very name Nimrod gave to his city, proves him to
have been an idolator - the first mentioned in Scripture - for Bab-El signified
"the gate of God"; thus he, like his anti-type, determined to exalt himself
above all that is called God (2 Thess. 2:4). This, then, was the source and
origin of all idolatry. Pagan Rome, afterwards Papal Rome, was only one of the
polluted streams from this corrupt source - one of the filthy "daughters" of
this unclean Mother of Harlots. But to return to Rev. 17.
In v. 5 we read, "And upon her forehead was a
name written - mystery: Babylon the great, the Mother of harlots and
abominations of the earth". We believe that the English translators have misled
many by printing (on their own authority) the word "mystery" in large capital
letters, thus making it appear that this was a part of "the woman's name. This
we are assured is a mistake. That the "mystery" is connected with the "Woman"
herself and not with her "name" is clear from v. 7, where the angel says unto
John, "I will tell thee the mystery of the Woman, and of the Beast which
carrieth her".
The word "mystery" is used in the New Testament
in two ways. First, as a secret, unfathomable by man but explained by God: see
Matt. 13:11; Rom. 16:25, 26; Eph. 3:3,6 etc. Second, the word "mystery"
signifies a sign or symbol. Such is its meaning in Eph. 5:32, where we are told
that a man who is joined to his wife so that the two become "one flesh" is a
"great mystery, (that is, a great sign or symbol) of Christ and the Church".
So, again, in Rev. 1:20 we read of "the mystery (sign or symbol) of the seven
stars", etc.
As we have seen, the term "mystery" has two
significations in its New Testament usage, and we believe it has a double
meaning in Rev. 17:5, where it is connected with the "Woman". It signifies both
a symbol and a secret, that is, something not previously revealed. It should
also be noted that, in keeping with this, the name given to the Woman is a dual
one - "Babylon the great", and "the Mother of harlots and abominations of the
earth". Who, then, is symbolized by the Woman with this dual name? V. 18 tells
us, "And the Woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth". Now to get the force of this it is essential that we
should bear in mind that, in the Apocalypse, the words "is" and "are" almost
always (in the symbolical sections) signify "represent". Thus, in 1:20 "the
seven stars are the seven churches" means "the seven stars represent the seven
churches"; and "the seven candlesticks are the seven churches", signifies, "the
seven candlesticks represent the seven churches". So in 17:9 "the seven heads
are (represent) seven mountains"; 17:12 "the ten horns are (represent) ten
kings"; 17:15 "the waters...are (represent) peoples", etc. So in 17:18 "the
woman which thou sawest is that great city" must mean, "the woman represents
that great city". What, then, is signified by the "great city"?
In keeping with what we have just said above,
namely, that the term "mystery" in Rev. 17:5 has a two-fold significance, and
that the woman has a dual name, so we believe "that Great City" has a double
force and application. First, it signifies a literal city, which shall
yet be built in the Land of Shinar, on the banks of the Euphrates. Proof of
this was furnished in our last chapter so that we need not pause here to submit
the evidence. Six times (significant number!) is "Babylon" referred to in the
Apocalypse, and nowhere is there a hint that the name is not to be understood
literally. In the second place, the "great city" (unnamed) signifies an
idolatrous system - "mother of harlots" a system of idolatry which
originated in the Babylon of Nimrod's day, and a system which is to culminate
and terminate in another Babylon in a day soon to come. This we think is clear
and on the surface. What, then, is the secret here disclosed, which had
hitherto been so closely guarded?
In seeking the answer to our last question it is
important to note that there is another "Woman" in the Revelation, between whom
and this one in chapter 17 there are some striking comparisons and some vivid
contrasts. Let us note a few of them. First, in Rev. 12:1 we read of "a Woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of
twelve stars", which symbolically signifies that she occupies a position of
authority and rule (cf Gen. 37:9); so also the Woman of chapter 17 is pictured
as "ruling over the kings of the earth" (v. 18). Second, this Woman of Rev. 12
is a mother, for she gives birth to the Man-child who shall rule all nations
(v. 5); so the Woman of chapter 17 is "the Mother of harlots". Third, in 12:3
we read of a great red Dragon "having seven heads and ten horns", and he
persecutes the Woman (v. 14); but in striking contrast, the Woman of chapter 17
is seen supported by a scarlet-colored Beast "having seven heads and ten horns"
(v. 3). Fourth, in Rev. 19:7 the Woman of chapter 12 is termed the Lamb's Wife
(v. 7); whereas the Woman of chapter 17 is the Devil's Whore. Fifth, the Wife
of Rev. 19 is "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white" (v. 8); but the Whore of
chapter 19 is arrayed in purple and scarlet, and has in her hand a golden cup
"full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication" (v. 4). Sixth, the
Lamb's Wife is also inseparably connected with a great city, even the holy
Jerusalem (21:10); so the Whore of Rev. 17 is connected with a great city, even
Babylon. Seventh, the chaste Woman shall dwell with the Lamb forever; the Whore
shall suffer endless torment in the Lake of Fire.
Once we learn who is symbolized by the chaste
Woman, we are in the position to identify the corrupt Woman, who is compared
and contrasted with her. As to whom is signified by the former, there is surely
little room for doubt - it is the faithful portion of Israel. She is the one
who gave birth to the Man-child - i.e. Judah, in contrast from the unfaithful
ten tribes, who because of idolatry were, at the time of the Incarnation, is
captivity. So in Rev. 19 and 21 there are a number of things which show clearly
(to any unprejudiced mind) that the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, is redeemed Israel,
and not the Church. For example, in Rev. 19:6,7, when praise bursts forth
because the marriage of the Lamb is come, a great multitude cry, "Alleluia: for
the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to
Him for the marriage of the Lamb is come". "Alleluia (which occurs nowhere in
the New Testament but in this chapter) is a peculiarly Hebrew expression,
meaning "Praise the Lord". In the second place, the word for "marriage" (gamos)
or "wedding-feast" is the same as is used in Matt. 22:2,3,8,11,12, where,
surely, it is Israel that is in view. In the third place, note that we are told
"His wife hath made herself ready" (v. 7). Contrast this with Eph. 5:26, where
we learn that Christ will make the Church ready - see Matt. 23:39 for Israel
making herself ready. In the fourth place, in 19:8 we read, "And to her was
granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine
linen is the righteousness of saints". The Church will have been arrayed years
before the time contemplated here. In the fifth place, note it is said that
"the marriage of the Lamb is come" (v. 7), just as He is on the point of
leaving heaven for earth (v. 11; but the Church will have been with Him in the
Father's house for at least seven years (probably forty years, or more) when
that hour strikes. In the sixth place, in Rev. 21;9,10 the Lamb's Wife is
inseparably connected with that great city, the holy Jerusalem, and in the
description which follows we are told that on the twelve gates of the city were
written "the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel" (v. 12)!
Surely that is conclusive evidence that it is not the Church which is in view.
In the seventh place, in Rev. 21:14 we are told that in the twelve foundations
of the City's wall were "the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (cf
Matt. 19:28!). Is it thinkable that the name of the apostle Paul would have
been omitted if the Church were there symbolically portrayed?[9]
If, then, the Chaste Woman of Rev. 12,19,21,
symbolizes faithful Israel, must not the Corrupt Woman (who is compared and
contrasted with the former) represent faithless Israel? But if so, why connect
her so intimately with Babylon, the great city? It will help us here to
remember that the Chaste Woman of the Apocalypse is also indissolubly united to
a city. In Rev. 21;9 we read that one of the seven angels said to John, "Come
hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's Wife". And immediately following
we read, "And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven
from God". Thus, though separate, the two are intimately connected. The Bride
will dwell in the holy Jerusalem. So here in Rev. 17, though distinct, the
Whore is intimately related to the City, Babylon. One of the many proofs
related to the Harlot of Rev. 17 is apostate Israel is found in Isa. 1, where
we read, "How is the faithful city become an harlot"! (v. 21). In the verses
which follow it will be seen that the Lord of hosts is addressing Israel, and
describing conditions which will prevail in the End-time. After indicting
Israel for her sins, the Lord declares, "I will ease Me of Mine adversaries,
and avenge Me of Mine enemies". Clearly, this has reference to the Tribulation
period. Then the Lord continues, "And I will turn, Mine hand upon thee, and
purely purge away thy dross", etc., and then He adds, "Afterwards thou shalt be
called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city". How clear it is then
that God calls Israel "an harlot" for her unfaithfulness. For further proofs
see Jer. 2:20; 3:6,8; Ezek. 16:15; 20:30; 43:8, 9; Hosea 2:5, etc.
We would next call attention to some of the
scriptures which prove that there will be Israelites dwelling in Babylon and
the land of Assyria at the End-time. In Jer. 50:4-7 we read, "In those days,
and in that time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and
the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the
Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward,
saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant
that shall not be forgotten", etc. Clearly these verses treat of the closing
days of the time of "Jacob's trouble". Immediately following we read, "Remove
out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans" (v.
8). Then, in the next verse, a reason is given, showing the urgency of this
call for the faithful Jews in Babylon to come out: "For lo, I will raise and
cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north
country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she
shall be taken" (v. 9). Again, in Jer. 51:44, the Lord says, "And I will punish
Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath
swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea,
the wall of Babylon shall fall". And then follows the Call for the faithful
Jews to separate themselves from the mass of their apostate brethren in Babylon
- "My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul
from the fierce anger of the Lord". Isa. 11:11; 27:13; Micah 4:10, all show
that Israel will be intimately connected with Babylon in the End-time.
It was of incalculable help to students of the
past when they discovered that Israel is the key which unlocks prophecy, and
that the Nations are referred to only as they affect the fortunes of Jacob's
descendants. There were other mighty peoples of old besides the Egyptians and
the Chaldeans, but the holy Spirit has passed them by, because their history
had no bearing on that of the chosen Nation. The same reason explains why the
empires of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, do occupy such a prominent
notice in the book of Daniel - they were the enemies into whose hands God
delivered His wayward people. These principles have received wide recognition
by prophetic students, and therefore it is the more strange that so few have
applied them in their study of the final prophetic book. Israel is the key to
the Revelation, and the Nations are only mentioned therein as they immediately
affect Israel's fortunes. The ultimate design of the Apocalypse is not to take
notice of such men as Nero and Charlemagne and Napoleon, nor such systems as
Mohammedanism and the Papacy. Nor would so much be said about Babylon unless
this "great city" was yet to be the home of apostate Israel. After these
preliminary considerations, which though length were necessary, we are now
prepared to examine a few of the details supplied by Rev. 17 and 18. Nor can we
now do more than offer a bare outline, and even that will require a further
chapter on Rev. 18.
"And there came one of the seven angels which had
the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show
thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom
the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the
earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (Rev. 17:1,2). The
"great whore", in the final accomplishment of this prophecy, describes apostate
Israel in the End-time - i.e. Daniel's seventieth week. The figure of an
unfaithful woman to represent apostate Israel is a common one in the
Scriptures: see Jer. 2:20; 3:6; Ezek. 16:15; 20:30; 43:8,9; Hosea 2:5, etc. She
is here termed "the great whore" for two reasons: first, because (as we shall
show later) she will, at the end, worship Mammon as she never has in the past;
second, because of her idolatrous alliance with the Beast. The apostle is here
shown her "judgment". This is in contrast from what we have in Rev. 12, where
we learn that the chaste "Woman" will be preserved. That apostate Israel will
yet sit "upon many waters" ("peoples", etc., v. 15), and that the kings of the
earth will commit fornication with her, we reserve for consideration in the
next chapter.
"So he carried me away in the spirit into the
wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored Beast, full of names
of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones, and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication" (vv. 3 and 4 ). The Woman seated on the Beast does not signify
that she will rule over him, but intimates that he will support her. The
ultimate reference here is to the Devil's imitation of the Millennium, when the
Jews (even now rapidly coming into prominence) shall no longer be the tail of
the Nations, but the head. How the Devil will bring this about will appear when
we examine Rev. 18. As the result of the Beast's support (v. 3), apostate
Israel will be lifted to heights of worldly power and glory (v. 4).
"And upon her forehead was a name written,
mystery: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH" (v. 5). In a re-built Babylon will culminate the various systems of
idolatry which had their source in the first Babylon of Nimrod's day. It is in
this city that the most influential Jews will congregate at the Time of the
End. From there, Jewish financiers will control the governments of earth. That
apostate Israel, in Babylon, should be clothed in "purple and scarlet" (emblems
of royalty and earthly glory) before the Kingdom of Messiah is set up, was
indeed a "mystery" (secret) disclosed by none of the Prophets, but now made
known in the Revelation.
"And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of
the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I
wondered with a great wonder" (v. 6, R.V.) The final reference is, again, to
apostate Israel in the End-time. The most relentless enemies of the godly Jews
will be their own apostate brethren - cf our notes on Luke 18 in chapter 9. The
second half of v. 6, correctly rendered in the R.V., "And when I saw her I
wondered with a great wonder", ought to show us that it is not Romanism which
is here in view. Why should John, who was himself then suffering from the
hatred of Rom (Pagan) wonder at Rome (Papal) being clothed with governmental
power and glory, and drunken with the blood of saints? But that the kings of
the earth (her worst enemies for three thousand years) should commit
fornication with Israel, and that the apostate portion of the Nation should be
drunken with the blood of their own brethren according to the flesh, was well
calculated to fill him with amazement.
"And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou
marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the Beast that
carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns" (v. 7). It should be
noted that in the interpretation which follows, far more is said about "the
Beast" than about "the Woman". We believe the chief reason for this is because
the 18th verse tells us the Woman represents "that great city, which reigneth
over the kings of the earth", and the City receives fuller notice in the
chapter that follows - Rev. 18.
"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The
seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are
seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and
when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the Beast that was, and is
not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition" (vv.
9-11). Here is the mind which hath wisdom (v. 9): "This repetition of 13:18
identifies and connects these two chapters. The word rendered "mind" in 17:9
and `understanding' in 13:18 is the same. This `wisdom' is, to understand that,
though a "Beast" is seen in the vision, it is not a wild beast that is meant,
but one great final super-human personality; namely, a man energized by satanic
power" (Dr. E.W. Bullinger).
The 9th verse should end with the word "wisdom":
what follows belongs to v. 10. The R.V., which in this verse follows a number
of reliable translations, renders thus: "The seven heads are seven mountains,
on which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings". This at once disposes of
the popular interpretation which regards these seven mountains s referring to
the seven hills on which the city of Rome was built. The Holy Spirit expressly
tells us that the seven mountains are (represent) seven kings. Of these seven
kings it is said, "five are fallen, and one is (i.e. the sixth existed when
John wrote the Apocalypse), and the other (the seventh) is yet to come: he must
continue a short space". And then in v. 11 we read, "And the Beast that was,
and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is of the seven, and he goeth into
perdition". Upon those verses we cannot do better than give extracts from Mr.
Newton's "Thoughts on the Apocalypse".
"This passage is evidently intended to direct our
thoughts to the various forms of executive government or kingship which have
existed, or shall exist in the prophetic earth, until the hour when the
sovereignty of the world shall become the sovereignty of the Lord and of His
Christ. We might expect to find such a reference in a chapter which professedly
treats of him who is to close the history of human government by the
introduction of a new and marvellous form of power - a form new as to its mode
of administration and development, yet not unconnected with the past, for it
will be constructed upon principles drawn from the experience of preceding
ages, and will have the foundations of its greatness laid by the primeval
efforts of mankind. He will be the eighth; but he is of (ek) the seven.
"The native energy and intrepidity of him who is
said to have been a mighty hunter before the Lord - an energy essential to men
who were setting in a forlorn and unsubdued earth, surrounded by beasts of the
forest and countless other difficulties and dangers, very naturally gave the
first form to kingship, and hence its parentage may be said to spring. "The
beginning of his kingdom was Babel". The supremacy of Nimrod was not derived
from any previously existing system. He neither inherited his power from
others, nor did he, like Nebuchadnezzar afterwards, receive it as a gift from
God. He earned it for himself, by the force of his own individual character -
but it was without God. Great progress was made in the kingdom which he founded
in the land of Shinar, in civilization and refinement; for we early read of the
godly Babylonish garment, and of the s kill and learning of the Chaldees; but
their domination was repressed and kept, as it were, in abeyance by the hand of
God, until the trial of Israel, His people, had been fully made, that it might
be seen whether they would prove themselves worthy of supremacy in the
earth.
"The form of government in Israel was a
theocracy; as was seen in the reigns of David and Solomon, who were types
(imperfect types indeed) of Him that is to come. The monarch was independent of
and uncontrolled by those whom he governed, but he was dependent upon God, who
dwelt in the temple, ever near to be consulted, and whose law was given as the
final standard of appeal. He stood between God and the people, not to be their
functionary and slave - not to be the expression of their judgments, and the
reflection of their will; but as set over them by principles which he himself
had received from above. But the possession of power like this, held in
companionship with God, required a holiness that was not found in man in the
flesh, and therefore it was soon forfeited. Divine sanction, however, has many
times since been coveted, and the name of `the Lord's anointed' assumed. The
last great king of the Gentiles, indeed, will do more than this, for he will
take the place of Divinity itself, and sit upon the mount of the congregation
on the sides of the north, saying he is like the Most High. But all this is
unauthorized assumption.
"The third form is developed when the Gentile
dynasty was formally constituted by God in the person of Nebuchadnezzar. He,
like the monarchs of Israel, had absolute sovereignty granted to him - but God
was not with him in it. He and his successors received it as delegated power to
be exercised according to their own pleasure, though in final responsibility to
God. It is not necessary here to pursue the painful history of the Gentiles. It
is sufficient to say, as regards the history of power, that the Gentile
monarchs from the beginning, not knowing God so as to lean upon Him, and too
weak to stand alone; exposed to the jealousy and hatred of those whom they
governed - a jealousy not unfrequently earned by their own evil, found it
necessary to lean upon something inferior to themselves: and thus the character
of power has been deteriorated from age to age, until at last the monarchy of
these latter days has consented not only to own the people as the basis and
source of its power, but has also submitted to be directed in the exercise of
that power by given rules prescribed by its subjects.
"The native monarchy of Nimrod, the theocracy of
Israel, the despotic authority of Nebuchadnezzar, the aristocratic monarchy of
Persia, and the military monarchy of Alexander and his successors, had all
passed away when John beheld this vision. All these methods had been tried -
none had been found to answer even the purposes of man; and now another had
arisen, the half military, half popular monarchy of the Caesars, - the iron
empire of Rome. `Five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come;
and when he cometh he must continue a little space".
"That other (though it cannot yet be said to have
come so as to fulfill this verse)[10] (we are
rather inclined to believe that the "seventh" is commercialism, that is, the
moneyed-interests in control - A.W.P.) and, with one brief exception, the last
form that is to be exhibited before the end shall come, and it is under this
form that the system of Babylon is matured. It is obvious that a monarchy,
guided not by the people numerically, but by certain classes of the people, and
those classes determined by the possession of property, must be the form
adapted for the accumulation of wealth, and the growth of commercial power; for
it gives (which pure democracy has ever failed to do), the best security fro
property without unduly fettering the liberty of individual enterprise".
For lack of space we are obliged to pass over the
intervening verses now, and in closing this chapter we offer a brief word on v.
18. "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over
the kings of the earth". This verse tells us that the Whore represents a City.
This city is named in 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2; 10, 21; and it is surely
significant that it is thus named in the Apocalypse six times - the number of
man; whereas the new Jerusalem is referred to three times (3:12; 21:2; 10) the
Divine number. Babylon, must therefore be understood literally, otherwise we
should have the anomaly of a figure representing a figure. But from the very
fact that we are here told the Woman represents the City, we learn that she is
not literal, but figurative. In the next chapter we shall further review Rev.
17 and offer some comments on Rev. 18.
[8] A book of intense interest for the
antiquarian, but dull and wearisome for the average reader.
[9] He that hath the Bride (John 3:29), spoken
by John the Baptist - the "friend of the Bridegroom" - demonstrates that "the
Bride" was in view during our Lord's ministry unto the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. The believing Remnant who "received" Him, form the nucleus and were
representative of redeemed Israel, millennial Israel, the Bride of the Lamb.
[10] It will not have come in the sense of this
verse, until it pervades the Roman world. When all the ten kingdoms have been
constitutionalized, it may be said to have come.