mh_parser/vol_split/66 - Revelation/Chapter 17.xml

<div2 id="Rev.xviii" n="xviii" next="Rev.xix" prev="Rev.xvii" progress="98.71%" title="Chapter XVII">
<h2 id="Rev.xviii-p0.1">R E V E L A T I O N.</h2>
<h3 id="Rev.xviii-p0.2">CHAP. XVII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Rev.xviii-p1">This chapter contains another representation of
those things that had been revealed before concerning the
wickedness and ruin of antichrist. This antichrist had been before
represented as a beast, and is now described as a great whore. And
here, I. The apostle is invited to see this vile woman, <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.1-Rev.17.2" parsed="|Rev|17|1|17|2" passage="Re 17:1,2">ver. 1, 2</scripRef>. II. He tells us what an
appearance she made, <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.3-Rev.17.6" parsed="|Rev|17|3|17|6" passage="Re 17:3-6">ver.
3-6</scripRef>. III. The mystery of it is explained to him,
<scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.7-Rev.17.12" parsed="|Rev|17|7|17|12" passage="Re 17:7-12">ver. 7-12</scripRef>. And, IV. Her
ruin foretold, <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.13-Rev.17.18" parsed="|Rev|17|13|17|18" passage="Re 17:13-18">ver. 13</scripRef>,
&amp;c.</p>
<scripCom id="Rev.xviii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17" parsed="|Rev|17|0|0|0" passage="Re 17" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Rev.xviii-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.1-Rev.17.6" parsed="|Rev|17|1|17|6" passage="Re 17:1-6" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.17.1-Rev.17.6">
<h4 id="Rev.xviii-p1.7">The Fall of Babylon. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xviii-p1.8">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xviii-p2">1 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 unto thee the judgment of the great whore that
sitteth upon many waters:   2 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.   3 So he
carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a
woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.   4 And the woman
was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and
precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of
abominations and filthiness of her fornication:   5 And upon
her forehead <i>was</i> a name written, <span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xviii-p2.1">Mystery</span>, <span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xviii-p2.2">Babylon the
great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth</span>.
  6 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 great admiration.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p3">Here we have a new vision, not as to the
matter of it, for that is contemporary with what came under the
three last vials; but as to the manner of description, &amp;c.
Observe, 1. The invitation given to the apostle to take a view of
what was here to be represented: <i>Come hither, and I will show
thee the judgment of the great whore,</i> &amp;c., <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.1" parsed="|Rev|17|1|0|0" passage="Re 17:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. This is a name of great
infamy. A whore [in this passage] is one that is married, and has
been false to her husband's bed, has forsaken the guide of her
youth, and broken the covenant of God. She had been a prostitute to
the kings of the earth, whom she had intoxicated <i>with the wine
of her fornication.</i> 2. The appearance she made: it was gay and
gaudy, like such sort of creatures: <i>She was arrayed in purple,
and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and
pearls,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.4" parsed="|Rev|17|4|0|0" passage="Re 17:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>.
Here were all the allurements of worldly honour and riches, pomp
and pride, suited to sensual and worldly minds. 3. Her principal
seat and residence—<i>upon the beast that had seven heads and ten
horns;</i> that is to say, Rome, the city on seven hills, infamous
for idolatry, tyranny, and blasphemy. 4. Her name, which <i>was
written on her forehead.</i> It was the custom of impudent harlots
to hang out signs, with their names, that all might know what they
were. Now in this observe, (1.) She is named from her place of
residence—<i>Babylon the great.</i> But, that we might not take it
for the old Babylon literally so called, we are told there is a
mystery in the name; it is some other great city resembling the old
Babylon. (2.) She is named from her infamous way and practice; not
only a harlot, but a mother of harlots, breeding up harlots, and
nursing and training them up to idolatry, and all sorts of lewdness
and wickedness—the parent and nurse of all false religion and
filthy conversation. 5. Her diet: she satiated herself with <i>the
blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus.</i> She drank their blood
with such greediness that she intoxicated herself with it; it was
so pleasant to her that she could not tell when she had had enough
of it: she was satiated, but never satisfied.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Rev.xviii-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.7-Rev.17.13" parsed="|Rev|17|7|17|13" passage="Re 17:7-13" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.17.7-Rev.17.13">
<h4 id="Rev.xviii-p3.4">The Fall of Babylon. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xviii-p3.5">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xviii-p4">7 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.
  8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they
that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they
behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.   9 And
here <i>is</i> the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.   10 And there
are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, <i>and</i> the other
is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space.   11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.   12
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast.   13 These have one mind, and shall give their
power and strength unto the beast.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p5">Here we have the mystery of this vision
explained. The apostle wonders at the sight of this woman: the
angel undertakes to open this vision to him, it being the key of
the former visions; and he tells the apostle what was meant by the
beast on which the woman sat; but it is so explained as still to
need further explanation. 1. This beast <i>was, and is not, and yet
is;</i> that is, it <i>was</i> a seat of idolatry and persecution;
<i>and is not,</i> that is, not in the ancient form, which was
pagan; <i>and yet it is,</i> it is truly the seat of idolatry and
tyranny, though of another sort and form. <i>It ascends out of the
bottomless pit</i> (idolatry and cruelty are the issue and product
of hell), and it shall return thither and go into perdition. 2.
<i>This beast has seven heads,</i> which have a double
signification. (1.) <i>Seven mountains</i>—the seven hills on
which Rome stands; and (2.) <i>Seven kings</i>—seven sorts of
government. Rome was governed by kings, consuls, tribunes,
decemviri, dictators, emperors who were pagan, and emperors who
were Christian. Five of these were extinct when this prophecy was
written; one was then in being, that is, the pagan emperor; and the
other, that is, the Christian emperor, was yet to come, <scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.10" parsed="|Rev|17|10|0|0" passage="Re 17:10"><i>v.</i> 10</scripRef>. This beast, the papacy,
makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again. 3. This beast
had ten horns; which are said to be <i>ten kings which have as yet
received no kingdoms; as yet,</i> that is, as some, shall not rise
up till the Roman empire be broken in pieces; or, as others, shall
not rise up till near the end of antichrist's reign, and so shall
reign but as it were <i>one hour with her,</i> but shall for that
time be very unanimous and very zealous in that interest, and
entirely devoted to it, divesting themselves of their prerogatives
and revenues (things so dear to princes), out of an unaccountable
fondness for the papacy.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Rev.xviii-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.14-Rev.17.18" parsed="|Rev|17|14|17|18" passage="Re 17:14-18" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.17.14-Rev.17.18">
<h4 id="Rev.xviii-p5.3">The Fall of Babylon. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xviii-p5.4">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xviii-p6">14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the
Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of
kings: and they that are with him <i>are</i> called, and chosen,
and faithful.   15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou
sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and
nations, and tongues.   16 And the ten horns which thou sawest
upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her
desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with
fire.   17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his
will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until
the words of God shall be fulfilled.   18 And the woman which
thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of
the earth.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p7">Here we have some account of the downfall
of Babylon, to be more fully described in the following
chapter.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p8">I. Here is a war begun between the beast
and his followers, and the Lamb and his followers. The beast and
his army, to an eye of sense, appear much stronger than the Lamb
and his army: one would think an army with a lamb at the head of
them could not stand before <i>the great red dragon.</i> But,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p9">II. Here is a victory gained by the Lamb:
<i>The Lamb shall overcome.</i> Christ must reign till all enemies
<i>be put under his feet;</i> he will be sure to meet with many
enemies, and much opposition, but he will also be sure to gain the
victory.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p10">III. Here is the ground or reason of the
victory assigned; and this is taken, 1. From the character of the
Lamb: <i>He is King of kings and Lord of lords.</i> He has, both by
nature and by office, supreme dominion and power over all things;
all the powers of earth and hell are subject to his check and
control. 2. From the character of his followers: <i>They are
called, and chosen, and faithful.</i> They are called out by
commission to this warfare; they are chosen and fitted for it, and
they will be faithful in it. Such an army, under such a commander,
will at length carry all the world before them.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xviii-p11">IV. The victory is justly aggrandized. 1.
By the vast multitude who paid obedience and subjection to the
beast and to the whore. She sat upon (that is, presided over) many
waters; and these waters were so many multitudes of people, and
nations, of all languages; yea, she reigned not only over kingdoms,
but over the kings, and they were her tributaries and vassals,
<scripRef id="Rev.xviii-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.15 Bible:Rev.17.18" parsed="|Rev|17|15|0|0;|Rev|17|18|0|0" passage="Re 17:15,18"><i>v.</i> 15, 18</scripRef>. 2. By
the powerful influence which God hereby showed he had over the
minds of great men. Their hearts were in his hand, and he turned
them as he pleased; for, (1.) It was of God, and to fulfil his
will, that these kings <i>agreed to give their kingdom unto the
beast;</i> they were judicially blinded and hardened to do so. And,
(2.) It was of God that afterwards their hearts were turned against
the whore, to hate her, and to <i>make her desolate and naked, and
to eat her flesh, and burn her with fire;</i> they shall at length
see their folly, and how they have been bewitched and enslaved by
the papacy, and, out of a just resentment, shall not only fall off
from Rome, but shall be made the instruments of God's providence in
her destruction.</p>
</div></div2>