REVELATION CHAPTER 17 REVELATION 17:1 John's vision of the great whore, sitting upon the scarlet coloured beast, arrayed in purple and scarlet, with a golden cup in her hand. REVELATION 17:5 Her name. REVELATION 17:6 She is drunken with the blood of saints. REVELATION 17:7 The interpretation of the... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH WHOM THE KINGS OF THE EARTH HAVE COMMITTED FORNICATION; with which _great whore_ several princes of the world have committed spiritual fornication, receiving her idolatrous worship, yielding to her authority, and following her example. AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH HAVE BEEN MADE DRUNK WITH,... [ Continue Reading ]
SO HE CARRIED ME AWAY IN THE SPIRIT; that is, being in _an ecstasy; _ see REVELATION 4:2; whether in the body or out of the body he could not tell, as Paul expresseth it, 2 CORINTHIANS 12:2. INTO THE WILDERNESS; a place not, or not much, inhabited, either as fittest for contemplation. or to signify... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMAN WAS ARRAYED IN A PURPLE AND SCARLET COLOUR; _purple_ was the colour of kings and princes: this _woman,_ REVELATION 18:7, said she was _queen._ SCARLET also was a rich and noble colour, anciently most used in a time of war. How much it is in use with the pope and his cardinals, is suffi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND UPON HER FOREHEAD WAS A NAME WRITTEN; as public harlots were wont to write their names, some upon the fronts of their houses, some upon their foreheads: it denotes the open guilt and impudence of this spiritual harlot. MYSTERY; that is, there is a mystery in what follows in her name. BABYLON THE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW THE WOMAN, the papacy, DRUNKEN WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS, AND WITH THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS OF JESUS; filled with the blood of those holy ones, which she caused to be slain for bearing testimony to Jesus Christ. AND WHEN I SAW HER, I WONDERED WITH GREAT ADMIRATION; which he would not ha... [ Continue Reading ]
The angel promiseth to open this vision, it being the key of the former vision, and is the only vision expounded throughout this whole book.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BEAST THAT THOU SAWEST; this beast was the Roman empire, the _scarlet coloured beast_ which carried the whore, REVELATION 17:3. WAS, AND IS NOT; _was_ of old, in Rome's pagan state, and _is not, _ not in that form, not now pagan; AND YET IS (as is said in the close of the verse) the same in anot... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HERE IS THE MIND WHICH HATH WISDOM; that is, here is that which requireth a mind endued with spiritual wisdom. THE SEVEN HEADS ARE SEVEN MOUNTAINS, ON WHICH THE WOMAN SITTETH; the _seven heads_ which he saw the beast with, signified _seven mountains_ or hills upon which Rome is situated; they we... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE ARE SEVEN KINGS; the _seven heads_ do not only signify seven hills or mountains, but also _seven kings, _ that is, (according to the best interpretation I meet with), seven forms of government which ruled Rome; the term _kings, _ it Scripture, signifying rulers, whether the government was... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE BEAST THAT WAS, AND IS NOT, EVEN HE IS THE EIGHTH; this made the eighth succession of governments in the Roman empire. AND IS OF THE SEVEN; this was of the seventh head; for although this was the eighth government in order as we have counted them, yet one of these, viz. the seventh, (which w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE TEN HORNS WHICH THOU SAWEST ARE TEN KINGS: possibly by _ten kings_ here are not meant monarchs, but governments. WHICH HAVE RECEIVED NO KINGDOM AS YET; which were not in being in John's time, nor in many years after. BUT RECEIVE POWER AS KINGS ONE HOUR WITH THE BEAST; but should, during some... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall all be papists, and for a while shall employ all their power and strength to uphold the popish religion.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE SHALL MAKE WAR WITH THE LAMB; these ten kings shall a while oppose themselves to the gospel, taking part with antichrist. AND THE LAMB SHALL OVERCOME THEM; Christ shall overcome them by the power of is gospel, or some of them that way; others, that will not be converted, shall be confounded, s... [ Continue Reading ]
John saw _the great whore_ sitting upon _seven mountains,_ REVELATION 17:9, and _upon many waters,_ REVELATION 17:1; these signified her dominion and jurisdiction over many people.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE TEN HORNS WHICH THOU SAWEST UPON THE BEAST: see REVELATION 17:3,12. THESE SHALL HATE THE WHORE, &C.; the ten kings shall apostatize from the papacy, and be great instruments of God to ruin it. When we see some other kingdoms, now in vassalage to the pope, do as much as hath been done in Engl... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR GOD HATH PUT IN THEIR HEARTS TO FULFIL HIS WILL; that is, what he hath determined shall be done; not what he commandeth men to do, or approveth their doing of; his permissive will. AND TO AGREE, AND GIVE THEIR KINGDOM UNTO THE BEAST; for God puts malice against himself and his Son into the heart... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMAN WHICH THOU SAWEST: see REVELATION 17:3. IS THAT GREAT CITY; that is, signifieth that great city, _Babylon the great:_ see REVELATION 17:5. WHICH REIGNETH OVER THE KINGS OF THE EARTH, commanding and punishing them as she pleaseth. To what person or power that either now is, or ever was,... [ Continue Reading ]