Revelation 17:8

was, and is not On the whole, ancient tradition where it speaks, and modern criticism, agree in the interpretation of these words. Nero, who killed himself in June a.d. 68, "had been, and was not" at the date of this vision: but his reappearance was looked for by many, with various feelings of hope and fear. "When his dethronement and execution were imminent, it was said that he had talked of going to the East, and establishing his throne at Jerusalem (see on Revelation 11:9): while one form (see on Revelation 16:12) of the belief that he survived, was that he had fled to the Parthians, and would return under their protection.

Now St John is not to be held responsible for all the opinions, superstitious or at least irrational, that were held by his pagan contemporaries about the return of Nero from the East. But when we find that the belief in Nero's destined return was held by Christians for the next four centuries, if not longer, when it had quite passed out of the minds of pagans, it becomes probable that St John wasanswerable for theirbelief; at any rate, they grounded it on his words. And it is possible that he means to tell us, that the Antichrist who is to come will actually be Nero risen from the dead (we notice, that in the words of the text his death, the reality of which is historically certain, is not denied, but affirmed): more probably, Antichrist will be a new Nero in the same way as he will be a new Antiochus, an enemy of God as they were, typified by them inasmuch as they were actuated by his spirit. It is needless to suppose with M. Renan that Nero is called "the Beast" in allusion to a loathsome atrocity said to be committed by him disguised as one: the analogy of Daniel 7 is what determines the image.

shall ascend out of the bottomless pit Revelation 11:7, where see note. Perhaps there is a distinction between the appearance of the Beast indicated here and that of Revelation 13:1. The persecuting Roman Empire, which was antichristian in posse, arose "out of the sea" like other Empires of the earth (Daniel 7:3), out of the confused and often sinful, but not infra-natural, turmoil of the life of this world. But the finaland developedantichristian and persecuting power, the Empire of Antichrist himself, will have a directly infernal source.

go into perdition So Rev 17:11: cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:3. The fulfilment of this threat is indicated in Revelation 19:20.

shall wonder Revelation 13:3-4.

whose names were not written Revelation 13:8. We should almost certainly read, are [or is] not written, as there: and probably name for "names."

that was Read, that he was.

and yet is Read, and shall come: lit. shall be here: the word is cognate with that ordinarily used of the Comingof Christ.