CHAPTER XVII. _The judgment of the great whore, which sits on many waters_, 1, 2. _Her description, name, and conduct_, 3-6. _The angel explains the mystery of the woman, of the beast, c._, 7-18. This chapter is, on several accounts, very important, and particularly as it appears to explain s... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:2. _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._] What an awful picture this is of the state of the religion of the world in subjection to this whore! Kings have committed... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:3. _SO HE CARRIED ME AWAY IN THE SPIRIT INTO THE_ _WILDERNESS_] This wilderness into which the apostle was carried is the desolate state of the true Church of Christ, in one of the wings of the once mighty Roman empire. It was a truly awful sight, a terrible desert, a waste howli... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:4. _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_] This strikingly represents the most pompous and costly manner in which... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:5. _AND UPON HER FOREHEAD WAS A NAME WRITTEN, MYSTERY,_ _BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE_ _EARTH__._] This inscription being written upon her forehead is intended to show that she is not ashamed of her doctrines, but publicly professes and glori... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:6. _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__._] How exactly the cruelties exercised by the Latin Church against all it has denominated heretics correspond with... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:7. _AND THE ANGEL SAID UNTO ME, WHEREFORE DIDST THOU_ _MARVEL! I WILL TELL THEE THE MYSTERY OF THE WOMAN, AND OF THE_ _BEAST THAT CARRIED HER, WHICH HATH THE SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS__._] The apostle was greatly astonished, as well he might be, at the woman's being _drunk with t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:8. _THE BEAST THAT THOU SAWEST WAS, AND IS NOT; AND SHALL_ _ASCEND OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT, AND GO INTO PERDITION_] The beast is the Latin kingdom; (ηλατινηβασιλεια;) consequently the beast _was_, that is, was in existence previously to the time of St. John; (for Latinus was th... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:9. _HERE IS THE MIND WHICH HATH WISDOM._] It was said before, Revelation 13:18, _Here is wisdom. Let him that hath A MIND, or understanding_, (νουν,) _count the number of the beast_. Wisdom, therefore, here means a correct view of what is intended by the number 666; consequently... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:10. _AND THERE ARE SEVEN KINGS_] καιβασιλειςεπταεισιν _They are also seven kings_. Before, it was said, _they are seven_ _mountains_; here, _they are also seven kings_, which is a demonstration that _kingdoms_ are not here meant by _mountains_: and this is a farther argument tha... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:11. _AND THE BEAST, THAT WAS, AND IS NOT, EVEN HE IS THE_ _EIGHTH, AND IS OF THE SEVEN, AND GOETH INTO PERDITION._] That is to say, the Latin kingdom that has already been, but is now no longer nominally in existence, shall immediately follow the dissolution of the seventh form... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:12. _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._] The meaning of _horns_ has already been defined when speaking of those of the dragon. The meaning is therefore as follows: Tho... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:13. _THESE HAVE ONE MIND, AND SHALL GIVE THEIR POWER AND_ _STRENGTH UNTO THE BEAST__._] Therefore the ten horns must constitute the principal strength of the Latin empire; that is to say, this empire is to be composed of the dominions of ten monarchs independent of each other in... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:14. _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_ ARE _CALLED, AND CHOSEN, AND, FAITHFUL__._] The ten powers of the beast must compose the secular kingdom of antichrist, for they... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:15. _AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, THE WATERS WHICH THOU SAWEST,_ _WHERE THE WHORE SITTETH, ARE PEOPLES, AND MULTITUDES, AND NATIONS,_ _AND TONGUES._] "So many words," Bishop Newton observes, "in the plural number, fitly denote the great extensiveness of her power and jurisdiction. She h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:16. _AND THE TEN HORNS WHICH THOU SOWEST 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._] Here is a clue to lead us to the right interpretation of _the horns_ of the beast. It is said the _T... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:17. _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._] Let no one imagine that these ten Latin kingdoms, because they support an idolatrous worship, have been raised up merel... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 17:18. _AND THE WOMAN WHICH THOU SAWEST IS THAT GREAT CITY,_ _which reigneth over the kings of the earth._] It has already been shown that the woman sitting upon the seven-headed beast is a representation of the Latin Church; here we have the greatest assurance that it is so, becau... [ Continue Reading ]