CHAPTER XVIII. _A luminous angel proclaims the fall of Babylon, and the cause_ _of it_, 1-3. _The followers of God are exhorted to come out of it, in order_ _to escape her approaching punishment_, 4-8. _The kings of the earth lament her fate_, 9, 10. _The merchants also bewail her_, 11. _The... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:2. _BABYLON THE GREAT IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN_] This is a quotation from Isaiah 21:9: _And he said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven_ _images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground_. This is applied by some to Rome _pagan_; by others to Rome _papal_; and by other... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:3. _THE WINE OF THE WRATH_] The punishment due to her transgressions, because they have partaken with her in her sins. Revelation 14:8, Revelation 14:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:4. _COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE_] These words appear to be taken from Isaiah 48:20; Jeremiah 1:8; Jeremiah 51:6; Jeremiah 51:45. The poet Mantuanus expresses this thought well:- _Vivere qui sancte cupitis_, discelite; Romae _Omnia quum liceant, non licet esse bonum._ "Ye who d... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:5. _HER SINS HAVE REACHED UNTO HEAVEN_] They are become so great and enormous that the long-suffering of God must give place to his justice.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:6. _REWARD HER EVEN AS SHE REWARDED YOU_] These words are a prophetic declaration of what shall take place: God will deal with her as she dealt with others.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:7. _HOW MUCH SHE HATH GLORIFIED HERSELF_] By every act of transgression and sinful pampering of the body she has been preparing for herself a suitable and proportionate punishment.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:8. _THEREFORE SHALL HER PLAGUES COME_] _Death_, by the sword of her adversaries; _mourning_ on account of the slaughter; and _famine_, the fruits of the field being destroyed by the hostile bands. _UTTERLY BURNED WITH FIRE_] Of what _city_ is this spoken? Rome _pagan_ has never... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:9. _THE KINGS OF THE EARTH_] Those who copied her superstitions and adopted her idolatries.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:10. _STANDING AFAR OFF_] Beholding her desolations with wonder and astonishment, utterly unable to afford her any kind of assistance.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:11. _THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH_] These are represented as mourning over her, because their traffic with her was at an end. _Bishop Bale_, who applies all these things to the Church of Rome, thus paraphrases the principal passages:- "The mighty _kinges_ and potentates _of the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:12. _THE MERCHANDISE OF GOLD, AND SILVER_, c.] The same author, _Bishop Bale_, who was once a priest of the Romish Church, goes on to apply all these things to that Church and whether the text have this meaning or not, they will show us something of the religious usages of his ti... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:13. _AND CINNAMON_] "By the sinamon is ment all maner of costly spyces, wherewith they bury their byshops and founders, lest they shoulde stinke when they translate them agayne to make them saintes for advauntage. "By the smellynge _odours_, the swete herbes that they strewe abr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:14. _AND THE FRUITS THAT THY SOUL LUSTED AFTER._] και ἡ οπωρα της επιθυμιας της ψυχης σου. As οπωρα signifies _autumn_, any and all kinds of _autumnal fruits_ may be signified by the word in the above clause. _DAINTY AND GOODLY_] τα λιπαρα _Delicacies_ for the _table_. τα λαμπρ... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:15. _STAND AFAR OFF_] See Revelation 18:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:16. _CLOTHED IN FINE LINEN, AND PURPLE_, c.] The verb περιβαλλεσθαι, which we here translate _clothed_, signifies often _to abound, be enriched, laden with_, and is so used by the best Greek writers see many examples in _Kypke_. These articles are not to be considered here as _pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:17. _EVERY SHIPMASTER_] Captains of vessels; some think _pilots_ are meant, and this is most likely to be the meaning of the original word κυβερνητης. This description appears to be at least partly taken from Ezekiel 27:26. _AND ALL THE COMPANY IN SHIPS_] Και πας επι των πλοιων... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:18. _WHAT_ CITY IS _LIKE UNTO THIS GREAT CITY!_] Viz. in magnitude, power, and luxury.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:19. _THEY CAST DUST ON THEIR HEADS_] They showed every sign of the sincerest grief. The lamentation over this great ruined city, Revelation 18:9, is exceedingly strong and well drawn. Here is no dissembled sorrow; all is real to the mourners, and affecting to the spectators.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:20. _REJOICE OVER HER_, THOU _HEAVEN_] This is grand and sublime; the fall of this bad city was cause of grief to bad men. But as this city was a _persecutor of the godly_, and an _enemy to_ _the works of God_, angels, apostles, and prophets are called to rejoice over her fall.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:21. _THUS WITH VIOLENCE SHALL THAT GREAT CITY BABYLON BE_ _THROWN DOWN_] This action is finely and forcibly expressed by the original words: Οὑτως ὁρμηματι βληθησεται Βαβυλων ἡ μεγαλη πολις. The millstone will in falling have not only an accelerated force from the law of gravi... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:22. _THE VOICE OF HARPERS_, c.] This seems to indicate not only a total destruction of influence, c., but also of _being_. It seems as if this city was to be _swallowed up by an earthquake_, or _burnt up by fire from heaven_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _BY THY SORCERIES_] Political arts, state tricks, counterfeit miracles, and deceptive manoeuvres of every kind. This may be spoken of many great cities of the world, which still continue to flourish!... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Revelation 18:24. _IN HER WAS FOUND THE BLOOD OF PROPHETS_, c.] She was the persecutor and murderer of prophets and of righteous men. _AND OF ALL THAT WERE SLAIN UPON THE EARTH._] This refers to her _counsels_ and _influence_, exciting other nations and people to persecute and destroy the rea... [ Continue Reading ]