SECTION FOUR BABYLON AND HER FALL MORE FULLY Revelation 17:1 to 19:21 1. THE CHURCH THE "MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS" Revelation 17:1-6 1 And there came one of the seven angels that had the seven bowls, and spake with me,--The angel here being one of the seven whose work is described in the preceding chapter identifies this further revelation as directly connected with that in some way.. As the three chapters of this section describe the fall and desolation of Babylon in detail, the only conclusion that seems appropriate is that they explain what was said to have occurred when the seventh angel poured out the seventh plague. (Revelation 16:17-21.) It may, therefore, be considered an extended symbolic view of what will take place when the last plague falls upon men. The language is in the past tense, but the incidents were then future--will not happen till Jesus comes again. Another example of the "prophetic past." saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; --The words "Come hither" represent one Greek word--an adverb; the meaning is that John was to give attention while he was shown the judgment that was to be inflicted upon the apostate church, here represented as a great harlot. In verse 15 the "many waters" are explained to be "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Since the apostate church is also called "Babylon the great," the image may have been drawn from the fact that the ancient city was situated upon the Euphrates and encompassed with many canals. (Jeremiah 51:13.) These waters sustained the city; the city controlled the waters. In like manner the nations supported the apostate church, and the papacy ruled the nations. 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication.--A pure woman is a symbol of the true church--God's faithful people--as the following texts will show: Galatians 4:22-26; Ephesians 5:22-24; Ephesians 5:31-33. An obedient wife to a loving husband is Paul's figurative description of the church as being true to Christ her head. An unfaithful wife typically represents an apostate church--those once God's people, but who have corrupted themselves with idolatry and human doctrines. The kingdoms of Israel and Judah were both called a backsliding people, and charged with having "committed adultery with stones and with stocks." (Jeremiah 36-10; Ezekiel 23:37.) Because of their idolatry God allowed both kingdoms to be carried into bondage. The reason for the final rejection of the corrupt church is its idolatry and perversion of the truth. It is appropriately described, like the same sin among ancient Israel, as harlotry. This horrid sin is the disgusting symbol by which unfaithfulness to God is presented. Expositors generally agree that the word in the Bible refers to doctrinal corruption in most of its occurrences. Kings here, doubtless, are to be taken literally, meaning that the rulers, representing the nations, were influenced and made the mediums through whom the perpetuation of these false doctrines could be made effective. To "commit fornication" means to practice the false teachings, and such people were affected by these practices as a drunk man is by wine. Intoxication by false doctrines is more deadly than that by wine. It not only dulls the senses, but closes one's eyes to the truth. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness --In a vision the great city's fall (16:19) is now to be explained, and a change of scene is necessary. By the Spirit John's mind was transported to other symbols which give a detailed description of that fall. The event, of course, was future when John wrote, and is still future. Why these visions appeared in a wilderness is not stated. That the word wilderness, if any symbolic significance is intended, indicates the desolation that was to come upon the city seems the most probable view. and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. --Unquestionably this woman is to be contrasted with the woman of 12:1. The true and false churches are described by a variety of symbols. The former is called a temple, a city (Jerusalem), a household, a kingdom, and a true and pure wife. (1 Corinthians 3:16; Hebrews 12:22; Galatians 6:10; Matthew 16:18 ; Ephesians 5:22-32.) The latter John pictures as a beast, a city (Babylon), and an impure and faithless wife. (Revelation 13:11; Revelation 18:2; Revelation 17:5). A drunken harlot with all the abominable wickedness that goes with such crimes is the disgusting view here given of the apostate church. John sees the woman sitting "upon many waters" (verse 1), and "upon a scarlet-colored beast" (verse 3). These are two views of the same woman. See next paragraph for an explanation of the beast. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls,--Scarlet color is a significant characteristic of royal apparel; rich jewels of gold, pearls, and precious stones are the natural adornment of earthly rulers. When enemies wished to ridicule the claim of Jesus that he was a king, they placed a scarlet robe upon him. (Matthew 27:28.) Some think the red color in this symbol finds fulfillment in the Catholic Church's use of it in such things as the cardinal's red hats. Perhaps the harlot being so gorgeously decked and robed was only intended to indicate her claim of royal authority--the divine right to rule the world. No picture could more appropriately portray her false claim, for the dignitaries of no other church have been so gorgeously arrayed and richly decked. having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication,--John sees the symbolic woman with a golden cup in her hand, which means she was appealing to all to drink of its contents. This is a figurative expression that means the apostate church was using every device possible to get all men to practice her false doctrines. The cup contained corrupt and false teaching, fittingly represented by harlotry, and was therefore an abomination to God. The text calls them "unclean things," comparable to the unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband. There could be no stronger condemnation of a corrupt and perverted worship than such pretended honor to God. 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE OF THE EARTH.--The name written upon the forehead could be distinctly seen, and it enabled John to understand the character of the woman instantly. Doubtless the reason for its appearing in the symbol was to prevent anyone's misunderstanding the corrupt institution represented. Expositors are not agreed about the import of the word "Mystery." Some consider it a part of the name; others think it an introductory word by John himself, meaning that a mysterious name was written. This would imply that the name was to be taken figuratively --literal Babylon being taken symbolically to represent spiritual Babylon, the apostate Roman Church. In either view the true meaning would have to be found by learning the import of the symbol. Concerning ancient Babylon Jeremiah said: "Babylon bath been a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad." (Jeremiah 51:7.) God permitted Babylon t o punish Israel because of their sins, but promised that Babylon would be destroyed for her own sins. See verses 8, 9. This shows she was typical of the false church as our next verse indicates. 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 a great wonder.--John next sees the symbolic woman plainly drunk, not with wine, but with the blood of the saints. The word "saints" here must he taken literally. The general statement "blood of the saints" is more particularly described as "blood of the martyrs"--that is, those who were slain because of their witnessing for the truth. The word "martyr" literally means a witness. The picture is that of victorious warriors inflaming their minds by drinking the blood of their victims. The meaning is, that the church that had become apostate through perverting Christianity with the commandments of men was so gloating over her persecutions of faithful saints that she was positively drunk mentally. John sees this abominable institution as the "Mother of the Harlots"--that is, the source from which would arise all churches that mingle the divine truth with human speculations. Commentators have suggested many reasons why John wondered, but the simplest, and one that accords best with the angel's explanation in the next paragraph, seems to be this: he wondered what was signified by a drunken woman sitting upon a vicious wild beast.