The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 326

Ver. 8.-Thuoice of the -.«.ond angel.: thejuagm,ml of BabyTrm. I. WBATJB KBANT BY " BABYl.ON"? '!'here can be scarce any doubt that the name poiRts to : l, Persecuting Rome. She is spoken of under this pseudonym because it waa not safe to write, or in any way openly utter, words which might be construed as treasonable to the empire. There were laws sharp and stem, and accusers only too willing to bring those laws into action, which would involve in ruin and death those who spoke or wrote such open word. Therefore under this disguise, penetrable enough by the- Christian Church, the name of Rome, her cruel and relentless persecutor, was concealed. Because also she stood in the like hateful relation to the Church of God as in ages gone by Babylon bad stood to the Church of her day. Babylon had been of old, as- Rome was now, the ruthless ravager and the bloodthirsty destroyer of God's people. And as the judgment of God was denounced and came upon Babylon because of her crimes against God's Church, 80 now like judgment had been denounced, and was about to come upon Rome for her crimes ag!Ji.nst the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as Babylon had been one of the world-wide empires, 80 now Rome occupied the same pre-eminence. None could compare with Babylon, in the days of her grea.tness, for wealth or power or glory; and so, when St. John wrote this book, none could compar8' in any of these respects, with Rome. Aud there is yet, perhaps, another purpose. in this name here giv~n to Rome-the purpose to reeall to the mind of the suffering Church the certainty of the coming judgment on Home, by the fact that such judgment had come on Babylon. 2. All per&eeu,tors. The mind of God to such is shown by what he did to Babylon of old. He would have ns learn that he will ever do the like to those who sin in like manner. Did ever any persecuting power find that it had done wisely and well i' Let the records of history reply from Egypt down to Spain. 8• .And all idolaters. Idol-worship was not a merely intellectual preference for one form of religio~ rather than another; bad it been only that it would not have brought down upon it so many awful jndgmelits, nor have been branded with 80 foul a name. , But it was a system of abominations; it was " earthly, sensual, devilish." It was a religion that laid no constraint on the passions, no bridle upon the will; that left man to hi11 likings 80 only as the ceremonial of idolatry was observed, And every religion that leaves man thus has an idol. A creation of the mind; if not of the hands, instead of God, ill idolatry in substance, whatever it may be in name. II. IN WHAT SENSE OOULD BABYLON BB SAID 'l'O HAVB FALLEN? L Rome had fallen in a very real way when St. John thus wrote. For there b.id been a great moral/all, Rome had a noble past. God had raised her up to great 1:ower, had endowed her with magnificent qualities, and made her the mother of many noble sons. In the. unfolding of the great drama of Divine providence, she had a high and honourable part to fill, and none who know her history can deny that for a long time she, fulfilled the will of God. But an evil spirit took possession of her, and then she became what is here said. Cnielty and lu~t, pride and oppression, ai,d whatever was unclean and abominable, found welcome and home in her. "Fallen" wa.a the absolutely true and righteous verdict that could alone be given concerning her. But there was to be an outward fall corresponding to this inward one. And it ia spoken of aa already come, because : i. 866 TIIE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE: [cn. x1v. 1-20.