The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 378

HOMILETICS. Vm. 1-18.-" Babyltm tM great." Our aim in this homily will be to show to whd form of evil the name "Babylon the great" specially aeems to point. The comph~xity and difficulty which have gathered round this chapter seem to the writer to arise ra~ from .the enormous incubns of human interpretation which has pressed it down. ln this paasage we _are shown rather a twisted rope than a tangled web. If we untwiai the threads and lay them side by side, we shall not have much difficulty, specially if we exercise all that reverent and painstaking care which is due to the examination of every part of the Word of God. The main figure in th6 sym6alism of tM chaptar iian i,ifamom woman. Those who are familiar with Old 'l'esrament prophecy will know how often the terms!' fornication," "adultery," etc., are used. As in Isa. i. 21 ; Jer. ii. 20 ; iii. 1, 6, 8, and in · many other places, such terms are. used ·of aq.. apostate Church. In Isa. niii. 15-11 the like terms are used of Tyre; in Nah. iii, 4;, of Nineve~ So that, so far as the use of such terms in Scripture is concerned, they may mean apostasy from God under the form either of secular rule or of religioqs corruption (cf. Porter, p. 292). Nor ciLn we have any difficulty in seeing the propriety of such figures. As fornication and adultery are formg of false affection, and .are the prostitution of the most Bacred part of our nature to ~ien purpol!e4!l, so the ailienation of the heart from God, and the departure of a Church from fidelity to him, is a violation of the most sacred ties, and is the leaguing of the heart in a false alliance, which is odious to our God. Wh«e is THIS harloi sun, There is a triple combina_tion of expressions· here. .(1) She is seen ~ated on the beast with seven heads ~ ten horns; (2) seated on seven hills; (3) seated on many waters, which are peoples, nations, and tongues. He~. being seated on, the beast, or resting on the civil world-power, is one form of expressing her alliance with state authority. The seven heads of the beast are so many forms of worldly dominion-'-five of which had p&!!sed 'iway, viz. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece. The sixth existed at the time of the apostle. This was Rome. The seventh was another which, when Rome was ne more Rome, would rise up, and would be manifest in ten forms. The number ten may be a definite expression for an indefinite number, or it may be that the world-riwera may yet be resolvable into ten before Babylon's fall. And the beast himself-bemg a.u. eighth-HJ also doomed to perdition. That the woman is also spoken of u seated oi:,. seven hills, and (in vet. 18) as•: that great city," agaill indicates a very precise referenqe to. Rome.1 'l'hat_ she was seated on many waters indicates her sway being as wide as that. of the great world-power with which she ~as in base alliance. Seated on this earthly power, and yet controlling it, as a rider is seated on a horse' and yet. eon'trols the beast. This is the harl<>t, Babylon the great, which mrule all nations to drink of the wine of her fornication. Nur .must '!fJ6/d.il to notice the se11eral descriptivefeaturea oJ C1ill harlot. Sb,e is: Jl) Clad in gorgeous aray(ch. xvii. 4). (2) Holding-out an en~ing cup (ver. 4). (3) Mother of h~rlots and abominations (ver. 5). (4) Drunk with the blood of tb,e holy (ver. 6). (5) Poisoning the inhabitants of the earth (oh. xviii.. 3). (6) Bearing names of blasphemy (ver. 3).. (7) Yet in a wildernesll (ver. 3). (8) Ruling ov~~- the kin~s of the earth (ver: 18). (9) One bl whom th:_~.merchante grow.rich (eh. xvm. &). (10) .Presumptu!}us tu liar self-secunty (eh. XVlJL 7). . (11) HateJ.. b7, the very powers whom she has ruled (ver. Hi). ,Hence we are bidden, by the Ter1 terms of the symbolism, to look out for some form of evil, which manifests a glaring alienation and apostai;y from God-while yet putting on a form like that,of the faithful Churcli; which st once relies on worldly power, and yet assumes its direction; which invea~ itself in,go;geo11S array, assu,mes pompous titles, even such as a1·e Illl,mes of blasphemy against our Lord and against his Christ ; which should exert a most baneful influence ou the: inhabitants of the earth, and fill the air with, the miasma of her. pollutions and her crimes;• which should be at ea;se in her aelf-security,as if no power could disturb her; which should shed the blood of the aaints without measure; and which should be in itself the very filth a~d BCUm of wick'edness. 'l'he apostle is astonished with a great 'astonishment at the symbols of 8UOh an incarnation. <>f evil. And a voice t1 heard crybig . . 1 Some (11:ide Rusiell. et ~, regard J11l'lJ811:lem II the .118-'81l•hilled eHy. B11t Dr. Qeikle . knows of fov.r hills only (see The Holy Land 11'nd tbt l3ible," vol L p.. 468). 1-2G TUE BBVEL.A.TION OF ST. JOUN THE· DIVThal [as. xv1L 1~18.