The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 391

Va. '1.-How much the hath glorlS.ed apace of time during which the kings rule henelf, and lived delicioUlly, 10 muoh tor- <- eh. xvii. 12); bnt a oompa.rlson with ment and 1orrow give her, (For "lived ver, 8 leads to the oonclo81011 that the mean• d.licio1111Jy," ,ee on "·clelioaoies," ver. B.) Ing :is " suddenly ; " t.he oonti'a&t in a short T~ words are • re-echo and expansion of time between the two poaitiona of Babylon thOlll8 In ver. 6 (cf. Luke xvi. 25). J'or lhe enhancing the fearfolneu of t.he viait&tion. 111,iilh ill lleJo heart, I tit. a queen, and am Ver. 11.-And the merohall.tl of the earth no widow, and •hall III no aorrow ; because lhall weep and mourn over her. Weep a1111 • IGiti,, e1io.: and eonnect with the BUO- fll01ll'll ;·t.he historical p:reaent (see on ver. eeeding veree. The prophetica.l wrikn 9). The Iring• han been montioned; the 111:ill BUpply the imagery (ef. Isa. xlriL 8, tMrcliaa and next the a.1al!leff are referred "I ■hall not au u a widow:" aee also Lam. to, ahowing the wide distribution of " Baby• Ll). Ion," and forbidding the applioation to a v•. 8.-Thenfore lhall hu plagull single state or city. The description which IOIU In one dey, deatla, and mourning, and followa is analogoua to that in Ezek. nm. ; fliaiM. This ie the retribution for her Isa. xxiil. J'or no man buyeth their mer- boasting in ver. 7 (ef. Isa. xhii. 9, "These thandiA &llJ' mon; #Mir ca,vo. We are two things shall oome to thee in • moment naturally reminded of the action of the in one day," eto.). Alford ■aye, "death, for BOOOnd beast in forbidding to buy and eell her soorn of the prospeM of widowhood ; (oh. nii 17). Alford here recognizes the MOilt"ll1flf7 for her inordinate revelling; diftlonlty in applying the prophecy to Rome, fMMne, fui her abnndanee" (of. ver, S). either pagan or papal, and adds, "I leave The description ia not to be taken lite~lly, thi11 difficolty unsolved. • •• The details of bn\ is typbl of a sudden and overwhelm- this mercantile lamenta.tion far more nearly ing l'IIV8J'lle, viz. that which will oeeur at ~U London than Rome." (See the inter- the last jndgment-day (cf. the worda of OUJ' pretation given of the harlot and Babylon Lord in lfatt. mv. 37-42). Some writers on oh. xvii. 1.) 888 here an allu&ion to the seoond, third, and Ver. 12.-The merchandiae of gol4, an4 fourth aeals (see eh. vi.). And 1he ahall be lilver, and pnoiou atones, and. of pe&rDi utterly 11nrned with :II.re : tor atrong ie the and ftne linen, and pmple. and. Bilk, and Lord God who jud.Keth her. Who Jtulged ltl&l'let. (On " preci.ollil atone" and "linen," la6r; 1tp£11,., is fQ:unil in W, A, B, C, P, and see on eh. xv. 6.) Sueh wae the attire of others. This ii the fnlfilm,,nt of the pre- the harlot (ob. xviL 4}. Writers have en- dicted punishment of the harlot (oh. xvii. · deavoured to olaMify m various ways the 16). The Tuai clause. replies, as It were, to articles mentioued, in order to obtain so!U8 tlie.t1oast in ver. 7, "I sit as a queen," etc. signi11oa.tion from the numben used. ThUB VQJ'. 9.-And the kingl of the earth, who Heogetenbergseesfour hardandthenloursoft have committed fornication and lived cle- articles mentioned,,&nd he reminds u■ t1iat liaicilillJ with her, &hall . bewail her, a.n4 the number four ia aymbolioal ofihe world: lament for her, when tlley ahaJI tee the but this d08II n<>i oarry hi!Jl beyond ver. l2. IDloke of her lnu'lling; and tl&8Jdnga of tko The article11 enn:oierated 1188m naturally to earlh, 10Ao committed jornicat,ion and revelled f.all into 8ix olaesee (from which we CIIZ1 vnth • • ,hall toe#lp and wail. 01'tr her, t.MBn gather 110 information,- nnl8811 we look upon IA"1,I -. etc. It is noteworthy that thia ai.x 1111 ~ypifying t.he world, ae in oh. xiii ll8Dtelloe fa in the futlll'e tense; that in ver. 18). Firat, articles G{ personal adomment; 11 in the present; that in vera. 17, 18 in second, arliolee wied for furniture, eto.; thi! past. {On" oommitted fornication.'' see third, objeo$s of 1111nsaal gratifloation-uneU. 'l!er. S; oh, xiv. i, 8; xvi. 14; xvii. 2. OIi etc. ; fonrth, artiolee of food ; fifth. animate ~ li1'ed de&ioualy," see vers. S, 7,) "La- posaeaeiollll; Uth, I01lll of mea. Thetie ipont" is the aame word need in oh. i. 7, certainly -m to be arra11ged in a kind of .. All kindrr'd■ of the 811J'th shall wail beoawte progres,;ive ilrder of importance. AU the of aim." Cf._t.he d~ription of Ute fall of amole1 mentioned in ih.e tut above were T75 (Ese.k. uvL 16). (On .. emoke," see of the higheet value. Purple_ and aoarlet onch. u. 2.) (BP.8 eh.xvii 3) were the prerogative ofkio gs ; • Ver. 10.-Btanding afar d for the fear ,ilk WU IQ llll8ZCe, that itl 11118 lf81 forbidden ofhartorment, aa:,ing. Unoonaoiously acting in the reign of Tiberiua. Aad all thyme upon t.he command ia ver. 4, " Come out of wood, and all manner vanl■ of itr017, and her, ••• that y11:receivenotofher plaguell." all manner ..,_. of :most prteiou wooa, mighty titJ ! for in on, hour ui thy judg- '"'6f'SI.,_, Alu, alu that great city Babylon, that and of l>l&II, and iron, and marble; alld IJelMl, cll4 ""'"111'-1. et.e. ment eme; Woe, """6> the gniat oitg (of. Tligiu 180d le ." that of the Tkuga arUoM- the pfdriou deol&ration of woe in oh. viii. lata, Deafent., the Oallitru qootim,al.,. of 18). In OAB llour(cf, ver. 8). Sotne wriierl p1'8118Ut kt6nHta. This • tree- - - Dm~ llllder■ tand the " one hour " to rt1for to the prized by the ancient Greeks and Romana.  dJI. xvIIL 1.....M.] '1'mi: REVELA1"10N OF ST. JOHN TIIE DIVINB. 483