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Additional Comments |
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| 1 After these things I saw another angel descending out of the heaven, having great authority: and the earth was lightened with his glory. |
After these things – Indicating a new vision.
I – John, the church in the flesh during our Lords 2nd advent.
Another angel – Our Lord Jesus.
Come down from heaven – Since Revelation is a symbolic book we first tend to look for symbolic applications. Heaven is the power of spiritual control. In this case, the true power of spiritual control, i.e., from the Divine Throne in the literal heavens. Thus this pictures Jesus coming from His place in heaven at His Second Advent.
Having great power – As the general of Jehovah.
The earth – Organized society under religious restraint.
Lightened – The symbolic earth has the message of Truth presented to it.
His glory – The Glory of the Lord is shown in His message of Present Truth. At our Lord's second advent the Truth begins to go forth and the earth (gradually) becomes enlightened by it.
This clearly identifies this angel as our Lord. |
| 2 And he cried with a strong voice, saying, Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and has become the habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hated bird; |
He – The angel, our Lord Jesus at His second advent.
Cried mightily – There is a special emphasis to this message here being given by our Lord.
With a strong voice – A special confirmation from heaven, i.e., speaking with Divine Authority. see Loud Voice.
Babylon the great – In chapter 17:5 this name is given to "The Mother of harlots," i.e., the church of Rome.
R5478:1
Is fallen, is fallen – From divine favor. NS44:1; R4842:3, 2553:2, 438; SM125:2
Is fallen, is fallen – Not once but twice. What is here intended? Babylon fell in 1878 (parallel to A.D. 33) when she is cast off, "spued out" of the Lord's mouth. She falls the second time when in 1914 the civil power is struck with the stone cut out of the mountain (Dan. 2).
The habitation – Dwelling place.
Of devils – Fallen angels?
The hold of every foul spirit – Spirit = teaching, doctrine, thus a foul spirit = a false, evil teaching. – Compare 1 John 4:1-3 where spirit is used to indicate teaching.
A cage of every unclean and hateful bird – Jer. 5:26,27. Please note in the Jeremiah reference vs 26 says they catch and trap men. Then vs 27 declares their houses are as a cage of birds.
We also note that the saints at the end of the age are described as birds in Matt. 24:28. |
| 3 because all the nations have drunk of the wine of the fury of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have been enriched through the might of her luxury. |
All nations – The nations of Christendom. Strong's G1494.This is the same word used by our Lord in Luke 21:24 – "the times of the Gentiles."
Have drunk – Become intoxicated.
The wine – The spirit of the false doctrines.
The wrath – These doctrines did indeed lead to wrath. Consider the "Divine Right of Kings" and the "Divine authority of the clergy." People were taught that to go against either king or priest was to incure the wrath of God in eternal torment.
Consider also that these doctrines lead to terrible persecutions upon any who would not convert – B09.
Her fornication – The illicit union of church (supposedly waiting in virgin purity for her bridegroom) and state. Instead of remaining pure the false church 'married' the kings of the earth and formed this impure union.
"We are aware that Catholics declare Protestants to be this Babylon system; and we are aware that Protestants claim that Catholics are this Babylon system. To our understanding of the Divine Word, both are right!" HG522:3
Kings of the earth – Kings of Christendom.
Fornication with her – While both the religious and the civil powers are involved in this illicit union, it is clear that the primary target of the Lord's displeasure is the religious, the church nominal. For, like her counterpart in the Jewish Age, "unto them were committed the oracles of God." Rom. 3:2
Merchants of the earth – Those who make merchandise of religious associations for earthly gain.
Waxed rich – Have made unholy gain, either in status or in wealth or both.
Abundance of her delicacies – R457:7-8
She offers money, prestige, fame etc. These may well constitute the abundance of her delacies. |
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| 4 And I heard another voice out of the heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye have not fellowship in her sins, and that ye do not receive of her plagues: |
I – The John class, the church in the flesh during our Lord's second advent.
Heard – Because the church class is listening. Others do not hear this call.
Another voice from heaven – Another (a different) special confirmation from heaven, i.e., speaking with Divine Authority. – see additional comments on vs. 2. See also R5478.
The symbolism does not change. It is still a message speaking with Divine authority. This is simply a different message.
Note: It does not say this message came from a different angel.
Come out of her – Out of the Mother and daughter systems. Come out of the Church of Rome and come out of Organized Protestantism.
My people – The true church. Q155:1 Br. Russell says they could not be the Lord's people unless they were spirit-begotten.
"So the Lord's call, applicable now, clearly indicates that we should expect to find many of the Lord's people in, and confused and bewildered by, sectarianism, in Babylon: "Babylon the great is fallen." "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:2,4" – F206
R5092
R1357 – Jan. 15, 1892
R5656
Be not partakers of her sins – Vs. 5 reminds us that "Her sins have reached unto heaven." The little flock (new creatures in Christ) is to be pure, free from sin, especially the sin of spiritual harlotry.
Ye – The true church.
Receive not of her plagues – Those who remain in Babylon after recognizing her fallen condition are indeed worthy of receiving her plagues.
C161:3 |
| 5 for her sins have been heaped on one another up to the heaven, and God has remembered her unrighteousnesses. |
Her sins – Those of mystic Babylon.
Reached unto heaven – In the past God had been reserving the execution of His justice against mystice Babylon.
God hath remembered – But now (1878) the time has come for God to take action against her.
Of course God remembers her iniquities. Nothing escapes His notice, especially when it comes to the treatment of His saints (see Luke 12:6-7.) But now the time has come for Him to respond to the accumulated sins of mystic Babylon. |
| 6 Recompense her even as she has recompensed; and double to her double, according to her works. In the cup which she has mixed, mix to her double. |
Reward her even as she rewarded you – Notice God's Justice at work here. The punishments that come upon Babylon are merely balancing the scales of justice.
Compare with Jer. 50:15,29.
Double unto her double – Strong's 1363 'to render two-fold'. If Babylon is to be rendered 'two-fold' of the Lord's judgment upon her, how then do we harmonize this with the fact that 'judgment and justice are the habitation [foundation] of thy throne..' Psa. 89:14? Additionally in vs. 7 the Lord says 'How much she hath glorified and lived deliciously, so much sorrow give her', i.e., give unto her an equal portion. If it is equal, how then can it be double?
The answer may be found in the fact that Christendom ('Christ's Kingdom' – falsely so-called) was found in the Church-state systems of Europe. These were completely destroyed by the combined impact of World War I and World War II, i.e., 'double unto her'. |
| 7 So much as she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, so much torment and grief give to her. Because she says in her heart, I sit a queen, and I am not a widow; and I shall in no wise see grief: |
How much she .. so much give her – This affirms that God's justice is exact. There is no giving too much retribution nor too little. Psa. 89:14.
She – The church nominal which should have remained faithful and waited for her heavenly bridegroom, our Lord.
Hath glorified herself – By forming an illicit union with the kings of the earth.
Lived deliciously – Extravagently (instead of following in the footsteps of the Master who, during his earthly ministry, "hath not where to lay his head." Matt. 8:20.
So much – Exactly the same, i.e., a just amount.
Torment and sorrow give her – Because she failed to fulfill her promise to wait for her Lord.
For – Because.
She saith in her heart – This is what she (the false church) really believed.
I sit a queen – Isa. 47:7. I (the false church united to the earthly kings of Europe) am ruling now over Christendom.
And am no widow – I am the chief ruler. Normally the king would be the ruler and the queen subservient to him. But here she claims to be the one who is in control. Thus it was in the arrangement of the church and state. It was the false church which had the higher position and the kings often had to come to her. – Isa. 47:8 |
| 8 for this reason in one day shall her plagues come, death and grief and famine, and she shall be burnt with fire; for strong is the Lord God who has judged her. |
Therefore – As a result of the attitude expressed in the previous verse.
Her plagues – These plagues are here described as coming upon the false church who sat as a ruler over Christendom. While the seven last plagues come upon all of Christendom, the special impact of these plagues is upon the religious element. – These plagues are poured out on the symbolic earth (Rev. 16:1) – Organized society under religious restraint. R498
In one day – One specific year, i.e., 1881. This does not mean they are all poured out in 1881. It means the first one is poured out then and thus the process of executing God's wrath is begun there and no power in heaven or on earth can stop it, therefore, God counts it as an accomplished fact. – Compare Rom. 4:17 with Rev. 15:1,8 and 16:1. Notice in 16:1 that ALL SEVEN of the plagues are described as being poured on "the earth." Then in 16:2, the first plague is poured on "the earth," while the rest are poured on the sea, the rivers and fountains of waters, the sun, the seat of the beast, the river Euphrates and on the air.
"In a moment, in one day" – Isa. 47:9.
Death – Isa. 47:9 – Loss of children.
Mourning – Mourning for the loss of those children.
Famine – Amos 8:11,13
She – The false churh system. The ecclesiastical portion of Christendom.
Utterly – Completely.
Burned with fire – Complete destruction. Fire is used both to destroy and to cleanse.
The Lord God who judgeth her – Whatever means is used to bring about her total destruction, the real cause is the fact that she is being made to answer before God's judgement seat. |
| 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived luxuriously with her, shall weep and wail over her, when they see the smoke of her burning, |
The kings of the earth, who have committed fornication with her – This specifies exactly who these kings are. This cannot refer to any other than the kings that made up the nations of Christendom, for none others have (symbolically) "committed fornication with her" – with Babylon, Christendom. These would be the same as those in Dan. 2:43,44.
Since the kings here described are no longer in existence it must be very clear that this is a fulfilled prophecy.
Lived deliciously with her – It was mutually beneficial for both the Kings of the earth and for the church nominal to be united in their unholy alliance. That is, it was mutually beneficial from a temporal standpoint, but not from a spiritual one.
Shall bewail her – Mourn the loss of her power and influence.
Bewail is Strong's 2875 which means to beat the breast in grief.
Lament for her – Lament is Strong's 2799 means to wail aloud and it is usually translated "weep."
The only other reference in the New Testament that combines these two words together is Luke 8:52 where the household was bewailing and weeping due to the death of the twelve year old girl. – This would seem to imply that the kings of the earth recognize the death of their paramour the false church system, now no longer in power with the kings.
When they – The kings of the earth (of Christendom).
Shall see – When these kings recognize the
The smoke of her burning – The remembrance, evidence of her destruction. |
| 10 standing afar off, through fear of her torment, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! for in one hour thy judgment is come. |
Standing afar off – The kings were forced to keep distance from the failing former leader of Christendom.
For fear of her torment – This distance was kept because they feared the same thing would happen to them. Consider "The Holy Alliance" – see C66:2.
Alas, that great city – Babylon, Christendom. Compare Eze. 27:32,35. B245:2 |
| 11 And the merchants of the earth weep and grieve over her, because no one buys their lading any more; |
The merchants – Those who buy and sell in the spiritual market place. Compare with Rev. 13:15-18.
The earth – Organized society under religious restraint.
Note that these are the "merchants of the earth," i.e., they are not of the church system but they are of the earth class who is profiting by their association with the harlot system.
No man buyeth their merchandise – See Rev. 13:15-18. This is why they are mourning and weeping. No one is buying what they are selling. Who still believes that the false church system is the true Kingdom of God? Who still believes that they are ruling with the kings of Europe? The kings are gone and their merchandise has also gone. |
| 12 lading of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearl, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet dye, and all thyine wood, and every article in ivory, and every article in most precious wood, and in brass, and in iron, and in marble, |
Please note that all those things that are legitimate are twisted by the harlot system. They are perversions of the true goods that belong to the true church.
The merchandise of – Gold -- Divine promises.
Silver – Truth (doctrines)
Precious stones – As in the breastplate of the High Priest.
Pearls – ".. of great price."
Fine linen – The righteousness of saints.
Purple – Royalty.
Scarlet – Redeemed (by the red blood of the ransom.)
Thyine wood – "The name of this wood is derived from the Greek word thuein , 'to sacrifice,' and it was so called because it was burnt in sacrifices, on account of its fragrance." – Easton's Bible Dictionary
Vessels of ivory – King Solomon made (for himself) a house that had a thone of ivory – 1 Kings 10:18. The evil King Ahab (husband of Jezebel) made an ivory house – 1 Kings 22:39. From these it seems that ivory is associated with royalty in some fashion.
In Psa. 45:8 our Lord is described as wearing garments "out of the ivory palaces."
Our Lord is prophetically described in Song of Solomon as having a belly of ivory. Cant. 5:14.
(vessels of) brass – Copper – perfect human nature (justification.)
(vessels of) iron – Civil power working in co-operation with the church. |
| 13 and cinnamon, and amomum, and incense, and unguent, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and cattle, and sheep, and of horses, and of chariots, and of bodies, and souls of men. |
Oil – The Holy Spirit.
Wheat – Ripe wheat – Little Flock, unripe wheat – Great Company.
Sheep – Little Flock.
Horses – Doctrines.
Chariots – Organizations. |
| 14 And the ripe fruits which were the lust of thy soul have departed from thee, and all fair and splendid things have perished from thee, and they shall not find them any more at all. |
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| 15 The merchants of these things, who had been enriched through her, shall stand afar off through fear of her torment, weeping and grieving, |
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| 16 saying, Woe, woe, the great city, which was clothed with fine linen and purple and scarlet, and had ornaments of gold and precious stones and pearls! |
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| 17 for in one hour so great riches has been made desolate. And every steersman, and every one who sailed to any place, and sailors, and all who exercise their calling on the sea, stood afar off, |
Every shipmaster – A shipmaster would be a merchant of the sea. |
| 18 and cried, seeing the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like to the great city? |
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| 19 and cast dust upon their heads, and cried, weeping and grieving, saying, Woe, woe, the great city, in which all that had ships in the sea were enriched through her costliness! for in one hour she has been made desolate. |
They – The shipmasters. These would be the merchants of the sea (irreligious wrestless masses of mankind) as opposed to merchants of the symbolic earth. – see vs. 17.
Cast dust on their heads – The traditional sign of mourning. Josh 7:6; Job 2:12; Lam. 2:10; Eze. 27:30,33,36,9
That great city – Christendom, Christ's Kingdom (falsely so-called).
Wherein were made rich – Those that cooperated with this false system (Christendom, outwardly ruled by the pope – Eze. 28:2-10, but really ruled by Satan – see Eze. 28:12-19) gained in worldly riches and/or fame or influence. This, and indeed all the classes that are indicated here are mourning over her fall because it indicates their own loss of worldly riches, fame, influence, etc.
In one hour she is made desolate – Rotherham says this is a quote from Eze. 26:19. |
| 20 Rejoice over her, heaven, and ye saints and apostles and prophets; for God has judged your judgment upon her. |
Rejoice over her – Over Babylon because her fall means she will no longer be able to commit the terrible things she has done thruout history.
Note: There are Four groups that are to rejoice over her: - Heaven
- Saints
- Apostles
- Prophets
Heaven – This represents the power of spiritual or ecclesiastical control. In this case we suggest it is the true heavens that are rejoicing.
Saints – Those who have before (Rev. 6:10) were asking "How long .. until you judge them."
Ye holy apostles – The truth as given to us by word and example of the actual 12 Apostles, as opposed to the false apostles of the papacy.
Prophets – Those special mouthpieces used of the Lord in a special way. These were given to the church in order to keep her by making her familiar with God's true character as expressed in His word.
This may also refer to the message of the prophets of old whose message was so twisted by this Babylon system as to turn a God of Love into one of Fear and Dread.
God has avenged you – He has now answered the cry of the saints in Rev. 6:10. He has poured out the seven last plagues "for in them is filled up the wrath of God." We should always remember that the pouring out of the seven last plagues is the vengeance of God. This is in answer to Rev. 6:10. |
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| 21 And a strong angel took up a stone, as a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon the great city be cast down, and shall be found no more at all; |
A mighty angel – Our returned Lord.
Took up – Picked up, indicating he is about to do something with it.
A stone like a great millstone – Jer. 51:60-64
A millstone is used for grinding grain for food (bread). This is how people survived, by eating bread (Matt. 4:4). Under the law, one could not take another man's millstone for an I.O.U. (Deut. 24:6).
Babylon claimed to be the source for all spiritual food (bread). While it was supposed to be producing the food to feed the people and to help make that "one bread." 1 Cor. 10:17, it was producing only "junk food" at best.
Christendom had forced the people, by various false teachings backed up by the force of civil power, to eat this "junk food" (consider the three unclean spirits [doctrines] that come out of the mouth of the dragon [civil power], beast [papacy] and false prophet [protestantism]. In other words, Babylon had taken from men their means for producing bread and were thus in violation of God's law (Deut. 24:6).
Remember, Babylon was not a millstone taken up, but like a millstone. She wasn't actually producing the food, she only claimed that she was.
Cast it into the sea – The irreligious restless masses of mankind.
With violence – How much more violent can one get than World War I and World War II?
Great city – That church-state government which ruled over the so-called Christian world. This is the same city that is described in Rev. 16:19. There it is broken into its three component parts: the Dragon (civil power), the Beast (Papacy) and the False Prophet (organized Protestantism) – Rev. 16:13.
Babylon – R45:10-11
Be thrown down – Down from its lofty place of ruling over the "civilized world," ruling over the saints as well as over the common people. Telling them what to believe (follow the religion of their earthly king) and who to kill (the Arians, the Waldenses, the Hugonots, etc.)
Be found no more at all – And will NEVER rise up again. Isa. 43:17; Jer. 51:64; Nah. 1:8-10. |
| 22 and voice of harp-singers and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters shall not be heard any more at all in thee, and no artificer of any art shall be found any more at all in thee, and voice of millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee, |
Voice of harpers – Harpers are those who play harps. Our understanding is that the Bible is the "Harp of God". Please see F233:1; R395. This suggests that those who know how to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb are no longer found in Babylon. Rev. 15:2
Musicians – Singers. – The word for musician in the Old Testament is Strong's 5329. Many of the Psalms are addressed to "The chief musician." In Habakkuk closes his prophecy with: "To the chief singer [Strong's 5329] on my stringed instruments." Hab. 3:19
Pipers – Strong's 834 and indicates a flute player. The same word is used in Matt 9:23 where it is translated "minstrels." This would seem to indicate those who accompany the singers, much in the way that Priscilla and Aquila helped the Apostle Paul. Rom. 16:3.
Trumpeters – Perhaps a reference to the seven messengers who sound the seven trumpets.
Heard no more at all in thee – Remember, it is the voice of these that is no longer heard in Babylon.
No craftsman of whatsoever craft – There are craftsmen mentioned in scripture. Many were carried away captive to Babylon as described in 2 Kings 24:14,16. There are warnings about craftsmen who use their talent to make idols (see Deut. 27:15; Hos. 13:2; Acts 19:24.) The fact that the phrase "of whatsoever craft" is used seems to indicate that people of special talent may be using those talents for either good or evil will completely forsake Christendom.
We also remember that there were those who did "cunning work" for the Lord in the construction of the Tabernacle. The Lord put His spirit upon these men to do this special work (Exo. 31:2-6; 35:30-35.) While they are not specifically designated as "craftsmen" they did a special work. These appear to represent the Little flock and the Great company. If these also be considered as "craftsmen" our text would also fit for these too will no longer be found in Babylon.
Sound of a millstone – A millstone is used to grind wheat for making bread. There is no more bread (nurishment) coming out from Babylon.
There are at least two ways of looking at this expression "the sound of a millstone." The one has already been described, i.e., the production of grain for bread (food). The other is the thought that during the Gospel Age the Lord was still using Babylon, keeping enough truth (bread) to feed the few saints that remained in her. The "sound" was being made by the saints. Who else was working to grind out the grain (consider 1 Cor. 10:16,17)? Therefore, the sound of a millstone no longer being heard in her would indicate that the saints had all left her. |
| 23 and light of lamp shall shine no more at all in thee, and voice of bridegroom and bride shall be heard no more at all in thee; for thy merchants were the great ones of the earth; for by thy sorcery have all the nations been deceived. |
The light of a candle – The light of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit given to guide all seven stages of the church. The candlesticks hold this light. Rev. 1:12,13,20. This helps us to understand that it is the true church that counts, not the nominal. Each phase of the church is given the light of the Holy Spirit. Here in the 7th stage, that light is no longer found in the nominal church but it is still found within the True.
Shall shine no more at all in thee – Because the Lord's spirit is no longer there. She has been cast out of His mouth in 1878 – Rev. 3:16.
See also Eze. 9:3; 10:4 where the Glory of God moves from the house [of God, the temple] to the threshold [entrance] of the house [temple]. This shows the removal of God's Holy Spirit (the glory of God) from the nominal system during the beginning of the Harvest (1878-1881).
The voice of the bridegroom – The voice of our Lord.
And of the bride – The voice of the true church, the bride of Christ.
Shall be heard no more at all in thee – Neither our Lord nor His Bride has any voice in Babylon.
This condition has already been reached. R2592:14 (March 1900)
Compare vss 22-23 with Jer. 25:10. There it is speaking of what would happen when the LORD sent the king of Babylon to carry away the inhabitants of Judah for the 70 years captivity.
Thy merchants were the great men of the earth – See Additional comments for vs. 18:11.
By thy sorceries – Not only does this refer to false doctrines but especially it implies the influence of Satan and the fallen angels.
All nations deceived – Satan is the great deceiver. It is his masterpiece (both mother and daughters) that here managed to deceive all the nations of Christendom (falsely so-called) into believing that Christ's Kingdom had been set up. Please compare with the three unclean spirits in rev16:13. |
| 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all the slain upon the earth. |
In her – While Babylon, Christendom (Christ's Kingdom – falsely so-called), is the union between the kings of the earth and the nominal church (which union existed at least until 1914 and was thereafter broken up), the emphasis here is on the religious element of that union, "in her," and primarily upon the "mother" system.
Was found – Indicating that after the destruction of the church-state systems of Europe, the religious systems, no longer connected with the state, still exist -- and that something is found there.
The blood of – The blood is the life of anything. (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 17:11,14; Deut. 12:23)
When we see an expression like this one we recognize it as indicating that this blood has been shed, i.e., the life has been taken from it, it has been killed. (Heb. 12:4; Matt. 23:35)
Prophets – This would seem to have a dual application.
1) The life (blood) of the prophets of the Bible was slain by her, i.e., the true meaning of what was prophecied was corrupted (slain) by her so that the truth of those prophecies had no meaning (for all those who accepted her teachings).
2) The Lord's people have always also been prophets, public expounders of His word. The witnessing of these was crushed.
[The blood] of saints – The saints were both literally and symbolically slain. Rev. 6:9-10
[The blood] of all that were slain – Not only the prophets and saints but also those who were desireous of knowing God.
The earth – Organized society under religious restraint. Revelation 17
Revelation (DARBY) Chapter Index
Revelation 19
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