Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 7: The Finished Mystery

by C. T. Russell

17:9. And here is the mind which hath wisdom.—A problem requiring the aid of the Lord.—Rev. 13:18.

The seven heads are seven mountains.—The kingdoms enumerated in Rev. 12:3.

On which the woman sitteth.—Over which she once reigned in plentitude of power. Much of Revelation is written in such a way that both a literal and a symbolical explanation can be made, designed by the Lord to make the understanding of the book impossible to any except the fully consecrated. The following shows the physical explanation of this text which would most appeal to the unconsecrated. But it shows that the Mother of Harlots has her headquarters at Rome. And when we know who the mother is, it is impossible not to recognize the daughters. Rome is called in history the “seven-hilled city.” “The original settlement of Romulus is said to have been limited to the Palatine mount. With this were united before the end of his reign the Capitoline and the Quirinal; Tullus Hostilius added the Caelian, Ancus Martius the Aventine; and finally Servius Tullius included the Esquiline and Viminal, and enclosed the whole seven hills with a stone wall. The growth of the state closely followed that of the city.” (Brit.) It would not be possible to limit this explanation to seven forms of government which have exercised sway over the city of Rome. There have been many such governments. There were seven of them during the nineteenth century alone—the Roman Republic of 1798, the Kingdom of 1805, the Annexation of 1810, the restoration of the temporal power in 1814, the Revolution of 1848, the restoration of the temporal power in 1849, and the Italian occupation in 1870.

17:10. And there are seven kings.—Seven forms of government of the HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, the devil's own particular pattern of government.

Five are fallen.—(1) The Regal period, from 753 B. C. to 510 B. C. The “Kings” of this period were “not simply either the hereditary and patriarchal chief of a clan, the priestly head of a community bound together by a common sacra, or the elected magistrate of a state, but a mixture of all three.”—Brit.

(2) The Republic, from 509 to 451 B. C. and from 448 to 60 B. C. “It is characteristic of Rome that the change from monarchy to republic should have been made with the least possible disturbance of existing forms. The title of king was retained, though only as that of a priestly officer (rex sacrorum) to whom some of the religious functions of the former kings were transferred. The two annually elected consuls or prætores were regarded as joint heirs of the full kingly authority, and as holding the imperium and the correlative right of taking the auspices, [pg 268] by direct transmission from the founder of the city.” (Brit.) (3) The Decemvirate, a rule of ten men, from 451 to 449 B. C. (4) The Triumvirate, a rule of three men, from 59 to 49 B. C. and from 43 to 28 B. C. (5) The Dictatorship of Cæsar, 48 to 44 B. C. All of these forms of the old Holy Roman Empire have completely passed away.

[And] one is.—The Dragon, still represented in the powers of Europe. (See comments on Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13.) The rulership of Papacy during the Dark Ages, both directly in its temporal power, and through the governments which it controlled or influenced, and still influences, was—as has been shown—merely another aspect of the government of Pagan Rome, generally styled the Empire, but in Revelation called the Dragon, and the Devil, and Satan.

And the other.—The final form, of Arbitrator (whatever be the official title).

Is not yet come.—But is due to make its appearance with the close of the war, probably early in the year 1938. (See comments on Rev. 16:17-21; Ex. 10:23.) Pastor Russell foretold the darkness would commence in 1914, and it did!! Egypt's plague of darkness lasted three days (years).

And when he cometh, he must continue a short space.—Probably from the fall of 1917 to the spring or summer of 1918. “The language is indefinite, the words ‘must continue’ alone being emphatic. It is a duration such that by means of it the Church should be exercised in patience.”—Cook.