And Prophets.—The faithful teachers of the Christian church, and also the Prophets of old, who foresaw Mystic Babylon's rise and fall, and knew that it stood between them and the fulfilment of their hopes. “Daniel, who was thinking specially of Israel, and of the fulfilment of God's promises to the fathers, perceived that all that he had heard could not occur in 2300 literal days, especially when Gabriel said to him, ‘But shut thou up the vision, [pg 287] for it will be fulfilled after many days.’ And though he knew not how long each symbolic day would be, he was made sick at heart by the thought of so many evils as were coming upon God's people—though he saw not the change of that name from fleshly to spiritual Israel. We read, ‘And I, Daniel, languished and was sick for some days.’ ”—C. 105.
For God hath avenged you on her.—This vengeance of God for the wrongs done to His saints in all ages began in 1878 (Rev. 6:10, 11), and closes with the full end of the Harvest. When the last member of the Great Company class is delivered the system will utterly perish.
18:21. And a mighty angel.—The common people.
Took up a stone like a great millstone.—Temporarily lifted ecclesiasticism to great heights.
And.—Experiencing a sudden conviction of their error in so doing, and of the truly devilish character of the system.
Cast it into the sea.—Overwhelmed it in a flood of anarchy. When this occurs there will be a “great hissing noise” (2 Pet. 3:10, Diaglott), indicating that the millstone will be warm, wrathy, at the moment of disappearance. The effect of throwing a hot stone into water is to disintegrate it completely.—Jer. 51:61-64; Ex. 15:5; Neh. 9:11.
Saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, [And shall be found no more at all.]—“The masses of the people, no longer ignorantly stupid as during the Dark Ages, will awaken to the true situation, and will execute upon Babylon the Great—already repudiated by the Lord—the judgment foretold. She shall be cast like a great millstone into the sea, never to rise again. The sea represents the masses of the people, especially a restless opposition class.” (Z. '13-343.) “The fact is the world has outgrown the redhot and peppery dishes that suited the last generation, and it is quite beyond the power of a very few solemn gentlemen to produce a reaction.”—D. 110; Jer. 51:64.
18:22. And there shall be no more found in her the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters.—Those able to make melody and harmony out of the Scriptures.—Isa. 24:8; Ezek. 26:13.
IT shall be heard no more at all in thee.—Even now Ecclesiasticism is entirely unable to supply any explanation of either Ezekiel or Revelation, or to understand the one that is supplied.
And no craftsman, [of whatsoever craft he be,] shall be found any more in thee; [And the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee].—God is the great craftsman. “We are laborers together with God: ye are [pg 288] God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.”—1 Cor. 3:9, 10.