The dissolution of the earth itself upon which we live is not here described, although according to the teaching of other scriptures it occurs at this time; but the symbols, being drawn from the department of the operations both of humanity and of nature, show the complete and final overthrow of all the great powers civil and ecclesiastical. The dominancy of these great powers has been the chief burden of Apocalyptic vision, and here their utter destruction at last is set forth under various symbols. The weight of the Jewish talent is said to have been one hundred and fourteen pounds. Such a mass of ice descending from heaven would beat down everything in its resistless, desolating fury. There is no intimation, however, of men being killed under this or the accompanying symbols; therefore as individuals they survive, while the storm of wrath falls upon the civil and ecclesiastical institutions of society, resulting in their utter annihilation. This is the "great day of his wrath" described under the sixth seal, to the symbols of which this description bears a striking resemblance, as any one can see at a glance. Well may the oppressors of earth say to the mountains and hills, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Chap. [6:16, 17].
CHAPTER XVII.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Here again the narrative returns to take up another series of the history. A number of times we have been taken over the same ground. It is this feature of the Apocalypse more than any other that has misled and perplexed commentators. Attempting to explain it as one continuous narrative from beginning to end, they have been compelled to consider numerous passages as "digressions," "parentheses," or "episodes," etc. As already observed, however, the prophecy is not arranged after the ordinary plan of histories, narrating all the contemporaneous events in a given period, whether civil, religious, literary, scientific, or biographical, thus finishing up the history of that period; but it consists of a number of distinct themes running over the same ground.
In this chapter a more particular description of the church of Rome, "that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (verse 18), is given under the symbol of a drunken harlot. With this vile prostitute "the kings of the earth have committed fornication"—they have encouraged her in her corruption and idolatries—"and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." This latter symbol is doubtless taken from the cup of drugged wine with which lewd women were accustomed to inflame their lovers. So had this apostate church made "the inhabitants of the earth"—of the ten kingdoms—drunken with her wine-cup and thus rendered them willing partakers in her abominable idolatries. She is described in two positions—first, as "sitting upon many waters," which the angel informs us "are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues" (verse 15); and second, "upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." The first position denotes her wide supremacy in the world over distant peoples and nations; the second, the close relationship that she sustained to the civil power. That beast carried her in royal state. The civil powers of Europe have usually lent themselves as a caparisoned hack for this great whore to ride upon and have considered themselves highly honored thereby. This beast was full of the names of blasphemy, which were the same as the blasphemous assumptions of the Papacy, as explained in [chapter XIII], showing that he agreed perfectly with this apostate church in her impious claims and supported her in them, making himself equally guilty and deserving of the same name. What is intended exactly by his scarlet color I do not know. The same power under its Pagan form was represented as a red dragon.
The appearance of this woman was that of the most splendid character, nor are we to suppose the contrary because she was such an infamous prostitute. She may have been, and according to the description was, all that, but still her appearance was such as to bewitch her admirers and votaries. Robes of purple and scarlet, with the most costly profusion of gold and diamonds, were superb adorning, even regal splendor. All that skill and wealth could do in magnificence of attire was bestowed upon her to set forth her charms. The "golden cup in her hand" was as to richness in harmony with her dress, while as to contents it set forth her character, for it was "full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication." This cup was an appropriate symbol of her atrocious wickedness and idolatries.
This woman had also a name written on her forehead. It was not, indeed, placed there by herself nor by her admirers; but He who drew this symbolic picture placed it there that all might know her true character. "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Although this apostate church was only in embryo in the apostles' day, yet the apostle who gave us a careful delineation of its terrible characteristics declared that it was then developing and denominated it a mystery. "The mystery of iniquity doth already work." 2 Thes. 2:7. The same apostle regarded as an unquestionable fact that godliness was a mystery (1 Tim. 3:16); but he who peruses the history of the Papacy will be forced to declare with emphasis, "Without controversy great is the mystery of Romanism." She is also styled Babylon the Great. This name is derived from ancient Babylon. This city was the center of the earth's idolatry and stood first of all as the direct enemy of God's people. So, likewise, this church is the center of earth's spiritual idolatry. There are other harlots, or corrupt churches, in the world beside her; but she is the mother of them all. They are all children by her side. Some of them greatly honor her and in deep veneration call her "our holy mother church;" but God brands her as the "mother of harlots and abominations of the earth."