A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse

by Sylvester Bliss

Those heads are shown to symbolize seven forms of government, by the explanation that “they are seven mountains where the woman sits on them [mountains also symbolizing governments], and are seven kings,” 17:9, 10. And they are shown to be successive, by the fact that, when John wrote, the first five had passed away, one only then existed,—the Pagan Imperial,—and the other head was then in the future, 17:10.

The “ten horns” also symbolize kings, or dynasties; but, unlike the heads, instead of being successive, they are contemporaneous. According to the explanation, they had received no kingdom when John wrote, and were all to exercise power at the same time: “The ten horns which thou didst see, are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom; but they receive power as kings, one hour with the wild beast,” 17:12. These will be more particularly noticed in connection with the thirteenth chapter, and there shown to be the ten contemporaneous governments which succeeded [pg 149] to the dominion, on the subversion of the Western Empire. See p. [169].

The “seven crowns” on the heads of the dragon, indicate that the acts here symbolized, would be fulfilled during the period when the sovereignty of Rome should be vested in the forms of government symbolized by the heads, and not during that symbolized by the horns.

The woman appeared in the symbolic heavens anterior to the dragon. Prior to the birth of Christ, the church was conspicuous and honored. The sacrifices which smoked on Jewish altars, were offered to Jehovah. The subjects of the divine government conducted their service with all the splendor imparted by the Jewish ritual. Royalty was an appendage of the nation: the sceptre did not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, till Shiloh came, Gen. 49:10. By an alliance with the Romans, B. C. 135, Rome took its position in the presence of the woman.

The first act of the dragon was by a sweep of its tail to draw down one-third of the stars, and to cast them to the earth. This was before the birth of the man-child. After Rome attained the supremacy, Judea proportionably suffered. Her glory was measurably dimmed by many indignities before her subjugation to Rome was consummated. Jerusalem was repeatedly besieged. At one time (B. C. [pg 150] 94) Alexander Jannæus slew six thousand persons on account of their meeting in the temple at the feast of tabernacles. In B. C. 63, Judea was conquered by Pompey, the Roman general. In B. C. 54, Crassus plundered the temple of Jerusalem. In B. C. 37, Jerusalem was taken, after a siege of six months. Various other difficulties occurred between Judea and Rome, previous to the Saviour's advent, on account of which she was greatly depressed and humbled, so that it might with propriety be said that one-third of her stars were cast to the ground. This depression was one great reason why the church within her borders looked so earnestly for a Deliverer.

The Man-child is the one “who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron,” according to the prediction of Christ in the second Psalm; which proves its reference to the Saviour.

The purpose of the dragon to destroy the child of the woman as soon as it should be born, in accordance with the view here taken, would symbolize the purpose of the Roman power, by the agency of Herod the Roman governor in Judea, to destroy the infant Saviour. “When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem, in Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet.” And Herod “sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all [pg 151] the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men,” Matt. 2:1-16. Thus Rome sought to slay the Saviour as soon as he was born; but Joseph took the child and fled into Egypt. Afterwards Christ was crucified by Roman soldiers, and deposited in the tomb, arising again the third day.

His being caught up to God and to his throne, symbolizes his resurrection from the dead, and ascension from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9), to the right hand of the Majesty on high; “whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things,” Ib. 3:21.

The flight of the woman into the wilderness, denotes her descent from the conspicuous position she had occupied, and the dispersion of the church. With the crucifixion of Christ, Judaism was no longer the casket in which the church was enshrined. It left its place in the moral heavens, and the followers of Christ were scattered abroad, Acts 8:1-4. Thus she virtually fled into the wilderness—into the condition, where, subsequently, she was to be nourished for 1260 prophetic days.

It is objected to the application of the man-child to the Saviour, that it should be prophetic, and not retrospective. This objection would be equally valid to the application of the symbolic heads, against which it is never [pg 152] urged. That which is retrospective, to be appropriately symbolized, must be in harmony with, and explanatory of other parts. Thus, by the man-child and previous travail of the woman, she is identified, and her relation to the dragon established. No other subject could fulfil the conditions of the symbol, for of no other was it predicted: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.—Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.—Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel,” Psa. 2:8-10.