The woman (having the profession of being espoused to Christ, but really setting up to be mistress of all before the marriage to the deep dishonor of the future absent Bridegroom) has quite another position and guilt. She accordingly is seen in the vision “sitting upon the scarlet colored beast full of names of blasphemy.” She pretends to guide the beast or empire. This is the way in which the Spirit portrays her here.
It is plain that the time in John's day was not yet come historically for all this. When the vision was given, the believers were still persecuted by the empire, as he himself was an instance. John was “in the isle called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus.” He was there no doubt as a sufferer or as he says “a companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus.” Hence it is plain that the world-power was a persecutor at that time rather than the woman. The vile harlot did not yet stand forth in her full-blown profligacy or her meretricious splendor. Even the Roman empire as it was then was not yet developed according to the form exhibited in the vision; for certainly neither had all the heads been. yet realized, nor did the decem-regal division begin for long after in any sense. But all is carried forward in the power of the Spirit from first to last, when that which took the place of being the bride of Christ should rest on the Roman empire and seek to be its guide, no doubt directing badly, selfishly, and sinfully, according to her corruption; but still the picture drawn is that of the woman “sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” What a profanation of Christ's name falsely professed and abused to subserve the merest ambition and covetousness of man's dark heart!
Here let us for a few moments delay, because the question might be raised why the beast should be taken as the Roman empire. My answer is, that in all the visions of the imperial powers in all the prophecies of Old or New Testament, you never find more than the fourth beast or Roman empire until the Lord Jesus introduces a new and everlasting kingdom—until He brings in His own reign over all nations, tribes, and tongues of the world. We shall show how the difficulty of its actual disappearance from the world is met in this very chapter. The Roman empire has gone through various phases, and undergone extraordinary changes. Its course is not yet exhausted. All prophecy that treats of its close speaks of its existence just before it is extinguished by the Lord when He appears in glory. This very chapter proves not merely that all was open to God from first to last, but that He has made known to us in His word beforehand those singular revolutions that were afterward to become facts. Some of these have been realized already; others remain to be verified shortly. But that this is the Roman empire is plain from the fact that it is always thus the fourth kingdom is described. A beast with seven heads and ten horns, the last empire before the Son of man takes the kingdom in power and glory, is the way in which Dan. 7 sets it out symbolically on the first occasion in which it was brought before any. There, closing the successive imperial powers, Rome appears, and is described yet more minutely than here.
On the other hand it is granted that there are features introduced into the description of St. John not found in the older prophecy. God does not introduce the subject without fresh reason and fresh light; but that it is the same imperial power, with added relationships as especially to the harlot, cannot be doubted in my judgment by any one subject to the written word. But the simplest and surest proof of all lies in the plain fact that, from first to last, we have four empires of the world, and only four, the last of which is destroyed by divine judgment, and followed immediately by the display of God's kingdom when Christ appears in power and glory. It must be quite evident, save to Romanists, or others almost equally ignorant or visionary, that the kingdom so described is not yet established in the world. I say “in the world"; for it is not a question of heaven. Glory on high we have also revealed to us in Christ the Head of the church: of this the New Testament speaks in the clearest possible manner. But it is plain that these world-powers have the earth for their theater; and, further, that what displaces the last of them is a kingdom that God will establish by judgment executed on the quick in this world. A very great comfort it is to look onward to the certainty that God has not given up the earth forever into the hands of the adversary—the certainty that Satan's plans shall be overthrown when they seem most ripe—the certainty that, when the evil becomes intolerable, God will interfere and this by that Man whom He has ordained to judge the quick and the dead, fife Lord Jesus. These truths are taught in both the Testaments. For the present occasion Dan. 2; 7 may suffice to prove what has been just affirmed. I only refer passingly to clench the proof of what is meant by the beast here.
I say no more then of the beast than that it is beyond doubt the Roman empire: in what stage of its existence, and at what particular time, will appear as we go on.
Next, the woman is described as “arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.” It is not the bride arrayed in fine linen, white and clean; it is the gaudy splendor of the world to attract the flesh, and this very distinctly in royal, yea, imperial colors, so as to found a primary claim of supremacy for her ecclesiastical pretensions; it is false glory, natural enough in the world as it is and adapted to its lusts, but altogether contrary to the express object of the Lord Jesus in having His spouse in this world. The bride of Christ was intended to be His epistle and is called by faith to manifest Him here below among men, the constant witness of His glory, character, ways, and heavenly place. Hence she must expect at present to share His rejection and suffering in this world. But this woman who usurps the name seeks nothing but fleshly pleasure and worldly importance; all that is naturally coveted and prized in the earth. This too and worse she ministers to others; for she has “a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations, and filthiness of her fornication.” How awful when religion with the highest pretensions to sanctity only sanctions man in the lowest, guiltiest inclinations of a nature fallen froth God and subject to Satan! Further, we are told that “upon her forehead was a name written.” The first word is most significant— “Mystery.” “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.”
Such a blazon on her forehead from the Spirit teaches us that here it is in no way a question of a heathen city with any amount of political influence. Its real heathenism, or rather its ungodly antagonism to God's people now fallen, may very well be couched under “Babylon the great"; for such was Babylon of old to the ancient people. But “Mystery” goes deeper, and shows the need of spiritual discernment according to the divine revelation vouchsafed to us, in order to detect the true character of this gigantic yet subtle imposture. Neither pagan Rome nor modern commerce, nor a future city rising on the Euphrates, can possibly answer to such a designation. It well suits Rome nominally Christian. Her fall therefore has an interest and joy for heaven which attaches to no other judgment.
I may just observe by the way that “the great city,” as far as the bride of the Lamb is concerned, is excluded by all persons who profess to give the best reading according to the most ancient authorities for the word of God. And this is very interesting to us, because it is not a question merely of what prophetic students prefer. They might be liable perhaps to the thought of bias; but critics whom I could easily name if this were the place for it, who had not the slightest prepossession in favor of prophecy, have come to the conclusion now stated on the ground of nothing but clear and full external evidence. In short the way they read Rev. 21:1010And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Revelation 21:10) is “showed me,” not that great city, the holy Jerusalem, but “the holy city Jerusalem.” It is not a question of greatness for her even when glorified, but of holiness; whereas what Babylon affects and wins at cost not merely of herself but of truth, grace, and Christ Himself, is present earthly greatness. “The great harlot” herself, she is the “mother of harlots,” as we are told, “and abominations of the earth.” Thus not only is she a corrupt system, but the parent of ecclesiastical corruption outside herself yet akin to her.
Again, she is the patron of what is most offensive before God—of idolatry in every shape. It is in vain to say that there never has been idolatry under Christianity; in vain to plead that the objects adored are only images for memory, not idols. The self-same excuse the old heathen philosophers used to urge. They sought to excuse their superstition by the assertion that nobody thought the idols were the gods, but only the visible tokens that reminded them of beings above and behind them. The apology of idolaters in Christendom is exactly similar to that of the pagans. The truth is, that to have such visible tokens or signs is the denial of faith, the destruction of the principle and power in which the Christian is told to walk. He is called to “walk by faith and not by sight.” All efforts therefore to make people religious by palpable symbols of the sort is false and pernicious in principle; it is but heathenism christened. Every Christian person is bound to set his face against it. No doubt all this came in by slow degrees, with an apparent show of pious reasons: When have they been wanting for bad things? The truth is, however, that we are not competent to judge in divine things and God therefore has revealed His will that we may be subject as children. Then, when we honor Him by subjection of spirit, we find out the excellence of God's will in Christ. We learn that there is nothing arbitrary but good, yea, the best in all the Lord lays on us. Although we accept it, not because we understand it but because He says it (and we accept it therefore gladly and simple-heartedly as His authority over our souls), yet, having done so, we learn that our God and Father is infinitely wise in all He says, and as good as He is wise.
The strange woman then not only corrupts herself and others, but is the parent of all religious corruptions here below. For there is not only a widespread system of ecclesiastical evil, but one pre-eminent, and others carried away and formed according to her pattern, though without her world-wide success. Further, she introduces and her idolatries have this peculiarly malignant brand in God's mind, that they betray departure from known truth for lies better loved. It may be presumed that every one here is aware that “abomination” is used for idol, according to language familiar to every reader of the Old Testament. The same style is found in Matthew, who cites the prophets, and in the Revelation, which habitually adopts Hebrew phraseology. And when the prophet saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, he wondered with great wonder—not of course that anything heathen should be opposed to Jesus, or should attack the servants of the Lord: there was no such great matter for surprise in that. Heathen persecution was becoming an old story, as was Jewish instigation through hatred of the gospel. John himself, experiencing at that time pagan opposition could hardly wonder if it grew hotter. But that what would bear the name of Jesus, however falsely—what would arrogate the place and title of God's church—that this body should become the greatest engine of persecution and tyranny the world ever saw, turning the power of the empire especially against the saints and witnesses of Jesus, did fill him with amazement beyond, measure.
I am aware of the usual pleas of Romanist theologians. But “God is not mocked.” The constant self-defense is that the church never persecutes; it is the civil power that punishes delinquents. But God looks at those who are really guilty—not at the mere hand which does the deed, but at the mind and will which morally and under the penalty of damnation compels it. Be it the civil power that hangs, stabs, or burns-the instrument is of small moment: His eye is on the true culprit, the more it covers its insatiable appetite for the blood of heretics under a sanctimonious cloak, and perverts the name of the meek and crucified Savior into a sanction of unheard-of cruelties, sometimes against men ignorant of truth and given over to folly, but far more frequently against saints of whom the world is not worthy, the choicest of God's children here below.
[W. K.]
(Continued from page 804)