Bible Commentaries

This chapter contains another representation of those things that had been revealed before concerning the wickedness and ruin of antichrist. This antichrist had been before represented as a beast, and is now described as a great whore. And here, I. The apostle is invited to see this vile woman, Re 17:1,2. II. He tells us what an appearance she made, Re 17:3-6. III. The mystery of it is explained to him, Re 17:7-12. And, IV. Her ruin foretold, Re 17:13-18, etc.

Analysis Of The Chapter

This chapter Revelation 17 properly commences a more detailed description of the judgment inflicted on the formidable anti-Christian power referred to in the last chapter, though under a new image. It contains an account of the sequel of the pouring out of the last vial, and the description, in various forms, continues to the close of Revelation 19. The whole of this description Revelation 17-19 constitutes the last great catastrophe represented under the seventh vial Revelation 16:17-21, at the close of which the great enemy of God and the church will be destroyed, and the church will be triumphant, Revelation 19:17-21. The image in this chapter is that of a harlot, or abandoned woman, on whom severe judgment is brought for her sins. The action is here delayed, and this chapter has much the appearance of an explanatory episode, designed to give a more clear and definite idea of the character of that formidable anti-Christian power on which the judgment was to descend. The chapter, without any formal division, embraces the following points:

(1) Introduction, Revelation 17:1-3. One of the seven angels entrusted with the seven vials comes to John, saying that he would describe to him the judgment that was to come upon the great harlot with whom the kings of the earth had committed fornication, and who had made the dwellers upon the earth drunk by the wine of her fornication - that is, of that anti-Christian power so often referred to in this book, which by its influence had deluded the nations, and brought their rulers under its control.

(2) a particular description of this anti-Christian power represented as an abandoned and attractive female, in the usual attire of an harlot, Revelation 17:3-6. She is seated on a scarlet-colored beast, covered over with blasphemous names - a beast with seven heads and ten horns. She is arrayed in the usual gorgeous and alluring attire of an harlot, clothed in purple, decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, with a golden cup in her hand full of abomination and filthiness. She has on her forehead a name expressive of her character. She is represented as drunken with the blood of the saints, and is such as to attract attention and excite wonder.

(3) an explanation of what is meant by this scarlet-clothed woman, and of the design of the representation, Revelation 17:7-18. This comprises several parts:

(a) A promise of the angel that he would explain this, Revelation 17:7.

(b) An enigmatical or symbolical representation of the design of the vision, Revelation 17:8-14. This description consists of an account of the beast on which the woman sat, Revelation 17:8; of the seven hcads of the beast, as representing seven mountains, Revelation 17:9; of the succession of kings or dynasties represented, Revelation 17:9-11; of the ten horns as representing ten kings or kingdoms giving their power and strength to the beast, Revelation 17:12-13; and of the conflict or warfare of all these confederated or consolidated powers with the Lamb, and their discomfiture by him, Revelation 17:14.

(c) A more literal statement of what is meant by this, Revelation 17:15-18. The waters on which the harlot sat represent a multitude of people subject to her control, Revelation 17:15. The ten horns, or the ten kingdoms, on the beast, would ultimately hate the harlot, and destroy her, as if they should eat her flesh, and consume her with fire, Revelation 17:16. This would be done because God would put it into their hearts to fulfil his purposes, alike in giving their kingdom to the beast, and then turning against it to destroy it, Revelation 17:17. The woman referred to is at last declared to be the great city which reigned over the kings of the earth, Revelation 17:18. For particularity and definiteness, this is one of the most remarkable chapters in the book, and there can be no doubt that it was the design in it to give such an explanation of what was referred to in these visions, that there could be no mistake in applying the description. "All that remains between this and the twentieth chapter," says Andrew Fuller, "would in modern publications be called notes of illustration. No new subject is introduced, but mere enlargement on what has already been announced" (Works, 6:205).

The judgment of the great whore, which sits on many waters, Revelation 17:1, Revelation 17:2. Her description, name, and conduct, Revelation 17:3-6. The angel explains the mystery of the woman, of the beast, etc., Revelation 17:7-18.

This chapter is, on several accounts, very important, and particularly as it appears to explain several of the most remarkable symbols in the book.

The same author who has written so largely on the twelfth and thirteenth chapters, has also obliged me with his interpretation of this chapter. Not pretending to explain these things myself, I insert this as the most elaborate and learned exposition I have yet seen, leaving my readers at perfect liberty to reject it, and adopt any other mode of interpretation which they please. God alone knows all the secrets of his own wisdom.

INTRODUCTION TO Revelation 17

This chapter contains a vision of a beast, and a woman on it, and the interpretation of it; one of the seven angels that had the seven vials proposes to John to show him the whore of Babylon, the Jezabel before spoken of, who sits on many waters, with whom the kings and inhabitants of the earth have committed fornication, being intoxicated by her, Revelation 17:1 in order to which he carries him into the wilderness, and there he sees a woman, who is described by the beast she sat on, of a scarlet colour, full of blasphemous names, with seven heads and ten horns; by her array, in purple and scarlet, decked with gold, pearls, and precious stones; by a cup she had in her hand, full of abominable filth; by a name written on her forehead, given at large, and by the condition she was in, drunk with the blood of the saints; which sight filled John with great wonder and admiration, Revelation 17:3 wherefore, to remove his astonishment, the angel proposes to explain to him the mystery of the woman, and the beast she sat on, Revelation 17:7 and first the mystery of the beast is explained, by its several states, past, present, and to come; by its original and end, ascending out of the bottomless pit, and going into perdition; by the veneration it would be had in by the reprobate part of the world, Revelation 17:8 its seven heads are interpreted of the seven mountains on which the city of Rome, designed by the woman, stood, and of seven kings, or forms of government, five of which had ceased, and one was in being in John's time, another was to come, which should not continue long, and the beast would be an eighth, Revelation 17:9 its ten horns are explained of ten kings, described by their kingdom they had not as yet received, and which they should have one hour with the beast; by their agreement in mind and conduct; and by their war with the Lamb, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, and those that are with him, the called, chosen, and faithful, and the issue of it, Revelation 17:12 the waters on which the whore sat are interpreted of a multitude of people, nations, and tongues, Revelation 17:15 the hatred and destruction of her by the ten kings, and the manner of it, are declared, Revelation 17:16 which is owing to the will of God, who put it into their hearts to agree to give their kingdom to the beast till the prophecies and promises were fulfilled respecting this matter, and now to destroy the whore that sat upon it, Revelation 17:17 which woman is explained of the great city of Rome, that reigns over the kings of the earth, Revelation 17:18.

XVII.

This chapter and the following give the more minute account of great Babylon. We have had mention of her before in general terms (Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:9) as the metropolis of the wild beast’s empire, the great city hostile to Jerusalem, the city of the saints. The Evangelist is now told more particularly her character, crimes, power, and position. She is seen clothed in splendour, intoxicated with her own power and cruelty, supported by the wild beast, and hostile to the cause of the righteous King; but doomed to fall amidst the wonder of the world and the rejoicing of the saints (Revelation 18:17-21).

CHAPTER 17

Revelation 17:3. The rec. γέμον ὀνομάτων βλασφ. is certainly false. It is more probable and intelligible to read, with Tisch., according to A, 7, 8, al., γέμον τὰ ὀνόματα βλασφ. (14, 18, al., also have ὀνόματα, but without the art.), than, with Lach., Tisch. IX. [W. and H.], γέμοντα ὀνόματα βλ. In the א, the τα has been deleted by the corrector. But the immediately succeeding defective ἔχοντα has continued so to stand. W. and H.: ἔχων.

Revelation 17:4. The καὶ before κεχρυσ. (A, א, Vulg., Elz., Lach., Tisch. IX. [W. and H.]), which is lacking in B (Tisch.), may be interpolated, τὰ ἀκάθαρτα. So A, B, א, 2, 4, 6, al., Compl., Genev., Beng., Griesb., Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]. The rec. ἀκαθάρτητος is an interpretation, as the τῶν ἀκαθάρτων in Areth.

Revelation 17:8. Instead of ὑπάγειν (B, א, Elz., Tisch. IX.), read ὑπάγει (A, 12, Andr., Areth., Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]).

καὶ πάρεσται. So A, B, 2, 3, 4, al., Compl., Plant., Genev., Beng., Griesb., Lach., Tisch. [W. and H.]. Incorrectly, Elz.: καίπερ ἐστίν. א1 has καὶ πάλιν πάρεστε (corr.: καὶ πάρεστιν). The πάλιν is an effort at interpretation; the πάρεστε, however, points to the correct reading.

Revelation 17:11. καὶ αὐτος ὅγδ. So A, al., edd., interpretations are: κ. οὐτος ὀγδ. (B), οὐτος ὁ ὄγδ. (א), etc.

After the last plagues[3792] have been inflicted, the final judgment itself follows, and that, too, in various chief acts whereby the individual chief enemies are judged successively. From ch. 12 on, as such, there are represented, first, the dragon himself, as the proper old enemy; then the beast out of the sea, i.e., the heathen-Roman secular power; finally, the beast out of the earth, serving this beast, or the false prophet. But while the description of the enemies of the Lord and his believers properly took this course, which proceeds from the original author of all antichristian hostility, from Satan himself, to the hostile powers manifesting themselves in the reality of experience by the shedding of blood and other persecutions of believers,[3793] by the seduction of the inhabitants of the earth, and by blasphemy of God;[3794] the reverse order follows for the description of the judgment. Satan himself—even apart from that which lies beyond Revelation 20:3—is at last judged,[3795] and, before him, his instruments, who serve him unto the end; viz., the beast and the false prophet.[3796]

But the description of the judgment is not limited to this chief feature; but just that part of the Apocalyptic picture is portrayed in a more detailed way, which refers to the antichristian secular power as in manifest reality arrayed against believers. This is now brought to view under the two forms (Revelation 17:3) belonging together, as they stand there in their entire opposition to God, and incur the Divine judgment. Besides the Roman Empire (Weltreiche) as a whole, the beast, there is a particular description of the metropolis of the world (Weltstadt), the harlot who sits upon the beast, the concrete focus of the power of the world with all its abominations. This harlot upon the beast is now shown to the prophet[3797] as the immediate object of the final judgment that now enters; and, indeed, not only what John himself beholds (Revelation 17:1-6), but also that which the angel says to him in interpretation of what is beheld (Revelation 17:7-14, Revelation 17:15-18), serves besides to represent the harlot as the completely worthy object of the judgment. To the judgment itself, then, the section Revelation 18:1 sqq. refers.

[3792] Cf. Revelation 15:1.

[3793] Cf. Revelation 13:7; Revelation 13:10; Revelation 13:15, Revelation 16:6.

[3794] Cf. Revelation 13:4 sqq., Revelation 13:12 sqq., Revelation 14:8, Revelation 16:21.

[3795] Revelation 20:1 sqq.

[3796] Revelation 19:19 sqq.

[3797] Revelation 17:1 sqq.

Re 17:1-18.

THE HARLOT BABYLON'S GAUD: THE BEAST ON WHICH SHE RIDES, HAVING SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS, SHALL BE THE INSTRUMENT OF JUDGMENT ON HER.

As

Re 16:12

stated generally the vial judgment about to be poured on the harlot, Babylon's power, as the seventeenth and eighteen chapters give the same in detail, so the nineteenth chapter gives in detail the judgment on the beast and the false prophet, summarily alluded to in

Re 16:13-15,

in connection with the Lord's coming.

1. unto me--A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic omit.

many--So A. But B, "the many waters"

(Jer 51:13);

Re 17:15,

below, explains the sense. The whore is the apostate Church, just as "the woman"

(Re 12:1-6)

is the Church while faithful. Satan having failed by violence, tries too successfully to seduce her by the allurements of the world; unlike her Lord, she was overcome by this temptation; hence she is seen sitting on the scarlet-colored beast, no longer the wife, but the harlot; no longer Jerusalem, but spiritually Sodom

(Re 11:8).