Bible Commentaries
Revelation 17

Verses 1-17

1 The following chapters (17- Rev_19:5 ) are a detailed expansion of the announcement of Babylon's fall in both the first and second divisions of the Temple Section ( Rev_14:8 , Rev_16:19 ), We know the fact and the time; now we are told the reason and the circumstances which lead up to it.

3 The false woman is in contrast with faithful Jerusalem ( Rev_12:1 ). The true woman is arrayed with heavenly splendor, ready to take her place in the kingdom of God. The false is decked with earthly ornaments and is supported by the wild beast ( Rev_13:1 ), which is a composite of all the false religious powers of the world, organized and energized by Satan. The secret consists in the fact that the unfaithful woman-apostate Israel -attains to world supremacy and blessing altogether apart from Jehovah or His Christ. By their own efforts the nJews have amassed untold wealth. When their capital is combined they will be able to dictate to any government on earth, Covetousness is idolatry, They worship wealth, and all the world has bowed down at the same shrine. The love of money leads to every other form of evil. It has been a fruitful source of earth's ills.

5 Babylon is the only city which has been the capital of a world empire in the past. Here Nebuchadnezzar had his capital, Medo-Persia made it theirs, and Alexander of Greece made it his after conquering the world. No other city has ruled the whole earth. The decree of Caesar Augustus, that the whole inhabited earth should be registered ( Luk_2:1 ) was a vain pretense. It could not be enforced in Babylon itself, for the Romans could not conquer it. The present ecclesia is nowhere called the "bride of Christ", so present apostasy is not presented under the figure of marital unfaithfulness.

7 Babylon is supported in her ascendancy by the united religions of the earth. No wonder John marvels that, while God's saints are being slaughtered, the unfaithful should attain to almost millennial bliss!

8 This is a note of time. After the wild beast is recalled from the abyss by the dragon ( Rev_13:1 ) it no longer supports the woman.

8 When the wild beast emerges from the sea one of its heads was as though it had been slain ( Rev_13:3 ). This, it would seem, is the eighth head, which is also one of the seven. These kings must be taken literally, for they explain to us what the heads represent.

12 In Daniel's vision (7) the western wild beast had ten horns, hence the ten horns probably stand for ten western military powers in Christendom. In a federation of many governments it is easily seen how they could temporarily delegate their powers to the head of the world league. When the call goes forth for an international force to destroy the rebellious Jews in Jerusalem the federation of the West as well as the kings of the East will mobilize at Armageddon. There they will be slain by the Rider on the White Horse ( Rev_19:19-21 ). This is their end. But before this they are used in the destruction of Babylon.

15 The Jews in Babylon will be supported principally by the toil of the great masses in the western nations. The enormous interest on the national debts will make the people comparative slaves of those to whom the interest is paid, When it becomes known that the greater part of this money is used by the Jews in Babylon for their luxurious magnificence, it will arouse the hatred of the peoples and the governments who are under a perpetual tribute, as there is no possibility of paying off the principal. This hatred will lead to the unanimous opinion that Babylon must be destroyed, The wild beast upon which Babylon rests, after being obsessed by the dragon, becomes her implacable enemy. This is God's means of destroying the apostates in Israel.

17 By a bold figure of speech God is said to have an "opinion". The ten horns pride themselves in forming their own opinion and in carrying it out, when, as a matter of fact, they are obliged, by the purpose of God, to think and act as they do. Man is moved by ulterior motives. God provides these and men, conscious only of their own selfish aims, accomplish His end. God wants Babylon destroyed: they gladly do it for their own sakes, not for Him.

Verse 18

- Rev_18:15

18 The basic law which underlies all figures of speech pleads with us to make this city a literal fact. No one presumes to make the woman literal. She must be figurative. The city , however, explains to us what the woman represents, and must be taken as a literal city. If not, there is no end to the "explanations" which may be offered, each of which may, in turn, be further explained.

18 The city is Babylon, on the Euphrates, which will be rebuilt in due time. But, instead of being a gentile city, as in time past, it will become a Jewish city, composed of the apostates of Judaism. When the Jews return to Palestine, many will find that place unsuited to their genius for trade and commerce, or for the beautiful city which they plan for themselves, so they move over to the plains of Shinar and build Babylon, making it the commercial and financial center or the world. At this time the vision of the Ephah ( Zec_5:5-11 ) will have its fulfillment. The ephah was a measure used in commerce. This is a symbol of the Jews throughout the earth. They are merchants. A woman was cast into the ephah and swiftly borne to the land of Shinar, as Babylonia was called. There she will be established and take her toll of the traffic of the West with the East.

2 Babylon has never fallen as is predicted in the prophets (Isa.13, 47; Jer. 50-51). Its final overthrow will be sudden ( Isa_47:11 ) and it will become a desolation without any inhabitants ( Jer_51:29 ). No Arabian will pitch his tent there. Yet hitherto it has gone into gradual decay until, of recent years, it is being restored. Peter lived there ( 1Pe_5:13 ). To this day there has always been a considerable town in the center of its site. Moreover, its destruction is to be in the day of Jehovah ( Isa_13:6 ), when there are signs in the heavens ( Isa_13:10 ; Rev_6:12 ), and when the sons of Israel and Judah come and seek the Lord their God ( Jer_50:4 ).

4 Some of God's true saints will be in the city before her destruction. These are warned to come out of her.

6 These sentiments are quite foreign to the present display or God's grace, for this is not a day of vengeance.

11 Because of their enormous wealth the Jews in Babylon will import every luxury which their heart desires, so that it becomes the best market for the most valuable commodities of all kinds. This will employ ships and merchants who will make large profits. They will mourn and lament, not out or sympathy with the suffering city, but because their means of gain is gone. Babylon is not on the sea coast, but the Euphrates can easily be made navigable for large ships as far up as the site of the ancient city. It is notable that most of the great ports of the world have been inland on a river or bay. London, Antwerp, Hamburg, and New York, are all some distance from the open sea. The greatest maritime centers are on sheltered inland waterways to an open roadstead on the coast. Engineers are already at work on vast irrigation enterprises, to control the waters of the rivers. When there is a market, the Euphrates can easily be dredged to Babylon.

12 This is a list of the luxuries and necessities of a large city. Any attempt to "spiritualize" these items cannot fail to impress us with the futility of any but a literal interpretation of this marvelous metropolis of the end time.

12 Citron wood (callitris quadrivalvis) is found in the Atlas mountains of North Africa, and belongs to the cypress family. It is like lignum vitae , and is still used in Algeria for inlaying. It is dark brown, heavy, close grained and fragrant. It was used, as its Greek name implies, to burn incense.

13 Ginger, or amomum, is a genus of aromatic herbs from which the "grains of paradise" of commerce are obtained.

14 Fruition, literally the "juice hour", is an expressive term denoting the time when fruit is fully ripe. Figs are insipid and the white juice which exudes from them is poisonous only a few hours before it becomes sweet as honey. There is typical teaching in this. Israel is the true fig tree. Babylon seeks to take her place and establish the kingdom and thus realize the blessings promised by the prophets, which is suggested by the delicate sweetness of the fig's syrup. Instead they eat the bitter, unpalatable poison, but a little while before the true kingdom is established.