Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
The Fall of the City Babylon. REVELATION XIV. The Harvest of the Wwrld.
ous summary, amplified in detail in the rest of the book.
a little season," their eternal rest, or cessation from tolls (3 Thessalonians 1. 7, Greek anesis, relaxation after hardships. Hebrews 4. 9, 10, 4a66ato>no/ rest; and Greek catapausis, akin to the Greek here), is close at hand now. They are blessed in being about to sit down to the marriage' supper of the Lamb (ch. 19. 9), and in having pai-t n the
7. Fear God—the forerunner to embracing the love of God manifested in the Gospel. Repentance accompanies faith, give glory to him—and not to the beast (cf. ch. 13.
4; Jeremiah 13. 16). the hour of his judgment—"Tlie hour" implies the definite time. "Judgment," not the general judgment, but that upon Babylon, the beast, and his worshippers (v. 8-12). worship him that made heaven—not Antichrist—who"sitteth in the temple of God, showing Himself that He is God" (cf. Acts H. 15). Bca . . fountains—Distinguished also in ch. 8. 8, 10. 8. another—So Vulgate. But A, B, Syriac, and Andreas add, "a second;" "another, a second angel." Babylon Here first mentioned ; identical with the harlot, the apostate Church; distinct from the beast, and judged separately. Is fallen—Anticipation of ch. 18. 2. A, Vulgate, Syriac, and Axdreas support the second " is fallen." But B, C, and Coptic omit it. that great city—A, B, C, Vulfirst resurrection (ch. 20. 6), and in having right lo the treec life (ch. 22. 14). In v. 14-16 follows the explanation o'" whj they are pronounced " blessed" now iu particular. Jz., tJu Son of man on thecloud is just coming to gather them in as the harvest ripe for His garner. Write—to put it on jf.cord for ever. Yea, salth *the Spirit—Tho words of G >1 the Father (the " voice from heaven") are echoed back ana confirmed by the Spirit (speaking in the Word, ct A 7; 22.17; and in the saints, 2 Corinthians 5. 5; 1 Peter 4 14). All "God's promises in Christ are yea" (2 Corinthians I.
20). unto me—Omitted in A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic, that they may—The Greek includes also the idea. They are blessed, in that they shall rest from their toils (so the Greek), and—So B and Andreas read. But A. C, Vulgate, and Syriac read "for." They rest from their gate, Syriac, and Coptic omit "city." Then translate, "Babylon the great." The ulterior and exhaustive fulfilment of Isaiah 21. 9. because—So Andreas. But A, C, Vulgate, and Syriac read, "which." B and Coptic omit it. Even reading "which," we must understand it as giving the reason of her fall, all nations—A, B, C read, "all tlie nations." the wine of the wrath of her fornication toils, because their time for toil Is past ; they enter on the blessed rest, because of their faith evinced by their works which, therefore, "follow with (so the Greek) them.'- Tlieir works are specified because respect is had to the coming judgment, wherein every man shall be "judged according to his works." His works do not go before the believer, nor even go by his side, but follow him at th« sam« time that they go with him as a proof that he is Clirist's. 14r. croivn Greek (stephanon), garland of victory; not His diadem as a king. The victory is described in detail, ch. 19. 11-21. one sat.—"one sitting" (Greek cathemenon homoion) is the reading of A, B, C, Vulgate, and the wine of the wrath of God, the consequence of her fornication. As she made the nations drunk with the wine of her fornication, so she herself shall be made drunk with the wine of God's wrath. 9. A, B, C, and Andreas read, "another, a third angel." Cf. with this verse ch. 13. 15, 16. 10. The same Greek, "he also," as the just and inevitable retribution, wine of . . . wrath of God—(Psalm
75. 8.) wlthortt mixture—whereas wine was so commonly mixed with water tliat to mix wine is used in Greek for to pour oiti wine; this wine of God's wrath is undiluted; there is no drop of water to cool Its heat. Naught of grace or hope is blended with it. This terrible threat may well raise us above the fear of man's threats. This unmixed cup is already mingled and prepared for Satan and the beast's followers, indignation Greek (orges), "abiding wrath." But the Groek for "wrath" above (.Greek thumou) is boiling indignation, from (Greek thuo) a root meaning to 6oi7,- this is temporary ebullition of anger; tliat Is lasting [Ammonius], and accompanied with a purpose of vengeance [Origkn on Psalm 2. 5J. tormented ... In the presence of the . . . angels-(Psalm J'J. 14; 58. 10; 139.
Coptic. 15. Thrust In-^Greek, "Send." The angel does not command the "Sou of man" (v. 14), but is tlie mere messenger announcing to tlie Son the will of God the
in whose hands are kept the times and the seasons. thy sickle—Alluding to Mark 4.29, where also it is "sendthe sickle." The Son sends His sickle-bearing angel to reap the righteous when fully ripe, harvest — the harvest crop. By the AoiuesZ-reaplng the elect righteous are gathered out; by the vintage the Antichristian oll'enders are removed out of the earth, the scene of Christ's coming kingdom. The Son of man Himself, with a golden crown, is Introduced In the AaJi>es<-gathering of the elect, a mere angel in the t)i>!^«(;c (v. 18-20). Is ripe— lit., "is dried." Ripe for glory. 16. thrust in— Greek, "cast." 17. out of the temple ... in heaven—(Ch, 11.
21; Isaiah 66. 21.) God's enemies are regarded by the saints as their enemies, and when the day of probation
19.) 18. from the altar—upon which were oH'ered the incense-accompanied prayers of all saints, which bring down in answer God's fiery judgment on tlie Church's is past, their mind shall be so entirely one with God's, that they shall ri'joice in witnessing visibly the Judicial vindication of (iod's righteousness in sinners' punishment. 11. for ever and ever— GreeA:, " unto ages of ages." lie rest day nor night—Contrast the very dillerent sense In which the same Is said of the four living creatures in heaven, "They rest not day and night, saying. Holy, holy, holy,"&c.; yet they do "rest" in another sense; they rest from sin and sorrow, weariness and weakness, foes, the fire being taken from the altar and cast upon the earth, fully ripe Greek, "come to their acme;" ripe for punishment. 19. "The vine" is what is the sulyect of Judgment because its grapes are not what God looked for considering Its careful culture, but "wild grapes" (Isaiah
5). The apostate world of Christendom, not the world of heathendom, who have not heard of Christ, Is the object of judgment. Cf. the emblem, ch. 19. 15; Isaiah 63.2,3; Joel 3. 13. ao. without the city—Jerusalem. The scene of the blood-shedding of Christ and Ills people shall be also tho scene of God's vengeance on the .Vntlchi isllaa trial and temptation (v. 13); the lost have no rest from sin and Satan, terror, torment, and remorse. I'Z. Here, Ac. Resumed from cli. 13. 10, where see the Note. In the fiery ordeal of persecution which awaits all wlio will not worship the beast, tlie f<iith and palifincc of the followers of loo. Cf. the " horsemen," ch. 9. 16, 17. blood—answering
God and Jems shall be put to tho test, and proved, patience Greek {hupomene), patient, persevering endurance. The second "hero" Is omitted In A, B, C, Vulgate, Syriac, to tho red wine. The slaughter of the apostates Is what is hero spoken of, not their eternal punishment, even unto the horse-bridles— of the avenging "armies of heaven." by the space of a thousand . , , six hundred furlongs— "a thousnn<l six hundred lurlongs off." [W.Kelly.] Sixteen hundred Is a s(iuare number ; 4 by
Coptic, n.tu\ PuiMASUJS. Translate," Hvre Is the endurance of the saints, who keep," &c. the faltit of .Jesus—tho faith which has Jesus for Its object. 13. Kncouragcmcnt to cheer those persecuted under the beast, messedIn resting from i/ieir toils, and, in the case of tlie saints Just before alluded to as |>ersecuted by the beast. In resting from persecutions. TlieIr full blessedness is now "from iiencel'orlh," i. e., from tiii.stimb, when the Judgment on the beast, and the harvest-gatherings of the elect are Imminent. 'J'lie time so earnestly longed for by former martyrs Is now all but come; the full number of their fellowservants Is on the verge of completion; they have no looger to "rest (tho same Grtak as here, atiapausis) yet for
4 by 100. Tho /o«r quarters, north, south, east, and west, of the Holy Land, or else of the world (tho coiiipleioness and universality of tho world-wide destruction being hereby Indicated). It does not exactly answer to the length of Palestine as given by Jkkome, 160 Itomau miles. BicNfiEL thinks the valley of Kedroii. between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, Is meant, tho torrent In that valley being about to be discoloured with blood to the extent of 1600 furlongs. This view accords with Joel's