Revelation 17:15

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. WATERS ... WHERE THE WHORE SITTETH - (; .) In impious parody of Yahweh, who 'sitteth upon the flood' (Alford). Contrast the "many waters," , "Alleluia." The 'peoples,' etc., mark the universality of the Church's spiritual fornication. The 'tongues' remind us of Babel, the confusion of tongues, the beginning of Babylon, and of idolatrous apostasy after the flood, as the tower was doubtless dedicated to the defied heavens. Thus, Babylon is the harlot's appropriate name. The pope, as her chief representative, claims a double supremacy over all peoples, typif...

15-18 God so ruled the hearts of these kings, by his power over them, and by his providence, that they did those things, without intending it, which he purposed and foretold. They shall see their folly, and how they have been bewitched and enslaved by the harlot, and be made instruments in her destruction. She was that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth, when John had this vision; and every one knows Rome to be that city. Believers will be received to the glory of the Lord, when wicked men will be destroyed in a most awful manner; their joining together in sin, will be turned to hatred and rage, and they will eagerly assist in tormenting each other. But the Lord's portion is his people; his counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure, to his glory, and the happiness of all his servants....

Verse Revelation 17:15. _AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, THE WATERS WHICH THOU SAWEST,_ _WHERE THE WHORE SITTETH, ARE PEOPLES, AND MULTITUDES, AND NATIONS,_ _AND TONGUES._] "So many words," Bishop Newton observes, "in the plural number, fitly denote the great extensiveness of her power and jurisdiction. She herself glories in the title of the _Catholic_ Church, and exults in the number of her votaries as a certain proof of the true religion. Cardinal Bellarmin's first note of the true Church is, _the very name of the Catholic Church_; and his fourth note is, _amplitude, or multitude, and variety of believers_; for the truly Catholic Church, says he, ought not only to comprehend all ages, but likewise all _places_, all _nations_, all _kinds_ of men....

AND HE SAITH UNTO ME - The angel, Revelation 17:7. This commences the more “literal” statement of what is meant by these symbols. See the Analysis of the chapter. THE WATERS WHICH THOU SAWEST - See the notes on Revelation 17:1. ARE PEOPLES, AND MULTITUDES, AND NATIONS, AND TONGUES - For an explanation of these terms, see the notes on Revelation 7:9. The meaning here is: (a) that these waters represent a multitude of people. This is a common and an obvious symbol - for outspread seas or raging floods would naturally represent such a multitude. See...

EXPOSITION REVELATION 17:1 AND THERE CAME ONE OF THE SEVEN ANGELS WHICH HAD THE SEVEN VIALS, AND TALKED WITH ME, SAYING UNTO ME; _and spake with me, saying. _Omit "unto me." This and the following chapters (to Revelation 19:21) consist of visions which are really included under the seventh vial, but which, on account of their length and elaboration, may be considered apart from the other judgments of that vial. In the preceding chapters we have had placed before us a conspectus of three classes of ungodly people, and the three principles of evil in their abstract form, as represented by the world (the first beast), the flesh (the second beast), and the devil (the dragon). The personal final overthrow of the devil is described in...

AND HE SAITH UNTO ME,.... That is, the angel, who proposed to give John the interpretation of the vision, he went on with it as follows: THE WATERS WHICH THOU SAWEST, WHERE THE WHORE SITTETH, Revelation 17:1, ARE PEOPLES, AND MULTITUDES, AND NATIONS, AND TONGUES; denoting the vast multitude of people, of which the several kingdoms, of divers languages, consist, which belong to the jurisdiction of Rome Papal: it is an eastern way of speaking, and is particularly used to express the various kingdoms, and infinite number of people belonging to the Babylonish monarchy, which was an emblem of the antichristian state, Daniel 3:4 and these are compared to waters, to many waters; which phrase sometimes is used for the sea,...

CHAPTER S 17-18 Babylon, the Harlot, and Her judgment _ 1. The description of the woman (Revelation 17:1)_ 2. The angel's interpretation (Revelation 17:7) 3. The desolation of the whore (Revelation 17:16) 4. The angelic announcement (Revelation 18:1) 5. The call to separation (Revelation 18:4) 6. Her pride and destruction (Revelation 18:6) 7. Lamentation and jubilation ...

REVELATION 17:9. SEVEN MOUNTAINS: Rome was described as the city of the seven hills. Revelation 17:10. seven kings: this is a second interpretation of the heads. The most probable explanation is: The five are fallen, _i.e._ Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero are dead; the one is, _i.e._ Vespasian is still reigning, the other is not yet come, _i.e._ Titus is still to ascend the throne as seventh emperor (but _cf._ p. 928). Revelation 17:11. an eighth and is of the seven: _ i.e._ Nero, who was the fifth emperor in the foregoing list, and on his return would be the eighth....

THE GREAT HARLOT. The sixteenth chapter presents the series of historical events that lead to the overthrow of spiritual Babylon. Our interpretation of these has been for the most part determined by the facts of history which have already transpired. The sixth vial brings to the present date. Concerning what follows the seventh vial. speak with diffidence, as it is yet future, but of this we can be certain, that it foreshadows the final overthrow of the anti-Christian powers. In Chapter s XVII., XVIII. and XIX., the downfall of these powers, the overthrow of Rome, the triumph of the Word of God, and the victory of Armageddon, are described with greater detail. The limits to which. am confined will only permit me to outline these Chapter s. Chap. 17:1-6 describes spiritual Rome under the figure of. great harlot. The true Church is described throughout Revelation as. pure woman, the Bride...

THE FALL OF ROME (Revelation 17:1-18) One of the seven angels, who had the seven bowls, came and spoke with me. "Come here," he said, "and I will show you the judgment of the great harlot, who sits upon many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and with the wine of whose adultery those who inhabit the earth have become drunken." 3 He carried me away in the Spirit to a desert place, and I saw a woman, seated upon a scarlet beast, which was full of names which were insults to God, and which had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet and bedizened with gold and jewellery and pearls. She had in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead there was written a name with a meaning which was secret except to those who knew its meaning: "Babylon, the great, the m