ACC ~ Revelation 17 v1 - 5

17:1-2 | The Judgment of the Great Harlot

ROME HAS GIVEN LAWS FOR PERSECUTING THE FAITH. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: He says, “Come, I will show you the damnation of the harlot who is seated upon many waters.” And I saw, it says, “a woman drunk from the blood of the saints and from the blood of the witnesses of Jesus Christ.” For all the saints have suffered martyrdom because of a decree of the Senate of this city, and although tolerance is proclaimed, it is she who has given to all nations every law against the preaching of the faith. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.2.

ROME SOMETIMES COMPELLED APOSTASY FROM GOD. OECUMENIUS: Having completed its discourse about the consummation of the present age and what will happen at that time, the vision now reveals to the Evangelist what will befall Rome. He said to me, it says, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the harlot who is seated upon many waters.” By judgment he means that way of life and conduct in which, he has judged, she lived and which she pursued. He calls [Rome] a “harlot” because she had fornicated, that is, apostatized from God. For this is called “fornication” by the divine Scriptures, as in the saying by the prophet to the God of all things: “You have destroyed every one who fornicates from you.” By many waters he refers to the nations that [Rome] rules and governs, as he says later on. “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,” it says. These are those who ruled among them [the nations]. For these kings of the earth are those who participated in her fornication and the madness of her idolatry. “Those who dwell on the earth have become drunk with the wine of her fornication,” it says. For indeed also the rest [of humankind], over whom she was ruling, apostatized from God along with her. She was sometimes compelling the rest and sometimes leading the way. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-5.

PROSTITUTION WITH THE DEMONS. PRIMASIUS: Isaiah speaks of the devil in a similar manner when he foretells the fall [of the devil] under the figure of the leader of Babylon. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who has risen in the morning.” Speaking of the body of all the lost, which he often calls by various yet suitable names, the Holy Spirit considers that it always moves to a greater variety of excesses and is corrupted by its wickedness and is hooked on its errors and is made mad by such a level of impiety that it is opposed by the gentle. And so [the Holy Spirit] depicts this body which is perishing with a suitable description, calling it a “harlot.” For being forsaken by the Creator, she has given herself over to prostitution, allowing herself to be ravished by demons. She is called “great” because of the enormity of her transgressions through which she has offended the saints for a long time. She sits upon many waters, that is, upon many nations. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE HARLOT. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Some consider this harlot to be old Rome, since she sits on seven hills, and the seven heads of the beast that carries [the harlot] to be the more ungodly kings from Domitian to Diocletian who persecuted the church. However, we are guided as much as possible by the sequence of events and think that she is either the earthly kingdom generally, depicted as in one body, or that city that is ruled until the arrival of the antichrist. For old Rome lost the power of dominion a long time ago, and we do not suppose that the ancient status will again return to it. But should we grant this, the power that governs today will have been destroyed beforehand. For the Revelation says, “The woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-3.

THE SAINTS ARE BETROTHED TO ONE HUSBAND. BEDE: The multitude of the lost, who, abandoned by the Creator, gave themselves over to the corruption of demons are said to sit upon the waves, that is, upon the seditious discord of the nations. “The company of those who believed were of one heart and soul,” whom the apostle betrothed “to one husband, to present her as a pure bride to Christ.” “The kings of the earth have committed fornication [with the harlot], and with the wine of her fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” The whole is greater than the parts. For the kings and the inhabitants of the earth each seek arrogantly after the things of the earth, and through the lust of vice they are corrupted by the allurements of the world and are made drunk by the madness of their minds. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-2.

17:3 | A Woman on a Scarlet Beast

THE WOMAN HAS THE IMAGE OF THE DEVIL. VICTORINUS OF PETOVIUM: [The woman is] she who is responsible for murders, and she has the image of the devil. … Because of the dispersion of the peoples, in the Apocalypse she is called “Babylon,” as does Isaiah. However, Ezekiel calls her “Sor.” And if one would compare what is said of Sor and what the Apocalypse and Isaiah say about Babylon, one would discover that they are the same. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.2.

THE WOMAN IS RED FROM THE BLOOD OF THE SAINTS. OECUMENIUS: The wilderness symbolizes her coming desolation. “And I saw,” it says, “a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.” The “beast” is the devil on whom she was resting and by whom she was being commanded, and it is “scarlet” because she has become red by the blood of the saints. And the beast was full of blasphemous names, for by attributing to himself that worship due to God, the devil sinned against God. “He had seven heads and ten horns,” it says. The Evangelist will explain this later on, saying that the heads and the horns are kings who have ruled in [the harlot] and those who will rule. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-5.

RAISED HIGH BY PRIDE. PRIMASIUS: The desert refers to the absence of God, for his presence is paradise. [He was led] in the spirit, because these realities can [only] be seen in the spirit. In whose image does the divine word most depict her, if not the image of the woman “from whom is the beginning of sin, and because of her,” as it is written, “we all die.” She is said to sit on a beast, since from it she is raised up high by the pride of presumption. [The beast is] scarlet, since it is a bloody beast, as we said, and it is a body arrayed against the Lamb. At times we are to recognize the devil in this beast, at other times the head which appears as though slain, at other times the people of the beast, which is the whole of Babylon, that is, confusion. And so, it is scarlet because it is bloody in its impiety, and it was drunk by its corruptions as though they were blood. “It was full of blasphemous names.” Although it is worse to perform blasphemy by way of deeds than to be called blasphemous, here he nevertheless says that it fully abounds with names so that it might not be thought that it is lacking in any excess. And because it is one thing to sin before God and another thing to sin against God, he who blasphemes against God is guilty of the greater offense. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.3.

THOSE WHO ARE DEAD IN THEIR SOULS. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: In the beast the whole people who are evil is recognized, and in the woman its corruption is revealed. It says that the woman sits [on the beast] in the desert, because she sits on the impious, those who are dead in their souls and those who are deserted by God. [He was led] in the spirit, it says, because a desertion [by God] of this kind cannot be seen except in the spirit. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.3, HOMILY 13.

EVERY CITY IS A WILDERNESS. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: It is necessary to say what we think concerning the wilderness into which he says he was led in the spirit. We think that in spiritual matters every city or populated place is a “wilderness” that is blameworthy because of a drunkenness of soul and fornication from God and of other such activities. It is also to be noted that in the vision that the spirit gives, the apostle sees the devastation of the harlot, whom he saw as a woman because she was softened for sin and unmanly. She was seated upon a scarlet beast because through evil deeds she reposed on the devil, who is murderous and delights in blood. Through such evil deeds she becomes a co-worker with the apostate in his blasphemies against God. The beast with its scarlet appearance is an indication of its cruelty and savagery and murderous intention. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-3.

17:3 | Seven Heads and Ten Horns

THE MONARCHY OF THE EARTHLY KINGDOM. PRIMASIUS: The prophecy of holy Daniel says that as the final persecution approaches, there will be ten kings. This book often symbolizes them in the seven heads and ten horns of the beast, as it does here. Earlier it is said that diadems are worn by them, for when all the kingdoms have been overthrown, they only will reign in the whole world. Indeed, the diadems are signs of the conquered kingdoms, which are displayed as trophies upon the arrogant heads [of these kings]. Therefore, through a mind of wisdom [this book] also says that the seven heads must be understood to be seven hills, so that it might signify Rome, which sits upon seven hills. For since Rome once exercised an absolute monarchy in all the world, [this prophecy] has adduced it as a similitude for the kingdom of those [ten rulers], and in the name of Rome symbolizes the power of the entire earthly kingdom. In the number seven this passage intends to indicate the universality of its domination, since from the number three and from the number four, that is, from an odd and an equal number it is seen to consist of diverse members and so its universality is suggested. … In the seven churches we have indicated that [this universality] is indicated in the good sense, since it is foretold that the one church of Christ will possess the whole world. In this passage the same number is used in the contrary sense to refer to those seven heads that are in opposition and in which that universal power is said to have everywhere dominion. For holy Scripture frequently uses the number seven in both a good and in a bad sense. In view of his sevenfold work, the prophet Isaiah testifies that the Holy Spirit is to be regarded as sevenfold, and here seven is used in the good sense. Similarly, however, an evil spirit is often described as sevenfold. Since the monarchy of these kings, which is often placed in opposition to the church of Christ, not only assails the faithful by way of open aggression but also desires to ensnare them by a bogus form of the truth, this passage indicates its manifest power by the ten horns and its fraudulent truth by the seven heads. Therefore, this future persecution is predicted to be violent, during which the practice of this deceiving power is supported and what is lacking to the deceit is supplemented by power. The illusory nature of this fraud was earlier indicated when it was said that “one head of the seven heads seemed to have been wounded unto death, but its mortal wound was healed.” That is to say, one head from that universal rule of the worldly kingdom that opposes the church, namely the antichrist, who seeks to be received as though he were the Christ, will claim that he is resurrected, as though he had been dead, for he impiously seeks to separate the incautious from Christ, who really did die and truly did rise again. Concerning this [head] it has already been said that the dragon, that is, the devil, has given to him his own power and throne and authority, and so it says that he is full of blasphemous names, even as it said that “a blasphemous name was upon its head.” And there cannot be a more grievous blasphemy than as one who is opposed to Christ, which is what the name antichrist indicates, to wish to be regarded as Christ, so that he might seduce by a skewed truth those whom he was unable to break by violent terrors, and that he might lead those to adopt an imitation of the truth who had refused manifest error. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.3.

THE LORD FORETOLD THE COMING OF THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT. PRIMASIUS: The Lord taught in the Gospel that we should be on our guard for this plague, saying, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” Did he not speak above of one unclean spirit? Why then did he mention seven others more wicked than himself, unless the unclean spirit is sevenfold in such a way that through his hidden evils he is discovered to be seven times more despicable?

And that what we say may be become more plain and clear, it is well that the reader be attentive. The good Spirit is a Spirit of wisdom, to which is opposed the evil spirit who is a spirit of foolishness and who is worse because it feigns wisdom. The good Spirit is a Spirit of understanding, while the evil spirit is a spirit of silliness and is worse because it feigns discipline. The good Spirit is a Spirit of counsel, while the evil spirit is a spirit of imprudence and is worse because it feigns prudence. The good Spirit is a Spirit of fortitude, to which is opposed the evil spirit who is spirit of open cowardliness and who is worse because its weakness deceives by the appearance of strength. The good Spirit is a Spirit of knowledge, to whom the spirit of ignorance stands in opposition and is worse because it steals knowledge [for its own use]. The good Spirit is a Spirit of piety, while the evil spirit is a spirit of impiety and is worse because it is covered with a false piety. The good Spirit is a Spirit of the fear of God, to whom the spirit of recklessness is opposed, and this one is worse because it deceives through a fake religiosity. I have extended a little my discussion of the deception of this adversary, so that this exposition might contribute to our understanding of many passages. The apostle too announced this future persecution, which will be so characterized by force and cunning, when he said, “Then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with every wicked seduction for those who are to perish.” By “power” he indicates its violent force, and by “seduction” he means its lying hypocrisy. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.3.

17:4 | A Gold Cup Full of Impurities

SHUN THE INSIGNIA OF BROTHELS. CYPRIAN: Showy adornments and clothing and the allurements of beauty are not becoming in any except prostitutes and shameless women, and of none, almost, is the dress more costly than those whose modesty is cheap. Thus in holy Scripture, by which the Lord has wished us to be instructed and admonished, a harlot city is described, beautifully attired and adorned, and with her adornments, and rather because of those very adornments, destined to perish. … Let chaste and modest virgins shun the attire of the unchaste, the clothing of the immodest, the insignia of brothels, the adornment of harlots. THE DRESS OF VIRGINS 12.

JEWELS AND GOLD SYMBOLIZE THE DECEIT OF HYPOCRISY. TYCONIUS: The purple symbolizes the pretense and deceit of her false rule, and the scarlet indicates the bloody disposition of her impiety. … [The jewels] symbolize all the allurements of that which deceitly claims to be true. … And then he discloses what is really on the inside of this beauty, saying, “She had in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and the impurities of the fornication of the whole world.” The gold symbolizes the hypocrisy, for as the Lord said, on the outside they appear to everyone as righteous, but on the inside they are full of every form of uncleanness. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.4.

THE CAUSE OF EVIL AND IDOLATRY. OECUMENIUS: “The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet,” purple because of her sovereignty and scarlet because she had shed the blood of many saints. She was “bedecked with gold and a precious stone and pearls.” The passage appropriately describes her as a queen in royal garb. “She held in her hand a golden cup full of abominations.” It was gold because of the rank of her sovereignty but yet full of idolatries and defilements by which she was nourished and by which she offered a libation to her own demons. “And the impurities of the fornication of the earth,” it says. It ascribes to her the idolatries also of other nations, since she was the primary cause of their own evils and of the madness of their idolatry. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-5.

NOT SATED BY HER EVILS. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: She is clothed in scarlet and purple, for these are symbols of her dominion and rule over all. Therefore, she is decorated with precious stones and pearls. The “cup” indicates the sweetness of evil deeds before they are tasted, and it is gold because such deeds seem precious, as someone said of Job, “who drinks scoffing like water.” Moreover, the cup demonstrates that she is not sated by her evil but pursues further evil with a thirst for her own destruction. Therefore, she multiplies abominations for herself, that is, [she demands] practices that are abominable to God and that she makes the multitude who love the martyrs to drink. In this way she draws, as though it were a sweet drink, the abominable stupor of sin and the pollution of fornication from God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.4.

17:5 | A Name of Mystery

THE NATIONS REMAIN LOYAL TO THE ERRORS OF THEIR FOREFATHERS. OECUMENIUS: And there was written upon her forehead, as though inscribed upon a public monument, as I might put it, that she was “Babylon, the mother of harlots.” She is “Babylon” because of the terror and confusion in her and the persecutions of the saints—for the name Babylon means “confusion,” as we have said—and she is mother because of her fornication, that is, her apostasy from God. For how is she not mother and teacher who persecutes the gospel and those who preach it and persuades the nations to remain loyal to the error traditional to their forefathers? COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.1-5.

TRANSGRESSIONS LOATHSOME TO GOD. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: The writing on the forehead indicates the shamelessness of the fullness of sins and of the confusion of the heart. She is mother because for those cities ruled by her she is the teacher of their spiritual fornication, giving birth to transgressions that are loathsome to God. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17.5.

THE WOMAN IS THE NURTURER OF VICES. BEDE: This corrupter is immediately shown in her very face to be the nurturer of vices. However, since she is recognized only by the wise mind, for she is dressed in precious clothing, he indicates that this name is that of a mystery. EXPLANATION OF THE APOCALYPSE 17.5.