A Plain Explanation of Revelation, Part 18
Apoc. Cap. 18. 1.
And after theſe things, I ſaw another Angell come downe from heauen, hauing great power, ſo that the earth was lightened with his glory, &c.
THe Prophet hauing entred into the deſcription of the City of Rome, as of the ſpirituall Babilon, doth on that occaſion diſpute what ſhall be done of her: for notwithſtanding, the deſtruction of the Beaſt ſhould come before, and the ouerthrow of the City ſhould follow, yet the ouerthrow of the City is handled in the firſt place, & of the Beaſt is ſet after, vntounto the end that he might more fully ſet down the deſtruction and notable ruine of the ſame.
And firſt hee declareth the deſtruction of the City, and that it may hauehave the more authority, the Angell that deſcribeth it, is ſaid to come from heauen; declaring the certainety thereof, namely, in that this meſſage came from heauen, euen from God himſelfe, and therefore the City of Rome ſhould certainely be deſtroyed, and razed vtterly from the face of the earth.
And this authority is more fully ſet forth, in that the Angell is deſcribed to hauehave come with ſuch glory, that the earth was enlightned therewith; and therefore that ſhould be a moſt euident and vndoubted matter: which alſo appeareth in the mightineſſe of his voice.
Hee ſaith, it is fallen, and the ſecond time, it is fallen; which repetition hee vſeth, firſt to raiſe vp men from their drowſineſſe, which cannot at the firſt conceiue of Gods iudgements, nor conſider them as they ought, and therefore they muſt hauehave diuers repetitions of the ſame thing concerning the iuſtice of Gods iudgements. Secondly, to ſhew the certainty of it, as before, Chap. 14. 8. According as Ioſeph interprets Pharaohs dreames of the ſeauen leane Kine, which did deuoure the ſeauen fatte; and the ſeauen thinne eares of Wheate, that did conſume the ſeauenfull; that they both did ſignifie one thing, and that the dreame was therefore doubled to ſhew that that which was ſignified thereby, ſhould certainly come & that ſpeedily: Euen ſo the repetition of the denouncing of theſe iudgements, is for this cauſe, namely, as to waken the drowſineſſe of man, ſo to ſhew the certainty and ſpeedineſſe of the iudgements to be executed.
Then is ſet forth the ſtate of this Babilon, the City of Rome, in that it is ſaid, it ſhould become an Habitation of Diuels, and of vncleane Birds; ſignifying the great deſolation of it, according as it is the vſe of the Prophets, who to expreſſe the exceeding deſolations of any place, ſay that thoſe Birds which flye moſt farre from all reſort of men, as the Shrike-Owle, and the Pelican, &c. ſhould continue there.
To Diuels; noting that thoſe places that hauehave bin abuſed to the diſhonour of God, are giuen by Gods iuſt iudgement, to be not onelyonly deſolate, but euen haunted of Diuels themſelues, as wee ſee oft times it commeth to paſſe in Abbyes, and ſuch like ſuperſtitious houſes.
The cauſe is ſet downe, to wit, by reaſon of the perſecution of the Saints, and her pride, who vaunted▪ of her riches and good eſtate, ſaying, that ſhee was Queene, and ſhould neuer be Widdow; that is, ſhould neuer be deſolate, but ſhould alway hauehave her louers and maintainers to take her part.
And a principall cauſe is this, that ſhe had played the Harlot through her Idolatrie with the Princes of the earth. Then he ſetteth downe the markes of her deſtruction, both which goe before, and which come after.
Before: that God would giuegive his children that were there warning before, whereby they might know of it, that ſo they might come forth, leſt they▪ ſhould fall in that great deſtruction, as before we heard hee did to the Saints in Ieruſalem, by giuing them warning to auoide from thence, which they did, flying into the City of Pella in the wilderneſſe.
The markes following the deſtruction, generally, the lamentation of the friends of the City of Rome, and principally the Kings of the earth, when they ſhall ſee the ſmoake of her, mount vp to heauen; by ſmoake, is meant the continuall remembrance of that deſtruction: for albeit, after it is ſaid by the Angell that threw the ſtone into the Sea, that it ſhould neuer be remembred any more; hee meaneth not that it ſhould be cleane forgotten to hauehave beene, but onelyonly ſo forgotten as it ſhould neuer hauehave place again, by which it might be remembred; like as it came to paſſe in Sodom, howbeit the memory thereof ſhould otherwiſe be perpetuall.
Afterward is reported more particularly the lamentation of the Merchants, which had ſerued for the pleaſure of her, by Land and by Sea: The Merchants by land which had ſerued her with ſine meates, purple, ſilke, gold, ſiluer, precious ſtones, &c. for their Veſtiments; namely, for the apparell of their Prieſts, Prelates, Cardinals, &c. (which vſed to be moſt gorgeous and coſtly.) And they ſhould alſo bring to her, ſoules of men, that is, bond-ſlaues: meeting with that which ſhould come to paſſe & be performed of the Church of Rome, as we ſee experience of. Then the Merchants by Sea, the Ship-maſters, and Ship-men alſo make their lamentation ouer her.
For the more certainty of this deſtruction of the City, there is brought in an Angell, taking a great ſtone, and caſting it into the bottome of the Sea, ſaying, that in like manner Babilon that great City ſhould be throwne downe with violence, and ſhould be found no more; noting that it ſhould be ſo vtterly deſtroyed, that it ſhould neuer be recouered, neither ſhould it be built any more, neither ſhould the light of a Candle be ſeene in it, neither the voice of a Bridegroome heard therein; ſignifying that it ſhould not be againe inhabited of any, becauſe ſhee had deceiued all nations, and becauſe in her was found the bloud of the Saints and Prophets.