66 V. 24. And in her," says St. John, 66 was found the blool of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." In the exultation for the fall of pagan Rome in verse 20th, the apostles were mentioned, because their blood was found there, as having been spilled by her emperors and magistrates. This not being the case of the last Babylon or Constantinople, in her is found the blood of prophets and of saints, of Henoch and Elias, and of an infinite multitude of Christian martyrs, cruelly put to death by her emperor, Antichrist, and his magistrates; blood, which cried to heaven for vengeance, and in which he had a share. It is even said that in her was found the blood of all that were slain upon the earth. All this blood is imputed to the city of Constantinople, because she was the capital of Antichrist's empire, which extended over the whole earth. In this same sense it was said that heathen Rome "was drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus," Apoc. xvii. 6, not only of those who had been put to death within her walls, but likewise of all others who had suffered in the extent of her dominions through the whole period of the persecutions. As the subversion of the Antichristian Babylon, in the pro phetic history, follows immediately that of the Roman Babylon; in like manner the exultations in heaven for both are joined to one another. The jubilation for the fall of pagan Rome begins thus: "After these things I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude in heaven saying ALLELUIA," &c. Apoc. xix. 1. And that for the fall of Constantinople, thus: And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude-saying, Alleluia," &c. ibid. v. 6. The same mode of speech used in both these places, as St. John never repeats the same thing, shows that these expressions of jubilation relate to two different objects, that is, to the fall of two different Babylons. This observation premised, the present exultation is, 66 . 66 Chap. xix. 6. "And I heard," says St. John, as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of great thunders, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned." St. John heard the voice of a great multitude in heaven, of that great multitude of martyrs which he had seen standing before the throne, and who had come out of the great tribulation, or persecution of Antichrist, Apoc. vii. 9, 14. To these is joined a voice, as the voice of many waters, that is, of the angels that preside over nations, denoted by waters, which had all before groaned under the tyranny of Antichrist: and also another voice, like the voice of great thunders, or of the angel that presides over fire, which, as employed in military engines, by its explosion resembles thunder; and such thundering fire was the instrument Antichrist made use of to kill the third part of men, Apoc. ix. 18. All these different personages have therefore reason to rejoice on this occasion, and to join their voices in singing, Alleluia; for the Lord our God Almighty hath reigned, has asserted his sovereign power, and crushed his enemies. The prophet Isaiah, in denouncing the divine wrath upon Babylon of Chaldæa, seems also to have annexed the judgment that is to fall upon the last or Antichristian Babylon. The fall of the first is fully described in chapter 13th, and what follows in the subsequent chapter must therefore belong to another city; which is confirmed by particular circumstances there related. Part of the preamble used by that prophet seems also to be referred to the last Babylon. Thus speaks he, Chap. xiii. 9. “Behold the day of the Lord shall come, a cruel day, and full of indignation, and of wrath, and fury, to lay the land desolate, and to destroy the sinners thereof. V. 10. “For the stars of heaven, and their brightness, shall not display their light: the sun shall be darkened in his rising, and the moon shall not shine with her light." signs indicate the last age of the world. These V. 11. " And I will visit the evils of the world, and against the wicked for their iniquity, and I will make the pride of infidels to cease, and will bring down the arrogance of the mighty." Then in the next chapter the prophet, after describing the character of Antichrist and the divine judgment upon him, proceeds to relate the destruction of his Babylon, thus: Chap. xiv. 22. "And I will raise up against them, said the Lord of hosts: and I will destroy the name of Babylon, and the remains, and the bud, and the offspring, saith the Lord. V. 23. "And I will make it a possession for the ericius* and pools of waters, and I will sweep it, and wear it out with a besom, saith the Lord of Hosts." The remains of Babylon; the bud of Babylon, perhaps the children in the womb; and the offspring, are all doomed to be utterly extirpated. This did not happen to the Chaldæan Babylon, which * A water-bird. was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants; and will only therefore be completed in Babylon, the great city of Antichrist. We have now seen the execution of the divine judgments upon Antichrist's armies and his great city. But as his magistrates and his adherents who are dispersed in all the different countries of the earth, may be deemed equally guilty with those that have perished, it seems to appear that the hand of divine vengeance will also reach them. This is announced immediately after the sentence passed upon the last Babylon, and is as follows, Chap. xiv. 9." And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: if any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand; V. 10." He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lamb." Those therefore that have adored the beast, or Antichrist, and his image, and received his character, or mark, are condemned to drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, that is, those who have been guilty of all the three above-named crimes they will be slain, in the same manner as Antichrist's army. To drink of the wine of the wrath of God, denotes the divine punishment on the body or corporeal part of man, as wine itself is not a pure substance, but contains gross lees; and the mixture of pure wine in the cup of the wrath of God, indicates the simultaneous punishment of the soul, which is a pure substance, and which on the slaughter of the body is violently separated from it. When both these component parts, soul and body are reunited at the general judgment, then the whole man shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in hell in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lamb. But, V. 11. " And the smoke of their torments," proceeds St. John," shall ascend up* for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who hath adored the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the character of his name." Here is the present fate of the soul, which at the instant of death is tormented in hell fire, without intermission or rest: which is * In the Greek, "ascends up." the sentence pronounced upon all those who have adored the beast, &c. whatever may be their death, and whenever it may happen. Then St. John adds, V. 12. "Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Here is the motive, on which is founded the patience of the true servants of God, namely, in bearing with all trials, hardships and persecutions in this life, with the view of avoiding the eternal torments, and purchasing the eternal rewards, of the other world. The preceding dreadful judgment of God on the votaries of Antichrist, wherever they be, seems to be also foretold explicitly by the prophet Jeremy, as follows: Chap. xxv. 15. “ Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel take the cup of wine of this fury at my hand: and thou shalt make all the nations to drink thereof, unto which I shall send thee." Expressions similar to what we saw above in St. John. 66 V. 30. And thou shalt prophesy unto them all these words, and thou shalt say to them: the Lord shall roar from on high, and shall utter his voice from his holy habitation: roaring he shall roar upon the place of his beauty: the shout as it were of them that tread the grapes, shall be given out against all the inhabitants of the earth. 66 V. 31. The noise is come to the ends of the earth: for the Lord entereth into judgment with the nations: he entereth into judgment with all flesh, the wicked I have delivered up to the sword, saith the Lord. 66 V. 32. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: behold evil shall go forth from nation to nation: and a great whirl-wind shall go forth from the ends of the earth. V. 33. "And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end thereof: they shall not be lamented, and they shall not be gathered up, nor buried: they shall lie as dung upon the face of the earth." Here is the tremendous roaring noise, v. 30, 31, before taken notice of from Joel, of Christ coming down from heaven to destroy Antichrist and his people. The Lord entereth into judgment with all flesh, and delivers the wicked up to the sword, v. 31, and the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end thereof, v. 33. Hence it appears, that not only Antichrist's armies, assembled in the valley of Josaphat, shall be slain by the sword, but all his principal idolatrous abettors shall be cut off in the same was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants; and will only therefore be completed in Babylon, the great city of Antichrist. We have now seen the execution of the divine judgments upon Antichrist's armies and his great city. But as his magistrates and his adherents who are dispersed in all the different countries of the earth, may be deemed equally guilty with those that have perished, it seems to appear that the hand of divine vengeance will also reach them. This is announced immediately after the sentence passed upon the last Babylon, and is as follows, Chap. xiv. 9. " And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: if any man shall adore the beast and his image, and receive his character in his forehead, or in his hand; V. 10." He also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lamb." Those therefore that have adored the beast, or Antichrist, and his image, and received his character, or mark, are condemned to drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled with pure wine in the cup of his wrath, that is, those who have been guilty of all the three above-named crimes they will be slain, in the same manner as Antichrist's army. To drink of the wine of the wrath of God, denotes the divine punishment on the body or corporeal part of man, as wine itself is not a pure substance, but contains gross lees; and the mixture of pure wine in the cup of the wrath of God, indicates the simultaneous punishment of the soul, which is a pure substance, and which on the slaughter of the body is violently separated from it. When both these component parts, soul and body are reunited at the general judgment, then the whole man shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in hell in the sight of the holy angels, and in the sight of the Lamb. But, V. 11. 66 And the smoke of their torments," proceeds St. John," shall ascend up* for ever and ever: neither have they rest day nor night, who hath adored the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the character of his name." Here is the present fate of the soul, which at the instant of death is tormented in hell fire, without intermission or rest: which is * In the Greek, "ascends up." |