KEY TO THE

OR

APOCALYPSE
OF

THE

SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS SYMBOLIC PROPHECY

WORKS

BY THE

SAME AUTHOR.

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:",v

11 ii

PREFACE
WHILE . complete in itself as a Key to the Apocalypse, this work is intended

to be introductory to a short series of simple expositions of that great prophecy, based on divinely given interpretations of its meaning.
~

It

is an unquestionable

fact

that

the

intimately

related prophecies of Daniel and is evident that these must

John contain seven divinely given interpretations, and it tion. constitute the only infallible basis of exposi

In building on them," as we state iii., (' we build not truth. on the opinion, but on Withof

1 )
Printed by Hazell, Watson, G' Viney; La London and Aylesbury.

in

chapter

shifting sands of human out such a foundation and trustworthy, as

v

the stable rock of revealed Daniel and the Apocalypse resting

no interpretation upon

can be secure divine

.1
I
f

-l

vi

PREFACE

authority,

but can only stand

on 'begged

principles and mere human conjectures.''' The basis on which we build is divine interpretation. follows. The plan of this book is as the sev~ are....etforth After a brief introduction

divine interpretations iii.; in chapter

.

i6

chapte.!.. and in and in Rev.

CONTENTS
CHAPTER
PRELIMINARY POINTS

iv. the historical fulfilment and last of these; (that

of the seventh marvellously

INTERPRETATION

I
~AGE

chapter v. we use this last interpreted fulfilled vision

3 11

xvii.) as a Key to open the remaining uisions in the Apocalypse, "for such is the connection of the various visions in the book, that the opening of its central vision is a manifest clue to the meaning of the whole" (p. 103). May the Divine Spirit, who ({searches all things, yea the deep things of God," enlighten us to understand prophecies, and these sublime and sacred sanctify us through the
HISTORICAL THE SEVEN

CHAPTER
OF THE

APOCALYPSE.

IS

SCRIPTURE KEY TO THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY.

CHAPTER
INTERPRETATIONS

III
OF SYMBOLIC

PROPHECY

23
CHAPTER IV
THE PROPHECY OR

knowledge of the Truth.

FULFILMENT THE

OF HARLOT

CONCERNING PROOF FROM

BABYLON, ROME

HISTORY

THAT

IS THE

BABYLON

OF THE

APOCALYPSE

67

vii

viii

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
USE OF THE KEY

V
l"AGE

. 103

CHAPTER
THE TWO LAST KINGDOMS THE RELATION

VI
OF PROPHECY, ROMAN OR

OF THE

EMPIRE.

TO THE

KINGDOM

OF GOD

. 139

DIAGRAMS.

151

~\
,PRELIMINARY POINTS '

viii

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
USE OF THE KEY.

V
PAGE

. 103

CHAPTER
THE TWO LAST KINGDOMS THE RELATION

VI
OF PROPHECY, ROMAN OR

OF THE

EMPIRE.

TO THE

KINGDOM

OF GOD

. 139

DIAGRAMS.

151

r\
,PRELIMINARY POINTS '

'f

CHAPTER
PRELIMINARY

I
POINTS
IS

1.
)~

THE

WRITER

OF -THE ApOCALYPSE JOHN

THE ApOSTLE
\'

THIS view is amply sustained by primitive testimony. Justin Martyr, who was

born about seven years after the banishment of the dialogue author Apostle John to thus Patmos, refers "A in his

with Trypho

to the

of the Apocalypse:

man from

among us, by name John, one oj the Apostles of Christ, in the revelation made to him, has prophesied that the believers in our Christ years in Jerusalem."

shall live a thousand

~

Irenzeus, who wrote about thirty years later than Justin Martyr, speaks of the Apocalypse
3

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

PRELIMINARY

POINTS

as the work of John, the disciple of the Lord, that same John that leaned on His at the Last Supper. Canon breast

I'

The writings of the Apostle to the past, the present,

John relate

and the future of He wrote a of Christ, and an No is of

".'

Origen, who made the a subject of of who a

the time in which he lived. Gospel Epistles concerning concerning concerning in the the His Person

of the New Testament

special enquiry, attributes the Apocalypse leaned on

the authorship John,

C{

Church,

to the Apostle bosom,"

Apocalypse other --"'- writer

...

His Kingdom. New Testament -.. ..,..~'" .... ....... ........... '.,.
,""""",-"'''''' .
:

Jesus'

((who

wrote

................. ,"'"' .......,,~---,...,-....,.--...; ... -'""" ...

,..,.."""':-

,.

Gospel, and said that the world itself could not contain acts," "Herod the books
C{

equal range, or more profound or Christ-like .

.
'

which the

tell of the Apocalypse of

..',

",.','"

Lord's also."

he

wrote

II.
THAT

THE OF

DATE THE JOHN

OF THE ApOCALYPSE BANISHMENT UNDER THE OF

IS ~ ("")

slew J ames the brother

THE

John with the sword; Romans-c. as tradition

and the King of the teaches-condemned

ApOSTLE EMPEROR

ROMAN ,)

DOMITIAN

TOWARDS THE CLOSE \\

:

John, bearing witness for the word of truth, to the Island of Patmos. us of the things his, not telling And John informs this witness of

OF THE FIRST

CENTURY

The

testimony disciple,

of

Irenzeus, was

who himself

was the

concerning

Polycarp's disciple

who

who condemned

him, but

of the Apostle on this point.

John, is of special Speaking of the he

saying in the Apocalypse: the isle that is called in the island."

'I, John, was in

importance

Patmos'

(i. 9)...

number of the Beast in the Apocalypse, says: "For it [the Apocalypse]

And he appears to have seen the Revelation

was seen no

very long time ago, but almost in our age,

2

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

PRELIMINARY

POINTS

towards the end of the reign of Dornitian " (Eusebius, H. E., iii. 18). of Alexandria, the early Tertullian, and this Clement others of testimony. on the

receive his quittance being killed, all charged.

by suffering, Domitian were disfrom the

his judgments

Hippolytus, confirm

And John

being dismissed delivered

Fathers

the mines, thus subsequently

Victorinus, who wrote a commentary Apocalypse century, towards

'same Apocalpyse which he had received from God." The external evidence as to the Domitian date of the Apocalypse is clear and certain.

the close of the third over that the vj~ions

says twice

of the Apocalypse

were seen by the Apostle when banished Domitian.

John in the Isle of Patmos, thither by the Roman

((From the first witness who speaks upon the point in the latter half of the second century down to the first half of the fifth we have a succession with one of Fathers and bearing testimony which

Emperor

The commentary on the

of Victorinus is the earliest extant.

I I,

Apocalypse

Referring

to

the passage in Rev. x. must again prophesy

he writes:

((( Thou and

accord,

in language

to

the peoples,

admits of no misunderstanding,

to the fact

to the tongues, and to the nations, many kings.' He says this because,

and to when

that St. John was banished to Patmos under the reign of Domitian, beheld those visions and that of the there he

John said these things, he was in the Island of Patmos, condemned mines to the labour of the There there-

Apocalypse to writing. of ability,

which he afterwards These Fathers

committed

by Cresar Domitian.

too are men ...

fore he saw the Apocalypse; length grown old, he thought

and when, at that he should

learning, and critical insight into the history of bygone times. . . . They belong to the

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE and widespread regions of

PRELIMINARY

POINTS

most different the Church-to

r .
I

to confirm the date originally and expressly assigned by Irenreus to the Apocalypse, as

Gaul, Alexandria,

the pro-

consular province of North Africa, Pannonia, Syria, and Rome. degree they independent convey that to They are thus in a great of each other, and imfour over

seen and written of Domitian-that

at the close of the reign is, near the end of the Accordingly approved

yea:J2~_,2!<.J)3Lll!!LQg~. QL.,Q6. the great majority ecclesiastical

------

us the incontestable least the' first era, and

of the most

pressron centuries

for at

historians, and Biblical critics, French,

of the

Christian of the

alike Roman Catholic and Protestant, German, and English,-writers

the whole extent

Christian that

Church, had in
1

who have had one way cherished for Le

it was firmly believed beheld the visions

St. John

no bias on the point in question, or the other, from any particular theory example, of apocalyptic Dupin,

of the Apocalypse

the days of Domitian, The mony '.' ,e~of date thus to the
A.D.

and not of Nero." by primitive is towards testithe

interpretation; Tillemont,

assigned Apocalypse

Bossuet,

Clerk, Turretin, Mosheim, Tomline, adopted Mill,

Spanheim, Whitby, etc.,

Basnage, Lampe, Lardner, etc.,-have Milner, alike

95 or th~ beginning

of A.D. 96:.all concurs

0/ St. JOh1t
j"

((The varied historical evidence which has been enquired into," says Elliott,
1
II

Burton,

it; to whom I am happy to add

Baird Lecture on the Reoekuio

the living names of the German ecclesiastical historian Gieseler, and of our own learned Mr. Clinton. depend on its We may, I am correctness with

(1885), by Professor Milligan, p. 308, who strongly and ably confirms the Domitian date of the Apocalypse an extended appendix. in

chronologist, persuaded,

10

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE and implicit confidence as

PRELIMINARY to come to pass.

POINTS

II

an unhesitating

Their chronological

posi-

on the truth of almost any of the lesser facts recorded in history. And I must say it that respectable

tion did not lie in remote futurity.

The time

of their fulfilment was in the first century "at hand" (i. 3). This idea of the speedy

seems to me most surprising and learned commentators

should have spent

accomplishment again referred

of its predictions is again and to throughout the prophecy,

their time and labour in building up apocalyptic expositions that rest wholly and only

and appears at its close in the sentence, "the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His the things (xxii. 6).

on the sandy foundation of an earlier N eronic date" (Elliott, Hora: Apocalyptica:, vol. i.,

angel to show unto His servants which must shortly be done

lJ

pp. 45, 46). III. THE THEME OF THE ApOCALYPSE IS

DEFINED IN ITS OPENING VERSES

The Apocalypse is a r~velatio~"E.2t oLtemote ~----.,.-'.-- ..-.. '''-'-~~''-''-~''''--- ~,,~.,,~-.--. events in which the Christian Church from
,_,'"' 'r, .._.""'., .",_, 'J. '''''~'_'",,''_.''' __ ' ",' '."'."""'~""'~"' .... ".- . ,-.",~,.-,,-.~ .~,,-,,"'~-'-

apostolic .The s~
"

days onward .t()_.!h~."_.pr.~~~~~._tirn.e interest, but of events

'-"., ", --. ,.~<.- .... -

.. L~P.,!~.La~9rding The Apocalypse

has had no practical

"

-->.,." ... ,..-.-.".--,..-"

..~.'"

to its i~~s.pi,!~g,,,.gefinition,, .is ..~:.thingswhich .-.--_"r~~"''''''''''''-" ,.:".,,.;,,,,.,,,,,,,~,,,.'.--i'"''~'''''''''~<''''' "~"""'" ',."~. '''',''. -.

which

eighteen

hundred as toithe

years

ago.were

must shortly come to pass."

r__'

"'f .... ~.-,_,',,' '""':0"' .,... _:: ...._',

near at hand

cQiTImencemel),t of

is not a book of history or of doctrine, but of prophecy. devoted. It To treats this its larger part is

their accomplishment. " Blessed is he that readeth, and tlzey that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written thereir: : for the time is at hand."

of things

which were

future at the date of their revelation, and of things whose accomplishment was" shortly"

CHAPTER
INTERPRETATION OF

II
THE APOCALYPSE

SCRIPTURE KEY TO THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY

Nq__
-c.,

i~,~:rpretation of the ~J?ocalypse can~)

be secure and stable but that whick \

is based on divinely.givene;t~~q~~~;~_';;its ~I

symbols and uisions.

In seeking

to under-

stand the prophecy our first question should be, What saitt: the Scripture? use of divinely pretation The diligent

given helps for the interprophecy is the

of the symbolic

true and only way to its comprehension. In science and philosophy men followed

for many ages a false method of reasoning and research, building their conclusions upon
15

I
1

CHAPTER
INTERPRETATION

II
APOCALYPSE

OF THE

SCRIPTURE KEY TO THE SUBJECT OF THE PROPHECY

N
... ~"

(Li~,t.:rpretation

.?~.,,~~:~l?ocalypse

c~n")

be . secure and stable symbols and visions.

but that whzch '\ ! to under-

is based on divinely .given extLq!!:q~~q1Z.'LOf its. ') In seeking

stand the prophecy our first question should be, What saiti: the Scripture? use of divinely pretation The diligent

given helps for the interprophecy is the

of the symbolic

true and only way to its comprehension. In science and philosophy men followed

for many ages a false method of reasoning and research, building their conclusions upon
IS

I
1

16

KEY

TO THE

APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE APOCALYPSE

17

a basis of dogmatic

spe~ulation, instead of

lation and dogmatism,

those who seek to

deducing them from a full collection of wellestablished facts. In his Novum Organum, the Interpretat()'}Z this mistaken Bacon, in

understand symbolic prophecy, and especially the mysterious prophecies of the Apocalypse, should turn to the real helps which God has given to the comprehension of these portions of His Word. The primary key to Scripture _ The gate of entrance to

or, True Suggestions for of Nature, method. "and Bacon "The root of

exposed

sole

cause," says every

almost

defect

is Scripture itself.

the sciences is this, that

while we falsely

the meaning of symbolic prophecy is divine interpretation. The first duty of the student

admire and extol the powers of the human mind we do not search for its real helps." "Speculations and theories of mankind but a kind of insanity, only there to stand by a1zd obseY'lJeit." bring men to particulars,
(C

of prophecy is to listen to that which the revealing Spirit has said as to the meaning of His own mysterious utterances.

are

is
We

no one must

and their regular instauraTHE OLD TESTAMENT INTRODUCTION TO THE ApOCALYPSE

series and order," and make "an

tion from the very foundations, if we do not wish to revolve for ever in a circle, making only some slight and contemptible progress." An analogous reformation
'-..,

He who would enter the temple of truth mu~~y--the

. <"" .... ,... . "<>--.~~ . ''''.''' ."-,-~,-.-~-"' ,,-.,,....'''''' - .. , .. ~,.--,.......~-.-

divi~ely
-----~.-,-'""-'

given door.
__ ._ . ~, __ ~.~~~_ . ; ' .. _"

.. 4

The Old Testam~nt.is.certainly

~. __

is needed in

the entrance to the New, and in a special manner the Book of Daniel in the Old 3

prophetic interpretation.

Abandoning specu-

18

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE APOCALYPSE 19

Testament is the porch or passage leading to the Apocalypse. In his observations on the

form.

They unfold earlier and later portions

of the same great story. The Book of Daniel holds a transitional position in Old Testament Scripture. In it

prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John, Sir Isaac Newton says:
II

Among

the old prophecies Daniel is most distinct in order of time and easiest to be understood, and therefore in those things which relate to the last times he must be made the key to the rest." On the connection he says: "The of Daniel and Apocalypse of

((prophecy ceases to be Jewish and becomes Gentile."

1

It is thus suited to be an intro-

duction to New Testament prophecy relating to the course of Gentile history. All the events foretold in the Apocalypse belong to that order of things and course of ages predicted in the Book of Daniel. introductory The

Revelation

John is written in the same style and language with the prophecies of Daniel, and hath the same reiatio to them which they have to one another, so that all of them together make but one completeprophecy." The Apocalypse should thus be regarded as the New Testament The Books of

vision in Daniel, that of the

Image, the Stone, and the Mountain, sketches the complete course of the ,~_~c::_.great kingdoms of History and Prophecy, and, like the vault of heaven embracing circumference of earth,
II

the extent

and

sequel to the Book of Daniel.

arches in the entire

Daniel and Revelation may be considered as parts one and two of a single prophecy-a prophecy relating to the same subject, and

future of the world with celestial ease and stability. present,

1

It and
alZ

starts

from the on the

time

then of

terminates

verge

presenting that subject in the same symbolic

Daniel,

Exposition, by Payne Smith, D.D., p. r.

20

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

eternity." introductory prophecies.

The grand outline given in this vision is filled in by later

Each succeeding prophecy adds

further details, but no fresh outline is presented. The sublime framework of the five All the visions

empires remains unaltered. of

the Apocalypse belong to this outline. understood until

They cannot be properly

they are fitted into it, and take their place in it as part of a great symbolic revelation concerning the course and succession of
THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS OF

SYMBOLIC PROPHECY

earthly empires, and the rise and establishment of the Kingdom of God

21

CHAPTER THE

III OF

SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS SYMBOLIC PROPHECY symbolic prophecies

THE

of Daniel and

John contain seven divinely given intrepretations of their meaning. These interpre-

tations claim our first attention, and constitute tIle only infallible basis
0.1

exposition.

In

building on them we build not on the shifting sands of human opinion, but on the stable Without such a

rock of revealed trutlt. foundation the no interpretation can

of Daniel

and trust-

Apocalypse as

be secure and upon

worthy, but

resting

divine authority,

can only stand

on ((begged principles The seven

and mere human

conjectures."
23

24

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS 25

divinely

given

interpretations

are

the

following :-

(I) "Thou,

0 king, art a king of kings: given thee a and glory.

1. The Interpretation

for the God of heaven hath of tlte Vision of the kingdom, power,

Great Image i-ll Da. ii. Five 'Verses contain the description of the Image, Stone, and Mountain (vv. 31-35), the interpre-

and strength,

And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. art this head of gold. (2) "And after thee shall arise another T hau

followed by ten verses giving tation (vv, 36-45). Mark

the introductory and we will tell

words, "This

is the dream;

the interpretati(J1Z thereof before the king"; and the concluding words, "The dream is

kngdom inferior to thee, (3)

(I

And another third kingdom of brass,

certain, and the inte,pretatzoll We do well to underline

thereof sure." the

which shall bear rule over all the earth. (4) "And thefourtlt kingdom shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth breaketh all things: and as iron that in pieces sawest the

in our Bibles

word "-intelpretatzolZ," that we may note and remember furnished the important here in the fact that prophecy we are with an

infallible guide to its meaning. The interpretation of the vision of the

all these, shall it break And whereas thou

and bruise. Image given to Daniel in answer to prayer by "the God of heaven," and conveyed by is as follows :_

feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, tlte Jdngdom shall be divded; there shall be in it of the strength iron, forasmuch as thou sawest but

Daniel to N ebuchadnezzar,

of the the iron

26

KEY TO ~HE

APOCALYPSE

THE ,SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

27

mixed with miry clay.

And as the toes of

In this divinely given ,interpretaton

the

the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron' mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave'one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. (5)" And in the days of these kings shall
the God of heave1z set up a/kingdom, sltallneveroe whz'ch destroyed ; and the kingdom

four different metallic parts of the Image represent four successive kingdoms, of which the first is that of Babylon; while the Stone cut out without hands which destroys the , . Image, becomes a Mountain, and fills the earth, represents the Kingdom of the God

,or' heaven,

universal H~ its range and everLet us mark these

lasting in its duration. 3, 4, 5,and

five kingdoms in our Bibles by the numbers

I, 2,
I!

write opposite the words

shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the 'stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it ,. brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter : and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."

Thou art this head of gold" the name of

of God.

Babylon, and opposite the fifth kingdom the

words Kingdom
the four kingdoms

Let us note that

follow each other '!Vitho'!J;

I.

'~ny'....g!!PJ .. as represented by the four parts

ofa single image, that the second is inferior to the first, that the third is characterised by worldwide extent, and the fourth by resistless strength .quests. and all subduing conObserve especially that the fourth

'I"~
'l!1i\
'1,;':',"~:: 1_
.;It

(11 !~'i '~i ~ii

/{j

28

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

29

kingdom

is in its later

stage

"divided,"

the vision interpreted

are clearly and

authoritatively

that it consists partly of iron and partly of clay, and that broken Contrast the attempts prove to reunite its and of futile. human

as the Kingdom of Babylon and while

the Kingdom of the God of heaven; the second, third, and

fragments the

vain

fourth are the in-

great

Colossus

tervening kingdoms which fill up the course of Gentile rule between these two well-

sovereignty, standing of iron mixed with and everlasting of God.

on feeble broken feet clay, with the stable of the Kingdom origin

marked termini.

Later visions plainly show

Mountain

what these intervening kingdoms are. II. The Interpretation of the Vision of the Great Tree in Dan. iu. N ebuchadnezzar, who had heard from

Observe the superhuman

of the final kingdom represented cut out" without hands "-a

by a Stone

kingdom founded

by no sword or sceptre of man, built by no human will or wisdom, but by the invisible power of the Creator of heaven and earth. Note also the two stages of the kingdom represented and that by the Stone and the Mountain, before the Stone becomes the

Daniel the interpretation

of the great Image,

now asks the prophet to tell him the interpretation of the great Tree.
(I

I~
..

Tell me the

!
/,

visions of my dream, and the interpretation thereof." The king then recounts his dream, occupying nine verses, while fills the nine verses
I 9-27).

Mountain

it falls on the feet of the Image,

the narrative Daniel's which words:

interpretation follow (vv.

or on the Image in its finally divided clay and iron state, and utterly annihilates it. The first and last of the five kingdoms in

Observe

the

"T hz's is the in terpretation , 0 king,

and this is the decree of the Most High." 4

30

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS 31

N ehuchadnezzar

had

seen in his dream

shall be with the beasts of the field, ...

and

great Tree, reaching

to heaven, under whose of the

seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that kingdom ever the Most High ruleth in the

shadow dwelt the birds and beasts earth.

He had heard a voice from heaven down the tree," in the

of men, and giveth it to whomsoThe rest of the chapter

proclaim the decree, "Hew but {(leave the stump

He will."

of his roots

relates the historical fulfilment of the vision: "All this came upon the king Nebuchad-

earth," and "let seven times pass over him." Daniel thus interprets the meaning: ((It is

nezzar." The "seven times" of the monarch's of the under

thou, 0 king" vision Daniel ((Thou boldly

(ver. 22).

As in the former

had said to Nebuchadnezzar,

debasement long

typify the {(seven times" of worldly power

art this head of gold," .so here he tells the monarch that the vision was

degradation

the Wild Beast empires of the later prophecy in chapter had vii. The same empires by the bright which and

concerns himself.

He, Nebuchadnezzar,

symbolised by the great Tree; his far-reaching dominion and his by its widely extending temporary abasement branches; during the by

been represented

terrible beasts limited

Image are here depicted of prey, whose

by savage strictly to the

dominion, of Heaven

period of "seven the cutting

times" was represented

by the decree

down of the Tree, whose stump

revealed times and seasons of the prophecy, continues till the manifestation dom of" the Son of Man." III. The Interpretation of the Handof the King-

was left bound with iron and brass in the soil during this predicted period. '( They

shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling

32

KEY TO THE
O1t

APOCALYPSE

THE

SEVEN

INTERPRETATIONS

33

wn'tng

the Wall of Belshazzar's

Palace

make "This

known is the

to

him

the that

interpretation." was This Mene; written, is the God

in Dan. v.
At Belshazzar's feast the golden vessels were profaned of

writing

Mene, Mene, T ekel, Uplzarsin. interpretation hath it. numbered T eke! ; of the thing:

from the Temple at Jerusalem

by being used for the worship of "gods

thy kingdom, art found

and finished in the

gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone." It was the culmination Silently same of

Thou

weighed wanting. and

balances, Thy the

and art is

Peres; given to

the sin of Babylon. written. "In the

her doom was came wrote forth over

kingdom Medes and

divided, Persians." records "In

hour

History, the

both

fingers of a man's against

hand, and

sacred of the

and profane, prophecy.

fulfilment night was slain." sensual,

/

the candlestick

upon the plaster of and the king Moved

that

the wall of the king's palace:

Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans The Kingdom of Babylon, proud,

saw the part of the hand that wrote." by curiosity and consternation, the astrologers words upon can do it. to interpret but

the king asks the mysterious none of them suggestion he

and idolatrous, fell before the Medo-Persian power. In the interpretation of the word

the wall;

" Peres" the prophet Daniel plainly indicates the name of the ~.~~?nd of the four kingdoms, that of" the Medes
41td

At the queen's

sends for Daniel. in the presence

The aged prophet stands of the idolatrous monarch,

Persians."

Thus the Image

silver breast and arms are interpreted.

of the great

and, while refusing his proffered gifts, says: " I will read the writing unto the king, and

As the first of the four

kingdoms is Babylon, so the second is Persia.

34

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

35

In

accepting

this

interpretation

we build

the face of the whole earth,

and touched

on plain

statements

in the Word of God, Isaiah,

not the ground," which had ((a notable horn between his eyes," and which "smote the

confirmed by the witness of history. ] eremiah, Daniel, Herodotus,

Xenophon,

ram, and brake his two horns," and "cast him down to the ground, and stamped him," is thus interpreted: "The upon

and the Canon of Ptolemy prove the distinctness

all combine to Babylonian and that the and succeeded

of the

rough goat

and Medo-Persian second of these the first.

Kingdoms, conquered

is the king of GRECIA: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

N ow that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up

IV.

The Interpretation of the Ra'lIZ and

He-goat in Dan. vii. We place this interpretation before that

out of the nation, but (viii.

21, 22).

not in his power "

of chap. vii., as it gives us the name of the third represented empire. The Persian power is

Exactly

the same succession

of historic

events is again plainly foretold in Dan. xi. 2-4. "In the first year of Darius the

in this vision by a Ram, while and succeeded The Ram has " The

the power which destroyed it is depicted by a He-goat.

Mede" the revealing

angel says to Daniel: Behold, kings in

" Now I will show thee the truth. there shall stand up yet three

two horns, and is thus interpreted: ram which are the " he-goat" thou sawest having

two. horns The on

PERSIA; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength his riches he shall stir through

kings of Media and Persia." that "came from the west

up

all against the

36

KEY TO THE APOCAL'"PSE

GRECIA.

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

37

realm. of shall stand

And

nighty

king

~E1!:1:IlirfJ~~e ..th~.tlzf~c! in the succession of kingdoms beginning with that of Babylon.

up, that and do

shall rule with great according

0

dominion,

his

will.

V. The Interpretation of the Four Wild

Beast Kingdoms, and of the Kingdom. of the Son of Man, in Dan. vii. The four kingdoms of the Image, followed by the Kingdom fills the of the Mountain the which

And when he shall stand

up, lis kingdom

shall be broken, and shall be divded toward the four winds of heaven; posterity, nor according to and not to his hi; dominion shall be those." followed

which he ruled: plucked The

for his kingdcn beide

earth, representing

universal

up, even for others Persian kingswm

and everlasting

Kingdom of God, are shown

three

under a different set of symbols in Dan. vii., with additional empires contrasted the prophet. idolater features. appear ((The four great under king strangely and to

Cyrus were Cambyses, Hystaspis; while the

Smerdis, ind Darius fourth w.s Xerxes, in-

of earth symbols

who, "far richer" vaded about mighty

than his predeessors,

to the

Greece, and by his defe.t the crisis of Persian king

brought The

In the former case a worldly up, and beheld a great it was

deay,

looked

world-conquering

who over-

fourfold Image of earthly dominion;

threw the power the Great

of Persia was Alexander and tle fourfold

terrible yet attractive to him in its brilliancy. In the latter case. a man of God looked

of Macedon, kingdom

division

of his

in the prophecy Prophecy he Grecian

down, and beheld four great beasts, terrible only in their fierce brutality."
1 1

answers to the course of history. and History agree in determining

Approaching Eltd of tlte Age, p. 33.

38

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

39

./

The

identity

of the four

kingdoms "The

in

kingdoms,

the angel

Gabriel 'The

continues

the

Dan. ii. and vii. is evident. is the same, four in each.

number

message of the prophet: two horns are the

ram having

The starting-

kings of MEDIA and goat is the king the name and

i
\

poz'nt is the same, for each was given while Babylon was the ruling vn. power (Dan. ii.
I,

PERSIA. . . . The rough of GRECIA.' If we ask

I).

The issue is the same, for both followed by the Kingdom

character gelist

of the fourth the from

empire, the Evan'There Augustus went that 'I f we

are immediately of Christ. kingdoms

supplies

answer: Cesar

The order is the same, for the in the first vision, as all admit, are

out a decree all the world

should be taxed';

are successiue ; and in the other there no less than denote seven or eight in time.

let Him alone, all men will believe on Him; and the
ROMANS

clauses which There is the and

will come, and take away Four four Word supreme only, are of God,

succession

both our place and nation.' and ruling kingdoms, and

same gradation, the noblest series.

for the noblest take the

metal

animal

the lead in each in each

announced from the

by name in the

Further,

kingdoms

time of Daniel
1

to the close of

vision are described as occupying space God. till the dominion first

the whole of of it If

the sacred Canon." The narrative

of the saints empire is that

of the vision of the four of the

r,

. . . The

Wild Beast empires and the Kingdom

BABYLON,

for to the 'Thou the

king

of Babylon

Son of Man in Dan. vii. occupies the first fourteen

1

was said: we require

art this head of gold.' names of the two

verses,

while

the

interpretation
20.

next
Birks' First Two Visions of Daniel, p.

40

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

THE

SEVEN

INTERPRETATIONS

41

follows in vv. 16-27.

Note the words:

"So

these rises "another

little horn," with "eyes

he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things." First a general

like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things," which horn "made war

interpretation

is given of the four Wild Beast of "the saints

with the saints, and prevailed against for a definite period. into his hand until the dividing shall sit, "They

them"

powers and of the Kingdom of the Most High" more detailed kingdom. fourth. "The

shall be given

(vv. 17, 18), and then a of the fourth

a time and times and But the shall and the take to judgment away destroy his it and

interpretation fourth
UP01Z

of time, they

beast shall be the earth, which and shall shall

and

kingdom from

dominion, unto the

to consume end. And

be diverse devour

all

kingdoms,

kingdom

the whole earth, and shall tread it Here, as in a tenfold Empire shall be

dominion, and the greatness

of the kingdom

down and break it in pieces." the symbol division is of the great or Image,

under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom and is an everlasting shall serve kingdom, and obey

of the fourth " The

Roman

predicted.

kingdom

all dominions
25-27).

divided ....

As the toes of the feet were

Him" (vv.

part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly (Dan. tenfold horns" strong, and partly broken"

VI. The Interpretation

The interpreter our Lord Himself:

of the Seven Stars

and Seuen Candlestick -in Rev. i. here is none other "The mystery than

ii. 41, 42).

In the later vision this by the" ten

division is represented of the fourth

of the

wild beast.

Among

seven stars which thou sawest in My right

42

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

I.

43

hand, and

the

seven

golden

candlesticks.

The promise in the letter to the Church

The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: thou and the seven candlesticks which are the seven churches"

of Ephesus, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God," relates to a blessing foretold in chap. xxii. in the

sa west

(Rev. i. 20). This divinely given interpretation a Christian character to the assigns in

course of the prophecy,

where the

scene

prophecy

is described in which the tree of life occupies a central place. The Christian attaches to the character promise

which it occurs, for it interprets the candlesticks as Christian Churches, and the introductory portion of the book in which these are presented is so intimately and profoundly connected with the subsequent prophecy in

which certainly

must therefore also attach to the prophecy, for the thing promised and the thing

prophesied are the same.

2.

chaps. vi.-xxii., as to impart to the latter a Christian that character, or to justify the view of the history and

The promise in the letter to the Church

j(

of Smyrna,

He that overcometh shall not

it is a prophecy

be hurt of the second death," relates to that final stage of salvation in chaps. xx. and xxi. described in detail Both promise and of those
j

destiny of the Christian Church. This intimate connection is seen in the

fact that the promises in the letters to the seven Churches relate to experiences and

prophecy refer to the experiences

who escape the same final judgment. 3. The promise in the letter to the Church of Pergamos, ((To him that overcometh will

privileges set forth in the predictions which occur in the prophetic portion of the book.

44

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

45

I give to eat of the hidden will give him a white

manna, and I and in the

he shall rule them with a rod of iron." chap. xii. is a prophecy concerning

In

stone,

a " man-

stone a new name written, knoweth saving he which

which no man receiveth analogous hundred from it," with and the

child who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron," and in chap. xix. Christ is seen in vision exercising this Himself power.

is in one of its the prophecy

features one

of the

The ruling the nations"

with a rod of iron"

forty-four earth" In

thousand

" redeemed

referred to in these cases must be the same. As the promise of ruling a rod of iron the nations with to Christian with

who have the Father's foreheads, in chap. and xxii.

name written also with the the

their

is addressed

prophecy inhabitants shall see

concerning

people, the act of ruling a rod of iron must be described in

the nations in the which

of the New Jerusalem: His face, and His\ name

"They shall

prophecy Christian

something

be in their foreheads." and the thing

The thing promised are the bestowpeople of a divine the hand of

people take part. 5. The promise in the letter to the Church of Sardis is : "He shall be clothed that overcorneth, the same in white raiment; and I

prophesied

ment on His redeemed name In a written

form, by

the Redeemer. 4. The promise in the letter to the Church of Thyatira keepeth is: "He that overcometh, unto the end, to and him and

will not blot out his name out of the book of life." cerning nations, In chap. vii. is a prophecy an innumerable and multitude tongues, conof all in

My works power

peoples,

clothed

will I give

over the nations:

white robes, washed

in the blood

of the

46

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

47

Lamb;

in chap.

xix.

the

Bride

of the

ng out of heaue from foundation the

God, having in its of

Lamb is seen arrayed in fine linen, "which is the righteousness of saints" ; and in chap. xxi. the names of the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem Lamb's are said to be "written book of life." Here in the the of

names of the Apostles

the Lamb, must be a Christian prophecy, or relate to things concerning the Christian Church. This link is clear and important.

again part

7. The promise in the letter to the Church of Laodicea is: "~To him that overcometh

blessings promised

in the earlier

the book are identical

with the privileges

will I grant to sit with Me on My throne." In the closing xx.-xxii., part the of the prophecy,

prophetically foretold in its later pages. 6. The promise in the letter to the Church of Philadelphia is: "Him that overcometh temple of My and I

chaps.

victorious saints are "I saw thrones, "and they lived The reward reigning

seen reigning with Christ: and they sat upon them"; and reigned with Christ."

will I make a pillar in-the

God, and he shall go no more out:

will write upon him the name of My God, and the 1zame of the. city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, of heaven from upon him My which C011Uthdown out God: and I will write This is unrelating

promised to Christian victors-the with Christ-is

identical with the reward

of the victors over the Wild Beast power described in the prophecy. Promise and expe-

My new name." a Christian

prophecy relate to the same exalted riences, reward. and describe the same

questionably

promise

ultimate

to Christian experiences.

Hence the prophecy descend-

n chap. xxi. of the New Jerusalem

The conclusion to which we are led, that

48

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

THE SEVEN INTERPRETATIONS

49

the prophecy

chaps. vi.-xxii. is a Christan to the experiences of

VII.

The Interpretatio11, of the

Woman,

prophecy, or relates the Christian by the

" Babylon the Great," and of the Seven-headed, Ten-horned Beast that carrieth Jter. Of all the visions in the PROPHETIC part of the Apocalypse Babylon
THE

Church, is strongly of its those

confirmed and

description saints as

witnessing who

suffering

"overcame who "have (xii.

II,

(chaps. vi.-xxii.) that in chap. xvii.

of
IS

by the blood the testimony who "keep and are "the slain "for

of the

Lamb,"

and the Beast

of Jesus Christ" the faith of Jesus" martyrs of Jesus

17), 12),

ONLY ONE

DIVINELY

INTERPRETED.

(xiv.
JJ

Through tlte interpretation- of this vision a door is opened to the understanding of the rest of the visions itt the prophecy. The vision of Babylon is continued most striking the Great, which

(xvii. 6) (xx. 4).

the witness of Jesus"

Who can those be who "have of Jesus," who "keep

the testimol'ty

the faith

if

Jesus,"

in chap. xviii., is one of the and important in the book. visions in the of the

and are" the martyrs of Jesus," but Christz'an people? But these are the saints, the sufferers, and the victors of the prophetic the book. clusion On all these grounds that portion of

I t is one of two contrasted

closing part of the Apocalypse-that Harlot

the con-

City, Babylon, and that of the New In each

is inevitable

!he AQocaIY.Q;se

Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb.

~,"~C!,_Cb."rj~.tial1.J2r~fY_;_Qr"j~..Qthe!<"o'WQrds,

case the vision is shown to John by one of the seven vial-bearing angels. In each the as a woman
II

!hl:t..... !tx~1.~!~~.,.,!~,,~.!~,~_.~.~!i~E~~~, .. ,,~Qf,~ the

Christian Church in its militant
~-:'~''''' .

and trium-

-".~ '-'."'- ",~,~ ,'-, ',v,,.""".,,<:,--;

''''''''7'''~~'''''''~_''.,,,,.,,_,~_,,,.,,,~. ,:.-,-,,.,,,~_,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, _,. '-hM',.~._ ..., .._"",.. ,""",'"'''''''''' ._... ',.-''''"0;.

object seen is doubly symbolised and a city. The Harlot City is

phant stages.

arrayed

in

50

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

CONTRASTED
had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: " So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon tIle Great, the Mother o.f Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood
;

VISIONS

51

purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls"; the Bride, the New Jerusalem, in "fine while

is arrayed

linen, clean and white," which is of saints," and has "the The one is the associate

which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the Bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me" (the Bride, the Lamb's wife, under another symbol) (Rev. xxi. 9, 10).
II

"the righteousness glory of God."

of the Beast (01Jptov), the other of the Lamb (apvtov). The one is drunken with the blood and with the blood of the

of the saints martyrs

of Jesus: the other consists of the The one

saints, and includes the martyrs.

is punished with both temporal and eternal judgments: the other is rewarded with everand felicity. The contrast

lasting honour

between them is complete.

CONTRASTED SALEM,
II

VISIONS THE

OF

BABYLON AND THE

II

AND BRIDE

JERU-

HARLOT

The whore that sitteth upon many waters." " Babylon the Great."
"There came one of the seven angels which

The Bride, the Lamb's

wife."
II

"To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev. xix. 8). This Bride is described as "The Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light like unto a stone most precious" (Rev. xxi.
10, II).

The Holy Jerusalem."

II

There came unto me

one of the seven angels

The dragon the woman,"

'1

persecuted and /I the

52

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Rev. xii, 13-17).

INTERPRETATION

OF THE

VISION

53

of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (Rev. xvii. 1-6).

horns which thou sa west" waters which thou woman Every which point sawest"

(ver. 12); (vel'. 15); (ver.

" the

the 18).

thou

sawest"

interpreted

fixes the applica-

tion of the vision to Rome.

I.

T he ~IY()1nan is interpreted as signifying

<.. .

the city of Rome.

INTERPRETATION OF THE VISION

"The
>

woman which thou

sawest is that great city which reigneth over says: the kings of the earth." the Apocalypse the world.
2.

Of Babylon the Great the Apostle "When wonder" I saw her, I wondered (Rev. xvii. 6, R.V.). me, Wherefore

At the date when

with a great "And didst the thou

was written Rome governed

angel said unto wonder?

The City is represented as sitting This is a well-known All the Latin

on

1 will tell thee the mystery of the her,

"seven hills."

feature poets

woman, and of the beast that carrietk which horns." hath the seven heads

of the city of Rome.

and the ten the inter-

for five hundred years speak of Rome as the seven-hilled city. imperial Among Jerome
'.;

Verses

8- I 8 contain

Rome is depicted as sitting Fathers, on seven

on her hills. and

pretation, which is clear, copious, and categorical. Five principal points are dealt with in the explanation under the expres(ver. 8) ;
cc

coins the

early

Tertullian

may be cited

as referring

to this "to the

sions: "the beast that thou sawest" "the seven heads" (vel'. 9);

feature.

"I appeal," says Tertullian, the populace

the

ten

citizens of Rome,

that dwell 6

lai;

54

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE

VISION

55

on the seven hills." 1 Jerome,

when urging

5. The szzth head of the Wild Beast power 'which carried the Harlot is stated to have been z'n existence at the Apocalypse was heads zoritte. time when the Of the angel seven says

Marcella to quit Rome for Bethlehem, writes: " Read what is said in the Apocalypse seven hills." Rome of the

The names of the seven hills of Quirinal, Aventine,

are the Palatine,

of the Wild

Beast the

Ccelian, Viminal, Esquiline, and J aniculan. 3. The Harlot City is represented as seated "upon, many waters" are interpreted and to (Rev. mean nations, xvii. I), which " peoples, and and

"five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come." interpreted These seven heads powers. are

to be ruling

Five of

these were past, the sixth seventh in the future.

in existence, the Hence the Wild the ther:

multitudes, (ver. 15).

tongues"

Such was certainly The nations

the position

Beast under its sixth head represented Roman Empire as governed by the

of Rome.

of the world were

then, and for centuries after, subject to her sway. 4. The Harlot City is represented as seated upon the seven-headed, ten-horned Beast. the Wild prophecies Beast of Daniel the

,existing Roman Emperors, and consequently the Harlot City borne by tbl.t Be~ust

}:i!:Y~,",J,P.[~~"cxu~d~
6. The ten horns are interpreted as ten into whic!t the empire horns or kingCity, and kz'ngdoms, then future, should be divided. doms first submit
~

In

ten-horned empire,

is the

fourth Gentile

These

or the Roman. Empire

No city ruled the Roman

to the Harlot

but Rome.
1

then rise against her, and" make her desolate and naked, and eat her -flesh, and burn

Ajol./ 35.

mt

~ ~

56

KEY

TO THE

APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE

VISION

57

her with fire." date is indicated received

Their

futurity

at that

early

banishment." the earliest

Victorinus, known

the

author on heads

of the are

in the words, they "have as yet" (ver. 12). that It the

commentary ((The seven

no kingdom matter
." .. ~-". -'-"

Apocalypse,

says:

is a notorious Western
~- ..-.-.~---.-p-------.

of history

the seven hills on which the Woman sitteththat is, the city of Rome." of "Rome daughter the second Augustine Babylon, writes the

Roman
--.", -. ,-, .._-- .'"
~,, __ , ,._ ..

Empire kingdoms,
._ A#_-"'"

was thus divided whose average

._-,--

into the Gothic number has

~. _. __

and

been ten
.r'..

for the last twelve and that these Gothic the city of

of the first, to which it pleased

or thirteen kingdoms

centuries; have

God to subject the whole world, and bring it all under one sovereignty." interpreters interpreters Apocalypse
2

overthrown

Protestant Catholic

Rome, and laid it waste, after subject to it for centuries

having been city of

maintain, while Roman

as the

admit, that the Babylon of the is Rome. Cardinal Bellarmine ApocaCardinal that in

the }?opes. 7. The attire, character, and persecuting

says:

"Rome

is signified

in the

action of the Harlot City identify her witlt Rome. The view that represents the Babylon Rome of the
,

lypse by the name of Babylon." Baronius says: "All persons

confess

Apocalypse

has prevailed Eastern and "Tell "what

;J

Rome is denoted the Apocalypse that

IS

by the name Babylon of John."

'"

in the Christian Western, from

Church, both the

Bossuet declares that it

earliest times..

"the

features

are so marked

me, blessed John," says Hi ppolytus,

easy to decipher
1

Rome under the figure

didst thou see and hear concerning Babylon? Arise and speak, for it sent thee also into
2

Treatise on elmst and Antichrist, sec. 36.

City of God, i.
18-22.

58 of

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE VISION

59

Babylon"

(" Rome

sous

la figure

de

Papal, but from the figure of a Harlot, and the very nature of the predictions themselves more the latter than the former." On this important point
1

Babylon "). While Romanists and Protestants are

agreed that the Babylon of the Apocalypse is Rome, the former represents r~pal. Alford, "I ((to Rome do maintain that Babylon

Bishop W ords-

worth says: " The Woman, who is called the Harlot, sits on the Beast as on a throneby it.

Pagan, not

the latter says

lS~~
Dean

hesitate," that

that is, governs it, and is supported The Beast is represented bearing

maintain

interpretation Rome

as having ten horns are

which regards

Papal and not Pagan

crowns, which, we are taught,

as pointed out by the Harlot The subject

of this vision. by

ten kingdoms; not received

and these, it is added, had power in St. John's age, but

has been amply discussed

many expositors. tion Vitringa the Woman that

I would especially men((By is

were afterwards that is, at one

to receive it, at one hourand the same hour with

and Dr. Wordsworth." sitting

on the Wild Beast and

the Beast.
II

signified

superintending rider

guiding over his

Now, if we imagine the Woman to be Heathen were and not these ten

on the

power which the beast,

possesses

Beast Rome,

Christian kingdoms, age,

than which nothing

could be chosen

where

more apt to represent the superiority claimed and the

H

which had not existed

in St. John's

exercised secular

by the See of Rome kingdoms regards of

over

and which were to arise and receive power contemporaneously

I

Christendom." Pagan and

with

Heathen

Rome?

The

prophecy

Rome

Commentary on the Greek Testament, Rev. xvii.

"'"

60

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE VISION

61

It

was

destroyed

before

such

kingdoms to

sovereign fact?

of their

subjects.

What

is the

arose.

None can be found to correspond description. again, the other

The European

kingdoms which arose Roman to the Empire dominion

St. John's "But position. enthroned

at the dissolution supdz'd surrender with the Woman a Church. Let

of the

now adopt,

themselves

Let the Beast, upon it, represent

of the Church of Rome.

I taly, Switzerland,

G~ru,any, P<?Japd, H~E~~<!!y, F~~_~ce,Belgium, Spain, Portugal, an~~y?>()~,~)E~glan_d, for

it represent the Church planted hills on which the Woman

on the seven sits; let it all

many centuries, were subject to the Papacy. The Woman who sat upon the Beast had

represent is plain.

the Church The

of Rome. is

Then

prophecy

wonderfully When
};~,

her hand upon its ten horns" and held them

f

fulfilled, and is proved to be divine. the Empire of Rome ruins. up; fell, new The then ten the

firmly in her grasp. her subjects. "Omnes Regnum, The

She treated Papal

them as

kingdoms horns of

coins claim this. ei.' 'Gens et

arose from its

Reges quod

servient tibi non

the Beast sprouted of Rome increased kingdoms with her. "And

Church

servierit,

peribit.'

in strength;

and these

Such are her claims, declared at the coronation of every father of kings These Pontiff. 'Know thyself tIle

received power at the same time

and princes, ruler are the words with

of the which

look again at the prophecy.

These
~

world,'

kings, we read, give their power and strength to the Beast. called kings-but As kings-that the Beast is, they is the are real

he is addressed, when the tiara is placed on his brow. And thus, in this very subjection of the earth to Rome, in

of the kingdoms

"'"

60

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE VISION

61

It

was

destroyed

before

such

kingdoms to

sovereign fact?

of their

subjects.

What

is the

arose.

N one can be found to correspond description. again, the other

The European

kingdoms which arose Roman to the Empire dominion

St. John's "But position. enthroned

at the dissolution supdz'd surrender with the Woman a Church. Let

of the

now adopt,

themselves

Let the Beast, upon it, represent

of the Church of Rome.

I taly, Switzerland,

G~!1lany, P<?Ja,pd,H~.::~~ry, F~~_~ce,Belgium, Spain, Portugal, an~~Y?'>O~"~)E~gla~d, for

it represent the Church planted hills on which the Woman

on the seven sits; let it all

many centuries, were subject to the Papacy. The Woman who sat upon the Beast had

represent is plain.

the Church The

of Rome. is

Then

prophecy

wonderfully When
l:~
f

her hand upon its ten horns" and held them firmly in her grasp. her subjects. 'Omnes Regnum, The She treated Papal servient tibi non them as

fulfilled, and is proved to be divine. the Empire of Rome ruins. up; fell, new The then ten the

kingdoms horns of

coins claim this. ei.' 'Gens et

arose from its

Reges quod

the Beast sprouted of Rome increased kingdoms with her. "And

Church

servierit,

peribit.'

in strength;

and these

Such are her claims, declared at the coronation of every father Pontiff. 'Know thyself tlze

received power at the same time

of kiJzgs and princes, ruler These are the words with

of the which

look again at the prophecy.

These
~

world.'

kings, we read, give their power and strength to the Beast. called kings-but As kings-that the Beast is, they is the are real

he is addressed, when the tiara is placed on his brow. And thus, in this very subjection of the earth to Rome, in

of the kingdoms

62

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

INTERPRETATION

OF THE VISION

63

this her amplitude of dominion and plenitude of felicity, of which she has vaunted herself for many generations as a proof that she

!pen the prQPhecy of St. John has failed.

.

~-.

...... ~.,.../

But the marvel predicted by the Apocalypse

is favoured by Heaven, we recognise another proof that the Babylon of the Apocalypse is no other than the Church of Rome: further; these

*'

I
I
Ii !

is this-and that

a stupendous

mystery

it is-

some of the powers with the Beast,

which received and gave up

strength

Still

their might to it, they, under the overruling sway of God's retributive justice, will one day rise against the Woman seated on the Beast, and tear with fire. her flesh, and burn her

horns, or kingdoms, which

receive power together with the Beast, will one day rise against it, and tear the flesh of the Harlot
C(

I,
t

and burn her with fire. sake, let the Rome. with
~
f t

And, what is still more awfully they will do this, although

Now, again, for argument's

marvellous,

W oman on the Beast Then we readily allow

be heathen that Alaric

they will league with the Beast and with t the False Prophet against Christ; will destroy Babylon, not for and they love of of

his Goths, Attila

with his Huns, Genseric

with his Vandals, Odoacer with his Heruli, did indeed sack the city of Rome. But

Zion, not for

the' maintenance

God's

"

truth or for the advancement

of His glory,

when did they ever receiue power together with Rome? Wlzen did the)! give their

but in a mysterious transport of indignation and in a wild ecstasy of revenge; and when

power and thez'r strength to heathen Rome? Never.

._>.,.,.,..~C"__ '_"'''_-

they

have done

the

deed, and have de-

If, therefore, the Woman upon the ----""'" .--.......---.-------"""""--Beas!_j~ ,,_~~Ji:,",,!h~,,~,SitL.J2.L~~n Rome,
.. " .. "

stroyed Babylon, they will weep over her. "Such is the prophecy of St. John. This

__

. ,.......",_,,-

~ 64 KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

portion Pagan

of it remains Rome

to be fulfilled.

But

has long since ceased to be. predictions but they cannot do con-

Therefore cern Pagan

these

Rome:

concern

the seven-hilled

city Rome;

and therefore and the Woman Rome, but of Papal

HISTORICAL PHECY FULFILMENT CONCERNING OR PROOF IS THE OF THE FROM THE PRO-

they point at Papal Rome; upon the Beast

is not heathen the Church

it is the Rome."
1

city and

HARLOT HISTORY OF

BABYLON,

fuller

examination

of

the

facts

of

THAT THE

ROME

BABYLON

history is necessary at this point.

We have

APOCALYPSE

merely glanced at some of them, and even now can do no more than group together

the leading facts connected with the historical fulfilmen t of the prophecy.
1

,
65

Wordsworth

01Z

the Apocalypse, pp. 371-375.

..

CHAPTER
HISTORICAL PHECY
i;

IV
OF THE THE PRO-

FULFILMENT CONCERNING

HARLOT OF

BABYLON, OR PROOF THAT ROME IS THE THE APOCALYPSE

FROM HISTORY BABYLON

THE
ago concerning

Apostle

]ohneighteen at what he

centuries foresaw

marvelled

the character

and career of the

Woman drunken with the blood of the saints and martyrs of ] esus; we, on the other hand, living in this late age marvel see has taken place during centuries The fact in fulfilment the of things at what we

the intervening the prophecy. ] ohn

is, that

which

foresaw have come to pass.

Their fulfilment

is written on the page of history in letters

67

~;.

HISTORICAL FULFILMENT 68 KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

69

worldwide society. of blood and flame. There has arisen in overshadows to-day. cluding It a the sphere of the Roman Empire, and there has reigned in and from the city of Rome, the seven-hilled city of the Ca-sars, just such a in the' Apocalypse. language of the

The

Church

of Rome

the larger part of Christendom boasts host of of universality, "peoples, as in-

multitudes,

nations, and tongues."

It has a thousand

power as is predicted Translate prophecy the into symbolic plain

bishops, in thirty countries, and half a million priests. As its head is an aged Pontiff,

non-figurative

terms,

claiming the highest authority as the visible representative Vicar of Jesus Christ, the

in the world of Deity, Head the

and it becomes the history of the last twelve to fourteen centuries. One of the most important relating velopment that Orbis ecclesie to the organisation compendiums and local de-

of the

Church of Christ on earth, God's Vicegerent, the Infallible Teacher of Faith and Morals,

of the Roman Catholic Church is in a quarto volume entitled Catholieus, sive totius

whose doctrines and decrees are irreformable; having power to bind and loose the souls of men in heaven, earth, and hell; canonising souls in heaven, and remitting world beneath; pardoning sins on earth, in the

presented

T errarum

Catholicce et occidentis et orientis. and statistical author (0. Church "conWerner, in the

It is a geographical spectus" by a Jesuit

the pains of purgatory

reigning thus in three worlds, in token of the fact a triple a mitre in the

S.].) of the whole Catholic

West and East, drawn from recent authoritative sources,' and illustrates the so-called " Catholic" the truth that Church is still a vast

and wearing

crown; a crown grafted on a mitre; within as the great High Priest

"'"

70

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

71

Church of God;

and a crown without as crown above crown

Chrz"st. . . and -ELitJiqd plenitude of power ...

on earth , . . having the government at

the highest monarch;

in threefold splendour, encircling and glorifying his mitre with the incomparable symbol of celestial, terrestrial, and infernal dignity.' That triple crowned Pontiff sits to-day in

once of the earthly and heavenly kingdoms ... the key-bearer of eternal life." 1 At his feet, as he sits on the day of his coronation on the high altar of St. Peter's, kneel seventy cardinals, attired in long scarlet robes, princes of the Catholic Church, constituting her

the Church of God, "non simplex homo, sed quasi Deus "-" not simply man, but as it were
i

God"; so self-described in his own deliberate, authoritative utterances; utterances forming

highest conclave;

they kneel at his feet in thou-

the presence of assembled awestruck

part of the infallible decisions and definitions of the long line of Popes who have ruled from Rome the larger part of Christendom for centuries; {{ tante enim est dignitatis et

sands, and one by one they kiss his feet, worshipping Deity. him as the representative of

((They adore his Holiness on their

knees, kissing his feet and his right hand." "After this his' Holiness is set down on the

potestatis, ut faciat unum et idem Tribunal cum Christo . . . et quasi Deus in terra "-" of so great dignity constitute
1
II

highest steps of the Altar, where he solemnly blesses the people." He lifts up his right

and power that he may tribunal with

one and the same

hand, extending two fingers and the thumb, symbolising his authority as the representative

Hinc Papa

triplici corona coronatur, et Infernorum"

tanquam i. ad

Rex Cceli, et Terrre, decis.

2,

(Annot.

of the three Persons of the Trinity, the Father,

1

Bibliotlt. Canon. Ferraris, Tom. vii.).

Tom. vi. in cap. quarto, 3.

72

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

the Son, and the Holy Ghost; blesses the assembled

and thus he

I
I
i
I
I,

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

73

professing

to be the Church of Christ

she

kneeling multitudes in who form a millions sway.

has been the guilty paramour of the ungodly kings of Christendom. She has accepted and

the vast and solemn sanctuary, visible part of the two

hundred his spiritual

their royal gifts and rich endowments,

of Christendom And this takes

owning

has bestowed on them in return the boasted wealth of her spiritual been carried by them privileges. She has and and them,

place in Rome, the Rome

of the Csesars, the Rome of that Domitian who sent the blessed "When Apostle John into

in lofty state

splendour, sustained protected by their

by their authority, power; ruling

banishment! J ohn-" -saw

I saw her," said that

When I saw her," in prophetic vision that gaudy, glorious, guilty harlot
WOR-

and through them, ruling the subject nations of Christendom. And all these centuries

enthroned

on the seven-hilled

city_H I

during which she has thus ruled in association with the kings of the earth she has held

dered with great admiration."

in her hand a cup (oh marvellous mark!)THE CHURCH OF ROME SYMBOLISED

a cup such as old heathen tended to the nations: not their temptress; to intoxicate them

Rome never ex-

BY A HARLOT

for Pagan Rome was she made no attempt

I t is well known

that

a faithless woman

is, n the language of the prophets, the type and symbol of a faithless and apostate Church (see Ezek. xvi. and xxiii.), is an apostate The Church While

with error or idolatry;

she cared not what they believed, or what they did, or what they worshipped, so only whereas

of Rome

Church.

tj

they submitted to her imperial rule;

'I' ~;
11
I;

~'

~j

~ :~ ~ij
.';

fi;

74

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

-...,,,

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

75

Papal

Rome has for ages held in her hand cup of falsehood, delusion, cup drugged with the wine of

never deceived by her.

Heathen Rome never But this

the intoxicating and idolatry-a of soul-destroying

claimed to be other than she was. Harlot "Babylon" deceives

the nations by

error, as the teacher

professing she is

to be Christian, while in reality anti-Christian. but the What is this

false religion, the temptress

and deceiver of Well

the kings and peoples of Christendom. might the blessed amazement! as the And

((Mystery"

development

of that to

Apostle gaze at her with we gaze at her to-day apocalyptic Harlot with

((MYSTERY OF INIQUITY" which began work in the Christian times ? (2 Thess. ii. 7). Further, she Church

in apostolic

foretold

equal if not greater wonder; THE NAME ON THE FOREHEAD OF THE HARLOT What is the name which has been written by the finger of God upon her brow? " MYSTERY! " It is

is called "BABYLON THE

GREAT." What symbolical title could better describe Papal Rome; the worldly, idolatrous, for has she not been proud, persecuting

power in the history of the Christian Church which the literal Babylon was in the history of apostate Israel? What could better symChurch

N ow Jet the fact be noted

that no such name as this ever was or could have been characteristic Caesars. Pagan Rome Her of the Rome of the was no "Mystery" idolatry was open Church was

l
{

bolise the idolatrous and persecuting of Rome than that Babylon

which in the

days of Jewish apostasy filled Jerusalem with bloodshed, and drank to her idol gods out of the golden vessels of jehovah's sanctuary?

in Christian

eyes. The

and confessed.

Christian

ti
"r::t,.

76

KEY

TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

77

formerly unknown or despised, had not only THE HARLOT CARRIED

BY

THE

TEN-

HORNED BEAST Further, it is important to observe that the is represented in BEAST." in

dismembered permanently

that

proud

sovereignty,

but

settled themselves in its fairest

provinces, and imposed their yoke upon the ancient possessors. The Vandals were

Beast that bears the Harlot

the vision as the "TEN-HoRNED This figure portrays

masters of Africa; Spain; the

the Suevi held part of possessed the rethe

~..,.

the Roman Empire

Visigoths

its broken

and divided

stage, as ruled by of the group

mainder, with a large portion of Gaul; Burgundians

many sovereigns-as of kingdoms

consisting

occupied the provinces watered and Saone; the Ostrogoths

which has occupied ever since

by the Rhone almost all Italy."

the Gothic invasions of the fifth century the sphere of the sovereignty then overturned.

In his description

of the fall of the Western The

THE TEN HORNS following is the list of the ten

Empire of Rome the historian Hallam says: "Before the conclusion of the fifth century

kingdohzs represented by tlze ten horns of the Beast, given by Sir Isaac Newton :I.

the mighty fabric of empire, widell ualour and policy had founded upon the seven hills of

The kingdom of the Vandals and Alans

Rome, was finally overthrown, in all the west of Europe, by the barbarous nations from the north, numbers whose martial energy and whose

in Spain and Africa.

2.

The kingdom of the Sueuians in Spain. " "Visigoths.

3.
4-

~!

were irresistible.

A race of men,

"

"

Alans in Gallia. 8

t
78
KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE
-

'I :1

I 1

5. The kingdom of the Burgundians. 6.

II

,\

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

79

"
" "

Franks. Britains. Huns. Lombards.

'1I

the fourth

beast is confined to the nations

7
8. 9
10.

on tlds side of Greece,we are to look for all the four heads of the third beast among the nations on this side the Euphrates, and for

)J

"
II

"

"

of Ravenna.
SPHERE HORNS OF THE TEN

all the eleven horns of the fourth beast among the nations on thz's side of Greece. Therefore we do not reckon the Greek Empire seated

GEOGRAPHICAL

'

at Constantinople

among the horns of the

In my work on The Diuine Programme of tk World's History I have shown that "the of the fourth empire

fourth beast, because it belonged to the body of the third."

ten horns or kingdoms

t
~ AVERAGE NUMBER KINGDOMS OF THE GOTHIC CHRISTENDOM

must none of them be sought in the realms of the third, second, or first, but exclusively in the realm of the fourth, or in the territory peculiar formed to Rome, part either and which had never Medo-

1
1

OF WESTERN

The

historian

Machiavel,

without

the

slightest reference to this prophecy, gives the following list of the nations which occupied the territory of the Western Empire at the

of the Grecian, Empires.

Persian, or Babylonian

Sir Isaac

Newton says on this point:

((Seeing the body

,~-~

time of the fall of Romulus last emperor of Rome.

g;

Augustulus, the

of the thz'rd beast is confined to the nations on this side the Euplwates, and the body of

The dians,

Lombards, the

the Franks, the

the Burgunthe

~
3

Ostrogoths,

Visigoths,

if~

!
.,
~

~:'

'!~J.\!I:OOHaif-?1"rl:i;;mw..'j~~;,ti;j1~f-:)J it"

....

80

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

81
IS

Vandals, the Heruli, the Sueves, the Huns, and the Saxons-ten in all.

Empires, by the Rev. T. R. Birks, and

uncertainty

introduced by the remark that a measure of must exist as to whether some

After a time the Huns disappeared, but other powers arose and obtained a home in the domains of old Rome. were incessant, as horde The changes after horde of

of the states should be included, as "it is sometimes doubtful whether a kingdom can claim an independent sovereignty on acc~unt of the complex and varying nature of its political relations." But as exactly as it

barbarian invaders pressed in on every side to share the spoils; but still the number of established ten. kingdoms was again and again it

can be estimated from the records of history the following list presents the members of this family of kingdoms from century to century. as they appeared Where a note of

It never rose to twenty or thirty;

never fell to two or three.

Charlemagne In

his day reduced it for a time, and attempted, like Napoleon unity; both in a later age, to restore utterly failed, and after a
Ii'

interrogation follows a name, it implies that there are some elements of doubt as to

very few years the reappeared.

normal ten kingdoms

whether it should be included or not.

A.D.

The following list gives the contemporary kingdoms existing in Western Europe at intervals of a hundred years, from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries. It is extracted from

860.

~
,t-t

[I:' \~ it

Italy, Provence, England, Scotland.

,
A.D.

Lorraine, Total,

East

France,

West France, Exarchate,

Venice, Navarre,
10.

950. Germany, Burgundy, Lombardy, Exarchate

a much longer series in Tile Four Prophetic

82

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL
A.D. 1552.

FULFILMENT

8.>

Venice, France, England, Scotland, Navarre, Leon.

A.D. 1050.

Total,

10.

Austria, Venice, France, England, Scotland, Spain, Naples, Portugal, Hungary, Switzerland (?), Lombardy (?).
A.D. 1648.

Germany, Exarchate, Venice, Norman Italy, France, England, Scotland, Arragon, Castile, Normandy (?), Hungary (?).
A.D. II50.

Total, 9 to

I!.

Total, 9 to

11.

Austria, Venice, France, and Naples, 8 to

A.D. 1750. I I.

Britain (?), Spain Hungary, Holland. SwitzerTotal,

Portugal,

Germany, Naples, Venice, France, England, Scotland, Arragon, Castile, Portugal, Hungary, Lombardy (?). Total,
A.D. 1250. 10,

land (?), Savoy, Tuscany,

or perhaps

11.

J
France, Savoy and

Austria and Hungary, and Naples, Venice, Lombardy, Total,

Germany

Sardinia, Venice, Tuscany, Spain, Portugal,

France, England, Scotland, Arragon, Castile, Portugal, Hungary.

A.D. 1350. 10.

I
\1

fi

Switzerland Holland.
A.D. 1816.

(?), Naples
Total, 8 to
1 I.

(?), Britain

(P),

Germany, Naples, Venice, Switzerland (?), Milan (?), Tuscany and Scotland, Hungary.
A.D. 1453.

(P), France, England

Castile,
12.

Arragon,

Portugal,

Total, 9 to

Austria, Naples, Venice, France, England, Scotland, Arragon, Castile, Portugal, Hungary, Switzerland (?), Savoy (?), Milan (?), Tuscany (?). Total,
II

::1;
\'t::

(?), Naples, Tuscany, Sardinia, Lombardy (?), France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Britain (?),
Austria, Bavaria, Wiirtemberg Switzerland (?). Total, 9 to
13

An examination surprising

of this list reveals

the

~rJ

ii

fact, which would

only become ten

to

14.

more apparent

were the list lengthened

,..,v

:84

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

85"

times, so as to present decade

a census of

each

teen centuries ten kingdoms.

has numbered

on an average

instead of each century, that amidst

unceasing and almost countless fluctuations, .the kingdoms of modern Europe ha'Zle fro'm their birt}t to the present day averaged ten -in number. They have never, since the
"II

And the division is as apparent ever! Plainly and palpably

now as, on

inscribed

the map of Europe the sceptic with its testimony prophecy.

this day, it confronts, silent but conclusive great

break up of old Rome, been united into one single empire; whole even they have never formed one like the United States. No

to the fulfilment

of this

Who can alter or add to this, now occupymg

tenfold list of the kingdoms the sphere of Rome?

scheme of proud ambition seeking to reunite the broken when such fragments have dashed of of has ever succeeded; they have Witness beneath been the the
'~:'7

ITALY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND"FRANCE"

II

arisen,

GERMANY,ENGLAND, HOLLAND, BELGIUM, SPAIN, and PORTUGAL. T en, and no more;

invariably legions snows wrecked

to pieces. buried

I
ten, and no less!
I

Napoleon Russia, the

armadas storms, and

of Spain all the

The Franco-Prussian

War and the unification distinctly of

by Atlantic

of Italy have once more developed the normal number

,.~

futile royal marriage monarchs empire. defiance

arrangements

by which

of the

kingdoms

vainly sought to create a revived In spite of all human of every attempt at effort, in the

Europe.

The tenfold division of the Western Empire of Rome is then an indisputable the submission for fact, and this'

reunion,

European commonwealth

for thirteen or four-

long centuries of

.-.#'"-

86

KEY

TO

THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

87

divided Empire of Rome to the power of the Papacy cannot be questioned " Under the sacerdotal or denied. of St.

him.

It

was

his

" to make

kings

and

unmake, to assign kingdoms them away."

and to take

monarchy

The Catholic kings of Chris-

Peter," says Gibbon, "the

nations began to

tendom supported and guarded the Romish Church and "its Papal Head with their Even

resume the practice of seeking on the banks of the Tiber their kings, their laws, and The temporal

laws, their gifts, an~

their

swords.

the oracles of their fate."

as late as the time of the third Napoleon France continued to support the Papacy

possessions of the Popes were the gift of Pepin and Charlemagne. In his investiture

against the will of the Italians.

Al:ldressing

with the papal tiara the Pope is thus addressed: "Receive this triple crown, and

the French Legislature on March rst, 186o, Louis Napoleon said: years "For the last eleven

know that thou art the Father of princes, and the King and Ruler of the world." coronation oath enjoined by Popes The and was

I haue sustained alone at Rome the having

power of the Holy Father, without

ceased a single day to revere in him the sacred character of the chief of our religion." This position of Papal Rome as seated for centuries upon the Roman Empire in its

agreed to by the Western

Emperors

that they would "be faithful and submissive to the Pope of their and Roman Church."
1

In

token

subjection the

they prostrated and kissed from

divided or ten-horned state is a plain proof that she is the Harlot

VISIon.

themselves his feet.

1

before They

Pope,

of the apocalyptic

held their kingdoms

Decline and Fall, chap. xlix.

....
;

:88

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

89

THE

HARLOT

RECOGNISED BY HER ATTIRE

jewels, than any crown of mere terrestrial monarchy? to-day the The Church of Rome wears dress described in

distinctive

Further,

we identify

Papal Rome as the by her character

the Apocalypse.

The colour and character been

I

Harlot of the Apocalypse 'istic attire. and +and and gold,

,, ~~,, __ ~'<U.<~._".,

of her attire have from the beginning

,_.

Her garments of purple, scarlet,

~->'_""_"' __ "''''''-'~'_-<-'''''''''
__ '' __ -----'_,

depicted in sacred

prophecy.

The gleam

adorned

with

precious

stones

of the jewels, the glow of the scarlet, the deep dye of the purple, are plainly pictured there. By her striking and significant attire

pearls, what'N~r~-these'l)lif'lhe-'netable ch~racfer1sfiC"dress of "'lEe "'popes,

ICard inals,arch
ri_t'~'f. \.;.~

bishops,"biSh6ps,-""ana-prIesrs -Rome,.,.,.-.the _ '.dress .... they

we recognise the Church of Rome as the Harlot of the Apocalypse.

THE PERSECUTING CHURCH CHARACTER OF ROME OF THE

-of th~"j::. .hurch,of

wear ~~ in...,..--lheir.cehufcnes,intneircon claves, i'f'l"their E~9.I:~~i9I1s?Is it not notorious

~,.,.~--.,-.-;.~,~.

that the robes and mitres of Romish popes and bishops are covered with gold and

But more than this, more than by any other mark, we recognise Papal Rome by the last, the most marvellous characteristic which is given us in the sacred predictionher strange and terrible inebriation with the blood of saints and martyrs ! Old Heathen

silver, and adorned with" diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, stones"? jaspers, Is it pearls, and not a fact

all precious

that the papal diadem surpasses all other diadems-that it is more richly magnificent wrought,

more marvellously

with costly

Rome persecuted for a brief period the early 9

90

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

I
long

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

9I

Church,

but

Papal

Rome

through

who wrote those words, said of the saints of God who protested against her iniquity: ((If you shut them
I

centuries has held the pre-eminence as the persecutor of those faithful to the teachings of the Gospel of Christ. She has been and unalterable Persecution place .in her

in

prison

or send

them into exile,

they

corrupt

those near

all along in her essential

them with their words and those at a distance with their books; therefore the only

character a persecuting Church. has occupied a prominent

remedy is to send them, betimes into their own place." Under these maxims Rome has

doctrines, decrees, canons, excommunications, tribunals, trials, condemnations, imprisonwars. witness

always acted.

What a long roll of bloody The extirpation massacre of the

ments, executions, and exterminating Centuries of persecuting action

persecutions is her record! of the Albigenses, the

against her.

Her laws for the persecution of heretics have increased

Waldenses, the martyrdoms of the Lollards, the slaughter of the Bohemians, the burning of Huss, Jerome, Savonarola, Frith, Tyndale, Ridley, thousands Hooper, Cranmer, Latimer, and

and extermination in malignity modern

from their first rise down to Plainly and openly she

times.

has declared Church.

herself

to be a persecuting

of others as godly and faithful

She has gloried in her intolerance.

as they, have been her acts; the demoniacal cruelties of the Inquisition were invented by her mind and inflicted by her hand-that Inquisition mighty which was for centuries the

Her avowed doctrine is" that heretics ought to be visited by the secular powers with

temporal punishments, and even with death itself" Bellarmine, her great cardinal,

instrument

of her warfare

against

..
92 KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE HISTORICAL FULFILMENT 93

devoted

men and women whose cnme was they ((kept the commandThe

bones

bruised

without exquisitely A million

breaking, without perished

and

the

only this, that

body racked the ghost."

giving up in the

ments of God and the faith of Jesus." ferocious cruelties the Netherlands;

of the Duke of Alva in the bloody martyrdoms the extinction Reformation and in Poland; of

massacre

of the Albigenses.

I n the thirty of

years which followed the first institution the Jesuits Christians nine hundred were slain: thousand

Queen Mary's reign; and and sword of the Italy, in

by fire Spain the

faithful thousand

Thirty-six

Portugal

were dispatched

by the common executioner by the direction of the

massacre of St. Bartholomew; cruel persecutions of the

the long and Huguenots, and

in the Netherlands, Duke

of Alva, who boasted Flemings

of the deed.

all the infamies and barbarities

of the Re-

Fifty thousand

and Germans were

vocation of the Edict of N antes, which flung its refugees on every shore of Europe, were perpetrated have been by Papal innumerable. as the Rome. Her victims alone of the

hanged, burnt, or buried alive under Charles V. And when we have added to this the blood. shed of the Thirty Years' War in Germany,

I n Spain sufferers

and the long agony of other and repeated massacres of Protestants Scotland, Netherlands, France, we in England, Italy, Ireland, and the that'

Llorente Inquisition so-called

reckons

31,912 burnt penitents

alive, and 291,450 into submission

Spain, have to

forced

remember

( by water, weights, fire, pulleys, and screws," and "all the apparatus could be strained by which the sinews

for all this" no word of censure ever issued from the Vatican, except in the brief interval when statesmen and soldiers grew weary

without cracking, and the

'

\:
94
KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

I', t; ~
HISTORICAL FULFILMENT
I ,~

95

of bloodshed

and looked for means to admit

tricious

splendour,

a sanguinary

spirit

of

the heretics to grace." 'In the light of these facts we maintain of the prophecy is plainly evident. uttered The
,Ii

persecution, a system of domineering exercised fatuated over dependent kings are the

policy and in-

that the fulfilment of old in Patmos prediction

nations "-these

features

which any faithful historian would be obliged

II

of the Apostle

as to its leading

to select and insist on in a general description and narrative of the character and action of

features was this: that" a domineering power was to be established in the city of Rome, corrupdisplay the to Inil:'

the Church of Rome during the long period of her power. By its record of the fulfilment has been foretold
I~:

to corrupt the faith, to spread that tion, of to be gaudy distinguished splendours, of the to by the

of what

persecute faith,

the history unveiled

has justified the great

professors toxicate

Christian

the prophecy.

I t has

itself in the blood of persecution, by subservient kings, and

'~r
~
.

object for which the Apocalypse was written. Not for the guidance of the saints of the

to be supported

to requite them for their homage with larger, draughts of her cup of abominations." are justified in maintaining
1

We

'II' t
,!
I~"

first few centuries merely or mainly, or for the benefit yet of the to saints was of this some brief

that the history

period prophecy

come,

wondrous instruction, the con-

of the Church

of Rome has fulfilled every "Error and flagrant mere-

indited, the

but for the strengthening,

detail of the prophecy. corruption

I

of doctrine

and worship,

.~
r i,s

it

the

warning,

II
if

firmation, Church

the consolation, of all the

of the suffering centuries,

Davison On ProjJhe0', p. 319.

Christian

96

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

j
saints times, to another: doubt,
.
)

HISTORICAL

FULFILMENT

97

including and

the

countless martyrs of

persecuted mediaeval

"The that the the

Holy

Spirit, foreseeing, of Rome

no

faithful

Church truth

would and

and the Gospel

glorious

company up

of witnesses

adulterate grievous

..

by many that

gross she

truth raised

in the

age of the

abominations,

would

Reformation. the Christian for saints

The Apocalypse, as predicting apostasy, was written chiefly and

anathematise

all who would not communithem as cut

cate with her, and denounce

exposed

to the

delusions

off from the body of Christ and the hope of everlasting salvation; foreseeing also that

suffering under the persecutions of the Church of Rome, and its distinguishing glory is this, Let

Rome would exercise a wide and dominant sway for many generations, ated assertions and universality; pretensions by boldly itersanctity,

that it has given us the Reformation! us boldly facts. avow our recognition

of these

of unity, antiquity,

Guided and inspired by these marvel-,-'---_

.. '.

foreseeing also that these by the civil among

lous prophecies, the Reformed Church broke loose from the bondage of Romish error and usurpation, and came forth into liberty, the

would be supported

sword of many secular governments, which the Roman at its dissolution,

Empire would be divided and that Rome herself of would to the imperial of the

herald of the liberation of the world, in confessed obedience "Come to the divine command: ye be

thus be enabled world in an

to display attitude

out of her, My people, that

august

not partakers her plagues." To conclude

of her sins, and receive notof

power and with the dazzling temporal felicity; foreseeing

splendour also that

in the eloquent

words

of

Church of Rome would captivate

the imagi-

'-..~ "

98

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

HISTORICAL FULFILMENT

99

nations

of. men by the fascinations

of art their

by nicely poised compensations that

for sin, and

allied with religion, and would ravish senses and rivet their admiration colours and stately pomp and also

she would flourish for many centuries and prosperous impunity before

by gaudy prodigal that she

in proud

her sins would reach to hea ven and come in remembrance that before God; foreseeing also

magnificence; would and trances such beguile mysteries,

foreseeing their

credulity

by miracles and dreams,

many generations

of men would thus

apparitions

be tempted

to fall from the faith and to of deadly to the error, and that truth would and be

and ecstasies, and would appeal to evidence in support of her strange

become victims they who clung

doctrines; enslave practising

foreseeing likewise that she would men and (much on their more) women by and by ac-

exposed assaults Holy things

to cozening and savage

flatteries

fierce

tortures from her,-the all these

affections

Spirit,

we say, foreseeing

commodating

herself with dangerous pliancy them from the

in His divine knowledge, and being Teacher, Guide, and Compleased

to their weakness, relieving burden of thought

the ever-blessed

and from the perplexity them the aid of of the

forter of the Church, was graciously

of doubt infallibility, mourner ing peace

by proffering soothing the

i
~\
!'
'b'

to provide a heavenly antidote, for all these dangerous, widespread, and long-enduring In this por-

sorrows

by dispensing

pardon and promisremoving the

evils, by dictating the Apocalypse. divine trayed book the Spirit

to the departed,

of God has

load of guilt from the oppressed by the ministries of the

conscience and

the Church

of Rome such as none

confessional

but He could have foreseen that she would

100

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

become, and such as, wonderful and lamentable to say, she has become. broken her magic spells; He has thus He has taken

the wand

of enchantment

from her hand;

'.'

He has lifted the mask from her face; and with true His divine character hand in He has written letters, and to her

,
:

c :

:'

I~!.

large on

has be

planted

her title

her forehead,

seen and read of all : 'MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.'"
1 1 7~j"

USE OF THE KEY

$:
~i:

Bishop Wordsworth

On Rome, tlte Babylon of the

Apocalypse.

~
it

{
t~'

101

10

==

-----_ ..-.,.,._------ .,_....

._._---'"

l'

CHAPTER
USE OF THE

V
KEY

HAVING
Harlot"

now firmly fixed the interpreconcerning the Beast

tation of the prophecy

Babylon," and the ten-horned"

that carrieth her," by means of the detailed and definite explanations of their meaning

contained in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation, and by their fulfilment in the course of history, we proceed to use this interpreted vision as a key to open the remaining visions." in the Apocalypse;
'Q}

for such is the connection the

of the various visions in the book, that

opening of its central vision is a manifest clue to the meaning This method of the whole. of interpreting
103

the Apoca-

-it
,iii

J1
:1

:'i

104

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE It is adopted and advoKey of the Revelation, I.

USE OF THE KEY

105

lypse is not new. cated in Mede's in 1643.

T-Ve have seen that -in tlte interpreted

",

utston contained n Rev. xvii. the ten-horned Wiid Beast power represents the Roman

published he says: whether

Addressing the reader,

/(Lest haply thou mayest doubt anywhere in the Revelation out

Empire, and the Harlot Babylon the Church of Rome.

of all those visions such may be found in which thou mayest safely pitch thy foot,

I I. There are three visions in the Apocalypse

of the ten-horned Wild Beast power. First Vsonof the Wild Beast. /(And there appeared heaven; and another wonder
III

and from whence as it were from a station or watch-tower thou mayest take the scantling of the rest of the Revelation, provision made for this thing behold also by

the Holy Spirit's most wise counsel, in that famous vision of the great whore which on!.)' and alone of all the uisions the angel interpreteth to John. But to what end, except

behold a great red Dragon,

having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the

third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the Dragon stood

that by that an entrance be opened as it were through a door to tlu accessible? What rest, otherwise
i1Z-

before the Woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born" (xii. 3, 4). Second Vision of the Wild Beast.
II

wilt thou more?

There-

fore by this way enter thou, calling upon the Father of lights, and being entered use the key of entry to the opening of the rest."

And I saw a Beast rise up out of the sea,

106

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

i':

USE OF THE KEY

107

having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the Beast which I

The Wild Beast in each of the visions has seven heads and ten horns. be more than one such power.
2.

There cannot

saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion : and the Dragon him his authority" power, and his seat, and gave great

Since the interpreted vision (chap. xvii.)

the

establishes headed,

conclusion Wild

that

this seven-

ten-horned

Beast represents

the Roman Empire,. the three visions must be visions of the Roman 3. This identity conclusion of the Empire. by the of the

(xiii. I, 2).

Third Vision of the Wild Beast. " So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a Woman sit upon of ten
1$"
':-,)f,
"">,

is confirmed Beast

ten-horned

Apocalypse

with the fourth

Wild Beast of

a scarlet coloured Beast, full of names blasphemy, having seven heads and

the visions of Daniel, which we have already seen symbolises the Roman Empire. Some have held that the first four heads of the draconic power in Rev. xii. reprewhich preceded the Roman the Beast of Rev. empires. Both but

horns" (xvii. 3). III. Tlte three

ViS011S

of the W!d Beast are Roman

"
,j_i

sent kingdoms Empire,

visions of the same great power-the Empire.

1.

and some that the

xiii., represents

four

The

three

visions

must

refer

to the of
',. I' ,r

these views we hold to be erroneous;

same Wild

Beast power .. The

identity

even if correct, both the Dragon of chap. xii. and "Beast"

:;al

their leading features justifies this conclusion.

Ii

of chap. xiii. would include the

.,-~
u
"

:,.

J08

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE

USE

OF THE

KEY

10<)

Roman Empire itself as a chief part of the thing symboHsed. IV. The three visions of the Wild Beast power represent successivestages in the history of the Roman Empire.
1.

that the three visions in chaps. xii., xiii., and xvii, of the Wild Beast power represent the Roman Empire in the successive stages of development,

its early progress, its central and its later decline.

The

vision in chap.

XII. represents
II

V. The history of the

Wild Beast power

the Roman Empire

under the regnancy of

is divided into two principal stages by tlte wounding to death

J/

its seven heads, for in this vision the heads are crowned with diadems.
2.

mid subsequent "heal-

ing" of the seventh head (Rev. xiii.). Xl11. represents The first is the Draconic stage of its

The vision in chap.

the Roman Empire under the regnancy of its ten horns and of its eighth revived head, for the horns are crowned with diadems. 3 The vision in chap. in its xvii. represents or

existence, and represents the Roman Empire up to the date of its overthrow by the

Goths and Vandals, a revolution completed in A.D. 476. The second may be termed

the Roman

Empire

ten-horned

the False Prophet stage of its history-the stage in which its power is wielded by a second Beast, of lamb-like form, but draconic in speech (Rev. xiii.), called in chap. xix. /(the False Prophet." the Empire thus In the restoration of effected the " deadly

divided state, first as carrying, then as castz'ng

0./1, wasNng, and destroying the Harlot Babylon

tlte Great (in the vision no crowns are seen on the heads or horns). Their leading features justify the VIew

I10

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

JJ

USE OF THE KEY

III

wound is
I(

inflicted

by the Gothic overthrow

head of the European Commonwealth, and as such he had to proclaim and "defend the

healed. " passage from the pen of with the is such as

The following Dr. Dollinger, history

Christian

law of nations,

to

settle

inter-

whose acquaintance

national disputes, to mediate between princes and peoples, and to make peace belligerent states. spiritual between

of the Church of Rome

to make him an authority exhibits strikingly that

on the subject, of the

The Curia became a great tribunal. In short,

restoration

and temporal

Roman Empire

under its papal head which

the whole of Western Christendom formed in a certain sense a kingdom, at whose head stood the Pope and the Emperor / tlte former,
~i
.-j'

succeeded the Gothic overthrow :"Out of the chaos of the great Northern and the ruins of the Roman
;:i:

migrations Empire

however, with contnualfy increasing and far preponderating authority."

1

there gradually arose a new order of

~:.

states, whose central point was the Papal See. Therefrom inevitably resulted a position not

This ruin and subsequent rise of Rome is thus referred to by the historian Gibbon:

only new, but very different from the former. The new Christz'an Empire of the West was .created and upheld by the Pope. The Pope became constantly more and more (by' the

" About the close of the sixth century Rome had reached pressron. Em pire, the lowest period of her de-

By the removal of the seat of and the successive loss of the

state of affairs with the will of the princes and of the people, and throu~h the power of public opinion) the Chief Moderator at the

provinces, the sources of public and private

I

The Church and the Churches

or, The Papacy and

the Temporal Power, by Dr. Dollinger, p. 42.

112

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE were exhausted; the lofty tree

USE OF THE KEY

II3

opulence

or withholding power referred to t'n Paul's prophecy of the This prophecy importance. tant St. link
II

under whose shade the nations had reposed was deprived

of the earth

Man of Sin." the Thessalonian is of great

of its leaves and was left to

between

branches, and the sapless trunk

and the Apocalypse It is admitted Catholic of Sin"

wither on the ground. . . . Like Thebes or Babylon might or Carthage, the name of Rome

by both Protesinterpreters that

and Roman Paul's "Man

have been erased from the earth, if by a vital

and St. John's But the rise of by the re-

the city had not been animated

" Antichrist" the "Man

are the same. of Sin"

principle, which again restored her to konour and dominion." I Under the noonday of papal dominion

is preceded

moval of a hindering existence

power which was in

in Paul's own day, and to which

which followed" Rome inspired all the terror of her ancient name; mistress vassals."
2

he referred in carefully guarded language, a power which the early Church recognised as that of Imperial Rome; of the antichristian the Apocalypse and similarly the rise persecuting power in

she was once more the

of the world, and kings were her

is preceded by the removal The

VI. The nflz'c#on of the "deadly wound"

on the ruling power of the Western Empire is identical with the removal of the hindering
1
2

of ruling power in the Roman State. conclusion is that the hindering moved in each case is the same. It is a remarkable

power re-

fact, in relation to the to the manifestation

II

Declineand Fall of the Roman Empire, chap. xlv.

Hallam, History of the Middle Ages, p. 368.

((let"

or hindrance

of

114

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE
(I

USE OF THE KEY way for the rise of the Popes

115

the ((Man of Sin," that ing testimony of the

we have the consentearly Fathers, from

Cardinal In his

Manning's

testimony

is important.

Irenzeus, the disciple of the disciple of St. ] ohn, down to Chrysostom and Jerome, to

work on the temporal he says:

II

power of the Popes

Now the abandonment of Rome was Whatsoever may have the Pontiff re-

the effect that it was understood

to be the
1

the liberation of the Pontiffs. claims to obedience the Emperors made, and whatsoever compliance may have yielded, lation, anomalous, again by the

imperial power ruling and residing at Rome." Thus, commenting on the words, "Ye know

what detaineth that he might be revealed in his time," Tertullian says: "What obstacle

the whole previous and annulled and

again and of the

is there but the Roman State, thefalling away of wltich by being scattered into ten kingdoms sltall introduce Antz"christ ... that the Beast

vices

outrages

Emperors, power.

was finally dissolved by a higher of God permitted

The providence

Antichrist, with his False Prophet, may wage war on the Church of God." Here the Thessalonian
2

a succession

of eruptions, Gothic, Lombard,

and Hungarian, to desolate Italy, and to efface from t every remnant of the Empire. Pontiffs fountains Andfrom found themselves alone, the The sole

and Apocalyptic way connected

prophecy are in a remarkable together and interpreted, to their historic

and this long prior As to the fact

of order, peace, law, and safety. the hour of this providential liberathe chains

fulfilment.

that the removal of the imperial power made

1
j

tion, when by a divine intervention

Elliott, Hone AjJocalyjJtzca:, vol. iii., p. 92. On the Resurrection, chaps. xxiv., xxv.

fell off from the hands of the successor of St. Peter, as once before from his own, no

116

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

USE OF THE KEY

117

soverei'gn has ever reigned in Rome except tlte Vicar of Jesus Christ."l

the Beast tha: ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." This is the

VII.
i(

The

story

of

1/

the

Beast"

and and

same as "the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition" (xvii. 8).

Babylon," or of the Roman Empire Rome, occupies a of the

Churclt of and central prophecy. Either distinctly

II

considerable apocalyptic

portion

(2) Chap. xii. 3:

"And

there appeared

another wonder in heaven; and behold a great the Beast" or ((Babylon" are ten red Dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns [or diadems] upon his heads." The rest of the chapter is taken up with referred to in no less than

successive chapters:

xi., xii., xiii., xiv., xv.,

xvi., xvii., xviii., xix., and xx. The following are the principal passages in these chapters in which one or other of these two great antichristian powers are

the warfare waged by this draconic power against those ((who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of JESUS
CHRIST."

spoken of:(I) Chap. xi. 7: ((When they [the two

(3) Chap. xiii.

I:

((And

1saw a Beast

coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy" (R.V.). The chapter relates the wounding

witnesses] shall have finished their testimony,

1

Temporal Power of the Popes, p. xlii, published

\

first in 1860, ten years before the fall of the papal temporal power.

to death and healing again of one of the

:T":;

118

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE of the and Wild Beast, his war them; "with with and two as a

"'~" ..

USE OF THE KEY

119'

heads

up for ever and ever: and they have no rest

r

the saints, the action

his overcoming Beast,

day nor night, who worship the Beast and' his image, and whosoever receiveth of his name. the mark of the

of a second

horns like unto a Jamb," who "spake

Here is the patience

dragon," and +exercised the authority of the first Beast in hz's sight," making an "image of the Beast," and causing and compelling it to "speak," it, and to and

,.':ro.' II.~ .

.;:,

1,

saints:

here are they that

keep the com-

I;,,:. iX'

mandments

of God, and the faith of Jesus." "And

I saw another

t
,~

(5) Chap. xv. I-4:

all to worship on their

.~

~{:"

sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; them is filled up the wrath of God. for in And I

receive its mark on their forehead. (4) Chap. xiu. angel followed

right hand

9-12:

"And saying

the with

third a loud
'0"

saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the. Beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of ltis name, stand on the sea, of glass, having the harps
'~.' .P'

them,

voice, If any man worship the Beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire in the presence of the holy of the Lamb: ascendeth

If
!;.
,;~.

of God.

And they sing the song of Moses. of God, and the song of the

:;(

the servant
'}

Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true Who,

and brimstone

angels, and in the presence

are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.

and the smoke of their torment

shall not fear Thee, 0 Lord, and glorify Thy

I":;

120

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

USE OF THE KEY

121

name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; Thy judgments (6) Chap. xvi. are made manifest."
I, 2: (( And

And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, since men were upon

for

such as was not

I heard a great

the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so' great. three And the great City was divided into parts, and the cities of the nations

voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. . . . And there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the Beast, and upon them which worshipped his image."
V7J. 10, II:

fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath." (7) Chap. .zviz: 3: "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a Woman sit upon a scarlet coloured Beast, full of names of blasphe-my, having seven

And the fifth angel poured

out his vial upon the seat of the Beast ; and his kingdom was full of darkness ; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blas-

heads and ten horns."

phemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds;"

Vv.

7-11: ((And the angel said unto me,

Wherefore

didst thou marvel?

I will tell

thee the mystery of the Woman, and of the "And the seventh angel Beast that carrieth her, w/zzch hath the seven heads and ten horns. The Beast that thou and shall ascend pit, and go into

VV.

17-I9:

poured out his vial irito the air; and there 'came a great voice out' of the temple of

sawest was, and is not; out of the bottomless

heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

,'""=~';,,",~~'.,",";"~'~'''J'''~~''''''',a~;~''~'''i''''"'~',i"'"''''~'''

122

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE and they that dwell on the earth

USE OF THE KEY

123

perdition:

hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations

shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of

have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed merchants through And fornication of the with her, and the rich

the world, when they behold the Beast that was, and is not, and yet is. mind which hath wisdom. And here is the The seven heads

earth

are waxed of her

are seven mountains, on which the Woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: one and is, and the other five
IS

the abundance

delicacies.

I heard another

voice from heaven,

are fallen, and not yet come;

saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that For her sins

when he cometh,

he

must continue a short space.

And the Beast

ye receive not of her plagues.

that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, ,. and is of the seven, and goeth into

have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." .
(9)

perdition. (8) Chap. xuiii.

1-5:

Cltap. xix.

1-3:

"And

after

these

"And

after these

things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and

things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he

glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: judgments: for true and righteous for He hath judged are His the great

cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon tlte Great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the

Whore, which did corrupt

the earth with

her fornication, and hath avenged the blood

124

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE at her hand. And again rose

USE OF THE KEY of Jesus, and for the

12

of His servants they

word of God, and

said, Alleluia.

And her smoke

wltich had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had receiuedhis mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived

up for ever and ever." Vv.

19-21:
II

And I saw the Beast, and the

kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat And

and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Ver.

10: "

And the devil that deceived them

on the horse, and against His army.

.1
I

was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the Beast and the False Prophet are, and shall be tormented ever and ever." day and night for

the Beast 'was taken, and with ltim the False Prophet that wrought miracles before him,

1
J

with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were
Cast

II

VIII.

The visions contained in these ten into three divisions,

alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

I,

successive chapters fall

And

the

remnant

were slain with

connected with tlu three great stages in the history of the Empire.
I.

the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth:

The visions relatng to the Empire of

and all the fowls were filled with their flesh."

Rome under the dominion of its crowned heads. This includes the description of the draconic
$':~ ,
:h'

(10)

Chap. xx. 4:

II

And I saw thrones, was

and they sat upon them, and judgment given unto them that them: and

power and of its persecuting

action in chap.

I saw the souls of

.\

xii, ; and also the period referred to in the

I)

were beheaded

for the witness

t\~.
~'~"

interpretation

of the

heads

of the
12

Wild

I'~
~:

!~t'

~~

126

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

/'I

USE OF THE KEY

127

Beast

in chap. xvii.:

five are fallen, and and

Empire under the dominion of its ten horns and revived eighth head. This includes the vision of the Woman in the wilderness Dragon during hidden from the persecuting

one is, and the other is not yet come; when he cometh, space." he must continue

, I

a short

It is clear from this interpretation in chap. xvii. that the Wild E'mpire was under the

of the angel Beast

3!

times

or

1,260

days

or Roman

(chap. xii.); prophesy

that of the two witnesses who for

1,260

dominion of its sixth head in the time of St. John. Three notes of time relating and the future to

in sackcloth

days and

are slain by the Wild Beast from the abyss, and of the treading down of the outer court

the past, the present, in the explanatory

occur He

words of the angel.

of the temple for 42 months (chap. xi.); and that of the persecuting Beast under action of the Wild

declares that at the date when the Apocalypse was revealed heads to John five of the

its revived eighth head during

successive

of the Wild Beast power was n existence, the What was the Empire the

42 months (chap. xiii.). The connection of these visions is evident from the equaNty of tlzeir times, for
1,260

were past, the sixth seventh

was in the future.

form of government

of the Roman

days are 42 months, and 42 months are times or prophetic years; and

3!-

in the time of the Apostle? rule of its heathen is represented Wild Beast.
2.

Evidently

also from

emperors. the sixth

This, then, head of the

the fact that these equal times are reckoned from the same general extend period or era, and Thus the and of

by

to the same termination. of the Beast (chap. xiii.)

TIle

uisions relating

to tlze Roman

times

128

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE are equal (r ,260 days or 42 at the end of trumpet (2) The (chap. xiii.), (3) The

USE OF THE KEY seven-headed Beast

129

the witnesses months), the sixth

restored

and finish together trumpet. The

seventh

outer

court trodden

under

foot

brings the ruin of the Beast. the Beast (42 months) dwelling

The times of

by the Gentiles (chap. xi.), (4) The witnesses prophesying in sack-

and of the Woman (r,260 days or

in the wilderness

cloth (chap. xi.)are equal, and commence the same events. or terminate witle

J~ times, chap. xii.) are equal, and begin at the same point of time-viz. the conquest of the Dragon, and his being cast down to the earth (chaps. xii., xiii.). down of the Dragon from his persecuting I t is on the casting that the Woman flies

The visions in which they belong to one and

occur must consequently

the same general period in the history of the Roman Empire-the period of the Empire state (chap. xiii.). the visions same

action to the wilderness

in its revived ten-horned

(chap. xii.), and it is after being thus cast down through that the Wild Beast rises again wound, The

This conclusion groups together in chaps. x.-xiv., as relating historic period-the period

to the

the healing

of its deadly

of the restored

and persecutes starting-point

the saints (chap. xiii.). in each case is the same.

or Papal Roman Empire. 3. Empire The visions relating' to the Roman

Jn

a word, the periods of 1,260 days, 42 months, or 3! " times "-relating to in the wilder-

at the close of its ten-lzorned state

under the dominion of the Harlot "Babylon," and espedally to the crisis of the casting off and destruction of the Harlot by the ten-horned

(I) The Woman remaining ness (chap. xii.),

13

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE The section

earlier

USE OF THE KEY trumpets and the seals must

131

Beast whiclt had carried her.

relate

containing these includes six chapters (chaps. xv.-xx.). The entire group of prophecies in

to the history

or

the same power.

BEAST POWER

CONNECTION OF THE WILD

chaps. xv.-xix. relates to the overthrow and destruction of " Babylon" and the "Beast"
1.

WITH THE ORDER OF THE TRUMPETS AND VIALS

under the seven vials of God's wrath, while the reference to the latter in chap. xx. is similar in its judicial character. ment of the apostate and The judgpersecuting The slaughtet of the witnesses by the Wt'ld Beast power takes place at the close ot the sixth trumpet. The following points should be noted

politico-ecclesiastic

power which has arisen

in the sphere of the Roman Empire is the subject of these prophecies. extended and important

in this relation:a. The three woes "I are those of the

three last trumpets:

beheld, and heard

an angel flying through the midst of heaven,

IX. The. seven seals, seven trumpets, and

seven vals of the apocalyptic prophecy form a connected and orderly whole / the seven trumpets falling under the seuentlz seal, an d As

saying

with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, earth by reason of the

to the inhabiters of the

of the other voices of the trumpet ,three angels, which are yet

to sound!"

the seven vials under the seventh trumpet.

.(viii. 13).
b.

the terminal trumpets and seven vials belong to the story of the tell-horned Wild Beast, the

In chap. ix., after the fifth trumpet woe is past;

has sounded, we read: "One

132

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

USE OF THE KEY

133

and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter " (ver.
12).

vials with the destruction of the "Beast and

{j

Babylon"

is plain

and

important.

c. The sixth

trumpet then sounds;

and

The first vial is poured on the worshippers of the "Beast"; the fifth vial is poured on while "Babylon"

at the close of its events, when the persecuting action of the Wild Beast power and the death and resurrection of the witnesses have been accomplished, we read: woe is past; "The second woe

the seat of the "Beast";

is utterly destroyed under the seventh vial, and together with it the Beast and the False Prophet. 3. The seven trumpets are successive. Their chronological order is evident and
,co

and, behold, the third

cometh quickly" (xi. 14) The slaughter the sixth trumpet of the " Beast"
2.

of the "witnesses"

under

precedes the -destruction

undisputed. trumpets

Hence as the sixth and seventh

under the seventh. and "Babylon"

come to

belong to the times of the Wild earlier trumpets must

The "Beast"

Beast

power, the

their end under the seven vials. The seven vials are called "the seven

refer to previous stages of the same.

CONNECTION OF THE TRUMPETS SEALS AND

last plagues," for in them "is filled up the wrath of God" (xv. I). The seventh vial

occupies a terminal position in relation to premillennial poured out judgments. the impressive On its being is

The seventh seal is the seal of trumpets. On the opening of this seal the seven angels of the seven trumpets go forth and sound the trumpets (chap. viii.),

declaration

made: " It is done."

The connection of these

~; &;
',:,

134

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE the seals,' trumpets, and vials

7,;'

USE OF THE KEY tained that

135

;;.

Hence

i.$:

;J,

the clue had been discovered,

unfold one and the same historical orderthe order of events connected Empire with the

l
~~:,

but it was at last felt that all those proposed methods were, fanciful, and the world had

'f;!;

history of the Roman Church.

and Christian

settled down in despair as to the possibility of deciphering dental discovery their meaning. The acci-

of the Rosetta

Stone, and

the patient labours

INTERPRETED VISION IN CHAPTER XVII.

of De Sacy, Akerblad, of Champollion, on

Tychsen,

and

especially

THE ROSETTA STONE ING THE ApOCALYPSE.

FOR DECIPHER-

have changed

the views of the world

that subject, and the hieroglyphics

,~:I
fi:~

of Egypt

The interpreted the may which Beast that

vision of the Woman and carrieth as to her the in Rev. xvii. Rosetta Stone of the

have become language."

as intelligible

as any other

~
~.

be described guides us

/1:
!'i~

The divine explanation of the most central symbolical key to vision in the Apocalypse of the entire thus given

the' meaning

mysterious "For Egyptian known.

symbols ages

of the Apocalypse. the meaning was of the unI;f:;

I~"

is the

the meaning

many

prophecy, and the interpretation links the apocalyptic

hieroglyphics Thousands

entirely

pro.phecy with the hiS-)

of conjectures method
I

had been those exenter-

made as to the symbols; hausted; vast the

of reading had been

r:' ;i;
~
..

tory of the Roman Empire and that of the Christian Church. thus assigned to The important the Roman by position in

ingenuity hope was

i~

Empire the

sometimes

prophecy
~4

is fully

justified

place

r}
rr:' .1',\

~
~.

3
it

136

KEY TO THE

APOCALYPSE
j

which it occupies in history, and especially by its relation to the Kingdom of God.

..

What that relation is we have now in conclusion to consider.

THE

TWO ROMAN OF GOD

LAST EMPIRE

KINGDOMS RELATION TO THE

OF

PRO-

FHEC,,:", OR THE

OF THE KINGDOM

137

13

______ ~

'I
I.

RELATION THE

CHAPTER
OF THE

VI
TO

j:

ROMAN EMPIRE OF GOD

KINGDOM

.~
,

THE

kingdom

of hea~en is represented as the fifth of

H:,
j

in the visions of Daniel kingdom

,.j
.,

in a series of five kingdoms,

which the Roman is the fourth. "It pleased .says God to order it in His proJonathan Edwards, "that

::I
I I

I
I

vidence,"

: 1
. I

earthly power and dominion should be raised to its greatest height, and appear in its

utmost glory, in those four great monarchies that succeeded one another, and that everyone should be greater and more glorious than

the preceding, before He set up the Kingdom of His Son. more glorious than
Ii

By this it appeared His spiritual

how much was

f, ,~

Kingdom

the most glorious

139

temporal

kingdom.

I
I t '

!
,

.....

TWO
140

LAST KINGDOMS

141

i I

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

i:

The strength and glory of Satan's kingdom in those four mighty monarchies appeared
111

The Roman Empire was great in itself, but is greatest in its historic connection with the Kingdom of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was born under the Roman Emperor Augustus Csesar and crucified under Tiberius, was the Founder and Legislator of the Kingdom of Heaven. Unlike the external,' national, and temporal Kingdom of God, or Theocracy,
l

its

greatest of

height; the

for, being world,

the the

monarchies kingdom.

heathen

strength of them was the strength of Satan's God suffered Satan's kingdom to rise to so great a height of power and magnificence before His Son came to overthrow it, in order to prepare the way for the more glorious triumph of His Son. Goliath must have on all sides his splendid armour, when the stripling David comes against him with a sling and a stone, for: the greater glory of David's victory. God suffered one of those great monarchies to subdue another, and erect itself on the other's ruins, appearing still in greater strength, and tlte last to be
strongest and 11zightz'estof all: that so Christ,

founded by Moses, 'the Kingdom founded by Christ is spiritual, universal, and everlasting. It is the Kingdom foretold in the Prophets, and especially in the Book of Daniel, as "the Kingdom of the God of heaven," which exists at first as "a Stone" "cut out without hands,' and finally becomes "a great Mountain" and fills the whole earth. In His discourses our Lord unfolded authoritatively the laws of the Kingdom

in

overthrowing

that,

might

as it were

of Heaven, described the character of its subjects, traced its history, and foretold its

overthrow them all at once." 1

I

Works, ii. 562.

"
142

'I.

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

TWO

LAST KINGDOMS

143

destiny.

Half

the

parables

He

uttered

of "righteousness; peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. xiv. 17). The Kingdom of Heaven is doubly contrasted with : (I) earthly kingdoms, such as those of Greece and Rome, founded by the sword, and wielding only an external transitory control over the acts of men; and (2) the Jewish theocracy, which was a divine kingdom aiming to control the thoughts and affections as well as the acts of its subjects, by the instrumentality of an external righteous law; for the sphere of Christ's Kingdom is chiefly the heart, and the force by which it is founded and governed is altogether spiritual, gracious, and divine.
II

relate to this Kingdom.

He describes in

them the mode in which His Kingdom is founded, grows, is corrupted, and is finally purified and perfected. In the Gospel of Matthew the Sermon on the Mount (chaps. v.-vii.), the seven parables (chap. xiii.), and the prophetical discourse (chaps. xxiv., xxv.) all relate to the Kingdom of Heaven. But our Lord did more than His Kingdom: He actually describe it. founded

He bullt up by the preachz'ng of truth, by the power of love, and by the operation of spiritual life a Kingdom not of this worlda Kingdom whose seat is within the human heart, and whose subjects the renewed, and are the repentant character, whose

The law was given by Moses, but grace Sheath-

and truth came by Jesus Christ."

like that of the rule of the unfallen inhabitants of heaven, exhibits holiness and happiness the blending of under influences

ing the sword of force, and silencing the thunder of law, Christ spoke persuasively to the heart in the gentle utterances of the Gospel. In the conflict with darkness His

directly and absolutely divine, as a Kingdom

..

144

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE in the conflict with hatred evil with good, described in His to
,-~,

TWO heaven

LAST KINGDOMS bringing all things

145

weapon was light; it was love. according memorable

to earth,

into

He overcame

one divine kingdom (Co1. i. 20). In the parables the Kingdom

c

to the method utterance: "I,

and

prophecies

relating of its first, a It

if I be lifted up

of God two stages

from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." I t was by living and dying for the world that He conquered The Kingdom the hearts it. of God thus ((founded in developing under And
~ ~
If.

existence

are broadly distinguished:

preparatory;

and, secondly, a final stage. that the history

is in the former Kingdom that the

of the with at had

I
\
\

of God is closely connected Empire. Roman Founded Empire

of men, and thence is destined

of the Roman time' when the

I
i

itself outwards,

to bring

its control all that further, "the

belongs to man." of God,

attained its greatest dominion and prosperity, the Kingdom existence of Heaven entered on its

Kingdom

according

.i

to the comprehensive
IS

views of Christianity, as the common race, but

'~I~

as an obscure and feeble society,

represented

not merely

threatened with destruction by the powers with which it was surrounded. Founder was accomplished The death of its at the instigation

vitalising

principle

of the human

I
t

as a bond by which mankind

are united with

all the orders of beings in a higher spiritual world, in one divine m making peace community."
1

of the Jews by Roman hands, and the first ten

[If.

Christ man but

persecutions

of the Christian

Church, were and Later

has not only united to his fellow-man,

I~:

under which it was all but annihilated, deliberately carried out by the laws

J
~ J

to God and man

1

ij
;-

~
I.
y

Neander, Planting of Christzanity, i. 53

forces of the Roman

Government.

t
\I
t

'.~'

\\

146

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE

TWO

LAST KINGDOMS

147

'1,', ,'1,

,':"1\: h;i' ili, .:. .; 'r.',~

,'I'

persecutions of a more prolonged and terrible character have been carried on against the faithful followers of Christ by the same Government in 'its nominally Christian but actually apostate form-persecutions which succeeded for a time in silencing all testimony to the Gospel by the slaughter of the Christian witnesses. theprophctic Christianity. with lhepowersof The Apocalypse is story of this twofoldconflict Paganism and Apostate It is the figurative portrayal of mental

yielded by Old Testament

analogy.

The

history of the Jewish people from the call of Abraham to the destruction of Jerusalem is plainly analogous with the history of the Christian Church. Hence what Egypt,
Canaan, and Babylon were in relation to Israel,

that. the Roman Empire in its Pagan and Papal forms has been to the Church. in which the ]ewishpeopleexisted Egypt, at Canaan, and Babylon were, the external spheres successive stages of their history, and the 'Roman Empire has for nineteen centuries been the chief outward sphere of the life and development of the Church of Christ. Egypt was to Israel a furnace of trial, Canaan an inheritance and scene of apostasy, and Babylon a place of captivity; and the Roman Empire has been all these to the Christian Church. the Church. It is not too much to

of the varying stages and results of that warfare in which the strength of Christ has triumphed conviction manifested in the faithful witnesses over the might of that majestic Empire which of old subdued the nations and trod them under its' feet. Perhaps obtain Empire the truest idea which we can of the Roman Church is that of the relation

say that the history of Rome is the history of From this it follows that Rome

to the Christian

148

KEY TO THE APOCALYPSE occupy a central and commanding prophecy of

It
f r!-;.

TWO LAST KINGDOMS

149

must

the

Church have roll

position in any comprehensive the course of Christian Apocalypse which occupies justified. Apocalypse the Roman the is this. story history. Hence

which ages

God, uttering predictions , their successive fulfilments as

<'j

of

Now the the position Empire

;fr',

on;

and thus

it stands

in

the

Christian

Church in the place of a succesin the Jewish nation. economy Prophecy And is still a
1

of the

Roman

sion of prophets

in the Apocalypse

is abundantly the

"
,;<c

by this especial continued,

It follows that to understand a knowledge Empire

f~

is always

speaking,

and yet

of the history of

i I ,<
I,,'.

~ /, ~

succession of prophets rendered unnecessary."

1

is necessary, and such history of its decline

a work as Gibbon's

"'I
i~.
I,~

Dr, Clarke in Habershon

01t

Prophecy, Intro.

and fall of the highest value. Lastly, it is important to observe that

:r

I
I
\

fr
~:
1~

I
i

as the history sponds Church, prophecy with

of the Jewish the history

people correChristian as a

of the

"~

so the Book of Revelation of Christian history

(I

corresponds
at in this "may
111
i~ ,'G'-

! ,

in its office with the collective proplzecies from Abraham to 111 alaclzi." 1 Looked

.:

'I

v,

comprehensive be considered
1

way, the Apocalypse as a Prophet

continued

It' t,l

I i
14

Birks' Elements of Prophecy, P: 267,

f
il
1J:
f. f.'

I
It

fII

;1

it

------------------

..-~
H

II ,!

Ij

DIAGRAM
THE annexed diagram is a copy of Professor Gaussen's " fivefold historical and prophetical chart, showing the chronological tables of Ptolemy and Las Casas in two columns, and the prophetical visions of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel, and John in three corresponding columns." It will be seen at a glance that the chart is founded on the unquestionable order of history, chronology, and prophecy. The four great empires of prophecy plainly agree with the four great empires of history. Their number is the same, their order is the same; they have the same commencing-point, and the same course, character, and termination. The first kingdom of Ptolemy and Daniel is the Babylonian, the second the Medo-Persian, the third the Grecian, the fourth the Roman. Daniel doubly represents these four empires (I) by four distinct metallic parts of a single Image, (2) by four successive Wild Beasts. Thefourth king-

dom of Daniel reappears three times in the Apocalypse of John while thefifth kingdom of Daniel, the eternal kingdom of the God of heaven, is the termi1tal kingdom of the Apocalypse. The kingdom of the Mountain in
J'

Dan. ii., represented as the kingdom of the Son of Man and of the saints in Dan. vii., is identical with the kingdom of Christ and the saints in Rev. xx.-xxii. These identifications of the five kingdoms rest on 151

!I 152
DIAGRAM

,cl

divinely given interpretatz"01zs of the symbolic visions by which they are portrayed. Further, the three great visions of the fourth empire in the Apocalypse represent successive stages in its history. The first of these represents the Roman Empire under the regnancy of its crowned Heads; the second under the regnancy of its crowned Horns; the third as carrying the Harlot Babylon, whom it subsequently casts off and destroys. These three great visions in Rev. xii., xiii., and xvii, are closely linked with all the remaining visions in the Apocalypse. Their divinely interpreted connection with the history of the Roman Empire is the key to the entire prophecy. The Harlot seated on the Wild Beast is Papal Rome/from this interpretation of its central vision follows the interpretation of the whole Apocalypse. History confirms and illustrates what prophecy foretells.

..;.

tf
i~~

lIIi

.;
Printed by Hazell, Watson,

o'

ViHCY, Ld., London and Aylesbury.

."....

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