The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

"dark night" sets in, when all such testimony will, because of the conditions then existing,
have to cease. On this point, Mr. Barnes observed:
"It is not necessary to suppose that this [vision] would, in the fulfillment, succeed the other
[the vision preceding] in time. The chapter is made up of a number of representations, all
designed to illustrate the same general thing, and to produce the same general effect on
the mind--that the Gospel would be finally triumphant, and that, therefore, the hearts of
the troubled and afflicted [of God's people] should be comforted. The representation in
this verse, bearing on this point, is that Babylon, the great enemy [of the true Church],
would fall to rise no more."
It is of no little significance that we have in this vision for the first time in the Revelation
the word Babylon mentioned. The ancient empire of Babylon and its capital city, located
on the great river Euphrates, had long before St. John's day ceased to exist. That both the
city and the empire are employed as symbols in this and several subsequent visions, all
Historical expositors are agreed. Mr. Barnes expresses the general thought of expositors
concerning its significance, as follows:
"In reference to the meaning of the word [Babylon] in this place, it may be remarked (1)
that the general characteristics of [literal] Babylon were that it was proud, haughty,
insolent, oppressive. It was chiefly known and remembered by the Hebrew people as a
power that had invaded the holy land; that had reduced its capital and temple to ruins;
that had destroyed the independence of their country, subjecting it to the condition of a
province, and that had carried away the inhabitants into a long and painful captivity. It
became, therefore, the emblem of all that was haughty and oppressive, and especially of
all that persecuted the Church of God. (2) The word must be used here to denote some
power that resembled the ancient and literal Babylon in these characteristics. . . . We are to
seek, therefore, in the application of this, for some power that had the same general
characteristics which the literal Babylon had. (3) . . . All the circumstances require us to
understand this of Rome--at some period of its history--for Rome, like Babylon, was the
seat of empire, and the head of the heathen world; Rome was characterized by many of the
same attributes as Babylon, being arrogant, proud, oppressive; Rome, like Babylon, was
distinguished for its conquests, and for the fact that it made all other nations subject to its
control; Rome had been, like Babylon, a desolating power, having destroyed the capital of
the holy land, and burnt its beautiful temple, and reduced the country to a province.
Rome, like Babylon of old, was the most formidable power with which the Church had to
contend. Yet it is not, I suppose, Rome considered as Pagan that is here meant--but Rome
considered as the prolongation of the ancient power in the Papal form."
This interpretation of symbolic Babylon very well represents the consensus of opinion of
all expositors who lived previous to the middle of the nineteenth century. Mr. Guinness in
his able work, The Approaching End of the Age, has given a more exhaustive exposition of
symbolic Babylon than those who preceded him, and it is a treatise well worthy of
consideration by all Bible students. The much clearer understanding of the true Gospel,
together with an unfolding of certain events connected with the decline of Protestantism,