The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

alone proves the falsity of the claim. It seems also to denote the enticing means and
specious pretenses by which this system allures people to idolatry. It is used in this sense
by the Apostle Paul when contrasting idolatry and its rites with the memorial cup of our
Lord: "Ye cannot drink of the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons." (1 Cor. 10:21.) One
has said that the harlot's name and cup represent her idolatry and artful agency in
seducing the nations to apostasy. Mr. Elliott sees the "woman" here depicted before St.
John . . .
". . . as a double character, viz., as a harlot to the ten kings, and a vintner or tavern-hostess
vending wines to the common people (just according to the custom of earlier times, in
which the harlot and the hostess of a tavern were characters frequently united), so, the
Church of Rome answered to the symbol in either point of view; interchanging mutual
favors, such as might suit their respective circumstances and characters, with the kings of
Antichristendom; and to the common people dealing out for sale the wine of the poison of
her fornication, her indulgences, relics, transubstantiation-cup, as if the cup of salvation,
therewith drugging, and making them [figuratively] besotted and drunk."
Another expositor has said:
"What is that chalice [cup] which the woman lifts aloft? 'Having a golden cup in her hand,
full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.' Idolatry and spiritual apostasy are
clearly symbolized here."
Comparing Jer. 51:7, where this same symbol is employed, with this Revelation symbol,
this writer proceeds:
"Euphratean Babylon was the prolific mother of idolatry--that idolatry which Scripture
clearly shows to be the liturgy of demons--and with this she seduced God's ancient people
into spiritual fornication. And now the Church, having become paganized by absorbing
into herself the literal elements of this ancient heathenism, is photographed as mystical
Babylon, in her turn enticing to idolatry and spiritual unchastity.
"It is no exaggeration to say that the Eucharistic cup which Rome now puts to the lips of
her communicants [priests] with its mixture of miracle and magic, resembles more nearly
the chalice of the ancient Chaldean 'Mysteries,' than it does the chaste and simple
memorial cup which Christ left in the hands of His [prospective] Bride, the Church; and, in
view of the transformation which has taken place, what startling significance is there for
Romanizers in the Apostle's saying: 'Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of
demons. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of demons'! (1 Cor. 10:21)-
-startling, if it indeed be true, that the Bride of Christ, who in the beginning is described as
having 'turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and wait for His Son
from heaven,' is become such that she is now turning men from God to serve idols,
seducing them to make an image of the sacrament, before which they fall down in
worship."