Revelation 14:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

There followed another angel, saying, Babylon, &c.— By Babylon was meant Rome, as all authors of all ages agree; but it was not prudent to denounce the destruction of Rome in open and direct terms; it was for many wise reasons done covertlyunder the name of Babylon, which was the great idolatress of the earth, and enemy of the people of God in former, as Rome has been in later times. By the same figure of speech that the first angel cried, The hour of his judgment is come, Revelation 14:7 this second angel proclaims, that Babylon is fallen: the sentence is as certain as if it was already executed. For greater certainty too it is repeated twice, as Joseph says that the dream was doubled, Genesis 41:32. The reason is then added, of this sentence against Babylon, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath, or rather, the inflaming wine of her fornication. Hers was a kind of Circean cup with poisoned liquor, to intoxicate and inflame mankind to spiritual fornication. St. John, in these figures, follows the ancient prophets. In the same manner, and in the same words, did Isaiah foretel the fate of the ancient Babylon; (Isaiah 21:9.) and Jeremiah has assigned much the same reason for her destruction; Jeremiah 51:7. As by the first angel calling upon men to worship God, we understand the opposers of the worship of images in the eighth and ninth centuries; so by this second angel proclaiming the fall of mystic Babylon, or Rome, we understand particularly Peter Valdo, or those who concurred with him,—the Waldenses and Albigenses; who were the first heralds of this proclamation, as they first of all in the twelfth century pronounced the church of Rome to be the apostolic Babylon, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, and, for this cause, not only departed from her communion themselves, but engaged great numbers also to follow their example, and laid the first foundation of the Reformation. Rome then began to fall; and as the ruin of Babylon was completed by degrees, so likewise will that of Rome; and those holy confessors and martyrs first paved the way to it.