And the angel said unto me, &c.— It was not thought sufficient to represent these things only in vision, and therefore theangel undertakes to explain the mystery, the mystic sense or secret meaning of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her: and the angel's interpretation is indeed the best key to the Revelations; the best clue to direct and conduct us through this intricate labyrinth. The mystery of the beast is first explained. The beast is considered first in general, Revelation 17:8. under a threefold state or succession, as existing, and then ceasing to be, and then reviving again, so as to become another and the same:—he was, and is not, and yet is, or, according to the Alexandrine and other copies, and shall come;—shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. A beast, in the prophetic style, is an idolatrous, tyrannical empire: and the Roman empire was idolatrous under the heathen emperors; and then ceased to be so, for some time, under the Christian emperors; and then became idolatrous again under the Roman pontiffs, and so has continued ever since. It is the sameidolatrous power revived again, but only in another form; and all the corrupt part of mankind, whose names were not enrolled as good citizens in the registers of heaven, are pleased at the revival of it: but in this last form, it shall go into perdition; it shall not, as it did before, cease for a time, and revive again, but shall be destroyed for ever.
After the general account of the beast, follows an explanation of the particular emblems, with a short preface, intimating that they are deserving of the deepest attention, and are a proper exercise and trial of the understanding, Revelation 17:9. See Revelation 13:18. The seven heads have a double signification:—they are, primarily, seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth,—on which the capital city is seated, which all know to be the situation of Rome. It is observed too, that new Rome, or Constantinople, is situated on seven mountains, but these are very rarely mentioned, and mentioned only by obscure authors, in comparison of the others; and besides the seven mountains, other particulars also must coincide, which cannot be found in Constantinople. It is evident therefore, that the city seated on the seven mountains must be Rome; and a plainer description could not be given of it, without expressing the name, which there might be several wise reasons for concealing. As the seven heads signify seven mountains, so they also signify seven kings reigning over them: Revelation 17:10-11. And they are seven kings, or kingdoms, or forms of government, as the word βασιλεις imports. Five are fallen; five of these forms of government are already past; and one is;—the sixth is now subsisting. The five fallen, are kings, and consuls, and dictators, and decemvirs, and military tribunes with consular authority; as they are enumerated by the two greatest Roman historians, Livy and Tacitus:—the sixth is the power of the Caesars or emperors, which was subsisting at the time of the vision. An end was put to the imperial name in the year 476, by Odoacer king of the Heruli: he and his successors assumed the title of kings of Italy; but though the name was changed, the power still continued much the same. This therefore cannot well be called a new form of government; it may rather be considered as a continuation of the imperial power, or as a renovation of the kingly authority. Consuls are reckoned but one form of government, though their office was frequently suspended, and after a time restored; and in the same manner kings may be counted but one form of government, though the name was resumed after an interval of so many years. A new form of government was not erected, till Rome fell under the obedience of the Eastern emperor; and the emperor's lieutenant, the exarch of Ravenna, dissolved all the former magistracies, and constituted a duke of Rome, to govern the people, and to pay a tribute to the exarchate of Ravenna. Rome had never experienced this form of government; and this was, perhaps, the other, which, in the apostle's days, was not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. For Rome was reduced to a dukedom, tributary to the exarch of Ravenna, by Longinus, who was sent exarch in the year 566, or 568; and the city revolted from the Eastern emperor to the Pope in the year 727, which is a short space, in comparison of the imperial power which preceded, and lasted above five hundred years; and in comparison of the papal power which followed, and has now continued above a thousand years. But still it may be doubted, whether this is properlya new form of government, Rome being still subject to the imperial power, by being subject to the Greek emperor's deputy, the exarch of Ravenna; and according as you determine this point, the beast that was, and is not, (was, while idolatrous, and was not, while not idolatrous,) will appear to be the seventh or eighth. If you reckon this a new form of government, the beast that now is, is the eighth; if you do not reckon this a new form of government, the beast is of the seventh; but whether he be the seventh or eighth, he is the last form of government,—and goeth into perdition. It appears evidently, that the sixth form of government, which was subsisting in St. John's time, was the imperial; and what form of government has succeeded to that in Rome, and has continued for a long space of time, but the papal? The beast, therefore, upon which the woman rideth, is the Roman government in its last form: and this, all must acknowledge, is the papal, and not the imperial. Having thus explained the mystery of the seven heads, the angel proceeds to the explanation of the ten horns, which, says he, (Revelation 17:12.) are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet; and consequently they were not in being at the time of the vision: and indeed theRoman empire was not divided into ten kingdoms, till some time after it was become Christian. But they receive power as kings one hour, or rather, at the same time, or for the same length of time with the beast. It is true in both senses, they rise and fall together with the beast; and, consequently, are not to be reckoned before the rise and establishment of the beast; and accordingly, when a catalogue was produced of these ten kings or kingdoms in the notes upon Daniel, they were exhibited as they stood in the eighth century, which is the time of the rise and establishment of the beast. Kingdoms they were before, but they were not before kingdoms or horns of the beast, till they embraced his religion, and submitted to his authority: and the beast strengthened them, as they again strengthened the beast. It is upon the seventh, or last head of the beast, that the horns were seen growing together, that is, upon the Roman empire in its seventh or last form of government; and they are not, like the heads, successive, but contemporary kingdoms:—These, have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast; Revelation 17:13. which is easily understood and applied to the princes and states in communion with the church of Rome. However they may differ in other respects,yet they agree in submitting implicitly to the authority of the Roman church, and in defending its rights and prerogatives against all opposers. But where were ever ten kings or kingdoms, who were all unanimous in their submission to the Roman empire, and voluntarily contributed their power and strength, their forces and riches, to support and maintain it? These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, Revelation 17:14. They shall persecute the true church of Christ; but the true church shall in the end prevail and triumph over them; which particulars have been fulfilled in part already, and will be more fully accomplished hereafter.