Jul 26, 2020

Adult Ed, July 23rd -- Catholic Commentary on the Apocalypse, Session 8, The Seven Plagues and The Whore of Babylon, Chapters 15-18

Outline of Session 8:  Commentary on Revelation chapters 15-18. The return to the sets of seven. Who is the whore of Babylon and what does she symbolize for the early Church, for today, and for the end of time? What is the city of Babylon on the Seven Hills? How do Catholics respond to Protestant accusations based on these chapters of Revelation.







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Catholic Commentary on the Apocalypse
Studying the most perplexing book of the Bible with the great Catholic Scholars
Session 8 – The Seven Vials and Plagues, the Whore of Babylon and the Fall of Babylon, Revelation 15-18

Outline of Session 8:  Commentary on Revelation chapters 15-18. The return to the sets of seven. Who is the whore of Babylon and what does she symbolize for the early Church, for today, and for the end of time? What is the city of Babylon on the Seven Hills? How do Catholics respond to Protestant accusations based on these chapters of Revelation.


I. Review of last week: The Sea and Land Beast, 666
The Sea Beast seems to represent earthly kingdoms and secular powers. The Land Beast is a sort of false-prophet of the Sea Beast, and may represent false religions. 666, the Mark of the Beast – perhaps refers to Emperor Nero.

II. The Seven Angels, Seven Vials, and Seven Plagues
15:1 “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them is filled up the wrath of God.” – Remember that these are good angels who pour out these plagues upon the wicked of the earth as Divine Punishment. Furthermore, noting that the saints rejoice, these plagues are part of the vindication of the faithful.

15:2 “And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire” – This evokes the image of the Israelites having crossed the Red Sea victorious.

15:7 “And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God” – We see again the living creatures whom we had meet earlier with first four of the seven seals (the four horsemen). Also, this scene evokes the image of prophecy (and the living creatures are prophetic – symbolizing not only the Evangelists, but also the four great prophets of the Old Testament) – because the final victory over evil has not yet occurred, but is here foretold and will come to pass in the end times.

16:1 “Go, and pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God upon the earth” – There are various interpretations of how and when these plagues have been or will be fulfilled. In one way, we see them all fulfilled in the fall of ancient Rome.  (Especially since the city of vs 19 seems to be Rome). In another way, these are being fulfilled until the end of time when there will be a particularly intense period of suffering.

Additionally, these seven plagues again evoke the Exodus and the ten plagues over Egypt. Water turned to blood, unclean spirits like frogs, darkness of the kingdom of the beast, ulcers and wounds (vs 2) similar to boils, etc.

16:16 “And he shall gather them together into a place, which in Hebrew is called Armagedon” – which means “hill of robbers”. In Hebrew, would be “har mageddon”, this could be a reference to the hill Mageddon/Megiddo in the tribe of Manasses, where two kings of Israel (Ahaziah and Josiah) died.

16:19 “And great Babylon” – Babylon can also stand for all the wicked of the Earth.


III. The Whore of Babylon and the City of Babylon
17:1 “Come, I will shew thee the condemnation of the great harlot, who sitteth upon many waters.”  17:3 “And I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet coloured beast”

17:5 “And on her forehead a name was written: A mystery; Babylon the great, the mother of the fornications and the abominations of the earth.” – This is called a mystery because it is to be understood in a mystical sense, not being applied to any one woman or entity, but to the eternal city of the devin in general.  Though, perhaps, Babylon could represent pagan Rome which persecuted the Church for three hundred years.

17:6 “And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints” – This could refer to the persecution with which Rome persecuted the early Christians.

17:9 “And here is the understanding that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, upon which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings” – It is true that ancient Rome was upon seven hills. But so was Athens, and so was Jerusalem.  (reference: Fr Mitch Pacwa)

17:16 “And the ten horns which thou sawest in the beast: these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.” – These could refer to the various Germanic tribes which God used to fulfill his justice upon pagan Rome. They attacked and overcame Rome (the harlot) and the great City fell – but was then converted to Christianity.

Chapter 18 can be interpreted of the Fall of Rome and of the Roman Empire.