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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.
