Revelation 17:6 - Exposition

And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; of the witnesses (cf. Revelation 11:7 ). Another point of contrast between this woman and the woman of Revelation 12:1-17 .; the former persecutes, the latter is persecuted. It may be asked—How can these words be applied to professing Christians, as they must be, if such be the interpretation of the "harlot"? The answer may be found in Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 2:33 , Jeremiah 2:34 and Jeremiah 3:1-11 we find the origin of this passage. Judah is a harlot ( Jeremiah 2:20 ; Jeremiah 3:1 , Jeremiah 3:8 ) with a sign upon her forehead ( Jeremiah 3:3 ), who causes transgression in others ( Jeremiah 2:33 ; and compare above, "Mother of harlots "), and in whose "skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents" ( Jeremiah 2:34 ). She is clothed in crimson ( Jeremiah 4:30 ) and golden ornaments (cf. Revelation 17:4 ); her lovers will despise her ( Jeremiah 4:30 ) and seek her life (cf. Revelation 17:16 ). Just as it was declared that in Judah was found the blood of the innocent poor, so here we are told that the faithless part of the Church is guilty of the blood of the saints. The reason is found in the inscription. The harlot is absolutely identified with Babylon. No distinction in guilt can be allowed between the openly hostile world and the faithless Christian. "He that is not with me," God declares, "is against me" ( Matthew 12:20 ). The description "drunken with," etc., is similar to that of Babylon in Revelation 18:2 ; and also in Jeremiah 51:7 . And when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration; with a great wonder (Revised Version). Probably because the seer can scarcely realize that some who are professing Christians must be held guilty of such enormities; that the harlot, representing a portion of the Church, faithless even though it be, should be classed with the world, as represented by Babylon and the beast. Perhaps the wonder is caused by the fact that such a thing should ever be permitted to be; this leading to the following explanation, which shows how the unfaithfulness is avenged.