The Mystery Of The Woman And Beast Explained Series

Commentary

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

“And the angel said unto me”; the same angel that spoke in Revelation 17:1;”One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.”

“Wherefore didst thou marvel?” This question indicates that the amazed expression on the face of John was mixed with a puzzled look over the whole phenomenon of the scarlet woman seated on a scarlet beast (Revelation 17:1-6); and the woman being drunk with the blood of the saints, and the beast which carried her abounded with sacred appellations (an identifying name or title), such as holy, most holy, most Christian, sacred, and most sacred.

John was also astounded by something else, and it was terrible; “that a portion of the church is one with the hostile world.” The angel seems to have wondered at John's puzzled look, because “there were enough signs to identify the harlot,” for there are similar descriptions of Judah, a type of the church, in Jeremiah 2 and Jeremiah 3 that should have made it clear to John. He should have been able to read in the vision the truth that just as the old Israel had apostatized and crucified the Christ, the church of Christ also, in the years following, would fall from her high calling and become an ally of Satan. “The hint of this slumbered in the vision.”

The angel undertakes to explain to John the vision which had excited in him such great astonishment; and the explanation is of such vital importance, that, had it not been given, the mystery of the dragon and the beast could never have been satisfactorily explained in all its particulars. The angel begins with saying:

“I will tell thee the mystery (the hidden meaning) of the woman”; that is, what is mysteriously or mystically planned by her; for until it was made known to John by the angel, it was a mystery to him; and when it was revealed, the interpretation is given in such an obscure manner that it is only understood by the mind that has spiritual wisdom; and it still remains a mystery to carnal men, just as the Gospel itself does. The hidden meaning of this woman, or the mystery of her, is told by the angel in Revelation 17:18.

This passage deviates from the usual procedure used in writing this book. When the symbols are described we are generally left to ?gure-out (with the help of history) what the interpretation is. This time the angel will inform us of what institutions and persons the symbols refer to; and he will supply enough information, so that a student of the Bible and history should have no difficulty in identifying the woman and the beast. John did not wonder at her with a sinful admiration, and hold her in high regard, and he did not honor and worship her, as did the inhabitants of the world, who were in awe of the beast; [“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.” (Revelation 13:3)] but instead, his admiration was that of amazement, or stupefaction of mind, joined with indignation at her; and this is said by the angel in order to move on to what he had to declare unto him.