Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo—

“But A and C read the present, "weep and mourn." merchandise--Greek, "cargo": wares carried in ships: ship-lading (compare Re 18:17). Rome was not a commercial city, and is not likely from her position to be so.”

cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls; of fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet; of all kinds of citron wood and every article of ivory, precious wood, bronze, iron…

“(See on Re 17:4). stones . . . pearls--Greek, "stone . . . pearl." fine linen--A, B, and C read Greek, "bussinou" for "bussou," that is, "fine linen manufacture" [ALFORD]. The manufacture for which Egypt (the type of the apostate Church, Re 11:8) was famed.”

of cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; of wine, olive oil, fine flour, and wheat; of cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots; of slaves and souls of men.

“English Version reading is supported by Coptic and ANDREAS, but not oldest manuscripts. ointments--Greek, "ointment." frankincense--Contrast the true "incense" which God loves (Ps 141:2; Mal 1:11). fine flour--the similago of the Latins [ALFORD]. beasts--of burden: cattle. slaves--Greek, "bodies." souls of men-- (Eze 27:13).”

And they will say: “The fruit of your soul’s desire has departed from you; all your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be seen again.”

“Direct address to Babylon. the fruits that thy soul lusted after--Greek, "thy autumn-ripe fruits of the lust (eager desire) of the soul." dainty--Greek, "fat": "sumptuous" in food. goodly--"splendid," "bright," in dress and equipage. departed--supported by none of our manuscripts.”

And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.

“Applied by Christ (Mt 23:35) to apostate Jerusalem, which proves that not merely the literal city Rome, and the Church of Rome (though the chief representative of the apostasy), but the WHOLE of the faithless Church of both the Old and New Testament is meant…”

After this I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!

“Compare Ps 149:4-9, which is plainly parallel, and indeed identical in many of the phrases, as well as the general idea. Israel, especially, will join in the Hallelujah, when "her warfare is accomplished" and her foe destroyed. Salvation, &c.--Greek, "The salvation . . .”

And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out: “Hallelujah!

“This verse is the hearty response to the stirring call, "Alleluia! Praise our God" (Re 19:4, 5). the Lord God omnipotent--Greek, "the Omnipotent." reigneth--literally, "reigned": hence reigneth once for all. His reign is a fact already established.”

She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints.

“The righteousness of the saint is not, as ALFORD erroneously states, inherent, but is imputed: if it were otherwise, Christ would be merely enabling the sinner to justify himself. Ro 5:18 is decisive on this.”

He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows.

“Identifying Him with the Son of man similarly described, Re 1:14. many crowns--Greek, "diadems": not merely (Greek, "stephanoi") garlands of victory, but royal crowns, as KING OF KINGS. Christ's diadem comprises all the diadems of the earth and of heavenly powers too.”

And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

“"His name written on His vesture and on His thigh," was written partly on the vesture, partly on the thigh itself, at the part where in an equestrian figure the robe drops from the thigh.”

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper…

“an--Greek, "one." in the sun--so as to be conspicuous in sight of the whole world. to all the fowls-- (Eze 39:17-20). and gather yourselves--A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and ANDREAS read, "be gathered," omitting "and."”

so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”

“The "kings" are "the ten" who "give their power unto the beast." free and bond--specified in Re 13:16, as "receiving the mark of the beast."”

But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

“The dragon is both lion and serpent. As the first law in God's moral government is that "judgment should begin at the house of God," and be executed on the harlot, the faithless Church, by the world power with which she had committed spiritual adultery…”

Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge.

“The guillotine in revolutionary France was a revival of the mode of capital punishment of pagan imperial Rome.”

The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection.

“The rights which Rome as a harlot usurped, shall be exercised in holiness by the Bride. They are "kings" because they are "priests" (Re 20:6; 5:10); their priesthood unto God and Christ (Re 7:15) is the ground of their kingship in relation to man.”

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and…

“Moreover, none can be saved in the present age and in the pale of the Christian Church who does not also reign with Christ hereafter, the necessary preliminary to which is suffering with Christ now.”

and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.

“A has but one Greek article to "Gog and Magog," whereby the two, namely, the prince and the people, are marked as having the closest connection. B reads the second article before Magog wrongly. HILLER [Onomasticon] explains both words as signifying "lofty," "elevated."”

And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

“Hence it is possible that an apostasy should take place at its close. In the judgment on this apostasy the world of nature is destroyed and renewed, as the world of history was before the millennial kingdom; it is only then that the new heaven…”

Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.

“Rather, the Son, to whom "the Father hath committed all judgment." God in Christ, that is, the Father represented by the Son, is He before whose judgment-seat we must all stand.”

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life.

“Therefore it is called, "the Lamb's book of life." Electing grace has singled them out from the general mass. according to their works--We are justified by faith, but judged according to (not by) our works.”

Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.

“Death and Hades, as personified representatives of the enemies of Christ' and His Church, are said to be cast into the lake of fire to express the truth that Christ and His people shall never more die, or be in the state of disembodied spirits.”

And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

“The blissful lot of the righteous is not here specially mentioned as their bliss had commenced before the final judgment. Compare, however, Mt 25:34, 41, 46.”

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

“John in his Gospel always writes [Greek] Hierosoluma of the old city; in the Apocalypse always Hierousaleem of the heavenly city (Re 3:12). Hierousaleem is a Hebrew name, the original and holy appellation. Hierosoluma is the common Greek term, used in a political sense.”

And He told me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

“This is added lest any should despair of attaining to this exceeding weight of glory. In our present state we may drink of the stream, then we shall drink at the Fountain.”

The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.

“I will be his God--Greek, "I will be to him a God," that is, all that is implied of blessing in the name "God."”