Revelation Chapter 17
VERSE 6 AND 7 continued “I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.”
VERSE 7 -- AND THE ANGEL SAID TO ME: This is a curious interjection from the angel, but reflection indicates that the following part of the verse is VERY MUCH Brother Russell’s treatment of the subject --
WHY HAVE YOU WONDERED?
This would be a strange statement under the circumstances. All that we have learned about Babylon’s past (the 1260 years) could do nothing other than create amazement. But THAT is not what this question is asking. It is a rhetorical question. It is a question which CONNECTS to the next thought. The IDEA is: If you have been amazed at learning about the PAST, just wait until I tell you about the future! Thus:
Why do you wonder at that? Just look at THIS:
I SHALL TELL YOU THE MYSTERY OF THE WOMAN: -- the COMPLETE mystery -- not just her past, but, MORE AMAZINGLY, her future!
The “mystery” (begun in Verse 5) has only BEGUN as Brother Russell begins to teach us about Babylon. Its CONTINUATION and ENDING are the genuinely fascinating parts for the harvest saints; and Brother Russell was not negligent to tell us “things which must shortly come to pass” -- things which would happen after he would leave the scene physically.
AND OF THE BEAST THAT CARRIES HER: This CONTINUING mystery involves not only the apostate church, but also the world that “carries” her -- gives her the support and encouragement she needs to survive.
“It should be noted that the beast carried the woman, NOT the woman the beast. The beast is the power that carried the woman to such heights.”
WHICH HAS THE SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS:
It was important here to re-establish the identity of this beast – to connect it to the thoughts of Chapter 13 and to name the two parts (heads and horns) which are needed in understanding Babylon’s downfall. Remember that this chapter, for purposes of describing the demise of Babylon, HAD TO separate church and state. They are NOT separate in actuality; they are only pictured here as separate entities in order to show how they cooperate as one until one part turns on the other. (N.A.N.O.R. Pages 133, 134)
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints AND with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…”
“The word “blood” above in both instances signifies death through unnatural circumstances chargeable to the orgiastic, bloodthirsty woman. At face value Verse 6 seems to say that this symbolic woman is guilty of (a) the “blood of the saints” (all the consecrated— the Little Flock and the Great Company—as in Rev 11:18; 16:6), and (b) the “blood of the martyrs” (those not spirit-begotten but who nevertheless consider themselves Christians, even suffering martyrdom, though not realizing what it means to be a true follower of Christ).
Matthew 10:37, 38 explains, “He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that takes not his cross, and follows after me, is not worthy of me.”
Many who have died rather than deny Christ and Christianity were never really Christians in the higher sense of the word (that is to say they were believers, tentatively justified having taken the “first step”, a consecration to righteousness, to right living, but who never proceeded from this point taking the next or “second step” of a full consecration, a consecration of sacrifice); nevertheless, they were noble in standing up for what they thought was right and in dying FOR Christ but not necessarily WITH Christ.
The key to understanding Verse 6 lies in the observation that the term “martyrs of Jesus” refers solely to those who are to live and reign with Christ the thousand years—the Very Elect, the Little Flock (Rev 20:4). Therefore, with this in mind, the expression “the saints,” proceeding the term “the martyrs,” does not include the Great Company class.
Why not?
Because it would be redundant to say that the woman was responsible for (a) the death of the Very Elect as well as the lesser over-comers and (b) the death of, again, the Very Elect.
In view of the foregoing, the second “and” in Verse 6 should be translated “even,” for it is permissible, where occasion warrants, to translate the Greek kai as “even” (although the word “and” is utilized with greater frequency). Thus, the repetition in the rendition “And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, EVEN with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” clarifies which saints are particularly spoken of and also shows their saintly innocence of the charges leveled against them.” (“The Keys of Revelation”, Page 442)
We move on to Verse 8 in our next post.
