Apocalypse Revealed # 759
759. "And the merchants of the earth have become rich owing to the potencies of her delights." This symbolizes the greater and lower in rank in the Roman Catholic hierarchy who by their dominion over sacred things strive for Divine majesty and superregal glory, who continually seek to establish it by multiplying the number of monasteries and possessions under their control, and by collecting and accumulating the world's treasures without end, and who thus procure for themselves physical and natural delights and gratifications by claiming for themselves a celestial and spiritual dominion.
The merchants of Babylon can only mean the greater and lower in rank in their church hierarchy, because in verse 23 of this chapter we are told that they are the great men of the earth. And the potencies of her delights with which they have become rich can only mean the dogmas that are the means by which they acquire for themselves dominion over people's souls, and so also over their possessions and wealth. People know that they collect these without end and swell their treasuries with them, and also that they make merchandise of the sanctities of the church, by selling salvation, for example, or heaven, in exchange for offerings and gifts made to monasteries and their saints and images, or in exchange for masses, indulgences and various dispensations.
[2] Who cannot see that if the papal dominion had not been broken at the time of the Protestant Reformation, Roman Catholics would have scraped together the possessions and wealth of all the kingdoms in the whole of Europe? And that then they would have made themselves the sole lords, and everyone else their servants? Do they not have the greatest part of their wealth from preceding centuries when they had power over emperors and kings, whom they could excommunicate and depose if they did not obey? And do they not still have annual incomes that are immense, and treasuries full of gold, silver, and precious stones?
The same barbarous lust for dominion is still lodged in the hearts of many of them, and is restrained only by a fear of its loss if it should extend beyond accepted limits.
Of what use, however, are such great incomes, treasures and possessions to them, other than to be delighted by them, to pride themselves on having them, and to establish their dominion to eternity?
It can be seen from this what is here symbolized by merchants of the earth who have become rich owing to the potencies of Babylon's delights.
They are called merchants also in Isaiah:
(The inhabitants of Babylon) are as stubble. Fire has burned them; they do not deliver their soul from the power of the flame... Such are... your merchants from your youth. (Isaiah 47:14-15)
[3] In the Word, to be a merchant or trader means, symbolically, to be engaged in procuring for oneself spiritual riches, which are concepts of truth and goodness, and in an opposite sense, concepts of falsity and evil, and to use the first to gain heaven, and the second to gain the world. For that reason the Lord likened the kingdom of heaven to a merchant seeking beautiful pearls (Matthew 13:45-46), and the people in the church to servants who were given talents with which to trade and gain more (Matthew 25:14-30), or who were given ten minas with which to likewise trade and gain more (Luke 19:12-26).
Moreover, because Tyre symbolizes the church in respect to its concepts of truth and goodness, therefore the whole of chapter twenty-seven in Ezekiel has trading and gain as its subject, and we are told concerning Tyre:
In your wisdom and your understanding you have gained... for yourself... gold and silver into your treasuries; and by the great wisdom in your trading you have increased your riches... (Ezekiel 28:4-5)
And elsewhere:
...Tyre... has been laid waste..., whose merchants are princes, and its traders the honorable of the earth. (Isaiah 23:1, 8)
Also, the corrupt church among Jews in the land of Canaan is called the land of trade (Ezekiel 16:3, 29; 21:30; 29:14).
耶利米书 9
1
但愿我的头为水,我的眼为泪的泉源,我好为我百姓(原文是民女;七节同)中被杀的人昼夜哭泣。
2
惟愿我在旷野有行路人住宿之处,使我可以离开我的民出去;因他们都是行奸淫的,是行诡诈的一党。
3
他们弯起舌头像弓一样,为要说谎话。他们在国中增长势力,不是为行诚实,乃是恶上加恶,并不认识我。这是耶和华说的。
4
你们各人当谨防邻舍,不可信靠弟兄;因为弟兄尽行欺骗,邻舍都往来谗谤人。
5
他们各人欺哄邻舍,不说真话;他们教舌头学习说谎,劳劳碌碌地作孽。
6
你的住处在诡诈的人中;他们因行诡诈,不肯认识我。这是耶和华说的。
7
所以万军之耶和华如此说:看哪,我要将他们融化熬炼;不然,我因我百姓的罪该怎样行呢?
8
他们的舌头是毒箭,说话诡诈;人与邻舍口说和平话,心却谋害他。
9
耶和华说:我岂不因这些事讨他们的罪呢?岂不报复这样的国民呢?
10
我要为山岭哭泣悲哀,为旷野的草场扬声哀号;因为都已乾焦,甚至无人经过。人也听不见牲畜鸣叫,空中的飞鸟和地上的野兽都已逃去。
11
我必使耶路撒冷变为乱堆,为野狗的住处,也必使犹大的城邑变为荒场,无人居住。
12
谁是智慧人,可以明白这事?耶和华的口向谁说过,使他可以传说?遍地为何灭亡,乾焦好像旷野,甚至无人经过呢?
13
耶和华说:因为这百姓离弃我,在他们面前所设立的律法没有遵行,也没有听从我的话;
14
只随从自己顽梗的心行事,照他们列祖所教训的随从众巴力。
16
我要把他们散在列邦中,就是他们和他们列祖素不认识的列邦。我也要使刀剑追杀他们,直到将他们灭尽。
17
万军之耶和华如此说:你们应当思想,将善唱哀歌的妇女召来,又打发人召善哭的妇女来,
18
叫他们速速为我们举哀,使我们眼泪汪汪,使我们的眼皮涌出水来。
19
因为听见哀声出於锡安,说:我们怎样败落了!我们大大地惭愧!我们撇下地土;人也拆毁了我们的房屋。
20
妇女们哪,你们当听耶和华的话,领受他口中的言语;又当教导你们的儿女举哀,各人教导邻舍唱哀歌。
21
因为死亡上来,进了我们的窗户,入了我们的宫殿;要从外边剪除孩童,从街上剪除少年人。
22
你当说,耶和华如此说:人的尸首必倒在田野像粪土,又像收割的人遗落的一把禾稼,无人收取。
23
耶和华如此说:智慧人不要因他的智慧夸口,勇士不要因他的勇力夸口,财主不要因他的财物夸口。
24
夸口的却因他有聪明,认识我是耶和华,又知道我喜悦在世上施行慈爱、公平,和公义,以此夸口。这是耶和华说的。
25
耶和华说:看哪,日子将到,我要刑罚一切受过割礼、心却未受割礼的,
26
就是埃及、犹大、以东、亚扪人、摩押人,和一切住在旷野剃周围头发的;因为列国人都没有受割礼,以色列人心中也没有受割礼。