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).
列王纪上 14
2
耶羅波安對他的妻說:你可以起來改裝,使人不知道你是耶羅波安的妻,往示羅去,在那裡有先知亞希雅。他曾告訴我說,你必作這民的王。
3
現在你要帶十個餅,與幾個薄餅,和一瓶蜜去見他,他必告訴你兒子將要怎樣。
4
耶羅波安的妻就這樣行,起身往示羅去,到了亞希雅的家。亞希雅因年紀老邁,眼目發直,不能看見。
5
耶和華先曉諭亞希雅說:耶羅波安的妻要來問你,因他兒子病了,你當此此如此告訴他。他進來的時候必裝作別的婦人。
6
他剛進門,亞希雅聽見他腳步的響聲,就說:耶羅波安的妻,進來罷!你為何裝作別的婦人呢?我奉差遣將凶事告訴你。
7
你回去告訴耶羅波安說:耶和華─以色列的神如此說:我從民中將你高舉,立你作我民以色列的君,
8
將國從大衛家奪回賜給你;你卻不效法我僕人大衛,遵守我的誡命,一心順從我,行我眼中看為正的事。
9
你竟行惡,比那在你以先的更甚,為自己立了別神,鑄了偶像,惹我發怒,將我丟在背後。
10
因此,我必使災禍臨到耶羅波安的家,將屬耶羅波安的男丁,無論困住的、自由的都從以色列中剪除,必除盡耶羅波安的家,如人除盡糞土一般。
11
凡屬耶羅波安的人,死在城中的必被狗吃,死在田野的必被空中的鳥吃。這是耶和華說的。
13
以色列眾人必為他哀哭,將他葬埋。凡屬耶羅波安的人,惟有他得入墳墓;因為在耶羅波安的家中,只有他向耶和華─以色列的神顯出善行。
14
耶和華必另立一王治理以色列。到了日期,他必剪除耶羅波安的家;那日期已經到了。
15
耶和華必擊打以色列人,使他們搖動,像水中的蘆葦一般;又將他們從耶和華賜給他們列祖的美地上拔出來,分散在大河那邊;因為他們做木偶,惹耶和華發怒。
16
因耶羅波安所犯的罪,又使以色列人陷在罪裡,耶和華必將以色列人交給仇敵。
17
耶羅波安的妻起身回去,到了得撒,剛到門檻,兒子就死了。
18
以色列眾人將他葬埋,為他哀哭,正如耶和華藉他僕人先知亞希雅所說的話。
19
耶羅波安其餘的事,他怎樣爭戰,怎樣作王,都寫在以色列諸王記上。
20
耶羅波安作王二十二年,就與他列祖同睡。他兒子拿答接續他作王。
21
所羅門的兒子羅波安作猶大王。他登基的時候年四十一歲,在耶路撒冷,就是耶和華從以色列眾支派中所選擇立他名的城,作王十七年。羅波安的母親名叫拿瑪,是亞捫人。
22
猶大人行耶和華眼中看為惡的事,犯罪觸動他的憤恨,比他們列祖更甚。
24
國中也有孌童。猶大人效法耶和華在以色列人面前所趕出的外邦人,行一切可憎惡的事。
26
奪了耶和華殿和王宮裡的寶物,盡都帶走,又奪去所羅門製造的金盾牌。
27
羅波安王製造銅盾牌代替那金盾牌,交給守王宮門的護衛長看守。
28
王每逢進耶和華的殿,護衛兵就拿這盾牌,隨後仍將盾牌送回,放在護衛房。
30
羅波安與耶羅波安時常爭戰。