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).
以西結書 23
3
他們在埃及行邪淫,在幼年時行邪淫。他們在那裡作處女的時候,有人擁抱他們的懷,撫摸他們的乳。
4
他們的名字,姊姊名叫阿荷拉,妹妹名叫阿荷利巴。他們都歸於我,生了兒女。論到他們的名字,阿荷拉就是撒瑪利亞,阿荷利巴就是耶路撒冷。
5
阿荷拉歸我之後行邪淫,貪戀所愛的人,就是他的鄰邦亞述人。
6
這些人都穿藍衣,作省長、副省長,都騎著馬,是可愛的少年人。
7
阿荷拉就與亞述人中最美的男子放縱淫行,他因所戀愛之人的一切偶像,玷污自己。
8
自從在埃及的時候,他就沒有離開淫亂,因為他年幼作處女的時候,埃及人與他行淫,撫摸他的乳,縱慾與他行淫。
9
因此,我將他交在他所愛的人手中,就是他所戀愛的亞述人手中。
10
他們就露了他的下體,擄掠他的兒女,用刀殺了他,使他在婦女中留下臭名,因他們向他施行審判。
11
他妹妹阿荷利巴雖然看見了,卻還貪戀,比他姊姊更醜;行淫亂比他姊姊更多。
12
他貪戀鄰邦的亞述人,就是穿極華美的衣服,騎著馬的省長、副省長,都是可愛的少年人。
14
阿荷利巴又加增淫行,因他看見人像畫在牆上,就是用丹色所畫迦勒底人的像,
15
腰間繫著帶子,頭上有下垂的裹頭巾,都是軍長的形狀,仿照巴比倫人的形像;他們的故土就是迦勒底。
17
巴比倫人就來登他愛情的床,與他行淫玷污他。他被玷污,隨後心裡與他們生疏。
18
這樣,他顯露淫行,又顯露下體;我心就與他生疏,像先前與他姊姊生疏一樣。
21
這樣,你就想起你幼年的淫行。那時,埃及人擁抱你的懷,撫摸你的乳。
22
阿荷利巴啊,主耶和華如此說:我必激動你先愛而後生疏的人來攻擊你。我必使他們來,在你四圍攻擊你。
23
所來的就是巴比倫人、迦勒底的眾人、比割人、書亞人、哥亞人,同著他們的還有亞述眾人,乃是作省長、副省長、作軍長有名聲的,都騎著馬,是可愛的少年人。
24
他們必帶兵器、戰車、輜重車,率領大眾來攻擊你。他們要拿大小盾牌,頂盔擺陣,在你四圍攻擊你。我要將審判的事交給他們,他們必按著自己的條例審判你。
25
我必以忌恨攻擊你;他們必以忿怒辦你。他們必割去你的鼻子和耳朵;你遺留(或譯:餘剩;下同)的人必倒在刀下。他們必擄去你的兒女;你所遺留的必被火焚燒。
27
這樣,我必使你的淫行和你從埃及地染來的淫亂止息了,使你不再仰望亞述,也不再追念埃及。
28
主耶和華如此說:我必將你交在你所恨惡的人手中,就是你心與他生疏的人手中。
29
他們必以恨惡辦你,奪取你一切勞碌得來的,留下你赤身露體。你淫亂的下體,連你的淫行,帶你的淫亂,都被顯露。
30
人必向你行這些事;因為你隨從外邦人行邪淫,被他們的偶像玷污了。
32
主耶和華如此說:你必喝你姊姊所喝的杯;那杯又深又廣,盛得甚多,使你被人嗤笑譏刺。
33
你必酩酊大醉,滿有愁苦,喝乾你姊姊撒瑪利亞的杯,就是令人驚駭淒涼的杯。
34
你必喝這杯,以致喝盡。杯破又齦杯片,撕裂自己的乳;因為這事我曾說過。這是主耶和華說的。
35
主耶和華如此說:因你忘記我,將我丟在背後,所以你要擔當你淫行和淫亂的報應。
36
耶和華又對我說:人子啊,你要審問阿荷拉與阿荷利巴麼﹖當指出他們所行可憎的事。
37
他們行淫,手中有殺人的血,又與偶像行淫,並使他們為我所生的兒女經火燒給偶像。
38
此外,他們還有向我所行的,就是同日玷污我的聖所,干犯我的安息日。
39
他們殺了兒女獻與偶像,當天又入我的聖所,將聖所褻瀆了。他們在我殿中所行的乃是如此。
40
況且你們二婦打發使者去請遠方人。使者到他們那裡,他們就來了。你們為他們沐浴己身,粉飾眼目,佩戴妝飾,
41
坐在華美的床上,前面擺設桌案,將我的香料膏油擺在其上。
42
在那裡有群眾安逸歡樂的聲音,並有粗俗的人和酒徒從曠野同來,把鐲子戴在二婦的手上,把華冠戴在他們的頭上。
43
我論這行淫衰老的婦人說:現在人還要與他行淫,他也要與人行淫。
45
必有義人,照審判淫婦和流人血的婦人之例,審判他們;因為他們是淫婦,手中有殺人的血。
46
主耶和華如此說:我必使多人來攻擊他們,使他們拋來拋去,被人搶奪。
47
這些人必用石頭打死他們,用刀劍殺害他們,又殺戮他們的兒女,用火焚燒他們的房屋。
48
這樣,我必使淫行從境內止息,好叫一切婦人都受警戒,不效法你們的淫行。