(4) The inhabitants of the earth
were
intoxicated with the wine of adulteries;
and the inhabitants of the earth
have been made drunk with the wine of fornication.
REV 17:2... (4) The inhabitants of the earth were
intoxicated with the wine of adulteries;
"Wine of her fornication": The harlot's influence will extend
beyond the world's rulers to the rest of mankind (compare verse 15; 13:8,
13:14). The imagery does not describe actual wine and sexual sin, but pictures
the world's people being swept up into the intoxication and sin of a false
system of religion.
The same way a drunken person naturally has no earthly idea what he
is doing, this apostate group is so carried away with the world that they, too,
do not realize the terribleness of what they are doing.
"the inhabitants of the earth," who are represented as having been "made drunk with the wine of fornication."
Here were
allurements suited to sensual and worldly minds. Prosperity, pomp, and
splendour, feed the pride and
lusts of the human heart...
... and
seduced others to join abominations.
That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank ... wine; Therefore the nations are deranged” (Jer. Jer. 51:7). It was her who first
made them drunk, but
in their consistent rejection and
their drunken stupor they returned for more which allowed
her to continue serving up.
made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of fornication”
“They have been made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” The wine
refers to the demonic doctrines, ideologies and concepts produced by
this religious/political alliance.
In our day the worship of the queen of heaven is still present (a new
face for an old concept) namely, one-world order through social reform
and the mysticism of the New Age movement. This has to do with becoming like gods through New Age mysticism. So all racial
distinctions, religious distinctions, and social distinctions must be
removed. Everyone must learn to get along. Social reform and unification
will be promoted as the greatest need.
“Drunkenness” in any form is an escape mechanism and the result of negative volition, indifference, apathy, and rejection. Because of the great negative volition that will exist at the time
of the Tribulation, the world will be ripe for the wine of the harlot’s
system. Lutzer and DeVries give us an excellent overview of the nature
of this
intoxicating wine.
“Having a golden cup” refers to an
enticing manner of alluring men and nations
. She
invites men
to drink of her deadly and stupefying wine by offering it in a golden cup, while arrayed in all her splendor.
those that dwell on the earth have lost their senses through pernicious and inebriating influence.
and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine
of her fornication;
that is, the earthly minded men, mere carnal persons, have been drawn into idolatrous practices by the
allurements of the Catholic Church, such as [···]
pleasures, [···]
whereby they have been intoxicated as men with wine, and have been
filled with a blind zeal for that church, and the false doctrines and
worship of it,
and with madness and fury against the true professors of
religion.
Were made drunken (
emethusthhsan). First aorist passive indicative of
methusko, old verb (from
methu), as in
Luke 12:45 , here only in the Apocalypse. Cf.
Isaiah 51:7 and
pepotiken in
Revelation 14:8 . See
Revelation 18:3 .
Were drunken with the wine of fornication. The nations have received spirit and partaken of sins.
Have
been made drunk with the wine of fornication - No wine can more
thoroughly intoxicate those who drink it, than false zeal does the
followers.
On Rev 18:22 on the death of profane entertainment: to be posted aside
22. pipers--flute players.
"Musicians," painters and sculptors,
have desecrated their art to lend fascination to the sensuous worship of
corrupt Christendom.
(1) No more music and entertainers (vs. 22a).
The commercial and
business world often seeks escape in the jive and jazz, the rock and
roll of its music world
in the various places of night
entertainment.
Consider the hotels, motels, bars, lounges, and other establishments where music is provided for the commercial world and its participants.
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all;
There shall be no more mirth or joy; but heavy and lamentable things,
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers and
trumpeters
Which were for
mirth, delight, and pleasure:
shall be heard no more at all in thee:
the words seem to be taken from (
Isaiah 24:8 ) (
Ezekiel 26:13
) and may not only regard the loss of every thing that was
delightful
and pleasant to the ear in private houses, at festivals, and nuptials,
and the like, but the ceasing of church music; there will be no more
bells, nor organs, or any other instruments of music; no more chanters,
and sub-chanters, choristers, singing men and boys:
And the voice of harpers. It is this third angel who declares the silence and desolation now.
And
the voice of harpers - Players on stringed instruments. And musicians -
Skilful singers in particular.And pipers - Who played on flutes,
chiefly on mournful, whereas trumpeters played on joyful, occasions.
Shall be heard no more; and no artificer - Arts of every kind,
particularly music, sculpture, painting, and statuary, were there
carried to their greatest height. (Not only) the arts that adorn life will cease forever.
The voice of harpers - Music was the entertainment of the rich and great;
The voice (pone). Cf. Ezekiel 26:13 . Or "sound" as in 1 Corinthians 14:8 with salpigx (trumpet). For this song of judgment see Jeremiah 25:10 . Of harpers (kitharoidon). Old word (from kithara, harp, and oido, singer) as in Revelation 14:2 . Of minstrels (mousikon). Old word (from mousa, music), here only in N.T., one playing on musical instruments. Of flute-players (auleton). Old word (from auleo, to play on a flute, Matthew 11:17 , aulo, flute, 1 Corinthians 14:7 ), in N.T. only here and Matthew 9:23 . Of trumpeters (salpiston). Late form for the earlier salpigkth (from salpizw), here only in N.T. Shall be heard no more at all (ou me akousthe).
Isaiah 24:8 The mirth of tabrets ceaseth
Or of drums, and such like musical instruments, used at junketings and jovial feasts. So the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more therein, ( Revelation 18:22 ) : the noise of them that rejoice endeth;
the tumultuous noise of revelling persons at feasts and banquets, at marriages, and such like seasons; and so it is said, that the voice of the bridegroom and the bride shall be heard no more at all
therein, or the joy expressed on such occasions by their friends and
companions, ( Revelation 18:23 ) :
the joy of the harp ceaseth;
an instrument of music used on joyful occasions; the voice of harpers is particularly mentioned in ( Revelation 18:22 ) .
.(2.) Music: The mirth of tabrets ceases, and the joy of the harp, which used to be at their feasts, ch. 5:12 . All joy is darkened; there is not a pleasant look to be seen, nor has any one power to force a smile; all the mirth of the land is gone (v. 11); and, if it was that mirth which Solomon calls madness, there is no great loss of it.
Isaiah 24:8
8
The joyful timbrels are stilled,
the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.
| 24:8 | Tabrets - Which they used in their feasts. The noise - The word properly signifies a confused clamour, such as drunken men make. |
Verb used by John in REV 17 for the inhabitants of the earth:
εμεθυσθησαν (emethystesan) verb - aorist passive indicative - third person
methuo meth-oo'-o: to drink to intoxication, i.e. get drunk -- drink well, make (be) drunk(-en).
The word used in REV is
emethysthēsan
| ἐμεθύσθησαν | have been made drunk
Thrice he gave it to him, and thrice he drank, not knowing what it was, and how it would work within his brain.
And as he spoke he fell back in a drunken sleep. | | | | | | |