REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE - Chapter 18 - Verse 20

Verse 20. Rejoice over her. Over her ruin. There is a strong contrast between this language and that which precedes. Kings, merchants, and seamen, who had been countenanced and sustained by her in the indulgence of corrupt passions, or who had been enriched by traffic with her, would have occasion to mourn. But not so they who had been persecuted by her. Not so the church of the redeemed. Not so heaven itself. The great oppressor of the church, and the corrupter of the world, was now destroyed; the grand hindrance to the spread of the gospel was now removed, and all the holy in heaven and on earth would have occasion to rejoice. This is not the language of vengeance, but it is the language of exultation and rejoicing in view of the fact that the cause of truth might now spread without hindrance through the earth.

Thou heaven. The inhabitants of heaven. Compare See Barnes "Isaiah 1:2".

The meaning here is, that the dwellers in heaven -- the holy angels and the redeemed -- had occasion to rejoice over the downfall of the great enemy of the church.

And ye holy apostles. Professor Stuart renders this, "Ye saints, and apostles, and prophets." In the common Greek text it is, as in our version, "holy apostles and prophets." In the text of Griesbach, Hahn, and Tittman, the word kai (and) is interposed between the world "holy" and "apostle." This is, doubtless, the true reading. The meaning then is, that the saints in heaven are called on to rejoice over the fall of the mystical Babylon.

Apostles. The twelve who were chosen by the Saviour to be his witnesses on earth. See Barnes on "1 Co 9:1".

The word is commonly limited to the twelve, but in a larger sense it is applied to other distinguished teachers and preachers of the gospel. See Barnes "Ac 14:14".

There is no impropriety, however, in supposing that the apostles are referred to here as such, since they would have occasion to rejoice that the great obstacle to the reign of the Redeemer was now taken away, and that that cause in which they had suffered and died was now to be triumphant.

And prophets. Prophets of the Old Testament, and distinguished teachers of the New. See Barnes on "Ro 12:6".

All these would have occasion to rejoice in the prospect of the final triumph of the true religion.

For God hath avenged you on her. Has taken vengeance on her for her treatment of you. That is, as she had persecuted the church as such, they all might be regarded as interested in it, and affected by it. All the redeemed, therefore, in earth and in heaven, are interested in whatever tends to retard or to promote the cause of truth. All have occasion to mourn when the enemies of the truth triumph; to rejoice when they fall.

{e} "Rejoice" Jeremiah 51:48 {f} "avenged" Re 19:2; De 32:48; Lu 18:7,8