The great variety of the articles of merchandise here enumerated, is calculated to impress the reader with the idea of the wealth, luxury, splendor, and self-indulgence of the metropolis of the idolatrous Roman empire, the “mother and mistress of all churches.”—­The prophetic declaration, however,—­“with feigned words shall they make merchandise of you,” (2 Pet. ii. 3,) is not confined to the Romish communion.  This traffic, in souls, pervades all the streets of symbolic Babylon.—­The overthrow is sudden and unexpected,—­“in one hour.”  This is thrice repeated, (vs. 10, 17, 19.) In v. 18 this “spiritual Sodom” is compared to her prototype in her fearful end.  “They saw the smoke of her burning.” (Gen. xix. 28.)

20.  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

V. 20.—­Judgments on the impenitent enemies of God and of the saints, are mercies to the church. (Ps. cxxxvi. 15-20;) and consequently, while the former are lamenting for the fall of the great city, the latter are exhorted to rejoice in her ruin,—­all the members of the church in general, and “holy apostles and prophets” in particular.  The apostles are daily worshipped at Rome in their supposed likenesses, the work of the “cunning artificer; but here they are mentioned as rejoicing in the destruction of the idolatrous sinners who so greatly dishonoured them, and detracted from the glory of God.—­As “there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,” so is there over the destruction of the impenitent. (Jer. li. 48.) “So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord.”  (Judges v. 31.)

21.  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

22.  And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

23.  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee:  for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

Vs. 21-23.—­The emblem of “a great millstone cast into the sea,” is a very striking indication of the sudden and irretrievable ruin of mystic Babylon, and contains an allusion to Jer. li. 63, 64.—­The removal of “musicians, craftsmen, candles, etc.,” from this devoted city, as they plainly point to the statuary, music and paintings which have attracted multitudes to the idolatry, superstition and harlotry of antichristian Rome, emphatically proclaims the utter and perpetual desolation of papal Rome.  The language is borrowed from Isa. xxiv. 8; Jer. xxv. 10; Ezek. xxvi. 13.—­Her merchants being the “great men of the earth,” and the “sorceries” by “which the nations were deceived, very plainly indicate the successful traffic of the “mother of harlots,”—­the church of Rome.