'The beast that thou didst see: it was, and it is not; and it is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go away to destruction, and wonder shall those dwelling upon the earth, whose names have not been written upon the scroll of the life from the foundation of the world, beholding the beast that was, and is not, although it is.Revelation 17:8 Additional Translations
Clarke's Commentary on the BibleThe beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition - The beast is the Latin kingdom; (Ἡ Λατινη βασιλεια); consequently the beast was, that is, was in existence previously to the time of St. John; (for Latinus was the first king of the Latins, and Numitor the last); is not now, because the Latin nation has ceased long ago to be an independent power, and is now under the dominion of the Romans; but shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, that is, the Latin kingdom, the antichristian power, or that which ascendeth out of the abyss or bottomless pit, is yet in futurity. But it is added: -
And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names there not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is - By the earth is here meant the Latin world; therefore the meaning is, that all who dwell in the Latin world shall adhere to the idolatrous and blasphemous religion of the Latin Church, which is supported by the Latin empire, except those who abide by the sacred Scriptures, receiving them as the only rule of faith and practice. These believe in the true Sacrifice, and keep themselves unspotted from the corruption that is in the world. But the inhabitants of the Latin world, under the dominion of the Romish religion, shall wonder when they behold the beast, or Latin empire; that is, as Lord Napier remarks, "shall have in great admiration, reverence, and estimation, this great monarchie." They shall wonder at it, by considering it the most sacred empire in the world, that in which God peculiarly delights; but those that so wonder have not their names written in the book of life, but are such as prefer councils to Divine revelation, and take their religion from missals, rituals, and legends, instead of the sacred oracles: hence they are corrupt and idolatrous, and no idolater hath inheritance in the kingdom of God. In the preceding part of the verse the beast is considered in three states, as that which was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit; here a fourth is introduced, and yet is. This is added to show that, though the Latins were subjugated by the Romans, nevertheless the Romans themselves were Latins; for Romulus the founder of their monarchy, was a Latin; consequently that denominated in St. John's days the Roman empire was, in reality, the Latin kingdom; for the very language of the empire was the Latin, and the Greek writers, who lived in the time of the Roman empire, expressly tell us that those formerly called Latins are now named Romans. The meaning of the whole verse is therefore as follows: The corrupt part of mankind shall have in great admiration the Latin empire yet in futurity, which has already been, but is now extinct, the Romans having conquered it; and yet is still in being; for, though the Latin nation has been subjugated, its conquerors are themselves Latins. But it may be objected against the interpretation here given, that these phrases are spoken of the beast upon which the apostle saw the woman, or Latin Church, sit; for the angel says, The beast that Thou Sawest was, and is not, etc.; what reference, therefore, can the Latin empire, which supports the Latin Church, have to the Latin kingdom which subsisted before St. John's time, or to the Roman empire which might properly be so denominated! This objection has very great weight at first sight, and cannot be answered satisfactorily till the angel's explanation of the heads and horns of the beast have been examined; therefore it is added: -
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
beast that thou. The Roman empire was the beast, or idolatrous persecuting power, when under the Pagan emperors; it ceased to be so when it became Christian; and became so again under the Roman pontiffs, and shall 'go into perdition.'
Revelation 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace...
Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them...
Revelation 13:1-11 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns...
go.
Revelation 17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes into perdition.
Revelation 14:8-20 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city...
Revelation 16:1-18:24 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways...
Revelation 19:15-21 And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron...
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are...
Daniel 7:11,26 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke: I beheld even till the beast was slain...
Daniel 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end...
2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first...
shall wonder.
Revelation 13:3,4 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast...
whose.
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him...
Revelation 20:12,15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened...
from.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father...
John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me...
Acts 15:18 Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Ephesians 1:4 According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
1 Peter 1:20 Who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
the beast that was.
Revelation 13:1-4,11,12 And I stood on the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns...
Revelation 17:8 Parallel Commentaries
Abyss Amazement Ascend Beast Book Bottomless Destined Destruction Dwell Earth Filled Foundation Inhabitants Life Marvel Names Perdition Pit Present Recorded Sawest Way Wild Wonder World WrittenAbyss Amazement Ascend Beast Book Bottomless Destined Destruction Dwell Earth Filled Foundation Inhabitants Life Marvel Names Perdition Pit Present Recorded Sawest Way Wild Wonder World WrittenTHE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®.Revelation 17:8 Mobile Bible
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